Yesterday I spent the afternoon with William Allen, a professor and filmmaker who is finishing up work on his documentary “No. 2: Story of the Pencil.” My involvement was limited mostly to the Blackwing, but the interview also covered thoughtful questions about pencils in general. Henry Petroski and David Rees are among the subjects of the documentary, which should be finished this winter.
Along with Blackwing pencils and boxes I brought a selection of additional Eberhard Faber items, which got the star treatment as William had some impressive gear with him—including a mechanized camera slide with which you can create some great tracking shots.
After filming the pencils together, we set up a few close-ups of individual items. I don’t know how much or how little will make it into the final cut, but we’ll all be able to find out in a few months when the documentary is finished. You can track its progress through Kickstarter and Facebook.
Contrapuntalism 