Hi, new to mechanical pencils! I retired and want to up my game in woodworking, so I need a mechanical pencil for marking cuts etc. I have so far a Kitaboshi W07, a Pentel P207, a Pentel Graphgear 500, all with 0.7mm leads, as well as two Zebra M301s with 0.5mm leads. I prefer Japanese pencils (and woodworking/mechanical tools).
I like the P207 best. Its cone provides the best visibility alongside a rule or straight edge. Still working on best leads, though I like Pentel Ain Stein 2B 0.7mm well so far. But, I want a grippier grip. I was thinking about applying cold-shrink tubing over the grip. Has anyone done anything to get a better grip?
I may end up buying more pencils just because they are so inexpensive, but I donāt have a collection strategy.
I used to be a finish carpenter/cabinet maker and agree about the P209 for marking wood. The thicker lead prevented breaking for me. I also used Pentel Twist-Erase 0.9 quite a lot. You might appreciate the grip on those.
Eventually found I needed a larger lead and used the Sanford Spike 1.1mm.
Hmmm, a built-in grip on the Twist-Erase. I was so focused on the drafting style narrow cone that I neglected to look for one with a grip. Thanks @Ceramicland!
Note: Iāve never broken a 0.9mm lead with this Dahle unit. My Staedtler one breaks āem almost every timeā. (It might be defective) But a great technique with the right lead pointerā¦
Hereās my unintended collection so far. Top is a Tombow mono zero 2.3mm eraser, next is a ca 2004 GraphGear 500, next is a Sharp P207, next is a Zebra M301, next is a Kitaboshi W07, and finally my todayās purchase a Walmart cheapy Bic Break Resistant Pro. All Japanese, and all 0.7mm except for the 0.5mm Zebras (they came in a 2-pack, but not a shakur).
The Tombow will serve as my go-to eraser. The GG500 was my sonās when he went off to college for architecture in 2004. He changed majors and I inherited the pencil. I bought the Zebra the other day because I picked it up to look at it and wth I just bought it because I had it in my hand. I started off with the Kitaboshi because I thought, hey a wooden pencil for woodworking! Well, it has too shallow a cone for my liking and the gray color lets it get lost in the clutter of my workbench (hence the pigtail). Today I looked at the Twist Erase III at Walmart but it seemed too fat for my liking. The Bic was made in Japan so I bought it again because I had it in hand. Actually, itās kinda nice for a cheapster. The lead sleeve extends 3mm at first click and doesnāt have any wobble.
The Sharp and the Bic will be my woodworking pencils. They both have brass internals and feel right in my hand while working. Maybe Iāll just dip my fingers in rubber cement for better grip.
FYI: Bic also makes a Criterium model similar to your Bicā¦should you wander all the way to 2mm side of the street. Since they sharpen to a razor point, retract and resists breakage, some woodworkers like leadholders tooā¦(Bic model next to original French Criterium 2613)
The barrel is all plastic on this one. I donāt know much about mechanical pencils in the first place, and Bics even less. So, sorry, Iām of no help to you finding a metal barrel Bic.
This oneās internals have a plastic sleeve and then some brass components inside that.
What you see is a shiny reflection, but that doesnāt make me less of a very confused idiot. The Walmart website description says metal barrel but the Office Depot website says plasticā¦ so I donāt knowā¦ but I think itās plastic. Itās not magnetic. A scrape test showed it wasnāt black all the way through. The scrape didnāt appear to be aluminum, and I got some swarf, so strike 1 against aluminum. The finish is very good, it looks plastic-y. Chemsourcedirect.com says the Break Resistant (not Pro) pencil barrel is plastic, while not listing a material for the Pro barrel (it only says āpremium barrelā).
I got it at Walmart for less than $5. Package says it won an award in 2024 (package says MMXXV, item MVR7P1), though a search at Bicās website doesnāt list it by name or item #.
The other great thing about the P209 is it is thin enough to use in a lead pointer to get as sharp a point as you need!
. (It might be defective) But a great technique with the right lead pointerā¦
MMXXV, item MVR7P1), though a search at Bicās website doesnāt list it by name or item #.