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It's actually a pencil, but there isn't any wood body that includes the graphite lead. http://www.giardino.it/pens/napkin/IMMAGINI/PerpetuaColori.jpg Its name is Perpetua, made by Napkin (an Italian company, despite its name). It is made of Zantech, an innovative material composed of 80% of recycled industrial graphite that thanks to special rubber polymers is agglomerated into a solid stick. The colored end is a rubber, integrated during the injection phase. It's clean, non-toxic, resilient if dropped or knocked, it can be tempered but writes even without tips. http://www.giardino.it/pens/napkin/IMMAGINI/PerpetuaPart.jpg And I love it! (only black, as far as now)

Bonjour / Hello , I'm a young french student who wish to learn how to improve his penmanship. I don't really know anything about this art except that looking at some samples here on this forum has a very pleasant effect on my mind. I've decided that I would like to master the Spencerian style and I've just bought on Amazon the books by Mott Media (picture 1). I however have some questions regarding the pen i should use to start. Since I've never used a dip pen in my life, i don't know if it would be better to start the copybooks i've just bought with one (if yes, which one?) or if i should better use a pencil, ballpoint pen, or my fountain pen. I owed a parker fountain pen but i don't know anything about the size of its nibs .. (picture 2) Would someone be kind enough to answer my questions ? Or to give me the ressources to check for beginners on this topic ? Have a nice day, Valentin

I've been circling back to mechanical pencils and really enjoying them. I seem to be more "doodle inspired" with one than anything else. Ballpoints are permanent, fountain pen ink is limited, and lead is just so easily to reload. I know very little about pencil leads... only that there's different compositions of lead/graphite and range from butter soft to rock hard, from pin point thinness to massive thickness of a cotton swab. So what are some of the best value brands out there to buy? And what is a good hardness level that resists breakage but still gives enough softness for artistic flair?

I'm thinking of buying a clutch pencil to do some art/ illustration work. Currently contemplating a Kaweco Sketch Up 5.6, and three Koh-I-Noor models 5228, 5201 for 2mm leads and a 5340 for 5.6 leads. Anyone has any of these? How good are they? Any other recommendations?

Here is a new pencil I picked up from eBay.

The Perfect Pencil has everything you need in order to write or sketch and now Graf Von Faber-Castell surprises with two brand new editions. This pocket pencils made of Californian Cedar wood feature a replaceable eraser under the cap and a platinum-plated extender with built-in sharpener. Now the brand launches two new editions: The Magnum edition incorporates a magnum size with an extra thick and soft 4B lead. While the Blue Guilloche features a brand new coloured pencil. For further information click here, or do not hesitate to contact us via info@iguanasell.com

Does anyone know exactly when this set is from? One is a fountain pen, the other a pencil. I haven't seen this exact set anywhere. Was hoping someone could ID it for me.

Hello Everyone! I found this in my garage. This is a bad photo, but I'll post a better one if people are interested. It's a vintage advertisement for the Toronto Wahl Eversharp company, marketed to Canadians who were just starting to go canoeing in the backcountry. The canoe says "Canuck" so that you don't miss the point. The man is passing a paper to the other guy...he has a pencil in his hand. The stamp says that this is for the Wahl Eversharp company in Toronto. I don't know the year...the style indicates 1920s to 40s. Anyone know when Wahl/Eversharp was operating in Toronto?

I've recently acquired a Montblanc Pix mechanical pencil in sterling silver, and I'm having a wretched time finding information on it. Can anyone help? I like having the story on my vintage items. Thank you ever so much!

