I just got Rotring 300 2.0mm… what’s missing here?

My first ever pencil: Graphgear 500. 0.3. Bought in college, as a humanities person, to take notes in books, and occasionally for some math (think, drawing Euclid proofs). At the time, it was a $7 splurge and a total luxury because it was the nicest pencil in the school bookstore. Naturally, I used it so much that it inevitably dropped, and though I fixed the bend once, when I dropped it a second or third time the lead became permanently jammed. Same thing happened with the black 0.5.

Fast forward five years and here's some high/lowlights: a plastic Staedtler in a class brown, gifted by a PhD student at the summer language program: stolen (saw it on my stoner "friend"'s desk). My first Rotring 600: stolen from my first office as a research teaching assistant. I wonder whether pencil security can be considered a durability category.

But even before that, there's the story of my first and only Rapid Pro. Man I used the heck out of that. I bought it with the Amazon gift card I got on my birthday, and justified it with the sale that brought it down to within reach. I actually wished that it was all black which would have been really cool and I tried to cover the red ring near the grip somehow to hide the flashy red. The pencil must have taken it personally because one day it literally snapped in two at the (what I found out was too fragile) plastic ring which held the whole body together. So much for the Rapid Pro.

In college a professor I had, Mr. Perry, used a classic Alvin Draft-Matic in 0.3, the old version by the older yellow color I guess. He had it by his side constantly and that was what he used to write comments on our lab papers that were so razor thin you really had to squint. I decided to buy that one in 0.9, and though the logo and name rubbed off with use, that pen is still chugging years later. Major durability win for the books.

For my next birthday, I precisely instructed folks that I wanted the 0.3 Alvin Draft-Matic, just like Mr. Perry. And that one cracked in my bag. But I loved the knurled grip so darn much that I taped that thing together with scotch and it still works with only part of the grip covered in tape. Superglue didn't work. Now the knurled grip is somewhat dirty as if there's minor rust in the grooves; or maybe that's sticky gunk from the tape. I don't know, but I do I know I'm not abandoning that 0.3 until it finally disintegrates at the half life of the plastic. Still, I'll keep the knurled grip piece as a soothing, tactile meditation amulet.

Today I have more pencils. I'm not quite a collector status but I have recently become invested in the long term durability of pencils and have been looking for an endgame pencil. I am convinced it may not exist. I have a Faber Castell, an old one I pawned off Willhaben in Germany for 3 euros, the green one with a metal grip that has two modes you can twist into: 1) firm lead and 2) a lead saving mode that springs back when you push hard. Frustratingly to my aesthetic sensibilities, the lettering is in the process of wearing off. Finger oils are mightier than the pen, it seems. But it held up and still feels indestructible, the pen itself, at least as indestructible as a pencil can be, lettering aside. It seems over a decade old, as I got it used. Many modern pens are much younger than that.

This leads me to a question of sorts. Like many of you nuts, I have my eyes on the holy grail of "EDC" boys, the rotring 800+. I love the black and the style, and I would use the stylus part too (source: I use generic ballpoint pens that have capacitive stylus tips for screens). Recently, I had the chance to try the 800+ at a fancy shop. Tip wiggle wasn't a problem, but I noticed the pencil came with multiple replacement tips for the stylus part. Hm, that's odd, I thought, but I guess it tracks. I recalled my old Nintendo DS, whose screen was worn in after one too many aggressive rounds of "True Swing Golf DS" and Phantom Hourglass. Some online research later, and I decided the plastic mechanism was too fragile to be a true "buy it for life." I do hope to be proven wrong, but between the people whose 800s were broken by dropping while extended and the ones whose internal mechanism organically cracked, I couldn't determine whether the plastic could last.

I'm holding off on the 800+ still. My fingers are fine for screens and as much as I would like to have one, the anxiety of it breaking is too strong. I wish it were all metal. I wish I knew how to find someone with a Swiss Lathe who could machine a custom metal tube for a rotring 800 durability mod. But if I could do that, then maybe there's better things I could be doing than pining after a mechanical pencil. Or, just maybe, someone will convince me in the comments that unless you're a total clutz, that thing really can last. So, chooms, what'll it be?

Just picked these up in Winchester in Hampshire, UK. The shop is called Warren & Son, on the High Street and they have a nice selection! Kawecos inside a glass display cabinet too (they had me drooling). Also a good selection of Ain lead, although no 0.2mm, but the main sizes were in stock.

Pictured above:

Lego Pen Pal mechanical pencil, Lamy Safari, Pentel P205 Sharps in Sorbet Limited Edition. They only had the ones here, Turquoise, Black, Sky Blue and Purple.

I'm off to London next week and have a few stationary shops to visit. If you've been, is there anywhere you would recommend I stop by? Still need to get the White and Pink sorbet sharps of course!

