Yet Another Cycling Forum

Off Topic => The Pub => Topic started by: Charlotte on 18 August, 2010, 10:22:33 am

Title: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 18 August, 2010, 10:22:33 am
I need to confide; I appear to be developing one again.

When I moved offices last month, I rediscovered my mechanical desktop pencil sharpener lurking at the bottom of a filing box.  This morning, whilst on a long phone call, I searched out all my pencils to feed into it.  Amongst the more mundane and generic pencils, I found:


There's now a pot of delicately pointed and properly sharpened B, HB, 2B, 4B and even 8B pencils on my desk, just aching to be used.

Definitely my current favourite is the Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil.  I'm seduced by the way it feels in my hand and the way it slides across the paper, leaving such a lovely, definite line...

*little pencil moment*
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Tim on 18 August, 2010, 10:26:11 am
Rule 36: "If you've thought of it, then there's somebody out there with a fetish for it."
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: bobb on 18 August, 2010, 10:28:01 am
Weirdo!!  :P

Pretty much the only time I write these days is to sign my name. Subsequently, my handwriting is dreadful now. Even worse than my doctor's!
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Andrij on 18 August, 2010, 10:40:00 am
Mechanical pencils FTW!  Unless one is being artsy.
 
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Nuncio on 18 August, 2010, 10:49:43 am
Charlotte - you may be cured of this if you look up the etymology of 'pencil'.   If you don't want to be cured you could visit the pencil museum (http://www.pencilmuseum.co.uk/) in Derwent.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: vorsprung on 18 August, 2010, 10:56:55 am
In the Museum shop at the Boijmans museum in Rotterdam they had a clockwork robot

To wind it up you sharpened your pencil in it

It will walk along carrying a pencil
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: citoyen on 18 August, 2010, 11:17:25 am
Charlotte - you may be cured of this if you look up the etymology of 'pencil'.   If you don't want to be cured you could visit the pencil museum (http://www.pencilmuseum.co.uk/) in Derwent.

I've been. It's rubbish. I suspect Charlotte would be disappointed by it.

d.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: border-rider on 18 August, 2010, 11:21:29 am
The one in Keswick ?

We went many years ago, when it was raining.  I'd also not recommend it.  Almost as disappointing as the Dr Who exhibition in Cardiff.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: JohnP on 18 August, 2010, 11:32:07 am
Charlotte

I had been in danger of developing a pencil fetish but I hope I've stopped in time.

For several years, every time I visited France, I would go to a huge hypermarket and buy (inter alia) a packet of 10 Pentel clutch pencils and a packet of multi coloured Faber clutch pencils.  I also regularly bought a bumper pack of different colour insulation tapes.

I've no idea where they all went but had to visit B&Q this morning to buy insulation tape.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Kim on 18 August, 2010, 01:03:04 pm
Now I'm obviously the wrong kind of geek, but I've always hated pencils.  The smell, the taste and most of all, the feel, especially on cheap paper.  :sick:  And don't get me started on the coloured ones.  Probably primary school handwriting trauma or something.  If I have to, I'll go for a 0.3mm mechanical pencil every time, as they feel the least pencil-like in use.

The other great thing about mechanical pencils is that it's so much less effort to extract the lead to wire it up to a high-current supply   ::-)

While I'm thoroughly incompetent in their use, pens I can appreciate.  Pencils are just eew.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: citoyen on 18 August, 2010, 01:06:48 pm
That is a pity as the Pencil Museum in Keswick is amazing and inspiring.

Sorry, call me dense, but I really can't tell if this is meant to be a serious comment or not - I suspect not but you never know...

(Pls to be using emoticons for the hard of thinking next time.)

Anyway, the pencil museum in Keswick and the pencil museum in Derwent are one and the same, just in case there is any genuine confusion over the matter.

Neither is worth visiting.

d.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 18 August, 2010, 01:08:48 pm
Now I'm obviously the wrong kind of geek, but I've always hated pencils.  The smell, the taste and most of all, the feel, especially on cheap paper.  :sick:  And don't get me started on the coloured ones.  Probably primary school handwriting trauma or something.  If I have to, I'll go for a 0.3mm mechanical pencil every time, as they feel the least pencil-like in use.

The other great thing about mechanical pencils is that it's so much less effort to extract the lead to wire it up to a high-current supply   ::-)

While I'm thoroughly incompetent in their use, pens I can appreciate.  Pencils are just eew.

Mechanical pencils are like digital:  controllable, predictable, repeatable, expensive, fiddly and often unreliable

Trad pencils are analogue: rich, warm, engaging little pieces of lo-fi cheapness that just keep on working.

(cf. the story about cosmonauts not bothering with space pens  :))
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: citoyen on 18 August, 2010, 01:11:52 pm
(cf. the story about cosmonauts not bothering with space pens  :))

...which is bobbins, as I'm sure you already know. (You wouldn't risk using a traditional pencil in space because a broken nib floating around would be extremely dangerous.)

d.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 18 August, 2010, 01:13:37 pm
I like mechanical pencils and have more than I strictly speaking need.

This guy (http://davesmechanicalpencils.blogspot.com/) has more than me though.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: redshift on 18 August, 2010, 01:40:49 pm
You use a mechanical sharpener, Charlotte?

You are naughty.


The One Right and True Way to sharpen a pencil is with a knife*.  I thought you of all people would know that.  It's not just about being able to give the nib a soft shape at will, it's about your non-knifey colleagues learning to deal with people who openly know how to use sharp tools.   :D



*Unless it's a carpenter's oval or square one, in which case the correct tool is a sharp chisel.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: RJ on 18 August, 2010, 01:58:49 pm
On or close to my desk right now:


I got to like using mechanical pencils when my job involved lots of note-taking in the field - as a result, I have a slight fetish for soft, fat leads.*

Somebody seems to have eaten my other "ordinary" pencils - except for one of those made out of recycled vending machine cups that don't write.


EDIT:  ordinary pencils get treated to a Faber-Castell UFO sharpener (http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Faber-Castell_UFO.html#a5608)


* - Oi - I said leads  ;)

Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 18 August, 2010, 02:22:35 pm
I lurv carpenters pencils.  I used to use one for work all the time, but, as bought, they were far too big, so I always sawed them into three before sharpening (with a Stanley knife, as it happens).

I also used chinagraph for marking gels.  But that's a whole different subject.

I like conventional pencils, too.  A very human scale technology.  Though my preferred grade is F, and I never worked out how that fitted in, and they seem remarkably difficult to get hold of (cue: response in 90s with eighteen weblinks including fgradepencils.com and porncils.tk)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: citoyen on 18 August, 2010, 02:32:06 pm
I also used chinagraph for marking gels.  But that's a whole different subject.

Great when used with a profile light for casting a silhouette of a cock onto an actor's face. ;)

d.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 18 August, 2010, 02:34:18 pm
You use a mechanical sharpener, Charlotte?

You are naughty.

In fairness, clipped to my bag right now is a UKPK that gets used for 101 different tasks each week.  I opened a package with it yesterday afternoon and my boss had lovely little look on his face as I clicked open the Spyderco blade with my thumb  :)

But I have to admit, for sheer pencil-pr0n value, I like the mechanical grinder.

*shamefaced*
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 18 August, 2010, 02:40:15 pm
I also used chinagraph for marking gels.  But that's a whole different subject.

Great when used with a profile light for casting a silhouette of a cock onto an actor's face. ;)

d.


I never felt the need.  Most actors are quite capable of making themselves look complete cocks.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: redshift on 18 August, 2010, 05:53:56 pm
You use a mechanical sharpener, Charlotte?

You are naughty.

In fairness, clipped to my bag right now is a UKPK that gets used for 101 different tasks each week.  I opened a package with it yesterday afternoon and my boss had lovely little look on his face as I clicked open the Spyderco blade with my thumb  :)

But I have to admit, for sheer pencil-pr0n value, I like the mechanical grinder.

*shamefaced*

Heh.  I'm not a big fan of the Spydercos - nothing wrong with the design, I just prefer a different shape - so my current EDC for is a Fällkniven U1 (http://www.fallkniven.com/en/shop/details/462/22/folding-knives/slip-joint/u1), which turns a few heads, even though work is full of chaps (and chapesses) sporting Tim Leatherman's various designs.

I'm still looking for a short Le Thiers which I've seen, but not been able to find online.

Clarion:  I used to use Chinagraph too.  In the bad old days of handraulic editing, they were used in VT as well as in audio. 
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 18 August, 2010, 09:08:07 pm
That's a pretty knife. :)

I'd forgotten using chinagraph for editing tape & marking up 35mm film for splicing before (or, in one tragic case, too late for) projection.  Not good memories :facepalm:
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Torslanda on 18 August, 2010, 09:50:58 pm
I'm still looking for a short Le Thiers which I've seen, but not been able to find online.
 

Something like this? . . . (http://www.1couteau.com/CognetCutleryManufacture/Bolster-Buffalo-Horn-LeThiers-Knife.php)

Boy have you got expensive taste. Can I pick you one up in Limoges?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: geraldc on 18 August, 2010, 09:57:55 pm
You should upgrade from the faber castell versions of the perfect pencil to the graf von faber castell versions. For 200 quid, I want my pencil to be magic...

My pencil selection is down to what I can liberate from the stationery cupboard.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Wombat on 18 August, 2010, 10:08:08 pm
Whilst my career has involved a huge number of proper clutch pencils (not these nancy modern skinny leaded things, I mean proper clutch pencils with 2mm leads, that you have to sharpen, usually in 4h or 5h for technical drawing) I absolutely adore proper wooden pencils, the smell of them when freshly sharpened is lovely.  Trouble is, nowadays I keep getting recycled ones made from old CD cases, or recycled rats or something, and they just don't smell right.  Don't write very well, either.  I get quite unpopular in the office sharpening pencils, as I have one of those really tasteful pencil sharpeners which consists of a plastic cat, and you shove the pencil up his bum, and he meows piteously when you turn it.  I don't blame him....

I was bemused by Charlotte's tales of sharpening 6B pencils, surely they must almost drip out of the end of the pencil?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 18 August, 2010, 10:10:25 pm
My mechancal sharpener does different grades of pointyness.  But I think if I was doing soft leads a lot, I would use my knife.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Kim on 19 August, 2010, 01:00:12 am
While I'm always in favour of a good sharp knife, what's with all the mechanical sharpener bashing?  Mechanical pencil sharpeners are *fun*, as anyone who ever deliberately broke their lead so they could get up to use the one on Teacher's desk well knows.  Best thing about pencils, those.  If you were lucky, and the teacher was sufficiently distracted, you could make them eat a whole one.

If I owned one, I'd play with it until I'd sharpened away all my pencils.  If I had any pencils.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: redshift on 19 August, 2010, 08:33:36 am
I'm still looking for a short Le Thiers which I've seen, but not been able to find online.
 

Something like this? . . . (http://www.1couteau.com/CognetCutleryManufacture/Bolster-Buffalo-Horn-LeThiers-Knife.php)

Boy have you got expensive taste. Can I pick you one up in Limoges?

That's very close, but the wrong blade shape.
If you can find me a Le Thiers with a non-locking, sub 75mm classic narrow blade this shape (http://www.1couteau.com/GoyonChazeauLeThiersKnives/PirouPocketKnives.php), I'll gladly give you the wonga for it.  I have no idea why it didn't occur to me before you went.   :facepalm:

Actually, after some further digging, if you spot a Chambriard 'Le Compact' (http://www.sabatier-shop.com/pocket-knives_60_chambriard_compact_.html) for less than £60-ish that'll do nicely!

And now: Back to pencils...
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 19 August, 2010, 09:24:19 am
Mechanical sharpeners?  Pah!

If I'm not using my knife, I prefer a nice sharp hand held sharpener.  Minimal technology that works.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: CommuteTooFar on 19 August, 2010, 09:26:51 am
I thought all pencil sharpeners were mechanical.  Or have one of you got a laser sharpener or some magic electrical type.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 19 August, 2010, 12:52:41 pm
CTF, you are such a pedant, although I confess I thought the same.  I was using mechanical as a slightly inadequate shorthand in the manner of the OP.  ::-)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: dasmoth on 19 August, 2010, 01:00:31 pm
If you've got frickin' lazers, can't you just mark the paper directly with those?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 19 August, 2010, 01:04:05 pm
Tried that; singed the pages.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: longers on 19 August, 2010, 01:10:13 pm
I did laugh out loud at the thought of Kim just turning perfectly good pencils into shavings but can see the attraction.

Great thread - it's got knives and lasers so far.
Someone must have used an axe to sharpen a pencil before. Or a shovel.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Andrij on 19 August, 2010, 01:22:04 pm

Someone must have used an axe to sharpen a pencil before.

No, but once used an axe to cut a cake.
 
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 19 August, 2010, 01:58:50 pm
Great thread - it's got knives and lasers so far.
Someone must have used an axe to sharpen a pencil before. Or a shovel.

No narwhals?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Seineseeker on 19 August, 2010, 02:18:41 pm
I'm with you on this one, nothing better than finding a box of pencils with everything from 5H to 6B
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: alexb on 19 August, 2010, 03:06:40 pm
How did you miss this Charlotte?

Pencils! - Boing Boing (http://www.boingboing.net/2010/08/03/pencils.html)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 19 August, 2010, 03:44:31 pm
I have no idea, Alex.

That comments section, though.  They're all a bit... special, aren't they?

I feel right at home.

:D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Chris N on 19 August, 2010, 03:47:23 pm
Mechanical pencils FTW!

