Can we talk about mechanical pencils?

[Doc4]

yes kind of like that @Doc4 Those who owned those pencils were envied by us kids with old fashioned H-2 yellow painted wood pencils... lol

I remember them, but IIRC most of the time I was using the yellow ones just like you.

 

[awa54]

I have a bunch of .5, .7 and .9mm Pentel "clicker" pencils kicking around from back in my youth, but for writing I prefer .9mm (1.1 is ok, but a bit obtuse and .7 will do in a pinch) as it's much less likely to tear into the page with hard leads and doesn't wear away instantly with softer lead.

On top of that I have dozens of vintage propelling pencils, ranging from Eversharps that propel only, through 1980s Sheaffers, with lots of plastic and celluloid variants and one of my only Sheaffer Masterpiece items (14k solid gold appointments).

For collectors of vintage writing instruments who don't have unlimited funds, pencils are a great way to get some of the most desireable celluloid finishes for a fraction of their cost in a fountain pen. On top of that the plastics are likely to be in better shape as well, since often the pencil got less use and pencils aren't exposed to ink or sulphur outgassing from sacs.

I used to enjoy drawing with drafting pencils and own a couple Staedtler lead holders for that purpose (though I haven't sketched in quite a few years).

 

[Avi]

This is my new favorite mechanical pencil. It is the pilot automac from Japan.. not ludicrously pricely but my favorite thing about this is it automatically dispenses the lead as the lead shortens. The end is a tad wobbly because of the mechanism ( like the Kuri Toga ) so drafters would hate it but it is great as you aren’t clicking away every minute or two to extend the lead. I liked it so much I bought a second

regards
Avi

 

[Legion]

My father was a technical artist, and I remember him having dozens of mechanical pencils, with all different types of leads in them, from soft dark lead, to blue ones that didn't show up when the work was reproduced.

They were always the ones with the thicker leads that needed to be sharpened, like this Staedtler.

 

[_MementoMori_]

My father was a technical artist, and I remember him having dozens of mechanical pencils, with all different types of leads in them, from soft dark lead, to blue ones that didn't show up when the work was reproduced.

They were always the ones with the thicker leads that needed to be sharpened, like this Staedtler.

View attachment 1141042

If you've never dropped one of these into a handheld rotary lead-pointer, I highly recommend it. It's a very satisfying tactile experience. I like to use the rotary lead-pointers to get them 99% sharp, and then finish the point by "stropping" it on paper until the bevel is as smooth as glass.

Of course that insane sharpness is lost the moment you make your first line, but who cares. Haha.

 

[ruckin]

I have some lead holders that I use in the shop (mostly woodworking). I have a variety of other mechanical pencils that I use in the house/office. Officially my favorite pencil is a 0.5mm that my son made while messing around with CNC in college.

 

[dws]

I've been rocking Staedtler 780's for the past 20 years of drafting (When needed). Haven't used anything else. The Staedltler is top shelf, imo, and I see it's been mentioned here already (Apparently rebranded as Technico). If you're looking for a solid mechanical pencil that will hold up in the field, I suggest a Kaweco AL Sport. I've had mine for a few years now and it's a tank.

 

[CyanideJenkins]

TWSBI makes a fine mechanical pencil.

TWSBI Precision Mechanical Pencil Silver - https://www.twsbi.com/products/twsbi-precision-mechanical-pencil

 

[heffa]

I use one sometimes in my woodworking shop. Got a reasonable mech pencil kit for pen turning and tured it from an acrylic blank