STAEDTLER 52650BK2DA - Mars Plastic Eraser (Pack of 2)

Product Information

Phthalates are a chemical additive that makes plastic pliable (like a squeeze bottle) instead of hard (like the keys on your keyboard). There is more and more evidence that this chemical group affects the human body in negative ways as phthalates interrupt the hormonal system. Many brands of erasers have stopped using them. These plasticisers are in many plastics we use every day, I think they are of particular concern in rubbers because rubbers crumble and this must help expose more of the chemical to the air and skin. Tip: Refill leads compatible with all mechanical pencils are also available in red, blue and green for use on paper, drafting film and tracing paper. In general plastic erasers are similar. Except the dustless ones that I find difficult to use because of the lump of crumbs that builds up underneath the eraser. How it performed: Worked moderately well when rubbed or when pressed and lifted. Best on the light lines of graphite, not so well on the dark. Fine on press and lift for coloured pencil lightening. Fine on removing the graphite under pigment liner pens and didn’t lighten the ink. Removed the graphite under the watercolour with a bit more damage to the paint than the one above. Felt abrasive. Blistercard containing 1 Mars micro, line width 0.5 mm and 1 lead tube Mars micro carbon 250 05-HB free of charge

This eraser has a strong absorption capacity for charcoal and graphite. It erases easily with no need to press hard on the paper, forming smooth eraser dust. It can also be used to erase or smudge marks made in charcoal drawings, adding a useful dimension to your artwork. Made from synthetic rubber.How it performed: Best one on graphite lines and same as the others on coloured pencil. Fine on removing the graphite under pigment liner pens and didn’t lighten the ink. It didn’t remove too much watercolour paint but didn’t erase the graphite at all so was bad at that task. Was very hard to knead between dabs and rubs.

First kneading: very smoothly, was easy to start, easy to knead, held together well, got fuzzy at the edges. Soft. Second kneading of small piece next day: fine. First kneading: a bit stiff, had to twist it to get it to move, held together like gum except when I stretched it more than 2cm then would form fine threads that had little bits caught in it that fell out like snow, so I felt I was losing bits of the rubber. This was prevented by only using a twisting or pressing motion, not a stretching motion. Then it was fine. Second kneading of small piece next day: fine. Faber Castell Perfection Pencil, Single Ended Eraser (soft for graphite, coloured pencils and charcoal) In the case of the STAEDTLER Mars micro carbon 255 lead tube, individual leads are refilled one at a time by means of a push-button mechanism. Special feature: The refill process is designed for single-handed use. How it performed: Fine on light graphite lines and same as the others on coloured pencil. Fine on removing the graphite under pigment liner pens and didn’t lighten the ink. It lifted a bit more watercolour paint than the others but didn’t erase the graphite at all so was bad at that task.

Plastic erasers seem cleaner than rubber erasers because their crumbs are not as fine, the rubber eraser crumbs are so fine it is a bit harder to get rid of them all. STAEDTLER erasers, which are made from plastic, are a different story. For our “made in Germany” erasers, we use the following materials: If you intend to erase small exact areas you might wish to try an eraser shield. A great little device, that is a good value in the drawing companion set.