Pencils.....

[beatcad]

this thread is odd, but i suppose it does have its merit.
for real fine stuff i used a lead holder and "sharpen" it w/ a board w/ removable pieces of sandpaper. yes, i know it has a name but i cant think of it right now.
although i think a lead holder is only used in drafting type stuff these days...but all drafting is CAD these days.
mechanical pencils are where its at. even the cheapo plastic disposable ones.

but regular pencils in the garage i use often also. i cannot suggest a brand name. but as long as it's not those that snap cleanly in half like a 90* brake.

and when it comes to sharpening a pencil i havent used a sharpener in maybe 15 years. i'll turn on my bench grinder or belt sander and give a pencil a quick twirl.

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

As already suggested, good pencils can still be found via art supply places, easily found online at Amazon and such. Buy a box of them and you're set for a long time.
My go-to pencils are all oldies...OLD Ticonderogas and some others. Search forgotten drawers, shake down older relatives, look for mugs full of pencils at garage sales. I work in a Library, so elderly pencils just come along...buy some top cap erasers and some good art erasers, as all the old and most new pencil top erasers are garbage now.
Chinese ones seem to have **** lead that varies within one pencil from soft to so hard it can cut the paper.
I also covet the old translucent plastic Scripto mechanicals, I think about 1MM lead, that used to be like 15 cents at Woolworths. Of course I grab every box of lead for those I spot. I'd bet that every house in this country that has been inhabited for a long time has some of these somewhere!
Sharpener...the electric ones I have seen are garbage. Buy a German brass pocket sharpener...you are set for the rest of your life. You can even buy extra blades for these, then you're set for several more lifetimes...

 

[wildbill23c]

As already suggested, good pencils can still be found via art supply places, easily found online at Amazon and such. Buy a box of them and you're set for a long time.
My go-to pencils are all oldies...OLD Ticonderogas and some others. Search forgotten drawers, shake down older relatives, look for mugs full of pencils at garage sales. I work in a Library, so elderly pencils just come along...buy some top cap erasers and some good art erasers, as all the old and most new pencil top erasers are garbage now.
Chinese ones seem to have **** lead that varies within one pencil from soft to so hard it can cut the paper.
I also covet the old translucent plastic Scripto mechanicals, I think about 1MM lead, that used to be like 15 cents at Woolworths. Of course I grab every box of lead for those I spot. I'd bet that every house in this country that has been inhabited for a long time has some of these somewhere!
Sharpener...the electric ones I have seen are garbage. Buy a German brass pocket sharpener...you are set for the rest of your life. You can even buy extra blades for these, then you're set for several more lifetimes...

Those Skripto pencils you are talking about use 0.9mm lead and is easily purchased at your local office supply stores. I have to agree they were really good pencils. Most are .7mm or .5mm now so they break easily when trying to use them for woodworking projects.

 

[Mud]

STAEDTLER Mars Technico Clutch Pencils with a huge variety of 2mm leads available are the way to go if you don't mind spending a bob or two. The blue leads work great for marking out stainless steel, bronze etc.

 

[ez-duzit]

Dixon Ticonderoga for everyday shop and jobsite use. Mechanical pencils on the drafting board only.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Rotring are awesome! They don't sell them in the US anymore, but my dad has several of the pens and pencils.

 

[Dust Devil]

Dixon Ticonderoga for everyday shop and jobsite use. Mechanical pencils on the drafting board only.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Chuck122]

I use 2h pencils all the time. go to an office supply place, they wont be cheap , but they keep a good point & because they aren't cheap **** 100 for $1 they don't seem to break

2h is just the grade
2h stands for 2-hard
You can get hb wich are hard/bold
And if you want to go soft there is 2b (bold)
There are several grades between and around those
It is not about quality it is just about intended use. Personally I don't like 2h because the writing is not bold enough. Hb is bold enough, doesn't smear much, and not too failure prone.
The 2b won't hold a point and smears quite a bit

 

[The Cobbler]

2h is just the grade
2h stands for 2-hard
You can get hb wich are hard/bold
And if you want to go soft there is 2b (bold)
There are several grades between and around those
It is not about quality it is just about intended use. Personally I don't like 2h because the writing is not bold enough. Hb is bold enough, doesn't smear much, and not too failure prone.
The 2b won't hold a point and smear quite a bit

point taken , but I do like them for woodworking/trim etc

 

[SweetD]

I just found a pencil in my random collection that only states "HB #2". No makers mark. Writes well.