Absolutely. Pentel P207 for preference, though the non-retractable lead sleeve is a bit delicate if you're not careful and the barrel's a bit skinny. The Faber-Castell Grip is very good too.  
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 19 August, 2010, 03:47:33 pm
My current favourite is the Kura Toga (http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Uni-Kuru-Toga-Pencil.html).
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Woofage on 19 August, 2010, 04:17:08 pm
Lamy Scribble (http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/showproduct.php?id=574). My most used piece of writing equipment, and it's not a fountain pen :o.

(http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/lamy/scribble_07mm.jpg)

I also have wooden pencils by Staedtler, Berol and Rexel and mechanical pencils by Lamy, Pelikan, Yard-O-Led, Conway Stewart, Parker, Burnham and probably a few others.

I love pencils, but I hate ballpoints.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Seineseeker on 19 August, 2010, 04:36:49 pm
Whats the general feeling on rubbers?

I used to like them, but of course like them to be nice and new, but now most of the pencils I find have had the rubbers used up by my 10 year old daughter who cant be bothered to find a rubber.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Zoidburg on 19 August, 2010, 04:37:48 pm
Use bread.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Andrij on 19 August, 2010, 04:38:16 pm
Whats the general feeling on rubbers?

I used to like them, but of course like them to be nice and new, but now most of the pencils I find have had the rubbers used up by my 10 year old daughter who cant be bothered to find a rubber.

*resists temptation to read the above post through the filter of US English*
 
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 19 August, 2010, 04:49:34 pm
I've sharpened a pencil using an axe.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ashaman42 on 19 August, 2010, 09:39:59 pm

Someone must have used an axe to sharpen a pencil before.

No, but once used an axe to cut a cake.
 

My Grandad used his Dremel to cut the icing on his birthday cake one year as it was so hard that it was cracking when attempting to cut the cake with a knife.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Torslanda on 20 August, 2010, 08:48:44 pm
I'm still looking for a short Le Thiers which I've seen, but not been able to find online.
 

Something like this? . . . (http://www.1couteau.com/CognetCutleryManufacture/Bolster-Buffalo-Horn-LeThiers-Knife.php)

Boy have you got expensive taste. Can I pick you one up in Limoges?

That's very close, but the wrong blade shape.
If you can find me a Le Thiers with a non-locking, sub 75mm classic narrow blade this shape (http://www.1couteau.com/GoyonChazeauLeThiersKnives/PirouPocketKnives.php), I'll gladly give you the wonga for it.  I have no idea why it didn't occur to me before you went.   :facepalm:

Actually, after some further digging, if you spot a Chambriard 'Le Compact' (http://www.sabatier-shop.com/pocket-knives_60_chambriard_compact_.html) for less than £60-ish that'll do nicely!

And now: Back to pencils...

Sadly we have been unable to track one down before our pending departure. had I realised earlier it would have been a breeze.

Never mind, the website says theya re back from their jollies on the 1st September, you can order one then.

J
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: woollypigs on 20 August, 2010, 11:25:41 pm
Not sure if this was posted.

The Rest of the Numbered Pencil Family (http://gizmodo.com/5617782/the-other-numbered-pencils)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 31 August, 2010, 08:22:15 am
*drool*

First impression of the new Blackwing pencil - Boing Boing (http://www.boingboing.net/2010/08/27/first-impression-of.html)

*dribble*

pencil talk  » Blackwing 602 pencil (http://www.penciltalk.org/2009/07/blackwing-602-pencil)

*littlepencilmoment*
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: andrewc on 01 September, 2010, 11:58:42 pm
This Pencil Kills Facists (http://www.boingboing.net/2010/09/01/woody-guthrie-pencil.html)   ;D

I must see if I can get some of these on the next stationery order, one of my colleagues would not be amused...
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 02 September, 2010, 01:34:14 pm
When I am rich a Yard-O-Led Deco34 (http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/showproduct.php?brand=Yard-O-Led&range=Deco%2034&cat=pens) will fulfil all my graphite needs.

Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 02 September, 2010, 05:28:51 pm
This Pencil Kills Facists (http://www.boingboing.net/2010/09/01/woody-guthrie-pencil.html)   ;D

I must see if I can get some of these on the next stationery order, one of my colleagues would not be amused...

Must.  Have.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Bledlow on 01 October, 2010, 01:21:28 pm
Review comparing it with the original -

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/08/27/first-impression-of.html (http://www.boingboing.net/2010/08/27/first-impression-of.html)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: longers on 09 January, 2011, 05:28:36 pm
Is there a fixative or the like that can be used to stop pencil smudging on something that is likely to be handled/get rubbed a bit?
For example - on a handmade card.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: longers on 09 January, 2011, 05:41:50 pm
Thankyou!
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Cunobelin on 10 January, 2011, 12:00:03 am
Do not go to Keswick (http://www.pencilmuseum.co.uk/) then, they have BIG pencils there


Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jacomus on 13 January, 2011, 02:28:17 pm
My pencil toolkit

(http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t299/jacomus-rides-Gen/photo-4.jpg)

Classic Staedtler, most often found tucked behind my ear and incredibly drop-proof.

Pentel Technica-X PW45 0.5mm mechanical pencil. A recent addition after an unfortunate accident involving a storm drain  :facepalm: I actually like it more than my previous Pentel Thingamejig as this one retracts the nib if you click the top biro-style, which makes it suit-pocket friendly and less prone to damage. A little click of the button advances the lead a nice small increment and it is very nice to hold too. Currently equipped with HB lead. £3.19 :thumbsup:

Maped Alu bodied sharpener.



I prefer a normal pencil, like my Staedtler, for everyday use at my desk, but the mechanical wins in terms of carry-ability and in meetings where whipping out the pencil sharpner isn't practical.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Woofage on 13 January, 2011, 03:27:32 pm
My latest acquisition:

(http://woofage.co.uk/pens/twsbi_pencil_silver.jpg)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 13 January, 2011, 04:40:05 pm
*drool*
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Canardly on 15 January, 2011, 08:28:04 pm
Whatever happened to clutch pencils and rotary sharpeners. Not all new things are better thinks.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: robbo6 on 15 January, 2011, 11:52:32 pm
I bought a Faber-Castell clutch pencil for 2 mm lead not long ago. I don't feel inclined to use a rotary sharpener on it though.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jacomus on 17 January, 2011, 01:51:54 pm
I have just equipped my new mechanical pencil with 4B lead, maybe I should have gone for the 2B :-\
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Steve Kish on 17 January, 2011, 02:59:45 pm
I'd love to have one that doesn't stop working when the lead is near the end and requires me to remove the last 5mm with my finger .... like my crap Pentel 0.5.  Someone please invent a pen that runs on liquid graphite that can be rubbed out.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Regulator on 17 January, 2011, 03:32:32 pm
May I recommend to the cogniscenti...

Cretacolor Monoliths (http://www.cretacolor.com/art/english.htm)

Fab pencils!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: mattc on 17 January, 2011, 03:57:44 pm
I have a box of these that I'm about halfway through:
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0yTZYQezVzA/TJv3TxaT5eI/AAAAAAAAERI/bqNpIbtLusc/s1600/palomino_blackwing_new_box2.png)
They're awesome.

Are you an ex-smoker?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: BrianI on 17 January, 2011, 05:13:31 pm
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the constipated mathematician joke yet......
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jacomus on 10 April, 2012, 09:24:34 am
I've switched from the Norris to the Tradition pencils. I can't really describe why the Traditions are nicer, they just are.


http://www.staedtler.co.uk/tradition_uk
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: MattH on 10 April, 2012, 10:17:10 am
I like the Staedtler yellow and blacks too - they are like the BIC Crystal of pencils; low tech, but work incredibly well. My hate is cheap supermarket 10-for-a-quid type pencils, that don't sharpen properly and always seem to have leads that are broken into 15mm long sections rather than being one continuous piece.

I know some people with recoil with horror at not using something made of wood that necessitates carrying sharp implements to keep in working order, but my everyday pencil for work is a 0.5mm mechanical pencil (Parker Sonnet Cisele).
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5331/6917769776_4d8878073f.jpg)

I love both the Cisele looks (my main fountain pen is a 1960s vintage Parker 75 Cisele) and nice tactile grip the etched squares give; the thickness is just right for me too, slim pens and mechanical pencils just don't feel comfortable when I use them for extended periods.

I have a soft spot for the classic black Pentels (205?) that I used to use, but they do bite when you put them in a pocket due to the non-retractible sleeve.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 10 April, 2012, 11:13:16 am
Re the last two posts;

I much prefer Staedtler Mars Lumographs! Although Noris and Tradition are excellent (and Noris is particularly good value), Lumograph is the Campagnolo Record of pencils.

The sleeve on the Pentel P200 series is a problem. I've bent a couple, rendering them useless. My solution is to carry them in a box*, neverin a pocket.

*Really Useful Boxes (at the opposite end of the range from Kim's trailer box, An idea I'll take on someday. Thanks to Kim) has some of the right size and shape for a bunch of pencils and pens.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Marco Stefano on 10 April, 2012, 12:13:41 pm
I have always preferred pencils to pens for notes & scribbles at work & home. Like Staedtler, but recently invested in a Rotring Rapid Pro 0.7mm; fully retractable, sprung point so no more breakages & gets more use out of leads. Lovely.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: snail on 10 April, 2012, 12:29:16 pm
You are not allowed pencil sharpeners in certain categories of prison, or they are locked away and handled under supervision.

Really sharp pencils are fine, though.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Kim on 10 April, 2012, 12:44:55 pm
To be fair, it's entirely possible to do yourself a seriously bleedy injury using the blade of a pencil sharpener (DAHIKT).  I expect they're more popular amongst those with suicidal intentions than really sharp pencils.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: marcusjb on 10 April, 2012, 12:59:44 pm
To be fair, it's entirely possible to do yourself a seriously bleedy injury using the blade of a pencil sharpener (DAHIKT).

Very much so - made all the more embarrassing by fainting at the sight of one's own blood as I stood up in a maths class when I was 12 to ask if I could go visit the nurse as I'd just cut my finger quite badly dicking about with a pencil sharpener.......

I have nothing much more to add to the thread even though I use a pencil for all of my note-taking and drawing for work - Pentel P205 all the way.  2H.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Kim on 10 April, 2012, 01:07:27 pm
Ah, I was 11, the class was English, and the priority at the time was to staunch the flow and reassemble the incriminating pencil sharpener while somehow avoiding the teacher noticing.  The school was in the middle of penknife hysteria, so the risk from getting caught was far greater than that of the injury itself.  Fortunately the girl with bad hayfever on the next table had a copious supply of tissues...
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 10 April, 2012, 01:33:59 pm
a bit off-thread, but triggered by marcusjb and Kim and blades.

At Liverpool Art School we were heartily discouraged from carrying knives, because students had been (allegedly)  in the habit of putting Stanley Knives in their pockets.


 With predictable results. It was claimed that 90% of accidents on the premises  were caused thus.
 

Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: MattH on 10 April, 2012, 02:49:10 pm
Ah, I was 11, the class was English, and the priority at the time was to staunch the flow and reassemble the incriminating pencil sharpener while somehow avoiding the teacher noticing.  The school was in the middle of penknife hysteria, so the risk from getting caught was far greater than that of the injury itself.  Fortunately the girl with bad hayfever on the next table had a copious supply of tissues...

Hmm, I used to have a wart on my forefinger. (Look away now Hellymedic). I no longer have it (the wart, not the finger) due to careful self-surgery using the blade from a pencil sharpener during a lesson.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Chris N on 10 April, 2012, 03:14:24 pm
I have always preferred pencils to pens for notes & scribbles at work & home. Like Staedtler, but recently invested in a Rotring Rapid Pro 0.7mm; fully retractable, sprung point so no more breakages & gets more use out of leads. Lovely.

I got given a pair of Rapid Pros - a ball point and a 0.7mm pencil - for my birthday.  They're lovely and heavy and look perfectly industrial. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 29 August, 2013, 01:27:43 pm
I am currently enjoying a new brand of pencil - the Tombow (and I'm not making this up) Homo-Graph.  They're Japanese and rather lovely (if a little too easy to wear down).  I generally prefer a harder pencil, anyway.  Here's the Homo-Graph in a rather fetching F grade:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/DSCF0567_zps98143974.jpg~original)

My pencil pot this morning:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/DSCF0566_zps136c0b62.jpg~original)

And here's a little comparison of my current pencil lineup:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/DSCF0569_zpsd65006dc.jpg~original) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/vicechair/media/DSCF0569_zpsd65006dc.jpg.html)

I know, I have a problem  :D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 29 August, 2013, 01:35:31 pm
Oh, I love Fs!  Hard to get hold of them, though. :(
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: fuzzy on 29 August, 2013, 01:47:10 pm
On this side of the Wall, the use of pencils for notes- the making of Official Issue Pocket Note Book entries of is this- Not Allowed. Pencil can be erased. Ink Black is the required material.

Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: peliroja on 29 August, 2013, 01:56:02 pm
I do love your handwriting, Charlotte!
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 29 August, 2013, 02:04:16 pm
Oh, I love Fs!  Hard to get hold of them, though. :(

http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Faber-Castell_9000_Pencils.html#a5496

As little as 95p each to you, Sir   ;)

On this side of the Wall, the use of pencils for notes- the making of Official Issue Pocket Note Book entries of is this- Not Allowed. Pencil can be erased. Ink Black is the required material.

I thought you were required to carry a pencil so you could lick it first?

I do love your handwriting, Charlotte!

Thank you - I think you're the first person to ever say something like that  :)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Riggers on 29 August, 2013, 02:11:13 pm
Addendum:

My name is Charlotte and I seem to have a lot of time on my hands.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: matthew on 29 August, 2013, 02:17:11 pm
I do love your handwriting, Charlotte!
All that printed writing looks like you have spent time marking up P&IDs with equipment tags, line numbers etc.  ;)

Even with practise my writing is not that neat.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 29 August, 2013, 02:31:47 pm
Addendum:

My name is Charlotte and I seem to have a lot of time on my hands.

