[split] Mechanical Pencils and High Quality Lead

[RamLab]

Faber-Castell, old ones and new ones, lot's of Pentel P205's, Pilot H225 and and Rotring's.
RamLab

[vaklaff]

(10-07-2024 09:16 PM)johnb Wrote:  My current favorite pencil is a Pentel GraphGear 1000, which completely retracts the tip into the barrel so it doesn't poke me.

Same here, you are not alone! Nice to see a real expert among all these uninitiated ;-)

(10-07-2024 09:16 PM)johnb Wrote:  I'm definitely a rollerball or gel pen guy for most of my workaday writing. However, I just found my father's circa-1950's Parker Model 21 fountain pen, still in excellent condition, and I'm strongly debating having it cleaned and refurbished. HP's may be old-school, but fountain pens are really old school!

Give it a try! Not because it’s oldschool but because you might actually like it. What’s there to lose?

I’ve been a fountain pen guy my whole life. Occasionally tried this and that but always came back, anything else feels like effort. Might be subjective though. Or an imprint from the first grade where the fountain pens were mandatory.

[nickapos]

I am also a fan of fountain pens, I have a small collection. For the last few months I have been using one of my favourite models, a vintage Parker 45 flighter.

On the pencil side I use a kuru toga and a zebra unbreakable mechanical pencil.
Mostly the kuru toga though, it’s always sharp.
I usually prefer 1B lead when I can find them.

[Jase]

(10-25-2024 05:22 PM)nickapos Wrote:  I usually prefer 1B lead when I can find them.

Yep, agree. 1B (or just B) lead is the best.
HB is a bit too hard, and 2B is a bit too soft and smudgey (but I'm a lefty, and so I'm a bit sensitive to smudging

[Thomas Klemm]

[Jase]

(10-26-2024 06:52 AM)Thomas Klemm Wrote:  

That's funny.
And yes, I'm quite aware that I purposely don't close out a parenthetical statement when ending with an emoticon.

It's just the right way to scribe - same as using the Oxford comma!

[cdmackay]

[I switch to square brackets ]

[Craig Bladow]

Pentel GraphGear 1000 and Ain Stein HB leads arrived today and are working out very well.
At least they were cheaper than a YASC*.




* YASC, "Yet Another Swiss Calculator".

[cdmackay]

Would anyone have experience on the P200 series vs the Graphgear 500 or 1000, please?

Mind you, they're cheap enough I ought to just try the latter.

[Craig Bladow]

What the GraphGear 1000. (< 10 USD on Amazon USA) has that a Pentel P200 doesn't:
Retractable point so a pocket protector is not needed!
A more comfortable grip for me as it has a larger diameter barrel, doesn't taper, and is more slip resistant as the oval holes in the grip are actually soft rubber like bumps.
More shiny!

[cdmackay]

thank you Craig.

[johnb]

(10-31-2024 09:50 PM)cdmackay Wrote:  Would anyone have experience on the P200 series vs the Graphgear 500 or 1000, please?

Also, don't bother with the GraphGear 500. It's the 1000's poor and uneducated cousin, and is barely even an also-ran. I honestly don't understand why that model even exists.

[HPing]

I thought the GraphGear 1000 wrote like a top-tier pencil. The 500 is a great daily professional option at a lower price.

See the video and the video comments below. People comment Pentel is using different metals and that the pencils might differ for global markets.

https://youtu.be/Xs5f943zG0U?si=FNnQvTxMDt2yZl3z

[cdmackay]

thank you both.

[agarza]

After 30+ years of loyal service, my Rapidomatic 5640 finally threw in the towel!

The inside thread of the barrel gave up after all those years of playing with it. (screwing and unscrewing... ?)

Any clever fixes out there? Or is it time to accept fate and grab a Rotring 600?

[HPing]

(11-01-2024 11:19 PM)agarza Wrote:  After 30+ years of loyal service, my Rapidomatic 5640 finally threw in the towel!

The inside thread of the barrel gave up after all those years of playing with it. (screwing and unscrewing... ?)

Any clever fixes out there? Or is it time to accept fate and grab a Rotring 600?

There are people who have fixed these:
https://www.reddit.com/r/mechanicalpenci...40_repair/

[Jim Horn]

I've been very pleased with the uni Kuru Toga 0.5 and use them both at work and home office. For pens, while the Pilot G2 0.5mm family is used in my various padfolios and desks, my go-to favorite by far has been the Pilot Vanishing Point with an extra fine nib. Never skips. Never leaks. No top to remove and reattach every time it's used. Takes ordinary Pilot ink cartridges or can be filled from a bottle. Earlier ones were sold as "Namiki", not Pilot but both have been absolutely terrific.

Being a full time design engineer, my drawings and notes are my constant output. With arthritic thumbs, the ability of the fountain pen to write well with negligible pressure is most appreciated. Same is true of the Kuru Toga with proper leads. Good tools!

[Jase]

(11-04-2024 08:56 PM)Jim Horn Wrote:  ...with proper leads.

Such an appropriate qualifier.
I'd rather a cheap mechanical pencil with quality lead, than an expensive mechanical pencil with the default cr@p lead they usually give you.

Of course what I most prefer, is the best of both!

[HPing]

(11-04-2024 08:56 PM)Jim Horn Wrote:  With arthritic thumbs, the ability of the fountain pen to write well with negligible pressure is most appreciated.

Pilot did something with the Dr. Grip that lets me write long days with no pain. I think the secret is the flare at the bottom of the grip but not sure. The grip is relatively soft and thick too.

The clear grips (silicone) are a bit softer and better IMHO. They have black and white grips which have a different consistency.

These have some seal from the Arthritis Foundation - Ease of Use. I don't have arthritis and don't know about the foundation.

The Dr. Grip is available in Pen and Pencil form.
- The ink pens write nicely. I suspect the G2 is their best inkpen but it doesn't have the same egronomics.

- The pencils might need to be ordered from Japan (maybe Amazon). They are excellent. A shaker feature is available which is addictive and practical; the extra heft is welcomed.

- The 4+1 multi pen with pencil has low-quality pens IMHO. I don't like how the ink writes, even in a pinch.

- I think Pilot calls 0.7mm "medium" in some markets so double check size.