There is a well-known urban legend about NASA spending millions developing an ink pen that can work in zero-gravity space, only to learn the hard way that the answer was a humble pencil all along. While the story is only anecdotal at best, it does drive home the truth that a simple pencil can sometimes do what even the most advanced pen cannot, like being forgiving of mistakes.
Alas, most of the luxurious and aesthetic design ideas have been lavished on pens, leaving the modest wooden graphite stick little to be proud of. Once in a while, however, a new design does come around to satisfy that longing for a pleasing and comfortable writing tool. Leave it to industry expert Graf von Faber-Castell to produce such a delight and have it bear an almost tongue-in-cheek reference to that revolutionary Space Pen, taking your writing experience and stationery collection to new heights.
Designer: Noto Design for Graf von Faber-Castell
The most basic design of a pencil is quite simple, especially if it’s the wooden kind. You have a wooden barrel, sometimes completely smooth often faceted, with a graphite core that leaves marks on paper or compatible surfaces. When that graphite tip gets too dull, you cut away the wood around the core to reveal more of the graphite to use. And when you make mistakes, simply rubbing off the error with an eraser makes you feel you have the power to turn back the hands of time.
As such, there’s probably not much motivation to refine the design of pencils aside from the mechanical variety. The Perfect Pencil, however, proves there’s not only wiggle room for improvement but also embellishment. After all, it will almost look like you’re holding a fancy fountain pen, one that even comes with all the tools you need for a complete pencil-writing experience.
The Perfect Pencil is technically a pencil extender that also serves as a cap to protect that fragile graphite tip while also adding a bit of class to the pencil. Sort of like a pen with a removable cap that you put on the opposite end of the nib when you’re writing. That cap, however, also hides a pencil sharpener so you never have to go without one by your side. The Perfect Pencil also supports a removable eraser end, which practically makes the pen not just perfect but also immortal.
The Limited Edition Stellar design adds a slight twist that pays homage to human innovation as demonstrated by our space technology achievements. The matte platinum-coated surface of the cap was chosen to resemble rockets that brought our ambitions to the stars, while the bright blue sodalite recess in the cap makes you feel like you’re looking down the Earth from a space station. With precision and elegance, the Perfect Pencil Stellar offers a writing tool that goes beyond the ordinary, ready to record your thoughts and dreams for the adventure that is your life.
