Pentel Q1005 Smash: amzn.to/49tbPY2 Pentel P200 series set: amzn.to/3VmNDAH Pentel Sharp series mechanical pencil: amzn.to/3VthEi7 Pentel GraphGear 500: amzn.to/3VoZoqh Pentel GraphGear 1000: amzn.to/4f94Mom PaperMate SharpWriter: amzn.to/3TyMjZK Disclaimer: Tested may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through the links here. The Problem with Adam Savage's Favorite Pencil: th-cam.com/video/bLwo1kOcwxs/w-d-xo.html
Hey Adam it's Chris from Pentel! We're so stoked you got our care package! Thank you for the incredibly generous and unsolicited review and for helping us to get the word out about switching to quality refillable writing tools. We love your channel, can't wait to see what you come up with next!
Ever since I discovered them in elementary school early 80's, I have been a fan of the Pentel Quicker Clicker. So satisfying to lift from one pencil stroke, click, set the pencil down and keep writing/drawing. Little kid me liked to pretend it was the fuselage of the F-14s I saw flying out of the Naval airbase near where I grew up. The clicker was the right place and shape for a cockpit canopy. 😁
@@TheHamPimp I think you're confusing the two companies. PaperMate is the company that changed their design, and Adam's video on that change is what prompted Pentel to send the care package.
Nothing but respect for Pentel. On passing the local Pentel offices, I dropped by their customer service desk to see if they had a refill for my old ClicRoller. They looked at the pen, asked me what size and colour I required, took the pen and came back with several refills, having replaced the slightly damaged nose piece (after I had dropped the pen some years earlier) and were apologetic that they could do nothing about a slight scratch on the body. When I asked "how much" they just laughed and told me "It's our pleasure, no charge". It must be the company culture. I've been faithful to Pentel ever since.
Smart of them... "I've been faithful to Pentel ever since." -- Whatever it cost them to give you that service, it sounds like their investment was worth it! We need more folks thinking in long-term ways like this. Kudos to any folks who were involved in the decisions that made that happen.
@@DavidLindes Indeed, and that's the difference between a company that's looking to serve customers versus a company that only cares about shareholders. Shareholders care about short term growth and their rate of return. We really lost something when we made it the primary obligation of corporate leaders to serve shareholder interests.
On a similar note - I had a leatherman multi-tool I bought in the UK - moved to Bulgaria. The spring broke. I emailed them in America, they asked me what city I was in and then told me to go the a specific store where a brand new one was waiting for me. ONE email with a photo of the break was all it took - AMAZING service.
My dad passed in 1995. He was an electrical engineer. I am now an engineer and have all of his Pentel mechanical pencils, stencils and other drafting supplies. Lots of Staedtler drafting supplies too. My father and I were close and I’ve never really gotten over losing him when I was only 22 years old. Having these items of his (and using them) helps me hold onto his memory.
Receiving hundreds of pencils from all over the world just because you mentioned you loved the old ones is just one benefit of being universally loved and adored.
A circa 2003 GraphGear 500 took me through college, grad school, dozens of work trips, and countless diary entries. I still write with it every day, and it is honestly one of my most prized possessions. Thanks for the lovely video, Adam!
Nearing the end of highschool I picked up one of these on a whim; was just browsing a store for a pencil with thin lead to draw with and I liked the weight to it. It's gotten me through most of university so far, and I foresee it sticking with me for a long time.
my mother used a 0.7 graphgear 500 for about 10 years and gave it to me. i lost it after 2 years but i bought myself a 0.5 graphgear 500 and i've been using it almost daily ever since.
Pencils. I just watched a 20 minute video of you geeking out about pencils and I was smiling right along with you the entire time. Adam I have a sincere request of you, don't ever change. Your enthusiasm over anything from the fantastical to the (seemingly) mundane is truly infectious to watch and the nearly seven million people subscribed to your channel clearly agree.
I'm by no means a pencil nerd. I usually use a rectangular carpenter's pencil because it won't roll. I have to sharpen it by hand. But I love seeing these beautiful tools, and I had no idea that they existed. I remember being advised to use a Rapidograph, which Adam mantioned, to take field notes when I was in graduate school. I could not afford it.
Adam, as an architect, I can't tell you how much fun it was to watch you geek out on the pentel pencils. I have the yellow version (.7???) that's been in my drawing kit since the 90's when I bought it at my university's book store... I want to share that the width (diameter) of lead is only one dimension of the pencil's feel. The next dimension is the hardness/softness of lead. I would HIGHLY recommend getting a handful of vials of lead in your favorite diameter and searching for the right softness. 3B is a favorite of mine, but I also use 2F and H for different tasks. Once you land that plane, I would recommend experimenting with COLOR to add a 3rd dimension!!! I use non-photo blue to lay down all my initial thoughts, then I use H to solidify details and lastly I use 3B to shade and add line weight to my drawings. What little I know about your personality, I think you'd enjoy the deep dive into mechanical leads!!!
May I ask what lead refills you use? I've been using the Pentel Ain Stein leads for about 3 years now and the only other type that came close to as nice a feel was the Uniball Nano Dia range. I personally use a wide range of pencils depending on use case but all of them use Pentel Ain Stein leads. I do something similar where I'll lightly sketch out in blue (occasionally in red depending on what the lighting is like where I happen to be drawing) and then I go over in a softer lead like B for more defined lines and then 2B or 4B for shading.
@@stenchlord I probably need to do a video on this. I've got an old machinist toolbox that I use for my pencils and pens. I have collected pencil lead for years and I can't remember the details, I just know it's the red tube or the blue tube. I also have a decent collection of wood pencils that I use as well. Some "old standards" but some odd balls that are pretty interesting.
I was a nerd who asked for a graphgear 1000 when I was in 7th grade. I still have it today, a dozen erasers and tons of lead refills later, in my final year of undergrad. Perfect pencil. Literally perfect.
I would totally frame it with your diploma and degree when you finish. That is pretty awesome to keep something like that all the way through your educational life.
Think how much this cost Pentel and how much advertising they're getting out of all of this. Even if Adam doesn't change his pencil using habits. That digital marketing team aren't dummies.
This is marketing done right. Not one harmful or aggressive practice was done, and love was spread. good to see. even if Adam doesn't use these personally, people in his shop will surely be more than pleased. these are quality products
They sure arent cus they got me to look up pentels, ill prob not go buy one rn but if i grow tired of my sakura's .5 ill sure give those a try. As adam said... this is good design XD
Reminds me of LTT and crucial SSDs. Every year they send over a few of their newest SSD with no strings attached. So whenever they build a PC where the storage isn't the focus of the video, they're very likely to grab a Crucial one since they have so many and have solid specs, and the brand gets a huge amount of free advertising
I just watched this entire video and now appreciate things a little more - Adam, your excitement and enthusiasm over something like a pencil is contagious!
My father was a mechanical engineer and used Pentel 209 and 207 exclusively for his whole career. I would always ‘borrow’ them as a kid, and have many fond memories of them. Fast forward 20+ years, and I’m a Flight Engineer, and without fail, I had a yellow 209 and a gold EnerGel in my flight suit pen pocket. Quality tools that are reliable, with great design, are a joy. I had such a grin watching this, as these implements hold a special place in my heart!❤️! Got the GraphGear 1000 as a retirement gift, love em, glad Pentel extended the whole experience for you and for Tested Team! Word of mouth is still great advertising, and I love love love these!
That 209 is my pencil of choice as an army musician. It’s got a deep-carry clip to fit in my sleeve pocket unobtrusively, the .9 lead is great and doesn’t get broken easily, and the no-nonsense design eliminates hassle. I’ve had many of them stolen from my music stand over the years:)
I have a P209 on my desk right now that I undoubtedly stole from my dad. Apparently, a lot of chemical engineers favor them for their sturdiness when climbing around the steel jungle of a chemical plant
The Graphgear 1000 got me through college without breaking or wearing out. I had 2 of them and I gifted one to a student I was teaching and I still have the other over a decade later. I was just talking to them and they still used that pencil all the time.
I’ve got a really nice heavy Rotring mechanical pencil that’s so satisfying and writes like a dream - but I’m petrified to lose it! The graphgear is my fav mechanical pencil when I want to have a really solid one without being petrified of losing it.
Only pencil I would consider better than a GG 1000 is the Staedtler 925, but the Staedtler is 20% more expensive...The GG1000 also has the most practical mechanism for retracting the tip in any MP. A must own.
Using a rotring as my everyday pencil changed me, I used to lose pencils 24/7 and wouldn't care, but I've been rocking the same two 600's for the past 3 years. (I almost died when I bent the 0.3mm's barrel and then saw that rotring stopped making them, thank God it was fixable lol) @@craiggersify
For as long as I can remember my dad had blue 0.7 and yellow 0.9 Sharp pencils on his work bench. I'm 34 now, and a couple of those pencils have made their way onto my own bench. Will always be my favorite pencil. My grandfather was an engineer, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were originally his before they ended up on my dad's bench. I always enjoy seeing you and other commenters appreciating the details of something most people wouldn't think twice about.
