What Pencil Are You Using Today?

[PPPR]

6 hours ago, essayfaire said:

It looks like a nail(flattop) but I am sure does not write like one!

That's a common look for pencils of that age. There's 4B lead in it at the moment for some sketching, so you're right. It's not writing like a nail. ;0)

[Mark from Yorkshire]

Parker 17 circa 1962 with Fabre Castell lead 1mm writes a dream

[Silvicolus]

An early ‘Ever Sharp’ sterling pencil. It’s not marked Wahl so it must be quite early. The lead is 4B from the Legendary Lead Company. 

[PPPR]

1 hour ago, Silvicolus said:

An early ‘Ever Sharp’ sterling pencil. It’s not marked Wahl so it must be quite early. The lead is 4B from the Legendary Lead Company. 

Very nice. Is there a clip on the backside hidden in the photo?

[Silvicolus]

36 minutes ago, PPPR said:

Very nice. Is there a clip on the backside hidden in the photo?

Thanks! There’s no clip. It was a ringtop, but the ring is gone.

[New PointyThings]

Blackwing X Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2021 wood-cased pencil. A little softer than I like, but nice and dark.

[gweimer1]

Mabie Todd Fyne Point...my recent $3 auction win.

 

[ParramattaPaul]

52 minutes ago, gweimer1 said:

Mabie Todd Fyne Point...my recent $3 auction win.

 

Nice!

[PAKMAN]

Blackwing 602

[MYU]

Spoke 4, by Spoke Design (Brian Conti owned & made).

 

I love mechanical pencils and have an obsession for vintage ones made by Japanese brands like PILOT, Pentel, Tombow, Platinum, OHTO... back when the mechanical pencil was revered the way people once revered books (before the days of television and the internet). Today, mechanical pencil technology has reached new heights. There's automatic lead feed, lead anti-breakage, auto-lead rotation, lead cushioning... to name the more prominent ones. It can be easy to forget the basics... because all of these new features overcompensate for people who are a little sloppy with their use of mechanical pencils. Don't press too hard and lead won't break. Let your hand start "autonomously" rotating the pencil periodically in your fingers, and you won't end up with nasty chisel tips. The ubiquitous Pentel P205 (P20x) series came out in the 1980s and is still made today, whereby the same internal mechanism is compatible across all years. It's an inexpensive workhorse. And what better way to give a tribute to it than to build an overengineered super robust body for it! Spoke Design did just that. He has 3 main pencil models available today (models 4, 5, and 6--1, 2, & 3 were retired), in a variety of metal materials.

The main advantages of the P20x engine is that it's extremely robust for the price and ubiquitous--any problem and it's cheap to swap in a replacement. And if you dig in enough, you'll find that some earlier models had sliding pipe guides and can also be used (as shown above).

[Davidjamesink]

My scribe of choice is a recently rediscovered Yellowish orangish Platignum 2mm clutch pencil. It's rare enough to make it cool and versatile enough to take a multitude of different grades of lead. It sits well in the hand and is neither too light nor too heavy.

 

It originally came from my grandfathers workshop. I recall him using it as far back as the 70s. It was bequeathed to me with an assortment of his workshop tools and was for years hidden at the bottom of a box. Now I'm using it and it's still providing a faultless service.

I should also add it was made in Britain, something of a rarity these days. 

 

[Ink Stained Wretch]

For today I'm using a wood cased pencil that's so short that the brand name has been sharpened off, but it has "287" stamped on it in silver foil, a wood cased PaperMate Mirado "classic" with a "pencil pillow" on it to accommodate my arthritic hands, and a 0.7 mm Zebra Z-Grip mechanical pencil. All of these pencils and leads are HB and/or #2 pencils. Great things, pencils. I use them and fountain pens pretty much every day ✏️.

[1nkulus]

Staedtler 925 2.0 w/ 4B

[usk15]

 

[lectraplayer]

I absolutely will not go anywhere without my Pilot Multi-8 pencil, though I would love to find something similar that is a bit longer--able to accomodate a full stick of June Gold lead without having to break it off, and maybe even an included pointer. ...though I do often use my Kuru Toga for writing, among others.

[Zookie]

I've been selling off all of my mechanical pencils for lack of interest.

I prefer wood cased. The mechanicals are ,of course, free to all my friends at fpn.

You can pm me for particulars. I may have something you've been searching for 😎

Today I'm using a Musgrave News 600 because it's crossword day!

Doug

 

BTW, I forgot to mention that this is for US members only.

I'm sorry, but postage is too high at the moment.

[lectraplayer]

Mechanicals are among my favorite overall, especially the overengineered ones. ...though it's hard to pass up a good offer, depending on what is available. Speaking of which, I need to round up my KuruTogas and throw them in my DnD book. :3 I've been mostly trying to remember how to draw with a couple Alvin 2mm sticks that I've just rounded up. Other than that, I'm subject to use anything that has a good feel and design, including those Dollar General 2mm ones they sometimes have that looks like plastic pencils. (Those don't handle pockets very well, though.)

[Catpaws]

Today I'm using a Pilot S3 0.9mm. I really like the grip.

[MYU]

I try to stick with one or two pencils for the week. This one I've been using a LAMY Scribble in 0.7 mm. It's a recent acquisition, came without box but in very lightly used condition. I really love the slightly diminutive size that's deceptive, because the girth has a wonderful taper to it with a thicker center. I do have to admit that I wish LAMY had put faceted sides to it as they did in the 3.15 mm version. But in essence, it wasn't necessary because the thickness is still narrow enough such that the clip will help anti-roll. The 0.7 mm features a sliding pipe guide, but it's half-length (about 2mm). It's just enough to make a difference from unsupported.

 

 

I was really sorry to see this model discontinued. I think the rather high resale value going on in the used marketplace (eBay) helps indicate how it's still very much appreciated. Maybe one day LAMY will bring it back with an anniversary edition?

[txomsy]

A Kaweco Brass Sport Sketch-Up 5.6mm and a short, pocket E+M Workman 5.6mm, wooden body, mechanical pencil are always on my pocket, in a leather case, together with two Liliput fountain pens. I use them for quick sketching on pocket notebooks I carry in a rear pants pocket.

 

Also on a leather case I carry a full-length Koh-i-Noor brass 5.6mm mechanical pencil, together with Kuretake brush pens, eraser and a box of Cretacolor 5.6mm leads (white chalk, Dark and Brown Sepia, Sanguine, Charcoal and graphite), these go along in a bag with a travel notebook and a few other tools, all in my backpack, for when I have some more time for quiet sketching.