The Musgrave Tennessee Red Cedar is a traditional wooden pencil made from the wood of the Tennessee Red Cedar (Juniperus Virginiana).
This wood makes for a fragrant pencil that gives off a pleasant smell when sharpened. The pencil was made by Musgrave into the 1970s but then replaced with California Incense cedar. The use of Tennessee Red Cedar recently returned for sale direct by Musgrave through the company’s website.
Musgrave Tennessee Red pencils are sold in 12-packs for $9 or as a 24-pack in cedar box for $37. The Tennessee Red has a gold ferrule with a standard cylindrical design and a white eraser.
Musgrave Tennessee Red Review
If you are looking for a high-end pencil with a classic design and a real-wood feel, the Musgrave Tennessee Red is tough to beat.
The wood of the pencil looks great, really natural and with a lot of variation from one pencil body to the next.
The cores are hard and write nicely. They sharpen well and aren’t prone to breaking. When they do break, there is little dust or smearing. Musgrave doesn’t specify who makes them, but they seem to be a very high quality.
The pencils sharpen well and hold their points, but they aren’t as good at this as some other pencils, like the Blackwing Palomino. The cedar smells amazing, but it seems to be a softer wood that is prone to crushing and shearing, instead of just being ground down.
The erasers are soft and wear quickly, they are of average to below average, quality.
The cedar is covered in some sort of polyurethane or similar coating to give it a little shine and to protect the wood. This coating looks great, but it does wear over time, particularly where the pencil is held and any little damage spots, such as where a sharpener hit the wood body. This isn’t a problem but can cause some unsightly spots where the coating starts to flake.
Ultimately, you should buy these pencils for their great looks and wonderful cedar smell. They write well, but have some issues during usage that detract from the overall experience compared to the best wooden pencils sold today.
Musgrave Tennessee Red Cedar Pencil Information
| Street Price | Check Price |
| Manufacturer | Musgrave |
| Barrel Color | Wood |
| Barrel Material | Cedar |
| Body Diameter (mm) | |
| Grip Color | Natural Wood |
| Grip Material | Wood |
| Knurled Grip? | No |
| Grip Diameter (mm) | |
| Body Shape | |
| Lead Grades | HB |
| Capped or Retractable | |
| Lead Color | Graphite |
| Lead Size (Diameter) | |
| Similar To: | |
| Eraser? | Yes |
| Eraser Refillable? | No |
| Clip | |
| Pipe Retractable? | Yes |
| Cleaning Rod? | No |