In this episode, we;re taking a break from rooting for Team USA to check in with a midsummer episode about some fun new Blackwings, the latest Field Notes release, and a rousing round of Tools of the Trade to see what we’ve been listening to, reading, and writing with.

Show notes and links

Erasable Patreon

Sturgill Simpson GQ Profile

Johnny Blue Skies - Passage Du Desir

Jason Hardy Songs

Jason Isbell Field Notes

Stephen Wilson Jr. - Son of Dad

Microtomic Blackwing Eras

Robert Brighton Blackwings

Field Notes Index edition

Narwhal Original Plus in Lovina Graphite

Diamine Midnight Hour

Hitide DTLA

On this episode of Erasable, the guys are trying to muster as much patriotic spirit as they can and talk about some of their favorite American-made stationery brands. From JR Moon to Write Notepads, there are still some good quality products made between American shores. Plus: Updates from Blackwing, Andy’s trip to Seattle, and more!

Show Notes and Links

Erasable Patreon

Born in the USA

J. R. Moon 

General Pencil Company

Musgrave Pencil Company

Blackwing 746 Collection

Jason Isbell Field Notes

Quintessence: The Quality of Having It

Your Hosts

Johnny  Gamber
Pencil Revolution
@pencilution

Andy Welfle
Woodclinched
@awelfle

Tim Wasem
@TimWasem

It’s been a while, and a lot of stuff has come out since we last podcasted as our True Selves. We’re rectifying that tonight, as we check out the latest releases from Field Notes and Blackwing. Join us and find out what we’ve been up to!

Show Notes and Links

Erasable Patreon

 BIRCH BARK

Volume 17, the Gardening Pencil

HEARTLAND

Blackwing “Buy Our Trash” Labs

Blackwing/Moleskine Collab

Theory11 playing cards

The Importance of Not Being Ernest by Mark Kurlansky

Your Hosts

Johnny  Gamber
Pencil Revolution
@pencilution

Andy Welfle
Woodclinched
@awelfle

Tim Wasem
@TimWasem

In this episode, Ana, Caroline and Andi — your favorite hosts — go all in on some of their favorite non-pencil products, like lip balm, boxed wine, Imabari face towels, and more. They talk about where they get their best USPS postage stamp news, and how the Orchard Street Reading Society discusses books. We’re so excited you’ve stuck around for five years. Happy National Pencil Day, everyone!

We do a lot of speculating about Blackwing editions here on the show, but today, Andy and Johnny get the scoop straight from source, with our special guest: Blackwing Brand Manager Alexander Poirier! He discusses all things Blackwing, like the release of the extra-firm Blackwing Natural and the brand-new Volume 811, and even the ideation and creation process behind the Volumes editions. You won’t want to miss this!

Erasable is five years old! Join Tim, Andy, and Johnny in this short episode for the Usual Fair of Tools of the Trade and Fresh Points and also a few looks back at five years of pencil podcasting.

This episode is one again sponsored by In Defense of Paper, making high-quality notebooks sourced and manufactured in the US. Visit indefenseofpaper.com/erasable to check them out, and use coupon code erasable to save $5 off your purchase.

Sign here, please. Tonight, we three hosts are joined by writer and signature expert Bull Garlington — the Analog Attorney — as we discuss developing your signature signature.

Holy machined metal! Andy and Johnny are joined by Noah Bier from Brahman Design for the main topic of this episode, in which Erasable hosts a broadcast about pencil planes of international proportions.

This episode is one again sponsored by In Defense of Paper, making high-quality notebooks sourced and manufactured in the US. Visit indefenseofpaper.com/erasable to check them out, and use coupon code erasable to save $5 off your purchase.

As a New Year’s present, Andy, Johnny, and Tim present their current methods of organization and planning for 2019. Tune in to find out who is writing a book, who is using a ballpoint pen, and who has sworn off all forms of caffeine.

The holidays are fast approaching, and we are here to solve all of your stationery related gift-giving issues. Tune in as Andy and Johnny are joined by Mike Hagan from Leadfast as we help you out during this stressful time of year, before which we share our own holiday dream wishlists.

This episode is one again sponsored by In Defense of Paper, making high-quality notebooks sourced and manufactured in the US. Visit indefenseofpaper.com/erasable to check them out, and use coupon code erasable to save $5 off your purchase.

