The Erasable Podcast

Jaksot

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  Episode 241: Disney Meth 27.08.2026 1t 4min

  No Pencil Primer this time (part three is coming, promise) — instead, a Fresh Points extravaganza to say bye-bye to summer. Blackwing goes big with a Mickey and Friends collection and the gorgeous Frida Kahlo Volume 143, Andy's wristwatch rabbit hole deepens into designing the perfect podcaster's watch, Johnny hand-binds his kids' planners and stocks up on pastel Musgrave Ceres, and Tim shows off Sharpie Harpy art and a compendium of delightfully weird writing prompts. Plus: Hobonichi szn is upon us, the SF Pen Show, Ian Schon's new dip nib, and a tall stack of books. Patreon subscribers at any level can watch the video version.Show NotesSt. Denis Medical — season 1 on Netflix, season 2 on PeacockAgainst Convenience by Gabe Bullard — out September 15 from Hanover Square Press; preorder it! (More at gabebullard.com)Tom's Studio refillable fineliner penPaper Mate InkJoy multi-pen — surprisingly good company swagThe Land and Its People by David Sedaris — recorded live at his readingsRemarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt — the octopus book, now a Netflix moviethree six five: prompts, acts, divinations by Lucy Ives (Siglio Press) — Tim's beautiful, backordered book of writing exercises (three ribbons!)Field Notes: Is a River Alive? — Tim's favorite Field Notes ever, with art by Stanley Donwood for Robert Macfarlane's bookUni-ball Air Micro — Tim's pocket penMusgrave Ceres — America 250 blue for Johnny, pastels by the gross for back to schoolLevenger True Writer in Sea Glass with Levenger Empyrean bottled ink ("navy blue and teal had a very beautiful baby")Hamilton Khaki Field Murph — the Interstellar watch, plus Andy's musings on military field watch dials and podcaster's-watch designHobonichi Techo season — Weeks, Cousin, and the V&A collabs; see Yoseka Stationery's big walkthrough videoSan Francisco Pen Show — this weekend, bring your elbowsSchon DSGN — Ian Schon's new $68 titanium dip nib, debuting at the showBlackwing x Disney Mickey and Friends collection — soft graphite, $40 a dozenBlackwing Volume 143 — the Frida Kahlo edition: saturated florals, pink metallic ferrule, teal eraser, and the best QC in yearsBlackwing One-Step sharpener — a big responsibility, budSharpie Harpy — Em Varian's Sharpie art on Etsy (you can even license a tattoo)Leuchtturm1917 — Tim's new default notebook gift for normal peoplePencil Revolution Press — Johnny's handmade planners and '90s diskette journalsMusgrave Test Scoring 100 — now with that sweet new ferruleMusgrave Tennessee Red pencils and the Songbird edition — remembering Dolly PartonSupport the show and get video episodes: patreon.com/erasableYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem
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  Episode 240: Synchronized Head Molts (Pencil Primer, Part 2) 06.08.2026 49min

  The Pencil Primer returns with part two: the case of yonder pencil. We trace the wood itself — from Conté's badass eyepatch to eastern red cedar, California incense cedar, and the creeping basswood era — plus why pencils are yellow (blame a Siberian graphite strike and some questionable 19th-century marketing) and why triangular pencils are weird. But first, the summer releases: Blackwing's birding-themed Volume 458 and Field Notes' melty, paleta-inspired Paletas edition get the full review. Next time: ferrules and erasers. Patreon subscribers at any level can watch the video version.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes & LinksBlackwing Volume 458 — a tribute to birding: Clark's Grebe, Mallard, Green Jay, and Black Rail gradients (Behind the Design)How Blackwing Pencils Are Made — the making-of video we kept mentioning (also on YouTube)Field Notes Paletas — nine popsicle notebooks inspired by Paletería Los Magos in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhoodField Notes: The Founding DocumentsOutshine popsicles — the official popsicle-flavor icebreakerNahvalur Original Plus — new sparkly colors (plus mystery jewel-tone demonstrators spotted at the NYC stationery festival)Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-gaki ink — Andy's persimmon-orange favoriteStationery Day recaps from Brad Dowdy and friendsMusgrave Tennessee Red — eastern red cedar, clear lacquer, glorious smellMusgrave Single Barrel 106 — named for Erasable episode 106 with Henry Hulan of MusgravePencils Past and Present — the YouTube channel reviewing the Single Barrel 106 (and lots of vintage pencils)ForestChoice — the FSC-certified incense cedar standard-bearerGeneral's Cedar Pointe — naked cedar, as God intendedKoh-i-Noor Hardtmuth — where the yellow pencil (and its complicated marketing history) beganCaran d'Ache Swiss Wood 348 — reportedly discontinued; pour one out (Pen Addict review; Well-Appointed Desk review)Dixon Tri-Conderoga — Andy's triangular gateway pencilTiconderoga Laddie — the bigger, soft-triangle oneFaber-Castell Grip 2001 — triangular, six design awards, formerly bubbly grip dots
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  Episode 239: Mavis Beacon for President 14.07.2026 48min