Not really; I just seem to spend too much time on seemingly interminable conference calls with Business Development people.  I don't do engineering any more, just an endless series of little chats and quite a lot of time editing other people's shockingly bad narratives.  Hence the pencils.

All that printed writing looks like you have spent time marking up P&IDs with equipment tags, line numbers etc.  ;)

Ha!  However good SmartPlant P&ID gets, there will still be the need for the Red Pencil Of Doom  :D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Riggers on 29 August, 2013, 03:14:51 pm
Bloody hell woman, you've got me looking at my pencils at work now!

1 chewed-at-the-end A W Faber SKO… (the rest of the word is chewed off). Yellow in colour.

1 W H Smith HB (coloured blue)

1 Derwent Graphic 2H pencil. Black colour with a very racy red band near the end (not business end!)

1 Eagle VERITHIN Black 747. Also coloured black.

My God, this is fun!!
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 29 August, 2013, 03:30:42 pm
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cwqNXVuXRMs/Uh9axcaBChI/AAAAAAAAq2A/cm1V_PnETLc/s800/IMG_1086.JPG)

Pure graphite, 4B
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 29 August, 2013, 03:35:39 pm
*swoon*
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 30 August, 2013, 07:41:56 pm
I have a thing about Staedtler Mars Lumographs, especially in 8B; as black as black can be.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 02 September, 2013, 08:45:02 am
Via Boingboing (http://boingboing.net/2013/08/30/pencil-revolution.html) yesterday:

www.pencilrevolution.com
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 01 November, 2013, 10:20:55 pm
Oh joy, oh joy, oh joy!   :D :D :D

Look what I found at the London Graphic Centre today:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/DSCF4546_zpsc15475f7.jpg~original)

No, no - not pretty silver rimfire cartridges (although, I'll grant you they look a bit like them)

They are, in fact...

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 01 November, 2013, 10:57:43 pm
I prefer a mechanical pencil. Currently using a Lamy Econ 0.7 with my preferred 2B lead. I have lots though, current favourites are the Pentel Kerry and the Zebra M-301. The Zebra is an amazing pencil for the price (about £4) . I see they have just released a 0.7 M-301 as well, one more for the collection I think.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 02 November, 2013, 04:08:10 pm
Oh joy, oh joy, oh joy!   :D :D :D

Look what I found at the London Graphic Centre today:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/DSCF4546_zpsc15475f7.jpg~original)

No, no - not pretty silver rimfire cartridges (although, I'll grant you they look a bit like them)

They are, in fact...

(click to show/hide)

A wee bit of genius!  Many's the time I've reached for a pencil, only to find the tip missing.

Now, I need to clear out all the crappy old pretend writing instruments, and get myself an F.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 02 November, 2013, 04:18:52 pm
A wee bit of genius!  Many's the time I've reached for a pencil, only to find the tip missing.

and that's one of the reasons I like mechanical pencils :)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 02 November, 2013, 06:51:14 pm
They have the wrong feel.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Canardly on 03 November, 2013, 01:59:00 pm
Bring back clutch pencils is what I say....... :-X
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 06 November, 2013, 10:21:25 am
Another little object of desire:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/DSCF4574_zps85d4b3d0.jpg~original)

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/DSCF4572_zps534acc59.jpg~original)

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/DSCF4573_zps738dfe6c.jpg~original)

It came in the post this morning.  It's an M+R 'grenade' (http://www.topcolorsharpeners.com/products/grenade) brass sharpener from the very lovely Paddy at www.topcolorsharpeners.com. 

I actually bought it on eBay, and it came with 2 Spare Blades and a lovely handwritten card telling me about the new website.  You don't really expect such a personal level of attention when you spend three quid on a sharpener, do you?

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/DSCF4571_zps79f33890.jpg~original)

But how does it sharpen?  Well, I'm spoiled by having a rotary burr sharpener on my desk and I very much like the long, elegant points that I get from it.  The M+R sharpener isn't quite up to that sort of level, but it produces a very acceptable point and because it's orifice is a little larger than the average pencil diameter, you can actually vary the result by moving the pencil off centre towards the blade for a finer point.  Here's a comparision:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/DSCF4570_zps9c40c69f.jpg~original)

On the left is a lovely new Staedtler Norris H, sharpened with a desk machine.  On the right is a cheaper no-name office pencil, sharpened with the M+R.  As you can see, it's not as smooth, nor as pointed - but it's still very usable and there's a whole new aesthetic to be had from using a little hand held sharpener.

As soon as I've worn down a few points on my nicer pencils, I'll use the new one on those, but I can't quite bring myself to sharpen an expensive pencil for no reason.  I suspect that the nicer wood in a higher quality pencil will sharpen better, anyway.  In the meantime, I'm trying to resist also buying an M+R triple cone special purpose sharpener (http://www.topcolorsharpeners.com/products/triple-cone).  Mmmmm.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 06 November, 2013, 01:13:02 pm
A DUX Sharpener..... sheesh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8wP5WykafU

If I get through the day without clicking "buy" it will NOT be thanks to you.

http://www.topcolorsharpeners.com/products/s1-tgaal-multi-sharpener looks rather desirable, too.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 06 November, 2013, 01:31:44 pm
Yeah, I know - the T'Gaal looks pretty sweet, too.  Also (and I think this is why I like it so much) it sounds like a hot, slightly dykey Klingon science officer  :D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 06 November, 2013, 01:45:15 pm
You've just reminded me I have a proper metal 1950s/60s desk top sharpener with a crank handle somewhere that I got from a car boot sale ages ago. Much like the ones teachers used to have on their desks. Havent seen it for ages. Mrs Pcolbeck will have spirited it away somewhere, she doesn't share my fascination with well designed tools.
I mainly use this Jakar electric one:

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41MUHVhdSxL._SX385_.jpg)

Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 06 November, 2013, 01:52:05 pm
You can't beat a really good desktop machine, it's true Pat.  At the office, I have a perfectly serviceable Swordfish model from our stationary catalogue.  For my desk at home, I have one of these (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001U3NST6/) on order:

(http://static1.jetpens.com/images/a/000/021/21342.jpg)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 06 November, 2013, 01:55:03 pm
My Jakar one runs off batteries which I havent replaced in five years. It also has a connection for a 6v wall wart adaptor (not supplied). It makes me wonder how many pencils you have to sharpen to make it worthwhile running the thing off the mains .....
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 06 November, 2013, 02:04:01 pm
1 Grenade, 1 T'Gall, 1 Longpointer later.... ooo that's only £13.95 and I need £14 for free shipping.....some blades..... how one thing does lead to another.

And I didn't even know I had a that-shaped hole in my life until now.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 06 November, 2013, 02:12:35 pm
Stationary is brilliant for those who like well made stuff as its not expensive. You can treat yourself for under £10.  Unless you get into fountain pens of course but even there you can get really nice stuff reasonably cheap.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 06 November, 2013, 02:23:15 pm
1 Grenade, 1 T'Gall, 1 Longpointer later.... ooo that's only £13.95 and I need £14 for free shipping.....some blades..... how one thing does lead to another.

And I didn't even know I had a that-shaped hole in my life until now.

Sorry Ham.  Really I am  :D

Can you let us know what you think of them when they arrive?  I didn't get on at all with the longpointer that I bought and I'm interested in the T'Gall...
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 06 November, 2013, 02:25:54 pm
I have a specific use in mind for the longpointer, we shall see, and the T'Gaal ....well it's a proper GADGET isn't it?

Will report back in due course.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 06 November, 2013, 02:36:29 pm
Stationary is brilliant for those who like well made stuff as its not expensive. You can treat yourself for under £10.  Unless you get into fountain pens of course but even there you can get really nice stuff reasonably cheap.

There's always something more to add to the collection.  Stationery doesn't stand still ;)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 06 November, 2013, 02:40:02 pm
Mi-owww!
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Vince on 08 November, 2013, 10:03:30 am
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/DSCF4546_zpsc15475f7.jpg~original)

No, no - not pretty silver rimfire cartridges (although, I'll grant you they look a bit like them)

You want bullets?

(http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t140/VinceHall/CyclingStuff/2013-11-08100616_zpse430004b.jpg)

Or pencil and sharpener

(http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t140/VinceHall/CyclingStuff/2013-11-08100635_zps650690ae.jpg)

Found with my grandfathers WW1 medals.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: kyuss on 14 November, 2013, 07:58:42 pm
My hands are too big for traditional pencils. They become uncomfortable to hold and draw with before they are even half used. Tried mechanical pencils too. I've got a couple of cheap Zebra Drafix (http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Zebra_Drafix_Pencil.html) on my desk for quick scribbles and while I appreciate the fine lines and no need for sharpening the constant lead breakages are driving me nuts. Which has led to me buying a couple of clutch pencils. And I'm in love. How have I lived without these all my life? They are Koh-I-Noor Toison D'Or 5900, dirt cheap on eBay (£2.75). I'm going to have to get another 2 or 3 and some various leads and I'm sorted.



(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b10/KeithSmith1974/clutch_zps9a27d42a.jpg) (http://s16.photobucket.com/user/KeithSmith1974/media/clutch_zps9a27d42a.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: hairyhippy on 14 November, 2013, 08:18:38 pm
Just ordered one to try. At that price it would be rude not to.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 14 November, 2013, 08:24:07 pm
Must...           resist....  I don't need any more pencils ....

Then there is the Caran d'Ache

(http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/cda-77.jpg)




Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 14 November, 2013, 08:34:19 pm
For those who prefer a wooden pencil Caran d'Ache do these in interesting woods:

(http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Cda-Crayon-de-la-Maison.jpg)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 18 November, 2013, 09:38:15 am
Oh they look amazing! 

kyuss - I do occasionally reach for a clutch pencil and although they're excellent for actually writing and drawing with, they're not quite as nice an experience for holding in your hand and fiddling with between lines.  Wooden pencils are so beautifully tactile that nothing else really comes close for me.

As for the bullets, wunja - what can I say... Fabulous  :D

I picked up a couple of new pencils in Paperchase at the weekend.  I got some Daler Rowney Artists' Graphics in F and a Caran d'Ache Grafwood in H (they didn't seem to do an F).

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF5146-001_zps65783b97.jpg)

Both came ready-sharpened with the usual sandpaper grit lines pointing towards the tip.  I'd much rather get my pencils unsharpened because the first thing I do is to shove them into my mechanical sharpener, set to it's longest point.  Here's the one that's currently on my office desk:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF5151_zpsf9b5e4c3.jpg)

...and here's the points after a couple of quick cranks. First, the Daler Rowney Artists' Graphic F:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF5149_zpsdfe72cbb.jpg)

Exactly as it should be - a nice smooth cut into quality wood, with a good solid lead and neat tip.  The paint is thin and more of a stain, but it's a working pencil and will probably wear okay. Now the Caran d'Ache Grafwood in H:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF5148_zpse11baa4d.jpg)

Less good.  Although it's exposed a mighty, fat piece of lead that should stay sharp for longer - the wood is slightly feathering off the graphite which I don't like.  It's aesthetics only as I'm sure it will function fine.  The paint finish is thick and lustrous - with, I suspect, more than one coat.  This is definitely a luxury, Sunday-go-to-meeting pencil.

The Caran d'Ache Grafwood was twice the price of the modest Daler Rowney, so it's not going to be an every day pencil for me, I suspect.

Anyway - let's get to the money shots:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF5152_zpse8e2a16a.jpg)

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF5153_zpsd2ffd819.jpg)

Oh - whilst I'm sharpening and playing with a new batch of pencils - I need to ask.  Is it so wrong to sniff them in the manner of a smoker, about to appreciate a fine cuban cigar?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Vince on 18 November, 2013, 10:05:30 am
Oh - whilst I'm sharpening and playing with a new batch of pencils - I need to ask.  Is it so wrong to sniff them in the manner of a smoker, about to appreciate a fine cuban cigar?

No. A lot of wooden pencils are made from cedar, a wood with a very nice aroma.

As for the bullets, wunja - what can I say... Fabulous  :D
A little google research found that the pencil was part of a gift for troops on the front line in Christmas 1914. We still have the brass tin that contained it.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 18 November, 2013, 04:48:00 pm
T'Gaal... a review

Yes, this one http://www.topcolorsharpeners.com/products/s1-tgaal-multi-sharpener

Actually, rather good. That enough?

The first thing to know is that is does what it says - sharpens pencils using a cam that can alter the angle. The second thing to know is that it doesn't do anything else.

Onto the pics, here are a 3H and an EB, after sharpening and after use.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-usFNZZfv9jU/Uoo_y13QIMI/AAAAAAAAq-g/p4jYsxieo-w/s640/IMG_1092.JPG)

and a closer look at the points

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-IyvC151_JGg/Uoo_6uX0BGI/AAAAAAAAq-o/RisIzAPo9JM/s640/IMG_1096.JPG)

I'd put the substandard 3H point down to operator error - as you can see an impressive point, especially as I have been using it. Likewise the EB, just how I wanted it, again after use.

And what did I test it on? A very quick sketch. I make no great claims for its aristic value, but would point out to any potential commenter that it is a bit of RETOUCHING that it needs, OK? RETOUCHING. not touching up.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 18 November, 2013, 11:26:41 pm
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: red marley on 19 November, 2013, 11:34:41 pm
Does this count? Pencil (http://shop.fiftythree.com) (hipster alert warning, but I still want one)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 20 November, 2013, 08:40:24 am
Does this count?

