I’m wondering if it may have been the previous owner, to explain the 2mm pipe guide. Or did Pentel actually make it an option when originally purchasing, where most people selected the default of 4mm?
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Afaik, all Accugraphs have a 4mm pipe.
Otherwise I’d suspect the nose cone is not the original.
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The PG15 is charming, but it’s not the best pencil in the family…
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Which do you like best?
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I believe the 03 is the best — because finding nice 03s with that heft and length is somewhat unusual, and also because their colouring varies a bit, some are more golden other look more strict… I sold a beautiful golden one with a perfect click.
The 05 is also a beautiful pencil, with all the right things in the right place. But a perfect 05 is not as uncommon as a perfect 03.
In that regard the PMG 03 might be the perfect one — where weight and materials match the lead size…
The PG4 is also pretty good at that ratio, best 04 I’ve ever handled.
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PG4 over the PG1804?
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To draw with? Absolutely 
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Yes, I can see that being the case for drawing as the PG1804 is considerably heavier.
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Exactly.
Although of course artistic drawing is usually done with pencils or graphite sticks — thin leads are more for drafting which has become very much a curiosity or maybe designers’ favourites for sketching.
And while 2mms are almost extinct, I’m actually surprised thin lead mechanical pencils 05 and below seem to be surviving so well the graphic tablet age (in fact now you draw on the actual screens)
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The replacement tip is cheap and ubiquitous, so this is almost certainly just a fix after the original was broken/damaged.
The PG5 tip similarity is a win, though, as those can be picked up for $12. So, easy fix after all.
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Or you can pick up a P205 for $6.00 or less. Same tip
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Pentel’s use of same/similar tips on some models was not only a good economical choice from a manufacturing POV, but as a user/collector, I really appreciate their decision because of situations such as this.
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While I love it, I’m grateful they didn’t do the same on the PG2003, which for me, has a very beautiful tip.
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Clips as well. The same clip on the PG5, P205, etc. was even used on the PSD5 / PWP15 and Mechanica (although earlier ones had a different brand label font / positioning).
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I wonder why Pentel has used that clip on the Mechanica. The technology and design of the pencil are great, but the clip sits badly and looks terrible. Perhaps it was assumed that nobody would use the clip anyway 
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I agree, I’m not enamored with the look of the clip. It’s usable, though. The slanted angle upwards from front to rear helps “nestle” it in your hand so it’s less obtrusive. But what’s interesting is that when the Mechanica was sold, the clip was not attached to the pencil. It had its own slot in the case where it was attached, suggesting that the default may be not to use it, but it’s provided in case someone wants to put it to use.
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You’re right – the shape of the clip has its advantages but if it should sit tightly it must sit low which isn’t that good.
Yes, the separate storage of the clip also led me to believe that they were mainly thinking of using it without the clip.
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This, I think, also occurred in the boxes of high-end Uchida Drawing Sharp D pencils (and possibly Uchida Drawing Holder D knock-clutch leadholders).
I’ve always found this idea of providing the clip on its own a charmingly delicate “gentleman’s move”, as if the company offering the pencils for sale were saying: “Here is our best product, pristine and integral in its bare perfection. We know you might want to carry the object in your pocket, and as such it might need a clip, so we aggregate that as well in the box. But remember: the pencil does not need one, especially if it’s a top-level drafting implement.”
Which is also why, between two high-grade MP’s with equal merits, I’ll probably have the one which does not natively come with the pocket clip, or can have it disassembled without great hassle.
(PS: If only there could be a way to remove the clip on the Pilot Sprinter without filing it away…)
(PPS: back in the old days, when pockets were much shallower and more specialised, there was no need for the clip: a delightful, stubby Pelikan 475 “sweatjacket pencil” in 1.18 mm I got a couple of months ago does not come with a pocket clip because it does not need one, being the perfect length to be accommodated in one of those tiny vest pockets.)
Sorry, I really hold a grudge against pocket clips. 
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I never carry pencils in my shirt pockets, so the clip never has that kind of use. Mainly, I consider it an “anchor device” for securing in carry pouches. It’s also an anti-roll device, which I appreciate even more.
LAMY, OHTO, and Platinum tried to solve the obvious clip problem with designs on certain models that lay rather flat when not in use. The LAMY Dialog 2 is one. And the OHTO Flat-C (although that’s a ballpoint, not a pencil). And of course the Platinum Z (both ballpoint and pencil). My favorite is the Flat-C. I wish OHTO had made more use of it in other models, but maybe it was costly to manufacture properly.
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