This is what I all picked, when i moved away to college. Maybe a little overkill.
Curious of what you all would bring!
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This is quite different from the “there’s a fire and you could only grab (one) pencil”, or the “you can only take one pencil with you to a desert island” kind of question…
In this case, I would value usability, reliability and care-free operation over any other consideration like rarity, preciousness, etc.
I would take the following with their related refills:
- 0.2mm: Orenz metal grip for worry free operation, AIN HB
- 0.3mm: Pilot s20, loaded with NeoX B
- 0.5mm: MONO graph fine silver – feels perfect in my hands, AIN F
- 0.7mm: Lamy scribble with 2B leads – perfect for sketching
- 0.9mm: Kaweco Special short version – 2B
- 2.0mm: DJ Fugle Leadlok - all metal version, KIN H
- BP: Postalco Channel Point Grid, loaded with Tombow Monograph Light 0.5 oil-based refill
- Eraser: Tombow MONO stick / MONO zero
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Of course this highly depends on what you do.
2-3 pencil .5
1 pencil .9
Leads
Eraser
1 bp
3-5 ink rollers in different colors
3-5 wooden pencils in different colors
Triangle ruler
I think that’s it…
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I would not take anything that is vintage and expensive to replace. Everything else can be candidates.
I’d probably stick with the Spoke Design pens and pencils, plus a few of the affordable staples like rOtring, Pentel, and Staedtler. The IJ Instruments are not irreplaceable but immensely expensive! I’d leave them at home.
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Very fair point. I do agree, and when I go back for holiday break I do plan on leaving some of the pricier pencils at home.
However, a lot of my inspiration to do schoolwork genuinely comes from pencils/whatever writing instrument I’m currently using, so having a couple of very nice pencils is almost critical for me (& my GPA)!
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Never heard of the DJ Fugle Leadlok Leadholder… Thing looks crazy nice! Is that a favourite of your 2.0 mms?
I recently ordered a Lucio Rossi Design “Hotrod edition” as my first 2.0 mm leadholder, I’m pretty excited for it!
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In that case, if you do need some inspirational pencils that are very expensive and/or rare, use a special case/sleeve for them and be sure to keep them in a safe place. Just a little extra precaution.
Sometime back, I once got a mechanical pencil that came in a really nice thick vinyl sleeve. I could not find a retailer that offers them separately. Ones I did find were either too thin or too wide/tall. Some European sellers who shipped me fountain pens in the past utilized good quality rectangular block like plastic cases that do a great job, but you need to add padding so there’s no rattling around.
My solution was to fashion my own. I once owned a convertible car with glass rear window, which ended up broken at one point. You couldn’t replace just the window, because of the way it was bonded to the fabric. So the whole top had to be replaced. When they did it, I asked the shop to save the remnants. Unfortunately the guy who did the cutting went for speed instead of preservation, so there were a number of odd shaped pieces… but still usable. I was able to make a few things out of it (including cellphone cases and a deadening pad for inside my car to eliminate rear hatch rattle). But, it dawned on me how some pieces were wide enough where I could make pen sleeves from them. The material is so tough that it was hard to sew through it on a sewing machine, but I managed to create a few fabric sleeves. Waterproof material with a brushed poplin like finish. Absolutely perfect for pens & pencils. I keep meaning to make a rainy day project of it and create a bunch.
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I have the majority of my pencils locked in my drawer in my dorm room (though I don’t think my roommate would steal them if it wasn’t locked). I don’t have individual carrying cases, though the ones you’ve made sounds awesome. I do, however, have a soft canvas case that holds 5 pens/pencils at a time, and i keep very meticulous track of it. I NEVER leave my pencils unattended 
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Here are my DJ Fugle pencils, along with older Emca 110 Precision Point lead pointers.
This is another case of picking up a collection from my dad. The pencil in the blue Emca was my dad’s, and the red Emca was his. I proceeded to get a couple of artist friends interested in these as well, so I collected more of them for a while (I would trade pencils for art).
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Those are… Awesome. And a great backstory too!
Might have to be my next expansion to the 2.0 mm life, if i end up liking my first one enough.
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I got these two from Dan Linn. He has a amassed a ton of vintage lead holders…
This version of the Leadlok is all aluminum on the outside, the hex profile is gently rounded off at the edges. The grooved sections make it easy to grip or to disassemble. I like this more than any of the other variants, like those that come with a rubber grip, or the crazy anodized colors and buttons. It is super well balanced and reliable. No PAINT to worry about chipping off. Just a well-made tool that’s been working right since the 1950s.
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Dan is great. He sold me a clear vintage Pentel s-15 a few years ago.
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Every time I read this dj fugle stuff, a US rapper comes to my mind. But I never know a song from him 
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This is the first time I’ve seen the Plotter pencil in someone’s photos.
That’s one I’ve been wondering about for a while. What are your thoughts on it? And would you recommend it?
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The Plotter is a great pencil—very hefty, exquisite knurled finish, and robust twist-click action.
I have each colorway (gold, silver, black), and they’re all fantastic.
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Ohh now I’m sold on it!
The whole pencil is made of brass right? I’m more drawn to heftier pencils now. Combined with is retractable tip and good looks, Plotter’ pencil seems like a winner.
I was concerned about its twist mechanism since that’s something I’ve never encountered before so it’s good to hear that you find it robust.
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Same here, I got into the black and brass versions initially, and got the silver ones later when they refreshed the lineup. I think the silver might be aluminum…
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Clearly I’m a little late to the party, but to piggy-back off of others here, I really like it! it has a little more elegance and executive style to it than some of my other pencils. I like the knurling, though clearly most of it is unnecessary.
The mechanism, as others said, is robust feeling. At first i was a little concerned because the part that facilitates the twist action and keeps the whole pencil together is made of plastic, but it feels of quality and I don’t feel like it will fall apart anytime soon.
As to drifand, I do believe, according to their website, that all of them are made of brass.
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