Dear FPNers, This is a review of two mechanical pencils - rotring 800 and the lesser known pilot s20. Both are very different in both design and make and I have not compared them in anything apart from their dimensions. In case you face any problem with the pictures, please feel free to read the same in the below link: http://iwonder-thecartographer.blogspot.in/2014/12/review-of-pilot-s20-rotring-800.html A mechanical pencil was a totally utilitarian thing during my engineering days, be it for drafting engineering drawings or making graphs. Shortly after, their utility started diminishing when AutoCAD and other drawing software could address most of the design elements, although their luxury value started beaming. Like fountain pens. Sparsely used but heavily sought after. That reminds me that I am still typing this post on a laptop rather than using one of my FPs. Mechanical pencils can delve from cheap plastic to rugged metal to precious wooden designs. In my view, metal designs seem to showcase more of modern industrial utility whereas wooden designs foray more into the aesthetics part of it.Mechanical Pencils A brief history in timeAccording to wikipedia, the earliest form of a mechanical pencil was found in a ship-wreck (British ship HMS Pandora) in 1791. However, the first patent was filed in 1822 by Mordan & Hawkins in Great Britain. Later Mordan started manufacturing mechanical pencils under the company – “S.MORDAN & CO”. Leads upto 0.9 mm wide became popular by this time. By 1915, Japanese were into it and Tokuji Hayakawa started a company to manufacture mechanical pencils, which later came to be known as “Sharp” due to its first product – ‘Ever-Sharp mechanical pencil’. After the entire pencil division was destroyed in 1923, by the Great Kanto Earthquake, Sharp relocated to Osaka and forayed into electronics industry.Pilot S20 – 0.5 mmA maple wood contoured design with a deep brown colour renders a very natural feel with a classical wooden look. The entire end cap section is made out of aluminium with a steel lead sleeve, till the seamlessly finished wooden grip section comes up. The grip section gradually gains diameter going upwards from the end-cap (0.8 – 1.1 mm) till it reaches a small aluminium band which says ‘S20’ and ‘JAPAN’ on opposite sides of the band. Then, it narrows down towards the push-button section, till it comes across a pilot branded aluminium clip and finally ends up with the aluminium(+ plastic) push-button. http://s25.postimg.org/as4nm48tr/DSC_1089.jpghttp://s25.postimg.org/gzbg8jf73/DSC_1093.jpghttp://s25.postimg.org/3rgntc71r/IMG_2806.jpgThere is a lead-indicator in the push-button. To set the lead indicator, you have to remove the push-button which reveals an ubiquitous mechanical pencil’s eraser and rotate the pipe end of the push-button. The eraser section once removed shows a hosted clean-out rod. Design does seem minimalistic with a subtle emphasis on simplicity. The weight feels quite evenly distributed and the length of around 15 cm is quite comfortable to write or draw for extended periods. Sweaty slips at the grip section should be quite rare or even a non-occurrence. The grip section feels very firm.The pencil itself comes in two wooden variants – Red and Brown.http://static1.jetpens.com/images/a/000/021/21865.JPG The mechanism operates with a audible click sound at the push-button and is quite error free. It’s quite comfortable to use for long writing or drawing sessions. As per my experience, putting additional 4-6 leads inside the lead reservoir tube will not cause any blocking problems at the sleeve end. The S20 ends with comfortable aesthetics.For the disassembly part, the end-cap with the sleeve can be easily unscrewed from the barrel and the push-button and eraser-sections can be pulled out easily. I did not attempt any further disassembly, as the parts of the barrel seemed tightly fixed.Rotring 800 – 0.5 mm http://s25.postimg.org/86z2yljfz/DSC_1100.jpg As evident from the above picture, the lead sleeve does not come out unless you rotate the top knurled section which rests just below the gold-trim of the push button. So a completely retractable mechanical pencil with an all metal construction. Mostly constituted out of coated brass, the 800 has a weight of around 25 g compared to S20’s 18 g. To draw a comparison, both of them will be heavier than a Pelikan M400 or a Sailor-Pro gear slim fountain pen. It is available in two themes – silver and black. Design seems utilitarian, industrial with a subtle emphasis on its high-end design. It’s somehow evidenced by the gold trims to differentiate it from a 600. The sleeve comes out smoothly on half a rotation of the knurled switch. With a feeling of balanced heaviness and assurance, the pencil seems superior to many. The hexagonal cross section of the barrel prevents it from slipping from inclined planes and the knurled grip does the same for your fingertips. The tip apparently can wiggle a bit compared to other fixed sleeve-pencils (like 600), but does not really do so while in use. http://s25.postimg.org/pizfk1cxb/DSC_1096.jpg Very uniform yet very attractive to use. The pencil can be disassembled easily by removing the knurled grip section to reveal the inner tube. Cleaning can be done if required. The eraser cap and eraser section can be pulled out. The clip mentions ‘rotring’ while the backside of the hexagonal body says ‘JAPAN’ quite elusively. http://s25.postimg.org/7ccjckblb/IMG_2805.jpg In ConclusionA mechanical pencil will typically cost around 50 cents in my part of the world. But these two are beyond just mechanical pencils, perhaps a work of art and even a draftsman dream . Writing http://s25.postimg.org/qrnb5o4vj/DSC_1103.jpg FeaturePilot S20 Rotring 800Additional CommentsLengthPilot S20Fixed Sleeve ~ 14.6 cmRotring 800Retracted Sleeve ~ 13.5 cmExtended Sleeve ~ 14.3 cmQuite Comfortable with respect to both length and weightWeightPilot S2018 gRotring 80025 gDesignPilot S20Maple wood and aluminium construction with Lead Grade Indicator at top cap- Red and Brown VariantsRotring 800Brass construction, Gold Trim, Matte Finish with hexagonal anti-slip faces on barrel, Knurled grip- Black and Silver Variants- Both are ‘Made in Japan’ by the wayBarrelPilot S20Contoured Wood – 0.8 – 1.1 cmRotring 800Knurled brass – 0.8 cm diameter- Both engage the writer in a non-slip(y) wayTipPilot S20Fixed Sleeve, Loud Click, Aluminium/Steel lead sleeveRotring 800Retractable Sleeve, Gold trimmed sleeve MechanismPilot S20 Hard ClickSoft Click Lead CapacityPilot S20~ 6 -8 without blockingRotring 800~ 10 without blocking Economic ValuePilot S20 Retails at $33, can be obtained at around $ 20-25 with shipRotring 800 Retails at $70, can be obtained around $60 from ebay-sellers- You can get a mechanical pencil at 50 cents!!- However, these are more than just mechanical pencils, perhaps a draftsman’s dreamBoxPilot S20- Pilot BoxRotring 800 - A triangular cardboard box Thank you for going through the review.

