As a new middle-school teacher, I’m facing a challenge I never thought about before: assigning a list of school supplies for my students. My colleagues tell me that there’s a real downside to wooden ...

As low-tech as it may be, the pencil has managed to still keep itself relevant—despite the endless graphite-free ways we can communicate these days. That being said, it doesn’t mean it couldn’t use an ...

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more› By Melanie Pinola Confession time: I’ve never liked mechanical pencils. The lead ...

The whole point of a mechanical pencil is to have perfect sharpness forever. Yet without precise engineering and build quality, the standard slender leads are doomed to constant breakages. This ...

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more› By Sarah Witman Sarah Witman is a writer focused on batteries and charging ...

People who write notes in ink must be very sure of their thoughts. I write notes in pencil: It seems more polite. Penciled notes are always provisional and erasable. But the apparent humility—or, ...

If you had to name one thing that was emblematic of the back-to-school season, what would it be? Overloaded backpacks, crossing guards and 3-ring binders all have their places in the iconography, but ...