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Post by rr4u on Jul 30, 2014 16:29:38 GMT -8
Which drafting mechanical pencils are your favorites? I absolutely love/revere/adore/treasure/worship... my Pentel Accugraphs, absolutely the best I ever tried! Needless to say that this thread would be absolutely worthless without pictures so here you have them. First place on my favorite drafting mechanical pencils list (based on the ones I have)! PG2003 ED - 0.3mm / PG1804 DD - 0.4mm / PG1505 AD - 0.5mm Japan, 1980's.   R. |
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Post by DerekVerbrugge on Jul 31, 2014 1:33:24 GMT -8
I've always had a soft spot for my Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatic 5633.  Those Accugraphs look stunning! Pentel sure knows how to make a desirable and stylish drafting pencil. |
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Post by rr4u on Jul 31, 2014 7:46:26 GMT -8
Second place on my favorite drafting mechanical pencils list (based on the ones I have)! Also made by Pentel, the mythical Pentel Mechanicas! Pentel Mechanica 0.3. Japan, 1968 to 1980's.  R. |
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Post by rr4u on Jul 31, 2014 7:48:10 GMT -8
Pentel Mechanica 05. Japan, 1968 to 1980's.  R. |
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Post by rr4u on Jul 31, 2014 7:51:28 GMT -8
Pentel Mechanica 0.3/0.5. Japan, 1968 to 1980's.  R. |
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Post by rr4u on Aug 15, 2014 10:49:43 GMT -8
Third place on my favorite drafting mechanical pencils list (based on the ones I have)! Pilot H2003 (0.3mm) Vanishing Point. Japan, 1970's or 1980's.    R. |
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Post by rr4u on Aug 15, 2014 10:50:55 GMT -8
Pilot H2003 Vanishing Point (0.3mm). Japan, 1970's or 1980's.    R. |
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Post by flatline on Aug 15, 2014 14:00:22 GMT -8
I've got a handful of favorites.
Pilot S10
This is my current favorite pencil. The plastic top and metal bottom make it bottom heavy which is my preference. The knurling is sufficiently grippy that I don't feel compelled to grip tightly, although I would love it if it were even more aggressive. Everything about the pencil feels solid. My only compliant is that the grip flairs a little at the bottom. I don't normally hold it that far down, but when I do, that flair can be distracting.
I bought this pencil in every size: 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9. The 0.3 and 0.4 are both small enough that I do not need to adjust my handwriting in any way. Naturally, I find these to be a pleasure to use. The 0.9 is perfect for puzzles where I can use the edge of the lead to write tiny notes and then the full lead to boldly write the answer. The 0.7 is too big for normal writing, but not large enough to have a useful edge like the 0.9, so, basically, I hate 0.7. The 0.5 is fine really, but I do have to adjust my writing a little to accommodate its width.
Pentel 120 A3 DX
This was the pencil that got me through school and I still love it. It's so light that I don't notice the balance at all, but unlike other light pencils I've got, it still feels absolutely solid. The rubber grip on mine is no longer rubbery (combination of age and a decade's worth of finger grease, I imagine), but since I don't grip tightly, I don't really notice.
Rotring Rapid Pro
Neither of my favorites above are pocket friendly due to their 4mm fixed sleeve, so this is the beater pencil that I carry around with me when I don't have my pencil case. The rapid pro is a heavy pencil that is balanced just slightly toward the tip. It has very grippy knurling and, despite the fact that it doesn't come in 0.3 or 0.4 sizes, really is an excellent pencil to use. Since I can tolerate 0.5mm lead, my only real complaint is that if you hold it oriented just right, the cap over the eraser will rattle against the body as you write. They clearly paid attention to so many other little details that it's disappointing that they missed this one. I fixed it by putting a small amount of tape on the side of the cap that was making contact. I'm on the lookout for a small O-ring or something that can be a more permanent solution.
Alvin Draftmatic
Alvin understands knurling like nobody else. The draftmatic is a solid little pencil, balanced just slightly towards the tip, with extremely aggressive knurling. This is the pencil I reach for if I'm doing fine detailed work or lots of math. My single complaint is that the grip is just slightly narrower than I like. I hold my pencil with 3 fingers and my thumb, so I like my pencils just a bit wider than is typical. This was my favorite pencil until I found the S10.
I'm also a big fan of lead holders, but have discovered that when it comes to lead holders, I'm not really all that picky. I've got a dozen or so and find them all to be a pleasure to use. My favorites are the Alvin Tech DA, the Staedtler Mars Technico, and the Prismacolor Turquoise (Sanford?) because they're all bottom heavy with good knurling, but as I said, anything that holds lead solidly and doesn't do something annoying is really fine with me.
