Best Lead For Sudoku?

[Recoil Rob]

Just discovered Sudoku puzzles are my thing. I've been using a Staedtler Norica HB 2 pencil but the constant sharpening required for the little numbers and the fact it doesn't erase well lead me to believe there's a better alternative.

 

Digging around in my drawer I have found an old Berol Rapidesign 0.3mm mechanical pencil in good shape, but there seems to be a dearth of softer, easily erasable leads (4B). I imagine they might crack in such a small diameter.

 

What do you use for Sudoku?

[chravagni]

I use wooden pencils with F graphite grade, which is a tad harder than HB but softer than H. Faber Castell 9000 mostly, or Staedtler.

They don't require that much sharpening, last long, and are easy to erase if you don't press too hard.

Chiara

[kestrel]

Bad Belted Kingfisher or whatever ink is in the pen du jour.

 

I do crosswords the same way.

[PAKMAN]

What ever ink is in my current pen.

[sciumbasci]

I'm a fan of H: erases well, does not smudge even with sweaty palms, hard to break compared to HB or B, and depending on pressure you can have lighter or bolder writing

[pajaro]

IBM testing pencils, or 1.1 mm IBM leads in my Scripto pencil.

 

I tried using EF fountain pens with Pelikan 4001 ink, but it feathered.

[RMN]

I am using a 2b 0.5 lead most of the time. Often the erasing part is not about the lead biut about the eraser quality.

 

 

D.ick

[ac12]

2B and I do NOT press hard, so erasing is relatively easy. And use a GOOD eraser. I usually use the white vinyl erasers, as they don't abrade the paper, like the pink rubber ones do.

It also depends on the paper. Some Sudoku books are printed on cheap paper that is easy to tear when erasing. If you print your own, you can use better paper in your printer.

[sciumbasci]

Speaking of good erasers, I had excellent results with the Gummy ones on thin and frail papers, like the Milan Master Gum!

Edited June 18, 2018 by sciumbasci

[Steveg58]

Personally I use any pen with a Japanese fine nib or equivalent but back in the day I used 2B pencils. As another member said earlier, minimal pressure and a sharp lead.

[Chouffleur]

I'm with @kestrel - ink. In my case Pilot G2. It's a crossword puzzle go to because of the lousy paper.

[1nkulus]

0.5mm pencil w/ 3B/4B lead.