Best Mechanical Pencil ever.

I like using mechanical pencils but I always had the problem of the lead breaking when I press too hard. While on another forum I discovered this pencil, a Staedtler Mars Technico. It uses 2.0 mm leads. It writes nice and sharp and I haven't broke the lead yet. These sell for $5.00 - $10.00 depending on where you find it. If you think you might like using a mechanical pencil, this is the one to try.

A nice sharpener to go with this pencil is the UNI by Mitsubishi.

I used one of these through high school and college and that was over 50 years ago.  I think I still have it somewhere buried in a box full of junk.

2 mmm? Omg. IMHO a 0.7 is perfection. Clearly YMMV applies here.

(10-23-2016, 05:47 PM)MaxP Wrote: 2 mmm?  Omg. IMHO a 0.7 is perfection.  Clearly YMMV applies here.

I use to use a 0.9 mm and when I write fast it would break. This 2.0 is just right for me. As you said YMMV.

Sharpening a mechanical pencil?! Now, that is something I had thought that I would never see.

I have an old Zebra and a newer Tūl. Both 0.7.

I prefer to write in ink though.

I used them in high school also Johnny, we're probably the same age. I also used them at home (and still do) for when I took my drafting home as homework and when I did some drafting for my dad. You know we're dinosaurs today right? No one has a clue what we're talking about... sharpening a mechanical pencil and all that. I even still have my sharpener and refills for it somewhere, my dads drafting machine, my drafting table and my T-square (somewhere), triangles, and french curve and such. Oh, and my drafting tools and my dads German silver drafting tools. CAD has changed all of that paraphernalia and left us dinosaurs with our memories and old mechanical drawing drafting skills.

Guys, the 2mm lead isn't as blunt as you think. The lead gets sharpened. In use for drafting it was twisted in the fingers and stayed sharp a very long time. It was sharpened far more often when lettering. Though today I don't sharpen mine since I use it mostly with HB lead for carpentry. I use the .7 and finer leaded pencils (Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatic) for other things (not carpentry) and mechanical drawing is a thing of the past.

I have some drafting pencils too. My old boss told me they are the best.

My dad was a machinist and I came across a few boxes of his college books and stuff from at least 50 years ago. The metal rulers and triangles and other stuff.

He left a garage full of tools and equipment that I probably couldn't even give away. The precision stuff and quality of the tools is something.

In his later years before he retired he worked on bigger and bigger things that needed less and less involvement after setup. He would talk about the young guys starting out being called machinists and shake his head. "Button pushers" he called them.

In a few years people will have 3D printers like people have microwaves today. If the power ever goes out some day, heaven help us...

(10-23-2016, 06:21 PM)celestino Wrote: Sharpening a mechanical pencil?! Now, that is something I had thought that I would never see.

 Because it is 2.0 mm diam. it requires sharpening to write with a fine line. Very nice to write with.

All this makes me want to go look in my basement storage.  I think I still have some of old drafting supplies from back in the day.  I will tell you what fun is.  I do some mentoring and the neighborhood elementary school.  I love to attend some of the math classes and demonstrate to the kids how to use a slide ruler.  They look at me with this blank look on their faces and I had one little girl ask me if I were a dinosaur.  I told her yes I was.  When the power grid goes out, the old T-squares, mechanical compasses, protractors, and slide rules, will come in handy.

3D printers! How about slide rules...for sure this present generation would not have a clue...

My father used to work for K&E and I have his old ivory covered slide rules. Things of beauty. I used to know how to work them, but it's been decades since I used one.

As I was writing my first post in the thread that was my thought exactly Johnnie. When the lights go out this generation will have empty bellies and no way to rebuild anything. They will be worse off than a bushman since they won't even have the basic knowledge of how to survive in their environment. A bushman has that basic knowledge.

(10-23-2016, 07:28 PM)bakerbarber Wrote: I have some drafting pencils too. My old boss told me they are the best.

My dad was a machinist and I came across a few boxes of his college books and stuff from at least 50 years ago. The metal rulers and triangles and other stuff.

He left a garage full of tools and equipment that I probably couldn't even give away. The precision stuff and quality of the tools is something.

In his later years before he retired he worked on bigger and bigger things that needed less and less involvement after setup. He would talk about the young guys starting out being called machinists and shake his head. "Button pushers" he called them.

In a few years people will have 3D printers like people have microwaves today. If the power ever goes out some day, heaven help us...

You would be surprised - a lot of folks are still looking for the old quality tools.  I needed a micrometer and didn't want the digital, Chinese made junk.  I looked for them on eBay and you can find the U.S. made Starrett's but they are in demand and you will pay for quality.

My Grandfather was a Tool and Die maker and I would have loved to have his old tools.  Fortunately my cousin who is also a Tool and Die Maker got them so I know they went to the right person and were appreciated.

Not much to hunt in New York city.

(10-23-2016, 04:24 PM)shave/brush Wrote: I like using mechanical pencils but I always had the problem of the lead breaking when I press too hard. While on another forum I discovered this pencil, a Staedtler Mars Technico. It uses 2.0 mm leads. It writes nice and sharp and I haven't broke the lead yet. These sell for $5.00 - $10.00 depending on where you find it. If you think you might like using a mechanical pencil, this is the one to try.

They work great - I have some of them from back when I took drafting in high school and college.  For those that remember the classes - when you drew straight lines you rolled the pencil to keep the end sharp longer.

The best mechanical pencil for me is a Pentel .7 Cushi.

They're out of production and unobtanium. Should anyone know where I can buy some, please send me a PM.

The 0.9 Twist Erase III by Pentel is my daily pencil for home and field work. The GraphGear 500 is sweet looking. and only $5 to $8.

Those look nice. I use to use a Pental 0.9 mm but the lead kept breaking. That's why I like the 2.0 mm now.

Damn, it's been 50 years since I used one of these, along with a Rapidograph India ink pen, as daily drivers.  I still have a couple of them in my drawer, along with a sharpener that spent a lot of time in my briefcase during my undergrad electrical engineering years at Oregon State.  Ahh, the subtle joys of being a nerd!

Anymore, I find a 0.7 mm Pentel almost ideal, since I haven't done any drafting work in decades, which would require a sharper point.  I find 0.5 mm pencils way too fragile, but in my mitt, a 0.7 mm is more than tough enough and both the leads and pencils last for ages.  The pale blue Pentels I have are around 25 years old and still going strong.