I have a Cross 18 karat gold filled pencil, photos attached. I do know that Cross is in cursive on the clip. It says made in USA at top of pencil, and it also has 1/20 gold filled engraved across the top as well. Could anyone please help me identify the model, year, and anything else. Your knowledge is greatly appreciated guys and gals.

Hi All- I am in need of a .07mm pencil mechanism for my CP1 pencil. I looked around online, without much luck. I am hoping someone can point me in the direction of where I might be able to buy this part. I am in the US, so that would be preferable, if there is a source here. Thanks in advance!-

Hello, I'm not sure if this is the most appropriate place for this topic, but I had a few questions about the Parker 51 Mechanical Pencil. I'm no stranger to fountain pens, I've already made good progress in the repair of the Parker 51 fountain pen I received with the pencil, but I can't seem to figure out how the pencil operates. I know at the very least it's the push type. The only thing I've done to it so far is remove the cap, eraser, and the metal piece that holds the eraser. I took out the eraser because it was all rotted and was pretty solidly stuck in the pencil; I had to dig it out with a knife. The first question I had is how do you get the cap secured to the end of the pencil? The cap will fit over but it never has any secure grip or snap that keeps it in place. It pretty easily slides off pretty easily on its own, to the extent that the clip is useless. Do you need an eraser in the pencil for the cap to stay on? Or is there another issue that I may have caused, or was already there? The second question is how exactly does the lead feed? I'll probably figure this one on my own as soon as I get a hold of some .9 mm pencil lead, but right now without any I'm a little confused with how the lead feeds. I'm used to cheap Bic mechanical pencils that have a sort of click when you use them, with the part that holds the lead snapping back up. The Parker doesn't exhibit that, but is that a mechanical issue, or is that just how the mechanism works? Thank you for any help. I normally have luck looking around on the internet for information about most things, but, while there is a decent amount of historical information about the 51 Pencil out there, there is practically none on the actual operation of the pencil. Also, if you want any pictures/videos of the pencil, let me know. I would have already done so but I don't have the time at the moment. Regards, Waltzkon

