Papermate Logo 4

I go to art stores a couple of times a month to check out their stock of mechanical pencils. Most of their inventories are usually relatively cheap in the less than 10 dollar price range. There are a couple of those stores in my neighborhood within walking distance and I usually go there when I get a chance. A month ago, I had some time to visit one and check out their stock.

Besides the Alvin Draft/Matic, and Papermate Technician, they also have the Papermate Logo 4 and Logo 2 in stock. I originally bought the Logo 2 on my first visit and then bought the Logo 4 on my second visit. I initially thought that I would only want the Logo 2 because of similarity in the design. However after writing with it, I decided that I need to buy the Logo 4 just because I felt something was lacking. And that something is a good rubber grip. The Logo 4 has a good 1 and 3/8 inches long contoured rubber grip that’s very effective when writing. This pencil has a good length for its weight which I felt was a good balance. I wrote with this for a long time and I must say that it is very comfortable. Now if they only made the rubber a little softer.

It has a black plastic at the tip of the metal pocket clip. This makes pocketing the pencil easier and smoother. The metal tip is also retractable by clicking on the top barrel and then pushing the pencil down on a surface. This makes it a pocket safe model. The tip is shaped like a ballpen unlike some that are needle shaped.

The eraser is inside the upper barrel that comes out through a simple twist of the barrel. Its very smooth and I’m very impressed with how much eraser it holds. My only complaint with it is that a piece of the eraser sort of sticks out of the barrel so if you’re doing field work and your fingers are dirty, then that dirt transfers to your eraser as you click the lead out.

You pull the upper barrel to reveal the lead chamber which holds only a couple of leads. My opinion on this is that they should have made it a little bigger to fit more leads.

And there you have it folks, a very good writing instrument worthy of any mechanical pencil collection. Get yours now.

Rotring Tikky

This is the third one I bought and added to my collection. By this time, I was already hooked on collecting. I searched eBay looking for similar black mechanical pencils. Then I remembered that in college in the Philippines there were 2 popular brands when it comes to drawing pencils: Staedtler and Rotring. Each was packaged in a college set with 3 Technical Pens, an eraser and ink. The Staedtler Micro pencil was easily recognizable with its blue color while the Rotring Tikky had the familiar brown color with the wave grip. I didn't like the wave grip on the Tikky since it felt like it would hurt your fingers the longer you use it so I opted to buy and use Staedtler for my college drawing classes. My friend Jonathan and I bought our Staedtler College sets at Pecton Mercantile in New Manila. Along with the purchase, they gave us free T-Shirts. So, I searched Ebay and found the Tikky sold in black. I quickly made my purchase for only $3.00. Since its made for drafting, the Tikky had a fixed sleeve. The grip had the familiar wave design and as I expected, it wasn't very comfortable for longer writing since I am a heavy gripper. Like most of drafting MP's, the metal cap is clicked to advance the lead and also hides the small eraser underneath. However, I must say that this is one classic pencil that is a must have in any MP collection.

Staedtler Integrity 9505

The Staedtler Integrity 9505 was the second pencil in my collection. I bought this one back in 2006 at Office Depot and was the first to have a twist eraser mechanism . I haven't seen this kind of eraser back in college in which all mechanical pencils had erasers under or on the cap itself. I was in awe as I twisted the top and the eraser came out. It came in a two pack blister package and advertised as using 97.5% of the lead because of the double clutch mechanism which holds the lead in two places. However after using this at the office, I was disappointed that it was very prone to lead breakage. Thinking that it was just bad pencil, I used the other one but it too had lead breakage after a while. I quickly went to Office Depot to buy another pair but found it wasn't sold anymore. I checked eBay and ordered another package but the first one also had breakage. After I changed the lead from HB to H and used the Pentel Super Hi Polymer on the last one, it seems to have stopped having lead breakage and so this is the one in my collection. The rubber grip makes for a nice cushion on the fingers while writing and the chrome pocket holder is very nice. Its made in Japan which is stamped in chrome on the side of the barrel. Too bad about the lead breakage experience for it is one of the most comfortable writing pencils I have but definitely worth having in my collection.

