Leonardo sketch pen

[Milan]

Who's familiair with it?

[BrandonA]

Seen it in the shop and have been tempted to get one of these and the highlighter. Never taken the plunge on either though.

 

Are you?

 

What information are you after?

[Milan]

Wanted to know for what kind of drawing it's made(professional stuff, or simple things too).

I thought it looked quite nice, it has a certain charm.

[Multiechelon]

I have a mint one (used less than five minutes) that I am going to post for sale sooner than later. I just need to look up how much I bought it for in December from the Boston boutique.

 

I agree the pencil does have a certain charm. The operating mechanism (big button at the top) is cool and the weight of the pen is quite nice. My son decided he liked fineliners instead so he did not use it.

 

I then took it back and put it in my pen case but I don't use it. The pencil line is just too wide for my taste. I like 0.5mm lead. I think if one was doing free-form writing or sketching (professional or not) the pencil would be great. The weight and balance both seem very pleasing based on my quick use. But it is a thick and fat pen so I think for precision writing it would be cumbersome. But I am basing this on a very quick test, I have not spent a lot of time with the pencil.

 

Sean

Edited January 20, 2010 by Multiechelon

[ruud2904]

I was tempted to buy one of these several times, but so far I didn't buy it. Although I have not been searching for it, is that it seems to me that this pencil concept of a large body pencil with a rather large leadsize is not being offered by a lot of other brands.

[SLD]

I have use one for several years now and really like it. I use it for simple doodles and sketching ideas to drawing set plans for the stage (although more and more they are requiring them to be in digital format). I useally use the softer 4B leads but that's just a matter of preference. I read somewhere (?) recently of someone useing the 5.6 mm Cretacolor leads by rollong them in a piece of sandpaper until they were down to 5.5 mm. I haven't tried that yet but it look like it should work and the Cretacolor leads come in more grades and colors then the Mont Blanc 5.5 mm leads do. I hope you do get one and like it as well.

 

BrandonA,

I just bought some refills for the document marker as Mont Blanc calls it last evening. I picked up one several years ago at an office supply shop in Philly that was closing up. It was the last Mont Blanc item they had with the exception of the display cases, which I passed on.

 

[stevlight]

Cretacolor leads come in more grades and colors

 

The Creatacolor "Negro" leads are my favorite to draw with--it is like a cross between black colored pencil and black chalk. Not a grey shiny line like graphite but a true black--love it! If it took a few minutes of rolling a lead on sandpaper to make it fit into a beautiful mont blanc--that would be worth it!!

[QM2]

My husband has the MB Leonardo and loves it, but does not use it much in the practical sense. It is designed for a very specific use really - large sketches, due to its thick led. And sketches in that size are normally only done by professional artists/designers, or those aspiring to be such.

 

I am a "professional" artist, and own an Aurora sketch-pen pencil, that is very similar in weight and function to the MB Leonardo. I have also tried my husband's Leonardo a few times. They are both basically fancy and rather heavy led holders. I am actually not sure what the purpose is of making them so heavy - my hand gets tired during long sketches, especially if the paper I am drawing on is vertical.

 

So my verdict would be: Beautiful, well-made, durable, but not suitable for long sketching sessions.

 

 

Hope this helps,

QM2

[penparadise]

My husband has the MB Leonardo and loves it, but does not use it much in the practical sense. It is designed for a very specific use really - large sketches, due to its thick led. And sketches in that size are normally only done by professional artists/designers, or those aspiring to be such.

 

I am a "professional" artist, and own an Aurora sketch-pen pencil, that is very similar in weight and function to the MB Leonardo. I have also tried my husband's Leonardo a few times. They are both basically fancy and rather heavy led holders. I am actually not sure what the purpose is of making them so heavy - my hand gets tired during long sketches, especially if the paper I am drawing on is vertical.

 

So my verdict would be: Beautiful, well-made, durable, but not suitable for long sketching sessions.

