Mechanical Pencil or Wooden Pencil?

[Noah Abrams]

Yes there are some ancient species like myself who still do handwriting, and use pencil too.

So that obligatory disclaimer aside, which is your preference?

 

[Not So Mild]

I always thought mechanical pencils went obsolete 15 years ago. But to answer your question, use pens instead.

 

[Noah Abrams]

There is something too permanent about using a pen....its a psychological thing with me, I think.

 

[Anubis]

Pens > mechanical > wooden

 

[madoka]

I have several hundred mechanical pencils from cheapies to high end drafting pencils. I prefer the reasonably priced Alpha Gel Shakers to the more expensive mechanical pencils or fancy wooden pencils like the Palomino Blackwings. I like mine in 0.5 mm with 4B lead for smoothness. If only Alpha would make non-crappy erasers for the Alpha, it would be near perfect.

 

[Not So Mild]

I have several hundred mechanical pencils from cheapies to high end drafting pencils. I prefer the reasonably priced Alpha Gel Shakers to the more expensive mechanical pencils or fancy wooden pencils like the Palomino Blackwings. I like mine in 0.5 mm with 4B lead for smoothness. If only Alpha would make non-crappy erasers for the Alpha, it would be near perfect.

I don't understand any of the other words, but 0.5mm is where it's at. I've tried 0.3 but that's just too needly and 0.7 is like using a paintbrush.

 

[Nashemon]

I always thought mechanical pencils went obsolete 15 years ago. But to answer your question, use pens instead.

Not at all. Any art or drafting store has loads of them, plus they offer huge conveniences over wooden pencils.

I love a good mechanical pencil. I have a fascination with writing instruments in general, and could probably go on forever about them. I believe I've asked for "a nice pen" for Christmas every year for the past decade, and I always carry one with me. In school, an entire pocket of my backpack was full of various pens and mech pencils. The first thing I do when I get a new one is completely disassemble it to learn its mechanisms for operating.

I used to despise mech pencils with the itty bitty erasers, but have grown to appreciate them for correcting very minor errors in a pinch. I think trying to use them in school to erase a whole sentence traumatized me.

Over the years, I've settled on my favorite mechanical pencil being the Pentel Twist-Erase, that I picked up in college. It was a .5, and I recently found a .7, and .9 at a drafting store. For pens, it's the Pentel R.S.V.P. A very cheap ball--point pen. I've never been a huge fan of gel inks. By the way, for quality Pentel > Pentech.

I also use a wooden carpenter's pencil from time to time around the house.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Carpenter's pencil, which are made of wood.

 

[Noah Abrams]

For some reason I usually find .7 a tad too thick and .5 a little too fine!

 

[monkeydelmagico]

mechanical for writing on paper. Wooden for carpentry/shop pencil

 

[Scarpozzi]

Carpenter's pencil, which are made of wood.

Don't forget the refillable plastic type:
https://www.googleadservices.com/pa...hUKEwjToLrKzOzaAhUEq1MKHX_4Da0Q9aACCDQ&adurl=

 

[lxskllr]

I like both. Mechanicals are more precise, but I like the feel of wood, and hand sharpening them with a knife. I use 2H woodies 99% of the time anymore.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

Ticonderoga pencils with a Staedtler sharpener or get out of my face.

 

[RLGL]

I use a mechanical pencil for laying out my cuts etc in the wood shop and a carpenters pencil for the coarse layouts

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Ticonderoga pencils with a Staedtler sharpener or get out of my face.

Seems like a rather visceral reaction to the question. Do you frequently become annoyed by thoughts of sub-standard writing utensils?

 

[Bubbleawsome]

Seems like a rather visceral reaction to the question. Do you frequently become annoyed by thoughts of sub-standard writing utensils?

Anything but the best is a waste of time

/s in case it's needed

 

[Ns1]

quicker clicker .5 for standard writing
prismacolors for color
t'gaal sharpener

 

[clamum]

Mechanical pencils over wooden, or regular, pencils. I have a steel barreled pencil that I bought when I started taking grad classes, maybe this one, and I like it a lot. I use an ink pen at work but I don't like the fact I can't erase when it comes to school work so I went the pencil route instead.

 

[DigDog]

i really dont like mechanical pencils, i break the tip constantly.

also, i'd rather use a fountain pen, but if it needs be, i would go wood pencil.

1. fountain pen
2. soft tip
3. ball point
4. wood pencil
5. mechanical

 

[madoka]

i really dont like mechanical pencils, i break the tip constantly.

Try this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Zebra-DelGuard-Mechanical-Pencil-P-MA85-BK/dp/B00NN3Z4EI

It retracts the lead when you push down too hard so it's more difficult to break the tip.

 

[madoka]

Ticonderoga pencils with a Staedtler sharpener or get out of my face.

While it is a good sharpener, I had three of those Staedtler sharpeners have the lid break off and spill lead dust inside my backpack. I've found some other ones that I've become more fond of.

 

[Not So Mild]

I almost forgot how much of a pain it was to have to have a pencil sharpener on hand. Another reason why pens are my daily driver. I will say that using wooden pencils have their uses (in the shop for instance), but mechanical pencils should have never happened.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

While it is a good sharpener, I had three of those Staedtler sharpeners have the lid break off and spill lead dust inside my backpack. I've found some other ones that I've become more fond of.

What's your favorite? The lid on mine hasn't broke but if it does I'd need a good replacement.

 

[Ns1]

seriously, t'gaal.

 

[lxskllr]

What's your favorite? The lid on mine hasn't broke but if it does I'd need a good replacement.