The Japanese seem to make really good writing instruments in general.<p>My daily driver for writing is a Mitsubishi uni-ball eye. Only costs a few bucks and it's miles better than a 10 cent Bic.<p>I'm not some kind of pen snob who knows all about different pens, but I know a good pen when I use one. I've found that it makes my (usually unintelligible) handwriting a lot better too.<p>I guess it's maybe a cultural thing, I've heard that the Japanese still place a lot of emphasis on handwriting letters and notes. Meanwhile there's people in my office who haven't touched a pen in weeks.
A well-made slate board completes the marriage.<p>It is pure joy to come to class with a fully prepared math lesson on yellow legal paper, take attendance, clear the board, and start, filling three, maybe four boards with precise alphanumeric characters, graphs or diagrams, and a confident cadence that allows for good questions, good notes, and a positive learning environment.<p>When good chalk hits good slate there is an immediate sense of responsibility with respect to what has been enabled.
I was first introduced to Hagoromo about four years ago when the word had just come out that they were closing shop. A colleague of mine was in love with it, and ordered several boxes. I managed to get two sticks of the stuff and used it sparingly for quite a long time. It really is way better than the majority of chalks. It's coated in a thin film so your hands don't get dirty and it's extremely fine making it smooth to write with.<p>The article is a little comical about the effects of using the chalk, but due to its scarcity, I've certainly heard that some use it only for the most important theorems.
I love how every community has their 'thing' that is sought after. Looking up chalk leads down a very narrow rabbit hole.<p>Some say that Hagoromo sold two of their compression molds to Sejong Corp (who also took the name), while the other went to Uma-Jirushi.<p>If I had a use for chalk, it'd be fun to try to create the perfect stick. Compression molds aren't hard to find or even make, then its down the mix. I assume that Hagoromo was using more than water and a super fine plaster (e.g. Plaster of Paris) with white Tempura paint..<p>Has anybody tried making chalk before? I've made chalkboard paint for signage (just unsanded grout and paint), but I never thought to take it a step further.
For anyone here who likes "mechanical keyboards" it may interest you to know that for the next 7 days some Hagoromo-chalk color-matched kits are available in a "group buy" on Massdrop[0]. The kit is for the alpha (i.e., the "letter and number") keys on your US-ANSI layout keyboard. There is also another kit, which in addition to having the standard letters and numbers, adds APL sublegends. There are a couple smaller kits that add the color to the F-row, and more interestingly, a "Vim Kit" which has left, down, up, and right arrows as sublegends on the H, J, K, and L keys - all in a color of ABS plastic matches to Hagoromo chalk.<p>[0] <a href="https://drop.com/buy/drop-oblotzky-gmk-oblivion-v2-custom-keycap-set?utm_source=linkshare&referer=DNQGJA" rel="nofollow">https://drop.com/buy/drop-oblotzky-gmk-oblivion-v2-custom-ke...</a>
This is the new manufacturer of Hagoromo:<p><a href="http://www.sejongmall.co.kr" rel="nofollow">http://www.sejongmall.co.kr</a> (Korean only)<p><a href="http://www.kompass.kr/img/catalogue/20180719094839_1.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.kompass.kr/img/catalogue/20180719094839_1.pdf</a> (English brochure)
I have a slight physiological twitch-like reaction to the feeling of chalk on my fingertips. It bothered me so much during my learning years that I did my best to avoid coming to a board at all. If anyone knows a correct term for this phenomenon, I'd be glad to read more about it.
What I’d like to know is why, of all academics, only mathematicians care about chalk. Computer scientists? Nope. Statisticians? Nope. Physicists? Engineers? Nope, and nope. Only mathematicians.<p>And, don’t forget about boards. Real slate, please. Black. Large. Yes.
The chalk sounds amazing, for those with a blackboard.<p>If anybody uses a whiteboard, here's a scientifically-methodical article reviewing the best whiteboard pens of each colour.<p><a href="https://medium.com/graphicfacilitation/all-you-need-to-know-about-whiteboard-markers-2a25d1249911" rel="nofollow">https://medium.com/graphicfacilitation/all-you-need-to-know-...</a>
Recently saw a good video about this: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhNUjg9X4g8" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhNUjg9X4g8</a><p>Pretty amusing they were stockpiling it and some were chalk dealers on the side.
I think chalk sucks as they are dirty, messy, dusty and probably not good for your health. I hope for the day they all disappeared and are replaced by digital whiteboard where you don't need to erase anything and can be collaborative with remote location in real time.
It's amazing stuff. So smooth, so clean. I've resorted to keeping some in my backpack at all times. And anecdotally, I see more and more professors using it. Maybe good marketing at work?<p>Sidenote, I love the name MSRI, cause you can pronounce it "misery"
Interesting. I thought the stuff people generally wrote on blackboards with was actually gypsum, and not chalk at all. Although everyone calls it chalk.