This. 1000% this. The GraphGear line is the only refillable mechanical pencil I've found that can survive in a shop more than a few days, and the price is amazing for what you get. I suspect that's part of why Adam loves the SharpWriter so much -- it doesn't have the little nib at the bottom that snaps off since it's a twist-advance, which seems to be a magnet for damage inn a shop. Admittedly, it's not the only mechanical pencil that does this -- Rotring has a retracting nib, but I find their rotating mechanism to bring it out less convenient than the 'single-operation' of the barrel click to both extend the nib and advance the lead. I personally like Uniball Kurutoga line better for writing because of the lead rotation keeping lines sharper, but in the shop, the GraphGear is *unbeatable*.
@@CygnusRising There are a few other pencils out there with retractable sleeve pipes, some of the Uni Kuru Toga pencils (the advance upgrade, for example) do it. I think Pilot have one as well. Nothing does it as well as the graphgear 1000 though. The feel of the retraction is so positive!
The best part of the retract feature is that it is integrated in the clip. I carry it clipped in my pocket everyday at work, and I don't need to remember to retract the tip because it will always retract when I put it back in my pocket.
Legacy Pentel user here! My late dad was a civil engineer, and in the early 80s started to bring home 205s for me to use for math, because wooden pencils would just frustrate me - never sharp enough, would break at the wrong time, etc. I recently came across one of that era, though I also have newer ones, all excellent.
Pentel was by my side during my engineering journey in college and has stuck with me my entire career. So much so that the P205 through P209 have their own 3D printed stand on my desk. #pencilnerd
Also legacy pentel, dad did drafting for the state DoT and used pentels. I absolutely hated the feel of the wood pencils, they'd hurt my middle finger if I had to use them for any length of time, and the cheap af Bic black pencils were trash. Dad's pencils were fantastic.
@@GandalffladnaG Even after we switched to Autocad and CadKey for DOS. I still sketched and filled out BOM's with a Pentel P207. Always loved how the 0.7 was just the right weight for me.
Pentel makes the best pencil. I was shocked watching your earlier video about pencils when I realized it wasnt about a Pentel model. Before I went off to college I worked a summer doing maintenance at a manufacturing plant. The head of maintenance always had a Pentel P209 clipped between the buttons of his shirt. Like most mechanically minded people he had a deep appreciation for good tools. A few months later when I went to study mechanical engineering I saw the same model P209 pencil at the university bookstore and bought myself one. It reminds me the summer I worked hard and learned so much. I still have the same pencil roughly 8 years later and dont go a day without using it.
This makes me so happy to see! My dad was an avid Pentel product user and collector. They are the things of his I use the most in my day to day, and getting to use them reminds me of him. These mechanical pencils have lasted for nearly 50 years now and have been shown a lot of love!! After my dad having already used them for decades at work, I used the ones he lent me from the classic line with regular led all the way through primary, middle school, high school and university. As I went to university for graphic design my dad gifted me one of those that looks like a ballpoint pen with a nearly lifetime supply of colored leads! I have them and use them til this day for my work.
Its so awesome when our parents pass down things we can use daily. I have a retractable utility blade that my dad bought from Home Depot that he always had in his pocket that is always in my bag and an easel that my grandfather hand made for my grandmother that always has something I am working on on it!
I switched from Ticonderoga pencils to BIC mechanical pencils while in college. I decided that I should buy a quality, mechanical pencil in the same vein of thought that a good tool can put in many good years of use and save on waste. I have been using the same two yellow P209’s almost every day for the last 11 years, one in my work shirt pocket and one attached to my personal journal. The RN’s I work with in my ER have also returned that specific one to me numerous times, knowing how much it means to me. I cherish them, thank you Pentel. I’m glad you got to share your incredible tools with Adam.
“Good design doesn’t just make things clearer, it doesn’t just communicate faster, it doesn’t disseminate information more efficiently: Good design makes the whole world better because of those things and - because it shows that care was taken. It shows that someone decided that this thing mattered.” Adam Savage 2024 - I watched this 5 times and I loved it every time and I will watch it 5 more. Thank you for this Adam. 6:11
My dad's "special pencils" growing up were the pentel sharp 0.5 black. My dad is a chemical engineer, instrumentation and control, boiler operator, and much more. He worked in chemical plant, oil plant, power plant, and others. They were dad's and we were only allowed to use them with his permission. He didn't want us braking or losing them all. We didn't have a lot of money growing up, and dad worked a lot of hours. So doing something with dad around and using his pencils was always so special and fun. I always felt grown up when using them, just because they were dad's.
You may want to check out Alec Steele's recent video where he visits an age old company that makes mechanical pencils and pens by hand with a virtually unchanged tooling since day 1, to see a simple yet intricate design still in use today with everything being made within the borders of Birmingham UK.
@@robm8809 Platinum back in the day had a vintage mechanical pencil design in.5 which is a "dead ringer" to yard o led, of course yard o led may have copied the design as it was vogue of the time since everyone had the same design even faber-castell and wahl eversharp
As a kid I got a Pentel 207 new because my dad had the 200 series and I thought the mechanical was so cool. It was this techy thing that was so much more than the dumb wood pencils you have to sharpen and use til they are too short or have no eraser. I used it so much the chrome wore off and the tip had brass showing. Still worked great. I found out you could hide scraps of thin paper around the barrel to store passwords or secret messages or whatever. Upgraded to a graph gear 1000 0.7 when I went to college and to this day it is the best mechanical pencil I’ve ever used. Still have it, still works great!
100% the best eraser. I pretty much always have one around because attached erasers (especially those that you have to remove to refill a pencil) last a depressing amount of time!
Pentel's mechanical pencils are great! That was such a sweet letter they included and I'm very envious of the comprehensive package you got, Adam! Also, don't sleep on their erasers! By far the best I've ever used. Not even close.
Adam, I am a mechanical engineer and use a Graph Gear 1000 everyday. I am lost without it and will walk across the office to pick it up from my desk to sketch a project. You will love it.
There is a Pencil in Japan that at one point sold out and was crazy priced in the aftermarket. Kuro toga Dive - it rotates the lead so you always get the sharp point....AND it has an AUTOMATIC lead feed, so you don't need to click for lead.
I bought one of these a while back and it is my go to pencil now. Such a good feel in the hand and it works like a dream. As Adam said great design is so important.
I'm a collector and that's actually one of the few pencils I have the full set of! My first one was the 'Cascade Blue' a couple of years ago for about $100~ on eBay. Steep price, but it seriously is an engineering marvel and unrivaled when it comes to writing essays or long note-taking.
I love this pencil! I noticed while doing calculus during my undergrad that I was constantly rolling my pencil while writing. In that moment, I thought there has to be a better way. I go on the internet and after hours of searching, I found this pencil. I think everyone should experience this pencil because it is awesome.
Japan has the best pens and pencils for me. Using tons and tons of them over the years, the consistency and engineering in Japan is just best. I love and need a short tip, I have so much better control and it seems Japan overall goes in that direction more.
Tbh, I’ve never liked the write-feel of the kuro togas much (I have several), but I won’t let e, I absolutely would geek out for one of the first batch blue dives. The level of technology found in that pencil is astonishing
that 0.7 blue pencil was my FAVORITE pencil as kid in school in the 2000s. i didnt know the name or brand until now lol. Even that white eraser was my favorite! wow
Thanks Adam, I'm from the Netherlands and when you initially posted a video about the Papermate pencils I just ordered a set from the US. Now, I did get the ugly coloured ones but for me when using them in my shop, brings genuine inspiration because they tell a history (effectively yours) and it's a great motivator. Mind you, I do love using them and, apart from all that have never come across similar designs in Europe. The Pentel designs are however very common here but I always found the tips breaking too easily (especially on wood) and always loosing the refills somehow. Having a stock of Papermates has now taken over my habits of using regular pencils and the refillable ones I still use, but solely for paper. I do use a Pica Dry pencil for woodworking but I always find myself not having a sharp enough point on it, making the Papermates a perfect candidate for this issue. I do hear the loud cry for the sustainability aspect of it all and disposable writing implements should become illegal sometime soon due to it's polluting footprint. I will give Pentel a go soon as well and hopefully it will give me the same pleasure. Thanks again Adam, these things are sometimes seem insignificant but I'm loving these stories and the everlasting energy derived from it!
My dad was a plumber and I remember as a kid whenever we would build something or need to mark something or draw something we would use pentel. I used to doodle on the 2x4s or any plywood we bought. I used pentel for my first drawings as a kid redrawing yugioh cards. Which lead to sketchbooks in high school to the many sketch books I have on my bookcase of my pencil drawings. I went to school for engineering design and development and a lot of my pre cad drawings are pentel. So happy that the pencils I've used for years was so generous to you. Love your videos and all your work from mythbusters to tested to the star wars prequels.