Ugh, no!  Even as an iPad owner, I really don't want one...
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 20 November, 2013, 10:45:47 am
I am still waiting for a stylus for a tablet that gives anywhere near the resolution of a pencil or pen on paper. The paper app is very well done but the best stylus is still like a blunt crayola crayon.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: bumper on 20 November, 2013, 12:01:42 pm
I love my Rotring rapid pro. Ive always got a rotring tikky in a pocket somewhere and an inoxcrom mechanical in the van door pocket (it was a freebie from Siemens Nixdorf). Biros don't like damp or wet paper when I'm working outside!
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 21 November, 2013, 09:48:07 am
Does this belong here? Prompted by the thought "I really should start drawing again" after a hiatus of at least 10 years. As a result I re-found what is possibly my dirtiest little secret, 256 Shades of Grey

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-w-EY8CEYX74/Uo3V1vmwbtI/AAAAAAAAq_Q/8Q7llkz35B8/s640/IMG_1099.JPG)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: red marley on 21 November, 2013, 01:24:14 pm
Both came ready-sharpened with the usual sandpaper grit lines pointing towards the tip.  I'd much rather get my pencils unsharpened because the first thing I do is to shove them into my mechanical sharpener, set to it's longest point.

No, no, no! What you need is to employ the services of an artisanal pencil sharpening business...

http://vimeo.com/60718161
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 21 November, 2013, 01:53:47 pm
 ;D


http://www.amazon.com/How-Sharpen-Pencils-Theoretical-Contractors/dp/1612190405

"Look inside" gets you most of the book.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Vince on 21 November, 2013, 02:17:13 pm
Thoughbut I think there must be some useful stuff in pages 20 to 206 which are missing.

Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 21 November, 2013, 03:45:00 pm
Does this belong here? Prompted by the thought "I really should start drawing again" after a hiatus of at least 10 years. As a result I re-found what is possibly my dirtiest little secret, 256 Shades of Grey

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-w-EY8CEYX74/Uo3V1vmwbtI/AAAAAAAAq_Q/8Q7llkz35B8/s640/IMG_1099.JPG)

I say YES!, but it's Charlotte's thread... That is a sort of a variant pencil; it's made of the same stuff, but there's no wooden case.

Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 21 November, 2013, 03:46:47 pm
In Swedish Woodcarving Techniques by Wille Sundqvist there is a section on sharpening pencils.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 21 November, 2013, 03:48:30 pm
The last entry reminds me of my favourite pencil - a cut-down carpenter's pencil. :D

Am I to be banned from this thread forever if I post a photo? ;)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: T42 on 21 November, 2013, 04:46:03 pm
Remember Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine: "a yellow Ticonderoga pencil and a new legal pad"?  When I first visited SF in 1987 exactly those implements were provided for note-taking. My hosts were bemused by my pleasure at being provided with such common items of stationery, and even more so when I put the pencil away carefully and used my own pen.  I brought a few back: here's the last of them (unless my wife still has one):

(http://www.pbase.com/image/153472722.jpg) (http://www.pbase.com/image/153472722)

Quite the most handsome pencil I've come across.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 21 November, 2013, 04:58:03 pm
Interesting that its marked HB Soft when HB is right in the middle of the standard scale.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Woofage on 21 November, 2013, 05:04:44 pm
Interesting that its marked HB Soft when HB is right in the middle of the standard scale.

I thought that odd too.

I have in front of me a Faber Castell Grip pencil that is labelled 2=B. Grade 2 would suggest HB and that's what it feels like so I don't know why it's designated B.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 21 November, 2013, 05:12:29 pm
Maybe its some weird old US scale that runs along side there current numbering one.

So

Current US scale =2
Current Euro scale = HB
Wierd old scale = soft

Would be an awkward scale though:

really really really hard
really really hard
really hard
hard
medium
soft
really soft
really really soft
really really really soft

Once you have sharpened your pencil a few times you would have lost half the scale words on the equivalent to an 5B :)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 21 November, 2013, 05:31:29 pm
Thoughbut I think there must be some useful stuff in pages 20 to 206 which are missing.

You've missed the point
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: T42 on 21 November, 2013, 06:14:08 pm
Interesting that its marked HB Soft when HB is right in the middle of the standard scale.

Yes. They are a bit on the soft side of HB at that, certainly softer than a Conté HB.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 21 November, 2013, 11:23:47 pm
I have a vague recollection of reading somewhere that a Japanese company made pencils in half-grades: I must check.

Edited: The above is almost, but not quite entirely, incorrect. F/2.5 is the only half grade.


Meanwhile, please talk among yourselves, as I may be some time, and read The Pencil by Henry Petrosky (honest! It's a brilliant history, written by a Professor of engineering. He also wrote The Evolution of Useful Objects* and To Engineer Is Human).


* Which included The Paperclip... new thread, anyone?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 21 November, 2013, 11:27:33 pm
The last entry reminds me of my favourite pencil - a cut-down carpenter's pencil. :D

Am I to be banned from this thread forever if I post a photo? ;)

Is that a particular pencil, or a type of pencil?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 22 November, 2013, 08:38:47 am
Well, it's not a pencil belonging to a cut-down carpenter.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: bumper on 22 November, 2013, 01:18:25 pm
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7319/10993436605_45c028eee5.jpg) (http://flic.kr/p/hKseGr)

As close as I could get with my iPhone
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Andrij on 22 November, 2013, 02:22:27 pm
Oooh.  Details, please.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: bumper on 22 November, 2013, 02:29:24 pm
Oooh.  Details, please.

It's my Rotring Rapid Pro.

It replaced a Rotring 600 which didn't have the retractable lead sleeve, which I dropped and bent! This does however fully retract, making it pocket safe and sort of drop safe.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Andrij on 22 November, 2013, 03:19:32 pm
Oooh.  Details, please.

It's my Rotring Rapid Pro.

It replaced a Rotring 600 which didn't have the retractable lead sleeve, which I dropped and bent! This does however fully retract, making it pocket safe and sort of drop safe.

Thanks.  There will be some pencil purchasing in my near future.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 22 November, 2013, 08:18:42 pm
Well, it's not a pencil belonging to a cut-down carpenter.


Touché.* 




*(Mrs E found out how to put in accents this morning, and explained it to me).
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 23 November, 2013, 12:51:46 pm
Can she teach me?  Loads of people have tried, but I never quite got it :-[
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Marco Stefano on 23 November, 2013, 01:02:26 pm
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7319/10993436605_45c028eee5.jpg) (http://flic.kr/p/hKseGr)

As close as I could get with my iPhone

That's my daily use pencil with 0.7mm leads; I still use an organiser, of sorts, now more like a sectioned loose-leaf notebook, and these pencils are great for note taking & scribbling thoughts. So nice in the hand.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 23 November, 2013, 01:44:30 pm
Can she teach me?  Loads of people have tried, but I never quite got it :-[

I thought you were talking about that cut down carpenter and Karen for a moment, and the impossibility of being taught anything by her.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: David Martin on 23 November, 2013, 05:08:17 pm
Heathen here - I have a box of recycled pencils - nice consistent cut and eco friendly. These are the dense plastic foam ones made from old CDs. HB.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 24 November, 2013, 12:22:40 am
Can she teach me?  Loads of people have tried, but I never quite got it :-[


Do You use a Mac?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: perpetual dan on 24 November, 2013, 01:54:43 pm
You've got me at it now! I've been eyeing up a Caran d'Ache Fixpencil 3.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: little miss mac on 24 November, 2013, 09:05:44 pm
And me. I've just spent the last hour on this site, being overwhelmed by WANT:  http://www.cultpens.com/
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 24 November, 2013, 10:20:45 pm
And me. I've just spent the last hour on this site, being overwhelmed by WANT:  http://www.cultpens.com/


Only an hour? ;D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: David Martin on 24 November, 2013, 10:52:27 pm
Wheras I have been looking at Staedlter and Rotring pens and compasses for doing some interesting things.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: fuzzy on 25 November, 2013, 11:14:24 am
I had a Rotring Isograph or Rapidograph alike pen when I was a school oik. Used it for sketching.

Some bastard from another school stole it from my pencil case during a building construction processes and materials lesson at an off campus tech college  :'(
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: perpetual dan on 26 November, 2013, 04:21:00 pm
You've got me at it now! I've been eyeing up a Caran d'Ache Fixpencil 3.

(http://blog.a-dan.me.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/20131126_140229-300x225.jpg)(clicky) (http://blog.a-dan.me.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/20131126_140229.jpg)

Arrived today. 3mm 3B lead, on first go really nice to sketch diagrams and write with - nice visible bold lines.

Which has got me thinking about the pen I use and spending more money, which is another thread. I may have to hand some of these over to be wrapped up!
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 26 November, 2013, 04:22:56 pm
While I prefer a nice traditional bit of wood, I must confess that is a handsome pencil.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Biff on 26 November, 2013, 04:34:57 pm
And me. I've just spent the last hour on this site, being overwhelmed by WANT:  http://www.cultpens.com/

Oh you sod. I bet you waft single malts under the noses of recovering alcoholics don't you???
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: perpetual dan on 26 November, 2013, 05:33:05 pm
And me. I've just spent the last hour on this site, being overwhelmed by WANT:  http://www.cultpens.com/

Oh you sod. I bet you waft single malts under the noses of recovering alcoholics don't you???

Quote from: http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Mitsubishi-Pure-Malt-Oak-Wood-Premium-Edition-Pencil.html?&DRILLOPTION=&#a22177
Mitsubishi Pure Malt Oak Wood Premium Edition - a truly beautiful pencil with a barrel crafted from oak reclaimed from whisky barrels.
two birds and all that
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 26 November, 2013, 05:39:40 pm
Nappy anyone ? http://www.napkin4ever.com/en/

A candidate for the silly business names, surely, and £40 ? Zowie. Beautiful, but does it come on a piece of elastic you can thread through your sleeves along with your gloves?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 26 November, 2013, 08:35:47 pm
Nappy anyone ? http://www.napkin4ever.com/en/

A candidate for the silly business names, surely, and £40 ? Zowie. Beautiful, but does it come on a piece of elastic you can thread through your sleeves along with your gloves?

It is a beauty; I'm trying to resist buying one.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Templogin on 26 November, 2013, 09:02:06 pm
There's too much talk of exciting stuff on here for a man of my age at this time of night.  I rarely use a pencil so I don't know why I have so many.  My favourites are: -

0.5mm mechanical - Uni Kuru Toga (superbly smooth lead)
0.7mm mechanical - Lamy Scribble
0.8mm mechanical (I think) - YoL
2mm mechanical - Caran d'Ache 77 Fixpencil
5.6mm - Koh-i-Noor Automatic

Wood case - Tombow Mono 100
Other - Faber Castell Perfect Pencil

I tend to use a Pilot Vanishing Point pen, the matt black model with a stubbed medium nib.

Knives:  I usually carry a UKPK, but have been carrying a Dragonfly, but more recently a Manbug.  I had 2 Falky U1 knives, but the cocobolo one was stolen from my desk at work.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Andrij on 27 November, 2013, 03:42:11 pm
My rotring rapid PRO 0.5 (chrome) arrived today.  Lovely!

It shall now reside alongside my Waterman Expert (matte chrome, XF) fountain pen.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: bumper on 27 November, 2013, 03:46:33 pm
My rotring rapid PRO 0.5 (chrome) arrived today.  Lovely!

It shall now reside alongside my Waterman Expert (matte chrome, XF) fountain pen.

Bet you sat there oggling and stroking it :D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Andrij on 27 November, 2013, 04:07:36 pm
I'm in the office (all open plan), so 'no'.  I'd rather draw looks on account of my wardrobe rather than ... appreciating new toys. :)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: bumper on 27 November, 2013, 04:08:36 pm
Yes, best save that for when you get home :D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 02 December, 2013, 02:52:18 pm
A bit of a treat for a dull Monday!

Firstly, let me introduce you to a new friend of mine - the Mitsubishi KH-20:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF6008_zps28e2440e.jpg)

Apart from being a quality bit of kit, this mechanical sharpener has several interesting features that you don't find on other desktop machines of its type.  Firstly, it has rubber-tipped jaws so your pencils don't get marked by the metal teeth more commonly found in this type of sharpener.  It clamps the pencil nice and tight, too - no slippage at all.

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF6009_zps7d7601d5.jpg) 

And here's a saucy shot from the rear:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF6010_zpsc92f71c7.jpg)


The red button on the there is for waxy coloured pencils; pressing it engages a small stopper bar inside the mechanism, which puts a blunt point on the tip of the pencil lead.  But the main feature of this marvelous Japanese sharpener is that it makes the longest points I have ever seen.  Check this out - I took one common-or-garden HB office pencil (a Mirado Classic) with a tip that looked like this:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF6011_zps2a85f0c3.jpg)

After a quick wind in the KH-20, here it is on the right, next to a similar pencil sharpened in my Swordfish machine for comparison:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF6013_zpsff7c8ff2.jpg)

I love it, not only do my pencils look dead classy, but the angle it pus on the lead is that tiny bit more acute, which I think means that for someone who prefers to use harder grades of pencil and who doesn't tend to mash the lead into the paper, makes the points last a little longer between sharpenings.

Also new on my desk is the rather interesting Rhodia triangular pencil.  Each one comes wrapped in its own plastic baggie:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF6004_zps533dd306.jpg)

Although technically pre-sharpened:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF6005_zpsceef3084.jpg)

...you wouldn't want to use one without first putting it through your sharpener of preference.  I didn't use the Mitsubishi for this one because of its unusual triangular cross section:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF6006_zps5f022d38.jpg)

I love the black wood that the Rhodia is made from.  It's almost certainly dyed that colour, but it's still quite fun.  They only come in one grade and it feels like an HB to me.  A bit soft for my day to day preferences, but fun to have in my pencil pot to ring the changes now and then:

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF6007_zpsb029028e.jpg)

Oh - and finally... has anyone seen this before...?

www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jq6Cdlj9adE/TDlQE_EGb8I/AAAAAAAABoI/jb3Bkv5H1g8/s400/poster_2-203x300.jpg)

It's a real thing in the world - not only is there a book (which is totally on my Christmas list) but you can actually send your pencils away to the author to have them sharpened to his exacting standards.

