templogin
12-07-11, 10:26 PM
I have always fancied a Yard-o-Led pencil, but as described by one pencil blog, yes there are such things for us saddos, the prices are stratospheric. *I was disappointed to have missed one sold so cheaply on here, but hey-ho, I really wanted a silver one.
electronicBay was the answer to my problems after I realised that I still didn't want to pay the stratospheric prices, especially as we don't have a dealer up here in Shetland, so I couldn't take one in hand for a test drive.
I found what was described as a 1964 silver, barley patterned YoL Diplomat with an unengraved escutcheon, unused by its owner. *Had been a gift for a guy, part of a choir, who had sung a solo piece. *It made me think about the differences between my time working in the private sector. *A time of free health insurance with BUPA, christmas bonuses, cash sales bonuses, Argos vouchers as sales bonuses, xmas functions with free food and free bar, summer balls with free food and free bar, a non-contributory pension, overtime, company car and a good salary. *Now I work in the public sector where I get paid less and get a pension, which is supposed to be generous. I am surprised that I ever left the private sector!
I rarely believe eBay descriptions and there was little time to ask questions before the auction ended. *The starting price was £50 and there were no bids. *I used snip.pl to put in a bid for me in the dying seconds. *I needn't have worried as no-one else bid on it.
The seller was really nice to chat to by email, telling me that she was in Glasgow and would ship it the next morning. *The pencil turned up today in its original box, the instructions still in it. *The exterior of the box in a smart condition. *The inside looking stained. *They always do according to what I can glean from the interwebnet. *Sure enough the pencil was immaculate, if, unsurprisingly, tarnished. *I checked the lead store and it was full of the standard 3" replacement leads. *I propelled the lead from the pencil. *The mechanism work perfectly. *I was surprised to see that the lead was still square at the end. *They really had never written with this pencil.
The YoL Diplomat is a small pencil, so it might not suit those of you with large hands, but it has surpring heft for its size. *The assay mark is too small for my feeble eyesight, but I have no reason to doubt what the seller has said. *I think that I would have preferred the plain finish as I like the understated look in items, but I can't really complain about this and I suppose that it adds a level of tactility that the plain would not have.
I have put off buying a YoL for many years, although I was really more interested in a fountain pen. *I think that this has been a good purchase, however I wouldn't pay the new price for one. *If you can pick up a good secondhand example it will feel like a sweeter deal.
electronicBay was the answer to my problems after I realised that I still didn't want to pay the stratospheric prices, especially as we don't have a dealer up here in Shetland, so I couldn't take one in hand for a test drive.
I found what was described as a 1964 silver, barley patterned YoL Diplomat with an unengraved escutcheon, unused by its owner. *Had been a gift for a guy, part of a choir, who had sung a solo piece. *It made me think about the differences between my time working in the private sector. *A time of free health insurance with BUPA, christmas bonuses, cash sales bonuses, Argos vouchers as sales bonuses, xmas functions with free food and free bar, summer balls with free food and free bar, a non-contributory pension, overtime, company car and a good salary. *Now I work in the public sector where I get paid less and get a pension, which is supposed to be generous. I am surprised that I ever left the private sector!
I rarely believe eBay descriptions and there was little time to ask questions before the auction ended. *The starting price was £50 and there were no bids. *I used snip.pl to put in a bid for me in the dying seconds. *I needn't have worried as no-one else bid on it.
The seller was really nice to chat to by email, telling me that she was in Glasgow and would ship it the next morning. *The pencil turned up today in its original box, the instructions still in it. *The exterior of the box in a smart condition. *The inside looking stained. *They always do according to what I can glean from the interwebnet. *Sure enough the pencil was immaculate, if, unsurprisingly, tarnished. *I checked the lead store and it was full of the standard 3" replacement leads. *I propelled the lead from the pencil. *The mechanism work perfectly. *I was surprised to see that the lead was still square at the end. *They really had never written with this pencil.
The YoL Diplomat is a small pencil, so it might not suit those of you with large hands, but it has surpring heft for its size. *The assay mark is too small for my feeble eyesight, but I have no reason to doubt what the seller has said. *I think that I would have preferred the plain finish as I like the understated look in items, but I can't really complain about this and I suppose that it adds a level of tactility that the plain would not have.
I have put off buying a YoL for many years, although I was really more interested in a fountain pen. *I think that this has been a good purchase, however I wouldn't pay the new price for one. *If you can pick up a good secondhand example it will feel like a sweeter deal.