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Hello, I have a parker vacumatic twist type pencil that I recently received as part of a Vacumatic FP/Pencil set (though.. they don't look like an original set as the bands don't match). The body is in excellent condition but the mechanism doesn't seem to be working. I can twist it either direction without reaching any stop and I do not see the clutch or anything extend from the tip to grip the lead. I have tried slipping lead in it but do not feel anything in the barrel to clear out so I don't think it's a lead jam. I don't see a way to take the mechanism apart for further inspection. Does anyone have any experience with these and advice on how to try to get it working? Or is there some place to buy a replacement mechanism/send it for repair? I've attached some images of the pencil and mechanism.

I have been searching online for replacement erasers for a Montblanc Dumas mechanical pencil. No information found on Montblanc’s website. These are small diameter erasers! Any information on the eraser type for this particular pencil - Montblanc or other - will be greatly appreciated!

I'm wondering if I should buy a 0.2mm or 0.3mm (or even 0.5mm) Mechanical Pencil for practicing Spencerian Script... It is suggested in several places that when practicing Spencerian Script I should use a writing utensil that produces as thin a line as possible. However, I'm wondering if 0.2mm or even 0.3mm lines are simply too thin? By the way, if anyone was wondering, this is the pencil I'm going to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Mechanical-Pencil-ORENZ-PP3003/dp/B06VWNYHY3?th=1 The reason I'm using a pencil and not a pen is because I want to use super cheap paper and I don't want to get any feathering, bleed-through, etc. What do you guys think?

Hello, I picked up this sterling silver mechanical pencil for a tenner while browsing antique shops in northern England while on holidays. I don't collect pencils as such but I couldn't resist because it's just so pretty. It's hallmarked W.V @ S for William Vine and Sons and I can find some info about the company from about 1880 to 1930. There are three date hallmarks in order: an anchor, a lion but I can't make out the third even with a lupe. Is anyone out there familiar with this style of pencil? I haven't seen one that tapers like this and would like to know how old it is. It's quite long too, about 17.6 centimetres, or six and three quarter inches, which, with the shape, makes me suspect it may at one stage have been paired with a dip pen.

What are the best mechanical pencils under $50? I want them to look and write nice simultaneously. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Now for something completely different… I didn't plan in the beginning to build my own computer keyboard. I used a Unicomp for a couple of years, and it was OK. I mean, it was a creaky and clunky behemoth, but it got the job done. Then I discovered the whole "mechanical keyboard" hobby that's sprung up in the last few years, and… Yeah. It was like fountain pens and cameras all over again, but on an accelerated track. Soon I had placed a pre-order for a WhiteFox, placed a pre-order for a new IBM Model F replica (both of which I'm still waiting on!), bought a new Matias Mini Tactile Pro, bought a vintage IBM XT keyboard off eBay, and bought a Carpe JD45 mini-keyboard. And after all that I realized that nobody was making what I really wanted, and I was going to have to build it myself. Here is the result: http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/keeb/Zo64-07.jpg The first thing some of you might wonder is, "Where's the rest of it?" This is what we call a 60% keyboard layout, although this one actually has 64 keys. It's done away with the number pad, the F-keys and the navigation keys, but all of those functions are still accessible using the two blue Fn keys. I am particularly proud of how these navigation keys work: http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/keeb/Zo64-08.jpg For anyone not fully familiar with those symbols, ESDF are my arrow keys, Q and A are PgUp and PgDn, W and R are Home and End. Now all I have to do is mash down with my left thumb on that blue key, then I have my entire nav cluster under my fingertips without shifting my hand position away from the home-row typing position. I can do all my navigating with my left hand, and it doesn't matter if my right hand is in the typing position or not. After a brief period of adjustment, this can actually be more convenient than dedicated arrow keys! I chose media keys that I thought were easy to remember: P for pause/play, M for Mute, and the adjacent keys for Prev, Next, VolUp, VolDn. The left space bar is, of course, Backspace, and with Fn it becomes Delete (or Forward Delete as we Mac loonies say). The star or "any" key in the upper-right is currently working as another Backspace, but I'll probably change that eventually. It could be programmed for anything. This board has full RGB underglow, and each switch has a white LED backlight. I don't usually use them, but the one under Caps Lock at least works as an indicator light. (That's why there's a big gap in the legend between "Caps" and "Lock", which in retrospect wasn't necessary. I'll change that next time.) http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/keeb/Zo64-11.jpg That aluminum case is extra thick and heavy, and it feels as solid as a brick. (I guess you might say it's Thick As A Brick!) The completed keyboard weighs over two and a half pounds, and it has an optional steel weight that can attach to the base and bring it to just shy of three pounds. I really don't think the steel weight is necessary. http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/keeb/Zo64-03.jpg Getting all the parts together for this project was quite an exercise. The PCB and mounting plate, the short space bars, and the case all came from different vendors in China. The switches, stabilizers and keycaps all came from US sources. It's all off-the-shelf components, except for the custom printed keycaps. Those switches are new Kailh BOX Whites with dust and water resistance and a great double-click sound. They feel fantastic to type on. I do think they're a bit light for my hands, so I'll go for stiffer springs next time, and I'm probably going to build a version using tactile (quiet) switches. I know I'm going to build at least one more of these, since I need one for each of my Mac Pros. If anybody wants to know more details about planning the layout, creating the custom keycap set, programming it, the assembly process, anything… Just ask!