(http://www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com/images/mask_frame.gif)

Better than that, you get your shavings returned in a little baggie, and a certificate of sharpness:

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jq6Cdlj9adE/TDlXjnDzd9I/AAAAAAAABow/j6pwp3QyAZk/s400/IMG_3699.JPG)

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jq6Cdlj9adE/TDlXjDG1SdI/AAAAAAAABoo/zaqxQj0VyIs/s400/IMG_3698.JPG)

What more could you ask for?

;D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 02 December, 2013, 03:01:13 pm
You know that Mitsubishi - is there an Evo version?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 02 December, 2013, 03:18:44 pm
I'm afraid not - but you could always have a Scooby instead:

(https://www.raymondgeddes.com/ProductImages/f057dbc3-c951-44ad-8da5-477d8517e3c3/images/68479AA.jpg)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 02 December, 2013, 03:19:18 pm
That's very un-Galant.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 02 December, 2013, 03:30:02 pm
Your attempts at humour are failing to Impreza me.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: fuzzy on 02 December, 2013, 03:37:41 pm
This Colt run forever (sadly).
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Vince on 02 December, 2013, 03:38:18 pm
Apropros of nothing. Bewary of excessively sharpened pencils.

My father had a very small tatoo where a very sharp pencil pierced his skin leaving a spec of lead under the dermis.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 02 December, 2013, 03:39:14 pm
Your attempts at humour are failing to Impreza me.

Can you Justy-fy that?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 02 December, 2013, 03:51:16 pm
Enough already Clarion.  You're making an asx of yourself.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: woollypigs on 02 December, 2013, 03:57:45 pm
Apropros of nothing. Bewary of excessively sharpened pencils.

My father had a very small tatoo where a very sharp pencil pierced his skin leaving a spec of lead under the dermis.
I got two of them - one in my right leg and one in my right hand. The one in my hand took some digging, lots of blood and good handful (no pon intended) of swear words to get out. Got in rather far and was big - pretty much the whole of the newly sharpened H2 pencil tip - home surgery is fun but also painful. The one in the leg I just left there as it was too deep and very small. So I don't have "ink" I got led :)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 02 December, 2013, 03:59:31 pm
The red Mitsubishi KH-20 looks lovely. Pity it's discontinued :(
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 02 December, 2013, 04:01:06 pm
http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Mitsubishi-KH-20-Desk-Sharpener.html

:)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 02 December, 2013, 04:03:47 pm
Why did you do that Auntie C, really why ? I can feel my credit card twitching ...
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 02 December, 2013, 04:08:53 pm
OMG have you seen the Caran d'Ache Sharpening Machine 80th anniversary at Cult Pens ? Its fabulous and I want one but £180, for a pencil sharpener ....

(http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Cda-Desk-Sharpeners-metal-bk.jpg)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: clarion on 02 December, 2013, 04:11:25 pm
Ooh err.

And I'm someone who likes to sharpen his pencils with a Stanley knife.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 02 December, 2013, 04:12:21 pm
Why did you do that Auntie C, really why ?

Because I am an evil stationary enabler...  :D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 02 December, 2013, 04:14:55 pm
Cult Pens is the Ikea of stationary. You only intend to buy a new eraser and a Parker compatible gel refill but you browse around and everything is so reasonably priced that you pop this and that in the basket and as you checkout you find you have spent £70 !
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 06 January, 2014, 01:34:04 pm
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF6237_zps448a7e0e.jpg~original)

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF6238_zpsa6e3a69a.jpg~original)

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF6242_zps7a2721a8.jpg~original)

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF6260_zps97a28d77.jpg~original)  (http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Pencil%20Fetish/DSCF6252_zpsa01e76d5.jpg~original)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Woofage on 06 January, 2014, 01:56:45 pm
I got this Christmas pressie from a friend:
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3669/11798518855_ba7dc18334_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/38357939@N02/11798518855/)
P1020296.JPG (http://www.flickr.com/photos/38357939@N02/11798518855/) by pencyclist (http://www.flickr.com/people/38357939@N02/), on Flickr

Sorry about the poor photo. It's the distributor cap from a Series 2A Landie "made into" a rather nifty pencil holder. Staedtler pencils, obv.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 07 January, 2014, 12:31:49 pm
Very nice, Woofage  :D

OMG have you seen the Caran d'Ache Sharpening Machine 80th anniversary at Cult Pens ? Its fabulous and I want one but £180, for a pencil sharpener ....

Seems quite reasonable in comparison to...

(http://www.remodelista.com/files/img/sub/19226d7045006.jpg)

http://www.torquato.co.uk/el-casco-chrome-mechanical-sharpener.html
http://www.penciltalk.org/2012/05/el-casco-pencil-sharpener
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: RJ on 18 January, 2014, 08:46:32 pm
http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Faber-Castell_UFO.html

... for those non-mechanical-pencil blunt lead moments.  Also fits in a pencil case  ;)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Zipperhead on 05 February, 2014, 04:56:46 pm
How about an everlasting pen by Pininfarina (http://gizmodo.com/a-gorgeous-inkless-pen-that-never-needs-a-refill-1516493741)

(I would link to the Pininfarina press release, but it's the most awful pdf you can imagine)

(http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/19er5ltuna2hajpg/ku-xlarge.jpg)

Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 08 February, 2014, 05:18:25 pm
Now and again you discover the perfect pen and carry it everywhere until one day you lose it. But nothing is so universally dependable, or comes so naturally to hand as a pencil. I often write with a pencil. It suits my tentative nature. It was the first tool I used to write or draw, and still suggests the close relationship between the two activities. I know I shall never outgrow pencils. The pencil whispers across the page and is never dogmatic. Rub your finger long enough on a soft-pencilled phrase and it will evaporate into a pale-grey cloud. In this way, pencil is close to watercolour painting.

From Wildwood by Roger Deakin.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Andrij on 12 February, 2014, 11:10:24 am
With all these fancy pencils and sharpeners, why not complete the set with a 5-angle eraser (http://www.bureaudirect.co.uk/kokuyo-5-angle-eraser/p3783)?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 12 February, 2014, 11:13:53 am
With all these fancy pencils and sharpeners, why not complete the set with a 5-angle eraser (http://www.bureaudirect.co.uk/kokuyo-5-angle-eraser/p3783)?

It's on my list!
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: nikki on 22 September, 2014, 05:46:53 pm

(https://img1.etsystatic.com/002/1/5186740/il_570xN.370458867_3fwo.jpg)


https://www.etsy.com/listing/66009870/this-has-been-in-my-ear-pencil-6-pack
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 22 September, 2014, 05:51:23 pm
(http://media.boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BhUx36nIUAASePA.jpg-large.jpeg)

http://boingboing.net/2014/02/25/the-story-behind-the-too-coo.html

:D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Woofage on 22 September, 2014, 10:12:51 pm
With all these fancy pencils and sharpeners, why not complete the set with a 5-angle eraser (http://www.bureaudirect.co.uk/kokuyo-5-angle-eraser/p3783)?

I picked up a couple of those at the Stationery Show (free, natch). Unfortunately it was only 2, a number which happens to equal the number of offspring in our household. You can guess the rest.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 26 October, 2014, 01:40:14 pm
This seems like the best thread in which to ask what to do about pencils whose leads have broken into lots of short fragments along the whole length. Is there any way to make them usable? And how do you stop it happening (other than not dropping them, or in this case, "Have you dropped this pencil?" No. But it might be because I was hitting it against my notebook."  ::-))?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 27 October, 2014, 08:55:47 am
This is probably still a viable option
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Templogin on 27 October, 2014, 09:27:35 am
Buy better quality pencils.  The "lead" make-up will be different.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 27 October, 2014, 10:52:08 am
I don't buy the pencils, they come from school and work and places, so no control over that.

Ham - have you considered working on children's TV?  :D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Templogin on 27 October, 2014, 01:22:32 pm
Nor have I, which is why I take my own stuff.  I get some odd looks until they spend ages sharpening crappy pencils or lose their rag with staplers which won't staple, whilst I smile serenely!
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: nikki on 09 November, 2014, 06:03:07 pm
I walked past these every day for a week before finally registering what they were on my last day in Copenhagen:

(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3940/15564435190_a228174888_z.jpg)

A stationery order and a leetle bit of laser cutting are in order, methinks...
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Dibdib on 09 November, 2014, 06:07:29 pm
I walked past these every day for a week before finally registering what they were on my last day in Copenhagen:

A stationery order and a leetle bit of laser cutting are in order, methinks...

Oh, wow! *tempted*
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: nikki on 09 November, 2014, 06:13:06 pm
...Just have to remember to get a lamp base with a switch on the flex and not up under the bulb. *ouch*
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 10 November, 2014, 11:36:53 am
:D :D :D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Kim on 10 November, 2014, 11:39:07 am
They missed a trick by not using a carbon arc lamp...   ;D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Polar Bear on 10 November, 2014, 11:57:31 am
They look like Tom Rossau pencil table lamps.   Pricey ...

Perhaps you could do the much better value Nikki Pugh design Nikki?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Riggers on 21 November, 2014, 01:09:23 pm
Smug face. Look at these …

(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b176/Riggers_1956/Thunderbird-pencil_zps9232fa74.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/Riggers_1956/media/Thunderbird-pencil_zps9232fa74.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 21 November, 2014, 11:41:14 pm
Wonderful  :D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Oaky on 01 December, 2014, 02:01:46 pm
http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Mitsubishi-KH-20-Desk-Sharpener.html

:)

I now have a shiny RED one of those which turned up from Japan this morning.

I have been scouring the house for pencils that need sharpening ever since.

ETA: bought through Amazon from "Deputi Japan" (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001U3RKKE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00), cost: £16.48 inc delivery.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Mr Larrington on 01 December, 2014, 02:08:53 pm
"Dalek-inspired"?  Where's the plunger, then?  And does it do this (http://legslarry.org.uk/Ibbydare/dalek.htm)?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 01 December, 2014, 05:46:57 pm

I now have a shiny RED one of those which turned up from Japan this morning.

I have been scouring the house for pencils that need sharpening ever since.

Heh.  I did that  :)

And does it do this (http://legslarry.org.uk/Ibbydare/dalek.htm)?

Oh noes!
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 01 December, 2014, 07:26:32 pm
These pencils (http://pencilmobileroom.wordpress.com/category/penvolution/) are currently in Bristol Central Library.

Here's a link in English!
http://www.thefixmagazine.com/penvolution-bristol-central-library/

They are Faber-Castell 9000 in various grades.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 01 December, 2014, 10:12:09 pm
*swoon*
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Vince on 01 December, 2014, 11:31:40 pm
Pentel P20n mechanical pencils

When I did engineering drawing A level, I had a pair: 0.3 with a 3h lead for drawing near invisible construction lines or cutting through the paper and a 0.7 with a 2B lead to produce the final drawing. No sharpening of leads with sandpaper to get a fine point and a more ergonomic shape to grip.
Currently have a Pentel P205 (0.5 mm) for general use.

</Heretic>
I do miss the smell of freshly sharpened cedar pencil though.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 22 January, 2015, 01:52:25 pm
I probably shouldn't post a link to this site, but, this pencil sharpener . . .

http://toolguyd.com/mobius-ruppert-brass-pencil-sharpener/ (http://toolguyd.com/mobius-ruppert-brass-pencil-sharpener/)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: perpetual dan on 12 April, 2015, 09:05:39 pm
One of Mrs Dan's pencils...
(http://blog.a-dan.me.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/20150412_171456-e1428868992486.jpg)

Built in magnets for holding onto a music stand, at least a B for visible writing that doesn't break the paper.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 20 May, 2015, 11:20:04 pm
Artisanal pencil shop opens in Lower Manhattan:

(http://i1.wp.com/boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/cwpencils.jpg?zoom=2&resize=800%2C804)

http://boingboing.net/2015/05/20/artisanal-pencil-shop-opens-in.html

http://cwpencils.com/
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jakob W on 21 May, 2015, 06:40:16 am
Late capitalist hipster consumerism and all that, but nonetheless - *little moment*.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Asterix, the former Gaul. on 21 May, 2015, 10:43:28 am
Proletariat pencils and sharpening equipment:

(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t51/asorim1/P1060001_zpsjlfgfoit.jpg)

The green one on the right is well 'ard.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 21 May, 2015, 04:30:05 pm
Artisanal pencil shop opens in Lower Manhattan:

(http://i1.wp.com/boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/cwpencils.jpg?zoom=2&resize=800%2C804)

http://boingboing.net/2015/05/20/artisanal-pencil-shop-opens-in.html

http://cwpencils.com/


Is there a Pencil Technician to implement sharpness solutions?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Mr Larrington on 21 May, 2015, 04:48:10 pm
I think you'll find it's a Senior Vice-President for Graphite-Based Glyph Implementation Solutions Technology Maintenance.  At the very least.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: woollypigs on 22 May, 2015, 01:06:15 pm
Proletariat pencils and sharpening equipment:

(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t51/asorim1/P1060001_zpsjlfgfoit.jpg)

The green one on the right is well 'ard.
Next time you post this do put a warning. Ones diggy ticker can't handle two fetishes at once :)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: nikki on 05 July, 2015, 10:06:14 pm
Just spotted on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/kerry_truman/status/617800185587085312
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: jsabine on 05 July, 2015, 10:47:35 pm
I like that. Don't have a lathe, mind.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Vince on 06 July, 2015, 10:46:31 pm
My sister shared this on FB...
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/07/delicate-pencil-lead-carvings-by-salavat-fidai/ (http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/07/delicate-pencil-lead-carvings-by-salavat-fidai/)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 27 August, 2015, 12:44:57 am
http://welldonestuff.com/cool-pencil-display/
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Torslanda on 04 January, 2016, 06:54:48 pm
For those seeking a 'quick fix' the new series of 'Great British Railway Journeys' includes a visit to a Lake District pencil manufacturer, I'm sorry, I missed the name . . .