It’s the end of National Novel Writing Month, the 50,000 word November writing sprint in which brave souls pound out the first draft of a novel in 30 days. Tonight Andy and Johnny are joined by Less Harper, of the RSVP Podcast and Comfortable Shoes Studio fame, to talk about how this year’s NaNo went and what we have learned for next year.

This episode is one again sponsored by In Defense of Paper, making high-quality notebooks sourced and manufactured in the US. Visit indefenseofpaper.com/erasable to check them out, and use coupon code erasable to save $5 off your purchase.

Seasons change. People change. Feelings change. It’s true for Exposé, and it’s true at Erasable. Every so often, we like to check back in with our current top 5 pencils. And Tim is back with us after a break; so this is a great night to check in. So check out our top pencil lists and details about other wonderfully pencilicious things.

This episode is sponsored by In Defense of Paper, making high-quality notebooks sourced and manufactured in the US. Check them out at InDefenseOfPaper.com/erasable, and use offer code “erasable” to save $5 at checkout.

You might have noticed the recent social media presence of Musgrave Pencil company, the 102 year old pencil company located in Pencil City, TN. We are very happy to be joined a little later by Henry Hulan, former president of Musgrave and grandson of its founder. Find out what it takes to keep an American pencil factory going for over a century and what exciting developments Musgrave has in store for us in the near future.

This episode is sponsored by In Defense of Paper, making high-quality notebooks sourced and manufactured in the US. Check them out at InDefenseOfPaper.com/erasable, and use offer code “erasable” to save $5 at checkout.

Presenting Part 3 of our Dungeons & Dragons campaign with Dungeon Master Monica Corwin! If you’d like to see a video of this adventure, episodes 200 201, 202, and our other D&D episodes, support us at any level on Patreon.

Join our band of travelers — Ralph, Sam, and Andrøs — as they worm their way out of the wormling fight in the (literal) dungeon for the third and final installment of our D&D campaign! Who are the metal dragons? How do they defeat them? Will they save Graphia and their (quite literally) erasable world?

Your Dungeon Master

Monica Corwin
Website | Amazon | Instagram

Our Adventurers

Ralph Rex
as portrayed by Johnny Gamber

Samik Stoneback
as portrayed by Tim Wasem

Andrøs Goldenbear
as portrayed by Andy Welfle

It’s that time of year. School is back in session. Sweaters are coming out of storage. Pumpkin Spice is a phrase uttered with either disgust or excitement. And our favorite stationery brands are releasing their fall releases. Tonight, we take a look at the latest offerings from Field Notes and Blackwing. Tune in to find out the best gear for Autumnal Reveries!

Special announcement: The theme of Issue 5 of Plumbago Magazine has been announced! Read more about that and pitch your idea!

Maybe you’ve heard that graphite is a type of carbon. Maybe you’ve heard about how similar graphite is to diamonds at the molecular level. Maybe the idea that something black and soft being so similar to something shiny and hard made your head hurt. Tonight, Andy and Johnny are joined by Lenore Hoyt, chemist and co-host of the RSVP Stationery Podcast, to talk about the chemistry of pencils.

We’re a podcast about pencils. It is a digital entity that exists in cyberspace but which centers on pencils and related IRL items. The irony has never been lost on us. Tonight in the most ambitious crossover event in history, Andy and Johnny are joined by Will Fanguy, co-host of Andy’s other podcast, Dot Grid, to talk about analog and digital ways to plan and be productive and where these lines get fuzzy. And, stick around after the musical outro for a fun little reunion.

It’s that time of year again: lists, big packs of pencils, and ten cent composition books. It’s back to school time already! Tonight, Andy and Johnny are joined by none other than Caroline Weaver, to discuss the best pencils and pencil paraphernalia with which to outfit your kids and and even yourself this fall.

Bullet pencils used to be souvenirs of adventures had, marketing items, even electoral tools. Tonight, Andy and Johnny are joined by Randy Ragan for a discussion of all things bullet pencil, including their restoration. Tune into episode 101 as we take aim on these bygone portable pieces of pencilry.

