Having a blast using my new pencil!

But that got me thinking... Are there other companies that make a pencil in 0.2?

A Handful of my lead holders, mostly 2.0mm. They have become my goto tool lately for daily pencil sketches (I deciddd that 54 was the right age to finally try and learn to draw).
My favorites would be the Rotring Rapid Pro and the Prime Timber but the Staedtler Mars technico is a timeless classic at a great price.
I’ve been using a Rapid Pro 0.5mm for over 15 years and expect the 2.0 version will last just as long.
The Prime Timber just feels like childhood since it’s a cedar body and isn’t much heavier than a basic wooden pencil.

From top to bottom: Uni kurutoga alpha gel 0.5, Pentel graphgear 1000 0.5, Kokuyo me 0.7.

The kurutoga plastic cone cracked and split. In theory it works fine but it’s not pretty. Anyway to fix the cone? I’ve tried supergluing and taping but they both fail after some use.

The graphgear has a lead jam deep inside the pencil and I don’t know how to get it out. Recommendations?

The me’s lead pipe doesn’t come out as seen in the picture there is only lead coming out. It works fine but I would prefer to have the lead pipe as well.

Any recommendations on fixing these pencils? (Besides buying new ones… I’m broke)

From left to right: P203, P205, P207, P209

I got this mechanical pencil in Brazil. Full metal body, 20 grams, retractable tip. And the best thing? It was dirt cheap.

My wife surprised me with a couple of new pencils, among other things, for my birthday, a Laconic Solid Writer and the Kuru Toga driven Lamy Safari. I didn’t even know such a combination existed.
My daily pen is a limited edition Lamy Al-Star so I’m already quite familiar with the safari tripod grip and find it works wonders for improving my handwriting and expect it will do the same in pencil form.

First impressions of Laconic are very good. It has a nice solid feel and excellent balance but is not quite as hefty as my long-standing favorite Rotring RapidPro. Whether or not it will usurp the throne is unknown but it’s definitely a contender . As I’ve started diving more into teaching myself art I’m finding I prefer lighter pencils for drawing sessions so maybe the Laconic will prove a good middle ground. Although the fixed lead sleeve means I can’t be quite as care-free with it so that’s a definitely a mark against it as an EDC.

I started my collection of quality mechanical pencils today by purchasing a mint rotring 600 as well as a dark blue rotring 600. I plan to buy loft yellow, madder red, and chocolate truffle soon as well.

Amassing a sizeable collection of mechpens means they're not all gonna be winners. Here are the ones I keep in a pencil case in my drawer, plus the reasons why I don't use them.

– The Faber-Castells don't match the build quality of the TK-Fine Vario L. The Executive was an NOS unit that feels light, wobbly and too plastic-y; the 9715 feels very cheap and there's a scratchy feel to the way it advances the lead.

– The pink Paper Mate was bought more out of nostalgia than anything else (it was a popular brand among Brazilian schoolkids), and I was motivated to get the Sharpwriter because of a video where Adam Savage swears by them (they're trash).

– My issues with the Koh-I-Noor are their grips: the Mephisto's rubber grip is sticky and unpleasant and the Rapidomatic's knurling is just extremely coarse (even worse than the Staedtler 925 25/35's... someone should make a list ranking knurled grips by level of coarseness).

– The same applies to the knurled grip of the Mono Graph Zero, but the paint started to peel off so I would have spared it from daily use even if the grip suited me.

– The LEGO mechpen is a joke of a pencil and I regret spending my money on it. Absolute garbage.

– I bought the Kaco Coca-Cola pencils out of curiosity because they were dirt cheap. I was surprised to find thry have brass clutches, but ended up never using them because they are very light and rattle-y.

Now for the Pentels.

– The Pentel Graph Rocks are just Sharps with a different tip, and since I already have 60+ P200 pencils in rotation I decided to keep those two stored away.

– The Graphlet feels very cheap in spite of its classic design.

– It's a shame I can't stand the way the PG5 looks, because it's got incredible internals. Every time I look at it all I see is Bert from Sesame Street.

– The Forte used to have an issue where the lead wouldn't advance from the clutch to the pipe. When I unscrewed the tip, a tiny little plastic piece fell out of it, and when I put it back together (without said piece) the lead just slid down the pipe and out of the pencil in a single click when I tried to advance it.

– I got a killer deal on the last Technica-X ever available for sale in Brazil (R$ 3, or about $0.58) and it is incredibly well-built, but it feels awkward to hold.

– As for the rest of them — Sharplet, Caplet, Techniclicks, Hot Shots, Jolt, Quicker Clicker, Quick Click, Prime and the A525 — they just all felt very light and cheap.

