Today's Daily Pencil

[FlyingClayDisk]

Welcome to the New and Amazing new feature at RN-3, <drumroll...trumpets> "Today's Daily Pencil"! 

If you sign up today...and manage to stay awake the entire season, or even just this episode, YOU could be eligible to win fantastic and unimaginably boring prizes!  So, without further adieu...here's today's edition of...TODAY'S DAILY PENCIL!



Featured today is the OHTO "Super ProMecha" - 0.3mm Mechanical Pencil.  The 'lead' being used in this pencil is Pilot - NEOX in a grade 2B 0.3mm high-grade graphite.  This pencil weighs in at a solid 26 gr., and is constructed of all aluminum with solid brass operational internals.  This is an adjustable tip mechanical pencil which is quite unusual in mechanical pencils.  This means the lead sleeve which encases the graphite "lead" is able to be adjusted and/or retracted to varying lengths from 5mm to zero.  The mechanism to execute this action is by rotating the knurled grip area.  The protrusion distance is adjusted by the dual grooved rings just above the knurled grip area.  The reason for this functionality is certain users require different lead sleeve extensions.  Technical Drafting persons, for example, require a longer lead sleeve extension than graphic artists require.  Although not visible in the photograph (dang it!), the eraser cap of the pencil also has an adjustable lead grade indicator so the user can view the lead type in the pencil when he is using multiple pencils of the  same model but containing different lead grades.

That's it for this edition of Today's Daily Pencil.  Stay tuned for more thoroughly exciting episodes in the future.  Thanks for watching, and see you next time!

<Test-Pattern followed by static>

[BIAD]

Nice grip. I'm rubbing my thighs just looking at it. Bravo Sir!

[NoAngels]

That looks to me like crocodile Dundee’s version of a pencil

[beez]

Welcome to the New and Amazing new feature at RN-3, <drumroll...trumpets> "Today's Daily Pencil"! 

If you sign up today...and manage to stay awake the entire season, or even just this episode, YOU could be eligible to win fantastic and unimaginably boring prizes!  So, without further adieu...here's today's edition of...TODAY'S DAILY PENCIL!



Featured today is the OHTO "Super ProMecha" - 0.3mm Mechanical Pencil.  The 'lead' being used in this pencil is Pilot - NEOX in a grade 2B 0.3mm.  This pencil weighs in at a solid 26 gr., and is constructed of all aluminum with solid brass operational internals.  This is an adjustable tip mechanical pencil which is quite unusual in mechanical pencils.  This means the lead sleeve which encases the graphite "lead" is able to be adjusted and/or retracted to varying lengths from 5mm to zero.  The mechanism to execute this action is by rotating the knurled grip area.  The protrusion distance is adjusted by the dual grooved rings just above the knurled grip area.  The reason for this functionality is certain users require different lead sleeve extensions.  Technical Drafting persons, for example, require a longer lead sleeve extension than graphic artists require.  Although not visible in the photograph (dang it!), the eraser cap of the pencil also has an adjustable lead grade indicator so the user can view the lead type in the pencil when he is using multiple pencils of the  same model but containing different lead grades.

That's it for this edition of Today's Daily Pencil.  Stay tuned for more thoroughly exciting episodes in the future.  Thanks for watching, and see you next time!

<Test-Pattern followed by static>

This is almost exactly like how "Lord of The Rings" started.

[VioletDove]

I never thought I’d be salivating over the thought of writing with a pencil, but here we are.

[FlyingClayDisk]

I never thought I’d be salivating over the thought of writing with a pencil, but here we are.

And so now you can see the attraction in what otherwise seems like a tragically boring subject.

[BIAD]

This is almost exactly like how "Lord of The Rings" started.

I agree. Small acorns and all that.

[AmericanBuffalo]

I never thought I’d be salivating over the thought of writing with a pencil, but here we are.

And so now you can see the attraction in what otherwise seems like a tragically boring subject.

It has a very nice industrial look to it. Sleek design and very utilitarian. If I was a draftsman or an artist I could see how choosing the right pen or pencil is critical. It is a tool which must feel right to the user. Like any tool you become comfortable and confident once you learn to use it correctly.

[VioletDove]

I never thought I’d be salivating over the thought of writing with a pencil, but here we are.

And so now you can see the attraction in what otherwise seems like a tragically boring subject.

I’m certainly beginning to. When pencils are mentioned my mind unfortunately goes to the dollar store pencils I’m used to. To learn that there is a whole other world of pencils out there is almost mind boggling. I’m almost glad you are limiting this thread to one pencil a day and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s pencil.

[Snarl]

Thanks for watching, and see you next time!