Should be available on i-player very shortly.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Arellcat on 04 January, 2016, 08:02:04 pm
I was watching too.  :) Michael Portillo visited the Derwent Cumberland Pencil Co. factory and museum in Keswick.

I still have my Cumberland clutch pencil from a visit to the museum in about 1988.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Woofage on 04 January, 2016, 10:12:25 pm
For those seeking a 'quick fix' the new series of 'Great British Railway Journeys' includes a visit to a Lake District pencil manufacturer, I'm sorry, I missed the name . . .

Should be available on i-player very shortly.

He also visited the Yard-O-Led Pencil Co in Birmingham a couple of years ago. I don't think that will still be on iPlayer but watch out for a repeat.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Mr Larrington on 05 January, 2016, 09:32:52 am
By a Sherlockian process of inductive deduction I found the leads for my Staedtler Mars Micro in a forgotten corner of my rucksack where they have lain unseen since April 2014.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 05 January, 2016, 10:13:59 am
By a Sherlockian process of inductive deduction I found the leads for my Staedtler Mars Micro in a forgotten corner of my rucksack where they have lain unseen since April 2014.

I bet they have the wrong USB connector
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Mr Larrington on 05 January, 2016, 04:27:53 pm
Hold on, I'll dig the pack out of the bin...
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: nikki on 13 February, 2016, 10:39:02 pm
https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/Bx6EQvkIUAABXwk.mp4
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Wowbagger on 13 February, 2016, 10:45:32 pm
Wossorlthis about George Osborne and pencils then?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Woofage on 14 March, 2016, 10:06:38 pm
Hand made in England silver pencil pr0n:

(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpl1/v/t1.0-9/12715582_1142648935775447_4855084121366202242_n.jpg?oh=acf44554500b7104e9acfbf24e04a40a&oe=57883426)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Sergeant Pluck on 31 March, 2016, 11:24:58 pm
Are mechanical pencils allowed here?

Lots of mechanical pencils are rubbish. Here is one that is not rubbish, and is also free - if you spend a piffling £40 at Cult Pens. In fact, the £40 total can include the cost of the soon-to-be-free pencil.

https://www.cultpens.com/c/q/special-offers/uni-kuru-toga-pencil-free-with-40-spend

Quote
The unique gear mechanism of the Kuru Toga rotates the lead every time it touches the paper, resulting in a clean cone-shaped tip

Need I say more? No. But I will add that it writes superbly, and that the twisting action described above does indeed work.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Kim on 31 March, 2016, 11:33:32 pm
Quote
The unique gear mechanism of the Kuru Toga rotates the lead every time it touches the paper, resulting in a clean cone-shaped tip

Need I say more? No. But I will add that it writes superbly, and that the twisting action described above does indeed work.

Okay, I'm tempted.  Which is silly, as I can't remember the last time I used a pencil for anything other than carpentry.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: ElyDave on 01 April, 2016, 12:34:30 am
I use them all the time, very effective at writing on damp notepads on the side of a Cumbrian hill or the deck of a monsoon ridden FPSO. I tend to keep the more modest versions of propelling pencils though, and not averse to swiping the disposables from hotels.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Canardly on 01 April, 2016, 04:54:13 pm
Have just completed my first tech drawing on tracing paper after more years than I care to remember, for domestic use. Used a Rotring Ticky 0.5 HB pencil for initial drafting lines. The leads provided in these are a dark and horrible HB which does not erase cleanly at all in comparison with say, a Pentel HB insert.  (and why can't I find a 0.7mm which are much stronger?)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 01 April, 2016, 05:43:39 pm
Here you go:

http://www.cultpens.com/i/q/RT08414/rotring-tikky-3-pencil-black-barrel

0.7 or 0.35 or 1 for that matter.

Uni Nano Dia leads are quite good. Smooth and stronger than normal leads.

Cult pens are ace but bad for the wallet.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Sergeant Pluck on 01 April, 2016, 05:55:46 pm
Okay, I'm tempted. 

Packet of Haribo with every order...
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Canardly on 01 April, 2016, 07:48:20 pm
Here you go:

http://www.cultpens.com/i/q/RT08414/rotring-tikky-3-pencil-black-barrel (http://www.cultpens.com/i/q/RT08414/rotring-tikky-3-pencil-black-barrel)

0.7 or 0.35 or 1 for that matter.

Uni Nano Dia leads are quite good. Smooth and stronger than normal leads.

Cult pens are ace but bad for the wallet.

Ah thankee.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: woollypigs on 09 May, 2016, 04:11:36 am
Have we had this?

http://sproutworld.com/products/sprout-pencil/
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: perpetual dan on 09 May, 2016, 07:22:55 am
That's christmas sorted!
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: nikki on 09 September, 2016, 01:00:58 pm
Tiger releases stationery range designed by David Shrigley (https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/5-11-september-2016/tiger-releases-stationery-range-designed-david-shrigley/):

(https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/centaur-wp/designweek/prod/content/uploads/2016/09/08154609/1503248_shrigley-500x500.jpg)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Charlotte on 29 November, 2016, 10:47:51 am
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/175E965B-0A1F-4AFC-921D-C79E73D5BEC1_zps2owm0l7f.jpg)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Woofage on 29 November, 2016, 02:05:54 pm
Do you want meatballs with that?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 02 August, 2018, 01:35:51 pm
I just received this beauty from Cult Pens along with a load of Lamy roller ball refills:

(https://www.cultpens.com/imgs/products/cp/450x450_fitPad/OH10176-ZZZ~OHTO-Super-Promecha-Mechanical-Pencil-PM-1500P_P1.jpg)

Its an Ohto Super Promecha !

What a name and its all metal with a choice of four lead sizes. I got my usual 0.7mm.

Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: T42 on 02 August, 2018, 02:18:09 pm
Nice.

I just found it on Amazon.fr for 10,24€. Oops. Click. Bought.  How did that happen?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Beardy on 02 August, 2018, 02:50:42 pm
Ooo, a Pencil thread.

I used to do all my maths degree scripts in pencil because I just preferred it that way. I hate doing sums with ink sticks

Anyway, here's a special number pencil

https://mathsgear.co.uk/products/truncatable-prime-pencil (https://mathsgear.co.uk/products/truncatable-prime-pencil)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: andytheflyer on 02 August, 2018, 04:03:24 pm
I use them all the time, very effective at writing on damp notepads on the side of a Cumbrian hill or the deck of a monsoon ridden FPSO. I tend to keep the more modest versions of propelling pencils though, and not averse to swiping the disposables from hotels.

Yup.  IME, many geologists use pencils and the Chartwell field books (#2647 was my favourite) because they work in the rain when pens and ordinary books don't.  And also surveyors when they need to write things down out on site.  I had loads of these with my borehole and trial pit soil and rock sample descriptions and groundwater level data from half the globe.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Legs on 02 August, 2018, 04:10:25 pm
Like Beardy, I did nearly all my uni work in pencil (much to the chagrin of my Director of Studies).  When you're doing sums (or trying to do TRICKY sums), it's so much more reassuring when you know that if you cock it up a bit you won't have to resort to (i) starting again, or (ii) unleashing a 'woolly bear' (what my schoolmate James used to call a crossing-out).
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: hellymedic on 02 August, 2018, 04:19:22 pm
Pencils don't FAIL through disuse. Ballpoints do.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jurek on 02 August, 2018, 06:15:56 pm
I appear to have clicked.
Twice.  ;D
1 x OHTO Super Promecha Pencil PM-1500P 0.9mm
1 x OHTO Promecha OP-1000P 0.9mm

Avid pencil user here.0.9 Pentel P209  (https://tinyurl.com/ybheltda) is my daily weapon of choice, with the tubular tip Dremelled until it is only ~ 1 to 2 mm long.
No stabby leggy when in pocket.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 02 August, 2018, 06:23:31 pm
I really like the Platinum Pressman. It was designed for writing kanji quickly. Allegedly, it's the pencil of choice with the shorthand writers who record proceedings in the Diet.

It takes special (100 mm long) leads, 2B, 0.9 mm only. That's  much thicker than I would choose for a pen, but I think it's brilliant for drawing and note taking.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Beardy on 02 August, 2018, 09:26:23 pm
I’d just like to say whomever it was that introduced me to cult pens website, you git. It has reawakened a yearning in me that I had forgotten about. Happily forgotten about. So many pencils. So many. Git git git.



 ;D
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: hubner on 02 August, 2018, 09:39:16 pm
I use pencils at work, for marking out and taking notes and I find the 10 for £1 all-plastic (maybe with a metal spring inside) mechanical pencils from the pound shop to be good enough.

And I refill them when the leads run out.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 02 August, 2018, 09:45:28 pm
I’d just like to say whomever it was that introduced me to cult pens website, you git. It has reawakened a yearning in me that I had forgotten about. Happily forgotten about. So many pencils. So many. Git git git.



 ;D

It gets worse; there are pens, and ink, and paper....
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: T42 on 03 August, 2018, 08:33:12 am
Sharpened one of these the other day, with a chisel of course:

(http://www.pbase.com/image/167907614.jpg)

Sorry about the ghastly lighting, the workshop has half a dozen fluorescents of different colour temperatures.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: woollypigs on 03 August, 2018, 10:30:58 am
T42 please could you put that in a spoiler tag, that is just filthy dirty p0rn !!!

The utter joy it is to use and then when you sharpen it you get your favorite pocket knife or even a chisel out. I have many happy memories from my granddads workshop sharping his pencils, while he worked away.   
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: T42 on 03 August, 2018, 12:59:15 pm
My dad had a vicious little pocket-knife that he'd received as a freebie from a paint rep before WW2.  The main blade had broken at some point and he had ground it down to a shape like a butcher's boning-knife. He kept it as sharp as a scalpel.  He didn't just sharpen pencils with it, he used to set our teeth on edge by paring his fingernails with it. All his pencils - he was a draughtsman - had murderous points.

When I bought a couple of Mars Staedtler mechanical pencils he looked at them and said "yes, some of the young chaps in the drawing office use the new stuff too. Don't ask them to sharpen anything, they can't".
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: woollypigs on 03 August, 2018, 02:41:37 pm
^ That sounds like my granddad.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: T42 on 03 August, 2018, 02:53:28 pm
Possibly the same generation - 1909 vintage.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: woollypigs on 03 August, 2018, 06:27:30 pm
'ish he was from the early '20s
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jurek on 04 August, 2018, 10:20:13 am
I'm liking these Cult Pen people, but that's probably not a good thing.....

Order for two pencils placed on Friday evening.
Postie has delivered it just now.
Along with a complimentary Staedtler pigment liner.
And a packet of Haribos!

The Super Promecha is satisfyingly heavy, beautifully engineered, and heavy on features.
I know!!!! It's only a pencil. ::-)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: T42 on 04 August, 2018, 11:13:32 am
'ish he was from the early '20s

You're making me feel old.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: woollypigs on 04 August, 2018, 11:37:27 am
Well he was a later starter where the other grand dad is from 1910 :)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jurek on 04 August, 2018, 01:48:40 pm
Oh shhhhhhit!!!

I've just discovered Loclen.

Must.    Not.     Click.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 06 August, 2018, 05:51:30 pm
I used to be a real snob with my Rotring pencils, original brass.

When starting this job, was worried about things going missing. Bought a Rotring Tikky. It is plastic. Just plastic.

However, it looks right. Works brilliantly, the grip is good. Being light is good, because it gets carted about in my shirt pocket from meeting to meeting.

They are damn fine pencils for the money.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jurek on 06 August, 2018, 06:24:52 pm
I used to be a real snob with my Rotring pencils, original brass.

When starting this job, was worried about things going missing. Bought a Rotring Tikky. It is plastic. Just plastic.

However, it looks right. Works brilliantly, the grip is good. Being light is good, because it gets carted about in my shirt pocket from meeting to meeting.

They are damn fine pencils for the money.

(https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1831/42079390060_5f9f2da18e_z.jpg)
The distressed (by me) Rotring 600 dates back to my school days.
I milled a 3mm slot in opposite sides of the hex barrel so that you could see how much lead was left.
In practice, this didn't work, as the plastic tube which contained the lead was covered in graphite dust - and you couldn't see what was in there. :facepalm:

The silver one is from the late 80's early 90's.
I put it in a lathe and made it around 11mm shorter - so that it would fit into a particular wallet.

I'm happy to report that these days, I'm getting out much more.

ETA - Oh, and the top cap on the 600 is not Rotring, it is from a Staedtler, which is much more pleasing, aesthetically.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Woofage on 10 August, 2018, 01:16:55 pm
At this point I would like to remind the good people of yACF that there are many fine independent stationery retailers here in the UK (both on-line and in real shops). Please put your business with them as they're nice people, their businesses are not owned by a bunch of <your personal description goes here> and, finally, they pay their taxes :smug:.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Clare on 10 August, 2018, 01:43:45 pm
Must remember to order converters.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 10 August, 2018, 08:00:44 pm
At this point I would like to remind the good people of yACF that there are many fine independent stationery retailers here in the UK (both on-line and in real shops). Please put your business with them as they're nice people, their businesses are not owned by a bunch of <your personal description goes here> and, finally, they pay their taxes :smug:.

I second this. I have bought stuff from four independent Internet based  pen sellers, and found them to be excellent.