Hi Adam, I am a fountain pen/mechanical pencil nerd reporting in! I am so glad that you are sampling Pentel's mechanical pencil lineup. I write very small, and I write often for my studies and now my work. Because I write very small, I require a small writing width, or my letters and numbers become very messy. Over the years, I found that I require a width at least 0.38mm when writing with ink (due to ink spread) and at least 0.5mm for pencil. While I was in university, there was a shockingly small amount of pens and pencils that were readily available to me as a regular consumer off the shelf. Most pens were in 0.7mm width, which might as well be a marker for me, and I struggled to keep my notes tidy and organized. Many of the regular mechanical pencils felt too light and the point of the pencil (where the lead was exposed from the tip) was too close to the plastic tip. One of my friends from the architecture school was carrying around a rotring 800, which had a narrow needle like metal tip so that you could see around the tip and what you were writing/drawing with the exposed lead. I invested a whopping 45 dollars in a rotring rapid pro since, as a poor university student, I could not justify buying the 800. (Imagine my surprise today, when I find out that the 800 is only 38 dollars on amazon now, and the rotring is only 23!) It changed my life! I could now finally take well organized notes in class. I found that the weight of the metal pencil also helped with my writing as well. Unfortunately, it was stolen after I foolishly left it on my desk in the Calculus lecture hall. I could not afford another rotring rapid pro, and so I found a cheaper alternative in the Pentel Graphgear 1000, which I bought for around 20-25 dollars at the time. This pencil was functionally just as good for me as the rotring rapid pro, and delighted in how the needle-like metal tip would retract with a snap. Pentel made me a convert for sure, and since then I have used the Graphgear 1000. I've used it all throughout university, in the laboratory, and then finally through the first two years of medical school. After I made the transfer to clerkships as a clinical student, I switched to pens for a variety of reasons. However, I still keep a graphgear with me in my bag, right next to my reflex hammer, stethoscope, and penlight. It doesn't always make into my scrub pocket these days, but I still have it in my bag. It still looks as new as the day I bought it, all those years ago. I have only the one pencil, and I doubt that I will ever require another. Anyways, I thought I would share my mechanical pencil story, and can confirm that when a product is well designed and made with quality in mind, it will last for years and years. That graphgear has traveled with me though two majors at my university, two medical schools, five hospitals, and one stint at NASA as a student researcher back in the day.
Been using Pentel for as long as i can remember. Ive had the same three for probably 15 years. The best mechanical pencils. Way to go pental team, glad this is getting seen!
I found a Pentel Quick Click on the ground 4 years ago and it became my favorite mechanical pencil. I had no clue they had so many other amazing pencils, I’m going to have to try them! Never thought I’d be so entertained by watching someone try a bunch of pencils!
I love things that last. I've had the same mechanical pencil since I was in the 3rd grade, a 0.5mm Zebra M.301. That was ~25 years ago, I wrote most of my notes with it from 3rd grade, through university, and a decade of engineering design work. Not sure how many disposable Bics I've gone through at the same time, but I've become very protective of my Zebra, and lament the disposables for the waste created. These Pentels look great and comfortable, but I'm glad I don't need one. The Zebra is not a particularly pretty design, but it's proven to be limitlessly functional. My wife heard me talking about how great they are and bought me a twelve pack, a more than lifetime supply. I still protect my original, my office building was totalled by a fire recently and when we allowed in to salvage it was the first thing I looked for in my desk. All I had to do was clean a layer of smoke off it and it was fine. Even had one last sleeve of my original 25 year old 0.5mm Pentel Super lead refills that were bought with - another quality, long lasting product.
Then may I suggest watching Van Neistat's video on just that pencil? Fun side note, Van is Tom Sachs' former intern/apprentice. He makes good videos, too.
I have finally accepted that Im getting older (39).........my favorite content on TH-cam is...........mechanical pencil testing....... Hats off to Pentel
While Pentel may have decided to sign each in a different color, I've worked where some people used a different color within their group on a regular basis, to make it more evident who is commenting on what. I knew a colonel in the Pentagon who reserved purple ink as his within his command. I used to use green pens, but with email not as much.
I´ve worked for 40 years + as a civil servant, and we had/have strict rules who might be sign or put a paraphe in what color under a design or calculation. It´s a bit tricky, though, for those with colorblindness.
The thing about, for instance, signing in different colors is that it implies a degree of intentionality. It's like so many other things that may or may not be important in the design of an object or media, but it's immediately obvious that it was _on purpose_ . It's the very epitome of "thoughtful design".
And see my first thought was, it’s their favorite or go to pens that they carry. Which shows the quality and expansiveness of the line. Even if you eliminate the forethought about choosing different colors intentionally, there is still something quality and remarkable there.
@@nicklikethesoup I too was wondering if it was maybe less of a conscious decision in the moment of signing and more of a “signature” (no pun intended) pen of choice for each individual employee. Both scenarios have their own beauty and intentionality.
This is one of my favorite videos ever. Jamie's enthusiasm and love of the mechanical pencil is endearing. The marketing clinic that Pentel put on was epic.
I have several GraphGear 1000, in each of my shops, office, and truck, all in 0.5mm. I have them in 4B, 2B, and HB #2 leads (these pencils don't have a label for the 4B, but I just used the blank space to make one with an acrylic pen).
I’ve been using a Pentel 209 since my mom brought one home from work 20+ years ago. The same pencil got me through 4 years of engineering school. It was lost some time later but I use one as my primary pencil today.
As an Architect I have always used a Pentel 0.9mm (P209) in the office or on site for sketching and note taking; it is a very versitile pencil. I always have a pack of 12 on the go just in case one is lost or dropped it down a drain etc., and I still have my original pencil (kept safely at home) that I had on my very first day at University Sept 1991.
I have and used my mother's "vintage" P209 & P207s! She's an interior architect who went through college in the 80's and when I went off to school for technical theatre she gifted them to me. Absolutely phenomenal pencils for hand drafting. the barrel is just a tad too small for my hands but with that comes the necessity to be purposeful with my strokes so it wasn't ever an issue I had a lengthy conversation with another technical designer about hand drafting and the importance of it still being taught in todays era of CAD and like you mentioed it boils down to meaningful decisions. The limitations of hand drafting encourage you to design with forethought, purpose, and efficiency and those thought processes can be easily skipped over in CAD where you can draw a circle in 3 keypresses!
Your absolute glee throughout this entire video is infectious. Also... the person/people at Pentel who arranged this? Genius. I might have to go check some out myself, tbh. They looked lovely.
I loved this video. Your energy and the generosity of the Pentel folks was astounding. I have a few of the Pentel products and love them. This was a very enjoyable 20:27 minutes. Thank you and Pentel.
Still have my Pentel P205 from 1985. It was a backup to my Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatic 5635 pencils which I also still have. These are the predecessors to the Rotring mechanical pencils. Enjoy them for many years.
My grandfather who was a naval architect and owned a shipyard building tugs and barges from about 1930 to about 1965 used Pentel in his drafting work. I was gifted one of his original pencils and I used it throughout high school and college for my science classes. I really enjoyed it. I've got the Pentel Orennero .3 on my wishlist because I like the look of it. I've just started collecting and I appreciate Adam's comments about design. I could go and buy a dozen pencils for a dollar, but it wouldn't bring my joy (an appropriate if overused cliche). My favorite pencil right now is the Rotring 600 .5 with an all aluminum body and an indicator that tells what kind of lead is in the barrel (currently I use HB for general work). The heft isn't for everyone, but I like the feel of it.
After Adam's last video about his Sharpwriter woes I realized I had never bought myself a _nice_ pencil (to go with the nice pens I _do_ have) so I did some shopping around and went with the Rotring 600! It's such a nice little pencil.
the graphgear 1000 also has the lead indicator in the grip, you just have to loosen the tip a tiny bit and twist the grip till the window lines up with whatever type you're using
Popular pick for VERY good reason. If you ever want something more pocket-safe, the Retro Hex-O-Matic is basically a retractable 600 with better tolerances and at half the price of an 800.
I collect vintage and modern writing implements, and I was enjoying the blazes out of watching Adam's enthusiasm for testing the samples sent to him by Pentel. There have been many great companies over the last century (and more) that have designed amazing pens and pencils, but IMHO, it is Pentel that has most consistently hit that sweet spot between affordability and thoughtful design. Pentel 👏knows 👏their 👏stuff! They are deservedly proud of their products. I hope Adam gives the Graphgear 1000 series more than a passing try, and the Click Eraser can be taken for granted, but they are the Pentel products I keep coming back to even with 100+ years of different mechanical pencil designs to choose from. Also? I've never used a Smash, and I think I'm going to ask Santa to put one in my stocking after seeing Adam's reaction to writing with one. I know, I know, most of the Tested audience shows up for the maker content, but seeing a fellow pencil nerd geek out over a swag haul like that one really made my day. Thanks Tested!
Adam, I would like to thank you for the video you did a while back on your hearing loss and hearing aids. My mom had been suffering for 30+ years of hearing loss. With grand kids and now a great grand son, she was missing out on so much of their lives. I showed her your video and I think I finally sunk in. About a week later, she had me make an appointment for a hearing test and hearing aids. She now tells me to lower my voice! 30 years of yelling to be heard and now I can give my chords a rest. Thanks again, Bryan
The GraphGear 1000 is my daily carry pencil. The retractable tip prevents damage when it is in my pocket all day. Have been carrying one for 25 years but I have worn out a few. They neglected to send you their finest engineered one and my favorite, the Pentel Sharp-Kerry mechanical pencil. It is just a little more fragile than the 1000.
