I was curious what everyone’s opinions would be on their preferred vision for an ‘ideal pencil’.
Everything from materials (aluminium, brass, resin/plastic) to knurling styles, center of balance, and gimmicks.
If there are any existing mechanical pencils that you consider to be the closest to your ideal, please feel free to share!
The closest pencils that really hit what I’m looking for are the Pentel Accugraph for its build quality, colors, and knurling, and the Pentel PMG for its lightweight design and having a cap that protects the tip.
Writing this out made me realize the PMG tip actually fits on a PG2003, which would make the PG2003 travel-safe too. The only downside is there’s no way to post the cap on the end.
For me is the Pentel Accugraph, no other pencil come close. The mechanical pencil is perfect in every way: grip, diameter, quality, and design. The grip is just right (if you want a rougher grip, there are earlier versions), the diameter is perfect, since I don’t like pencils that are too wide, the weight is on point. The quality is incredible, there’s no rattling in the pencil, and it’s all metal. Finally, the design is wonderful.
I think the Pilot S20 is pretty close to my ideal. As much as I admire all the alternative propelling methods, simplicity is hard to beat (and easier to troubleshoot). The main appeal is how comfortable the body is in my hands, and second: that it is a mass produced item that is relatively easy to obtain by any enthusiast. My only wish is that the ‘S20’ and ‘PILOT’ branding should be stamped or engraved on the middle ring instead of just being printed.
And if I were to go even simpler, I’d just reach out for my all-aluminum DJ Fugle Leadlok. This thing is practically “foolproof and incapable of error”. And heckuvalot more comfy than the classic Criterium series!
Mitsubishi M5-30
Staedtler Micrograph F 770
Mitsubishi M5-1052
A fountain pen that deposited lead (graphite)? Sailor 1911L? And if it doesn’t have a cap, the tip won’t break if I drop it? Indestructible and infinite shelflife body? No need to change refill it takes refill from the air around it. So comfortable that I don’t even know it’s in my hand? My productivity soars into infinity and so on.
Would love a pencil that has a reservoir that tracks the amount of lead cores left, and somehow autofeeds a core when the one being used gets too short! In a sense, a fuller full auto
Kerry, Palmarin, S3 (.3, .5, .7, .9), Pentel Q35, Lamy Safari, ML5, Berol TM-5, Pentel P205A from 1975.
I think the S3 would be the best in terms of price and lead size availability, for those who prefer a wider grip than the P200. If I had to choose just one, I’d go for a vintage Kerry: quiet, pocket-safe, excellent grip, ideal length, very well-balanced weight, metal internals, solid clutch, a nice click sound, and a collector’s item.
A pencil with all the bells and whistles - double knock, fully automatic, regulator, body knock, ff-matic, Kuru Toga, lead retraction like an Ohto Piston, lead hardness indicator, no shake because who actually likes shakers? - all wrapped up in a full metal black titanium carbide sturdy construction with a white acid-etched grip overtop some deep laterally-cut grooves. Oh, and let’s throw a postable cap in there too.
My ideal pencil is a 0.5 mm drafting pencil with the following features: metal, silver, fine knurling, heavy, and weighted towards the tip. A gimmick to fidget with is a plus. My top 10, roughly in order:
The real pencil I enjoy using the most is the Tombow Mono Graph Fine in 0.5 mm. I like the touch of its coated grip, the low balance and the twist eraser.
As for the ideal pencil… I guess it would look like the Tombow SH-1500LP with the grip etching of a Pilot Hi-mecha. It would be a double knock (for pocket safety) with a large twist-eraser and a jam clearing rod. All stainless but not too heavy, cheap and readily available so I wouldn’t hesitate to use it. I hear this exact model is coming any time now.
My favorite is the Pentel P3005 Scepter.
Perfect size, beautiful looking Executive pencil.
The best ones for me are lightweight plastic bodies like:
Pentel Graph and Pentel PG series (not Accu)
Mitsubishi M5-30
Staedtler Micrograph (HS), Micro, Microfix and similar
Pentel MECHANICA 0,3mm, obviously.
Welcome @MUN
I look forward to seeing your mechanica and any other pencils you have.