More than four years ago, Tim Wasem, Johnny Gamber, and Andy Welfle were just mild-mannered men, until the day they were stabbed with radioactive graphite that turned them into… pencil podcast hosts! Hitting the topics harder than a 4H, interviewing guests with the smoothness of a 6B, no stationery is safe from The Erasables! Special guest host Caitlin Elgin interviews the guys about how the heck they pulled off a centenary of episodes about... pencils?

To help us celebrate 100 episodes, buy a limited edition custom Erasable Baron Fig Confidant! With a bright yellow fabric color and a special variant of our logo foil-stamped on the front (designed by our friend TJ Cosgrove), all proceeds will go to support the continued operation of this show. But hurry — we'll stop selling it by the time episode 101 airs on July 25!

Ah, the hum of AC units, oscillating fans, and bugs. Before we hit the big 100, we’re here to talk about the latest releases from Field Notes and Blackwing, as well as other interesting pencil items.

Issue 4 of Plumbago Magazine is now available for pre-order! Please consider pre-ordering your copy so you can help us raise capital for the initial print run. Plus, it'll guarantee availability of a copy for you. Check out the product page for more information and to place your pre-order.

Field Notes. Maybe you collect them. Maybe you are even a completist. Maybe you fill them like no one’s business. Tonight, Andy, Johnny, and Tim are joined by prolific Field Notes user Lary Grimaldi. The quartet talk favorite editions, interior pages, pencils, and perhaps suggest some Erasable-specific Suggested Uses.

We’ve received many requests throughout the four years we’ve been making this podcast to talk about mechanical pencils. But it’s not something any of the three of we hosts really know a whole lot about. So tonight, we’re going to talk about mechanical pencils as tools used by a regular wooden pencil user.

If you’re a member of our Facebook Group, you get to enjoy Hackwings on the regular. If not, picture well-matched Blackwing ferrules and erasers stuck atop your favorite non-Blackwing pencils. Our guest this week is artist and pro-level Hackwinger Jason Patterson, and your three hosts will wax PENCILSOPHICAL™ about this and other topics.

Plumbago Magazine is looking for a few good illustrators to contribute to Issue 4 (Summer 2018!) Find more information or subscribe to our newsletter at Plumbago.xyz.

Presenting the second part of our Dungeons & Dragons campaign with Dungeon Master Monica Corwin! If you’d like to see a video of this adventure, episodes 200 and 201, and our other D&D episodes, support us at any level on Patreon.

Our intrepid heroes are back! Ralph Rex, Samik Stoneback, and Andrøs Goldenbear officially enter the mysterious forests of Graphia, and try to solve puzzles, fight golems, and understand which dice to roll, under the fearless tutelage of Dungeon Master Monica Corwin! Tune in for the second part of The Erasable Spellcast, our celebration of 200 episodes and more than 9 years of podcasting.

Your Dungeon Master

Monica Corwin
Website | Amazon | Instagram

Our Adventurers

Ralph Rex
as portrayed by Johnny Gamber

Samik Stoneback
as portrayed by Tim Wasem

Andrøs Goldenbear
as portrayed by Andy Welfle

Sometimes it might seem like we talk a lot, but we’re only a bi-weekly show, and there are multiple voices. Tonight, we host another live call-in show! We hear from listeners, and even a non-listener as we struggle with how to hang up on people on Skype.

It’s spring. That means that it’s spring release season from our favorite stationery companies. Join Tim, Andy, and Johnny as they levy their judgements on the latest offerings from Field Notes, Blackwing, Write Notepads, and Baron Fig.

Happy belated International Pencil Day! To celebrate, your fearless (new and improved) hosts are talking all about mechanical pencils — mass market clicky pencils, high-end metal ones, and even leadholders.

Have you ever wanted to know more about the old business you read about on an old piece of advertising? Just married this past fall, Jessica Letkemann and Chris Jones are exploring the history of the businesses featured on vintage advertising pencils. Their new blog is called Graphite Confidential, and we’ve got them both here in The Erasable Skyposphere for a casual grilling. Tune in, as we go back in time a bit...

What attracts the Pen Addict himself to pencils? What pencils does he recommend for pen lovers, and what should Inky Folks look for in graphite-friendly paper? Listen in and find answers to these questions and what everyone’s been wondering for nearly four years: What does Erasable sound like without Andy?