  The whole gang is back together to catch up. Andy recaps his Field Notes–filled wedding, starts a new job, and falls down a serious wristwatch rabbit hole — from Bluetooth-modded Casio F-91Ws to a Draplin x Timex Scout. Johnny's loving a $30 Asvine piston-filler, a possibly haunted Cedar Pointe, and a Rhodia Goalbook in Peacock, while Tim is deep in World Cup fever and cheap-but-good Pen+Gear black pencils. Plus: Blackwing's 250 drop, Nahvalur's Fireworks Nautilus, and a locked-in promise that next episode is a Pencil Primer all about wood.
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  Episode 238: No Playing Lawyer Ball 10.06.2026 42min

  Andy's out this week for the best possible reason — he got married! (Congratulations, Andy and Erica! 🎉) So Johnny and Tim keep it short and sweet with a catch-up and some fresh points: Tim falls down a Blaze Foley rabbit hole and digs into a new book on heartland rock, Johnny can't stop playing No Man's Sky, and both Henries pick up guitars. Plus: Field Notes' new Explore America memo books, Musgrave's America 250 collection, a pencil-powered fire-starting experiment, and a look at this year's (sadly slim) crop of Pride stationery. We'll be back next time, Andy in tow, with Pencil Primer, Part 2.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes & LinksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord inviteBlaze Foley — Live at the Austin OuthouseBlaze (2018), Ethan Hawke's film about Blaze FoleyWon't Back Down: Heartland Rock and the Fight for America by Erin OsmonAndorKing of the HillNo Man's SkyA Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0 by Bill BrysonA Perfect Circle — "Starless" (new single)Arab Strap — "You You You" (new single + video)Field Notes Explore America memo booksGrandma Gatewood's Walk by Ben MontgomeryPencil graphite lighter videoMusgrave America 250 collectionFisher Space Pen — America 250 AG7 Astronaut PenNahvalur Horizon Pride 2026 fountain penThe Trevor ProjectWar by Sebastian JungerYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem
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  Episode 237: Pencil Primer, Part 1 11.05.2026 59min

  We kick off the Pencil Primer — a new series for anyone who wants to start at the beginning of pencildom. This installment traces graphite from the legendary Borrowdale lightning strike of 1564 to Nicolas-Jacques Conté's clay-and-graphite breakthrough during the Napoleonic Wars, plus the Thoreau family's role in standardizing the American pencil grade scale and a tour through HB-to-9B. Plus, Tim's into a Bill Frisell biography, Johnny's writing with a sparkly Narwhal "raspberry cheesecake" pen that looks like, uh, something else, and Andy debuts booklet.lol — a vibe-coded book tracker. Patreon subscribers can watch the video version.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes & LinksErasableRead a transcript of this episode at Erasable ScribeErasable PatreonErasable Facebook groupErasable Discord inviteEpisode referencesEpisode 57: “The F Bomb”Podcasts / mediaDrug Storyr/pencilsLetterkennyBooksBill Frisell, Beautiful DreamerExcellent Advice for Living by Kevin KellyAutomatic Noodle by Annalee NewitzA Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky ChambersPencil / stationery / book artsCumberland Pencil MuseumNicolas-Jacques Conté (Britannica)Henry David Thoreau (Britannica)Guild of Book WorkersGeneral’s Layout PencilSTAEDTLER WOPEXDerwentPhotography / camera stuffMicro Four NerdsPetaPixelApps / sites / companiesbooklet.lolPeople / artists / companiesWillie NelsonCharlie CrockettBill FrisellJHS PedalsYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem
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  Episode 236: An Impressionistic Budget 19.04.2026 53min

  A big one this time around: we celebrate 12 years of Erasable, Andy launches a transcript site and an AI quiz generator, Johnny's been making books and hiking in 15-degree weather, and Tim christens his new Nahvalur Nautilus with a boiling water incident. Plus fresh releases from Field Notes, Blackwing, Baronfig, and Musgrave.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show notes & linksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord inviteThe Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip SimmonsPilão coffee (Tim's Brazilian coffee recommendation from Skip Simmons)Erasable ScribeQuizard.cool12 years of Erasable, by the numbers (according to Claude)Ed Kemp on zines (Erasable episode) (if you have a specific episode link handy)Plumbago magazineField Notes "Lucky"Blackwing Volume 343Blackwing Quarterly Zine, Issue 1Baronfig Winnie the Pooh Squire HexBaronfig Legend hardcover notebookMusgrave America 250 Celebration Red, White, and Blue setNahvalur Nautilus Ti "Toffee"Mike Masuyama nib grindingYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem
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  Episode 235: Little Podcast Mustache 14.03.2026 1t 5min

