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top pen
May 27th, 2016, 06:43 PM
I've found myself reverting to using wood cased a lot lately instead of mechanical ones as I don't like slick-ness of mechanical pencil leads especially on fountain pen friendly paper. At the moment my favorite Staedtler Lumographs as I find they have a good balance between price, point retention and availability. However I quite Tomobow Mono 100's and Mitsubishi Hi-Uni's but both of these lack the point retention of Lumographs. I've also tried the modern incarnation of the Black Wings as well however don't really understand the hype?

inklord
May 28th, 2016, 08:32 AM
From what you write, you might already have reached the pinnacle! The only real direct alternative to Lumographs are the green Faber-Castell series 9000 and NOS E. Faber EBONY and Lyra.
If you like a silky-grainy rather than slick feel, you could try Lyra REMBRANDT Carbon pencils (series 308). The Faber-Castell 9000 series also comes in a "Jumbo" format measuring 9.5 mm from flat to flat rather than the customary 7 mm for a more substantial grip, which I like.
The new Blackwings are Blackwing only in packaging/design, not in lead quality.
If you can get a hold of old red Faber-Castell stenography/shorthand pencils (A.W. Faber-Castell "Faber 6" No. 7457), those are the best of the best for plain writing or line drawing (not nuanced drawing or shading, though)
Another alternative in an altogether different direction are all-graphite pencils like the Lyra TITAN - no wood casing, just a 7 mm lacquered lead... have fun!

skycat
May 30th, 2016, 07:12 AM
I like the Tombow as well. For others, I like the Caran D'Ache Swisswood and Grafwood pencils. They have good retention, feel smooth, and are slightly larger than a standard pencil. The Swisswood has an odd aroma though. Some like it and some don't. To me it smells like soy sauce and campfires.

The Faber Castell Grip is also a good choice.

For larger pencils I like the Caran D'Ache Blackwood although the point rentetion isn't great. And the Moon Try-Rex is a nice choice for size between the Caran D'Ache pencils. I don't care for the Jumbo 9000, the corners feel a bit too sharp to me.

top pen
June 3rd, 2016, 04:38 AM
From what you write, you might already have reached the pinnacle! The only real direct alternative to Lumographs are the green Faber-Castell series 9000 and NOS E. Faber EBONY and Lyra.
If you like a silky-grainy rather than slick feel, you could try Lyra REMBRANDT Carbon pencils (series 308). The Faber-Castell 9000 series also comes in a "Jumbo" format measuring 9.5 mm from flat to flat rather than the customary 7 mm for a more substantial grip, which I like.
The new Blackwings are Blackwing only in packaging/design, not in lead quality.
If you can get a hold of old red Faber-Castell stenography/shorthand pencils (A.W. Faber-Castell "Faber 6" No. 7457), those are the best of the best for plain writing or line drawing (not nuanced drawing or shading, though)
Another alternative in an altogether different direction are all-graphite pencils like the Lyra TITAN - no wood casing, just a 7 mm lacquered lead... have fun!

Got one of those Jumbo 9000 a few weeks back and it's quite fun to use. Almost feels like a novelty. Haven't used LYRA pencils in years will have to buy a few.


I like the Tombow as well. For others, I like the Caran D'Ache Swisswood and Grafwood pencils. They have good retention, feel smooth, and are slightly larger than a standard pencil. The Swisswood has an odd aroma though. Some like it and some don't. To me it smells like soy sauce and campfires.

The Faber Castell Grip is also a good choice.

For larger pencils I like the Caran D'Ache Blackwood although the point rentetion isn't great. And the Moon Try-Rex is a nice choice for size between the Caran D'Ache pencils. I don't care for the Jumbo 9000, the corners feel a bit too sharp to me.

I wasn't sure what to make of the Swiss woods smell either found it quite nauseating initially. Will have to try the Black and Grafwood too.