I’ve been using a Staedtler-Mars draughting pencil for 25 years... same pencil. I never knew there was a sharpener in the end piece.

A dog's red rocket... That moment when you see inside someone's brain and you realize that you don't want to be there

Looking forward to part II “let’s talk erasers”.

It’s like when you find the spare bulb in the end of a maglite for the first time.

Did you say “pencil = boring topic”??? HOW DARE YOU??????? How Dare You??????? (Thanks for the video) But how dare you?

When I took mechanical drawing class decades ago, we used sandpaper to sharpen to get very narrow lines or thick lines, depending what your drawing needed.

“The size of a dogs red rocket” 🤣

When this started, I thought, "I hope he's discovered architect's pencils." I was not disappointed.

Used these for draughting for the last 40 years.

Not boring! It’s simple stuff like this that makes life easy and drives inspiration. I’d love for you to do a series on the simple stuff like this that you like!!

FUN FACT: This versatil pen is originally from Czech republic, in Czech we sometimes say versatil as synonym for mechanical pencil (but more lead holder) ANOTHER FUN FACT: Best use for this pencil is to disassemble and the body makes the best blowgun for pieces of tissue. Everybody had one in my class in elementary, breaks were really fun.

There is a separate sharpener for those lead holders, it is called a rotary lead pointer. It is more of a desk item, than a pocket-sized tool though. I used to use these lead holders all the time in drafting. I think they are great!

"Pencils? You're talking about pencils? Not practice. Pencils!" -Iverson

"It's about as big as a dog's red rocket". You win the internet today haha

These are just common drafting leads. They’re super old-school.

I JUST bought a Pentel graphgear 1000, where the lead retracts into the shaft. So far it's great..

Stop saying this is boring! We love pencils! Thank you

Dude, I found these a couple of years ago. One of the best things I’ve ever added to my life - I use mine for everything from taking notes to marking lumber. And as far as the end twisting off? One small drop of krazy glue or thread lock will fix that. Any tool that changes your life isn’t boring.

I love topics like this. Pencils. Sketch books. Pocket knives. Stuff like that

"I've been thinking about getting a little metal lathe to do...metal lathe stuff" lmao if that isn't the most DIY-er thing to say. Sometimes we need a tool for a project, most of the times we are looking for a project to get a new tool :-P

KOH-I-NOOR - that was the only brand for pencils that I knew growing up.

I've always liked the Pentel GraphGear 1000 Mechanical Pencil. It's a drafting pencil, but there are a few things I really like. The lead advances in much smaller amounts with each press than a typical pencil, and the entire tip retracts when you press the clip, so the tip is protected. They come in a variety of lead thicknesses (thickni?)

In Architecture school, I was required to to buy those lead holders... The standalone sharpener is one of the best things about it! Look up Staedtler 502. I also have a dremel style power eraser that was a game changer back in the day. Love the chunky red rocket ones too!

Engineers used to use them. Staedtler have been making these for 100 years.

Used a similar one in school. Loved it... I was very sad when I broke it. The built-in sharpener was a last resort for me. It is a bit of a hack, but I sharpened both ends of the lead at home on my nice sharpener. If I quickly needed a sharp point while I was in class, I could just flip the lead around.

The pencil you like was used by professional draftsmen/architects/engineers years ago......

Dude - low key, I love this video! I've been so annoyed with the pencils I've had in the shop lately. They break, they're flimsy, unreliable, etc. This was actually super helpful! The time savings of not having to search for another, not broken-pencil is kind of a game changer haha.

Can we have a follow-up video, covering erasers?

It's a drafting pencil, and you sharpen it either with a little board with grit on it, or a circular shaped sharpener that has an inside out sanding drum in it.

Pencils are never boring, and I have watched many videos on pencils, sharpening, history, etc.. loved it!

