(Part 3) Top products from r/mechanicalpencils

Tombow Olno: Extend lead by bending the pencil in any direction.

Tombow Mono Graph: Shaker with phat eraser.

Pilot Mogulair: Shaker with a suspension that prevents lead breakage. Not as fool-proof as the DelGuard, but it's pretty good actually, and it is a better pencil overall in my opinion in terms of grip, looks, and overall quality.

Pentel Orenz: Pentel Excellence with a sliding sleeve so good you can write with 0.2mm without breakage.

Kuru Toga Advance or Pipe Slide: Twice the rotation speed for a sharper line and a sliding sleeve.

Pilot Dr. Grip: Shaker with great grip.

Pilot Fure Fure Super Grip: Shaker with sliding sleeve in an amazing neon orange body.

Pilot Automac: All metal, automatic pencil with a retractable tip. The lead automagically extends as you write.

Platinum OLEeNU Shield: Double clutch let's you use more of your lead, and a small suspension helps prevent lead breakage. The retractable lead sleeve is supposed to be a sliding sleeve, but it's not really, and the mechanism is iffy. The only reason I recommend this one is because it's comfortable, the clip is tough, and it's really cheap ($3.30) so you can use it to get a JetPens order to $25 for free shipping.

I was on the same quest as you, so I own all of these and personally recommend them.

[Pilot S20] (https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Mechanical-Pencil-0-5mm-DR5/dp/B001AX7TUU/ref=sr_1_2?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1520225383&sr=1-2&keywords=pilot+s20&dpID=41ud31tnK4L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch): Wooden barrel mechanical pencil. Very high quality pencil and smooth, silky writing experience -- so it's good for long periods of writing (ie. taking notes, math). Nice weighting -- naturally positions itself toward the paper in your hand.

[Faber Castell TK Fine Vario] (https://www.amazon.com/Faber-Castell-Mechanical-Pencil-135500/dp/B000WEAW2K/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1520225493&sr=1-1&keywords=faber+castell+tk+fine+vario&dpID=41E%252BerIBzDL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch): High quality pencil w/ a mode for soft writing (for taking notes/general writing) as well as a mode for hard writing (drafting, etc.). Has a smooth, flared metal grip as well as an extendable eraser. Absorbs pressure to avoid lead breakage.

[Rotring Rapid Pro] (https://www.amazon.com/rOtring-1904257-Rapid-Mechanical-Pencil/dp/B0055ZUEZQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1520225819&sr=1-1&keywords=rotring+rapid+pro): Another very high quality pencil. Although this pencil is generally labeled by people as a drafting pencil, it is definitely great for everyday carry. Nicely cut knurled grip -- even if you're sweating, for example, don't really have to keep repositioning hand. Retractable tip, so pocket safe. Weighting is nice as well, heavier than the S20 though. Very durable. Absorbs pressure to avoid lead breakage.

[Caran D'Ache 844] (https://www.amazon.com/Caran-Dache-Infinite-Mechanical-Pencil/dp/B000WFZ7SS/ref=sr_1_3?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1520226391&sr=1-3&keywords=caran+dache+844&dpID=31BgbaTFd3L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch): This pencil has a clean, simple look to it, and writes beautifully. It is also extremely sturdy and the barrel is aluminum, so it has a nice weight to it as well. Not very fatiguing when writing -- good for long periods.

Note: As someone who is currently enrolled in engineering courses, I believe you can't really go wrong when deciding between these. I own each of them and recommend them equally.

So I've already made a few purchases but I guess I'm looking to see if any of you think I've made some mistakes (don't have any in hand yet) or ideas about where I should go next?

I became fascinated by Bullet Pencils (not technically mechanical I suppose) so I ordered the Twist one from Metal Shop. https://metalshopct.com/collections/bullet-pencils/products/copy-of-raw-metal-bullet-pen-cil-in-brass-or-aluminum

Then I became a little fascinated with lead holders and decided to try a nice chunky
Koh-i-noor 5340 Silver All Metal Lead Holder with Built Sharpener. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0054G08SE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_KdiUzbF18KTPM
I don't know how much I'll like it but I just had to try it.

Now I'm thinking I would like a more traditional mechanical. I'm leaning towards a Rotring 600 because it seems to get universal praise and the all metal construction is highly appealing to me.

I think I might also enjoy a Retro 51. There are some very cool designs and the simple twist mechanism appeals to me.

What do you all think I should do?

Pentel Ain Stein are very good leads and I pretty much exclusively buy those now since I've had such good experience with them. A softer lead means it is a darker line, but breaks easier. HB is your standard hardness. 2B is suitable for 0.5mm without much trouble. It is softer and darker than HB. I have used 0.5mm in 4B (softer and darker still) but it smudges too easily for my liking.