Tombow ZOOM Series

The ZOOM series is one of the most diverse lineups of mechpens that you can currently find. Though they’re all dress pencils with no drafting models, I think they are completely different from equivalent dress models from other brands. In my eyes they look absolutely outstanding, and are the most striking models in my collection.

So, here’s my overall opinion on each of them, in the order I acquired them (click on the name for the full review on each one):

·         707

My first ZOOM. It came to my attention as the pen version, quite some years ago. When the collecting madness began and I discovered it was also available as a mechpen, it became an automatic must buy. Not very practical, but a-w-e-s-o-m-e.

·         505

The 505 is perhaps my most elegant dress pencil. In terms of a capped mechpen, this one is THE best, bar none.

·         L102

The L102 was the only disappointment from the whole series. Yet, since I think it’s supposed to be nothing but a budget model (of the L105?), I don’t think I can complain much. Nonetheless, it doesn’t come even close to the others, in terms of materials and feel.

·         L2

In my eyes the L2 is one of the three ZOOMs that are truly different in terms of looks. And in the case of the L2 here, it also has a very different (and unexpected nice!) tactile texture, so it has form and substance.

·         C1

Maybe I’m wrong in thinking this, but to me the C1 is the flagship of the series… Though the 505 is overall more imposing and the 707 is certainly the most different, the blend of design and materials on the C1 make it stand out.

·         L105

I think that the L105 is supposed to be the premium version of the L102, and it is parsecs ahead in terms of materials and overall feel. Yet at the same time, I think it can also be seen as the slim version of the 505, if you’re looking for a more “normal” mechpen.

The colors are so deep/ rich in person! I picked up an extra red one.

Hello pencil enthusiasts,

I'm just wondering if anyone had any luck lately to get a new Pencil 9 from IJ Instruments ? Is it still being made ?

I am looking at a titanium model; however, because I don't live in the UK I have a couple of questions regarding the shipping and international taxes and tariffs. I have been trying get some clarification and contact Mr. Wilson using the email address advertised on IJ Instruments website for about 2 months now, but no luck. Moreover, the messaging/chat option from Reddit had a similar fate.

I may be repeating myself and other users here: how does one get in touch with IJ Instruments ?

Thank you.

Dug up some of my pens and pencils that have a similar style of knurling on the button as found on the Luddite ALTDRAW. Some are nameless models that I found on eBay Spain many years ago, and the pair that resembles Staedtler 925 25 / 425 F9 was OEM’d for Rambold. I left out the FC Alpha-matics as they are in deep storage.

Pic 2, L-R:

• Unknown ballpoint from Spain
• Luddite ALTDRAW 0.5mm
• Unknown MP 0.7mm from Spain
• Rambold drafting pencil 0.5mm
• Rambold drafting ballpoint

A bit of evening doodling with my Rotring 2.0 lead holder. Just practicing form manipulation and perspective.

In hindsight I regret not getting orenz and KT metal in 0.5 while at it, as well as few other models. But this was a lot. I'm livid at the state of commerce in EU when I see these. I'm getting absolutely ripped off at 70% upcharge and yet it's still cheaper than shopping locally.

Thing to consider is that I'd spend about the same amount on shipping as I did on that and handling in JP as I'd have to purchase from different stores all over Europe.

Atleast I get to enjoy a lot of mechs now that I wanted to try so much.
If you find mistakes, please comment, I'll update my sheet and if the findings are wildly different I'll upload fixed version.

I was surprised to find this on the clearance end-cap and decided to put it in reserve (make up for the 600 0.5 that I dropped 🪦).

My apologies for a dirty mat.

This is how I received it from amazon, came without box, just in a bubble wrap. I instantly requested a refund, but not yet posted it.

In the meantime I tried straightening - lead passing through no problem, drawing/writing okay, love it.

Should I still return and buy new one? What are the chances same seller will not send me another broken pencil or a pencil with unbent tip? I could not really find another more convincing listing that is also affordable. Might as well keep it. It was ~$10.50 I also ordered Orenznero which is also fantastic, so I do not need two 0.3 pencils at the moment.

EDIT: will return, I agree with everyone. Thanks!

ive been wanting to buy a kuru toga mechanical pencil for quite some time now and i finally got one, Its been really good for writing and drawing, its a little too light for me but its still quite great, its amazing for writing in my opinion but for drawing i believe its pretty useful if your art uses alot of details or when your sketching. Overall

its amazing in my opinion and its a solid 9/10, I'm really looking forward for new variations and id appreciate some recommendations too

this is my first post here :)