[onionblaster]

I read through the pens thread a little the other day (I had to stop myself before I start spending any more money) and I realized that I need a nice mechanical pencil.

Regular wood pencils have given me nothing but trouble since school started, with literally NO good pencil sharpeners available to me anywhere. So what I want is a mechanical pencil, and no cheesy twelve-pack-at-Staple's mechanical pencil either. I'm looking for something of quality, and where better to look for quality than at head-fi?

Any suggestions?

(PS: I am a lefty. I don't know how much difference that makes.)

 

[nanahachi]

I love nice mech pencils, though am not as hardcore as most of the pen guys.

Check out a local drafting or art supply store. Engineering and drafting pencils are some of my favorites. I don't have any brands in mind since all of mine are at home (not with me).

hopefully someone can be of more help.

 

[Vertigo-1]

Back when I was in school, I used to exclusively use mechanical pencils for taking notes, and thus got into collecting them for a few years. My favorite by far is the Yafa Executive Pencil. Unique looking, unique lead advancing system, complete tip retraction, built extremely well, and very comfortable and balanced. I've given a few of these as presents and the recipients all tell me it's one of the best pencils they've had the pleasure of owning, if not the best.

Other good and interesting ones are the Sensas, and Tombow Zoom 505 sh. If you're willing to spend a lot and want something that really looks different, the older Parker Duofold mechanical pencils are nice as well..I really like the marbled gray and marbled blue ones in particular. Only thing I didn't like is that they only came in 0.7 and 0.9.

 

[roastpuff]

I tend to lose my nice pencils every so often, but I still buy them anyways.

For something you can get at your local Staples/Office Depot, I suggest the Pilot Dr. Grip's, and the Zebra M-402. I'm using the Zebra's right now, and they're awesome pencils for the cost. 2pak for $5CAD, and they're durable little buggers. Dr. Grip's are more expensive, but they're excellent pencils - the best for anything below $10, I think.

Lead selection also plays a big deal in the smoothness of your pencil. Use name brand hi-polymer lead when you can. Pentel, Pilot leads are a good bet.

 

[gshan]

I'm not a light writer, so even pencils like the Dr. Grips will break on me after a ltitle bit of usage. Imo you're paying for the rubbery grips, and rest of the components are still average.

6 years ago I purchased an $8.00 imported Pentel with retractable tip from Kinokuniya Stationery Store in JapanTown, SF. I couldn't really justify paying that much, but it still works like day 1.

-

But yea, imho stick with the super cheapies if you are prone to losing your pencils.

 

[nikongod]

only get 0.7&0.9mm led pencils thinner types break off too much.

 

[ls20]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nanahachi I love nice mech pencils, though am not as hardcore as most of the pen guys. Check out a local drafting or art supply store. Engineering and drafting pencils are some of my favorites. I don't have any brands in mind since all of mine are at home (not with me). hopefully someone can be of more help.

for sure, eng/drafting pencils are where its at. they just FEEL so much better

 

[Snake]

Alvin Draft/Matic

Rubberized drafting mechanical pencil with knurled stainless steel touch points. Even though I use the exact one shown, the smallest available (0.3mm) and that color, the stainless steel point sleeve prevents the lead from breaking as much (as it could).

For ultra-fine work the ultimate, but then again it is for drafting. If you like fine lines (you have a heavy hand or simply adds readability) this is it.

Minus: world's smallest eraser (under end cap), pretty much good for not much. For (just) a mechanical pencil a touch expensive, about $12 each.

To get nice balance of lead functionality and (great!) eraser the other pencil I've really liked is the Pentel Twist Erase

A very good mechanical pencil, with excellent grip shape, integrated with a long mechanical twist eraser. This is probably the perfect combo of useability. About $4.

 

[ajt976]

I'm partial to the Zebra 301's. Nothing too flashy, simple stainless steel barrel, textured grip, and the M-301 pencils have matching F-301 ballpoint pens in 3 colors. I liked the relatively small barrel, it seemed much easier to write with and more comfortable. And FWIW, I too am a lefty

.

I've got probably half a dozen of each in my bag. They are pretty cheap and really easy to find, so I don't feel bad when I lose one or a friend "forgets" to return it!

 

[apnk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajt976 I'm partial to the Zebra 301's.

Word. I have both the pen and the pencil, I got them both when when I was a freshman in high school and that was four years ago. They have been thrown at class mates, stepped on, and used in self defence for 4 years and they are still alive! now I am using them (well the pencil) for college .

 

[ajt976]

Quote:

Originally Posted by apnk They have been thrown at class mates, stepped on, and used in self defence for 4 years and they are still alive! now I am using them (well the pencil) for college .

Haha...same here!

I've also noticed that these pens/pencils have a strange durability that I've not found in other sets. I've washed my trusty F-301's on several occasions and yet they did not leak into my laundry and still work to this day. Actually I just had my first failure last week, and that was due to an empty ink cartridge! I'm pretty impressed overall, I probably won't buy another pen or pencil until they stop producing them.

 

[Salt Peanuts]

My absolute favorite mechanical pencil has been Tombow Zoom 505sh. It's on the heavy side, but has a nice thick barrell and balances really well. Unfortuantely, you won't find it in the States easily since Tombow only sells it in Japan, it seems. Of course, I recently lost mine after years of using it. I'll have to call my relatives to see if they can send me a new one.

 

[Veniogenesis]

Tombow Zooms are indeed extremely awesome.

I owned one a while ago (I forgot which model), but I lost it at school. Ah, the pain.

Right now I have a Faber-Castell "Ambition". It's pretty good. I love heavy pencils.

 

[roastpuff]

gshan, that's why I'm using the Zebra's

. They get too expensive, and as you said, break easily. The Zebra's are fully aluminium body, and it's got a sleeve for the lead. If I'm using good lead, it rarely breaks. So far, so good with these pencils. And with they way other people praise Zebra's, I'm sticking with them.

Pics of it.

Linkage

I feed it Pilot Eno-X .5mm lead.

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

I've tried a few of the more expensive mechanical pencils, however for illustration I've always vastly preferred the cheapo BICs with the 0.7mm lead. I especially like how the eraser smears rather than erases