I actually keep an old drafting pencil/lead holder in my shop. I even have a sharpener for it. I got both in middle school when I took a drafting class and thought I might be an architect. Love that you are passionate about your tools, even the pencils. Pencils! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for watching! I've make a playlist of my favorite woodworking projects: kzfaq.info/sun/PLhqK_8dnaIW3V6a66AdyRI9DJUZwCSm83

pencils are important! i bought 100 pencils and 100 small rare earth magnets. with a small piece of blue tape you can stick the small rare earth magnet to the pencil and stick them on every tool. everywhere you turn there are pencils within reach!

I have never, NEVER been more mesmerized by a video on the subject of pencils! It’s like I’ve been waiting my whole life for a comprehensive look at our friend, the Pencil. Thank you, David! Oh, and the Iverson impression. Dead On, Dude!

Good video Dave. I've been forcing myself to sketch my projects beforehand so this information come in handy. Thanks!

This is a wonderful topic! I love pencils and use wood pencils, lead holders, and mechanical pencils interchangeably. In fact I do carry my pencils and travel watercolors in my purse ALL the time. Even have a full pencil sharpener in a ziplock and metal caps for the wood pencils. Thank you for this video. Not boring at all!

Interesting. I was introduced that type pencil in my college drafting class in 1969. I think I still have one somewhere.

This is the most inspiring video I’ve seen in a long time. I’m already envisioning at mechanical pencil build with a knife on the other end! Thank you again for the inspiration!

I remember your pencil making video. Loved it. Would love to see Pencil Making 2.0. Pencils!

I've got a similar one by a company called "rite in the rain". It pairs nicely with the orange waterproof Field Notes.

You just made a great choice, I've got mine for decades and it's really reliable. I appreciate you share this topic

Man you sure geeked out on pencils , but why not! Good job by the way!

This is an awesome video. I've been through so many pencils. I got so excited and I ordered both pencils. Mahalo for sharing! : )

Additionally, you can sharp the lead of the mechanical clutch using sandpaper. Your favorite art shop probably has sandpaper made specifically for this and they are much better to give a perfect shape to the lead.

Great topic man! Thanks!

OMG - "A dog's red rocket" - that killed me.

I have what almost borders on an obsession with Cross mechanical pencils, specifically the smaller diameter ones. It's a twist to advance the lead kind of thing, but not continuously like the yellow one in the video. I'm always using one out in the workshop and every time I pull it out I wonder if I'm the only person using a Cross pencil for shop projects. More pencil videos please!

Best product review of 2021. I’m calling it!

Interesting and surprisingly useful topic..... Thanks for that!

0:06 Q: How do you help a maker with constipation? A: You give them a pencil and tell them to work it out

I am curious if the lead is brittle: does it break or shatter inside if you drop it?

Were you high when you went on your pencil tirade. Just kidding your passion is extraordinary. I can't believe I watched the video all the way to the end.

Fantastic video David, I have struggled with pencil difficulty for many years and it has led me to purchase many different styles and sizes. But no matter which one I use as long as it has lead it is good to go so as a top tip make sure you don't get caught without lead in your pencil

Definitely snort-laughed at the dog’s red rocket.

Awesome! Love this lead holder

you're the man! had to find the balance between accurate and durable for pencils. great topic dude

I love the pencil talk, I too am on the hunt for the perfect single pencil

I love Zebra's DelGuard mechanical pencils. There's extra springy parts in the tip to retract the lead, to keep it from snapping. Though not good for workshop use, since the they don't have models for thick lead.

I collect mechanical pencils, so this topic is right up my alley. A really good source is the "Dave's Mechanical Pencils" blog.

I like this topic I am a trained old school draftsman. What your talking about is as you said a lead holder these were for mechanical drawing of blue print . Lead came in various hardnesses from the common HB to the very hard 9H there were others I still own a number including on the I turned into a sheet metal scribe. The Kohl ~Noor was one of the common drafting supply makers I still have almost all of my tools what you need is a pencil pointer it sands the lead to make it very sharp point. They are about the size of half a soup can check staples. “The fatter” lead holder is for darkening in pencil drawing art work. But I always hated the way drawings got graphite smudged all over them, so when I could I I braced AutoCAD and never had a dirty drawing again.