Thinks; I've run out of De Atramentis document Ink...
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 12 August, 2018, 09:31:26 am
Mr Woofages online emporium is very good I've bought fountain pen things from their before and I'd also like to give a shout out to Signatures in Fossgate York. A proper old fashioned shop where they know there onions about pens.

http://www.signaturesofyork.co.uk

They have a web site but don't sell online.

Cult Pens though have the most massive selection of mechanical pencils I have found in the UK by a huge margin. As they say they should probably be called Cult Pencils.

And then there is the grand daddy of all pencil review sites Dave's Mechanical Pencils. You can waste much time there if you have any interest in pencils:

http://davesmechanicalpencils.blogspot.com/

Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: T42 on 12 August, 2018, 01:35:15 pm
What's the finest lead you can get?  I'm using 0.5 mm in the workshop and it's too thick.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Vernon on 12 August, 2018, 01:41:14 pm
Having just spent too long on Daves mechanical pencils, you can get 0.3mm pencils (e.g. the Pentel P203). I don't know how readily available they are though.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: woollypigs on 12 August, 2018, 01:42:26 pm
What's the finest lead you can get?  I'm using 0.5 mm in the workshop and it's too thick.
I enjoy writing with 0.3 mm lead in my Rotring.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: T42 on 12 August, 2018, 03:12:22 pm
Is it a specifically 0.3 Rotring or a 0.5 with a 0.3 mm lead?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: woollypigs on 12 August, 2018, 03:31:30 pm
https://www.amazon.com/rOtring-0-3mm-Mechanical-Pencil-502503N/dp/B001A1PORW

That one is a 500, I'm sure mine is a 600. I scraped the decal off mine as that made it easier to find in a class of 20 all armed with Rotring's.

Looks like it is more 0.35mm than 0.3mm.

Just looked at the Rotring website and I can't find a 0.3mm there.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Chris N on 12 August, 2018, 03:43:57 pm
https://www.cultpens.com/c/q/explore/product-type/pencils/mechanical-pencils#:=&g_tip_size=02mm :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jurek on 12 August, 2018, 04:33:17 pm
https://www.amazon.com/rOtring-0-3mm-Mechanical-Pencil-502503N/dp/B001A1PORW

That one is a 500, I'm sure mine is a 600. I scraped the decal off mine as that made it easier to find in a class of 20 all armed with Rotring's.

Looks like it is more 0.35mm than 0.3mm.

Just looked at the Rotring website and I can't find a 0.3mm there.
The two 600s I have, the entire barrel is fashioned from brass.
On the contemporary one only the knurled section is brass (or other metal). The rest is plastic.
An excellent way for  the bean counters to kill the quality of a product, in one fell swoop. :(
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: hubner on 12 August, 2018, 04:46:19 pm
https://www.amazon.com/rOtring-0-3mm-Mechanical-Pencil-502503N/dp/B001A1PORW

That one is a 500, I'm sure mine is a 600. I scraped the decal off mine as that made it easier to find in a class of 20 all armed with Rotring's.

Looks like it is more 0.35mm than 0.3mm.

Just looked at the Rotring website and I can't find a 0.3mm there.
The two 600s I have, the entire barrel is fashioned from brass.
On the contemporary one only the knurled section is brass (or other metal). The rest is plastic.
An excellent way for  the bean counters to kill the quality of a product, in one fell swoop. :(

I was looking for an all-metal mec pencil and the Rotring 600 was one I was considering:
https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/RT27369/rotring-600-drafting-pencil-silver
Quote

rotring 600 mechanical pencil - an old favourite now made available again. Heavy metal hexagonal barrel with cylindrical knurled grip. 4mm fixed sleeve. Removable metal pocket clip. Lead grade indicator (2B-4H including F). Eraser under the push-button. Matt silver finish - also available in black.

Supplied in a card box.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jurek on 12 August, 2018, 04:54:05 pm
https://www.amazon.com/rOtring-0-3mm-Mechanical-Pencil-502503N/dp/B001A1PORW

That one is a 500, I'm sure mine is a 600. I scraped the decal off mine as that made it easier to find in a class of 20 all armed with Rotring's.

Looks like it is more 0.35mm than 0.3mm.

Just looked at the Rotring website and I can't find a 0.3mm there.
The two 600s I have, the entire barrel is fashioned from brass.
On the contemporary one only the knurled section is brass (or other metal). The rest is plastic.
An excellent way for  the bean counters to kill the quality of a product, in one fell swoop. :(

I was looking for an all-metal mec pencil and the Rotring 600 was one I was considering:
https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/RT27369/rotring-600-drafting-pencil-silver
Quote

rotring 600 mechanical pencil - an old favourite now made available again. Heavy metal hexagonal barrel with cylindrical knurled grip. 4mm fixed sleeve. Removable metal pocket clip. Lead grade indicator (2B-4H including F). Eraser under the push-button. Matt silver finish - also available in black.

Supplied in a card box.
Oh! that looks very nice, and is competitively priced.
The only issue I have is that the lead sleeve isn't retractable - which can lead to holes in legs, and it is quite vulnerable if you drop it  - as it isn't a lightweight instrument.
More modern instruments have overcome this either by making the sleeve retractable, or the pencil light in weight.

I've just been searching for Rotring Rapidoliner piston filled, fountain pens - which was, I think, the first Rotring instrument I owned.
They're rare.
And prices are eye-watering.
Enough about ink on this pencil thread!!
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: woollypigs on 12 August, 2018, 05:35:56 pm
https://www.amazon.com/rOtring-0-3mm-Mechanical-Pencil-502503N/dp/B001A1PORW

That one is a 500, I'm sure mine is a 600. I scraped the decal off mine as that made it easier to find in a class of 20 all armed with Rotring's.

Looks like it is more 0.35mm than 0.3mm.

Just looked at the Rotring website and I can't find a 0.3mm there.
The two 600s I have, the entire barrel is fashioned from brass.
On the contemporary one only the knurled section is brass (or other metal). The rest is plastic.
An excellent way for  the bean counters to kill the quality of a product, in one fell swoop. :(

I was looking for an all-metal mec pencil and the Rotring 600 was one I was considering:
https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/RT27369/rotring-600-drafting-pencil-silver
Quote

rotring 600 mechanical pencil - an old favourite now made available again. Heavy metal hexagonal barrel with cylindrical knurled grip. 4mm fixed sleeve. Removable metal pocket clip. Lead grade indicator (2B-4H including F). Eraser under the push-button. Matt silver finish - also available in black.

Supplied in a card box.
I got that one too, I was smarter then as I etched in my name on the body. I like this in the description "Ink Type: Graphite" :)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: T42 on 13 August, 2018, 08:17:21 am
https://www.amazon.com/rOtring-0-3mm-Mechanical-Pencil-502503N/dp/B001A1PORW

That one is a 500, I'm sure mine is a 600. I scraped the decal off mine as that made it easier to find in a class of 20 all armed with Rotring's.

Looks like it is more 0.35mm than 0.3mm.

Just looked at the Rotring website and I can't find a 0.3mm there.

I couldn't either.  Crikey, the prices go from pocket fluff to bloody hell.  I'll maybe nip into Haguenau and see what the Maison du Livre (House of Liver) has to offer.

https://www.cultpens.com/c/q/explore/product-type/pencils/mechanical-pencils#:=&g_tip_size=02mm :thumbsup:

Cheers.  Amazon here carry quite a few too.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Woofage on 14 August, 2018, 06:09:07 pm
Mr Woofages online emporium is very good I've bought fountain pen things from their before

Thank you, sir :thumbsup:. Although we're fountain pen specialists we do carry a nice selection of pencils, both traditional wooden and mechanical.

BTW, we're not just on-line as we have a real shop where you can come and properly look and try things. Proudly independent too!
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Beardy on 14 August, 2018, 06:41:12 pm
Mr Woofages online emporium is very good I've bought fountain pen things from their before

Thank you, sir :thumbsup:. Although we're fountain pen specialists we do carry a nice selection of pencils, both traditional wooden and mechanical.

BTW, we're not just on-line as we have a real shop where you can come and properly look and try things. Proudly independent too!
TPINGWAL








This post is no good without a link
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jurek on 14 August, 2018, 06:57:05 pm
Mr Woofages online emporium is very good I've bought fountain pen things from their before

Thank you, sir :thumbsup:. Although we're fountain pen specialists we do carry a nice selection of pencils, both traditional wooden and mechanical.

BTW, we're not just on-line as we have a real shop where you can come and properly look and try things. Proudly independent too!
TPINGWAL








This post is no good without a link

My bold.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: woollypigs on 14 August, 2018, 07:24:41 pm
If you click on the message that Woofage quoted above aka the message from pcolbeck, you will find full post which includes the URL :)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Tim Hall on 14 August, 2018, 07:48:13 pm
If you click on the message that Woofage quoted above aka the message from pcolbeck, you will find full post which includes the URL :)

No, I think the links in pcolbeck's message are to two other places. Woofage's modest emporium is, I'm pretty sure, The Writing Desk.  Here's a link:
https://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk (https://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Beardy on 14 August, 2018, 08:56:19 pm
What I want is a device with Apple Pencil functionality that at a twist or a press reveals it’s hidden graphite pencil mechanics.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jakob W on 14 August, 2018, 11:26:58 pm
Rotring 800+ does that I believe...
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: hubner on 19 August, 2018, 10:40:18 am
Are there any actual all-metal mec pencils?

It seems the £23 Rotring 600 and the £43(!) Rotring 800 whilst both having metal barrels have plastic parts inside.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Cunobelin on 19 August, 2018, 11:51:03 am
What I want is a device with Apple Pencil functionality that at a twist or a press reveals it’s hidden graphite pencil mechanics.


Not available at the present time

Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jurek on 19 August, 2018, 12:22:41 pm
Are there any actual all-metal mec pencils?

It seems the £23 Rotring 600 and the £43(!) Rotring 800 whilst both having metal barrels have plastic parts inside.

Loclen L3
When you're not writing with it you can use it as a boat anchor.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: T42 on 19 August, 2018, 12:54:04 pm
Costs what it says on the box: "raw brass".
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jurek on 19 August, 2018, 04:58:47 pm
Costs what it says on the box: "raw brass".
"Hand crafted in Italy"
What were you expecting?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: hubner on 19 August, 2018, 05:23:00 pm
"Handcrafted" in a CNC machine:

(https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/002/765/730/2844300ecdf87e6cbf1ab99a02c479e7_original.jpg?w=680&fit=max&v=1413730193&auto=format&q=92&s=13d5e8f678f100492311909041da9603)
(https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/002/765/735/5a6f191ff0ee46276c134b186a669bac_original.jpg?w=680&fit=max&v=1413730247&auto=format&q=92&s=14b09305ad00fd076525403985adf5d4)

Well you need someone to use their hands to take the pen out of the machine.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: hubner on 06 July, 2019, 02:26:15 pm
I've finally got round to getting some "metal" pencils!

(https://i.imgur.com/1xOKCp0.jpg)

Ignore the first pencil, I got it years ago and just happens to be in the photo.

The 3 middle pencils are made by Ohto and are aparently all metal except for the plastic tube that holds the spare leads and which connects the click button to the clutch. The barrel is made from aluminium and I guess brass and steel for the bits at the lead sleeve and clutch.

The bottom one is a Rotring 600 which has a brass barrel. Comes in silver or black. The silver is supposedly some sort of plating and is harder wearing whereas the black version is maybe a type of paint and wears off more easily.

The Ohto are:
Promecha 505P £6

This is very light and has a fixed lead sleeve. On my pencil, the lead advance button is loose on the barrel and rattles (fixed with a bit of sellotape), and the lead sleeve is slightly bent (straight but at at an angle to the pencil). The click has a light action and gives a clear and distinct click.


Promecha 1005P £8

This is much heavier and has a "retractable" lead sleeve. The lead sleeve is actually fixed and doesn't move, it's actually the rotating knurled grip that screws up and down the barrel that covers the lead sleeve.

I think this is better than a retractable lead sleeve that moves in and out. Retractable lead sleeves can have wobble at the tip and is an additional complication.

Again, the lead advance button is loose and rattles (fixed with a bit of sellotape). The action is heavier and slightly mushy.

The point of balance is towards the bottom writing end and the grip makes the pencil wider to hold. But the knurling is very smooth and doesn't provide much grip.


Super Promecha 1505P £10

Similar to the Promecha 1005P, about the same weight but has an adjustment to vary the length of lead advanced per click.

(https://i.imgur.com/hLNV0oo.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/e236QXK.jpg)

I think the click button, lead indicator and clip has a better looking design, the type of clip that just clips onto the pencil looks a bit crap to me.

However there's some downsides compared to the Promecha 1005P. The grip rides on very shallow males threads on the barrel, they're only about 0.2mm deep.

(https://i.imgur.com/KFEVVlg.jpg)

The pencil with the brass threads is the cheaper Promecha 1005P.
(https://i.imgur.com/Cq8IwGH.jpg)

The grip is also a loose fit, a bit of tape on the threads removes the wobble and makes it smoother to turn.

And the cutouts for the lead advance adjusting wheel weakens the barrel quite a lot.

The click button is also loose and rattles, on 4 out of 6 examples.


Rotring 600 silver, about £21* (black is usually cheaper)

(https://i.imgur.com/sxVGAR2.jpg)

This feels much more solid. The click feels better with more distinct "click". But the point of balance is at the middle of the barrel and the knurled area is more grippy but narrow and further down, with the pencil at an angle for normal writing your thumb would not be on the knurling. I think I prefer a bottom heavy pencil.

The click button is a very loose fit with a huge gap between it and the barrel. It only rattles a bit though, as I think there's less side to side movement of the spare lead tube inside the barrel. Needs 2 layers of tape to get rid of the gap.

The lead sleeve is fixed, but a Bic Round Stic cap fits and matches perfectly to protect it when not in use.