  The Erasable Podcast turns 12! As of March 12, we’ve officially been doing this podcast for 12 years. 279 hours of audio — that’s more than 11.5 straight days of Erasable! Tim is out today, but Johnny grills Andy about his trip to Hong Kong and Japan, including some of the cool pencils he found at a stationery shop in Kyoto that’s been in business since the 1600s. Have a listen!For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes & LinksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord inviteGestalt App — join the beta!Pencil & Paper’s custom Field NotesJ Herbin Vert Pre inkIroshizuku chiku-rin inkKyukyodoYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem
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  Episode 234: Bearded and Abroad 25.02.2026
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  Episode 233: The Dark Side of STEM (with special guest Ian Schon) 25.01.2026 1t 14min

  We’re back, after two months away! Sorry for the silence, friends. But we think we have something really special for you — a guest we’ve wanted to come on the show for almost 6 years. It’s Ian Schon of SCHONDSGN, a craftsman who makes incredible, unique fountain pens. We’re talking about his journey to  starting his own company, design and engineering challenges that fountain pens present, and his foray into his greatest challenge; making the Monoc, his own fountain pen nib from bars of titanium.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes & LinksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord inviteSchon DSGNEmbassy penAuxiliary MammalsErasable at the Baltimore Pen Show after party at Write notepadsSchon DSGN KickstarterOur GuestIan Schon SCHONDSGN website @schon_dsgn on InstagramYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem
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  Episode 232: Wide Nut Swamp Ash 26.11.2025 1t 1min
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  Episode 231: Stocking up on Scalpels 18.10.2025

  Happy October! This very autumnal episode is a short one — just some fresh points and tools of the trade. Johnny’s playing too much Mario Kart World, Andy regales us with his trip to New York City, and Tim is designing a thuper thecret notebook. Plus: we talk about some new Field Notes and feel very old because of the new Blackwing Eras.
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  Episode 230: The Hobonichi To-Do (with special guest Tyler McCall from Pencil & Paper) 21.09.2025 48min

  We’ve got a special episode today. Tyler McCall, co-owner of Chicago stationery shop Pencil & Paper, joins us to talk about the havoc caused by the Trump administration’s chaotic tariff policies. These policies aren’t just hurting small businesses like Tyler’s — they’re also driving up costs and creating disruptions for everyday consumers in ways you might not expect. This conversation is for anyone who cares about supporting local shops, stationery or otherwise. And if you’re in Chicago, be sure to stop by Tyler’s store in Andersonville.
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  Episode 229: Fresh Points of Bel Air Part 491043 30.08.2025 59min

  Happy International Workers Day, everyone! If you get a long weekend, we really hope you make the most of it. (Andy’s going to the SF Pen Show, for example!) Before we go off and celebrate, we’re coming atcha with some new Fresh Points, including some new Blackwings, a cool film camera, and the question that plagues our minds, “why is loose leaf paper so terrible?”. Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord inviteAEnima by ToolIn Case You Were Napping by PusciferTrue Writer Killarney fountain pen Automatic Noodle by Annalee NewitzLessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane AndersSlow HorsesMission Impossible Final ReckoningSnipe Hunter by Tyler ChildersBlackwing Volume 292Kodak EtkarNahvalur TriadBlackwing x Fender San Francisco Pen ShowMonoc Evo by Schon DesignYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil RevolutionAndy Welfleandy.wtfTim Wasem
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  Episode 228: We All Have a Little Graphite In Us (with special guest Allison King, author of "The Phoenix Pencil Company") 22.07.2025 52min

  We have a very special episode for you today, folks. We’re joined by Allison King, a novelist who recently published The Phoenix Pencil Company, a multi-generational story about Chinese-American women, data privacy, surveillance, LGBT love, and… pencils! We read the book and loved it, and Allison is here to answer some questions. If you want a copy for yourself, you can buy it at this link, or preferably at your local bookstore.Warning: this episode contains spoilers! If you’re reading, or intending to read this book, you might want to wait until you finish it to listen to this episode.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes and LinksLast Boat Out of ShanghaiA Tale for the Time BeingEmpire of AIOur GuestAllison King Allison's Website@allisonkingwrites on InstagramYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil Revolution @pencilutionAndy Welfle Woodclinched @awelfleTim Wasem @TimWasem
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  Episode 227: No Canoodling at Walden 02.07.2025 1t 20min

