Favorite Pencils?

[MYU]

I like mechanical pencils, but do not own many, I am trying very hard to resist collecting them as I already have too many fountain pens...

 

this is my favourite

A Tibaldi trasparente in celluloid

(the photo is from Engeika, I still have not had the chance to take a good picture of it)

Beautiful! I had not known Tibaldi made mechanical pencils like this. Is it a click or twist mechanism?

[sansenri]

it's a twist mechanism, they made a blue and a red celluloid version

 

here my own photo I managed to take today

[PurplePlum]

I think that pencil takes the prize for most magnificent... I can see why you like it's, it's beautiful.

[pajaro]

Parker 51 plum pencil. The often neglected companion of the fountain pen. A good friend for crosswords.

[Misfit]

Oh! That’s what my Retro 51 is handling now, crosswords. It took over from the Truewriter. Later I will post a photo of the Retro 51. The lead is advanced by turning the top, which seems better to clicking it down. It withdraws that way too. I don’t really mind clicking down to get the lead. What bugs me is when the lead won’t stay once you start to write.

[hari317]

I use wooden pencils a lot. I have a love for the soft smooth and very dark pencils. I have tried several reputed brands in my quest for the perfect pencil for me. So far my favorites are the Hi Uni 10B, Camlin 10B, Kohinoor 1820 8B, Kohinoor 1830 6B and Kohinoor 2mm graphite lead in 8B. I use the Staedtler 780 lead holders and the 2.5mm leadholders from Kohinoor.

I also like carbon pencils, my favorites are the Staedtler EE and the 100B series 8B.

[christof]

pencils are my second passion:

 

for example Fixpencils:

Caran d'Ache Fixpencils von -c_m_z-

 

CARAN D'ACHE Fixpencil von -C.M.Z-

 

and twist action pencils:

Drehbleistifte alt von -C.M.Z-

 

...pushbutton pencils:

Druckbleistifte alt von -C.M.Z-

 

modern pencils:

Druckbleistifte modern von -C.M.Z-

 

...and lots more:

The Handy Fabrication Suisse von -C.M.Z-

 

Pelikan 450 & 570 von -C.M.Z-

 

c.

[MYU]

^ Very nice collection, Christof. I had no idea there were so many little variations on the Caran D'Ache Fix Pencil. Are they all about 2mm?

[flatline]

How long are those short fixpencils?

 

--flatline

[christof]

135mm from tip to tip.

[FOUR X FOUR]

I like wood cased pencils. I just recently found out about Blackwing. Now, I have a few hundred. I also like the Rhoda pencil.

[flatline]

I like wood cased pencils. I just recently found out about Blackwing. Now, I have a few hundred. I also like the Rhoda pencil.

 

How long does it take you to use up 1 wooden pencil?

 

I bought a box of blackwing 602 a number of years ago and still have 10 left...

 

--flatline

[vjones]

I've been using wood pencils recently. I like the Hi-Uni's. I'm still trying the different "B" models. My favorite mechanical pencil is probably the Kuru Toga, except that if you lose the little plastic eraser cap, you can't advance the lead any more. I also have a couple of Pentel 209's....

 

I mostly use pencils for music notation or algebra.

Edited September 18, 2018 by vjones

[FOUR X FOUR]

How long does it take you to use up 1 wooden pencil?

 

I bought a box of blackwing 602 a number of years ago and still have 10 left...

 

--flatline

I just started uaing Blackwing pencils. How old are your Blackwings? Older Blackwings can sell for 50 dollars, easily

[smudgy_the_whale]

My favorites are the Tombow Mono and Mono 100s. I like 4B or thereabouts. I just love the paint. It's like some kind of lacquer, and you feel like you are holding a piece of glass. Drop it on the table and that impression is reinforced, you almost expect it to shatter!

 

I don't mind Blackwings except for the price. At first I really liked the erasers -- I have always felt that I'm struggling to beware the dwindling ration of eraser to lead in my pencil use. But the eraser it a little fussier than it first seems, you have to prop it up with a little blob of rolled paper if you want to advance it. But the black ones really do write nicely.

 

Did anyone watch Iron First on netflix? There are two characters, a brother and sister, who are part friend and part foe to the main character. They are powerful lawyers with fancy modern offices. You can spot a cup of black Blackwings on the brother's desk and a couple of the 602s on the sister's desk. It shows up a few times at least in the first season.

 

I have always enjoyed the humble Pentel Quicker Clicker, though the cap over the eraser will either get lost, or be a nagging presence. I used to use a Berol Side Klick back in the day.

 

Purple Plum, I have the same sharpener, I think, though mine looks different (it's red). I started out loving the concave grind, though I have found that the point will be a little weak. But I think it's still my overall favorite pencil sharpener!

[christof]

^ Very nice collection, Christof. I had no idea there were so many little variations on the Caran D'Ache Fix Pencil. Are they all about 2mm?

 

The two on the left are 1.18mm and 3mm. The others take 2mm leads.

 

c.

Edited September 19, 2018 by christof

[christof]

I like wood cased pencils. I just recently found out about Blackwing. Now, I have a few hundred. I also like the Rhoda pencil.

I like them too (the best ones I had are Faber Castell 9000), but you'll need a good sharpeners...

 

Pollux 1 von -c_m_z-

 

Pollux 5 von -c_m_z-

 

c.

Edited September 19, 2018 by christof

[penrivers]

I like them too (the best ones I has are Faber Castell 9000), but you'll need a good sharpeners...

 

Pollux 1 von -c_m_z-

 

Pollux 5 von -c_m_z-

 

c.

 

Thanks Christo, all this years I thought you are the rich boy in the class, now I know that like me you like wood cased pencils, greetings from México.

[Honeybadgers]

Every pencil I get, I find myself walking back to my Rotring 600 0.5mm.

 

What I want is the mechanism of the uni kuru toga (the fast rotation model) with the twist-out eraser of that cheap plastic pencil we all know, with the body of the rotring 600 or some other high end metal drafting pencil. Pentel owns the patent on the twist erase, So it's up to them. Right now all their twist erase pencils are garbage other than that perfect eraser.

Edited September 21, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[MYU]

Every pencil I get, I find myself walking back to my Rotring 600 0.5mm.

 

What I want is the mechanism of the uni kuru toga (the fast rotation model) with the twist-out eraser of that cheap plastic pencil we all know, with the body of the rotring 600 or some other high end metal drafting pencil. Pentel owns the patent on the twist erase, So it's up to them. Right now all their twist erase pencils are garbage other than that perfect eraser.

 

Well, I wouldn't call them "garbage," as they are intentionally inexpensive and there is a strong market case for this type. They're pretty much ideal for students who frequently lose their pencils.

 

While I appreciate the Kuru Toga mechanism, it does present some challenges for certain use. I think it's best for note taking. Because you keep writing and don't bother to rotate your pencil. But for drawing and drafting, you don't have the control over the tip (flat spot versus chisel tip). Also, the tip isn't rock-solid--it has to have some cushion to it for the lead rotation mechanism to work.

 

There have been some companies that made metal twist eraser mechanical pencils. But unfortunately, not very common. Most have plastic bodies.

 

For more info on these, click HERE.

 

Lastly, there's this Japan market Tombow pencil that was probably discontinued quite some time ago: