What Pencil Are You Using Today?

[Honeybadgers]

Venvstas Designer 8 2mm clutch pencil - Just got it and wow, this thing is god tier. Fit and finish is stellar, it fits a staedler rotary pointer, the brass on linear carbon feels amazing, the length, balance and comfort are awesome and it looks absolutely sci-fi. Really love the design choice that the clutch retracts fully into the pencil when it's not holding lead, and that they made the jaws deep enough so that a long point from the rotary sharpener doesn't stick out and break like a few other clutch pencils I have.

 

 

[Estycollector]

Venvstas Designer 8 2mm clutch pencil - Just got it and wow, this thing is god tier. Fit and finish is stellar, it fits a staedler rotary pointer, the brass on linear carbon feels amazing, the length, balance and comfort are awesome and it looks absolutely sci-fi. Really love the design choice that the clutch retracts fully into the pencil when it's not holding lead, and that they made the jaws deep enough so that a long point from the rotary sharpener doesn't stick out and break like a few other clutch pencils I have.

 

 

 

Beautiful pencil.

[Zookie]

Musgrave #2 Harvest

[NumberSix]

I'm trying something new that I saw on the Wood & Graphite youtube channel: Daily journal in a pocket-sized Moleskine Cahier, in pencil - one page per day.

 

I have have some 602's and General's Cedar Pointe No. 2 on the way from pencils.com. In the meantime, I picked up a pack of Ticonderoga #2 from office depot - it's a pleasure to use.

 

After writing on larger pages for so long, I don't feel I am getting a lot of words onto one page. But I appreciate the challenge of concisely stating what I want to remember. And if it was a slow day, I don't have to feel pressure to write a bunch. Just one small page.

[Estycollector]

Late '40's Autopoint #167 and Mitsubishi 9850.

[Zookie]

I would very much like to try a Musgrave Tennesee Red #2 pencil, but don't want a whole package. Maybe I won't like them.

So, I was thinking that maybe someone would send me one. In exchange, I will gladly send one of my best Apsara pencils

Any takers? Send me a pm.

Doug

[NumberSix]

This week, rec'd my order of 12 each Blackwing 602 and General's Cedar Pointe, from pencils.com.

 

Today, I decided to begin with the cheaper one, so I wrote my daily Moleskine entry with the Cedar Pointe. It smells lovely and looks and feels really nice with its natural finish.

 

Do I like it better than the cheap office depot Dixon-Ticonderoga #2 I have been using? Not yet. The eraser is inferior to the D-T's, for one thing. And despite their both being reported HB, the CP is not as smooth on the paper. But that could be from the point - I went with the factory sharpened point. Tomorrow, I will run it through my little Staedtler sharpener and likely get a point closer to what I have been used to for the last week.

[D B Holtz]

Zookie -

 

CW Pencils sells individual Tennesee Red pencils:

 

https://cwpencils.com/collections/musgrave/products/tennessee-red-2-pencil

 

DB

[Madeline]

I very much like some of the older wooden pencils, especially these two:

 

A "Berol Eagle 224, HB, USA, 2" which a friend gave to me from the pencil cup on her desk when I found I couldn't let go of it. Very soft and smooth.

 

Equally so are my No.2 "Trusty 916" pencils, once made by the Empire Pencil Company in the U.S. Mine are so old their erasers dried up long ago but it's their smooth personalities that I like--no eraser needed. My dad gave me my first package many years ago. I found my second package on Etsy.

[NumberSix]

These are my daily drivers this week. I switch between them as the mood strikes.

 

 

 

• General's Cedar Pointe #333 2HB

• IBM Electrographic (vintage, baby!)

• Musgrave Harvest 320 #2

And my trusty sharpener and lined Moleskine Cahier, in which I write a page a day. (I also use a larger A5-ish Moleskine Cahier for more extensive journaling.)

The IBM Electro is a joy to write with (it better be, at the price I paid!). It does struggle a bit to get a sharp point, but it just means I am writing with a slightly broader line. I don't think it's my sharpener, which is only a few weeks old and works great on my modern pencils. The eraser, of course, is no good. But it looks nice on the pencil.

The Musgrave 320 is a lovely writer. But the hex edges are kind of pronounced, such that it's a little distracting. It's especially noticeable when switching from the round, slightly thicker IBM pencil.

 

[ISW_Kaputnik]

Three Mitsubishi drawing pencils, 4H, HB, 4B. A Staedtler 11B. A Mont Marte Woodless graphite "EE".

 

[ISW_Kaputnik]

When sketching, I've been using 4H and even 6H wood pencils sharpened to a fine point to put down the first rough outline. The trouble is that they leave a very faint line, and also they don't stay fine for very long. I've tried my 0.5 mm mechanical pencils and even have a couple of 0.3 mms, but don't like them as much, with the 0.3 mm in particular it's very easy to break the lead if you put any pressure on it.

 

But I'd almost forgotten that I have this 0.2 mm Pentel Orenz. The slender tube just exposes a tiny amount of lead at a time, so you can put a little pressure on it and it won't break. It gradually retracts as you go, but when it's almost finished, you just give it a single click to extend it again. I'm finally getting some use out of it, and liking it so far. But I keep trying out different things.

Edited June 27, 2020 by ISW_Kaputnik

[welch]

Blackwing Pearl, stuck in a copy of David Herbert Donald's "Lincoln". In shirt pocket: Autopoint Ivory Jumbo .9mm with 2B lead.

[kulnet]

I just used a Blackwing X TWA pencil to address letter

[NumberSix]

I just used a Blackwing X TWA pencil to address letter

 

How do you like it? I have seen those, and I like the idea and look of that edition.

[NumberSix]

Along with the General's Cedar Pointe #333, IBM Electrographic, and Musgrave Harvest 320 #2 that have been in rotation for two weeks now, I am adding:

• Musgrave Test Scoring 100

 

It's a mess to sharpen, shaving down one side well more than the other. (I didn't think to check if it was not centered, but it seems to be the case) But it writes beautifully, dark and smooth. I am going to enjoy using it - I hope future ones don't have this even-ness issue, though.

[Estycollector]

I'm carrying one of the Autopoint Rocket pencils I've found, This one has a brass cap with silver clip, a rarely seen combination. It holds the .9 mm lead. I like the Pentel HB, but won't mind to fine a softer darker lead like the Wet Noodles which is similar to Mark Sense lead.

[christof]

Caran d'Ache Edelweiss 3B

[max dog]

Cross Century 0.5 mm pencil, usually with 2H leads.

[Studio97]

Journaling with a Blackwing 10 Nellie Bly. Extra firm core. Sharpened to a long point and filled 9 pages in somewhat small handwriting, wide ruled 5"x8"journal. Still does not need resharpening as there is still plenty of useable remaining lead after all that writing. This is the long distance runner for woodcased pencils.