In Praise of the Pencil

6 Reasons I Still Use Pencils...and the 6 Pencils I Use Most Often

“It’s a poor craftsman who blames his tools.”

That maxim has always bothered me.¹ It seems to imply that if someone is a real craftsman he should be able to overcome any impediment: a dull blade, shoddy materials, inferior ingredients. In my experience, good craftspeople are more concerned about their tools, not less. They prefer to buy quality tools, car…