I find the Linea a bit heavy (not necessarily an issue), a bit too little front-heavy (again, not necessarily an issue), and sometimes, while the lead core is pointed in a sharpener, the gripping prongs are not grippy enough, so the lead does not rotate while I rotate the body of the pencil.
This is a far more serious issue, and I attribute this hassle to the delicate design of the bulbous front end: I’m afraid the four flanges pinching the lead do not extend enough inside the tip itself with some sort of knurled bed for the lead to rest and to be retained by (as it happens in any respectable clutch pencil), so any significant rotational movement given to the barrel does not permeate equally well to the lead, hence the feeling of being an idiot when I try to sharpen my lead cores with a Linea.
In the end, when I need a finer point I just momentarily put the lead core into an old Staedtler 788, sharpen the tip with any tool I find apt for the task, and then re-insert the core into the Linea.
Apart from that, the design is of course exquisite, and I find it an item pleasant to handle. Probably amazing for more artistic gestures, less so for everyday jotting down ideas, or following a complex calculation.
Thanks for the tip @ulfesharpe , I tried to tighten the clutch and I actually noticed the grip felt globally more reliable; the lead still moves when twisted vigorously, but I managed to sharpen one lead core in a M+R Minofix without feeling an idiot. All in all, a remarkable improvement.
Possibly, swapping the original spring for a stronger one will keep the clutch against pressed against the edge of the pipe (body), which in turn means the grasp on the lead is tighter too.
Thank you! I wonder if this is the original button. However, in the 73 years that the TK 9500 has been available, there have been countless variants, some of which differ only slightly.
Still one of my favourite 2mms. Possibly the most pocketable pencil I have that’s not a Fixpencil. (Although I mostly carry the plastic cap one around — in case I loose it it’s not as bad)
A noticeable difference between the two besides the cap is the imprint. It’s the exact same lettering, but the metal cap one reads
A.W. FABER-CASTELL • TK 9500 GERMANY
instead of just
FABER-CASTELL • TK 9500 GERMANY
The first imprint also looks more refined. The letters are not pressed so deep and in result they look more delicate.
It’s a great leadholder, especially because of its size, and it’s a pity that it was discontinued in 2023 after being in production for 73 years.
As far as I know “A.W.” was dropped in the 1980s. I have the “A.W.” version too, although with a plastic cap.
I have shown something about the history of the TK 9500 in my weblog but I think it’s almost impossible to list all the variants which have been available.
No hurry!
)