Page Text: March 13, 2022 at 11:51 am
Thanks for pointing out this article! I find it very worth reading.
Through an order at Amazon Japan in November 2021 I got a dozen Hi-uni F with the old JIS sign. Since this mark was used until 2008, the pencils are at least 13 years old (I do not know how they came into Amazon’s range).Comparison with a current Hi-uni F has shown that the latter is significantly better, i. e. there were probably further improvements to the Hi-uni after its introduction.
I also find the details mentioned in the article about the particle size of the graphite and the origin of the clay exciting. You rarely hear about such details!
March 13, 2022 at 8:15 pm
Gunther, thank you for sharing that observation about the Hi-Uni.
There are still patents being filed for pencil innovations – many from Japan. So if these innovations make their way into commercial products, it makes sense that pencils should continue improving.
One thing about 10 and 15 year old quality pencils – I feel they are just a little more difficult to sharpen than new pencils. Perhaps the wood slowly loses moisture, or the wood treatment loses effectiveness over time?
March 14, 2022 at 4:37 am
Stephen, you’re right – in view of the many patents it would be surprising if the pencils were not improved.
My statement regarding the Hi-uni was very imprecise; here is an addition. I haven’t noticed any differences in the wood and the finishing but the lead of the new Hi-uni F writes blacker and smoother than the lead of the old one. However, this could also be due to different impregnation. (But I only have a few of these pencils to test so my assessment could also be wrong.) – By the way, I find it remarkable how little one learns about the impregnation of the leads, although it plays an important role (but in my experience the companies are very secretive about this).
Regarding the wood: In my experience, ageing (also depending on the type of storage) can have a negative effect on the cutting properties of the wood. However, it is difficult to make a conclusive statement because no direct comparison is possible.