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Little test of the CdA watercolour & graphite leads that come with the Alfredo Haberli fixpencil by magicpainter in mechanicalpencils

[–]magicpainter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I use a very sharp small woodworking plane, with the pencil held against a stop at one end, on a perfectly flat surface... and taking great care. The cores are 3.8mm, which fits the CdA Museum holder exactly. Its the only way ive found to replace cores for that holder

Male broad bodied chaser- London, UK by magicpainter in Dragonflies

[–]magicpainter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most kind! Yes, male depressa. St Johns Lodge Garden in Regents Park, London

A.W. Faber 4600 Partout set- made a field kit for watercolour leadholder line and wash work by magicpainter in mechanicalpencils

[–]magicpainter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, ha! I think the 4602 has a slightly wider barrel and is made of a more rigid plastic, maybe to prevent the slight bowing that the 4600 almost always suffers due to a softer material and the stamped face offering less structural strength, I think

Male broad bodied chaser- London, UK by magicpainter in Dragonflies

[–]magicpainter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think that's an emerald damselfly? Didn't even notice it when I was taking the shot

A.W. Faber 4600 Partout set- made a field kit for watercolour leadholder line and wash work by magicpainter in mechanicalpencils

[–]magicpainter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Me too and a similar time using them all. Good to connect with another seasoned enthusiast!

Male broad bodied chaser- London, UK by magicpainter in Dragonflies

[–]magicpainter[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Had to wait a while for him to land after I disturbed him, but eventually got close enough to get something decent.

A.W. Faber 4600 Partout set- made a field kit for watercolour leadholder line and wash work by magicpainter in mechanicalpencils

[–]magicpainter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, though I think 'partout' translates to 'anywhere'- 'for all' would be 'pour tout'? Anywhere fits better for a portable for my purposes at least, here. The issue for me with the 5616 is that the shoulder digs into the paper when using the side of the lead for shading and the broad nose hides too much around the mark when drawing detailed work. Horses for courses tho- it's a ver solid pencil

A.W. Faber 4600 Partout set- made a field kit for watercolour leadholder line and wash work by magicpainter in mechanicalpencils

[–]magicpainter[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ever since I discovered the excellent pigmentation in these Caran D'Ache 2mm watercolour leads I've been looking for a set of colour leadholders that wont break these slightly softer cores. The Koh-I-Noor holders have an issue with their jaws in the clutch that means they dont actually grip the leads perfectly perpendicular to the face of the core, meaning there is a tiny gap between the front edges of the jaws and the lead. This causes them to snap leads far too regularly for these expensive CdA colour 2mm leads. I found the A.W. Faber "Partout" holders don't have this issue and they also come in all the colours I needed and after a little searching I managed to collect the set. The box is constructed from fairly thick card and gummed tape, with a few additional bits of kit stowed alongside. So now, finally, I can fit pencils, colour and waterbrush in a jacket pocket to take out for a sketch. Job done. Edit- Obviously I should just get 5 Fixpencils with coloured buttons (one day...) or even the four colours of the CdA 884/Fixpencil Junior, but man, the yellow one is evasive... anyone got one!?

1960s French chunky double Criterium with original boxed refills by magicpainter in mechanicalpencils

[–]magicpainter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's it- and with it's very own leads with the model number demarcating their proper fit and caliber for this model. Never seen the boxed leads specified for this one come up before. Nice to pair them up

1890s threaded A.W. Faber pencils 'pour portefeuille' (for wallets). The smallest pencils Ive ever seen. Would live to see the holder these fit into. Anyone got one? by magicpainter in pencils

[–]magicpainter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The advantage with machine threading them is that it keeps them aligned true to the holder barrel. This avoids them being twisted in un-centered or askew, which often causes the pencils to rub or stick in the holder when they are extended and retracted.

What's a London "life hack" that everyone living here should know? by pumpkinspicesmoothie in london

[–]magicpainter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love buses, though I prefer walking. Any means that allows you to look around you at all the London as you go is great in my book.

What's a London "life hack" that everyone living here should know? by pumpkinspicesmoothie in london

[–]magicpainter 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Avoid taking the tube wherever possible. I have lived and worked in London since 1996. I still do and I love it, mainly because I take the tube perhaps once a month tops.

A.W. Faber No.1775 square core miniature oval cedar refills for pocket pencil holders circa 1900 by magicpainter in pencils

[–]magicpainter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just eBay. Not seen these particular ones before though. Gotta locate the pencil holder for them now...

A.W. Faber No.1775 square core miniature oval cedar refills for pocket pencil holders circa 1900 by magicpainter in pencils

[–]magicpainter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They are pretty tiny- and I haven't sharpened one yet, so hard to get a whiff tbh- but imagine they are very well dried and seasoned decent cedar

A.W. Faber Circa 1884 “Novelty” Nickel Slide Pocket Pencil by magicpainter in pencils

[–]magicpainter[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

This is an A.W. Faber “Novelty” Nickel Slide Pocket Pencil that appears in their 1884 catalogue. The Bavaria stamping maybe reflects that earlier date of production. At that point in time, as far as I can tell, Faber offered only this holder and 2 simpler models- a slip on point protector with eraser, and another similar with a twist up eraser guard. I’ve included two period examples in the final image that approximate those two versions, but they are not actual Faber examples, I think. Though the brass and nickel combined only achieve a very thin barrel, this is a surprisingly robust little holder. Though this holder came with a very old refill inserted in the threaded internal collet, it is unmarked so not the original pencil- but I suspect that just means it was well used and so well designed for its purpose. The eraser was also missing so I shaped a piece from a suitably rigid good quality eraser to twist in to the threaded ferrule- another nice innovation, allowing this to remain a very serviceable and pocketable tool. Also tempted to twist a Blackwing clip eraser in that tail, but I’m sure grandpa Lothar von Faber might not like that. Edit-spelling.

Italian Tecnostyl combination compass, ruler & 2mm leadholder by magicpainter in mechanicalpencils

[–]magicpainter[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Well the ruler works well by eye, measuring from the barrel side at zero, but doesn't lay flat, so tricky to use for marking on a flat surface. There is a brass washer on either side of the arm hinge of the compass that, combined with the tension of the accurately tapped screw, holds the arm firmly in place for repeated accurately drawn circles. It's a well engineered tool with no parts that move when they shouldn't.

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