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Peak Perfection

It was particularly relaxing to read this longish essay about the perfect pencil. While I have never used any of the brands mentioned in the story and the last time I wrote with a pencil is ancient history, it is still a great story about competing to be the best, peak perfection in manufacturing and so on

Pencils have vanished from offices and are used mainly by artists and students. Since the 1970s, many historic European and American brands have actually decreased in quality. Frankly, we have to accept that Hi-Uni and MONO 100 will probably not be improved upon.

But is that such a bad thing? Maybe Mitsubishi never fired back with a "Hi-Hi-Uni" because pencil manufacturing had reached a natural point of diminishing returns, where any further increase in quality would be virtually imperceptible. Today's manufacturers are not racing to improve the pocket knife, for example, because the technology is mature and the major flaws have been sorted out by past generations. Many of the most revered brands, like France's Opinel, have made the same knives for decades, and they cut just as well as they always have.

If a brand reaches iconic status, makes a terrific product that is as close to perfection and humanly possible, they earn the privilege to stop. I wish there were more household brands like the ones referenced in this story about excellent pencils. 

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