The Erasable Podcast

Episode 238: No Playing Lawyer Ball

Andy's out this week for the best possible reason — he got married! (Congratulations, Andy and Erica! 🎉) So Johnny and Tim keep it short and sweet with a catch-up and some fresh points: Tim falls down a Blaze Foley rabbit hole and digs into a new book on heartland rock, Johnny can't stop playing No Man's Sky, and both Henries pick up guitars. Plus: Field Notes' new Explore America memo books, Musgrave's America 250 collection, a pencil-powered fire-starting experiment, and a look at this year's (sadly slim) crop of Pride stationery. We'll be back next time, Andy in tow, with Pencil Primer, Part 2.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes & LinksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord inviteBlaze Foley — Live at the Austin OuthouseBlaze (2018), Ethan Hawke's film about Blaze FoleyWon't Back Down: Heartland Rock and the Fight for America by Erin OsmonAndorKing of the HillNo Man's SkyA Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0 by Bill BrysonA Perfect Circle — "Starless" (new single)Arab Strap — "You You You" (new single + video)Field Notes Explore America memo booksGrandma Gatewood's Walk by Ben MontgomeryPencil graphite lighter videoMusgrave America 250 collectionFisher Space Pen — America 250 AG7 Astronaut PenNahvalur Horizon Pride 2026 fountain penThe Trevor ProjectWar by Sebastian JungerYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Episode 237: Pencil Primer, Part 1

We kick off the Pencil Primer — a new series for anyone who wants to start at the beginning of pencildom. This installment traces graphite from the legendary Borrowdale lightning strike of 1564 to Nicolas-Jacques Conté's clay-and-graphite breakthrough during the Napoleonic Wars, plus the Thoreau family's role in standardizing the American pencil grade scale and a tour through HB-to-9B. Plus, Tim's into a Bill Frisell biography, Johnny's writing with a sparkly Narwhal "raspberry cheesecake" pen that looks like, uh, something else, and Andy debuts booklet.lol — a vibe-coded book tracker. Patreon subscribers can watch the video version.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes & LinksErasableRead a transcript of this episode at Erasable ScribeErasable PatreonErasable Facebook groupErasable Discord inviteEpisode referencesEpisode 57: “The F Bomb”Podcasts / mediaDrug Storyr/pencilsLetterkennyBooksBill Frisell, Beautiful DreamerExcellent Advice for Living by Kevin KellyAutomatic Noodle by Annalee NewitzA Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky ChambersPencil / stationery / book artsCumberland Pencil MuseumNicolas-Jacques Conté (Britannica)Henry David Thoreau (Britannica)Guild of Book WorkersGeneral’s Layout PencilSTAEDTLER WOPEXDerwentPhotography / camera stuffMicro Four NerdsPetaPixelApps / sites / companiesbooklet.lolPeople / artists / companiesWillie NelsonCharlie CrockettBill FrisellJHS PedalsYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Episode 236: An Impressionistic Budget

A big one this time around: we celebrate 12 years of Erasable, Andy launches a transcript site and an AI quiz generator, Johnny's been making books and hiking in 15-degree weather, and Tim christens his new Nahvalur Nautilus with a boiling water incident. Plus fresh releases from Field Notes, Blackwing, Baronfig, and Musgrave.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show notes & linksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord inviteThe Truth About Vintage Amps with Skip SimmonsPilão coffee (Tim's Brazilian coffee recommendation from Skip Simmons)Erasable ScribeQuizard.cool12 years of Erasable, by the numbers (according to Claude)Ed Kemp on zines (Erasable episode) (if you have a specific episode link handy)Plumbago magazineField Notes "Lucky"Blackwing Volume 343Blackwing Quarterly Zine, Issue 1Baronfig Winnie the Pooh Squire HexBaronfig Legend hardcover notebookMusgrave America 250 Celebration Red, White, and Blue setNahvalur Nautilus Ti "Toffee"Mike Masuyama nib grindingYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Episode 235: Little Podcast Mustache

The Erasable Podcast turns 12! As of March 12, we’ve officially been doing this podcast for 12 years. 279 hours of audio — that’s more than 11.5 straight days of Erasable! Tim is out today, but Johnny grills Andy about his trip to Hong Kong and Japan, including some of the cool pencils he found at a stationery shop in Kyoto that’s been in business since the 1600s. Have a listen!For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes & LinksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord inviteGestalt App — join the beta!Pencil & Paper’s custom Field NotesJ Herbin Vert Pre inkIroshizuku chiku-rin inkKyukyodoYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Episode 234: Bearded and Abroad

Episode 233: The Dark Side of STEM (with special guest Ian Schon)

We’re back, after two months away! Sorry for the silence, friends. But we think we have something really special for you — a guest we’ve wanted to come on the show for almost 6 years. It’s Ian Schon of SCHONDSGN, a craftsman who makes incredible, unique fountain pens. We’re talking about his journey to  starting his own company, design and engineering challenges that fountain pens present, and his foray into his greatest challenge; making the Monoc, his own fountain pen nib from bars of titanium.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes & LinksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord inviteSchon DSGNEmbassy penAuxiliary MammalsErasable at the Baltimore Pen Show after party at Write notepadsSchon DSGN KickstarterOur GuestIan SchonSCHONDSGN website@schon_dsgn on InstagramYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Episode 232: Wide Nut Swamp Ash

Episode 231: Stocking up on Scalpels

Happy October! This very autumnal episode is a short one — just some fresh points and tools of the trade. Johnny’s playing too much Mario Kart World, Andy regales us with his trip to New York City, and Tim is designing a thuper thecret  notebook. Plus: we talk about some new Field Notes and feel very old because of the new Blackwing Eras.

Episode 230: The Hobonichi To-Do (with special guest Tyler McCall from Pencil & Paper)

We’ve got a special episode today. Tyler McCall, co-owner of Chicago stationery shop Pencil & Paper, joins us to talk about the havoc caused by the Trump administration’s chaotic tariff policies. These policies aren’t just hurting small businesses like Tyler’s — they’re also driving up costs and creating disruptions for everyday consumers in ways you might not expect. This conversation is for anyone who cares about supporting local shops, stationery or otherwise. And if you’re in Chicago, be sure to stop by Tyler’s store in Andersonville.

Episode 229: Fresh Points of Bel Air Part 491043

Happy International Workers Day, everyone! If you get a long weekend, we really hope you make the most of it. (Andy’s going to the SF Pen Show, for example!) Before we go off and celebrate, we’re coming atcha with some new Fresh Points, including some new Blackwings, a cool film camera, and the question that plagues our minds, “why is loose leaf paper so terrible?”. Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord inviteAEnima by ToolIn Case You Were Napping by PusciferTrue Writer Killarney fountain pen Automatic Noodle by Annalee NewitzLessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane AndersSlow HorsesMission Impossible Final ReckoningSnipe Hunter by Tyler ChildersBlackwing Volume 292Kodak EtkarNahvalur TriadBlackwing x Fender San Francisco Pen ShowMonoc Evo by Schon DesignYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil RevolutionAndy Welfleandy.wtfTim Wasem