I got this pencil today

[AmandaW]

Actually two. (They arrived separately.) I've become smitten with the pencils that are closely related to fountain pens. Has anyone else fallen into this neck of the burrow? What did you find?

 

A NOS 0.5mm metal Platinum #3776 push button mechanical pencil came from Singapore.

 

The Cross Townsend has a twist mechanism. I am guessing from an internet search it may be the Titanium Gray. It's cartridge of leads says 0.5mm, Made in Japan and AT Cross Company, Lincoln R.I, 02865 USA.

 

[Misfit]

Hmm, perhaps not closely related, but I do have my fair share of mechanical pencils. They range from new to ones I used in school, or my parents used in their jobs. Plus ones I was given by a kind person here, who I still owe a thank you to. 

[PPPR]

About a year ago, I got hooked on vintage mechanical pencils thanks to Jonathan Veley's books and blog. He really knows his stuff.

 

Anyway, a long-time friend can't remember the date to save his life. This Ritepoint arrived as a sort of teasing gift, because of the perpetual calendar, which I just couldn't resist.. My guess is this MP is from the 1930s through the 1950s.

 

 

The days of the week at top can be rotated to set the proper dates for the month.

 

 

A surprise was where the eraser and lead refills is found.

 

[AmandaW]

9 hours ago, PPPR said:

thanks to Jonathan Veley's books and blog. He really knows his stuff.

Thankyou for that er... lead.   I found the blog and books. Many delightful hours are ahead!

 

Your calendar pencil is indeed very special.

[AmandaW]

Arrived today is a Mitsubishi Pure Malt 0.5mm mechanical pencil. Made with oak from old whisky barrels... sadly no scent. The button does rattle a little, I had read that in reviews, and also that it can be fixed with a tiny wrap of tape. I will do that because it's otherwise really nice.

 

[ajcoleman]

On 4/28/2023 at 5:15 AM, AmandaW said:

Actually two. (They arrived separately.) I've become smitten with the pencils that are closely related to fountain pens. Has anyone else fallen into this neck of the burrow? What did you find?

 

 

 

I am quite fond of matching fountain pen and pencil sets. I have several Parker 51 and Parker 45 sets, plus a couple of Sheaffers, and an Esterbrook set. Even when I am not using a pen that is part of a set, I try to pair it with pencil that at least sort of matches. 

 

Those Platinum and Cross pencils in your photos look wonderful! That would be dangerous for me. I would immediately go on the hunt for the matching pens!

 

[AmandaW]

Just arrived is a Platinum 0.5mm pencil - NOS from the 80s. I pounced on it because I already have the matching fountain pen - which has an 18k white gold fine nib. I imagine this pair last seeing each other in the factory or, maybe a store, in Japan some 40+ years ago... (Does anyone else imagine their pens chatting to each other in the pen drawers at night? These two will have a bit to talk about.)

 

[AmandaW]

A Faber Castell emotion mechanical pencil. I think the shape looks cool and, for me, it's very comfortable in the hand. However the 1.4mm lead is kinda whimpy on the page. Is there anything other than the B lead? Maybe some other brand that will fit?

 

[A Smug Dill]

9 minutes ago, AmandaW said:

I think the shape looks cool

 

The shape is very cool! I used to be very much in love with the ballpoint pens in the same series; and they were good pens. (Unfortunately, I dropped the trusty one I carried for a decade — even with me to Europe twice — right on its ‘point’ on the floor when the ballpoint refill was retracted, and so the port from which the refill would emerge was dented and deformed, and the pen just never worked the same again with the deployment of the business end being hit-and-miss since.

 

A Faber-Castell e-motion fountain pen is still in my Amazon shopping cart, even as we speak; I just don't know whether I can trust its cap seal effectiveness (and its shape is not as cool as that of the mechanical pencil or ballpoint pen).

[AmandaW]

40 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

A Faber-Castell e-motion fountain pen is still in my Amazon shopping cart, even as we speak; I just don't know whether I can trust its cap seal effectiveness (and its shape is not as cool as that of the mechanical pencil or ballpoint pen).

Hmmm... I can see a fountain pen coming to live here too, in spite of known and possible faults.

[AmandaW]

This was the first ordered in this adventure into mechanical pencils, but took a bit longer to arrive because it was hand made to order by a UK architect / designer / maker: Nicholas Hemingway. It's a 2mm clutch pencil with a body made from reclaimed ebony.

 

The 2mm is my favourite lead weight, I was surprised how difficult is was to find a leadholder that didn't look and feel like a drafting pencil. It's beautiful. Balanced, light and great to hold. Now all it needs is a Uni 2B lead... or maybe 3B...

 

 

 

[AmandaW]

Arrived today: a 3.2mm Kaweco Ice Sport clutch pencil. OK, so far, this one is my favourite.

 

[Anne-Sophie]

I Got the 2mm lead holder bug and the mechanical pencil fancy in junior high.

 

The first was way easier to make into a fine point than a wood pencil, I had enough to do with sharpening my coloring pencils for geography and science classes.

 

The second was perfect for physics and science diagrams, never need sharpening and thin enough that I could write all the info needed.

 

At university, a young teacher insisted on wood pencils with different grades leads, for map drawing. It was way too hard to get a sharp point, a couple of lead holders and lead boxes from the same brand, as the wood pencils, would have been much cheaper and easier to use.

 

I now use lead holders with various lead hardness to write and draw, much nicer  to use and sharpen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AmandaW]

A newly arrived Sailor Procolor 300 Stardust 0.5mm mechanical pencil. It's very pretty! I think I will be looking for a Procolor fountain pen after all...

 

[Misfit]

Oh Stardust, how cool. 

[MYU]

 

Love the Scribble.

I ended up getting the 0.7 mm too, since the Scribble has been discontinued. It's nice, but I like the 3.15mm version better, with its flattened sides to the barrel.

[AmandaW]

Lovely collection of Scribbles Myo.

 

I'm very fond of my growing herd of Kaweco clutch pencils which take 3.2mm. Only with Kaweco 5B leads so far, but looking for other grades and thinking 3.15mm will be close enough.

 

And about to order a Worther Shorty which is 3.15mm and comes with 7B (so I will get to try that size in the Kaweco).

[kingfisher]

AmandaW, I gather from the background to some of your pencil posts (which I love, by the way) that you are perhaps an artist?  Do you use your mechanical pencils mostly for writing, or mostly for drawing?  

 

Maybe sometime you can post one of your finished sketches? 

[AmandaW]

New pencil day. 🙂 It's a Kaweco Sport Classic  Transparent 3.2mm Clutch Pencil. I thought I was out of luck in getting one, because the only seller I could find had sold the last one between deciding I really really wanted it and going back to the page to order. (I ordered the Black Ice, pictured above instead.) Then it came back in stock! With a birthday approaching and the question asked, I pointed to the page and said "THIS'' without a moment's hesitation.  So pretty...

 

[Misfit]

@kingfisher I know I should wait for @AmandaW to reply. She is an artist. I’d like to see her drawings too, if she wants to share them.