I stole a Pentel P205 from my dad's desk because I thought it looked so cool way back in middle school. Now 20 plus years later they are the only pencils I use.
I do IT for many companies in the PNW and recently I was installing a computer for one of our clients who do structural engineering. I had to leave a note for one of the users who wasn't there that day, so I grabbed a Post-It and pencil from their desk and wrote it down. Something about the pencil felt so pleasant compared to the cheap mechanical pencils I'd always used. It was a Pentel Twist-Erase III, and I immediately loved it. I took a picture of it so I could look it up later and, as soon as I got home, I ordered myself a pack of .7mm ones. I didn't know anything about Pentel until then, and I'm so glad that, based on that letter, the people there really do care about quality.
Rotring makes an extremely good mechanical pencil (for words), and Staedtler makes a good drafting pencil with super thick lead (for projects) There is also a very deep rabbit hole of Japanese writing instruments, which is really an elevation of writing haha
Watching your enthusiasm for such a range of things, like a cheap mechanical pencil (and events) creates incredibly positive moments while watching your videos. Here is to many more great videos.
The fact that they cared to send you this care package is heartening. So many great art and drafting supplies (pens, pencils, paper, erasers, films, film leads) have gone by the wayside with conglomeration and the proliferation of digital art. As an illustrator who trained traditionally, I still start (and prefer) to draw and sketch on paper, scanning my sketches before painting digitally. Bless Pentel for keeping the dream alive. I love the Clicker eraser and the GraphGear and have used them for years. I prefer the weight of the metallic mechanical pencil bodies to the light plastic (eg PaperMate) because of the balance and resistance to breaking the lead. Cool video,
Another lovely, nerdy video. Thanks Adam! I have a set of Pentel P200 pencils in the classic colours permanently in my Savage Industries Apron (Chest pockets, far right sleeve) which I wear daily, previously in London at Foster and Partner Architects as an Architectural Model Maker and now as a Student of Furniture Design and Manufacture in Co, Galway, Ireland. I love the colour system because I can quickly grab the lead thickness I want without much thought, they are a really well made, sturdy, simple pencil and I love using them. Thanks again for bringing the Apron design to market, it has been great!
As someone who recently found out they have an unruptured intracranial aneurysm, your verbal slip really cracked me up for some reason. I guess sometimes it's helpful to laugh at life's unfortunate turns! Thanks for making dope things!
Good design leaves an impression on us. To the point of the previous video, we notice when something has stopped leaving that impression, when design has been... neglected. To this video's point, a family member of mine always used a Pentel twist erase. Decades of engineering notes went through that mech pencil (and probably years of erasing went through the twist!). Child me was immediately enamored with it one time I was allowed to play and fiddle with it. It was so clearly something else entirely from the wooden #2s I was using in elementary school. Instead of being some cheap consumable whose only purpose was to meet the lowest bar of putting lead on paper... THIS object was clearly an implement or tool. Something to be wielded and respected. Something that said "I'm not here to meet the minimum and be some item you have to wrestle with to get results. I'm here to execute as you intend with as little interruption as possible". Obviously, it's current me waxing poetic and child me was simply impressed. But I remember that moment and that says something about good design. (And with the current Twist Erase looking seemingly identical to that one I held... it's an immediate invoking of that memory).
Does anyone remember those cheap stackable mechanical pencils? The ones where there were a stack of short lead points stacked inside the barrel and when one was used you pulled it off and stuck it in the top pushing the next lead down to be used. We loved those things in elementary school back in the 70s. Mechanical pencils were a bit of a fad back then, (in my school district) The kid with the really cool expensive mechanical pencil was the envy.
i sent those stackable pencils to Honduras to my kids. (Along with regular pencils) They are very approachable for kids to use without fiddling with refills.
I am an artist and an art teacher, so I can confidently say that I’ve tried and seen every kind of writing instrument there is. Pentel is at the top of my list of best in the business of making writing instruments. The graphgear 1000 is the best there is. It is well balanced and its solid design cannot be compared to any other. All the graphgear pencils are fantastic and I love the colors. I also love the range of lead thicknesses since I like doing extremely tight details on my drawings. When it comes to ballpoint pens for drawing the best I’ve ever used are the pentel rsvp. I do ballpoint pen drawings and I like my pens to offer me the best range of marks without the buggers that ballpoint pens usually get. The only thing I wish is that pentel would make yellow ballpoint pens. I even emailed them once and asked them about it. Hope one day they will make yellow.
@ the idea is to have yellow ballpoint pens, I have tons of other inks and colors. Ballpoint pens allow you to make marks that you cannot get from any other instrument. The Pentel ones are perfect because they don’t gush out a lot of ink, they have a slight drag to them which makes tons of variations and thicknesses of lines. It’s hard to explain… drawing with ballpoint pens is not the same as writing with ballpoint pens. I don’t like writing with ballpoints, I prefer fountain pens, but when it comes to drawing it’s one of my top favorite instruments. Pentel mechanical pencils are the best I own. I have tons of different kinds from the most expensive to the comparable ones with Pentel and I reach for Pentel Graphgear 1000 over and over again. I also have the 500 series which I have with different hardnesses of lead, and they work very well for me.
@clc3897 oh I use a fountain pen for daily writing and I've also used pentel ballpoint pens for illustration before. Because I prefer fountain pens for writing, I haven't used rollerball refillable ink pens before, but I imagine they have a similar page feel as the pentel ballpoint pens. It's worth a try at least.
@ I’ve tried every type of writing instrument, I swear I must have at least six huge deep drawers filled to the max just with all kinds of pens and pencils. The rollerball makes a particular kind of mark that is similar to the extra fine fountain pen or a fine dip pen. For the work I do I prefer the ballpoint pen, but I’ve used the rollerball a lot when a fountain pen or a dip pen was not doable. I remember liking the uniball pens because they were waterproof and the lines were crisp and very black if that was what I was going for, it is also very good if you’re trying to do the pointilism shading technique. But the rollerball doesn’t give you the option of super fine marks like the ballpoint pen does, and in my style or work that is very important. I’m mentioning all these in case someone reads these comments and is curious about the difference.
Love this! My daily-use pencil is a Pentel 209. I got a couple in around 2020 because I have a P205 that's probably 30+ years old and good as new. I love all the Pentel instruments I've used and gift them to folks. I want some GraphGear for myself next. Thanks for this video, and Good Job, Pentel, for making such lovely tools!
I have a forest green Pentel P205 from Japan that is my favorite mechanical pen. I've owned it since the 1980s (I believe). Thanks for another great video. Your positive energy and gratitude are contagious. Cheers!
My father was an accountant. He used the Pentel P205 to meticulously and manually add up projections on green ledger paper before switching to a PC and Lotus 1-2-3 in the mid 80s. I inherited his Pentels and still use them to this day. The don't die, and the design hasn't changed at all.
I scour flea markets for vintage mechanical pencils and pens. Each writing utensil has a story, and I like to imagine the hands they've been in, and the things they've drawn through the past 40-80 years. The best part is, I usually get them for $1-$3, and that includes brands like Faber Castell, Parker, and even the occasional Mont Blanc.
I was watching this video with a Pentel Sharp P209-G in my hand! Going, "Yeah, I'm glad Adam has his PaperMates but I'll take my Pentel." I love it. I got a hold of my first P207-C in 1st grade, my uncle used them at work so my grandpa had them lying around the garage and at his desk. I remember my mom taking me to a special stationary supply when I was in the 5th grade so I could get lead refills and erasers (I miss the green erasers). My everyday Pentels are my P209--G ( the classic gold-yellow color) and a metallic green P205-MD. Some of my other favorites are my P205-WX (which is white with metallic green lettering) and my white PP502-W. Loved the video.
Yep, we saw Van's video and even linked it to our YT video library (www.youtube.com/@pentel) a few years ago. Haven't been able to connect with him yet, but appreciate that you saw the authentic connection as well. Creatives support creatives!
Lo, the Pentel GraphGear 1000 mechanical pencil, of lead most slender at .4mm, doth stand as a paragon of craftsmanship unrivaled in the annals of writing instruments. Its barrel, resplendent with a grip both knurled and rubbered, doth offer a comfort most rare, befitting the discerning hand of the scholar or draftsman.
Except the inside is made of plastic, which tends to break if you're carrying it around and using the retraction mechanism often. Certainly not built for life
Not exactly a generational story, but I've been "daily driving" Pentel for nearly 30 years. I remember walking up to the wall of pens and pencils one year during back-to-school shopping in elementary school and thinking "adults don't use wood pencils, they always use mechanical pencils, so I'm gonna get a mechanical pencil this year." Then I heard my mom chuckle behind me and realized I'd said it out loud. XD Embarrassment aside, I picked out a Pentel P205 in the original black that day. I used that pencil for the entire rest of my education, all they way through earning my Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. When I moved back home after college, I realized while unpacking everything that somehow my trusty P205 was nowhere to be found. I was absolutely heartbroken and literally cried that day because of a pencil. A few days later I went out to buy a new P205, and picked one up in a lovely forest green. I don't plan on ever buying another pencil again.
