The Blaisdell Ben Franklin 500 – Medium Hard – # 3

Recently I acquired some Blaisdell-made Ben Franklin 500s in a No. 3 grade, medium hard. This pencil is one of those quality yellow pencils of yesteryear. No such thing, anymore, if I even need to tell you. In the green stamping of the number 3, it’s near kin to the Dixon Ticonderoga. I have another blog post that features the Ben Franklin 500 made by Berol.The Blaisdell Ben Franklin 500 is the predecessor to the Berol.

The paint job is excellent on the Blaisdell Ben Franklins. One of the things that surprises me about pencil paint jobs is how it maintains its luster over numerous decades. So long as they’re in a box, an old pencil will look as good , if not better, than a contemporary pencil. Better because they don’t make them like they used to.

The Blaisdell Ben Franklin sharpens well, writes nicely — clearly there was a tradition of quality that carried on from company to company. The newer Berol made pencil is actually a nicer pencil, though, which surprises me. Going strictly on the trusty principle of “everything was better in the past”, I struggled to understand why the newer pencils were beating out the older ones. I guess, some things do improve with time.

The paint job on the Berol-made pencil is superior. The layers of paint are thicker (probably with more coats), glossier, and smoother. The die pressing of some lettering onto the Berol is actually covered over by a later coat of paint.  Another feature: the ferule is not attached through what’s called prick punching –the dozen or so little punctures that grip the eraser and wood as on the Blaisdell. I’ve always regarded this technique as a cost-saving call. On the Berol, the ferule is clamped (squeezed) onto the shaft so there’s no punctures to detract from the trademark white band design. The edges of the Berol’s body are smoother, too; rounder, more semi-hex as opposed to hex, which make for a more comfortable long-term writing experience. A pencil is a simple tool and every decision, subtle as it may be, is meaningful.

Oh well, this has turned into a further appreciation of the Berol Ben Franklin. I couldn’t help it. Berol and Blaisdell, both, were good pencil manufacturers. Berol edged out Blaisdell with improvements to an already good pencil.

Berol – Blaisdell Ben Franklin 500 pencil

First of all, this pencil’s no longer made. However,  through the magic of the Internet, you can buy them online from auction sites like eBay. Amazing. In the pictures below, any warping is a result of my elite photography skills and high-end equipment –or lack thereof. I bought them new (NOS – New Old Stock) but couldn’t help myself and sharpened them all.

  

So far, I’ve purchased two grades of the Berol – Blaisdell Ben Franklin 500, the Medium Hard (3) and the Medium (3/6). In my pictures, the No 3 is more orange-yellow and has a plain brass colored ferule; the 3/6 is a lighter yellow and has a white stripe around the ferule. I’ve seen different styles, different lettering, color, No 3s with white stripes. There are pre-Berol Blaisdells… Here’s my review of the Blaisdell No. 3. You get the point. Your experience will vary.

I discovered that my pencils with the white paint on the ferule have only a golden/brass paint job. Rub off the bright yellow with an eraser and underneath there’s a dull, oxidized brown. I’m sure the metal was fine when they were new. I get it. No one’s fault. The yellow of the solid yellow ferule is yellow all the way — whatever the metal is. I have no clue. So sometimes beauty is only surface deep, after all. That’s the lesson for today, folks. I do like that white on the ferule, though…so disappointing.

Both grades have a thick lacquer coat of paint. The paint shines and, on most of the pencils I have, completely conceals the grain underneath. On pencils with thinner coats of paint, you can see the roughness of a cut or the contours of the grain.The thicker paint on the Ben Franklins gives the pencil a rounder feel along the edges of each face of the pencil. One of the Ben Franklins had a mean-rough cutting, though, and no amount of paint — short of a pouring a can of paint — would hide its raised ridges.

I would regard the 3/6 and the No. 3, both, as excellent writing pencils. In fact, I’m having a hard time using up the lead, it’s so long-lasting. Both pencils sharpen very nicely and have a nice cedar smell to them. Overall, an excellent pencil. I’ll definitely be picking up more Bens as they become available on eBay — and a gross would make my day.

I was surprised to not find any reviews or kinds words on the Internet for the Ben Franklins — plenty of quotes for some jolly, bald, white guy…but nothing on the pencils. It’s a shame, really, that such a nice product should go so quietly into the sunset of writing tools with nary a eulogy.

Here’s someone marking your passage, Ben Franklin 500. May you live forever is New Old Stock (NOS). And I’ll be seeing more of you in my future, I guarantee you. You were a fine pencil and you have a life-long admirer over here.