Mechanical Pencils

[tooloose-letrek]

I use mechanical pencils in my work constantly. Back in my day, I used to buy Pentel pencils for about $7-8 each (a lot more money back 20+ years ago), usually a 0.7 or 0.9mm lead. It worked wonderfully and I bought refills frequently.

 

With the advent of the super office supply store, cheaper pencils are now sold in blister packs, sometimes up to three pencils for the same price I used to pay for one years ago. These new pencils are incredible...incredibly bad. If 'they' can make/sell three now for less than what I used to pay (considering the constantly rise in costs and difference between what $8 bought then and now) I am thinking that the quality and workmanship suffers. No wait, I suffer.

 

I am stunned/amazed/astounded to note that I do not think I have added refill leads to any of these pencils that I've bought in about the past five years. Before I get to that point, the pencil lead-feed mechanism breaks down and the lead does not advance, or if it does, slides right back up the tube feed, like a scared turtle head, when I apply any pressure. These pens have 'lifetime warranty' printed on the packaging but I've never sent any back. It hardly seems worth the hassle and cost of sending it back for a replacement, and, no doubt, getting a replacement that will last as long. :bonk: I press hard and don't do very well with 0.5 leads, breaking the lead with even the slightest push. My pressure probably is the villan here and the cause of the malfunctions. I guess I need a heavy-duty model. (I rarely get past the first lead, so clearly I need something heavy duty.)

 

Breezing right past a 'why would you do that to yourself' discussion, why I go back for more abuse and punishment at my local office supply stores (what can I say...I love the abuse! Besides, I'm doing 'scientific research' and I need to compile statistics. ), does anyone have recommendations for a brand of cheap mechanical pencil (I use 0.7 and 0.9mm) that will last at least as long as it takes to use up the extra leads included with the pencil? I'm figuring that perhaps one brand offers a better product than the others.

 

Also, I would like to know about a modestly priced (>$20) better one as well. I see that both Pentel and Staedtler offer cheaper pens, though they look identical to the ones I used to buy that lasted for years (i.e. three packs for $7-8 or so.)

 

My questions are two...what is the BEST brand of inexpensive pencil, and what are some recommendations on a pencil in the >$20 price range?

 

Thanks.

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

You can get a Rotring Tikky or Staedtler Mars Micro if you live in Europe. If you are like many of use who living in the US, I would go for one of those Japanese Pentels--not the American or Chinese ones.

 

Dillon

[Betty]

You can try the very technical Ohto Super Promecha Drafting Mechanical Pencil. They are very technical and are available in .3, .4., .5, .7, and . 9. You can adjust a whole bunch of features. This costs $32 and is from Japan, so it might be a worthy buy if you have a heavy hand.

 

You can get them at jetpens

 

 

Since this pencil is over $25, you get free shipping too. They're really good. I purchased from them 2 times and they're very fast. But I have not tried this pencil before though. I'm happy with the cheap .5mm mechanical pencils at Staples. They don't break for me.

[JeffTL]

I use very light (almost FP-like) pressure most of the time with pencils, but my Pilot Renegade survived its included lead and is still ticking.

[tooloose-letrek]

go for one of those Japanese Pentels--not the American or Chinese ones.

Ah, thanks. I didn't know Pentel was stuff manufactured in different places.

 

Thanks for that info, Moppie2005. That looks good, too...for a more perm. solution. If I don't do that immediately, I will in the near future.

Edited November 21, 2005 by tooloose-letrek

[Johnny Appleseed]

I have several vintage Sheaffer balance and Sheaffer snorkel/touchdown pencils that I picked up on e-bay for less than $10 each, in some cases as low as $5 (and a Sunday market pick for $3.00). The older ones take 1.1mm lead, but all of the snorkel/touchdowns are .9mm and built to last. Vintage pencils sell at very low prices, and are often quite beautiful and better built than most of what is out there today.

 

If your interested I have a .9mm balance JR pencil in Grey Pearl stripe I would likely let go for $10, shipping included.

 

John

[KCat]

i encountered the same problem and finally gave up after I bought what *looked* like a solidly made pencil and was a good 6 or 7 bucks. I bought two thinking that it would be nice to have one at my desk and one at my bedside. Both failed within a couple of days.

 

Now I rely on two types. Very solidly built and reliable - D200. .7mm

 

Even more solid and really will take a beating - the Faber-Castell propelling pencils. however, they only take a 1.4 mm lead and only one lead hardness (I think it's .

 

But F-C makes some other nice pencils that I haven't tried yet - in wood or in metal or in plastic. Running from 8 or 9 bucks up to $19 I think. I've not found them online - but have found them at the pen store I occasionally visit in Houston.

 

i've always found Staedtler and all that to be too narrow for me.