The first gold pen I bought was a Sailor 1911S. Because I am interested in matching pen and pencil sets, I went looking for a 1911 pencil. I found one, but for some reason its design was never updated, so it matches the old-style 1911 pen, not the new one. For those who may not know, Sailor at some point-- I’m not sure when—redesigned its popular 1911 line. The 1911 used to have a simpler nib engraving, a gold-plated ring at the bottom of the section instead of the top of the section as the current pens, and only one cap band as opposed to the two of current pens. Also, the color of the gold fittings was paler before the redesign; afterwards, the gold became yellower. I was quite surprised to find that the pencil matched the old pen, with one cap band and pale gold fittings. The ballpoint, which I also bought, was in the same way. Of course, then I had to go hunt down the correct vintage 1911 fountain pen. If my resume says I’m “detail oriented,” you know now it’s true. Anyway, these old pens are not often found in the United States, but I eventually found an old-style 1911L offered by a Japanese seller on a famous auction site, and with a few well-timed clicks my set was complete. I also bought a Sailor three-pen case because, at this point, why not? There are plenty of Sailor 1911 reviews on this Forum, but I don’t think any are for the old-style pen, or the matching pencil and ballpoint. So, here we go. Please excuse my utilitarian photography; I only have a simple point-and-shoot camera (and wouldn’t know how to use a DSLR if one descended from heaven into my lap anyway). Here we see the closed pen case. It’s called the Sailor Imperial Black case or something macho like that, but it strikes me as rather feminine: despite its nylon and leather (?) construction and black metal fittings, it sort of looks like a makeup case. 1 Case Closed by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The case actually closes with magnetic buttons, as you can see. The buckles are purely decorative. 2 Case Open by Jacob Marks, on Flickr 3 Case Open Flap Open by Jacob Marks, on Flickr 4 Decorative Buckles by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The case is mostly of nylon, with piping and details in leather or a leather-like material. For the price, I hope it’s leather. 5 Lining by Jacob Marks, on Flickr 6 Logo detail by Jacob Marks, on Flickr There is a little slot for holding spare cartridges. I use bottled ink, but have some cartridges stowed there for an emergency—though it would be an odd emergency indeed that required them. 7 Cart Storage Detail by Jacob Marks, on Flickr Here is our redoubtable trio of writing instruments. I call them Athos, Porthos, and Steve. 8 Pens Overview by Jacob Marks, on Flickr First, the fountain pen. Capped, it has a classic appearance. Its resemblance to Montblanc’s 146 is often noted. 9 Fountain Pen Capped by Jacob Marks, on Flickr It seems the pen is intended to be posted. It posts securely although the lines are not as clean as I would like. 10 Fountain Pen Posted by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The end of the barrel has a false blind cap. The ring, like the buckles on the case, is purely decorative. 10-2 False Blind Cap by Jacob Marks, on Flickr On to the business end. The nib has a simple design which I much prefer to the current one. The new nibs are quite busy and owe too much to that aforementioned German manufacturer. Unlike the current 1911L nibs, which to my knowledge are all 21k, this is a 14k nib. Some people consider 14k to be the best alloy for nibs because of its elasticity, with higher-karat nibs being too soft. That sort of thing is beyond my expertise. I’m more of liberal arts kind of guy. On the other hand, the redesign eliminates the ring at the bottom of the section, which is said to be a magnet for corrosion. This one seems to be in fine shape, though. 11 Nib Front 1 by Jacob Marks, on Flickr This nib is marked H-M. My guess is that stands for hard medium. The nib is not flexible or semi-flexible or even hemi-demi-semi-flexible, but neither is it rigid. It has some give. I would call it firm. To the disappointment of the spammers who fill my email inbox, I’m perfectly satisfied by how firm my pen is. 12 side nib by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The feed is a typical finned black plastic affair. 13 Feed by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The writing tip is smooth enough, and certainly a medium. Not interesting, but not bad. 14 Writing Surface by Jacob Marks, on Flickr As you can see, the cap only has one band. It screws on with the pleasant soft stop peculiar to Sailor. The clip is attached to the cap below the ring, which keeps it from spinning around but looks weird to me. I prefer Montblanc clips: the clip is attached to the ring, and a tab on the inside keeps it from spinning. Nonetheless, this is an effective clip, not too tight and not too loose. 15 Cap overview by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The cap band says “Sailor Japan Founded 1911,” just like current pens. There seems to be some dried adhesive oozing out from behind the band. 16 Cap Band Detail by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The pen fills with a Sailor cartridge/converter system. Though the ink capacity is modest, the pen writes fairly dry and so does not exhaust its supply too quickly. 18 Filling by Jacob Marks, on Flickr Now for the ballpoint. It’s twist action, and looks a lot like the Montblanc 164 Classique ballpoint. The Sailor is smaller, lighter, and compares unfavorably to the 164 in every way except price. However, since the Montblanc is something like eight or nine times the cost of the Sailor, this is to be expected. It takes, of course, a proprietary Sailor refill, which is not readily available at stores in the States. I prefer the Fine black Sailor refill to the Fine black Parker Quinkflow refill that lives in my Jotter Flighter. Sailor’s is smoother and starts up better. 19 Ballpoint Overview by Jacob Marks, on Flickr 20 Ballpoint nib closeup cropped by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The end cap is not perfectly flush with the rest of the cap. It’s slightly smaller in diameter. Weird. The pencil does not share this defect. 21 Ballpoint ridge by Jacob Marks, on Flickr Speaking of the pencil, here it is. The lead advances when you push the top. It’s the same size and weight as the ballpoint. 22 Pencil Overview by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The top screws off to reveal the eraser. 23 Pencil Open by Jacob Marks, on Flickr It writes, of course, like any mechanical pencil should. 24 Pencil Tip Closeup by Jacob Marks, on Flickr Finally, here’s the goal of the venture, a writing sample of the fountain pen. The pencil and ballpoint are, well, a pencil and a ballpoint. 25 Sailor 1911L Writing Sample by Jacob Marks, on Flickr Final thoughts: I really wanted to love this set because I went to some trouble to assemble it, and because I love actually sailing. Unfortunately, when I handle these writing instruments, the words that come into my mind are not “awesome” and “amazing” but rather “acceptable” and “okay.” They are well-made and hard-working, but I want to be wowed, and these just don’t do that. The firm medium nib is useable not exciting, and I can’t use the pen in public without someone asking “Is that a Montblanc?” Answering “Actually it’s a Sailor, a Japanese pen that just happens to look suspiciously like a Montblanc” gets a bit tiresome quickly. Maybe one day I will get one of Sailor’s crazy specialty nibs and change my mind—although the old nib pattern is one of the coolest things about the pen. I hope this review was helpful to anyone considering a vintage Sailor 1911. Your questions and comments are welcome.

