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Trouble With Line Thickness With Pencil


SuperNib44

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I have found that when writing with any sort of pencil I have a hard time making the lines the same thickness after several sentences of use as the tip flattens as it wears. I end up starting a page with thin lines and by the time I get a few sentences in I have lines about twice as thick. Is it best to rotate the pencil to keep a thin line or let the lines become thicker? Anyone know what I mean or have this problem?

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I like to rotate to keep lines even. I've found 1.1 leads don't wear down as fast as thinner leads so you don't need to rotate as fast to keep the lines even.

Edited by cellmatrix
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It could be a matter of pressure rather than wear. I don't know if you are interested in using flex nibs but one of the calligraphers here on FPN suggested that I practice for using a flex nib by increasing the pressure on the downstroke and lightening the pressure on the side and upstroke when writing with a pencil. The result was writing that had characteristics of a flex nib. So, perhaps by varying the pressure on your pencil and enjoying the line variation you would practice for a flex nib as well as eliminating your problem.

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Pressure and angle both play into how fast your lead will wear. Push hard and hold the pencil more upright and the lead will wear quite quickly. Lighten up and tilt the pencil a bit. Rotating is good as well. Also, leads come in various hardnesses/softnesses. You might consider finding a slightly harder lead.

Some people say they march to a different drummer. Me? I hear bagpipes.

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Use a thin mechanical pencil of the line size you want 0.3 or 0.5 or 0.7 or larger.

Or simply sharpen your pencil often.

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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Or as suggested by Brunico get a Uri Toga, The pencil rotates the lead every time its lifted from the paper. These pencils can be bought for around $7.00. I have an 0.7mm. and it works well. This pencil has had good reviews.

They came as a boon, and a blessing to men,
The Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley pen

Sincerely yours,

Pickwick

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It could be a matter of pressure rather than wear. I don't know if you are interested in using flex nibs but one of the calligraphers here on FPN suggested that I practice for using a flex nib by increasing the pressure on the downstroke and lightening the pressure on the side and upstroke when writing with a pencil. The result was writing that had characteristics of a flex nib. So, perhaps by varying the pressure on your pencil and enjoying the line variation you would practice for a flex nib as well as eliminating your problem.

I have used flex nibs for a long time and no I don't use much pressure and I write at a low angle (as low as I can get). So is it agreed that sharper is better? I kind of like to have a flat spot.

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I have used flex nibs for a long time and no I don't use much pressure and I write at a low angle (as low as I can get). So is it agreed that sharper is better? I kind of like to have a flat spot.

 

Writing on a flat spot on the lead is the same as using a larger lead (such as 0.7mm vs 0.3mm) and not sharpening it.

 

But for a pencil with a larger diameter lead than a mechanical pencil, you still have to sharpen it (not to a point, but to the size you like) when it gets dull and larger than you like.

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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Or as suggested by Brunico get a Uri Toga, The pencil rotates the lead every time its lifted from the paper. These pencils can be bought for around $7.00. I have an 0.7mm. and it works well. This pencil has had good reviews.

the rotation is triggered once you lift the pencil off the paper so it works much more efficiently for printers than those who write cursive. Also, I've found that when I do print in order to activate the mechanism more regularly, they are not very smooth to write with precisely because you are using a very sharp point all the time.

Edited by cellmatrix
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