My electric eraser

Using an electric eraser for the first time is rather startling - one never knew that a small stub of eraser could move so fast - then it starts to be rather satisfying as you begin to realise that erasing marks will now become a totally different experience. No more frustration with smearing. No more holes in the paper. From now on it's clean living...........

Until time comes to replace the first eraser. Then the virtues and vices of various different models start to emerge.

I won't bore you with the ones which I am less happy and rather will introduce you to my dirt cheap super light battery powered Jakar eraser pen.

The huge advantage of this one for me is its plastic body which means that the only real weight in the pen are the two batteries. This makes it very easy to use. I found that after using it for a bit it really does start to seem like a pen - or rather like a fat pencil which erases rather than making a mark. Used slowly, it removes all trace of graphite and coloured pencil very cleanly. Used quickly and lightly - sort of dabbing action - it can lighten without removing all colour. Replacing erasers and batteries is easy peasy compared to some (pull the eraser out and then use the other end before discarding and replacing). The whole set-up is also amazingly cheap. Jakar is associated with Caran d'Ache and at the Artist and Illustrators Fair last year I bought a load of them (one in every pencil case with spares to lose / file away and forget where you've put them etc etc).

Technical details: Jakar battery powered eraser pen - requires 2 x 1.5V AAA batteries. Artifolk has supplies of the eraser pen for £1.99 and also has supplies of the replacement erasers for 50p.

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