 

 

Hope this helps,

QM2

Perfect answer! The Montblanc Leonardo #169 ist a very nice "to have" and a "must" for a Montblanc collector as is the biggest Montblanc pen for the last 50 years. But if you are looking for a practical sketch pen you should take this one: LAMY scribble

 

Axel

[stevlight]

Perfect answer! The Montblanc Leonardo #169 ist a very nice "to have" and a "must" for a Montblanc collector as is the biggest Montblanc pen for the last 50 years. But if you are looking for a practical sketch pen you should take this one: LAMY scribble

 

I have the Lamy scribble and like it but found it kinda of short. is the leonardo longer? I just did a sketches for a 42 page book with Lamy scribble and wanted it to be longer/bigger--i have big hands--but it is a great pencil! I also like the size of the lead on the lamy--not too big but big enough i am not trying to draw details in my rough drawings.

[Brian]

There are at least two versions of this pencil. The first had a flat panel on the side for engraving and the second version did not. I have the second version and as someone has pointed out it is heavy. Unfortunately, while I like it I also hardly ever use it. Things I like are its design, size, and shape especially the trim and button at the end. The only thing I do not like is the weight. For pencil work, like the posters above, I use a Lamy Scribble clutch pencil or a wood one.

Edited January 21, 2010 by Brian

[meiers]

I sometimes think of acquiring one.

Would you sell me yours - for a reasonable price?

 

Matt

[Multiechelon]

I sometimes think of acquiring one.

Would you sell me yours - for a reasonable price?

 

Matt

 

Hi Matt,

 

At the risk of trying to impersonate a politician, I think it would depend on what "reasonable" is.

 

But for now I think the pencil is already sold. Two people who are attending the Philadelphia Pen Show have asked me to hold it until after that show. If they come back with money, they are first in line.

 

This thread has been really interesting. It inspired me to go to Blick Art Supplies and buy some sketch pencils earlier today. When I came back to my office a couple hours later, I noticed my kids had already stolen them for their own use.

 

Sean

[QM2]

Hah. Glad to hear this thread is inspiring people to sketch : )

[SLD]

I have the other two pencils mentioned and the Leonardo is much heaver although I don't find that to be a problem.

Just for fun, I took all three to the shop this morning and did a couple of measurements. The Leonardo is 4.82 inches and weighs 0.056 Kg, The Lamy Scribble 3.15mm is 4.65 inches and weighs 0.026 Kg and the Aurora is 3.80 inches and weighs 0.024 Kg.

[Wael El-Dasher]

I bought one of these for my mother, whom is also an architect and sketches often with it, but I wanted to point out, that in my view, the version of this lead holder with flat panel is more practical as it allows one a reference point. This is useful as the lead tip is used and aquires a "face" or flat area, one can automatically adjust their grip and remember the sharp or flat face of the lead without looking at the tip.

 

cheers

 

Wael

[bernardo]

Perfect answer! The Montblanc Leonardo #169 ist a very nice "to have" and a "must" for a Montblanc collector as is the biggest Montblanc pen for the last 50 years. But if you are looking for a practical sketch pen you should take this one: LAMY scribble

 

I have the Lamy scribble and like it but found it kinda of short. is the leonardo longer? I just did a sketches for a 42 page book with Lamy scribble and wanted it to be longer/bigger--i have big hands--but it is a great pencil! I also like the size of the lead on the lamy--not too big but big enough i am not trying to draw details in my rough drawings.

 

I own a Standardgraph sketch pencil which uses 5.5 mm mines and is 13.7 cm long. I find it very nice...

[smoky]

Wow, what a great pencil.

 

Mechanically, it is innovative - an actual 5mm+ diameter lead push-button mechanical pencil, not a clutch leadholder mechanism !

 

With amazing style, even the cap doubles as an elegant sharpener.

 

It is completely usable - except - the leads are 5.5mm, and the pencil's tolerance levels won't accommodate the 5.6mm leads found in art supply stores. In that regard, I feel Montblanc made a mistake.

 

Still, a usable and amazing creation!

Edited January 27, 2010 by smoky