My Dad always had a mechanical pencil similar to your Koh-I-Noor mechanical clutch pencils. I don't remember what brand, but I thought they were awesome so I've always been big on mechanical pencils. You can get them in color and soft to hard leads too. So no, not boring.

I've tried using regular 0.5 and 0.7 mechanical pencils in the shop. The lead breaks too easily. I bought a Staedtler 2mm lead holder and I love it. The lead is thick enough to mark the roughest cut wood, or withstand a fall from the table saw to the concrete floor without breaking and the overall size is about the same as a #2 pencil. Just like yours, the lead can be sharpened so I get a line less than 0.5mm. In the office, I use a 0.7mm Pentel GraphGear. Awesome pencil for writing and drawing quick plans.

I love 2mm lead holders. I've been using them since I took drafting in the early 90's. Being able to sketch with a sharpened tip and shade with the broad side has always been helpful when doing field studies. I also save the graphite dust for other projects.

I’m glad someone else puts this much thought into edc writing implements. 👍🏼. I usually just carry a spiral notepad and a fine line G2 pen, blue of course.

The mechanism in the Koh-i-noor lead holder is the same mechanism that was in my engineer's mechanical pencil when I was in college back in the 1970's. They're much older than that, though. I still have one, though I don't use it. The sharpeners always created a very fine, long tapered point which would break off near the tip if you pushed just a little too hard. By the way, the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts all flew in spacecraft by engineers who almost universally used that type of pencil both for their calculations and for the drawings from which the blueprints for those spacecraft were made. That was long before CADCAM. The mechanism in that Versatil pencil has been part of Great Things.

David, I have always appreciated your vulnerability and how you always get to the POINT....Well here is a quick TIP, one thing you could do is glue a strip of sandpaper to the inside back cover of your field notebook to sharpen your pencil...just a POINTED thought...

Awesome vid. We used those all through college. Very handy.

My small clutch pencils always had a detachable cap to sharpen the tip.

You look like a bus boy from friendly’s, and I mean that in the most sincere way possible, glad to see you have made the change to full time artist/conceptualizer

I'm digging that analog synth back there!

The little one is called a DRAFTING PENCIL I used them on my schooling for Electronic.

I love pencils, I kind of collect them. My fav so far is a zebra mechanical pencil that you can shake to make the lead advance. It was 20 bucks but I love it. I got it in the 0.9 for the shop so it don't snap off to often.

I use the big lead holder for scribbling on wood, especially before sanding or planing to make sure that I get down to fresh surface across the whole board.

Love pencils - I had a jar full of them on my bench, now I have two jars, soon there will be more jars than bench. Watch where you go with engineers lathes, you'll find the tooling ends up costing more than the lathe before you make one pencil.

Good stuff, David.

if you want a small clutch pencil with more mass, there is the kaweco sketch, it uses 3.2 or 3.6 mm lead i dont remember exactly, and its pocket size

I about fell on the floor when you said it was as big as a dog’s red rocket!

The Koh i Noor was standard for drafting when I was in school (late 70's). I have several. Thanks for the discussion.

This is _AT_LEAST_ the third video of yours about pencils that I’ve watched

Before drafting became a computer job we used these to hold all our different drawing leads and aluminum rods to draw on Mylar. 37 years Ford automotive product designer.

How great would a Make Something/ Field Notes collaboration be!!

Staedtler makes a really nice lead holder in the smaller width. You can also purchase different weights of lead, I have a few a 4H, HB, and 4B set up in different pencils. You can also get an external sharpener to get a finer point than your built-in sharpener.

Does the "Red Rocket" come in red though? I've had a similar pencil for years, but by a different brand. I hade a little "sheath" down the spine of my notebook using tape to clip it into. I also really like "Mates" mechanical pencils by Paper Mate, they're nice and chunky and have 1.3mm leads

If youre gonna make your own pencil. Id recommend a clip that can clip from the top so you can put it in your pocket, and a clip for the slide. So you can clip it to a notebook without creating more dimensions than necessary.