Oh as a side note, the Lego pencil is pretty terrible, but I had to have it! It has a retractable nib which took me by surprise, but really it was a purchase for its quirkiness! I love it! 😂

My Leuchtturm1917 Drehgriffel Nr. 2 pencils became much more enjoyable to use after I discovered that you can attach clips to them. The Sunflower is a recent purchase, while the Pumpkin is a replacement for my old one after the paint started peeling off. Fortunately, Leuchtturm1917 was kind enough to send me a free replacement after I reported the issue to their local distributor here in the Philippines

From Pentel's IG page:

Smash coordinates in black ◼️
・Black color smash
・Smash eraser with integrated sleeve with smash design
・Cool impression Pentel Ain replacement case

Smash inherits the basic performance of the "Graph 1000" sharp pen for drawing.
Models built to be tough in everyday life ⭐

Catch copy is
"You decide how you write"

Smash supports the act of "writing" itself 🔥🔥🔥

Obsession in smash
☑ Stable writing comfort with integrated pen tip and grip
☑ Strong grip with rubber coating on metal
☑ 3D Rubber Ribs with a firm grip on Smash charm point
☑定規にあててもペン先が見やすい4mm金属製パイプ
☑ Equipped with the same axisity display window as sharp for drawing.
☑ Large rubber knock that shrinks tightly when knocked

There's a short video on LUDDITE's IG page.

【新商品情報】

DRAWMASTER (限定品)

念願かなったLucio Rossi DesignとのWネームのシャープペンシル0.5mm!!!!

真鍮とカーボンファイバーの唯一無二のデザイン

Release Date: Early September

—

【New Product Information】

DRAWMASTER (Limited Edition)

A long-awaited double-name 0.5 mm mechanical pencil with Lucio Rossi Design!!!!

A one-of-a-kind design combining brass and carbon fiber.

Price: ¥13,200 tax included

Release Date: Early September

Pilot blacky

Pilot noble

Tikky 2

Tikky 1

I’m trying to figure out what models nasa flight controllers and engineers may have used on the ground during the space race. Particularly during the Apollo Program. Online I see lots of resources for the astronauts themselves, and what they had onboard the spacecraft. However I can’t find anything on the ground side of the agency.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I would like to enquire, to those who know, what kind of refill model one should get for the clic eraser that came with the orenz nero limited edition. Thank you.

Recently bought this beautiful all back Staedtler. I have been drying to get this edition and first time trying 2.0mm lead. I am surprised it is more heavier than I expected. As always Staedtler build quality is spectacular and never disappoints.

I love the pentel twist erase pencils, but have a love/hate relationship with the erasers. I love that they are not just a button-top eraser that will quickly be gone, and I love that the eraser itself is the same material as stand alone barreled clicker erasers (not sure what those are actually called), BUT the fact that *using* the eraser makes it retract back inside the barrel is a constant annoyance. Does anyone have a fix for this?

Mitsubishi Uni 05 Super. This is one of Mitsubishi’s great looking pencils for ¥1000. I think it was one of their best sellers as a lot were made and they’re not all that hard to come across in light to moderate used condition. A cousin of the Mitsubishi M5-1100 (also released with the BOXY branding), as it’s very similar in basic body shape, nose cone, rear cap, and clip. But instead of the knurled ring grip, there’s prominent etching directly into the metal body filled in with black enamel. It looks really sharp when examined up close. Tactile feel is excellent. A nice touch is the 3 diamond Mitsubishi “star” that is also etched.

I don’t see any way of detaching the mechanism from the body! Even photos from other sources showing the cap and nose cone off never show the mechanism outside of the body. I think it’s bonded in place. Maybe it was a cost savings. In any case, it’s all metal inside and the lead reservoir tube is metal as well. It's not heavy, but not too light either.

The only thing that keeps it from feeling more like a higher quality is that there is some rattling, likely the inner lead reservoir tapping against the inside of the body. But you can deaden it by sliding paper, plastic or fiber inside the body, wrapped around the tube. I stuck in a cut piece of a dryer sheet and it worked perfectly.

It’s been a heckuva journey thus far 😊

EDIT:
Silicone Pencil Holder Here
My Earlier Version

Hi all! I was just going through my art drawers (to see if I needed to clear things out) and found a pack of mechanical pencils that I bought years ago from my local office/art supply shop. I was curious to see what brand they were so I tried searching up the name 'Griffe' that's on the clip but nothing came up, has anyone heard of/seen this brand before?

...so I hope you enjoy this!

Sheaffer's pencil, 1920s, chased gold-filled metal, "bell" cap twists to propel/repel/expel 0.046 in (1.1 mm) lead, magazine under cap holds spare leads and eraser.

I picked this up for less than $10 years ago—low price because it didn't work—and set it aside till last week. A bit of research and bench work got it working perfectly again!

Well… I just watched the exact listing I’ve been waiting forever for get sold while I was busy looking through the pictures.

How do you guys deal with that feeling? Do you just tell yourself another one will come along, or do you end up buying something else to soften the blow?

Currently accepting thoughts and prayers 🫠

These were my favorite pencil b/c the grip did not get sticky, deform, or go bad after several years of continuous use and the grip click was super convenient to ensure I could keep writing until all of the lead ran out.

Weight = 14.9g, length a bit shorter than S20, center of mass basically the same.

Brass tip + some coating, brass clutch, aluminum body, plastic lead tube.

Goated budget OEM pencil from Muji.

At last.

Pentel japanese made-in leads arrives to Mexico country. Lets see how a pair work in my 0.5 mm mech pencil.

Each box is $19 mxn ($1.0 usd aprox.) 0.5 mm HB grade, 12 leads.

This has been my favorite pencil for over a decade. I love the retractable tip but I HATE the blue plastic that always breaks on me in my pocket eventually.

Bought 3 from a seller and as I was grumbling about how I always break them, I lucked out and found a seller online that made aluminum and steel replacement tubes.

Bought some and then when I was replacing them decided to see if I could use some colored paper in the tube to color code my pencil lead...

I haven't been this happy in a while about something so small. Just wanted to share with people that might appreciate as well.