They have healthy, useable erasers on them; that counts for something – not puny ones like in the test subjects.
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I got a batch with shitty erasers that were both too hard and somehow gummy and sticky though.
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Cheap plastic Staedler for me. Aluminium ones are too cold to the touch.
I was hoping to see the Zebra M-402 in this test. Sturdy metal pencils that last decades, have amazing (if not small) erasers, and they actually improve my writing clarity more than others. They go for around $4 a pop if you buy in packages of 12, more as a single. I should try running over one.
I’m on my 4th Pentel P205 in 35 years.
I currently use a Kuru Toga, but I once had a Caran d’Ache Fixpencil-style 0.5mm pencil (black barrel, from their art/office side, not their high-end side) that seemed far more durable. It had no fancy features, but was all metal construction, including the internals, with a fixed lead sleeve that was unusually thick. It would have had no problem with either of these tests or worse.
Unfortunately, I bought it in an art supply shop in Reykjavik, and after losing it some time later, I’ve been completely unable to find a replacement. The only ones I can find are 0.7, rather than 0.5, and have a retracting sleeve that seems far less durable.
Edit: It apparently was a Fixpencil F-S 50, but searching for this on Google comes up with somewhere around 20 results in total, and nothing for sale.
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awesome,… that was an increrdibel pen
They are just too perfect and lovely to actually use. That first rub that takes off a corner and besmirches its virginal finish feels like a betrayal of trust.
This review seems kinda focused on writing. Which is best for drawing?
I had a Kuru Toga but now I pretty much only use a uni gel shaker. I’m kind of addicted to that squishy finger cushion.
Pfft. I just use a stick of elemental lead.
For those who are light of heart there is always the Inkless Metal Pen
Washing machine and car escapades aside, I have a Pentel GraphGear and like it a lot. It has just enough weight to feel really nice in my hand.
It comes in three lead sizes, distinguished by color - the blue is a .7mm,I forget what colors the other two were. It also has a cute little rotating cuff with a window that lets you show what hardness of lead you’ve loaded it with. I like it.
I also like plain ol’ wooden Ticonderoga 2Bs, of course. Depends on the situation.
I have a Rotring 600, and it’s lubberly.
The 0.35mm leads are a PIA to get hold of though.
I would recommend the Aristo mechanical pen for those of you following the way of the earthquake. It is sturdy as possible, and it is a shame it ins’t in the present roster of tortured pens. I’ve been usng the same 0.3 for two years now, and it took a lot of abuse, never flinching.
You can get a Kuru Toga Alpha Gel. I’m not a super fan of the Kuru Toga feature, which doesn’t seem all that effective to me, but the gel grips are pretty nice.
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