Pentel Clarius AX605BP

One of the places I usually check out for new mechanical pencils is the 99cents only store. Every once in a while, they would replace their pencil stock with an entirely new line. I previously had bought 2 other pencils there. Yesterday I went to the store to buy the usual groceries for the house when I visited their stationery section. Previously, they sold the Papermate Apex here but today they had a new line of Pentel mechanical pencils. I bought one to check out and quickly took a picture when I arrived home. The Pentel Clarius seen here with its blister pack is sold in 4 different barrel colors named after crystals - onyx, emerald, saphire and ruby. I bought mine in onyx.

As I opened the pack and took out the pencil, it reminded me of a doctor's pen when I was a child. It has a nice executive look, contoured rubber grip, chrome accents in the pocket clip, logo, cone tip and the top and middle of the pencil. The tip is retractable and the lead advances by pushing down on the top cap. I was pleasantly surprised with how smooth and quiet the lead advanced as I pushed down on the cap. The long rubber grip has 3 contoured sides for gripping the pencil in any position which was nice for big hands. A big black plastic cap on top covers the large eraser underneath. Chrome lettering informed me that the pencil was made in Japan. Writing with the Clarius was pleasant but there were occasions where the lead broke while I was writing. The barrel is bigger in diameter than my other mechanical pencils obviously because this was designed to be a writer's pencil and not for drafting purposes. Writing for a long time didn't fatigue my hand at all and after a few pages I was still comfortably writing with it.

Pentel P205

This was the first pencil in my collection. I had bought this about 9 years ago in the Philippines where it is very common. For me, the P205 is the classic mechanical pencil. It has a non retractable 4mm tip for drafting but is also suitable for writing. Clicking the metal cap advances the lead. Underneath the cap is the eraser with a needle pin for unclogging stuck leads in the tip. I've used this needle a couple of times and I must say it works well. A metal pocket clip keeps the pencil in your pocket but since its non retractable, it usually makes a few pencil holes in my shirt pocket so I usually keep this in the ring binder of my notebook. Writing with it is very comfortable with its grooved grip to hold the pencil steady even with sweaty hands like mine. Its not the best mechanical pencil but I like it for it gets the job done without the fancy lead indicators or twist advance erasers. This is a must have in any mechanical pencil collection and is usually available in any office supply store.

Pentel Technica-X PW-45

On my way to the market every weekend, there is a very nice stationery store called Swains that I visit every couple of weeks. Last Sunday I was there to check out if they had any new ones. Fortunately, they had a couple but I chose this Pentel Technica-X PW45 - in .5mm black of course.

At first I thought that the tip was non retractable but when I returned home and started to write with it, I was surprised it had a retractable tip. Basically, if you push the cap from a retracted tip position, the tip will come out without the lead. Then you push the cap until you hear a click to advance the lead. Pushing all the way down you would hear a second click and it would retract the tip back inside the barrel for safe pocket storage. This reminds me of the Papermate Apex I have which had the same type of retractable tip. It has a nice chrome pocket clip that wraps around the top of the barrel. The cap is easier to pull off to reveal the eraser if the tip is out. In retracted position, the cap can be a little hard to pull off. The eraser is small and covers the lead storage compartment. The barrel is grey, smooth and shiny. It has about an inch of contoured rubber grip and is very effective for my standards. The words Pentel and Japan is written on the top of the barrel behind the pocket clip. I've used this pencil a couple of times writing notes here and there in the office and I find it very comfortable to use. Since I have big hands, the bigger barrel diameter fits my hand better although my personal preference is a longer barrel and a narrower tip instead of the conical tip this one has.

Staedtler 9605

Happy New Year! Its the start of the year and I'm really excited towards the pencils that will be part of my collection this year. Two days ago, I shared with you how I got this Staedtler 9605 with my visit to a local stationary store to pickup the Papermate Technician II. I think that one of best things about collecting is that you go to a place and you never know what you might find there. Which is why I'd rather visit local stores than buying it online.
The Staedtler 9605 is the first in my collection to have a push advance lead that is located on the grip instead of being on the cap. The top metal cap instead covers the eraser and the lead compartment. The cap clicks into place when placed back to cover the eraser. The black barrel has a shiny finish and the silver Staedtler markings on the side is similar to the Integrity 9505. It has a nice long chrome pocket clip that protrudes from the barrel and is non-removable. The long rubber grip is good for big hands and is suitable for writing. I found that the side lead advance button though sometimes gets in the way as I twirl the pencil around when writing as I tend to do this to balance the lead sharpness when writing. The tip is retractable so its safe for pockets. Overall a nice pencil and a good addition to any MP collection.