I prefer to write in pencil, and prefer a standard pencil over a mechanical pencil.

Good for me.

 

[TheGrooveking]

I love Rotring, I bought all of mine in the early 90's, I have a Gerstner 82 that I have three full length drawers full of Mont Blanc, DuPont, Rotring, Caran d'Ache and luckily I bought a space Rotring 600 fine tip fountain pen, its my daily writer. For mechanical pencil in the garage my old Scipto .9 mm is the ****. I used to luck out and get me dad to by me one every few weeks when we go to Walgreen's to use the tube tester, of course we would always get those little bricks of ice cream too, the good old days.

TheGrooveking

 

[beamrider]

+1 to these. The czech made "Hardtmuth Koh-i-noor", or the german made "Schwan-stabilo" are also great pencils...when it comes to mechanical pencil i prefer the swiss made Caran´d´Ache Fixpencils.

The czech made Hardtmuth is what I've been using in the woodshop here for about 5 years. Still on the original lead that came with it. Cost me $11, and it's bulletproof.

 

[Chuck122]

point taken , but I do like them for woodworking/trim etc

Oh it really is just personal preference. Just wanted to point out that 2h are simply harder than the common hb.

 

[carbon]

I really like the Alvin Draft-Matic mechanical pencils, but if you drop them (esp. the .3mm and .5mm) the tip may bend. There are some mechanical pencils like this Pentel Graph Gear 1000 that retract the metal tip, solving this problem. It comes in sizes .3mm to .9mm. I have a .5mm and like it alot. It has a really beefy clip on it too.

If you want to see more retractable-tip mechanical pencils, head over to Jetpens, one of the best pen/pencil stores and check out their list. Make sure to read the comments at the bottom for more up-to-date info.

For sharpening: The Carl Angel-5. I don't own it, but damn!

Last, but not least, buy this for the laffs: How to Sharpen Pencils: A Practical & Theoretical Treatise on the Artisanal Craft of Pencil Sharpening for Writers, Artists, Contractors, Flange Turners, Anglesmiths, & Civil Servants

 

[Outlander]

I still have all my instruments from mechanical drafting in college. Now I just make sure I play a few rounds of golf every year and occasionally neglect to return the pencil when I tally up my score.

Oddly, as an office guy, I don't think I even have a pencil on my desk

 

[Tinner]

For those using standard pencils, you must have some quality pencil extenders so you can run them down to a nub. I've used these for years.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/koh-i-noor-pencil-lengthener/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=22922-0000&gclid=CjwKEAjwwJmhBRC56KOelNOXhxUSJAB_w2uNcE0LVzBXJdO6guggAKWVeEe3NCDpDaThN2cZp5tYBRoCcUDw_wcB

I prefer mechanical pencils for most shop work. Visit this spot to make your selection into a major project.

http://davesmechanicalpencils.blogspot.com/

These are my two favorites, the Pentel Graph Gear 1000 for shop use, and the Sharp Kerry for writing. Pentel Super lead is excellent and available in a variety of grades.

http://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Automatic-Drafting-Brushed-PG1015A/dp/B000GAU2RU/ref=pd_sim_op_26?ie=UTF8&refRID=08FHP35FQND7WAA93JYK&tag=viglink20245-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CCXRJM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1C1TIRTJ4HA10&coliid=I2AG1FTNZ6NG52&psc=1

 

[bart1]

Someone mentioned blackwing earlier in the thread. Here is an article I accidentally ran across:

http://www.manoftheworld.com/blogs/blog/15352501-legacy-writes-of-fancy

 

[lilredex]

I had forgotten about those beginner pencils until they were mentioned. For Canadians who only want a couple...Staples have them for $2.29/two.

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00CSMRO66/?tag=atomicindus04-20

Cannot bring them up over at Staples website.

 

[FMC1959]

Surprised no one else tried these, their pencils, markers and gel crayons all work great, made in Germany.

Anyone who likes the "carpenter" type pencils, I was very impressed by these also. Made by Sola, known for their levels (up there with Stabila). I have the "wet/dry" and they really work great.
https://www.canadianwoodworking.com/sola-pencils