Who Else Thinks That A Mechanical Pencil Is The Next-Best Thing To A Fountain Pen?

[milkb0at]

Any suggestions for a "luxury" pencil in 0.3?

 

Uni Shift Lock to hide the lead sleeve, but it's still a drafting pencil.

 

The Ohto Conception is still also technically a drafting pencil but it looks a bit bonkers compared to most so it's an option. I quite like it, and the sliding sleeve will do the trick for you.

 

The Pentel metal Orenz is slightly more upmarket than the standard Orenz (and you could have it in 0.2mm if you'd like) but it's still hardly luxury.

 

Otherwise I'm out of ideas. Perhaps a Fixpencil (or other nice-looking leadholder) and a lead pointer to get you that super-fine point?

[MYU]

+1

 

Lovely exterior with quality innards (P200), best of both worlds.

Great acquisition, the desk dock is great.

 

I like the 5-3 in grey anodized.

 

Yes, the P200 engine is tried and true. Does the job well and just lasts for decades of use. Plus, so widely produced, that replacement cores from old P20x pencils are cheap and easy to obtain.

 

[MYU]

Yeah, other than the Pilot S20 there doesn't seem to be anything "luxury-like" in 0.3mm. If only Lamy 2000 or Scribble had an 0.3mm option!!

 

As something EDC, I was really hoping for something either retractable or without the sharp pipe sticking out. I don't think anything is made like the latter because that tiny lead would probably break too easily without the extended pipe.

 

The Rotring 800 is retractable, but doesn't come in 0.3.

Would Pentel Ain Stein 0.3 lead really work well in the 0.35mm Rotring 600 without wobbling or something? I'm afraid I'll either stab myself or bend the tip on the 600.

 

Get a Spoke 4. They're available in 0.3mm. You can dress it up in a variety of materials. "Bespoke," really. If you want a pipe slide, buy an older (discontinued) Pentel PS535 and cannibalize it for the tip, which is compatible with the Spoke Pencil series (uses Pentel P200 engine).

[Lloyd]

is there a way to add a clip to the Spoke pencils?

[1nkulus]

@MYU

 

Lovely pencils. How many spoke did you get? Any grey anodized?

 

Get a Spoke 4. They're available in 0.3mm. You can dress it up in a variety of materials. "Bespoke," really.

+1

[MYU]

is there a way to add a clip to the Spoke pencils?

Not for the Spoke 4. The Spoke 6 might accommodate one. All current Spoke pens come with a desk dock (at no charge). It's made specifically for the diameter of the pencil, which is available in 2 grip sizes (8.3mm and 9.2mm).

 

@MYU

 

Lovely pencils. How many spoke did you get? Any grey anodized?

 

+1

Thank you. I got two of them: one black + steel, one blue + brass. Gray is out of stock at the moment.

[truthpil]

 

Get a Spoke 4. They're available in 0.3mm. You can dress it up in a variety of materials. "Bespoke," really. If you want a pipe slide, buy an older (discontinued) Pentel PS535 and cannibalize it for the tip, which is compatible with the Spoke Pencil series (uses Pentel P200 engine).

Although not luxurious looking in the FP sense, these do look nice and go beyond that Borg-like drafting pencil look haha. I've just been all over their website and can't find an 0.3 option anywhere.

[1nkulus]

Although not luxurious looking in the FP sense, these do look nice and go beyond that Borg-like drafting pencil look haha. I've just been all over their website and can't find an 0.3 option anywhere.

 

The innards of the pencil are from P200 series. You can replace the innards from a P203 which is the 0.3mm version.

@MYU can comment further.

[1nkulus]

Thank you. I got two of them: one black + steel, one blue + brass.

 

Good choice.

I like the 9.2mm

[truthpil]

That discontinued Pentel Ps535 actually looks really nice and might just be what I need.

 

There aren't any on eBay. Does anyone have a source for these?

[MYU]

 

The innards of the pencil are from P200 series. You can replace the innards from a P203 which is the 0.3mm version.

@MYU can comment further.

 

That discontinued Pentel Ps535 actually looks really nice and might just be what I need.

 

There aren't any on eBay. Does anyone have a source for these?

 

I think they're out of 0.3 mm cores at the moment. But they expect to restock options early next year. 1nkulus is right, that you can definitely pick up a P203 (they're very cheap used) and swap the engine into the Spoke pencil. The only thing is, when you buy a Spoke pencil it comes with the lead size emblazoned on the side. So it becomes "out of sync" when changing lead size. Of course, you could easily cover it over with tape or paint it.

 

The Pentel PS535 is a plastic bodied pencil with a metal tip, clip, and rear cap. It's very lightweight and doesn't feel luxurious. And unfortunately it is discontinued so tracking down used ones is the only way to source them.

[truthpil]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I've spent the past two days trying to get up to snuff on the world of 0.3 MPs and it has been both fun and frustrating.

 

I think I'll spend some more time with my Pure Malt (wooden body) 0.5 MP and if I really like the wood feel, I'll grab a Pilot S20 0.3. In the meantime I'll get a Pentel P203 and see what Bespoke comes out with in the future.

