long life pencil for cheap people

[Illum]

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.

+1 for Pentel P205, looks professional too... almost "cutting edge"
I have two, one in H and the other in 2B

 

[insomnivore]

Back when I was in high school and had much better eyes, a 0.3mm with 2H or 3H was my preference. I took a whole semester of notes in one class on one 8½x11" sheet of paper. Got an "A" on it too. Some copiers and faxes of that era used thermal paper which had an extra smooth surface to it. That, plus a sharpened lead (yes, I put a point on a 0.3mm), was the way to go for insanely small writing.

I still have all my pencils from way back when (30+ years ago) but now my writing instrument of choice is a chunkier 0.5mm model with 2B "Super Hi-Polymer" lead.

 

[BarryG]

Still got the same pencil. Been several years since it was sharpened.

How is the pencil holding up? I need to get some of these!




Barry

 

[Jumpmaster]

I bought my Pentel P205 pencils in 1990 and still have them...they work great!

I generally use the P205s to write in my Field Notes books...I usually prefer gel ink pens, but the pencil doesn't show up on the other side of the pages like the gel ink does.

 

[turbodog]

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.

Still got it. Think I have a sharpening coming up in about 5 years though.