A recent post by xcel reminded me that I need a mechanical pencil. Ideally the same size as a normal pencil and ideally ~15 USD (200 ZAR) since anything above that price has a habit disapearing from my desk.
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This is where I proclaim the wonderfulness of a 2mm lead holder. you sharpen it like a normal pencil with this really small sharpener. you can then buy a tin of different 2mm leads of different colors or hardness.
Staedtler makes a pretty good one for 10 bucks. my favorite is an aluminum one by Caran D’ache.
If you just have to have .5mm get a uni kuru toga. They have one that rotates the lead every time you press down so you always start with a sharp edge.
Pentel Graphgear 1000. Best pencil ever made
I’m a fan of Pentech Twisterase: Been using these since college.
I’ve tried all the suggestions made so far by other commenters, and they are solid options IMO. One of my personal requirements has been that the writing tip is either smooth/rounded, retractable, or covered in some way, because I use my pencil a lot every day, and I prefer to keep it in my hip pocket. If a fine tip is exposed, it gets caught in the fabric and/or bent.
For a long time the GraphGear 1000 was my favourite because the tip retracts and it has a sturdy metal body. But it’s quite long and heavy, and I had to use the clip, which has a somewhat flimsy hinge joint. If the clip gets ripped off (happens to me) it renders the pencil useless because the clip holds the tip out for writing. I also used Orenz pencils for a while because I like the lead-protecting sleeve, but the tip doesn’t seem to be designed to be repeatedly pushed back into the body, because they always start jamming on me pretty quickly.
A few months ago I discovered the Pentel Kerry and it’s my new favourite. It has a removeable cap to protect the lead when closed, and to use it you remove the cap (friction/snap fit) and put it on the other end of the pencil like you would with a regular pen. The tip of the cap has a spring-loaded button which connects with the lead advance button on the main pencil body, so you can click on the rear end to advance the lead as normal. Unfortunately I don’t think there’s a metal body version, but the plastic feels quite sturdy to me.
We still doing rotring? If you can keep the graphite sheath from getting knocked against something (like from dropping it) the original metal models are very solid.
Probably a little heavy for daily writing if you have any RSI issues though
I have a rotring 500. It has a plastic body with the metal tip of the 600. Gives it a really nice balance toward the tip and isn’t as heavy as a fully metal body.
On that topic, I also have a rotring rapid pro that seems sturdy enough, though I haven’t used it enough to fully vouch for it
I use a Pentel Graphgear 1000. Aluminum construction, feels great in my hand, costs less than 10 bucks.
Had one for about a decade now with no signs of wear, which is especially impressive when you feel just how sharp and tactile the clicking action is
https://kurutoga.com/kuru-toga-advance-advance-upgrade/
I have the Kuru Toga for about 3 years during my Civil Engineering undergrad.
It’s fantastic although the tip is a little less stable than normal fixed points.
I have been spoiled by the rotating tip. I have the UNI M51017 1P.43 version. (I also got the Ghibli version)
I also have a rotring 600 but that’s out of your budget. And honestly it’s too expensive for me to justify bringing with me. It stays at home.
I DD a Pentel GraphGear 500 and have been quite happy. They are definitely fall sensitive though.
