Favorite Mechanical Pencil And Lead

[Emperor]

What is your favorite mechanical pencil and lead?

 

Uni Kuru Toga Roulette is my favorite mechanical pencil for writing and I have a more rigid Dr. Grip LTD for writing and sometimes drawing purposes, although Uni Kuru Toga Roulette can do that too.

 

For lead I like the Uni Nano Dia and the Pentel Ain Stein. Leads wise these two companies dominate the lead market, hovering over even expensive brands.

[Bultaco]

Unquestionably, it is the Faber Castell TK-Matic, in stainless steel. Also came with plastic body for a slightly lower price. It's an auto-feed pencil like the Pentel Kerry (?) only much much nicer. No longer made likely because nobody wanted to pay such a high price. Mine is over 30 years old and still functions perfectly.

Edited July 13, 2012 by Bultaco

[Kugelschreiber]

What is your favorite mechanical pencil and lead?

 

Uni Kuru Toga Roulette is my favorite mechanical pencil for writing and I have a more rigid Dr. Grip LTD for writing and sometimes drawing purposes, although Uni Kuru Toga Roulette can do that too.

 

For lead I like the Uni Nano Dia and the Pentel Ain Stein. Leads wise these two companies dominate the lead market, hovering over even expensive brands.

 

 

I agree with you on those two lead lines, but would also include the Tombow's Mono-WX lead as being at least their equal. For the record, I've never tried it anything but .5 and am not sure it comes in anything else.

 

What 'expensive brands' of lead did you have in mind?

 

As for my favorite, flawed though it is, I really like my .7 Lamy 2000. And any YOL propelling pencil is a joy to use. But I also agree with you on the Mitsubishi (Uni) KT, they are great mps.

Edited July 13, 2012 by Kugelschreiber

[dex138]

Staedtler 925 35 20 2.0 mm lead holder, the Special Edition in Midnight Blue, with Staedtler 200 E2-HB carbon leads. (with extras in that nice Staedtler blue tube that holds 3 leads)

Of course now you need the Staedtler 513 85 lead pointer (sharpener), and since the lead holders don't have a built in eraser, an old style 526 50 Mars Plastic.

All kept in a Kokuyo Will Stationery Actic Mini Pencil Case.

 

Perfect!

Edited July 13, 2012 by dex138

[Emperor]

What is your favorite mechanical pencil and lead?

 

Uni Kuru Toga Roulette is my favorite mechanical pencil for writing and I have a more rigid Dr. Grip LTD for writing and sometimes drawing purposes, although Uni Kuru Toga Roulette can do that too.

 

For lead I like the Uni Nano Dia and the Pentel Ain Stein. Leads wise these two companies dominate the lead market, hovering over even expensive brands.

 

 

I agree with you on those two lead lines, but would also include the Tombow's Mono-WX lead as being at least their equal. For the record, I've never tried it anything but .5 and am not sure it comes in anything else.

 

What 'expensive brands' of lead did you have in mind?

 

As for my favorite, flawed though it is, I really like my .7 Lamy 2000. And any YOL propelling pencil is a joy to use. But I also agree with you on the Mitsubishi (Uni) KT, they are great mps.

 

Tombow's Mono-WX o.o I have heard about it; I wonder how they are, since Tombow Mono 100 is one of the best wooden pencils out there, and their mechanical leads may be just as good if they can reproduce the same result

 

Leads from companies like Montblanc, Lamy, etc; They may have good leads but their fortitude isn't in lead so compared to companies like Pentel they may find themselves just a bit lacking

 

 

YOL and Lamy 2000 :ph34r: They are quite expensive, but no doubt nice to use Uni KTs on the other hand are a lot cheaper, but their main spotlight: The mechanism! Ahh the Japanese innovationss

[BrandonA]

I'd never thought that there was a difference between leads. At school I was content with Parker leads in my entry level Parker pens. Now I have MB pens and pencils and I match the leads with the pens. Never had an issue and would not change my strategy.

 

Out of Internet though, where do you buy these market dominating leads? I've never seen them in UK high street shops.

[Kugelschreiber]

What is your favorite mechanical pencil and lead?

 

Uni Kuru Toga Roulette is my favorite mechanical pencil for writing and I have a more rigid Dr. Grip LTD for writing and sometimes drawing purposes, although Uni Kuru Toga Roulette can do that too.

 

For lead I like the Uni Nano Dia and the Pentel Ain Stein. Leads wise these two companies dominate the lead market, hovering over even expensive brands.

 

 

I agree with you on those two lead lines, but would also include the Tombow's Mono-WX lead as being at least their equal. For the record, I've never tried it anything but .5 and am not sure it comes in anything else.

 

What 'expensive brands' of lead did you have in mind?

 

As for my favorite, flawed though it is, I really like my .7 Lamy 2000. And any YOL propelling pencil is a joy to use. But I also agree with you on the Mitsubishi (Uni) KT, they are great mps.