Hi All- some time ago I fell in love with the Parker '51' Aerometric demi and now have a ...few I recently discovered that I really like the Aerometric pencils as well. I have a few and recently got a burgundy one. The band on the caps of all the others I have is a thin band, but this one has a wide band. I looked on here and on the web and can't seem to find any info on this. Just wondering, was it a choice at the time, or is it a particular year(s)? Thanks for any help!!!

Back when I was in elementary school and writing utensils were scratchy, skippy, clotty, and lived in communal cups in everybody's kitchen or classroom, I bought a handful of pens and pencils at a garage sale for 50 cents of my own money. I don't remember what interested me about them, and most eventually made their way to the household receptacle. But there was one pencil. My first love. It took a while for her to capture my attention, but once she did we were inseparable. We did every assignment together. I carried her with me everywhere. She was the first pencil that was more than just a means to an end. She was an utter joy to write with, and I'm sure inspired me to do just that little bit extra on every assignment. It was a tragic day when I lost her. She fell out of my notebook while getting out of a car one day, and despite much searching once I realized it, was never to be seen again. I spent years trying to replace her. Every time I went in to a stationery store I'd try out every pencil, and while a few were adequate replacements, none were ever quite the same. I've never (that I know of) seen the same pencil for sale or in use. But now there is the internet! And crowds of people who understand my quest. If anybody can point me in any helpful direction I would be very grateful. I've searched the search engines and online shops, but with my sketchy memory this has proven futile. She was a smallish, shortish burgandy mechanical pencil with a metal clip and tip. I wish I remembered more about what she looked like because this might be a much easier search if I did. The rough look was similar to the Pentel p200 series. Plastic barrel, textured grip, small eraser that would have been under a cap (the cap was long gone). There were words stamped, but I don't remember whether they were on the clip or barrel or both. Unfortunately I don't remember what they were either. The biggest feature, and the one that utterly captured me was the cushioned lead. I'd never imagined such a thing and for years I thought it might have been a unique happy defect because no other pencil seemed to have it. It made for such a beautiful, smooth writing experience to have that little bit of spring. It has always seemed to me that it was a softer, more responsive spring than any of the other cushioned lead pencils I've found to date (though that might just be my nostalgia and wishful thinking). I bought her in the mid 90s. Thank you all for reading this, and thank you for any leads you can offer (no pun intended...) Akugluk