Hi Everybody I just became accidentally a vintage propelling pencil fan, mailnly sterling silver ones, Yard o Led and Mordan brands, as well as Eversharp. Looking forward to post around and get to know more this world Ascanio

Hello to everyone. Could this Parker mechanical pencil on the photos be a Parker 45 or what could the number 45 indicate? Or yes it could be fourth quarter of any years ending with 5 before 1980, but it says Made in UK, so it must be from after 1987. Also, there is a little "Y" above Made in UK, don't know why (not directly above it, a "line" further). For some reason there is no Parker logo on the top, I hope that doesn't mean it's fake. Also, might be not best seen on the photo, but the number 45 is like outlines only. It has the original Parker logo before Made in UK, not the around 1998 one (P ending in arrow) but the arrow and elipse. I searched for Parker 45 pencil on Google image search, but it shows pencils with bigger metal bottoms at the lead part than mine has. In fact mine has the exact same little metal ending that most of the Jotter PENS have, then continuing in a little metal pipe for the lead. The whole upper part moves up and down when clicking it. So, considering all of these, do you have any ideas about it? Thank you in advance. (Note: I also found an other one, on which there is a Q.I, meaning being made in 2000 and you have to press the "cap" only).

Here is a new pencil I picked up from eBay.

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.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-21/richard-mille-made-a-105-000-mechanical-fountain-pen From the article:

Hi everyone, I inherited these pens a few years ago and I must admit I don't know much about them at all. I admire their beauty and workmanship. I think I will keep one for myself and try to sell the others on this forum (in the appropriate section, of course). However, before I can begin, I need to price them. Will someone please help me with a price range for each of the sets below? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Omas 1930 fountain pen http://i61.tinypic.com/rji1rk.jpg http://i57.tinypic.com/168t05e.jpg http://i60.tinypic.com/1o2fis.jpg http://i61.tinypic.com/21l2vkj.jpg Omas 1930 ballpoint pen http://i60.tinypic.com/2afbuia.jpg http://i60.tinypic.com/210m4c7.jpg Cross 14kt gold filled ballpoint pen (with engraving: "Secretary General Kurt Waldheim"--former Austrian President) http://i62.tinypic.com/mtml1j.jpg http://i59.tinypic.com/szacyu.jpg Sheaffer set of 2 fountain pens (cart-med & cart-fine) http://i61.tinypic.com/v6u0yb.jpg http://i62.tinypic.com/x6dks2.jpg http://i59.tinypic.com/x6fvxv.jpg

For those that use mechanical pens what is your poison? I used to prefer 0.3 mm lead but after a while I have realised 0.5 mm lead is more versatile and stronger. I currently love my 0.5 mm Rotring 800

Not sure where to ask about this, but this board seems to get good traffic. I'll even review it if I get the time to make up for improper discussion. Anybody know where this pen came from, how much it's worth, where I can buy another (just for hypotheticals), if it's sterling silver, or plated with chrome, rhodium, platinum, or silver? Any information is appreciated, I've scoured the web. If any further pictures are needed, let me know, I'll be posting pictures of the inside when I get more time...

Hello all, I've searched for my ideal mechanical pencil on-and-off for years now, and finally came to my senses to stop and "ask for directions". I'm in a physics PhD program, and spend some serious time with a pencil in hand. That's been the case for years, though, and I'm more than ready to plunk down some cash on one that'll last me - and more importantly, that'll be comfortable for the duration. What I'm looking for: - 0.5 mm graphite - Aluminum/stainless steel/metal body, circular (solid construction) - No clip I understand that "no clip" is an odd requirement (and the one that's causing me trouble in finding a suitable model), but I suppose I have odd hands; anything with a clip winds up irritating my hand in the end. It's not the end of the world, and I've obviously dealt with it over the years, but finding a good pencil without a clip would just make the heck out of my day. Dave's has yielded some decent results, but not exactly what I'm looking for. Models I like anyway are: Staedtler 925 25 Pentel Graph Gear 1000 Can anyone help me out? Thanks in advance!

Hey guys, I'm a young composer and soon to be college student. I currently write music with regular wood case pencils, but I'm interested in trying a mechanical pencil. I have heard good things about the Alvin draftmatic pencils and will probably buy one unless someone can suggest a better pencil. In music you need to be able to write thin and thick lines, so just one pencil probably wouldn't cut it. My question is what size lead should I be using, and what I should do about making the thicker lines because I don't feel like .9 would be thick enough, although I'm not sure.