Lead cinch or what’s your pencil

[Tony Wilkins]

After reading Kirby’s dovetail book, I began to wonder about the pencil as a vital tool. So what pencil do you use and why?

[chris carter]

Yellow no. 2 school pencil like the kids use. Because it fits in my little pencil sharpener, it's comfortable to hold, it has an eraser, and super cheap. If it ain't wrong don't fix it!

[Mark Rainey]

After reading Kirby’s dovetail book, I began to wonder about the pencil as a vital tool. So what pencil do you use and why?
Kirby's dovetail book is an excellent resource! Staedtler Mars mechanical pencil at Staples. Can sharpen leads to needle point. Cannot draw a finer line.

[Rob Luter]

Lead clinch aka lead holder aka chuck pencil. Used them as a lad when I was a draftsman. I have a couple lead pointers (sharpeners) courtesy of antique dealers that had no clue what they had. Nothing better.

423677

[mike stenson]

Lead clinch aka lead holder aka chuck pencil. Used them as a lad when I was a draftsman. I have a couple lead pointers (sharpeners) courtesy of antique dealers that had no clue what they had. Nothing better.

423677

I like my lead holder. I'm jealous of your pointers, very nice!

Otherwise, I will use a .7mm drawing pencil. It seems to fit nicely in knife lines.

[Jim Koepke]

My main pencil is a #1 with a cloths pin type clip for in my pocket at times. Next is a carpenter style pencil. These can be sharpened to a very fine edge for following knife lines or they can be allowed to go dull for a fatter line. There are a few of these of various degrees of sharpness in the pencil cup.

My Staedtler Mars drafting lead holders also get used at times when a different hardness of lead is desired. There are about a half dozen of these around. My most used lead pointer fits in the end of my electric eraser and points up a lead quickly.

jtk

[Bob Jones 5443]

Lead clinch aka lead holder aka chuck pencil. Used them as a lad when I was a draftsman. I have a couple lead pointers (sharpeners) courtesy of antique dealers that had no clue what they had. Nothing better.

423677

Ah, that brings me back. Drafting supplies in engineering school, mid-seventies. I used these lovingly. Now I use the Dixon Ticonderoga with a sharp metal sharpener for gross layout, but all the while I wish I had one of these, especially when I'm designing on paper now. On finish parts I use a marking knife or cutting gauge for the cut line as a reference for the chisel.

[Bob Jones 5443]

I WILL need to stop stopping in here. I've just found a nice red-bottomed Tru Point lead pointer and settled for a new Staedtler Mars Technico 2 mm lead holder. Out came the credit card.

[Tom M King]

No. 3 or 4 Berol Mirado, or earlier version of the same pencil. Started life as the Eagle Pencil company, and first name was Mikado, but that name was changed after the attack on Pearl Harbor, when all things Japanese were frowned on. They stopped making them the same way in the 1980's.

I used to be able to buy them in office supply stores, until they were bought out, and cheapened. They still can be found on ebay, by people like me, and sometimes go for real money. I have hoarded more than I will ever need. Leads for mechanical pencils can also still be found, but a point on a regular pencil will mark as fine a line as a marking knife.

People that grew up with nothing better than a Ticonderoga may not be able to tell the difference. If you press down as hard as you do with a Ticonderoga, the lead may not last much longer. Once you learn how light of a touch is all that's needed, they will mark as fine a line as you want for a very long time.

They can be sharpened to as sharp a point as anyone needs with a good quality crank pencil sharpener, or even a sharp little pencil sharpener kept in a pocket. I like the old Berol crank sharpeners for this too-new cutters can be found once in a while on ebay.

edited to add old story: Sometime in the late 1970's, a Pella window salesman handed me a handful of carpenters pencils, at a jobsite of one of my houses. I handed them back, and told him I appreciated the gift, but that I couldn't do anything with them. He looked surprised, and asked me what I used. I took a pencil out of my toolbelt, and marked a line by a combination square. His eyes widened as he said, "No wonder you do such good work!".

423684

[michael dilday]

Staedtler Mars mechanical pencil and a Mobius + Ruppert Brass Lead Pointer for 2 mm and 3.2 mm Leads. Works great.

[Paul F Franklin]

I have pentel graphgear 1000 pencils and Nano Dia leads all over the shop and my office. Mostly .5mm, but have a .3 and a .7 around somewhere. The pencils feel great in my hand and the leads just don't break.

I do keep a few carpenters pencils for framing and other carpentry type work.

[John Gornall]

Staetler wood pencil 4H (hard) - sharpens to fine point, marks a fine line, stays sharp for a long time.

[Lee Schierer]

I use pentel .5 mm mechanical pencils with HB polymer lead, the lead never needs sharpening.

[lowell holmes]

I agree with chris.

[Jim Koepke]

Today to darken some shallow knife lines an old 3B drafting pencil was used.

A light touch still produces a dark line.

It is easier to erase a light line made by a soft pencil than a similar darkness line made by a harder pencil.

jtk

[Derek Cohen]

The Zebra DelGuard (https://www.amazon.com.au/Zebra-DelGuard-Mechanical-Pencil-P-MA85-BK/dp/B00NN3Z4EI) is THE best mechanical pencil, and the Zebra DelGuard 0.3 and 0.5mm leads are the best as well. These do not break lead. The mechanical pencil has a suspension system that protects the lead.

I also use 2mm lead holders, with the Caran DeAche Fixpencil my favourite. Use these with a Geddess sharpener: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/Anotsohumblepencil.html

Regards from Singapore

Derek

[Jack Frederick]

Yellow no. 2 school pencil like the kids use. Because it fits in my little pencil sharpener, it's comfortable to hold, it has an eraser, and super cheap. If it ain't wrong don't fix it!

Yes, but they have even screwed up the standard "wooden" yellow pencil. The old real wooden pencil was great. Today you have to look for the pencil made out of wood rather than compressed sawdust into the shape of a pencil. The new ones don't support the lead enough to take even a short drop and the lead breaks off up into the crap saw dust. I almost always have one tucked up in the rim of my hat when around the place and prefer them in the 3-4" long range. The .5 Pentels get a workout too.