Does anyone collect Mechanical Pencils?

[Bisquitlips]

I have been thinking about getting the plastic one as they are not nearly as heavy as the sterling and are likely more practical for everyday use.

Gotta love Faber as a company that puts some thoughts in to how to use a pencil differently! They Rock!

[brunico]

No, I don't collect them, but I seem to have accumulated more than I have fountain pens. Partly because I'm starting to draw again and have 0.5mm, 2mm and 5.6mm, partly because mechanical pencils are relatively inexpensive.

Some comments.

Tombow Mono Graph. Much better design and looks than an inexpensive plastic pencil has any right to be, and with a useful eraser. At £6/$9 I probably wouldn't have bought more than one, but at £2/$3 from j-subculture.com, well, why not? It's what you'd pay for a really poor-quality, ugly own-brand pencil from an office supplies catalogue. You know the ones, sub-Bic plastic, sharp edges, no cap on the eraser, an off-centre plastic cone to sleeve the lead and a foam rubber grip that disintegrates after a couple of weeks.

Rotring. My 2mm Rapid Pro came this morning, just waiting for a 0.5mm 600. Very solid, good balance, exactly what you'd expect. It's a mechanical pencil, not a clutch pencil, so I felt I could justify it in addition to my 2mm clutch pencils.

Fixpencil 22. 2mm clutch pencil. A design classic going back to 1929, very Swiss-looking and won't look out of place next to anything in the International Typographic Style. 120mm leads stick out about 1cm when you first put them in, but the longer Fixpencil 77 is almost impossible to find. Not really a problem, especially for drawing. Had to resist buying a neon green Fixpencil from pencils.jp.

Pentel Graphgear 1000. Good, solid, not Rotring solid but excellent value for the price. Very funky looking, but in a good way.

Ohto Super Promecha 1500. I wanted one of these for the longest time and nearly splurged because they're 20% off at cultpens.com. But I think I only want one for the novelty of the adjustments, so I've resisted it so far... and the Uni Pipe Lock and the Kuru Toga Roulette... I think my Rotring will get most of the use for 0.5mm.

I don't like pencils that look like the kind of ballpoint pen that's made alongside a fountain pen. They just look wrong to me. But drafting pencils fascinate me.

Andrey's Pencils on Ebay is interesting to browse through and check out old-school drafting pencils.

[Lady Onogaro]

I have been thinking about getting the plastic one as they are not nearly as heavy as the sterling and are likely more practical for everyday use.

Gotta love Faber as a company that puts some thoughts in to how to use a pencil differently! They Rock!

That's one of the ones I have. I also have the red one (I think it is the next notch down). Anyway, they are both fun.

[Bisquitlips]

Here is another sleeper and a wonderful Whal Dama Sized pencil with a military style clip.

This pencil is just perfect and makes me wonder why other makers do not try to duplicate its beauty and quality. But then again... that's just me.

[Bisquitlips]

I have been thinking about getting the plastic one as they are not nearly as heavy as the sterling and are likely more practical for everyday use.

Gotta love Faber as a company that puts some thoughts in to how to use a pencil differently! They Rock!

That's one of the ones I have. I also have the red one (I think it is the next notch down). Anyway, they are both fun.

That is nice! For $12.00 on Amazon, you can't go wrong.

[Bisquitlips]

Another nice Fyne Poynt arrived today, rather pretty; I am awaiting also another interesting Fyne Poynt that appears to be in the famous "cracked ice" material.

Attachment 12844

Cob

Cob

That is a beautiful writing instrument in anyone's book!!!

Love the colors! Can you share with us where you acquired it?

Thank you!

[jbb]

Here's one of my favorites....with some old rainbow lead in it that I haven't been able to find a current source for.

[fountainpagan]

Some beautiful pencils you all have!!
I didn't know the Fine Poynt, and find them very elegant. Thank you, Cob for the discovery.

I don't collect mechanical pencils but have several because I enjoy using them to sketck, and so. I have modern and vintage.

Conway Stweart


Yard-o-Led


Majestic


Jif


Unknown, galalith


Sheaffer Prelude


Graf Von Faber Castel - classic - guilloche

[Lady Onogaro]

I really like that Jif, fountainpagan.

[fountainpagan]

You have good taste, Lady Onogaro

It is a very agreable writer.

[mgmmaze]

About a year about I decided since I am in college for Electrical Engineering might as well get some decent pencils. Since then I have gotten 2 of the sheaffer stripped celluloid ones that were around in the 30s and 40s. One I gave to my now ex gf daughter who loved using it when I would help her with math. I also have 2 watermans from the 40s. And 1 or 2 other off brand ones. I have come to love the 0.9 and 1.1 mm leads. They dont break which was a huge annoyance for me with 0.5 and 0.7 also they seem to last much longer. Some of the ones I want to get in the future is to finish the colors of the stripped Sheaffer celluloid so I need another green one since I gifted mine and a red one. I think the Vaccumatic pencils looks so awesome but of course they run for high prices.

