Top critical review
2.0 out of 5 starsNot the ORIOLEs I grew up with...
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2015
While these pencils aren't all terrible, appearance-wise they're a far cry from the finer ORIOLE pencils I remembered from when I was in school. A few months back, a purchase of some poorly crafted Ticonderoga pencils left me disappointed and wondering what other pencils there were that Dixon had to offer. I soon became nostalgic for the ORIOLEs.
Ticonderoga had been my go to brand since I was in high school, following ORIOLE from middle school. I'd previously enjoyed ORIOLE for its elegant appearance, that really unique pink-toned wood and elegant silver lettering with the word ORIOLE in all caps made it stand out from other pencils I'd see in a classroom. Back then I would always immediately look for an ORIOLE for quality.The sturdy and dark writing graphite, and the handsomely designed, double banded, silver colored metal securely wrapped around the soft pink eraser. The way 2 (H/B) was written out horizontally instead of being stacked up with the HB in a hexagonal design. (Oh and I grew up rooting for the Baltimore baseball team of the same name).
I switched to Ticonderoga when I was in High school based on the fact that they offered a #1 grade graphite which I desired for darker lines while drawing. In addition, the design was even more alluring (that forest-green/yellow combo, oh my!) and the declaration that it was "The World's Best Pencil!" Apparently Tikes became the top of the line from Dixon whereas ORIOLEs became the 2nd, or even bottom, tiered product.
The current incarnation of ORIOLE seem like cheap knockoffs from the earlier ones I described. The design for the metal band is ridged in the center, which to me looks tacky, although, that may be a design cue to secure the eraser better, but still I liked the old look. The gold color paint for the lettering is cheap and rubs off really easy, and honestly, I liked the silver color scheme more.
Again, its not a terrible pencil, I was just hoping for something familiar that I'd grown up with, especially after purchasing some Ticonderoga pencils that were of shoddy quality (for goodness sake, one of 'em actually split in two, vertically, from tip to metal band, after sharpening!)
People might look at pencil and say, hey, as long as it writes and erases, that's fine by me, but when I use one, I also enjoy the experience of writing with something that not only functions well, but also looks familiar, elegant, and iconic.
I think I might just try another brand altogether. I dunno... C'mon Dixon, get it together!