5mm Mechanical Pencil/Lead

Yep...this is really about mechanical pencils.

I really need to use a 5mm mechanical pencil...have for YEARS.

I have bought DOZENS of different types, and used all different kinds of leads. However, every pen I use get jacked up. The lead breaks INSIDE THE PEN and then the pencil gets jammed and I need to take it apart and blah blah blah.

Maybe I not only lack a paint gene, but maybe I lack a mechanical pencil gene.

My current instrument is a PENTEL Energize with PENTEL 2H lead. I know 5mm is a lot tricker than 7mm, but I really need the 5mm. Anyone got a good 5mm pencil/lead?

Too good for Ticonderoga, huh? Then might I suggest a Graphgear 500? I picked one up at my local hobby shop to use for drawing out my stencils, but I like it enough I went and bought 3 more. If you're looking for the Cadillac of mechanical pencils my buddy has used his Rotring 800 Series for as long as I remember. I do believe the proper term to describe it is "shnazzy". Personally, I don't care to pay more than a $50 bill for a pencil I know I'll lose.

I used to have 3mm, 5mm, 8mm...had to use them at drafting school after I got out of high school. All the different drawing lines had to be a different lead thickness...object lines were 8mm and hidden guide lines were 3mm, etc. It was kind of cool, but my career went in a different direction! LOL

I'm not too picky about it but the Paper Mate G-Force in 0.5 was good enough that I went back to the supply cabinet and took the whole box of them for my personal supply drawer at my desk.

I used to have 3mm, 5mm, 8mm...had to use them at drafting school after I got out of high school. All the different drawing lines had to be a different lead thickness...object lines were 8mm and hidden guide lines were 3mm, etc. It was kind of cool, but my career went in a different direction! LOL

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Me too!

I've always had good luck with Faber Castell and Koh-I-Noor 0.5 leads. Staedtler Mars makes good stuff, too (I absolutely LOVE their white vinyl erasers). They come in different grades as well. If you have a Hobby Lobby, Crafts Etc., or a similar 'chain' crafts store, they'll usually have a small area for art & drafting. Or, find a print store and/or drafting supply house (if your city's so equipped).

The pencil doesn't really matter to me, although my favorite was Koh-I-Noor that came as part of a pencil/technical pen kit the VICA Skill Olympics provided to all contestants when I went to Nationals in 1986. I 'normally' use the claw-style 'lead holder' pencils with a rotary 'lead pointer,' but can't seem to locate mine at the moment.

I've been using the same Pentel for 20+ years. It was pricey at the time, but I guess sometimes you do get what you paid for. It's a 2-piece design, where the part that has the pocket hook pulls off to uncover the point and then serves as the eraser end.

I've been using the same Pentel for 20+ years. It was pricey at the time, but I guess sometimes you do get what you paid for. It's a 2-piece design, where the part that has the pocket hook pulls off to uncover the point and then serves as the eraser end.

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Sounds kind of like the perfect pencil:

http://www.fabercastell.com/17320/Products/Design/Perfect-Pencil/index_ebene3.aspx

This is the one I have, but mine says Pentel, instead of Kerry, on the barrel:

http://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Automatic-Pencil-Barrel-P1035C/dp/B0006SW6YY/ref=pd_sbs_op_3

I was suprised they still make it...

I personally like my Swiss made Fixpencil that I bought from Lee Valley Tools several years age. I use it primarily for wood working but it is still all around mechanical pencil.