  After a month full of travel from our intrepid hosts, involving everything from counterfeit theatre tickets to marriage proposals to a literal train wreck, we’re back to regale each other with stories from our travels, and, of course, the stationery we picked up along the way. Plus, we announce a future book club episode with The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show notes and linksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord invitePhoenix Pencil Company by Allison KingUntitled Goose Game bookAnimal Crossing bookParis France by Gertrude SteinAndor Season 2The Bureaucratic Banality of Andor | RonBronson.designMy Friends by Fredrik BackmanEveryman’s Library Pocket Poets SeriesCharley CrockettSomebody Feed PhilIs a River Alive?Remix Album from The CureJohnny’s Pride journalsNahvalur Verdigris Muse fountain penErasable logo hatsErasable Eraser Friend lapel pinYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil RevolutionAndy Welfleandy.wtfTim Wasem
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  Episode 226: Hot n Early 29.05.2025 44min

  The summer limited editions are out early this year! Join us for the scoop on two releases from Blackwing, some very watery Field Notes, and finally — you can buy our newest Erasable merch!For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show notes and linksErasable PatreonErasable Eraser Friend pinErasable logo corduroy hatOrbitalAndor Season 2Doctor Who Series 14Levenger True Writer in Sapphire MosaicDiamine Sapphire BlueField Notes Summer ToteField Notes Is a River Alive?Is a River Alive? By Robert MacFarlaneNew Field Notes box artThe artist and his pencil sharpener collectionBlackwing Labs 05.13.26 pencilsBlackwing Labs 05.13.26 notebookBlackwing Volume 140Andy Johnny/Pencil RevolutionYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil RevolutionAndy Welfleandy.wtfTim Wasem
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  Episode 225: Justin Timberlake Was Supposed to Be Here 03.05.2025 39min

  May is upon is, and we’re here with a short one, discussing our tools of the trade, and some fun fresh points — Johnny talked about his sugar cane notebooks for Earth Day, and Andy introduced some new spring Erasable swag for 2025 (Stay tuned!)For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes & LinksErasable PatreonThe Birthday Massacre’s Sleep TonightWhere the Crawdads SingDamnedPusciferNahvalur Nautilus Ti Herbin Sapphire Bullet Journal 2.0 2023 Artist EditionChiikawaWhen We Were RealWhere the Axe is BuriedLed Zeppelin by Bob SpitzBad Monkey SoundtrackEverybody's Live with John MulaneySugar Cane paper notebooks at Pencil Revolution PressMakers CabinetElipso KickstarterIRIS Large FormatTimberlines on Substack (Blog of Charles Berolzheimer, CEO of Blackwing)Your HostsJohnny  GamberPencil RevolutionAndy Welfleandy.wtfTim Wasem
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  Episode 224: Keep That Eye Jelly 15.04.2025 1t 19min

  To celebrate our podcast turning 11 last month, we’re traveling back in time to channel our 11 year-old selves, and examine what stationery meant to us as Little Guys.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord inviteBon Iver Field Notes“The Chicago Look” Field NotesNahvalur Original PlusNahvalur Nautilus Ti BlackAndy’s Yikes blog postYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil RevolutionAndy Welfle andy.wtfTim Wasem
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  Episode 223: We Use Glasses Like Civilized People 23.02.2025 43min

  Today’s episode is a short one — Tim’s out, and Johnny and Andy talk about some of their new pencil hauls (including a Pentel Black Polymer 999 that Andy’s particularly excited about). Johnny gets civilly disobedient (more so than usual, that is) in his reading from his zilbaldoni.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonThe Erasable Podcast DiscordAndy’s new blog, AsterismsThe War on CarsThe BookmakersKiridashi KnifeKamikokuenPencil GroceryThe Hardest Working Font in ManhattanYour HostsJohnny  Gamber Pencil RevolutionAndy Welfle andy.wtfTim Wasem
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  RErasable: Episode 106 with Musgrave Pencil Company’s Henry Hulan 04.02.2025 52min

  Welcome to the first installment of Re-rasable, a new series where we resurface some of our most memorable episodes and interviews from the past ten years.For this inaugural edition, we’re rewinding to Episode 106 and our conversation with Henry Hulan, Chairman of the Musgrave Pencil Company. This interview was a true highlight, giving us a rare inside look at the history and craftsmanship of American pencil-making. Even more exciting, it led to the creation of the Musgrave Single Barrel 106—a pencil made from vintage red cedar and numbered after this very episode!Join us as we revisit this special moment in Erasable history.Links & Resources The Erasable Podcast – erasable.us Musgrave Pencil Company – musgravepencil.com Musgrave on Instagram – @musgravepencil Musgrave on Facebook – facebook.com/musgravepencilIf you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow pencil nerd! Thanks for listening, and stay tuned for more Re-rasable episodes to come.