Indeed. The 95 is unique and possibly the best looking mechanical pencil ever made. (Not to mention that the 95 has the least BS of all MPs.) I mean, if there is an archetype of a mechanical pencil in a world above, it’s probably the 95 that sits there on the throne, undisputed so far.
The 85 is super well constructed, though. You can’t take it apart nor destroy it. It’s a sturdy piece of well-crafted engineering and whoever designed it should be proud of it — except for that stupid cheap plastic lead chamber they’ve decided to put on it. Achilles heel, right?
The 25/35 series… I’m glad they’re still doing variations and trying to find a nice one
Still looking for the top-notch auto, though — my achilles heel…
@pearsonified - well, I did it again!
Another <$20 eBay auction - the knurled ones this time. We shall see - I do like the other ones quite well, so looking forward to the “upgrade.”
Yoooo, these are my favorite Staedtlers! They really stand out among all the other 925 variants with their 4mm knurled tip attachments and resin grips.
I love the balance of this pencil, and I also love how it isn’t so nice that I’m afraid to use it. Pretty much the perfect everyday desk piece!
These first models were the nicest 925 X. They have a great balance and are slighlty heavier than they appear to be – a quality that is missing from the more recent iterations. And most likely better materials: the eye immediately recognises that.
I’ll tell you the one thing I don’t love about the ones I originally bought. One of my daily routines is doing the KenKen puzzle, which requires a lot of precision erasing. With most MPs, you can stash the eraser cap on the clip without worrying it’ll slip off, but the Staedtler cap is not as secure because of its size and shape. So I’m afraid I’m going to misplace a cap when it falls off without me noticing.
I guess there are two things actually: they could use a little knurled area down at the bottom of the grip.
Luxury problems? You betcha.
Meanwhile I did like my other ones enough to be persuaded by @pearsonified and others to try the earlier version. And this auction (for what looks to be a decent-but-a-bit-worn pair) was about $16 shipped, which seems like a reasonable cost.
This is going to end with me buying one of the fancier/more expensive 925’s, isn’t it.
“2nd gen” (a/k/a 1st international) pair arrived today. The original listing photos were a little rough and I was worried that the pencils would have some wear and tear - the photos left some room for interpretation. Nope, just victims of the seller’s potatocam. They’re in fine shape. Giving them each a whirl now.
The erasers seem to be particularly useless - hard, flesh-colored, dried out. Or, on the bright side, “vintage correct.”
Let’s see what @pearsonified is always going about, shall we? Back in a bit…
I like the leftmost piece (first international release of the 925), the 925 25 (third from left), and then the 925 85 REG (second from right). The 925 95 is the most expensive piece here, but it’s uncomfortable to use compared to the three I prefer.
Oh hell yeah! These are indeed quite good. Thanks to those who recommended them, especially @pearsonified who was QUITE emphatic.
I did some “top surgery” on the .7 by shaving down a Nicpro eraser so it would fit in the Staedtler eraser carrier. The original erasers are very problematic.
You’ll notice that I have stashed the top cover on the clip - on this version it can be done securely, which, if you scroll up, you can see was something I didn’t like about the later version.
In the lot with the .5 & .7, I got a few different grades of .5 lead - a nice bonus. And these came in even cheaper than the pair at the top of the thread.
Been quite a journey and I like where I’ve ended up!
These are going to get plenty of use - great pencils for sure.
You two are both blasphemous and objectively incorrect in your opinion(s).
The Steadtler 925-95 0.3mm is one of the FINEST mechanical pencils built to date(especially considering all of its features). When compared to an Ohto Super-Promecha, it shames ANY S.Promecha; whether it be through function or performance.
It’s not comfy at all. The tapered cone of the 85 is evidence that energy was spent on making the pencil delightful to use; the sharp steps of the 95 clearly give zero thought to user comfort.