I would recommend you try this

Pentel Ain Stein Mechanical Pencil Lead, 0.5mm 2B, 40 Leads x 3 Pack (XC2752B-3P) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EHYH2M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_KLgHxbH21ME2N

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B017BDDZ7I?ascsubtag=AgEAAAAAAAAAATK_AAAAAGD9DbAAAAAAW9u6Jw&linkCode=g12&creativeASIN=B017BDDZ7I&tag=thewire0f-20


The pipeslide is also a wonderful model by the looks of it. I've never used one before, but I do have a Pentel Orenz, which also has the sliding pipe mechanism.


As for how the kurutoga, it's a light pencil if you're into that. The paint on the models with they shiny overcoat WILL wear down over time, which is what happened to mine. But asides from that, they're pretty durable. They're great for the price. If interested, there's a bunch of designs you could choose from. (try searching up the pikachu kurutoga pencil lol)

I've had my metal-body Kuru Toga for very nearly three years now, and I love it. This Amazon link comes with some eraser refills and a pack of leads made just for the pencil.

There's a review compilation on the front page that gives it awful scores because the lead rotation mechanism "doesn't work", but I think it should've been obvious to the reviewer that he got a bad apple or something. You can easily verify it by holding the pencil in your hand and looking into the little window on the grip while rapidly pressing the tip a dozen times. I can definitely say the lead rotation works, and is useful. I'll definitely miss it when I move to an rOtring 800.

The Alvin DM03, DM05, DM07, DM09. Can’t go wrong with a Rotring 600 or Rapid Pro. The Kuru Toga Roulette is awesome!! One of my favorites. You should also try some different erasers and different leads. The Sakura SumoGrip are my favorite. As for leads, the Kuru Toga has it’s own lead. I just got a bunch Pentel Ain Stein HB that i am about to try out. :)

Nope, never mind. The Amazon ones aren't actually sold by Amazon, and so don't have international shipping. And while Rakuten does vary from shop to shop, I was expecting at least one of them to mention EMS but, well. :/

Sorry for getting your hopes up. If you really want the pencils, you can probably use a forwarding service or something.

Here is what I saw but clearly didn't look closely enough at:

Amazon: Blue Red Navy Black White Green

Rakuten: Shop Shop Shop Shop Shop

Coukd be who was working, the particular warehouse or any number of things but youre welcome to give it a go. Its a good price for it right now anyway. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0006HXQX0

It's more than 12 for $10 (closer to $20), but the Pentel Sharplet-2 is a nice pencil with good durability. I've never had one jam or break.

The graphgear 1000 is one of the favorites of this subreddit with its retractable tip and innovative grip.

https://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Automatic-Drafting-Brushed-PG1015A/dp/B000GAU2RU

The TWSBI precision is a very solidly built pencil with an extra long eraser and a sleek metal body.

https://www.amazon.com/TWSBI-Precision-Mechanical-Pencil-Retractable/dp/B009NZGWSW

I would also recommend the Platinum mini as a minimalistic design as it is much smaller than most mechanical pencils.

https://www.jetpens.com/Platinum-Mini-Mechanical-Pencil-0.5-mm-Silver/pd/8332

> This lead was only 2.50$ I’m cheap 😎


Looks to me like you can get away with 120 pieces for $7, rather than 36 for $2.5. The Ain Stein lead is cheaper!

Staedler 925 is a great choice. It comes in silver (925-25-05) or navy blue (925-35-05). The silver version us usually a few bucks cheaper.

Lamy 2000 looks nice but so does the rotring 800+. Its at a huge discount rn

https://www.amazon.com/rOtring-Mechanical-Pencil-Touchscreen-Stylus/dp/B00J2RT094/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

https://camelcamelcamel.com/rOtring-Mechanical-Pencil-Touchscreen-Stylus/product/B00J2RT094

Nice collection! I have a few more items for you to consider adding, should you be so inclined:

• Uni Kuru Toga Pipe Slide: Plastic variant of the same line but with a retractable tip. Although I prefer the feel of the Roulette (which you already have in silver), I carry the Pipe Slide in my shirt pocket every day because it won't poke holes like the Roulette does. For those unfamiliar with the Kuru Toga line of mechanical pencils, they automatically rotate the lead every time you press it to the paper, avoiding flat spots and keeping it sharp on all sides. Note that this occurs each time you press down, not as you keep pressing. Thus, drawing a line rotates one notch (because you only set the tip to paper once), whereas writing letters, dots, etc. rotates multiple notches as you continue to repeatedly press the tip to the paper for each character.
  
