Pencil Lead For Your Mechanical Pencil Which Brand To Use ?

[JotterAddict62]

Greetings FPN

Like the topic states; Pencil lead for your mechanical pencil which brand to use ?

Looking for a good brand to use for a .7mm & .9mm pencils that I have.

 

Any suggestions on what you use that works for yourself.

 

Thanks all that replay.

 

[Felix1]

Pentel Ain Stein lead

[NedC]

A second for the Pentel Ain Stein! Also good, though a bit harder to find, especially in less common sizes and grades are Caran d"Ache, Uni Nano Dia, and Tombow MONO-WX. All are stronger than most standard leads, smooth and have consistent grading.

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

This is what I use for most stuff

 

Graphite

0.3 mm and 0.4 mm Pentel Pro-Use HB

0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, and 0.9 mm Pentel Ain HB

1.4 mm Faber-Castell (I think it's one of the best I've used)

2.0 mm Staedtler Lumograph HB

3.15 mm Lamy-the one that comes in the Scribble. I buy it in bulk packs.

 

Color

0.7 mm Pilot Eno (can be delicate and is more breakable than any of the above)

 

These are all for the most part easy to erase, have a good balance of nice dark marks and good wear resistance (you don't need to constantly advance the lead), are strong and don't break easily, and are pretty economical. I've also used Uni Nano Dia (0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, and 0.5 mm)-seems more breakable than my Pentel, Uni Kuru-Toga 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm-I didn't really like the feel as much, Pilot Eno (0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, and 0.9 mm)-very creamy, but quite strong. Seems slightly more breakable than my Pentel Ain, Caran D'ache (2.0 mm and 3.0 mm)-More breakable than Staedtler Lumograph and Lamy 3.15 mm, Faber-Castell 0.7 mm-This lead is also ok, but nothing special, Schmidt 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm-Ok, but does not compare to the others, Zebra (0.5 mm and 0.7 mm)-relatively hard in comparison to other leads of comparable hardness. I didn't like the feel as much, Lamy 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm-Ok, but not great, and more breakable than the others, Rotring 0.35 mm, 0.5 mm, and 0.7 mm-ok-I have no problems with it, and Staedtler Mars Micro Carbon 0.5 mm-the lead was more breakable, but it was fine, and the above leads are the ones I've chosen for regular use. The Ain Stein is a bit more expensive, so I haven't had much of a chance to try it. I did try it short term, but I haven't written so much with it, so I don't have anything to say about it. I've also omitted any leads that I've written less than a page with.

 

I typically buy my leads in bulk packs, so I have loads and loads of most leads that I use regularly.

 

Dillon

[whitedot]

I use 0.7mm B Uni Nano Dia. According to reviews, it is on par with Ain Stein.

[migo984]

Great site for lots of mechanical pencil musings

 

http://davesmechanicalpencils.blogspot.co.uk/

[Vendome]

I use Cross for 0.7 mm pencil leads.

[BrandonA]

I don't have the time nor the interest in experimenting with leads. I therefore use Montblanc leads in my Montblanc mechanical pencils.

[Dillo]

I don't have the time nor the interest in experimenting with leads. I therefore use Montblanc leads in my Montblanc mechanical pencils.

Having used the actual Montblanc 0.5 and 0.7 leads in Montblanc pencils, I found them to be extremely similar if not the same to the Schmidt ones. Lamy also uses the Schmidt leads for their finer leads. I don't think they compare well to a good Japanese 0.5 mm or 0.7 mm lead like the Pentel Ain, Ain Stein, Pro-use, Pilot Eno, or Uni Nano Dia. The Japanese leads were a bit cheaper too if I remember correctly. Of course, you can use the Montblanc ones if you haven't had the chance to try anything else, but I think there are better leads, and I would only buy those leads if there weren't anything else available.

 

Dillon

[brunico]

Perhaps using better leads in a Montblanc pencil breaks the warranty...?

 

[Kugelschreiber]

I don't have the time nor the interest in experimenting with leads. I therefore use Montblanc leads in my Montblanc mechanical pencils.

 

Are they precious leads?

 

For .5 to .9, I think any of the various premium leads by Mitsubishi, Pentel, Pilot and Tombow that JetPens sells are excellent. I think I like the Nano Dia leads the best.

Edited October 19, 2013 by Kugelschreiber

[JotterAddict62]

I just received this today, I think this will help in choosing the correct lead for my pencils.

[lurcho]

I'm very happy with Pentel Ain Stein leads.

 

I use 4B, and they're really dark, and surprisingly strong. I'm alsio surprised at how long they last.

 

Unfortunately, Pentel does not, to date, go up to 4B with anything wider than their 0.5mm leads. But the 2Bs are very good anyway, and the difference in darkness is slight.

[Mark MB 149]

I have a Mont Blanc mechanical pencil using 0.7mm leads, but don't seem to be able to find replacement MB leads in the UK.

 

Any information would be of assistance to try and locate a supplier.

 

What other leads would be similar or an improvement?

 

Thanks.

 

Mark

Edited March 25, 2014 by Mark MB 149

[flatline]

I use Pentel Ain Stein lead in my 0.3mm and 0.9mm pencils. I like 2B for my .3 and either B or HB for my .9 pencils.

 

I like the Uni 2mm leads in HB or B for writing with my lead holders. Steadtler makes good 2mm lead, but it's about twice as expensive as the Uni leads and isn't enough better to justify the price difference.

 

For .5 and .7 pencils, I use whatever lead came with the pencil. The exception is my music pencil which is .5mm and uses Pental Ain Stein 2B lead.

 

--flatline

Edited March 26, 2014 by flatline

[AJ50]

I have a Mont Blanc mechanical pencil using 0.7mm leads, but don't seem to be able to find replacement MB leads in the UK.

 

Any information would be of assistance to try and locate a supplier.

 

What other leads would be similar or an improvement?

 

Thanks.

 

Mark

I'm told that Wheelers Luxury Goods sell both 0.7 & 0.9 MB leads at a reasonable price.

[discopig]

I use Pentel Ain Stein leads too, in 0.5mm. I generally go for HB and 2B. HB is for writing and 2B for sketching.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

I pretty much use Pentel leads. The new fangled polymer* that's used instead of clay makes them smooth writing and less prone to breakage when you might have a bit more thin lead sticking out of the pencil than is best.

 

*Yeah, I know that mechanical pencil leads have been using polymers instead of clay for something like 30 years or more, as I said, new fangled .

[KBeezie]

I wonder if you can get that stuff at Staples or similar. I got some older mechanical pencils (not the best feeling things), that use 1mm and 0.7mm (and I think I have a 0.5 one around here somewhere).

 

Though I'd probably want to shop around and see if there's a good mechanical pencil for under 50ish that takes either 0.7 or 0.5 and then base the lead purchase on that.

[brunico]

Though I'd probably want to shop around and see if there's a good mechanical pencil for under 50ish that takes either 0.7 or 0.5 and then base the lead purchase on that.

 

There are a hundred and one to choose from. I like the Pentel Graphgear 1000: retractable lead sleeve, nice balance and, it seems to me, a good choice for drafting and sketching as well as writing. And of course a hundred others if you don't like this one.