Pentel twist erase! The only pen I know of with an actually usable amount of eraser at the end! Something like 40mm of it comes out by twisting (of course) and it just makes me happy that I can actually use the eraser without it running out really soon after buying it!
At my inner city school as a kid, we had a black market of sorts where you could pay discount prices and some less savory characters would acquire things for you. This is how I came to own a Pentel P209. It was a magnificent pencil and I used it religiously until the end cap bent and wouldn't fit into the top anymore (my fault, not theirs). One thing I will say towards design, and this is important for the sustainable vs. disposable debate. the SharpWriter won't be as long-lasting as the GraphGear 1000. It won't be as consistent. However, it has it's place, and that's why Adam loves it. It's probably 1/10th the price of the GraphGear. In a shop setting, your hands are getting dirty, and sometimes you grab a pen/pencil when your hands have glue or pipe dope or something on them, and you realize you've functionally ruined your pencil. It's a lot less stressful to throw away a SharpWriter than it is to throw away a GraphGear. Also, the SharpWriter, if I remember correctly, has a little bit of springy "give" to it due to that spiral action that makes it a little more forgiving when applying pressure to rougher surfaces. In short. Pentel is superior for a drafting table or college classroom. SharpWriter is still king in a shop setting.
A p209 is only like $4 and they used to be even cheaper, especially in bulk. Not sure how much of a discount you needed when they aren't very expensive to begin with.
I am 62 now, and I had never seen a pentel pen when I was in upper elementary school, until my dad gave me a very special gift. A pentel superfine marker with sepia ink. I was the only kid using sepia ink and I used it on a dot ruled notebook that my aunt brought on a trip from japan in the early 70s. It made me feel very special and since then I have been a superfan of Pentel and their products.
My favorite mechanical pencil is the P205. Started using them in my civil engineering classes in the mid-90s and continue to this day. Still have one of my originals.
I used the same 0.5 graph gear through my entire high school career and all through my time earning my BS in mechanical engineering. I love that pencil, and it is always in my work bag.
Same for me, but Staedtler rather than Pentel. I've used my 0.5mm so much I've worn the chrome plating off the nib. A good propelling pencil is worth a hundred traditional wooden pencils!
My Pentel Click 0.5 pencil got me through college with a dual major in Math and Computer Science. It has a button on the side to advance the lead and a large eraser on the top for cleaning up the many many mistakes. It splits in half to add the lead and has a twisting top to bring more eraser out of it.
I'm glad they made the point about sustainability and I think it hit home with Adam a bit. It's something that has always bugged me a bit with his pens, just tossing them seems like such a waste. I still have pens that I used 30+ years ago.
Am I correct in thinking that the Sharpwriters are only "disposable" because they made a design/marketing decision to prevent you from refilling them in the traditional way? But technically, can't you feed new leads in through the pointy end whilst holding the clicker in?
@@cray- It can be refilled, just not quite as easily as other pens where you can just dump a few new leads into the back and keep going. But it seems people don't want to spend the extra minute or two to refill.
I'm in my thirties. I've just been working from job to job, and I'm not doing terribly, but I've never found my big passion in life. Watching your videos, especially this one, make me so happy to see people do their passion. Something as simple as a pencil, and the packages they come in, can be so inspiring when the care and attention is given proper respect. I'm so jealous of you Adam to have found your passion and are able to do it so well. Thank you for the years of entertainment and education.
I'm sure you'll find a career that you're passionate about eventually. In my case I bumbled around from job to job for 13 years until I met an _occupational counsellor_ in private practice (more skilled in my opinion than the teacher/career counsellors we had in High School) and discovered that quiet place in my mind where my wise inner self "spoke" to me, and suggested I go to university as a mature-age student to study Health Science. I had previously been a failure at studies, so it was a real challenge to accept this 4 year task with little income to pay my way (mostly derived from truck driving when I could spare the time to do it). I'm 80 now, and can look back on that period from 1975 to 2010 as being a time in my life of great energy and satisfaction. I was blown away by how much energy was released when I finally got in touch with my true passion, with the help from the counsellor who helped me tune into that otherwise quiet inner wisdom.
I've been using the original Pentel P207 blue mech pencil for over 40 years. I still have my first one, it has NO issues, other than looking rather well loved. I own at least 10 of them, all in various places, including in my purse. A couple years ago I bought a set of GraphGear 500 mech pencils. I love the weight and feel in my hand of the GraphGear pencils. Love your channel, I'm a big fan of your work!
YES! The Kuru Toga Roulette has been my favourite for awhile. Love the look, the weight, the knurling and of course the kuru toga mechanism. I have many others, but none come close to the roulette.
same for both choices, except that I like the alpha-gel-grip version of the Kurutoga mor/find it more comfortable for writing. But love the turning mechanism - also love the Sarasa Clip Vintage colors
Uni actually has a new one coming out around around April: KURUTOGA Wood It's got a metal back-barrel, wooden grip, and they've even upgraded the engine so that it takes less force to make it rotate.
Love your video as always. I was sitting here watching a video about pencils and pens with a smile on my face for 20 minutes and didn't even think twice about it. Pentel Energel pens have been my go to pen for years. I have multiple of the aluminum body ones on my desk and they are all I ever use. I am especially fond of the 0.5 blue ink. It just writes smoother than anything I have ever used. I have given many as gifts over the years. Pentel really hooked you up.
The optimist in me: I love that Adam's fans sent him pencils. The cynic in me: I hate sponsored advertising. The realist in me: I've already ordered three of those Pentel pencils before the video is done.
I don't work for any pen company, I don't even write very often. But I have to be completely impressed with Pentel. I have a bit of a pen collection now because people know I like to ADHD geek out over pens. I could review them for days. Papermate inkjoy quality has dropped massively, flashing and rough surfaces and the ink always has a gray cast... Writes fairly smooth though and at a wider angle than most pens. I keep these in the car because I'm usually writing unsupported in my hand or on the steering wheel or other curved surfaces. Papermate flair is cool because they still make them. It's a felt tip but the gimmick is that it flairs out under pressure so you can decide the line width and create fountain pen type fonts. They work well but I miss the ribbed design of the 90's. And the quality of the barrels has dropped significantly as well. No idea why the g2 gets the following it does, it's an ok pen but in no way special. Very cheap plastic. The tips always end up chipped, the clips break off. They don't write very smooth. And the tip size always seems to be smaller than advertised which makes it write rougher and just isn't the line width I asked it to write. The barrels and grips have noticeable seams and flashing. They rattle when I'm writing in a very annoying way. Even the "pilot japan" logo looks a bit sloppy and worn out. It's a cheap pen sold at mid-tier prices. The zebra z grip is a very similar feel to the g2 but writes much smoother, has much less flashing and a smoother feeling body. And the clip is a resilient and flexible metal. The tip is plastic but quite thick. The only real downside is the grip has large ribs that can dig into my fingers when writing for long periods. But it does provide great grip especially if I'm wearing gloves or have wet or cold hands. Pentel though, every pentel retractable pen I've ever owned or "borrowed from work" has been perfect. Zero flashing. Zero rough edges. The tip is metal. The clip is metal. I can see the seams if I squint but I can't feel them. It's perfectly balanced in the center. It's the smoothest writing pen I've ever tried. The lines are deep black. And every detail of the printing on it is crisp. The logos, the details about where it's made and the batch number and barcode. The way it says 0.7 on the side and the top of the pen so I know what I'm grabbing no matter how it's stored. The people who made this don't just love pens, they love people who love pens. There are no corners cut here. Not one person at this company seems to have said "we can save 6 cents per pen if we..." *thrown out the window meme* In this price bracket, most pens are very mediocre and trying to save money to compete. The pentel feels like something I would like to receive as a gift.
Hey Adam! My Grandpa was a machinist and owned his own business. I grew up going to his shop and anytime I smell machine oil it reminds me of my grandpa. His business went under during covid and he had to sell his house, when i was going through his stuff I saw he loved his Pentel p209's and I snagged a particularly used one. I have been using it ever since for college and every time I see it it reminds me of him. Glad you go to check out their pencils because they are very special to me!
I used the Pentel Orenz 0.2mm all through Uni. I adored the thing, 5 years of daily use from a $10 pencil was insane. The 0.2mm was much more fussy with paper than the wider lead but it was amazing for my science classes. Now in the workplace, I'm using a 0.28mm Uni-ball gel pen in blue-black, it's unique and everyone in my office recognizes my work just based on that. I think that a person's writing implement of choice says a lot about them, something that often is ignored in our digital age.
Be careful... That's how one devolves into fountain pens... My students marvel (I imagine) at my TWSBI Vac700R inked up with Pilot's Iroshuzuku Kon Peki blue flowing from its 1.1 stub nib (lays out a lot of ink, but with a 3+ ml capacity, who cares?). I teach 19 credit hours and only have to refill every few weeks. Imagine if I used an EF nib...