--flatline
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Post by flatline on Aug 16, 2014 13:08:21 GMT -8
Pilot H2003 Vanishing Point (0.3mm). R. I find the Pilot H2003 Vanishing Point to be extremely interesting, but I can't find it for less than $100+ and that's a little outside what I'm willing to pay for a pencil (at least without trying it first). It's curious why Pilot doesn't reissue them if they're commanding that kind of price. --flatline |
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Post by rr4u on Aug 22, 2014 9:10:51 GMT -8
Fourth place on my favorite drafting mechanical pencils list (based on the ones I have)! Faber-Castell TK-matic 9725 (automatic lead advance mechanism). Germany, 1980's.    R. |
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Post by rr4u on Aug 22, 2014 9:18:36 GMT -8
Faber-Castell TK-matic 9725 (automatic lead advance mechanism).    R. |
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Post by rr4u on Sept 6, 2014 19:04:28 GMT -8
Fifth place on my favorite drafting mechanical pencils list (based on the ones I have)! This is a very unusual instrument. It sports a tip feeding screw action mechanism. This means the lead must be feeded through the sleeve and the barrel must be twisted to advance it. Pictured here without its pocket clip, which by the way is plastic, everything else is metal. The feel on the hand is second to none ...It's like holding a dart. I must say, this is one fabulous pencil. Kent/Uchida Drawing Sharp D 0.5 Japan, 1970's or 80's.  R. |
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Post by chthulhu on Sept 7, 2014 5:27:58 GMT -8
For style, this one:  I had seven of these the last time I counted. Turning the button at the end advances the lead. I gather there's also a 2 mm leadholder "Turquoise Twelve" version as well, but I've yet to find one.  |
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Post by flatline on Sept 7, 2014 6:19:21 GMT -8
I had seven of these the last time I counted. Turning the button at the end advances the lead. I gather there's also a 2 mm leadholder "Turquoise Twelve" version as well, but I've yet to find one. A 2mm lead holder that advances by twisting part of the holder? That sounds interesting! --flatline |
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Post by chthulhu on Sept 7, 2014 6:40:16 GMT -8
A 2mm lead holder that advances by twisting part of the holder? That sounds interesting! --flatline From the few images, I suspect it's a conventional pushbutton clutch mechanism, but I have to agree that a twist-advance 2 mm lead holder would be something I'd like to see! Come to think of it, they exist, or did, and I have a few: "checking pencils." Here's an Eversharp:  And an Ingersoll Redipoint:  |
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Post by rr4u on Sept 7, 2014 7:03:55 GMT -8
Those "Turquoise Twenty" look great. They were made in England in the 60's for the Eagle Pencil Co., New York. They also have an unusual feeding system. More info here (there's a picture of the instructions booklet that shows how to insert new lead), leadholder.com/lh-thin-turq.htmlR. |
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Post by chthulhu on Sept 7, 2014 7:27:52 GMT -8
Those "Turquoise Twenty" look great. They were made in England in the 60's for the Eagle Pencil Co., New York. They also have an unusual feeding system. More info here (there's a picture of the instructions booklet that shows how to insert new lead), leadholder.com/lh-thin-turq.htmlR. The mechanism is the same as most US-made Eagle propelling pencils were: turning the back end of the pencil advanced a pushrod within a tube inside the barrel, which in turn pushed the lead out through the tip of the pencil. Many other propelling pencils used similar means of advancing the lead, whether by turning the back end cap, the nose cone, or the front half of the barrel. Some current-production pencils (Cross, Retro 51, Autpoint ...) still do. :-) |
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Post by rr4u on Oct 15, 2014 10:27:08 GMT -8
Number six on my favorite drafting mechanical pencils list (based on the ones I have)! Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Sharp Pro use [3-2050] 0.3mm. Made in Japan (80's/90's?).  R. |
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Post by flatline on Nov 1, 2014 5:21:08 GMT -8
Another of my favorite pencils: Staedtler 925 03The 925 is light weight, but feels completely solid. The rubber grip makes the grip section a little wider than the section on the more expensive Staedtler 925 35 (the metal bodied version of the 925) which makes the 925 very comfortable for me to hold. You set the lead hardness indicator by turning the rubber grip, but there is more than enough friction to guarantee that the indicator doesn't change unless you do it on purpose. I always worry a bit about the longevity of rubber grips, but I've had this pencil I for several years and haven't noticed any aging or wear yet. If it does eventually need replacing, I'm not going to feel too bad about spending another $7. I originally purchased the 925 03 because I was considering the more expensive 925 35. I liked the 925 03 so much that I immediately ordered the 925 35 but then discovered that while I liked the 925 35, I liked the 925 03 much more. The 925 35 is much prettier, but the higher center of mass, the increased mass, and the narrower grip section eventually make me tire of using it after a while whereas I can use the 925 03 all day. The 925 is available locally from several stores (I got mine at Staples, but I've seen them at Office Max, Office Depot, and Michael's), so if someone asks me for a pencil recommendation, it's usually the first pencil I mention. The only other pencil on my favorites list that can be had locally is the GraphGear 500, everything else must be ordered on-line. --flatline |
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Post by rr4u on Nov 1, 2014 7:28:43 GMT -8
The Staedtler 925 series is amazing. Starting with the good 925 65 and ending with the excellent 925 85 Regulator, it is one of my all time favorite line of drafting mechanical pencils. Including some discontinued models, namely the 925 95, 925 35 (all black pencil, the current version is the "midnight blue" 925 35N) and Hi-Tec 925 10's (13/15/17/19). The 925 95 is on my top ten list.
R.
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