While it rhymes nicely with Erasable, we don’t often like the word irreplaceable. Sometimes pencils stop being made. Sometimes they were limited editions to begin with. We all miss the Blackwing 211. But sometimes there are perfectly good substitutes for the pencil items you miss, and we’re here to help you through it.

Pre-show: Listen to a preview of Toffer Surovec's short story, "Crashing Bird," published in Issue 3 of Plumbago Magazine

Maybe you carry around pens because you’re secretly afraid of falling and stabbing yourself through the chest or neck with a sharp Ticonderoga. Maybe one of Erasable’s hosts has had this fear for over three decades. We’re here to help, as tonight, we dive into point protectors, which will protect not only your fragile body, but also your precious pencil tips.

Plumbago Magazine, Issue 3 is now shipping! Order yours today.

We’re back from the holidays and are ready to chat about pencils and pencil-adjacent holiday gifts we received. Still reeling from the Bomb Cyclone, Andy, Johnny, and Tim present some picks to keep you writing all winter in the Great Outdoors.

It’s that time of year again: Winter release time! Tonight, on the live-streamed 87th episode of Erasable, Andy, Johnny, and Tim talk about the new goods from Field Notes, Blackwing, and Write Notepads and Co. Also, Tim talks about the 10 year-old digital writing machine buying spree he's been on. And finally, we give you the skinny on excellent pencilicious gifts for your loved ones this season. Ho ho ho!

We’re now taking pre-orders for Plumbago Magazine, Issue 3! It'll be 60+ pages of poetry, fiction, comics, illustrations and more — all about stationery. Reserve your copy that ships in early January. 

On this episode, we diverge from pencils for a moment to look at another analog writing tool we all know and love — typewriters! In the second half of the show, we’re joined by filmmaker and Grammy Award-winner Doug Nichol, director of the recently released documentary California Typewriter, following the recent days of one of the last typewriter repair shops in the US, and celebrity typewriter enthusiasts, like Tom Hanks and John Mayer. We all chat about the film, about collecting typewriters, and their relevance and utility in today’s technological world.

The first part of our Dungeons & Dragons campaign with Dungeon Master Monica Corwin gets underway! If you’d like to see a video of this adventure, episode 200, and our other D&D episodes, support us at any level on Patreon.

Embark on an epic journey in the enshrouded realm of Graphia, a land veiled in ancient curses and enigma. As darkness threatens to engulf this mystic plane, a brave band of adventurers rallies together, fueled by an unbreakable bond of friendship and a collective intellect that defies all odds. In a race against time, they forge ahead, relying on synergy and wit to navigate through veils of mystery and danger. Their ultimate quest: to unearth the legendary Eternal Quill and salvage not only the doomed land but their own fates as well. Will their camaraderie and ingenuity prevail, or will the shadows of Graphia consume all? Step into this thrilling saga and find out.

And coffee.

Your Dungeon Master

Monica Corwin
Website | Amazon | Instagram

Our Adventurers

Ralph Rex
as portrayed by Johnny Gamber

Samik Stoneback
as portrayed by Tim Wasem

Andrøs Goldenbear
as portrayed by Andy Welfle

Tonight it’s just Andy, Johnny, and Tim, talking about some new non-pencil stuff from Blackwing, some Baron Figs that just roll with it, the just-announced Field Notes, and the recent book The Secret Life of the Pencil. Your Terrific Triad also wrap about Plumbago, NaNoWriMo, and glitter-dipped pencils.

🪄 A D&D adventure, with Dungeon Master Monica Corwin 🐉

These guys are characters. For our two hundredth episode, we wax a bit nostalgic and also begin a new adventure: Along with a seasoned Dungeon Master Monica Corwin, we’re making D&D characters for a pencil themed campaign (which you’ll hear in our next couple of episodes)! A quick note: Patreon subscribers will be able to watch video of this episode and our further D&D episodes! Subscribe at any level and see our lovely faces.

Our Guest

Monica Corwin
Website | Amazon | Instagram

Your Hosts

Johnny  Gamber
Pencil Revolution
@pencilution

Andy Welfle
Woodclinched
@awelfle

Tim Wasem
@TimWasem