Pentel's Twist Erase III has long been my go to for pencils. I had found one that someone had dropped in high school and used it for 2 years until I graduated. That pencil (although it has long lost its metal clip) still sits in a pencil holder on my desk along with 12 other Pentel Twist Erase III's that I bought when I started my freshman year at Clemson over 10 years ago. I've broken a couple over the years but never lost one, even thought its a permanent piece of my EDC. I take pride in knowing how they've been a part of every letter, test or signature I've signed. For me, it is the perfect pencil. The eraser is fantastic and it is easy to replace. I rarely break lead when using these pencils. It has unmatched quality and it somehow helps you write neater due to the weight and comfort. I've never known any other pencil to do that. The price point is likely lower than some you used in this video but I highly recommend if you like heavier pencils (which I don't believe you do).
My favorite mechanical pencil has been Pentel's "Side FX" model (which I'm not certain is still in production) for probably two decades now, and they also have the Twist-Erase which is one of the features I really appreciate. Replaceable and long-lasting erasers are so uncommon on mechanical pencils, and Pentel's are also just much better than most other pencils I've used, mechanical or otherwise. I also love that nothing about these pencils feels flimsy, the grips are comfortable even over extended periods, and the fact that the lead advance is on the side makes it way harder to accidentally advance it and break it or poke yourself.
@@DarthRayj The Twist Erase III has a lead advance on the top by pushing the eraser cartridge down, which I prefer because I like being able to pick up the pencil and write without positioning around the lead advance. Aside from that I agree with all of this, the eraser is long lasting and easily erases. The grip is so comfortable. This pencil literally shaped the way I write and shape my letters
@@BeachedTiger Ahh makes sense! I definitely prefer having it on the side, so that's an individual preference thing then. I'm glad you have something you love!
It funny, the moment you opened those "Since 1970" pentels, I remembered using a black one of those as a kid. Graphgear1000 is one of my favourite pencils in use, because of that retractable nib.
Adam, not often does an influencer’s video make me as giddy as the person on screen but today is a new day for me. I could do nothing but grin from ear to ear as you were writing for the first time as your enthusiasm flowed from your voice and heart. This is the time of year when we all should be thankful for everything allotted to us and today I shall be thankful for this video and of course you.
You think of him as an influencer? I'm not disagreeing with you, I guess it could be the case. But it's not a description I would have thought of. I think of him as a guy who does interesting things that he shares with an audience, without any attempt to "influence"
I have never thought of Adam as an influencer in the traditional sense but I can’t tell you how many tools I’ve bought or built because of Adam. In my mind, he has influenced me as far back as Myth Busters and continues to do so. ❤
@@johnbarry8238 makes sense. The term "influencer" has become so negative I just had trouble associating it with someone as positive as Adam. But I see your point.
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The Problem with Adam Savage's Favorite Pencil: th-cam.com/video/bLwo1kOcwxs/w-d-xo.html
You should try the uni kuru toga. Best mechanical pencil
@@seegee9I was coming to suggest the same one!
Papermate still better 🎉🎉🎉
@@seegee9they are good for print writing, not that special for drawing or cursive writing. Spinning mechanism just can’t keep up
I've always preferred Pentel's products to Papermates -- primarily because I believe they're better designed.
Hey Adam it's Chris from Pentel! We're so stoked you got our care package! Thank you for the incredibly generous and unsolicited review and for helping us to get the word out about switching to quality refillable writing tools. We love your channel, can't wait to see what you come up with next!
Chris, what's the best bet for stocking a pen for my not for profit's classes? Y'all have a bulk buy recommendation?
You guys have helping immensely in my learning!! thanks for being a lifesaver
Ever since I discovered them in elementary school early 80's, I have been a fan of the Pentel Quicker Clicker. So satisfying to lift from one pencil stroke, click, set the pencil down and keep writing/drawing. Little kid me liked to pretend it was the fuselage of the F-14s I saw flying out of the Naval airbase near where I grew up. The clicker was the right place and shape for a cockpit canopy. 😁
@@TheHamPimp I think you're confusing the two companies. PaperMate is the company that changed their design, and Adam's video on that change is what prompted Pentel to send the care package.
@@mykeride Ahh, you're totally right! Thank you for setting me straight.
Nothing but respect for Pentel. On passing the local Pentel offices, I dropped by their customer service desk to see if they had a refill for my old ClicRoller. They looked at the pen, asked me what size and colour I required, took the pen and came back with several refills, having replaced the slightly damaged nose piece (after I had dropped the pen some years earlier) and were apologetic that they could do nothing about a slight scratch on the body. When I asked "how much" they just laughed and told me "It's our pleasure, no charge". It must be the company culture. I've been faithful to Pentel ever since.
damn. lucky
Smart of them... "I've been faithful to Pentel ever since." -- Whatever it cost them to give you that service, it sounds like their investment was worth it! We need more folks thinking in long-term ways like this. Kudos to any folks who were involved in the decisions that made that happen.
That’s how you do it! 🥳🥳🥳
@@DavidLindes Indeed, and that's the difference between a company that's looking to serve customers versus a company that only cares about shareholders. Shareholders care about short term growth and their rate of return. We really lost something when we made it the primary obligation of corporate leaders to serve shareholder interests.
On a similar note - I had a leatherman multi-tool I bought in the UK - moved to Bulgaria. The spring broke. I emailed them in America, they asked me what city I was in and then told me to go the a specific store where a brand new one was waiting for me. ONE email with a photo of the break was all it took - AMAZING service.
My dad passed in 1995. He was an electrical engineer. I am now an engineer and have all of his Pentel mechanical pencils, stencils and other drafting supplies. Lots of Staedtler drafting supplies too. My father and I were close and I’ve never really gotten over losing him when I was only 22 years old. Having these items of his (and using them) helps me hold onto his memory.
The Staedler Triplus Fineliners are my go to pen when adding color to my journals.
Receiving hundreds of pencils from all over the world just because you mentioned you loved the old ones is just one benefit of being universally loved and adored.
Oh sure, but when I say I love the old ones suddenly there are investigators from Miskatonic University snooping around my barn!
@@BeOurBee mast have missed 'being universally loved and adored' part :P
Give that Pentel marketing person a raise!
Because I watched the whole thing instead of doing dishes!
Yeah, for sure.. he or she rolled the dice and hit a natural 7.
That marketing manager had 1 job and 100% nailed it.
If I'm the CEO, there's a new parking space for that person waiting for them in the morning.
With a car in it.
@@juliangraham9004 Ha! Ha! Ha! I just watched the whole thing WHILE washing dishes! You win.
A circa 2003 GraphGear 500 took me through college, grad school, dozens of work trips, and countless diary entries. I still write with it every day, and it is honestly one of my most prized possessions. Thanks for the lovely video, Adam!
Nearing the end of highschool I picked up one of these on a whim; was just browsing a store for a pencil with thin lead to draw with and I liked the weight to it. It's gotten me through most of university so far, and I foresee it sticking with me for a long time.
I feel the same with my kaweco
my mother used a 0.7 graphgear 500 for about 10 years and gave it to me. i lost it after 2 years but i bought myself a 0.5 graphgear 500 and i've been using it almost daily ever since.
I had one, it cracked at the top
Pencils. I just watched a 20 minute video of you geeking out about pencils and I was smiling right along with you the entire time. Adam I have a sincere request of you, don't ever change. Your enthusiasm over anything from the fantastical to the (seemingly) mundane is truly infectious to watch and the nearly seven million people subscribed to your channel clearly agree.
Enjoyment by proxy is a crazy thing isn’t it?
Amen! Watching Adam talk about pencils is very much a new guilty pleasure of mine lol😂😂
As a field engineer, I carried a mechanical pencil and a pen in my shirt pocket for years. I totally get it.
I'm by no means a pencil nerd. I usually use a rectangular carpenter's pencil because it won't roll. I have to sharpen it by hand. But I love seeing these beautiful tools, and I had no idea that they existed. I remember being advised to use a Rapidograph, which Adam mantioned, to take field notes when I was in graduate school. I could not afford it.
This is the third video geeking over pencils I watched, it’s amazing
Adam, as an architect, I can't tell you how much fun it was to watch you geek out on the pentel pencils. I have the yellow version (.7???) that's been in my drawing kit since the 90's when I bought it at my university's book store... I want to share that the width (diameter) of lead is only one dimension of the pencil's feel. The next dimension is the hardness/softness of lead. I would HIGHLY recommend getting a handful of vials of lead in your favorite diameter and searching for the right softness. 3B is a favorite of mine, but I also use 2F and H for different tasks. Once you land that plane, I would recommend experimenting with COLOR to add a 3rd dimension!!! I use non-photo blue to lay down all my initial thoughts, then I use H to solidify details and lastly I use 3B to shade and add line weight to my drawings. What little I know about your personality, I think you'd enjoy the deep dive into mechanical leads!!!
This is brilliant! Thanks for sharing
3b is really dark! Any artist knows lead softness ratings & the impact on writing & drawing.
Yellow pentel is the P209 .9mm
May I ask what lead refills you use? I've been using the Pentel Ain Stein leads for about 3 years now and the only other type that came close to as nice a feel was the Uniball Nano Dia range.
I personally use a wide range of pencils depending on use case but all of them use Pentel Ain Stein leads. I do something similar where I'll lightly sketch out in blue (occasionally in red depending on what the lighting is like where I happen to be drawing) and then I go over in a softer lead like B for more defined lines and then 2B or 4B for shading.
