I Prefer Pencils

[lovemy51]

well, hello, pencileers!!

i use pencils a lot, specially with soft lead. i got MP's from vintage to modern by dozens ++++++. also love the wooden pencil. recently, i acquired the Palomino Blackwing with buttery smooth soft lead that's my fav!!!

[XiaoMG]

I moved from pencils (elementary school) to mechanical pencils (high school) to pens (early university) to mechanical pencils (late university) and eventually to gel pens, to pencils, and now I'm tossing in lead holders and fountain pens as well. The pencil and lead holder remain my favorite and most commonly-used writing tools, though from time to time I want more color in my life, which is where the gel pens and now fountain pens come in.

 

Here are some of my favorites (in no particular order):

http://i.imgur.com/WuEnd.jpg

[Essensia]

For three decades, my crossword puzzle gear has included Mars Lumograph HBs and Mars plastic erasers. But thanks to this topic, maybe I'll drag myself out of the Staedtler rut.

[drifting]

Oooh, XiaoMG, I have that same Staedtler MP, though it's just a .7, not the beefy 2.0 you show in the photo. It's been my favorite pencil for years.

 

Ryan.

[soapytwist]

You may be interested in a series of reviews I have just begun (there will be approx. 15 in all). I'm concentrating on the 'bridesmaid' ballpoints and pencils that go with my fountain pens. First one is here:

 

My link

[bigmac53]

I agree with you, situationally. I have a great Dr. Grip mechanical that I absolutely love, and I always have it with me. However, I do have to say that 90% of anything I write is with pen and ink.

[Maethelwine]

I moved from pencils (elementary school) to mechanical pencils (high school) to pens (early university) to mechanical pencils (late university) and eventually to gel pens, to pencils, and now I'm tossing in lead holders and fountain pens as well. The pencil and lead holder remain my favorite and most commonly-used writing tools, though from time to time I want more color in my life, which is where the gel pens and now fountain pens come in.

 

Here are some of my favorites (in no particular order):

http://i.imgur.com/WuEnd.jpg

 

Nice collection of Japanese pencils. Those Craft Design Tech Item 17s are one of the most beautiful pencils I've ever held. Breaks my heart they've been discontinued. Still, you have to go out of your way to buy a bad pencil in this country.

[Maethelwine]

Well, a half truth anyway.

 

I prefer pencils for writing when I'm outside. My pens tend to stay at home. And I derive a similiar cathartic enjoyment from scribbling with a pencil as I do with my fountain pens.

 

Anyone else agree with me here?

 

I have never been able to make friends with a mechanical pencil. Wooden pencil, though... Thickly enameled German ones, sleek Japanese, weird old Soviet numbers, chewed up back-of-the-drawer numbers from American pencilmakers that have long since gone on to Glory...love them all. I'm tearing up, just thinking about it. Stop looking at me.

[dapv]

What is that wood and chrome lead holder at the top of the pic? Thanks.

I moved from pencils (elementary school) to mechanical pencils (high school) to pens (early university) to mechanical pencils (late university) and eventually to gel pens, to pencils, and now I'm tossing in lead holders and fountain pens as well. The pencil and lead holder remain my favorite and most commonly-used writing tools, though from time to time I want more color in my life, which is where the gel pens and now fountain pens come in.

 

Here are some of my favorites (in no particular order):

http://i.imgur.com/WuEnd.jpg

 

Nice collection of Japanese pencils. Those Craft Design Tech Item 17s are one of the most beautiful pencils I've ever held. Breaks my heart they've been discontinued. Still, you have to go out of your way to buy a bad pencil in this country.

[XiaoMG]

Nice collection of Japanese pencils. Those Craft Design Tech Item 17s are one of the most beautiful pencils I've ever held. Breaks my heart they've been discontinued. Still, you have to go out of your way to buy a bad pencil in this country.

Yeah, I have around ten boxes of them stockpiled along with a bunch of boxes of Mono 100s. To be completely honest, I like the Mono 100s a bit more, but the Pentel CDT 17 is a very nice pencil overall with a unique polymer lead akin to the Black Polymer 999 (the B version of that, while not the prettiest pencil, is one of the nicest writing pencils I've come across).

 

It really is too bad that Pentel has largely abandoned its high-end wooden pencil offerings. The Hi-Uni and Mono 100 have been around for decades, and it would be kinda neat to see a new top-end pencil in that kind of space.

 

 

What is that wood and chrome lead holder at the top of the pic? Thanks.

Mitsubishi Pure Malt 2.0mm (MH-3005). It's made from the oak of century-old Japanese whiskey casks (Suntory?) with stainless steel (IIRC) furniture. It's currently my favorite go-to pencil, but they were a little tough to find the last time I looked. There are also 0.5mm variants and a few other goodies if you look for the Pure Malt series.

Edited April 5, 2011 by XiaoMG

[mturk]

I spent a few years doing research in government archives where the only writing implement you were allowed was a #4 pencil (usually Ticonderoga). After bemoaning the loss of my fountain pen, I really begin to enjoy writing with 2H "lead" - you can barely see it on the page. Long out of the archives, I still write with 2H pencils at work occasionally.