While I am familiar with the S.T. Dupont Olympio/Orpheo line of twist-action pens being ballpoint-/mechanical pencil-exchangeable, I am wondering if this functionality extended to the Classique 1 and 2 ballpoint pens. I have recently received a rather battered Classique, which I think is one of the first-generation 1970s or early-1980s Classique ballpoint pens, into which I can insert a Dupont mechanical pencil insert; however, twisting the barrel does not propel the lead itself, merely extending and retracting the entire refill like on the ballpoint. On the Olympio, the first twist to an intermediate lock extends the refill and a further twist to a hard lock will extend the lead. In the case of my Classique, there is some looseness about the twist motion and I cannot determine if the mechanism is worn or if the functionality does not actually exist in such an early model. I am fairly certain that the contemporary crop of Classique 2 pens are ballpoint-/pencil-exchangeable. I am not sure if this is relevant but I am convinced of the authenticity of my Classique. Any information or help would be greatly appreciated.

"A short documentary on novelist Chris Orcutt, who writes the first drafts of his novels in pencil, and why he keeps a block of granite on his desk. Shot at the author's home in March of 2014 by Jason Scott. Information on Orcutt's novels, including his Dakota Stevens series and upcoming book 100 Miles from Manhattan can be found at http://www.orcutt.net." Link to video https://youtu.be/fuyUgqvniFc

One of the 'specials' I collect are fountain pens with an Israel connection.....a Delta, a Montegrappa and a couple of others( though nothing of the Visconti, much as ?I'd love one, but it's just too expensive) I would love a Montegrappa, to match the pen, but there doesn't seem to be such a thing. I wondered if anyone knew of a similar special edition Israel pencil, or a Jerusalem olive wood one? Alex

Shop that sells only pencils recently opened in New York City: http://gothamist.com/2015/04/07/pencils_rule.php#photo-1

http://i.imgur.com/tOklFIHh.jpg Hi all, I acquired this pencil with a matching Parker 51 Aerometric. However, a 4 foot drop broke the barrel. There are a few barrels on Ebay for an Aerometric "Push Cap" pencils. Would those fit here since mine rotates rather than 'clicks?' Any info is most appreciated - I love this pencil and hope it can be used again! Cheers, OYP

Hi folks, my hand writing was horrible; that is why I started writing with fountain pens. It imporved well. However, lately, I used pencils for my assignments (I am grad student), and I found that I write "better" with pencils!!!!!! What puzzles me is I do not like tipped fountain pens becuase I can not control the tip on the paper. That is why I use narrow stubs, and they are good for me. Pencils, I would say, work similar to tipped nibs, where sweet spot is wide in tipped fountain pens. I keep asking myself why do I do well with pencils, and not able to replicate my style with tipped nibs, or even stubs? Any thoughts? Thanks.

I just received a Parker Vacumatic pen and pencil set. Knowing that the pencil does not work as-is, I see that lead is stuck inside the cone. I have the back of the pencil off where the eraser and spare lead is stored, but I don't know where to go next. A couple of other threads seem to indicate that the cone can be unscrewed, but I can't see how to do it. Is there any way to get into the cone to see what is going on? FWIW it appears to be a Canadian-made pencil (the pen seems to be a '36 or '46 Canadian).

Today we had some snow, and it hasn’t stopped yet so we can’t go out and clear it quite yet. That gave me the chance to finish up an essay about replacing the pocket clips on Esterbrook push pencils. It’s a little long-winded. So fill up your coffee mug, sit back in your chair, and enjoy the ride. (Note that this is a companion article to an earlier essay about “Replacing Pocket Clips” on Esterbrook fountain pens. See that thread for additional details about some of these steps, and more helpful pictures.) - - - Jim

Can anyone offer any information about my small Pelikan pencil? It looks like a 1950's Pelikan 350 I have, but is only about 4 inches long. I haven't been able to find any information on the net. Thanks. Dale