It's also expensive, double of the Ohto Super Promecha 1505P. Although I paid £16.50.

The box saids "full metal ... pencil" but it has plastic part(s) inside. And made in Japan.

*the price varies quite a bit, black is £17.50 currently on Amazon.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jurek on 14 July, 2019, 03:50:54 pm
(http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48281075466_db0c998035_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2gyr8DC) (https://flic.kr/p/2gyr8DC)   (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jurekb/)

Some Venn diagram overlap with my collection there, Hubner.

From the top:
Pentel PG  1019 Ammo =0.9
Super Promecha. Ammo = 0.9
Pentel Shaker. You advance the lead with a deft flick of the wrist. Lovely action. Ammo = 0.3
My daily scribble, I probably have a dozen or so of these Pentel 209s knocking about, all with their tips ground down to a couple of mm. So you can pocket it without perforating your leg. Ammo = 0.9
Faber-Castell Alphamatic, automatic feed. This was hideously expensive when I bought it in the late 80s - something like £25.00. I understand that these are quite desirable in the world of pencil collecting, these days. I've seen a secondhand one, paired with a pen on thiefbay for $1,000.00   Ammo = 0.3
Rotring 600. My oldest pencil, I bought this when I was at secondary school, and deliberately gave it a patina / weathered look by attacking it with a file. It has also been embellished with a Faber-Castell top cap, and I put it on a Bridgeport and milled 2 x 3mm slots on opposite faces of the hexagonal barrel (you can just about see this on the lowest face) so that you could ascertain how much lead you had in your pencil. Only you can't, because the tube which holds the graphite is plastic and becomes occluded with graphite dust, so you cannot tell what is in there anyway  ::-). Ammo = 0.5
Another Rotring 600, the way it left the Rotring factory. The wide-angle lens on my iPhone makes it look much shorter than the 600 above it. It's not. Ammo = 0.5.
A Rotring, the model of which escapes me. This one has a retractable cone and tip. In addition to which, I've shortened it by around 10mm in order to make it fit a wallet I was using at the time. Ammo = 0.5
Loclen L3 in silver. Very heavy, but sits in the hand beautifully. Minus points for no integral eraser - no good for me doing crosswords. Ammo = 0.9
Loclen L3 as above, but in black.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: T42 on 14 July, 2019, 04:04:53 pm
I've gone back to wooden pencils in the workshop: you can't draw a 50cm line on wood with a mechanical pencil without the point breaking.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Clare on 23 April, 2020, 03:05:46 pm
I tell you what, they are very good those Writing Desk (https://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk) people. My order arrived today, nicely packaged and all as it should be.


Shouldn't have looked at the Yard-O-Led blog though.


Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Sergeant Pluck on 25 April, 2020, 10:18:59 pm
I have a Lamy 2000 pencil that I use quite a bit. It’s the 0.5 mm version - sometimes wish I had bought the 0.7 tbh.

I am finding the Lamy HB 0.5 mm lead too hard and want a darker line. Can I use a B from another brand? There are 0.5mm B leads from Rotring and Pilot but the length is not listed.

https://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/ink-refills/pencil-leads/
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Efrogwr on 25 April, 2020, 11:04:43 pm
I have a Lamy 2000 pencil that I use quite a bit. It’s the 0.5 mm version - sometimes wish I had bought the 0.7 tbh.

I am finding the Lamy HB 0.5 mm lead too hard and want a darker line. Can I use a B from another brand? There are 0.5mm B leads from Rotring and Pilot but the length is not listed.

https://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/ink-refills/pencil-leads/

They are a standard length, so any lead will usually fit any pencil. There are a few weird exceptions, but they are fairly obvious.
I haven't tried Rotring or Pilot leads, but they should be good; other stuff from those firms is.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Woofage on 26 April, 2020, 10:20:26 am
I have a Lamy 2000 pencil that I use quite a bit. It’s the 0.5 mm version - sometimes wish I had bought the 0.7 tbh.

I am finding the Lamy HB 0.5 mm lead too hard and want a darker line. Can I use a B from another brand? There are 0.5mm B leads from Rotring and Pilot but the length is not listed.

https://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/ink-refills/pencil-leads/

I always use rotring B lead in my Lamy 2000 0.5mm pencil. I use the same in my Pelikan pencil too.

OTOH, I find Lamy 0.7mm HB leads ok for me despite my usual preference for a softer grade. When the factory supplied leads run out I normally refill with rotring or Pilot B grade.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Sergeant Pluck on 26 April, 2020, 10:16:20 pm
Thanks both. A couple of packs of B lead on the way.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 08 October, 2020, 09:16:48 am
For your delectation
https://www.makerscabinet.com/products/brass-hovel (https://www.makerscabinet.com/products/brass-hovel)

https://youtu.be/2SbHVehH004 (https://youtu.be/2SbHVehH004)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: robgul on 08 October, 2020, 09:38:17 am
For your delectation
https://www.makerscabinet.com/products/brass-hovel (https://www.makerscabinet.com/products/brass-hovel)

https://youtu.be/2SbHVehH004 (https://youtu.be/2SbHVehH004)

That's insane - at least the price is.    But nicely engineered

I shall continue with my Poundland sharpener (although I do have a nifty sharpener for those flat woodwork/carpentry pencils - and that was Aldi at £1.99 with 6 pencils)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 16 November, 2020, 10:39:03 am
I'll just leave this here, in time for Christmas

https://www.makerscabinet.com/products/brass-hovel
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Chris N on 16 November, 2020, 10:49:58 am
If you'd read the thread you could have got one in time for Halloween. ;)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Mr Larrington on 16 November, 2020, 11:05:09 am
I was intrigued by the idea of a brass hovel, and am now a little bit disappointed.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Ham on 16 November, 2020, 11:32:36 am
I'll just leave this here, in time for Christmas

https://www.makerscabinet.com/products/brass-hovel

 :-[
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: robgul on 16 November, 2020, 12:34:45 pm
I'll just leave this here, in time for Christmas

https://www.makerscabinet.com/products/brass-hovel

 :-[

I'm close to perfecting my pencil sharpening techniques - either with a disc sander machine . .  or a chisel.

The Hovel thing is great, just need to wait for $5 Chinese knock-off to be on Banggood or Aliexpress
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Canardly on 23 November, 2020, 09:55:20 am
Planting your pencil stubs for Christmas.

https://www.euronews.com/living/2020/11/22/you-can-turn-this-pencil-into-a-christmas-tree
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: slope on 02 January, 2021, 11:46:41 am
A mechanical pencil sharpener is required. The Mitsubishi KH-20 doesn't appear to be available in the UK :(

Does anyone have any thoughts or experiences of a Swordfish 'Curve' or 'Scholar'? The former is certainly more pleasing on the eye as well as wallet  ::-)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: ElyDave on 02 January, 2021, 01:39:42 pm
Bought myself an OHTO SuperProMecha as I seemed to have misplaced my other good mechanical pencil. It really is lovely to use.

I also bought myself a new clutch pencil as my other one had disappeared "Oh, I borrowed that" says Daughter No1 "but the lead went blunt so I'm not using it any more" :demon:

She now knows how to use a clutch pencip sharpener, and I also bought her a nice mechanical pencil for Christmas as she'd been coveting my Ohto
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: T42 on 02 January, 2021, 01:58:41 pm
I also bought myself a new clutch pencil as my other one had disappeared "Oh, I borrowed that" says Daughter No1 "but the lead went blunt so I'm not using it any more" :demon:

In my first job in computers we had a programmer who sat beside the stationery cupboard. When his pencil went blunt he would simply help himself to a sharp one.  We only discovered this when one of the other blokes went to get a new pencil and wailed.

At least they weren't chewed.

Programmer's name was Alex. I've only ever known two blokes called Alex and they were both shits.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 02 January, 2021, 07:31:23 pm
A mechanical pencil sharpener is required. The Mitsubishi KH-20 doesn't appear to be available in the UK :(

It is available in the UK. Cult Pens have it for starters:

https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/UN28293/mitsubishi-kh-20-desk-sharpener
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: slope on 13 January, 2021, 03:56:42 pm
A mechanical pencil sharpener is required. The Mitsubishi KH-20 doesn't appear to be available in the UK :(

It is available in the UK. Cult Pens have it for starters:

https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/UN28293/mitsubishi-kh-20-desk-sharpener

It is again now, back in stock as of today BUT, this arrived today, so up yours Mitsubishi ;D

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50831920447_12f691a240_o.jpg)

And yes, intemperance and insanity are finally confirmed at Snowdon Towers
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: slope on 14 January, 2021, 02:03:26 pm
Faber Castell No52/20 N desk pencil sharpener restoration

https://youtu.be/cF02NKnQeIk

Edit: SORRY - are adverts now the youtube? Did this happen this week?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: woollypigs on 14 January, 2021, 05:18:44 pm
Nice, that is a good channel to follow. But what adverts are you speaking about ?

/me got Ublock and Badger installed so don't see stuff like that ;)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Davef on 15 January, 2021, 08:32:59 am
If you are going to do it properly

https://youtu.be/wn1XnrZQabM
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 03 January, 2024, 11:46:20 am
I have 'pretty' mechanical pencils and pens (christmas presents). Also, worn-out rotrings.

Bit fed up of using them for work jotting. Leads either wobble, or don't extend well, and snap.

So, during xmas break I bought myself a utilitarian 'propelling' pencil. Faber-Castell Grip Plus.

It is excellent in all ways except aesthetics.
Lead extends well, and the whole nib/lead holder retracts.
No lead wobble.
Eraser is permanently exposed, hence quick to use. It is a long eraser, about 30mm, extruded by a rotating knob. Spare came with pencil.
Absolute bargain at £9.99.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 03 January, 2024, 02:04:13 pm
Double absolute bargain at half the price! https://www.cassart.co.uk/faber-castell-grip-plus-mechanical-pencil-0.7mm--metallic-green--c/
There's a branch in town, hmm...
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Beardy on 03 January, 2024, 02:56:39 pm
I got a clutch pencil with 6mm lead as a Christmas present. It’s ather good.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Regulator on 03 January, 2024, 03:35:33 pm
I know it's not a pencil but I bought myself a Lumos Pro pen from Tom's Studio (https://tomsstudio.com/collections/lumos) recently and it's fab!  He also does a rather nice looking mechanical pencil. (https://tomsstudio.com/collections/creative-tools-designed-by-tom/products/toms-studio-mechanical-pencil)
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Woofage on 03 January, 2024, 03:46:34 pm
Faber-Castell Grip Plus.

It is excellent in all ways except aesthetics.

I don't mind the appearance. It's functional.
I've had mine (blue, 0.7mm) for over 6 years and it gets daily use in the workshop. I blagged it from the F-C UK distributor at a trade show. Bargain indeed! :smug:
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Vernon on 04 January, 2024, 08:42:56 pm
He also does a rather nice looking mechanical pencil. (https://tomsstudio.com/collections/creative-tools-designed-by-tom/products/toms-studio-mechanical-pencil)

I bought one of these (0.7mm in Ivy) when over in the UK recently. It is a thing of beauty with a pleasing weight and heft. I'm not sure I am as enamoured of the click of the mechanism as Tom is, but that is because the metal on metal scrape of the pusher on the barrel gets in the way. That will hopefully wear over time and quieten down.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: pcolbeck on 09 January, 2024, 01:48:25 pm
I know it's not a pencil but I bought myself a Lumos Pro pen from Tom's Studio (https://tomsstudio.com/collections/lumos) recently and it's fab!  He also does a rather nice looking mechanical pencil. (https://tomsstudio.com/collections/creative-tools-designed-by-tom/products/toms-studio-mechanical-pencil)

I got a mat black Lumus Write for Christmas from Mrs Pcolbeck. I'm using it with the 0.5 tip and it writes beautifully.
I love that you can just refill it with any fountain pen ink.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Andy W on 09 January, 2024, 02:32:58 pm
It's occurred to me that some people are being lead  astray  here
OK, it's graphite
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 09 January, 2024, 04:29:52 pm
It's occurred to me that some people are being lead  astray  here
OK, it's graphite
Are you going soft?

Clutching at leads?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Woofage on 09 January, 2024, 04:39:53 pm
Some don't see the point.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: MattH on 09 January, 2024, 05:09:56 pm
Let's just draw a line under this.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Beardy on 09 January, 2024, 06:24:26 pm
I think people need to,sharpen up their ideas
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Bluebottle on 09 January, 2024, 08:23:17 pm
Hard!
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: robgul on 09 January, 2024, 08:53:09 pm
And here in the land of the Bard . . .  2B or not 2B ?
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Jurek on 09 January, 2024, 09:06:08 pm
And here in the land of the Bard . . .  2B or not 2B ?
Ver' good.
On several levels. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Woofage on 09 January, 2024, 11:41:30 pm
Indeed. I like it Mordan the other comments.
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Regulator on 10 January, 2024, 09:37:43 am
I know it's not a pencil but I bought myself a Lumos Pro pen from Tom's Studio (https://tomsstudio.com/collections/lumos) recently and it's fab!  He also does a rather nice looking mechanical pencil. (https://tomsstudio.com/collections/creative-tools-designed-by-tom/products/toms-studio-mechanical-pencil)

I got a mat black Lumus Write for Christmas from Mrs Pcolbeck. I'm using it with the 0.5 tip and it writes beautifully.
I love that you can just refill it with any fountain pen ink.


A StudioPocket Fountain Pen also made it's way into my shopping basket...  :-[
Title: Re: Pencil fetish
Post by: Beardy on 10 January, 2024, 03:48:21 pm
I’m looking at the Lomos web science with the intention of making a purchase as a birthday gift for Ms Beardy the elder. It’s not very good web science so if anyone has any pointers on what’s what I’d be grateful.