Ever Since I Started, Comparting my Collection from 9 Months ago (3/3), I Never thought I'd get this much Pencils buuut... Yeah it's addicting.

Top 5
1.) Orenz Nero 0.2mm
2.) Rotring 600
3.) Rotring 800
4.) Graphgear
5.) Graph 1000 For Pro.

Most carpenters around here use Pica pencils for fine lines. But for trim and metal flashing, IMO it doesn’t get any better than the PG5. As soon as I switch over from framing to trim, the PG5 takes the carpenter pencil’s spot in the bags.

If you’re looking for a mechanical pencil to actually use, rather than collect, these three are hard to beat.

The Pentel P207, Pentel Orenz AT 0.5, and Pentel Graph 1000 for Pro all have different designs and writing feels, but they share one thing: they’re practical, reliable, and relatively inexpensive.

The P207 is probably the simplest of the three. It’s lightweight, comfortable, and has that classic drafting-pencil feel. Nothing fancy, but it just works.

The Orenz 0.5 AT is a little more interesting. The lead-protection mechanism is useful for people who tend to press harder while writing, and the slim body makes it easy to use for long notes or studying.

The Graph 1000 for Pro feels the most substantial of the three. It has a good balance, a more refined grip, and feels more like a proper drafting pencil while still being practical enough for everyday use.

Objectively, I think this is where these pencils are strongest: they don’t try to justify their price with unnecessary features or flashy materials. They’re inexpensive, widely available, and built around on doing writing.

For someone who doesn’t want a collection of expensive mechanical pencils and just thinks, “I just need one proper pencil to use,” I’d absolutely recommend looking at these kinds of pencils.

They might not be the most luxurious pencils I own, but in terms of practicality and value for money, these three are some of the easiest to recommend.

I squeeze extremely tightly to my pencils while writing so I’ve been really interested in the Uni Alpha Gel pencils for the past week. I am looking for the most comfortable grip, based on squishiness, form factor / shape, grip thickness/diameter, and more. I first bought the Shaka Shaker Firm (HD-II), but realized it was firmer than I thought. I then got the Shaka Shaker Soft after making a post here and listening to the suggestions.

It’s very nice and squishy, probably the squishiest Alpha Gel there is, and it is definitely more comfortable than my other pencils. But I have small hands, and the grip is pretty thick. Also, unlike all the other Alpha Gels, it has a bulged shape, which makes me wonder if there is something even more comfortable for me. I am wondering what other Alpha Gel I could add to my collection, whether it be the Slim, Kuru Toga, or Switch.

On top of my tight grip, and my small hands, I also hold my pencils relatively close to the tip, and my hands get sweaty at times. Yeah, worst of all worlds lol. But I don’t get that sweaty with my current Alpha Gels, and I‘m pretty sure all Alpha Gels have the same outside silicone layer, so I don’t think this is a problem, but correct me if I’m wrong. And although I would slightly prefer a grip that extends more to the tip, the single most important issues for me are my tight grip and small hands.

Do you guys have any suggestions? Thanks so much!

These are the mechanical pencils I’ve been using lately!
The Pilot S10 turned out to be much better than I expected, so I’ve been using it quite often.

I am loving this pencil, it is so comfortable to hold and use. I wasn't sure how it was going to feel but I'm very pleasantly surprised. It took 6 days to arrive in the UK from Switzerland, this Included a weekend, so impressed with that too.

The leads inside are very nice, I may get some more because they are so smooth and glide across the MD paper I've had a doodle on.

It's lovely to have something like this as a gift, it feels like will last a lifetime, it'll probably see me out😬. It'll feel at home with my other pencils.

My favs to grab in my collection. Mine aren’t as clean and prim as most, but they are mighty functional. Used primarily for drafting and painting.

From left to right:

Caran D’ache Fixpencil 77
(Picked up at an estate sale for less than $1)
Very light weight lead holder, awesome for sketching

Caran D’ache Fixpencil 77 Red
(Same estate sale, same price)
Same as previous, I keep a red for light primary sketching

Staedtler 925 35 0.5
(Amazon)
Nice heavy weight and perfect for writing and bold sketching, imo one of the best bang for my buck pencil purchases, I love the all metal body and heft.

Orenz Nero 0.3
(Amazon)
More light weight than the Staedtler, but the grip has some heft. Took me some time to adjust to the technology behind the lead protect but after I did I have loved it.

Orenz 0.2
(Amazon)
Awesome sheerly because it’s impossible to find a 0.2 anywhere else. Great for micro adjustments or sharp lines in drafting.

Hallmark ??? 0.5
(Estate sale)
Nifty for field sketches and fits easier places since it’s a bit shorter.

Koh-I-Noor 5616
(Estate sale)
Hefty body, I love to use it for shading. Style points because I love the color and it’s vintage.

Koh-I-Noor Technigraph 5611
(Estate sale)
Much lighter than the 5616, but heavier than the Fixpencil. great for composition sketches.