[Woody]

In my experience, anything sold in multi-item blister packs is not going to be very good. I am still amazed though, that you can't find some usable thing at the local office supply store.

 

All but one of my mechanical pencils (a Sensa) have been bought from an office supply store. I don't think I've ever paid more than $2 US for anything, excluding the Sensa. I've pencils in several lead sizes: from 0.3mm to 0.9mm and all have carried me through high school and college, and continue to work just fine. I've got both Pentel and Pilot brands of pencils.

[Video11]

Just de-lurking for a second to tell you about the Pilot Vanishing Point Mechancial Pencil that I have been using as my main pencil for about 20 years. These things are great, reasonably inexpensive, use a 0.5mm lead and are now available at my local office supply mega-store. I think the first one that I purchased cost about $20 in 1985, and $20 was a lot of money for a struggling student. Now I make work buy them and always have a couple of backups ready to go because I refuse to use any other pencil.

[Wolverine1]

Too-Loose - I use the "Pilot Shaker" mechanical pencil that I purchased a few years back at the book&supply place right on campus in Ann Arbor. It is a good sturdy, pencil, and I have used it daily since about 2002. Plus I'd recommend going to an Art Supply place, or look up mechanical drafting pencils in art supply catalogues like Dick Blick art supply. Hope this helps. :)

[tooloose-letrek]

I buy a lot of these blister-packed pencils. It amazes me that I am unable to work through even the first lead before it breaks.

 

As for the last two comments, both of those pencils, in Pilot Shaker Here and the Pilot Vanishing are .5mm leads and I mentioned I break that thin lead rather easily. I prefer .7 or .9 for what I use it for.

 

Thanks.

[KCat]

Just de-lurking for a second to tell you about the Pilot Vanishing Point Mechancial Pencil that I have been using as my main pencil for about 20 years.

whew! what a relief. I thought I was going to have to go back to .5mm leads when I saw the name of that pencil.

 

But it's much too slim for my hand. Still, kinda classy looking. And i trust Pilot to make a good product.

 

(I have the same problem that T-L has with .5 mm - especially since I like soft lead)

Edited November 22, 2005 by KCat

[HesNot]

If you can find a Rotring 600 MP they are probably on clearance and are bulletproof. And I believe they only come in .7.

[Mary P]

I have several vintage Sheaffer balance and Sheaffer snorkel/touchdown pencils that I picked up on e-bay for less than $10 each, in some cases as low as $5 (and a Sunday market pick for $3.00). The older ones take 1.1mm lead, but all of the snorkel/touchdowns are .9mm and built to last. Vintage pencils sell at very low prices, and are often quite beautiful and better built than most of what is out there today.

 

I'm a Sheaffer Balance collector and I have a number of matched fp/mp sets. I use my SHeaffer Balance pencils daily at work. I even found vintage red lead which I keep in one of them. I picked up one of the pencils at the Portland show. My $10 bill covered the purchase of the pencil and a bottle of ink from the same vendor.

 

I have 2 mps that match Sheaffer Sovereigns that I own. They both use .9mm lead.

 

If you have vintage pencils that don't work properly, Frank (Sam's husband) does masterful work. He didn't even charge me for the one he fixed while I waited at their show booth. :bunny1: :bunny1:

[Centurion]

i recently got a pentel pencil with an adjustable non-latex grip for about $4.00 at .7mm. forget the name, but office max has it. I prefer the big eraser at the end, but otherwise a nice enough pencil that i bought two. :-) I did use a .9mm pencil from Montblanc which was very nice and smooth, but it was way over $20.

[tooloose-letrek]

I don't think it would be unreasonable for me to spend more on a good pencil since I use it in my work. Perhaps I was stuck in a loop, needing a pencil the moment one I was using broke (which is often for me) and then getting another in the easiest, fastest way (drugstore) to replace it, thus feeding the loop.

 

Thanks for all these thoughtful responses.

[tomandeva]

One of the best and cheapest (about $3.00) mechanical pencils I have found is the Sumo Grip, made by Sakura. Sakura dicontinued the model, but it still is available on-line. It comes in a 0.7 and 0.9 model (as well as a 0.5 model for those who prefer thinner leads). And, joy-of-joys, it has a large eraser.

 

I hope this helps.

[mikeyp]

the only pencils i use latly are multipen ones. i use to use a 2mm lead holder but i didnt like sharpening it all the time.

[tooloose-letrek]

Thanks for more responses. I've been so busy I haven't had the time to go pick up a better pencil yet. I am still keeping an eye on your comments.

[OldGriz]

I noticed some Namiki/Pilot mechanical pencils for sale on eBay.. I would guess the quality has to be better than you are using now and the prices were reasonable..