Review: Smencils Gourmet Scented Pencils

I recently purchased a five-pack of Smencils at Barnes and Noble bookstore. The fragrant writing implements are an interesting change from standard wooden pencils. The pencils, not the lead or written words, emit a scent.

What are Smencils?
They are gourmet-scented pencils available in ten regular scents: bubblegum, cinnamon, root beer, tropical blast, grape, cotton candy, very berry, black cherry, orange and watermelon. The manufacturer takes a #2 graphite core and wraps it with layers of material made from recycled newspapers. The pencils soak in a scented liquid. After drying, they attach a label and eraser to the end of the pencil.

Each Smencil comes packaged in a biodegradable plastic tube made of a corn-based material. The tube helps keep the scent fresh, but the manufacturer guarantees Smencils will hold their scent for two years, even when stored outside of the tube.

Smencil Review
The pre-sharpened pencils have a small point, but sharpen quite nicely after a few uses. The Smencil maintains its point and requires only a few turns in the pencil sharpener to restore the lead's fine point. The scent is noticeable and becomes more intense each time I sharpen the pencil.

The newspaper layers are tightly wound and do not unravel. The fragrance does not transfer to my hands as I used the smelly pencil. The smooth pencils are comfortable to hold, but easily roll away when dropped.

Where to Buy Scented Pencils
Smencils are available individually and in multipacks. They typically cost over $1 per pencil.

Special holiday scents are available during Christmas and Valentine's Day. The Smalentine Smencils include a chain necklace with a plastic pendant.

Some schools and organizations sell Smencils for fundraisers. Smencils are also available online from various retailers, including Amazon.com.

Room for Improvement
The outer wrapper boldly proclaims Smencils use 100% recycled newspapers, but the country of origin is not clear. After purchase, I see "Made in China" in small print on the biodegradable plastic tubes housing the pencil. The tube is visible through the clear plastic overwrap, but the manufacturer should prominently display the "Made in China" label.

The same goes for Smencils.com. The website extols the virtues of using recycled and biodegradable materials, but does not mention the location of the manufacturer.

The erasers are not very big and some came lose with regular usage.

The Last Word
I would consider buying Smencils again in the future, but hope to see additional companies manufacture these as well because it makes sense to create eco-friendly products close to home.

Sources:
"Smencil World", Smencils.com