Like you, I am forever searching for the best pencil. The drafting pencils / lead holders, especially the ones with the sharpener built in, have been a favorite. Then I found the big ones. With a sharpener. And with DIFFERENT COLOR PIECES OF "LEAD" - I really like the white for marking walnut and other dark woods. The one that has become my go-to (at least the one that I get out of my apron the most) is the Fat Boy from FastCap. I have also found some large format pencil turning kits. Look for sketching pencil or 5.6mm pencil kits.

Love it, near impossible to keep any pencil in a high school shop.

I want a wholes series of this type of video!

The first lesson in Technical Drawing at school (68 years ago) was devoted to instructing us pupils on the way to sharpen a 3H pencil to a chisel point, and how to keep it in perfect condition. I realised that I was not very good at this, probably because I was rather impatient to be getting on with the actual drawing, so sought a solution at the local stationers. This came in the form of a flat lead mechanical pencil, where the lead size could be chosen to be exactly the width of the desired chisel point. I invested a lot of my pocket money in purchasing one of these (Staedler ?) pencils and thereafter was always able to spend more time actually working on my drawing tasks rather than having to devote time to fiddling with penknife, razor blade and sandpaper on a wooden pencil. I was therefore always well in front of my fellows in completing assignments, and usually got top marks.

I love those types of pencils. I found a few of the Staedler pencils like that in my dad's old drafting stuff. I also have one from Rockler for the shop. If you get frustrated with the tip blunting, there is a small sharpener that you stick the tip in a spin it around. Its perfect for the desk top.

Great video, Dave! 😃 I need some pencils as well... Looking for them locally right now! 😬 Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

Just saw your video and have a really old koh-i-noor from my late grandparent in my desk, not knowing the brand does still sell them and the leads

Lead holders were originally for drafting. I had my first lead holder in the mid 1960s. Look in drafting stores or artist shops for different sizes. I tend to prefer the standard size lead holders, the size of a #2 pencil, so I can't help you there. But it would be nice for older fingers to have thicker barrels.

Not boring at all! It IS a really important tool.

I actually really like pencils and pens, so I really enjoyed this. Also I'm looking into that last holder, looks nice!

If you liked those, I'd suggest getting the Koh-i-noor Versatil 5608 (2mm) and the Koh-i-noor Hardmuth 5640 (5.6mm). Both those models have an auto advance mechanism so you get just the right amount of lead extension with every click.

I too have been on a quest for the perfect pencil. Its a surprisingly personal thing. I really like my Pentel P209 (0.9) for most tasks in the shop. Rarely have an issue with the tip breaking and it has a long steel tip for getting in tight places. I also keep a Pentel PG1015 (0.5) in my marking/measring pouch for extra sharp lines. The PG1015 is nice because the whole tip assembly retracts when you put it in your pocket so you don't get stabbed.

Heh...I was thinking "Use some thread lock!" right before you said it. I've always liked the Staedtler Mars 780, same size lead but longer. I'll have to try yours. And . . . not boring at all!

I saw this on DiResta’s recent video and have been amazed ever since. I WANT IT!

The Koh-I-Noor lead holder is made for drafting. There is a wide variety of lead types available for it, the downside is that you need a way to sharpen the lead. I have a lead holder here by UNIVERSE so I checked and by gosh it has a little sharpener in its cap. If you can find a good online source for drafting supplies you can probably find a wide variety of lead holders. I'm an engineer- I've been using Pentel-type pencils for a long time. I started with 0.5mm but now I prefer 0.9mm. I use them for engineering, sketching, and even for woodworking. This type of pencil is very cheap so you can have lots of them around your shop. But my EDC is a pair ("2 is one, one is none") of pushbutton pens. Right now I have a couple of Zebra Saras that I'm carrying. Pilot G-2 also seem to be good. These are reliable and they write well as soon as you pull the out of your pocket, plus a push button is easier than a pen that you have to twise to take to top off of.

I have to try those lead-holder types. Ultimately I think I just like the "charm" of a simple wooden No. 2 (HB) pencil, though I still lack the discipline of always carrying one with me