Seen in the wild

Noris 120 2

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To celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Noris Staedtler has created a special page for our [1]..certainly my and maybe also your favourite pencil favourite pencil. You can find it in the ‘Highlights’ section of Staedtler’s website (it’s part of the the ‘Discover’ menu item).

A typical ‘Noris spotted on the Beeb’ photo thrown in for good measure. (Image © BBC)

I wish this important brand and pencil could have been in the limelight a bit longer – by Staedtler featuring the Noris anniversary article on their landing page for a few weeks – especially in countries like the UK where the Noris is very popular and people might appreciate this special anniversary [2]The 120th anniversary of the pencil with then umber 120.. Addendum: I have been told that that the Noris anniversary pages will be expanded throughout the year.

The special Noris web page is a great read with lots of historic details plus some quirky titbits thrown in, like the record-breaking Noris color pencil that is more than 450 meters long or the giant Noris Obelisk in Barcelona. Unfortunately the translation into English seems to have been done by a computer, which resulted in the occasional information hiccup, but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment you get from all the details. Addendum: My understanding is that Staedtler will get the translation issues fixed.

I feel very honoured that my best wishes for this anniversary are featured on the German version of the Staedtler website, next to Gunther’s.

Here featured in a report about how schools are affected during Covid times. Nothing says “UK school” quite like the Noris. (Image © BBC)

The anniversary details from this page are great, so I couldn’t resist and added some of them to the Noris page on Stationery.wiki.

The screenshots of have been taken from BBC News. I believe that the use of these images falls under “fair dealing” as described by the UK Copyright service.

References

↑1..certainly my and maybe also your favourite pencil
↑2The 120th anniversary of the pencil with then umber 120.

Boring dysfunction

 in Seen in the wild / Staedtler  tagged BBC Radio 4 / Brian Mackenwells / James Ward / Noris spotting / seen in the wild / Staedtler by

Dysfunction

Staedtler’s Noris is near-daily occurrence on UK TV. Thanks to its ubiquitousness in schools it is sure to make an appearance in stock footage about primary schools. There is however a new place where you can admire the Noris on UK TV: during the day and in the evenings: in TV advertising for an erectile dysfunction blood test. Yes, I was also surprised they show this during the day. You can see a Noris triplus in two shots. First the lead is intact, then the lead is broken off. Subtle?

Image © Numan

You can watch the whole advertising below. I’m surprised that at the time of posting this blog post it only has 100 views. You always think that companies that pay for nation-wide TV advertising must be quite big, but maybe the company behind this is rather small or just doesn’t promote their videos online.

Boring

Image © BBC

On to the next topic: A buyer from one of my eBay auctions mentioned the Pencil episode of The Boring Podcast to me. I listened to this Podcast (or the radio show version) when it was new and I enjoyed it, but somehow stopped listening, even though it still is still in my podcast app. That was a mistake. This show originally caught my eye because the presenter is James Ward, the author of the Adventures in Stationery book. By the way, I never got a reply to my question what his favourite pencil is, but I might try again in another six years. The pencil episode‘s main contributor is Brian Mackenwells. He’s talking about many pencils, including the Tombow Mono 100, the real Blacking and the CalCedar Blackwing, the Noris, the Columbus and many more. Have a listen – and also have a look at Brian Mackenwells’ cool typewriter products!

Julia Donaldson’s Staedtler Tradition

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Julia Donaldson (Image © The Documentary Unit Scotland / BBC Studios)

This is a quick follow up linked to the previous blog post about Sara Ogilvie’s Staedtler Tradition.

Julia Donaldson wrote the text for the previously mentioned book ‘The Detective Dog’ and is world-famous for her Gruffalo book(s). It’s great to know that she is also partial to good pencils …and like Sara Ogilvie she is also using Staedtler’s Tradition.

Julia Donaldson writing with a Staedtler Tradition (Image © The Documentary Unit Scotland / BBC Studios)

The screenshots of Julia Donaldson using a Staedtler Tradition have been taken from the documentary ‘The Magical World of Julia Donaldson’. I believe that the use of these images falls under “fair dealing” as described by the UK Copyright service.

Sara Ogilvie’s Staedtler Tradition

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My son has accumulated quite a few picture books over the years. They are mainly used as good night stories. When it comes to the beauty of the drawings there is one firm favourite for me: The Detective Dog.

(Image © Macmillan Children’s Books)

In the past I tried to find out more about the artist behind this book’s drawings, but wasn’t very successful – so you can imagine my surprise when not only was she being mentioned on TV, you could even see her using a Staedtler Tradition for her drawings.

Sara Ogilvie drawing with a Staedtler Tradition (Image © The Documentary Unit Scotland / BBC Studios)

She’s certainly not the first British artist using the Staedtler Tradition that is being mentioned in this blog and I am quite sure she won’t be the last.

Sara Ogilvie sharpening her Staedtler Tradition (Image © The Documentary Unit Scotland / BBC Studios)

Some of the drawings characteristics made me think the book’s drawings were produced on a computer, so seeing they were made with pencil and paper ..and a with Staedtler made this Staedtler fanboy very happy.

The screenshots of Sara Ogilvie using a Staedtler Tradition have been taken from the documentary ‘The Magical World of Julia Donaldson’. I believe that the use of these images falls under “fair dealing” as described by the UK Copyright service.