O’BON has made a point in insisting that their pencils are far more aesthetically appealing than the traditional yellow pencil, most of which come with an eraser attached via a metal, aluminum clasp. But does the clear fact that O’BON pencils are beautiful outweigh the simple inconvenience of not having an eraser on top of the pencil?

The simple and most obvious answer would be no. To me, a pencil isn’t just a pencil, it’s a piece of art. O’BON makes a clear statement in their products, that they don’t want them to be a part of the mundane and unoriginal stock of products that continually seems to saturate the school and office supplies industry. Instead, they have set out to create something different. If O’BON were to design their pencils exactly like all the rest, then none of us would have so much interest in them.

I do understand the convenience argument from people who aren’t looking for anything special in a pencil and don’t seem to care much about how it’s made or about how eco friendly it is. The eraser on the top of a pencil is consequently for the simple-minded, for those to tend not to dig very deep. But then again, I’m just giving my own opinion. It’s just good to see O’BON stay true to their slogan in offering ‘something different’. Besides, just use an eraser cap if you’re so damn picky!