[metwin1]

I like the Pentel Techniclick. Could never go back to the usual MPs with the lead dispensing mechanism at the top after discovering this one, with the button conveniently located at the thumb. I have a particular fondness for the 1st gen, without the rubber grip.

[sentraser165]

Pencils are good IF you are using one with a good lead. At first, I was using the cheap papermate mechanical pencils. What a horrible experience! The lead would smudge practically if I breathed on it, and it looked just awful. Now, I use a Uni Kuru Toga (high grade) with Pentel Ain HB lead and absolutely LOVE the experience. Ok, so it's not an Edison or a vintage Sheaffer, but for $15 I am very pleased.

[OnTheBayou]

I like to write with mechanical pencils. My problem is that with my poor eyesight, I can't read what I have written in pencil. So, i seldom write in pencil no matter how it feels.

[flight878]

If you like mechanical pencils, and want to spice things up, use colored leads. Staedtler Mars micro recommended.

[Chris H]

If you like mechanical pencils, and want to spice things up, use colored leads. Staedtler Mars micro recommended.

 

I never thought of this! I'm going to have to find me some red lead. Maybe blue too. Do they have any other colors?

 

Chris

[funkypeanut]

To be honest, I prefer pens, but some archives are really fussy about what people bring in, and pens are generally verboten. So my weapon of choice for the archives is the Ticonderoga Noir, which is a really smooth writer. And the shiny pencil tends to mesmerize the archivists and my fellow researchers.

 

Look directly into the Ticonderoga.... You are feeling sleepy... You will bring me my documents without complaining or telling me to come back after lunch.....

[IWantThat]

I try to like pencils. I like the idea of pencils, for sure...BUT, I've never had to force myself to like a fountain pen, so that pretty much seals it for me

[XiaoMG]

It wasn't super-easy for me to warm up to pencils. Smearing is a bit of a problem, especially in flexible notebooks where bending and flexing means the pages rub together to slowly spread the graphite around. The problem is compounded if you write on both sides of a page, due to graphite transfer. Because the indentation on one side of the page pushes the graphite out of the channels on the reverse side, you get little bits of relatively "loose" graphite between pages.

 

Resolving this involved looking for slightly stiffer notebooks with smoother, less abrasive paper, and using a "blotting" page when writing on the reverse to prevent graphite transfer. One nifty benefit of this has been that I can more readily use unruled pages, since the "blotting" page can provide the guide ruling. Cursive looks twice as neat when it's on an otherwise blank page.

 

Another big issue I had to come to grips with was sharpening. The big attraction of a 0.3mm or 0.5mm mechanical pencil for me is the ability to write without worrying about sharpening. For that reason, I always keep a mechanical pencil around the house loaded up with a softer lead (0.5mm in HB is just too faint and scratchy for me). Despite the convenience and general pleasure in use (I use an Alpha Gel slim 0.5mm, very nice and cozy pencil, though the GraphGear 1000 0.3mm was excellent too before I lost it), I am somewhat turned off by the complexity of a mechanical pencil. However, wooden pencils require sharpening, and given my preference for writing small, sharpening would be a frequent thing. Unfortunately I hadn't found any good pocket sharpeners, and taking out my pocket knife to make a new fine point was too much of a messy hassle.

 

Then I started using a 2mm lead holder, and found a teeny tiny little lead pointer by Sun-Star (you can find it on JetPens). The point it made was excellent (maybe TOO sharp for soft leads), it was super-quick to use, about the size of a USB plug (far smaller than standard pencil sharpeners), and has lasted a long time without going dull or snapping points. Sure, it's not as hassle-free as a mechanical pencil, but it took all the suffering out of the sharpening process for me. I generally take a lead holder, a sharpener, and an eraser with me if I'm going to do any long-form writing away from home.

 

Then I picked up a decent rotary sharpener. Carl sharpeners are pretty well-liked, and mine is of a similar design. It has rubber jaws so it doesn't chew up the pencil as it sharpens to a very long and beautiful point, far better than what I get from simple pocket sharpeners like the Kum Automatic Long Point. It's pretty quick and hassle-free, though certainly not portable enough for me to tote around everywhere. However, when I'm at home, it's what I generally prefer to use.

 

Carrying a wooden pencil can also be a little bit of a hassle compared to a mechanical pencil or a lead holder. I found that the slightly thicker Japanese pencils (not thinner German pencils like Staedtler) sharpened to a fine point actually fit quite well into the body (clip/knock section) of a Pilot G-2 pen. It doesn't work wonders as an extender, but it protects the point and provides a clip for pocket carry. I use this with an older pencil stub as a handy backup writing tool. Some folks use the Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil the same way.

 

Of course, some folks just don't like the feel of graphite, or write in a way that forces smearing (regardless of "drying time"), or don't like the ease of removal or lack of rich colors. However, I think that pencils can be rather lovely tools for writing (or drawing or whatever).

[dapv]

Quick Uni Kuru Toga question: In addition to turning the lead, does the Uni Kuru Toga also advance the lead automatically or do I need to advance it manually? Thanks.