• General's mechanical eraser: finer tip than most mechanical erasers, and nice pen-style grip. Refills are also available but I've found they're often cheaper locally. (Amazon sells 3-pack refills for ~$4 but my local college art store sells them for half that.)
  
• Tombow Mono mechanical erasers: Extremely fine erasers for detail, more than even General's, for uses such as erasing small lines while drawing. You can order sets of both shapes (round and rectangular) or just one, and they're available in silver or black.

Are you sure? The 884 "Infinite Resin" has a different shape and is, indeed, plastic, and sells for less than $10 on Amazon. This looks like a white-painted aluminum 844 ...

I did find this, though:

https://www.amazon.com/Caran-Dache-Infinite-Mechanical-Pencil/dp/B000WFZ7SS/

It still looks like an 844 in the image, sells for just under $20, but is shown as an 884.001 down in the technical details. We'll see what I get when it arrives. <G>

There's the [Staedtler 925 25] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silver-drafting-mechanical-925-25-05/dp/B002BNHMC8/ref=sr_1_1?s=officeproduct&ie=UTF8&qid=1469699537&sr=1-1&keywords=staedtler+925) it's also available in night blue. Of course there's also the [Pentel Graphgear 1000] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pentel-Graphgear-1000-Drafting-Pencil/dp/B0013NHU7O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469699767&sr=8-1&keywords=pentel+graphgear+1000). It has a retractable tip so that helps protect it.

Just purcahsed from Amazon.jp , says 3-6 buisness days, it is currently 18% off and there's a promo code to have 500 yen off your purchase (basically pays for this shipping).

https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B07YV2N77B/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AN1VRQENFRJN5&psc=1

Also has 0.3, 0.5, and 2mm. Paid a total of $16.39 CAD which is $12.56 US.

Can't wait for mine to come in :)

Its the 0.3 model that has that color of you interested


Here's the link i used


https://www.amazon.com/Pentel-GraphGear-Automatic-Drafting-PG523E/dp/B0006HXQX0/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=graphgear+500+.3&qid=1558810685&s=gateway&sprefix=graphgear+500+&sr=8-3

This is a decent sale on a rOtring Rapid Pro .5mm mentioned in the sibling post. I want to make sure you see it. ($13.99, the price is not showing up right unless I post this entire link, don't buy it for $31 imo)

Mine arrived yesterday and I'm using it for math right now with some 2B Neox lead.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055ZS57U/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Mechanical-Graphite-HRF5G-20-2B-Komainu-Dou/dp/B019UO8J36

I'd say wait for the Amazon price to go back down. In the month it'll take for massdrop to ship out I would bet Amazon's price will go down again. It was $47 on Amazon last month for a little bit. And if you have prime you won't pay shipping. Massdrop's price is also higher than Amazon's average price.

Its a 5.3 Koh-i-noor 5340 Silver All Metal Lead Holder It's the tank of the group.
Thank you, I'm still waiting on my kuru toga roulette. And I always have my eyes peeled for knurled pencils. Open to recommendations.

Tk fine vario from Faber Castell

Here it is on Amazon

Still available from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/TWSBI-Precision-Mechanical-Pencil-Retractable/dp/B009NZGWSW

Here's the amazon link (https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B06XSBYPT4). I used Buyee to forward the package to my US address.

I bought them off Amazon, these are where I bought them from.

Uni Kuru Toga Advance 0.5mm Black

and the

Tombrow MONO Zero Pen-Style Eraser (this came with two sizes. a 2.5x5mm one and 2.3mm one).

E: JetPens has the pencil for cheaper, not sure if they sell the eraser as I was checking the weight of the pencil.

...Don't forget to load it up with some buttery smooth and dark 2B lead.

I think the Caran D’Arache pencils have this. This sort of pencil...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Caran-DAche-Dache-Mechnical-Pencil/dp/B000WG4V9I

https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%83%BC-%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A3%E3%83%BC%E3%83%9A%E3%83%B3-92535%E3%82%B7%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA-925-35-03B/dp/B07YV2QHCC/ref=sr_1_3?__mk_ja_JP=%E3%82%AB%E3%82%BF%E3%82%AB%E3%83%8A&keywords=staedtler+925&qid=1573521737&sr=8-3

0.3

https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%83%BC-%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A3%E3%83%BC%E3%83%9A%E3%83%B3-92535%E3%82%B7%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA-925-35-05B/dp/B07YV2N77B/ref=sr_1_4?__mk_ja_JP=%E3%82%AB%E3%82%BF%E3%82%AB%E3%83%8A&keywords=staedtler+925&qid=1573521737&sr=8-4

0.5

The Pentel Sharp (P205) is a decent pencil and a 12 pack is 27.37 on Amazon

here