Wait ... Wait ... Don't run off just yet.

Which part can you chew on?

[FlyingClayDisk]

I never thought I’d be salivating over the thought of writing with a pencil, but here we are.

And so now you can see the attraction in what otherwise seems like a tragically boring subject.

It has a very nice industrial look to it. Sleek design and very utilitarian. If I was a draftsman or an artist I could see how choosing the right pen or pencil is critical. It is a tool which must feel right to the user. Like any tool you become comfortable and confident once you learn to use it correctly.

Exactly.  When I was working as a dedicated Technical Draftsman (I still do it today periodically, but it's a subset of other tasks now), I needed to be able to see precisely where my lead was (and wasn't) on a sheet.  When I say 'precisely', I mean at a level of accuracy that is difficult to many to understand.  However, when you consider that you might be working on a diagram showing racks of pipes where there might be 40-50 pipes in a single rack, each containing a different chemical (I did a lot of work in chemical plants and power plants), an incorrectly placed pencil lead would make a mark which required erasing and this could easily mar or partially erase other lines already drawn on the sheet.  Additionally, it was critically important to ensure that the line weight of a new line was the exact same weight as the line it connected to.

A graphical artist, on the other hand, is often more interested in things like shading large areas, so maybe not concerned with that same level of precision the majority of the time.  However, the graphical artist is going to be far more sensitive to things like tone and depth, more so than a Draftsperson would be.  (See?  I even covered my daily 'PC' requirement in there with Drafts"person"!)

On a couple of footnotes:  Ironically, as a Draftsman I seldom used mechanical pencils opting instead for wood pencils because I could get even more precision with those, even though pencils like the legendary Pentel P-200 series and the Pentel PG series pencils were around at the time.  The other thing is, most production level technical drawing these days is no longer performed by Draftsmen (and women).  It is generally all done in electronic CAD form, and even "CAD" is a dated and disappearing design form now.  Everything we do is in REVIT which is next generation three dimensional CAD (both by AutoDesk).

[FlyingClayDisk]

Thanks for watching, and see you next time!

Wait ... Wait ... Don't run off just yet.

Which part can you chew on?

Heh...you can chew on any part you wish I suppose, provided you like chewing on a bar of aluminum.

BTW, I ain't goin' nowhere!  Y'all are STUCK with me now!

[FlyingClayDisk]

I never thought I’d be salivating over the thought of writing with a pencil, but here we are.

And so now you can see the attraction in what otherwise seems like a tragically boring subject.

I’m certainly beginning to. When pencils are mentioned my mind unfortunately goes to the dollar store pencils I’m used to. To learn that there is a whole other world of pencils out there is almost mind boggling. I’m almost glad you are limiting this thread to one pencil a day and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s pencil.

Because I've received some questions on a specific pencil, be sure to tune in for tomorrow's episode which will feature the fabled and time tested Pentel P-20x series pencil, specifically the P-205 model in classic black which we've all come to know and love.

I'll try to keep it to just one pencil!  :-)

[GeauxHomeLittleD]

Oh Lort! I knew I shouldn't have opened this thread! Having flashbacks of working on the final touches of a vocational (industrial) drafting project in preparation for state competition back in high school. The anxiety!!! 

Won at state, flopped like a nearly dead fish at higher levels with an honorable mention- which back then was on par with a participation ribbon! Lol!

I fully expect nightmares tonight!

[Wizzz]

Is that a Super Hi-Polymer HB lead stick in there?   Mmmmmm..............

[WonderCow]

This is almost exactly like how "Lord of The Rings" started.

I agree. Small acorns and all that.

Awesome! So tomorrow's episode must be all about the broken pencil that the Elves forgot to mend? Who knew it was going to get this exciting?

[CJinTX]

One Pencil to Rule Them All?

[fishertail]

Very nice OHTO! They were one of the first companies to come out with a roller ball pen in the early sixties. This Daily Pencil looks very well engineered.

Matching the pencil to the mission is an art in and of itself... after a lot of experimentation over the years, I found I like shorter instruments with wider grips for most of my purposes. The weight and length of my Kerry the best for me, it's a wide grip with a good weight to it but not too heavy. It's pretty versatile. They say it's 49 grams (!) but I haven't put it to a gram scale. It works well for art and precision but it's not the best for writing (I like writing with a lighter pencil for the sake of endurance) at least for my taste.

Thanks for sharing!

[chris_stibrany]

Have you tested it on any jugulars?

[F2d5thCav]

Not a pencil (although I liked what Clay pointed to), but if you ever get to Germany, buy a bunch of these.  Excellent pens -- Schneider "K" series.



Cheers