What finish do you prefer on the body of a MP? Do you think mirror looks cheap?

Do you think mirror/polished looks cheap?
Do you like matte?
What about beadblasted?
Tumbled, washed?
What do you prefer?

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I like pretty much anything but a polished finish, because it doesn’t show prints or smudges.

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I’d say smooth matte or sandblasted is what I like the most. Imho the Rotring 600’s or the Pentel 60th anniversary black models’ paint looks great. On the other hand, only visually speaking, I find things like the Pentel Graph 600’s shiny grip awful. It feels so out of place on that pencil

I find mirror or chrome finishes give a cheap feeling to me even if they’re metal. I can make exceptions to this when it comes to accents on a pencil, like a pocket clip, sleeve etc. But if there are too many mirror/shiny surfaces it starts to look kitschy

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I’m glad more people think this way about chrome polish finishes. It’s odd because when looking through luxury brands, they often have mostly polished finishes!

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When it comes to custom pencils, such as @lindsay.wilson.88’s pencils, I can get behind a polished finish.

But for mass produced pencils, I don’t care for it much.

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I have a weak spot for brushed steel. Like the Parker Classic with a lateral finish, but even more when polished along the body.

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The matte finish is perhaps my favorite, but the Berol Eagle 20, for instance, has a chrome-like finish that looks perfect on that pencil. For the P200, I prefer the matte finish, like the one found on the Neon series and others.

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I do too, except for the fact that it is painted. Won’t stop me from getting them.

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Are the retro series painted too?

I haven’t looked that closely.

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Yes. That is why you see the white where it has been “worn”.

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Brushed, matte, satin finish, or light polish is fine, but a mirror polish, like a chromed effect? Fingerprint magnet! :zany_face:

dont forget your writing gloves :slight_smile:

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Actually, this might be the truth behind the gloss finish of luxury models. Aristocratic types back in the days probably DID wear gloves never wrote long enough to get sweaty :smiley:

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I love all kinds of finishes. If a particular finish is difficult to care for, it goes straight into the humidity controlled cabinet.

But I can say with absolute certainty that the most troublesome finishes are cheap silicone grips and brass. They are unbelievably difficult to keep in good condition.

Especially since I currently live at the foot of a volcano…

I really enjoy the freedom designers have when choosing materials and finishes for a pencil. Matte or glossy? Why not combine the two?

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This. Also because it doesn’t have strong light reflection, so that I can focus on what I’m writing.

Oh my… The Humidor for pencils. The Pencidor™!

That is so amazing, and way beyond anywhere I would be willing to go to protect my pieces, which ca only tell war stories, instead of spa-related tales. Hat tip to a truly careful collector.

…Aaand my eye was caught by a tiny detail: one of the tray labels seems to read “H-5005” (in order to train my diminishing eyesight, I tend to pay extra care when I scan an image, especially on Knockology: the devil is always in the details). Is it a fluke in my Matrix, or the Pencidor is storing a serious heavyweight champion among its many peers?

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Now you have to show us everything from that cabinet…

Maybe the labels are aspirational. :roll_eyes:

@Leonov

I’ve posted a photo of an H-5005 in the open chat under the Pilot topic before. I know some members here own more than one H-5005, but after all these years, I’ve only been lucky enough to find a single one. Even among the collectors I know here in Taiwan, there are three H-5005s.

I think the scarcity of any particular model ultimately depends on whether collectors are willing to let theirs go. Honestly, I don’t believe the original production numbers for the H-5005 were actually as low as the legends surrounding it would have us believe.

Lately, I’ve been wanting to hunt down more interesting design focused models, especially those old, reliable drafting pencils. They’ve made collecting even more exciting, and are seriously starting to interfere with my sleep schedule.

Over the years, there have been quite a few moments when I wondered whether I was spending a precious part of my life on the wrong things.

@Vici81

If I had someone to take care of the tedious and time consuming parts of my work, I’d be more than happy to spend the extra time slowly enjoying the company of my camera and MPs.:face_with_bags_under_eyes:

@Severest

Ahahaha, that trick won’t work on me. XD

I actually have 3 of those dream carrying boxes. Most of the collection is stored away in cabinets, though. I’ve never really found the motivation to build a large display cabinet, partly because earthquakes are such a constant concern in Taiwan. (I imagine Korean news outlets probably cover stories like this quite often as well.)

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