The Humble Pencil Is Just Now Hitting Its Prime

Objects of obsession tend to be flashy—watches, jewelry, cars—but the humble pencil is not immune to fetishization. Caroline Weaver, owner of CW Pencil Enterprise and author of Pencils You Should Know (Chronicle Books, $16.95), credits their sensory appeal. “A pencil feels different,” she says. “It smells like something. It sounds like something.” Blackwings, a favorite of John Steinbeck and Bugs Bunny creator Chuck Jones, are a case in point: While vintage specimens can go for more than $40 each on EBay, new versions ($25 for a set of 12) are beguiling a generation of contemporary devotees with their pedigree and smooth-as-silk writing quality.

• Pencils have been made under the Viarco banner in Portugal since 1936, and its classic red Desenho 250 with gold foil ($9 for a set of 12) is a “deep cut” among cognoscenti. “They have this audible scratchiness that people really like,” Weaver says.