@@stenchlord I probably need to do a video on this. I've got an old machinist toolbox that I use for my pencils and pens. I have collected pencil lead for years and I can't remember the details, I just know it's the red tube or the blue tube. I also have a decent collection of wood pencils that I use as well. Some "old standards" but some odd balls that are pretty interesting.
LOL, watching Adam Savage opening a box of pens is like watching THE most excited child open presents on Christmas morning. Love it.
I was a nerd who asked for a graphgear 1000 when I was in 7th grade. I still have it today, a dozen erasers and tons of lead refills later, in my final year of undergrad. Perfect pencil. Literally perfect.
I have no idea how that pencil could be improved. the feel and balance is just spot on
I loooove my graphgear 1000's.
been using an orenz nero .2 for years, Pentel does is better than anyone
Around 7th grade starting using cross pen/pencil. Used same set throughout schooling
I would totally frame it with your diploma and degree when you finish. That is pretty awesome to keep something like that all the way through your educational life.
Think how much this cost Pentel and how much advertising they're getting out of all of this. Even if Adam doesn't change his pencil using habits. That digital marketing team aren't dummies.
This is marketing done right. Not one harmful or aggressive practice was done, and love was spread. good to see. even if Adam doesn't use these personally, people in his shop will surely be more than pleased. these are quality products
They sure arent cus they got me to look up pentels, ill prob not go buy one rn but if i grow tired of my sakura's .5 ill sure give those a try. As adam said... this is good design XD
yep, sure has me looking more into their products
You can be damn sure they paid adam a pretty penny.
Reminds me of LTT and crucial SSDs. Every year they send over a few of their newest SSD with no strings attached.
So whenever they build a PC where the storage isn't the focus of the video, they're very likely to grab a Crucial one since they have so many and have solid specs, and the brand gets a huge amount of free advertising
I just watched this entire video and now appreciate things a little more - Adam, your excitement and enthusiasm over something like a pencil is contagious!
My father was a mechanical engineer and used Pentel 209 and 207 exclusively for his whole career. I would always ‘borrow’ them as a kid, and have many fond memories of them.
Fast forward 20+ years, and I’m a Flight Engineer, and without fail, I had a yellow 209 and a gold EnerGel in my flight suit pen pocket. Quality tools that are reliable, with great design, are a joy. I had such a grin watching this, as these implements hold a special place in my heart!❤️!
Got the GraphGear 1000 as a retirement gift, love em, glad Pentel extended the whole experience for you and for Tested Team! Word of mouth is still great advertising, and I love love love these!
That 209 is my pencil of choice as an army musician. It’s got a deep-carry clip to fit in my sleeve pocket unobtrusively, the .9 lead is great and doesn’t get broken easily, and the no-nonsense design eliminates hassle.
I’ve had many of them stolen from my music stand over the years:)
What an amazing story ❤️, and happy retirement! We're combing through the comments to collect and share stories like yours.
I have a P209 on my desk right now that I undoubtedly stole from my dad. Apparently, a lot of chemical engineers favor them for their sturdiness when climbing around the steel jungle of a chemical plant
Flight engineer in 2024? On what?!
@ KC-10A, I retired back in 2022, but they just retired the last aircraft this year. Not many FEs left, but there are some still.
The Graphgear 1000 got me through college without breaking or wearing out. I had 2 of them and I gifted one to a student I was teaching and I still have the other over a decade later. I was just talking to them and they still used that pencil all the time.
I’ve got a really nice heavy Rotring mechanical pencil that’s so satisfying and writes like a dream - but I’m petrified to lose it!
The graphgear is my fav mechanical pencil when I want to have a really solid one without being petrified of losing it.
I use the same one. I got and old one from a friend. And bought two more after it was lost. That are my favorite, I use the 4mm
I loved my graphgear 1000 but I snapped it when i sat on it
Only pencil I would consider better than a GG 1000 is the Staedtler 925, but the Staedtler is 20% more expensive...The GG1000 also has the most practical mechanism for retracting the tip in any MP. A must own.
Using a rotring as my everyday pencil changed me, I used to lose pencils 24/7 and wouldn't care, but I've been rocking the same two 600's for the past 3 years. (I almost died when I bent the 0.3mm's barrel and then saw that rotring stopped making them, thank God it was fixable lol) @@craiggersify
For as long as I can remember my dad had blue 0.7 and yellow 0.9 Sharp pencils on his work bench. I'm 34 now, and a couple of those pencils have made their way onto my own bench. Will always be my favorite pencil. My grandfather was an engineer, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were originally his before they ended up on my dad's bench. I always enjoy seeing you and other commenters appreciating the details of something most people wouldn't think twice about.
The best part of the Graphgear is that the pocket clip is what retracts the tip, so the lead never breaks off in your pocket/apron/whatever.
😮
Graphgear 1000! Love that feature
This. 1000% this. The GraphGear line is the only refillable mechanical pencil I've found that can survive in a shop more than a few days, and the price is amazing for what you get. I suspect that's part of why Adam loves the SharpWriter so much -- it doesn't have the little nib at the bottom that snaps off since it's a twist-advance, which seems to be a magnet for damage inn a shop. Admittedly, it's not the only mechanical pencil that does this -- Rotring has a retracting nib, but I find their rotating mechanism to bring it out less convenient than the 'single-operation' of the barrel click to both extend the nib and advance the lead.
I personally like Uniball Kurutoga line better for writing because of the lead rotation keeping lines sharper, but in the shop, the GraphGear is *unbeatable*.
@@CygnusRising There are a few other pencils out there with retractable sleeve pipes, some of the Uni Kuru Toga pencils (the advance upgrade, for example) do it. I think Pilot have one as well.
Nothing does it as well as the graphgear 1000 though. The feel of the retraction is so positive!
The best part of the retract feature is that it is integrated in the clip. I carry it clipped in my pocket everyday at work, and I don't need to remember to retract the tip because it will always retract when I put it back in my pocket.
Legacy Pentel user here! My late dad was a civil engineer, and in the early 80s started to bring home 205s for me to use for math, because wooden pencils would just frustrate me - never sharp enough, would break at the wrong time, etc. I recently came across one of that era, though I also have newer ones, all excellent.
Can confirm. Got my degree in Mathematics on the back of an original black P205. Wood pencils just can't cut it for dense math formulas and proofs.
Pentel was by my side during my engineering journey in college and has stuck with me my entire career. So much so that the P205 through P209 have their own 3D printed stand on my desk. #pencilnerd
Also legacy pentel, dad did drafting for the state DoT and used pentels. I absolutely hated the feel of the wood pencils, they'd hurt my middle finger if I had to use them for any length of time, and the cheap af Bic black pencils were trash. Dad's pencils were fantastic.
@@GandalffladnaG Even after we switched to Autocad and CadKey for DOS. I still sketched and filled out BOM's with a Pentel P207. Always loved how the 0.7 was just the right weight for me.
Pentel makes the best pencil. I was shocked watching your earlier video about pencils when I realized it wasnt about a Pentel model.
Before I went off to college I worked a summer doing maintenance at a manufacturing plant. The head of maintenance always had a Pentel P209 clipped between the buttons of his shirt. Like most mechanically minded people he had a deep appreciation for good tools.
A few months later when I went to study mechanical engineering I saw the same model P209 pencil at the university bookstore and bought myself one. It reminds me the summer I worked hard and learned so much. I still have the same pencil roughly 8 years later and dont go a day without using it.
This makes me so happy to see! My dad was an avid Pentel product user and collector. They are the things of his I use the most in my day to day, and getting to use them reminds me of him. These mechanical pencils have lasted for nearly 50 years now and have been shown a lot of love!! After my dad having already used them for decades at work, I used the ones he lent me from the classic line with regular led all the way through primary, middle school, high school and university. As I went to university for graphic design my dad gifted me one of those that looks like a ballpoint pen with a nearly lifetime supply of colored leads! I have them and use them til this day for my work.
Its so awesome when our parents pass down things we can use daily. I have a retractable utility blade that my dad bought from Home Depot that he always had in his pocket that is always in my bag and an easel that my grandfather hand made for my grandmother that always has something I am working on on it!
Great story!! Nothing beats those sentimental reminders in everyday use objects.
I switched from Ticonderoga pencils to BIC mechanical pencils while in college. I decided that I should buy a quality, mechanical pencil in the same vein of thought that a good tool can put in many good years of use and save on waste. I have been using the same two yellow P209’s almost every day for the last 11 years, one in my work shirt pocket and one attached to my personal journal. The RN’s I work with in my ER have also returned that specific one to me numerous times, knowing how much it means to me. I cherish them, thank you Pentel. I’m glad you got to share your incredible tools with Adam.
“Good design doesn’t just make things clearer, it doesn’t just communicate faster, it doesn’t disseminate information more efficiently: Good design makes the whole world better because of those things and - because it shows that care was taken. It shows that someone decided that this thing mattered.” Adam Savage 2024 - I watched this 5 times and I loved it every time and I will watch it 5 more. Thank you for this Adam. 6:11
My dad's "special pencils" growing up were the pentel sharp 0.5 black. My dad is a chemical engineer, instrumentation and control, boiler operator, and much more. He worked in chemical plant, oil plant, power plant, and others.