[KBeezie]

In the past I would say no, But then if I go and actually count how many mechanical pencils I have, I'd have to say yes.

My favorite currently is this Eversharp Rosewood pencil that takes 1.1 lead (which I currently have filled with some Worther 1.15):



And to just list the rest off modern and vintage :

- Parker 45 in a deep green (0.9)
- Autopoint 152G Executive Director (0.9)
- Uni Kuru Toga Roulette (0.5) and Kuru Toga (the cheapie plastic one, 0.7)
- Lamy 2000 (0.7)
- E+M Workman Long (Clutch, 5.5mm)

Would like to find myself a stainless steel one that's a little on the longer side, perhaps with a clip similar to my Eversharp above, or the old 'pencil clip' like my Wahl #2.



And maybe something of the old 3.2mm (0.12") size, called checking pencils?

[Trustydanyell]

I really like that Graf Von Faber Castel, very nice.

[top pen]

I got a rotring rapid pro in the post today and to be honest I mixed views it doesn't feel like a drafting more a pencil styled to look like one it just doesn't have that pin point precision that the 500 or 600 have, it feels as though it has been made a higher standard then the Staedtler 925 which I've had for a few years. I'll have to see as I found 500 took a while to grow on me.

[crod]

I have a couple of mechanical pencils from the Montblanc Writers Edition. Specifically I want to share a picture of the Dickens pencil. In this case, I have compared the fountain pen with the pencil and I like a lot more the looks of the pencil. The design is very elegant, the combination of the sterling cap with the green/gray barrel is beautiful. The Montblanc star at the top looks amazing. Somebody told me that it is a pencil that doesn't allow mistakes because it doesn't have an eraser, but I don't have a problem with that, I would probably still use a different eraser.

I hope you like it.

[myu]

^ Wow, that Montblanc Writer's Edition Dickens pencil looks amazing! I'll bet it's seriously expensive though.


I don't recall precisely how it happened, but I ended up with a mechanical pencil collection of sorts. I think it was a side effect of rounding out some of my fountain pens with matching pencils and ballpoints. Then I started using them -- imagine that!

Having always been a fan of Rotring, I'd managed to spot a Rotring 800 retractable ballpoint and bought it, when I learned there's a retractable pencil as well (and MUCH more available/affordable). I picked up one. It's very nice. The lead holder isn't completely rock-solid. There's the slightest bit of wiggle. But it's not a big deal. It may be touchy for someone who uses this for drafting (and frankly, I'd recommend a fix point for that kind of work).

I've got a bunch of all steel Pilot mechanical pencils, mostly the black stripe edition that was designed to go with the black stripe Custom and MYU pens. They're really great. Thin, light, tight, and reliable. Very solid build as well, with no plastic bits in the core mechanism. I'd learned about the Pilot vanishing point models (like H-1003, H-1005) too late, after being discontinued and prices soared well above original low prices (like under $20). But some obscure models really caught my eye. I doubt I'll be able to afford any of them, but my hope is to grab one eventually. Just one.

I'll have to take a group photo of my collection at some point.

[Torts]

Can anyone help me with vintage pencil values? I am starting to "thin the herd" and just happened to come across this interesting thread. I have Waterman and Parker pencils that need to go. I am fountain pen collector, I have no idea what pencils go for. Any ballpark estimates would be greatly appreciated. If your interested let me know.

The lead moves in and out of the Waterman but the tip (section) is heavily brassed. The Parker spins but I see no lead. It may be empty or broken.

Here are a few photos. Thank you!




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[Cob]

Another nice Fyne Poynt arrived today, rather pretty; I am awaiting also another interesting Fyne Poynt that appears to be in the famous "cracked ice" material.

Attachment 12844

Cob

Cob

That is a beautiful writing instrument in anyone's book!!!

Love the colors! Can you share with us where you acquired it?

Thank you!

I apologise for having missed this.

I bought the pencil on ebay. It was manufactured in the USA, probably around 1925-1927 as it is a match for the first series Eternal pens of the period. Such a pen would be a prize indeed. Unfortunately I do not know the colour code for this material - my guess is 44.

Incidentally the othe rpencil to which I referred, was in the famous 47 material ("mosaic"). I sold this one together with a matching Leverless pen.

best wishes

Cob

[myu]

Can anyone help me with vintage pencil values? I am starting to "thin the herd" and just happened to come across this interesting thread. I have Waterman and Parker pencils that need to go. I am fountain pen collector, I have no idea what pencils go for. Any ballpark estimates would be greatly appreciated. If your interested let me know.

The lead moves in and out of the Waterman but the tip (section) is heavily brassed. The Parker spins but I see no lead. It may be empty or broken.

Pencils will sell for far less than the matched fountain pen. Your best bet is to visit eBay and examine closed auctions, to get an idea of general market value. Then post in the classifieds. But if you've not been around here long, there is the trust problem. eBay solves that, but for a fee.

[Torts]

Thank you for the information and I will do my web research. As for the "trust problem" I am hoping my past feedback on FPN will help when I post in the classifieds. I appreciate the help! Thanks!


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