What Pencil Are You Using Today?

[SteveID]

Ah, the work is fast & furious right now, and the pencils are flying around here. Presently I'm using a Blackwing 602, and these are really almost as good as the originals were, several lead holders all with Faber-Castell Lead: a Caran D'ache Fixpencil 2mm holder with HB, a Rotring Rapid Pro 2mm with 2B, and a .7mm Rapid Pro with 2B, along with Derwent 4B & 8B water soluble graphite pencils. I thought I'd given up on wooden pencils all together, with my hand cramping as I compulsively used my pencils down to the nub, but the smell of those Cedarwood Blackwings as you sharpen them is just too great. "Half the pressure" indeed!

Edited December 20, 2017 by SteveID

[sandy101]

Just received a box of Blackwing 530's. Sharpened a couple of them, and they work wonderfully on Moleskine paper. The lead is a shade darker than the 602, and the lead being a bit firmer offers a tiny bit of feedback. Both pencils sharpen to a long point.

 

I do hope Palomino make a regular extra hard lead formula as part of their regular issue pencils.

 

 

[flatline]

Just received a box of Blackwing 530's. Sharpened a couple of them, and they work wonderfully on Moleskine paper. The lead is a shade darker than the 602, and the lead being a bit firmer offers a tiny bit of feedback. Both pencils sharpen to a long point.

 

I do hope Palomino make a regular extra hard lead formula as part of their regular issue pencils.

 

 

 

I'd love a Blackwing with a longer lasting point than the 602, but I just can't bring myself to buy another box of pencils while my current box of 602's is still mostly full.

 

--flatline

[sodul]

I stopped by Daiso to get 0.9mm leads for a vintage Shaeffer's school pen (I might ask for some help on how to properly refill it) and left with 2 2mm mechanical pencils and a refill set of 18 colors (7 of them are red, and one black) and 18 blacks. These mechanical pencils are pretty nice with a good grippy texture on the plastic, a very functional and springy clip and a lead sharpener on the rear cap. The color leads are not prismacolor quality but have pretty good pigments for a low price. The storage for the leads has a very convenient 2 dispenser system where you can select individual leads from the top and a few more leads from the bottom.

 

 

[Le Vieux]

Wahl Doric Airliner pencil, which perhaps is a tad small (ish) for my hands, but what a joy to use it

[reduziert]

Today I use: Blackwing 73 (near nub), Staedtler Noris 2B, Bruynzeel Holland 4B.

Think I get them done tomorrow. Lot of journaling today.

[gryphon1911]

I have 2. A Bexley clutch pencil in 5.6mm and a Staedtler 925 in 2mm

[Retro-user]

I think I may spring for some Blackwing 602s. I need a dark line with a point that's not too soft.

[kulms]

should i invest in an expensive mechanical pencil? I usually just use an ordinary dr. grip mechanical pencil. Gets the job done

[torstar]

Gone back to Blackwing Palomino and Pearl pencils for the new year.

[torstar]

should i invest in an expensive mechanical pencil? I usually just use an ordinary dr. grip mechanical pencil. Gets the job done

 

I have no regrets on a small splurge for a Faber Castell classic 14 years ago, it often is in the rotation.

 

I do not use the MB mech-pen much, it's not as refined as the FB.

 

"getting the job done" is no excuse for not splurging around here.....

[NinthSphere]

should i invest in an expensive mechanical pencil? I usually just use an ordinary dr. grip mechanical pencil. Gets the job done

Look to features rather than price. Rotation, lead size, grip type, retractability, etc. I wouldn't spend more than ~40 USD for a good mech pencil other than for the sake of appearance, brand cache, or the odd rare collector piece.

[MYU]

Mitsubishi W-Knock mechanical pencil (has a "skeleton" section so you can see the lead expelling mechanism work). Retractable tip that locks in quite solid (no wobble). From a distance, an ordinary looking pencil, yet it's quite unusual. Some unknown HB lead inside it.

[flatline]

should i invest in an expensive mechanical pencil? I usually just use an ordinary dr. grip mechanical pencil. Gets the job done

 

If you want an expensive mechanical pencil, then go ahead and get one. However, unless you want something very specific, you probably don't need to spend more than $15 to find an excellent pencil that meets your needs.

 

Examine the mechanical pencils you currently have, compare them to the pencils that are available wherever you shop, decide what features you like and don't like, and then look to see if any pencil you currently have or can purchase has the features you think you want and not the features you think you don't want.

 

I've got some pencils in the $20 - $40 price range, and I do really like some of the more expensive pencils, but most of my favorites are in the $6 - $10 range.

 

--flatline

[MYU]

^ These days there are some stellar pencils in the sub $20 range. Heck, you can get a rOtring 600 0.5mm for just over $15 USD! There's also some great models to be found from Mitsubishi-Uni, even as cheaply as $6 USD when bought off eBay. The great thing is that their affordability makes it possible to shop around until you find ones that work best for you, without breaking the bank.

 

Of course, if you want to get into retractable tips... that's a whole other story. Cheapest quality one is the rOtring 800, which has now dipped into the $25 USD range. Still has a little wobble, but remedied with a little tape around the internal shaft.

[Aquaria]

Same as always, my trusty Kuru Toga Alpha Gel and a Caran d'Ache Blackwood Maxi for artwork (sooooo in love with this thing!).

 

I've also been using Prismacolor soft core color pencils for some sketches I'm monkeying around with. I prefer Tombow Irojiten, but wanted to give the Prismacolors a try. Not bad at all!

Edited January 18, 2018 by Aquaria

[mallymal1]

A Palomino Blackwing 530. Very nice.

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

should i invest in an expensive mechanical pencil? I usually just use an ordinary dr. grip mechanical pencil. Gets the job done

Some features come at a cost. It depends on how many features you need/want, and on the brand which designs and material appeal the most to you.

 

These days I'm always using my Staedtler 925 25-20. I found it a bit heavy initially but I soon adjusted to it. Love it immensely. Terrific value for the money. Highly recommended.

 

[katerchen]

My newest toy : a Pilot s20 in red wood, with Ain Stein 4B leads. Dreamy!

 

https://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-S20-Drafting-Pencil-0.5-mm-Deep-Red-Body/pd/2936

 

[Studio97]

Looks and feels like bakelite. Millers National Insurance Co Chicago and Illinois Fire Insurance Co Chicago is stamped on it. It is new old stock (with box and papers). About 1mm lead and it writes smoothly. Circa 1943 Autopoint.