 

Tombow's Mono-WX o.o I have heard about it; I wonder how they are, since Tombow Mono 100 is one of the best wooden pencils out there, and their mechanical leads may be just as good if they can reproduce the same result

 

Leads from companies like Montblanc, Lamy, etc; They may have good leads but their fortitude isn't in lead so compared to companies like Pentel they may find themselves just a bit lacking

 

 

YOL and Lamy 2000 :ph34r: They are quite expensive, but no doubt nice to use Uni KTs on the other hand are a lot cheaper, but their main spotlight: The mechanism! Ahh the Japanese innovationss

 

 

Maybe not Lamy as much, but certainly for companies like MB and Pelikan and others, mps are a complete afterthought. Some of them don't even make their own mechanisms, so it is not surprising that you won't get the very best lead from them.

 

The Lamy 2000 mp isn't that expensive, you can get them on ebay for about $50 and sometimes less. YOL pencils are very expensive brand new but I've seen them go for very reasonable prices second-hand at ebay.

 

Yep, I certainly second your enthusiasm for the KT engine and all the other things the major Japanese pen/pencil companies have come up with. However, though I really like the KT, I thought part of the fun of using a pencil was twirling it in your hands as you write.

[AloofObserver]

I don't use pencils often but I have a Staedtler Mars micro 0.5mm pencil which I quite like. I fill it with Pentel HB leads which are very smooth.

[Kugelschreiber]

I'd never thought that there was a difference between leads. At school I was content with Parker leads in my entry level Parker pens. Now I have MB pens and pencils and I match the leads with the pens. Never had an issue and would not change my strategy.

 

Out of Internet though, where do you buy these market dominating leads? I've never seen them in UK high street shops.

 

 

Cult Pens in your country has both Uni Nano Dia and Pentel Ain Stein, though not as big a selection of the former as JetPens here in the US. There is also, of course, ebay.

 

In truth, there isn't a huge difference between the really premium leads and those that aren't, but there is some difference, I think. Enough to notice (breakage, primarily).

[pajaro]

Pentel with 1.3 mm leads. Pentel with .9mm leads. Parker 51 cap actuated lead advance. Scripto with 1.1 mm leads. In order of preference. For drawing I prefer bigger stuff.

 

I have an extreme dislike of pencils requiring leads thinner than .7 mm.

Edited July 14, 2012 by pajaro

[nitnop]

I like my Lamy .07 Scribbler. It has a nice solid weight and a cigar shape that's fun to write or draw with. I use H lead because I don't care for the smudge I seem to get with HB leads. I haven't noticed any difference between lead brands, but on humid days, like we've been having, the lead does not behave well at all.

[Andrew H]

I like the Pentel Graphgear 1000 and the P200s.

Edited July 14, 2012 by Andrew H

[guilhermejf]

I use mostly my Pentel Graphgear 1000 with Pentel Ain Stein 0.5 mm 3B lead. Sometimes I use a Uni Kuru Toga with 0.5 mm B or 2B Pentel Ain or Uniball lead.

[guilhermejf]

I have an extreme dislike of pencils requiring leads thinner than .7 mm.

Why? Now I'm curious.

 

I like the feel of thicker leads, but I use pencil usually when I want a finer line than it would be comfortable to have with a fountain pen.

[Alohamora]

Pentel P207 with the common Pentel lead, whatever it's called.

 

I broke the lead too many times when I tried .5, but that was pre-FP, maybe I've developed a lighter hand due to FP writing now? I don't use a pencil nearly as much since I started using FPs.

[Emperor]

Pentel P207 with the common Pentel lead, whatever it's called.

 

I broke the lead too many times when I tried .5, but that was pre-FP, maybe I've developed a lighter hand due to FP writing now? I don't use a pencil nearly as much since I started using FPs.

 

I have used pencils all my life to abandon them completely for fountain pens their graphite color has a special vibe to it that no ink could replace

[Kugelschreiber]

Pentel P207 with the common Pentel lead, whatever it's called.

 

I broke the lead too many times when I tried .5, but that was pre-FP, maybe I've developed a lighter hand due to FP writing now? I don't use a pencil nearly as much since I started using FPs.

 

I have used pencils all my life to abandon them completely for fountain pens their graphite color has a special vibe to it that no ink could replace

 

 

Indeed!

 

I can understand when some dedicated fp users occasionally roll their eyes or turn their noses up when ballpoints, rollers or gel pens are brought up. But pencils? No, no, no.

 

But it seems that most fountain pen lovers realize that a good mp or two make a nice and important addition to their collections.

[lovemy51]

tough question, OP! i have quite a few MP -it's my other writing instrument of choice. but i love them all!!

 

as far as lead, i use mostly soft, so in the .5mm i use Pentel Ain Stein 4B. for the 0.3mm, 0.9mm and 0.7mm sizes, same brand, 2B lead -they don't have 4B, alas!

 

edited to add: at the top of the list of my fav MP i probably have my two p51's (cocoa and blue).

Edited July 14, 2012 by lovemy51

[max dog]

The iconic Cross Classic Century with 0.5 mm lead.

[Ethereal Winter Wind]

Pentel Graphgear 1000 0.3mm with Pentel Ain Stein Lead, hardness depending on use.