turbodog
Flashaholic
I find myself fortunate enough to be able to afford pencils and not worry about how much they cost
hahahaha
long life pencil for cheap people
- Thread starter turbodog
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
hahahaha
Well, it's been about a year and a half. How's the pencil holding up?
Rothrandir
Flashaholic
What's amazing to me is that you still have it after all these years...
I go through several boxes of pens a year, I can't comprehend the idea of one pencil sticking around anywhere near that long.
I go through several boxes of pens a year, I can't comprehend the idea of one pencil sticking around anywhere near that long.
jzmtl
Flashlight Enthusiast
No kidding, all my pencils get lost or broken quickly.
I don't use pencil anymore thou, too finicky, went back to fountain pen and don't plan to switch to any other type.
Qoose
Enlightened
I've actually been able to stick with the same mechanical pencil for 3 years. These things never break. I get really sad whenever I lose a mechanical pencil, since I've only ever used about 5 in my entire life.
Do a lot of people people really never touch a pencil anymore? I run through so many tubes of lead and a few reams of paper writing stuff in pencil, it blows my mind to never have to sharpen a normal pencil.
Do a lot of people people really never touch a pencil anymore? I run through so many tubes of lead and a few reams of paper writing stuff in pencil, it blows my mind to never have to sharpen a normal pencil.
Illum
Flashaholic
For exams yes...for personal use not so much.
I'm in love with using 0.3mm H at the moment...
I write small, and 0.7mm some words are unreadable to many people, which the 0.3mm helped alot with. H is a decent "tint" and rather than using highlighters over my notes, I use 0.7mm B as the baseline and it seemed to work quite well.
Well it probably will not last a lifetime it'll be with me for at least another half a decade until I recieve a MS or a BS
I'm in love with using 0.3mm H at the moment...
I write small, and 0.7mm some words are unreadable to many people, which the 0.3mm helped alot with. H is a decent "tint" and rather than using highlighters over my notes, I use 0.7mm B as the baseline and it seemed to work quite well.
Well it probably will not last a lifetime it'll be with me for at least another half a decade until I recieve a MS or a BS
BroBrandonB
Newly Enlightened
I've found that I buy a box of cheap mechanical's about twice a decade. I love writing with a pencil, but I can't bring myself to carry a nice one because I'm afraid I'd loose it.
Not that I do loose pencils - but that possibility keeps any nice ones at home, while the cheapies are scattered around my person, motorcycle, car, briefcase, rangebags, etc, etc, etc...
Not that I do loose pencils - but that possibility keeps any nice ones at home, while the cheapies are scattered around my person, motorcycle, car, briefcase, rangebags, etc, etc, etc...
Fallingwater
Flashlight Enthusiast
I certainly don't.
There are exactly two traditional writing instruments in my home: a PenAgain for when I need to write on paper (doesn't happen often), and a felt-tip marker for writing on DVDs and other material. Everything else I do on my computers and PDA (a positively archaic Palm IIIx, but hey, it does what I need). I haven't touched a pencil in years; when I decided to go all-electronic I gave all the pens and pencils I could find in my home to my mom, who uses them daily for planning her lessons (she's a teacher), crosswords, sudoku and such.
Jzmtl: you think pencils are finicky and you use a fountain pen? Aren't fountain pens the epitome of finickiness? I remember when I tried using one at school the results weren't pretty, what with ink getting everywhere and me constantly breaking the nibs.
That metal pen piqued my curiosity. I was just about to add a third writing instrument to my home, but €21 is a tad bit too much to pay for a pen, even if it IS a scientific curiosity.
Last edited:
Aren't fountain pens the epitome of finickiness? I remember when I tried using one at school the results weren't pretty, what with ink getting everywhere and me constantly breaking the nibs.
You were either pressing down too hard, or you were writing too quickly. Perhaps a combination of both. A well-made nib is going to be very delicate. It has to be, if you want a smooth-writing fountain pen.
I gave up on fountain pens for daily use because as an amateur Writer, my fountain pens couldn't keep up with the story ideas that flowed from my mind, down to my hand. I had to physically slow down my writiing. That was no fun, so I switched to ballpoints with either Parker, Cross, or Waterman ballpoint refills. (The 3 smoothest BP refills out there).
jzmtl
Flashlight Enthusiast
Jzmtl: you think pencils are finicky and you use a fountain pen? Aren't fountain pens the epitome of finickiness? I remember when I tried using one at school the results weren't pretty, what with ink getting everywhere and me constantly breaking the nibs.
Dang, do you use them for darts or something? The only time I've ever broke a nib was when I dropped one on floor. I've never had any leaking problems, as long as I don't shake it out intentionally.
Really? The only way I can get my pens to skip is to scratch lines on paper as fast as I can, you may be using a nib that's flows too slow for your purpose.
Last edited:
Jaywalk3r
Banned
Speaking of long life writing utensils, I've been using one particular Parker refillable ball point pen for 20 years now, although I've had to refill it a few times.
I tried switching from a medium to a broad nib. It helped a bit. But not enough for my tastes. I write very quickly.
jzmtl
Flashlight Enthusiast
It's not as much as nib size but the slit size. You can widen it and have it flow faster.
turbodog
Flashaholic
Just fine. Will be many years before another sharpening is required.
Actually will try and hand this pencil down to one of my kids when they start college. Currently, they are 6 and 2.
turbodog
Flashaholic
I've still got the 2 mechanical pencils from my freshman college year. Still use one of them, the .5 mm. That was 19 years ago.
I've ahd a very good experience with Pentel P205 drafting mechanical pencils (0.5mm). I actually had one that I used evryday from 5th grade till the middle of 9th grade (someone borrowed it, and it walked away).
Has a good, solid feel in your hand, nice metal tip, good tight clip, has a good eraser, and holds a ton of lead. If you can keep track of it, it'll last you years.
Not overly expensive, but not cheap. My local Staples has a two pack for $7.99.
).Has a good, solid feel in your hand, nice metal tip, good tight clip, has a good eraser, and holds a ton of lead. If you can keep track of it, it'll last you years.
Not overly expensive, but not cheap. My local Staples has a two pack for $7.99.
benchmade_boy
Flashlight Enthusiast
I found a mechanical pencil in my dads collection that I liked, been using it for a while now. It has huge lead in it, like double or bigger than the typical .7 lead. I find that when Im at school and I stick a regular mechanical pencil in my pocket the lead always breaks. Every time. But when Im at home and really using the pencil a lot I get the one I got from my dad, it never has fialed me. even climing under vehicle and tractors has not broken it. I do not know where to get lead from as I have never seen any in stores. I think the pencil was from around the 60's as it has a qoute on it like 20 year anniversary. The eraser is long dried up, but i never need it. Great pencil none the less, why dont they make them like this anymore?
jzmtl
Flashlight Enthusiast
Size like regular pencil lead? You can find mechanical pencil use those and refills at any office store, next to the drafting supplies.
LukeA
Flashlight Enthusiast
Yeah, that just sounds like a normal clutch pencil.
SilentK
Enlightened
I also like to use the classic wooden pencil. :wave: Fo general scratch stuff, like doing math or writting quick little notes that will not be needed for long, i perfer a 3h pencil that i have had for about a year now. But for neater stuff i like a softer 2b. I am not a big fan of mechanical pencils, i like wood. 