[1nkulus]

I think I'll spend some more time with my Pure Malt (wooden body) 0.5 MP and if I really like the wood feel, I'll grab a Pilot S20 0.3. In the meantime I'll get a Pentel P203 and see what Bespoke comes out with in the future.

 

The pure malt is a lovely pencil. You should stick with it even though it is 0.5, probably the most luxurious short of precious metals.

 

I'd wait for the spoke so that the lettering matches the lead size, the S20 should keep you good company till then.

[truthpil]

 

The pure malt is a lovely pencil. You should stick with it even though it is 0.5, probably the most luxurious short of precious metals.

 

Yeah, it's my favorite pencil so far, more comfortable than my Pelikan D200. It's perfect for taking notes and regular writing and the brass components inside make it really feel luxurious without being heavy.

 

I just need a good 0.3 for some very tiny annotations that I'll need to make on a regular basis for extended periods (homework), so the pencil needs to feel great in the hand. In the past I've tried FPs with Japanese EF nibs and G2s in 0.38, but I really need something erasable for this work.

 

Aww heck, I might as well just grab a Rotring 600 in 0.35 since everyone keeps raving about them!

Edited November 23, 2018 by TruthPil

[1nkulus]

Aww heck, I might as well just grab a Rotring 600 in 0.35 since everyone keeps raving about them!

 

but you should try it prior to purchase, if you get a chance. You may not prefer the heft.

[truthpil]

 

but you should try it prior to purchase, if you get a chance. You may not prefer the heft.

Aww nuts, you're probably right. By the time I'm in a location with physical access to such luxuries, Bespoke will probably have some new models out.

 

Any thoughts on the Platinum Pro-Use 171? Unfortunately it's partially plastic, but the mechanism seems really nice.

 

The only thing holding me back from getting the S20 is that I'm afraid it will eventually make a hole in the bottom of my leather EDC pen case.

Edited November 24, 2018 by TruthPil

[Honeybadgers]

Yeah, other than the Pilot S20 there doesn't seem to be anything "luxury-like" in 0.3mm. If only Lamy 2000 or Scribble had an 0.3mm option!!

 

As something EDC, I was really hoping for something either retractable or without the sharp pipe sticking out. I don't think anything is made like the latter because that tiny lead would probably break too easily without the extended pipe.

 

The Rotring 800 is retractable, but doesn't come in 0.3.

Would Pentel Ain Stein 0.3 lead really work well in the 0.35mm Rotring 600 without wobbling or something? I'm afraid I'll either stab myself or bend the tip on the 600.

 

yes. all rotrings made for 0.35 will easily accept 0.3 (they say so in their own literature)

 

I really wish there was a more premium feeling kuru-toga mechanism mech pencil. nothing beats 4B lead in a kuru toga. dark and SHARP.

 

I personally don't love 0.3. It snaps, it's often too fine to read legibly when I do calculus with it, even a 2b is too light. 2b 0.5 is really my sweet spot

 

I don't see the appeal of the s20. I've made better looking mechanical pencils myself with real exotic woods like afzelia burl and thuya burl and spalted maple.

 

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c101/popnsplat/pens/DSC_0152.jpg

 

If I had a decent set of mandrels I could do much more than that, I could probably adapt a more modern mechanism into it.

 

I really like the lamy 2000 pencil.

Edited November 24, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[truthpil]

 

I really wish there was a more premium feeling kuru-toga mechanism mech pencil. nothing beats 4B lead in a kuru toga. dark and SHARP.

 

Yeah, they need to make the Advanced in all metal or come out with a whole new model that looks more premium.

I haven't tried one of these out yet because I have a really light hand and have read that light writing may not allow the rotating mechanism to work.

They are cheap enough though, so I'll grab one in 0.3 soon.

 

 

 

I personally don't love 0.3. It snaps, it's often too fine to read legibly when I do calculus with it, even a 2b is too light. 2b 0.5 is really my sweet spot

 

I've been using a cheap but good Sakura 123 (looks a lot like the Pentel P203) in 0.3 for a few weeks and haven't had any breakage. 2B 0.5 is my favorite as well, but the line is too large for the tiny foreign language characters I need to try to fit between lines of printed text (translation projects).

 

I don't see the appeal of the s20. I've made better looking mechanical pencils myself with real exotic woods like afzelia burl and thuya burl and spalted maple.

Want to make a torpedo/cigar shaped wooden pen that'll fit the P203 mechanism?? A wooden version of the L2K MP in 0.3 would be amazing.

[1nkulus]

Want to make a torpedo/cigar shaped wooden pen that'll fit the P203 mechanism?? A wooden version of the L2K MP in 0.3 would be amazing.

 

Now, that would be an interesting project.

[1nkulus]

Aww nuts, you're probably right. By the time I'm in a location with physical access to such luxuries, Bespoke will probably have some new models out.

 

Any thoughts on the Platinum Pro-Use 171? Unfortunately it's partially plastic, but the mechanism seems really nice.

 

The only thing holding me back from getting the S20 is that I'm afraid it will eventually make a hole in the bottom of my leather EDC pen case.

 

That Platinum is still a draft pencil, in which case the GraphGear 1000 has a simpler and robust retracting mechanism.

 

As for the S20, you could put it in the case with the tip pointing upwards (unlikely it will make a hole in the top flap).