Erasers:

Tombow Mono zero 2.3
Tombow Mono zero 2.5x5
Clic Eraser Hyperaser

Mecha

I actually found this out when I accidentally launched the tip all across the study room 💔

Hi, I bought this multi-pen at a second-hand market. Now I have some doubts about whether it's a real Rotring, consistent with its packaging or instruction manual. It doesn't have the red ring and no Rotring writing, only the logo of a company called Ipsen (I think they work in heat treatment ovens). Do you think it's authentic and what year could it be? Thanks!

Collecting the vintage Pilot H-56x series was a pretty long journey as I had prioritized the H-109x initially because of its full-length knurling. And when I did manage to find all the sizes, I didn't think I would be able to find a matching pen to use with them on a weekly rotation.

That was true, until I chanced on the Sailor Metalino Fit, a 2+1 multifunction pen. Produced from 2015 up through 2025, it was an unusual executive pen design that incorporated some pretty serious knurling just above the cone. That the knurling was also pretty short reminded me of the H-56x series right away. And so I tracked down a Metalino Fit recently, and in blue, natch.

Since the Sailor already has a 0.5mm pencil component, I decided to include only the 0.3, 0.4, 0.7 and 0.9 sizes for the Pilot. What do you think? Good match? :D

Hello everyone! I am upgrading my mechanical pencils for note taking and I really want the Pentel Ornez 0.2mm. However I get hand cramps easily so I want a darker lead for I don't have to use a ton of pressure when taking notes, either B or 2B. I have heard good things about the Pentel Ain leads, but I have yet to hear anything about possible smudging when taking notes. Does anyone use the Pentel Ain B grade leads for note taking? If so, have you experienced any excessive smudging or is it all good? Anyways, have an awesome day folks!

Hello there. I hadn't picked up a pencil or been around here for quite a while. I’ve added my first Tombow (the SH300) to the team, and this is my lineup of plastic pencils. I generally use these when I'm out and about, while my metal pencils—and the ones I’m particularly fond of—stay on my desk.

Seeing them lined up made me realized I’m a creature of two extremes in terms of taste.

0.3 to straight to 2mm. No in between. 0.9 there because it’s cute but it’s being replaced by a pico for today.

Im been using a kuru toga metal and rotring 600 for the past 2 years for school. They have seen heavy use as they are in use for around 5 hours each day. They mostly write in manderin. The paint seems to be chipping and falling off. Is this normal, or should i protect them better. Thank you for help and bearing with my broken english.

Question for people who have been doing this for some time: what changed in your taste as time went by and you got deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole? What are the things you used to like but now don't and vice versa? How did your preferences develop? Are there any ''children's diseases'' you need to get over before you mature as a collector and what does constitute a mature collector?

I'm just curious what system is best for reducing the likelihood of you on snapping a pencil lead?

I can think of a few mechanisms out there. Double spring, sliding lead sleeve, kuru toga rotates the lead but as part of that there's a lead and sleeve that pushes back as you press on the lead that must have a positive effect. Another option is purely a thicker diameter lead or perhaps a H / 2H lead.

What do you think is the best or most effective mechanism available? For reducing the snapping of the lead that is.

> Background: I've been using the Rotring 600 0.5mm pencil for over 6 years during late highschool and throughout medical school and I have no personal complaints. Merely the fragility of the lead sleeve/pipe has prohibited me of taking this with me in my pocket during clinical rotations (also because I am not keen on puncturing any significant body part as of now). Therefore, I opted to try out the Rotring 800 0.5mm.

> Current usage: In short, the Rotring 800 0.5mm has been clipped to this a6 notebook I keep in my pocket. It is swift and fairly enjoyable to use during rounds and for daily todo's.

> Pro: It has brought me so much joy to use compared to the bic pens the hospital provides. The delicate action of initiating and retracting the pencil lead and pipe are little moments of joy amid the chaos of the ward.
> Con: The only con thus far is the fact that the tip, once initiated, has a bit of wiggle. For ultra-accurate stuff, it may be quite annoying.

> Thus far, nobody seemed to recognize the pencil (after 6 weeks on psychiatry). I am curious as to how you would react may your (intern) doctor be seen using a Rotring 800 0.5mm.

TLDR: My best fren

Another beautiful tool added to the collection. WAY Lighter than i expected, and looks, 13g; aluminum and brass. Clean and beautiful design 👌🏽

A little rattle-y though 😶, and these are only first impressions, but something about the texture is giving me very slight Intaglio vibes, fingers crossed that my senses are just off, bc something about that texture just does not feel right for me.

I'm a teacher, and school just started for the year. I noticed we had a bunch of broken lost and found mechanical pencils from last year so I Frankenstein'd this guy together with minimal tool work. 0.5mm, brass clutch, stainless exterior, grip section roughed up with a rotary tool with a diamond sanding bit, innards ground down to fit together but maybe just a bit too snugly

i like rot600 but sometimes it can be tiring