They were dad's and we were only allowed to use them with his permission. He didn't want us braking or losing them all. We didn't have a lot of money growing up, and dad worked a lot of hours. So doing something with dad around and using his pencils was always so special and fun. I always felt grown up when using them, just because they were dad's.
You may want to check out Alec Steele's recent video where he visits an age old company that makes mechanical pencils and pens by hand with a virtually unchanged tooling since day 1, to see a simple yet intricate design still in use today with everything being made within the borders of Birmingham UK.
I think that Adam needs to visit the Yard-O-Lead factory himself next time he is in the UK.
That is an excellent video. I'd love to own a Yard-O-Led pencil, what a superb design.
@@robm8809 Platinum back in the day had a vintage mechanical pencil design in.5 which is a "dead ringer" to yard o led, of course yard o led may have copied the design as it was vogue of the time since everyone had the same design even faber-castell and wahl eversharp
I've traveled to Birmingham from the US to work on a couple of those pencil making machines..
As a kid I got a Pentel 207 new because my dad had the 200 series and I thought the mechanical was so cool. It was this techy thing that was so much more than the dumb wood pencils you have to sharpen and use til they are too short or have no eraser. I used it so much the chrome wore off and the tip had brass showing. Still worked great. I found out you could hide scraps of thin paper around the barrel to store passwords or secret messages or whatever. Upgraded to a graph gear 1000 0.7 when I went to college and to this day it is the best mechanical pencil I’ve ever used. Still have it, still works great!
The Pentel Hi-Polymer eraser is my favorite eraser. I didn’t know it was available in such a large size, but now I’m going to seek one out.
Ditto.
I have a few of the more common sized ones for art and writing purposes and I've never had issue with them. Solid little worker for the cost.
100% the best eraser. I pretty much always have one around because attached erasers (especially those that you have to remove to refill a pencil) last a depressing amount of time!
Yes! Best eraser ever!
It's really good, but I love the feel of rotring exam standard.
It’s a little too good. I’ve had to re-print forms because that eraser just ate the laser printing right off with my pencil marks.
Pentel's mechanical pencils are great! That was such a sweet letter they included and I'm very envious of the comprehensive package you got, Adam! Also, don't sleep on their erasers! By far the best I've ever used. Not even close.
@@alexstarr1589 their erasers are in every drawing kit I have!!
Adam, I am a mechanical engineer and use a Graph Gear 1000 everyday. I am lost without it and will walk across the office to pick it up from my desk to sketch a project. You will love it.
There is a Pencil in Japan that at one point sold out and was crazy priced in the aftermarket. Kuro toga Dive - it rotates the lead so you always get the sharp point....AND it has an AUTOMATIC lead feed, so you don't need to click for lead.
I bought one of these a while back and it is my go to pencil now. Such a good feel in the hand and it works like a dream. As Adam said great design is so important.
I'm a collector and that's actually one of the few pencils I have the full set of! My first one was the 'Cascade Blue' a couple of years ago for about $100~ on eBay. Steep price, but it seriously is an engineering marvel and unrivaled when it comes to writing essays or long note-taking.
I love this pencil! I noticed while doing calculus during my undergrad that I was constantly rolling my pencil while writing. In that moment, I thought there has to be a better way. I go on the internet and after hours of searching, I found this pencil. I think everyone should experience this pencil because it is awesome.
Japan has the best pens and pencils for me. Using tons and tons of them over the years, the consistency and engineering in Japan is just best.
I love and need a short tip, I have so much better control and it seems Japan overall goes in that direction more.
Tbh, I’ve never liked the write-feel of the kuro togas much (I have several), but I won’t let e, I absolutely would geek out for one of the first batch blue dives. The level of technology found in that pencil is astonishing
For a company that does not do traditional advertisements, this is a great move!
that 0.7 blue pencil was my FAVORITE pencil as kid in school in the 2000s. i didnt know the name or brand until now lol. Even that white eraser was my favorite! wow
Thanks Adam, I'm from the Netherlands and when you initially posted a video about the Papermate pencils I just ordered a set from the US.
Now, I did get the ugly coloured ones but for me when using them in my shop, brings genuine inspiration because they tell a history (effectively yours) and it's a great motivator.
Mind you, I do love using them and, apart from all that have never come across similar designs in Europe.
The Pentel designs are however very common here but I always found the tips breaking too easily (especially on wood) and always loosing the refills somehow.
Having a stock of Papermates has now taken over my habits of using regular pencils and the refillable ones I still use, but solely for paper.
I do use a Pica Dry pencil for woodworking but I always find myself not having a sharp enough point on it, making the Papermates a perfect candidate for this issue.
I do hear the loud cry for the sustainability aspect of it all and disposable writing implements should become illegal sometime soon due to it's polluting footprint.
I will give Pentel a go soon as well and hopefully it will give me the same pleasure.
Thanks again Adam, these things are sometimes seem insignificant but I'm loving these stories and the everlasting energy derived from it!
My dad was a plumber and I remember as a kid whenever we would build something or need to mark something or draw something we would use pentel. I used to doodle on the 2x4s or any plywood we bought. I used pentel for my first drawings as a kid redrawing yugioh cards. Which lead to sketchbooks in high school to the many sketch books I have on my bookcase of my pencil drawings. I went to school for engineering design and development and a lot of my pre cad drawings are pentel. So happy that the pencils I've used for years was so generous to you. Love your videos and all your work from mythbusters to tested to the star wars prequels.
Hi Adam, I am a fountain pen/mechanical pencil nerd reporting in! I am so glad that you are sampling Pentel's mechanical pencil lineup. I write very small, and I write often for my studies and now my work. Because I write very small, I require a small writing width, or my letters and numbers become very messy. Over the years, I found that I require a width at least 0.38mm when writing with ink (due to ink spread) and at least 0.5mm for pencil. While I was in university, there was a shockingly small amount of pens and pencils that were readily available to me as a regular consumer off the shelf. Most pens were in 0.7mm width, which might as well be a marker for me, and I struggled to keep my notes tidy and organized. Many of the regular mechanical pencils felt too light and the point of the pencil (where the lead was exposed from the tip) was too close to the plastic tip. One of my friends from the architecture school was carrying around a rotring 800, which had a narrow needle like metal tip so that you could see around the tip and what you were writing/drawing with the exposed lead. I invested a whopping 45 dollars in a rotring rapid pro since, as a poor university student, I could not justify buying the 800. (Imagine my surprise today, when I find out that the 800 is only 38 dollars on amazon now, and the rotring is only 23!) It changed my life! I could now finally take well organized notes in class. I found that the weight of the metal pencil also helped with my writing as well. Unfortunately, it was stolen after I foolishly left it on my desk in the Calculus lecture hall. I could not afford another rotring rapid pro, and so I found a cheaper alternative in the Pentel Graphgear 1000, which I bought for around 20-25 dollars at the time. This pencil was functionally just as good for me as the rotring rapid pro, and delighted in how the needle-like metal tip would retract with a snap. Pentel made me a convert for sure, and since then I have used the Graphgear 1000. I've used it all throughout university, in the laboratory, and then finally through the first two years of medical school. After I made the transfer to clerkships as a clinical student, I switched to pens for a variety of reasons. However, I still keep a graphgear with me in my bag, right next to my reflex hammer, stethoscope, and penlight. It doesn't always make into my scrub pocket these days, but I still have it in my bag. It still looks as new as the day I bought it, all those years ago. I have only the one pencil, and I doubt that I will ever require another. Anyways, I thought I would share my mechanical pencil story, and can confirm that when a product is well designed and made with quality in mind, it will last for years and years. That graphgear has traveled with me though two majors at my university, two medical schools, five hospitals, and one stint at NASA as a student researcher back in the day.
Been using Pentel for as long as i can remember. Ive had the same three for probably 15 years. The best mechanical pencils. Way to go pental team, glad this is getting seen!
You gotta' put those Micky-Dee's Sharp-Writers in a McDonalds french-fry sleeve when you give 'em to Sachs!
but ONLY if that french-fry sleeve has some kind of papermate branding.
@@mickleman52I…you know what? That’s gonna inspire a project for sure.
show off lol
A good job for the ol 3d printer i feel. could even have little circle cutouts to hold them upright.
@@TJtheBee could be a quick 1 day build, maybe a french fry sleeve themed pocket protector?
The drafting pencils with the metal points have been my go to pencil for decades. I especially like the .9 size for wood working marking.
The Pica precision 0.9mm is pretty great for woodworking
I found a Pentel Quick Click on the ground 4 years ago and it became my favorite mechanical pencil. I had no clue they had so many other amazing pencils, I’m going to have to try them! Never thought I’d be so entertained by watching someone try a bunch of pencils!
Pentel Graphgear 1000. Greatest mechanical pencil ever made hands down. .5, .7, .9 all are equally amazing. Been using the same one for 7+ years.
I love things that last. I've had the same mechanical pencil since I was in the 3rd grade, a 0.5mm Zebra M.301. That was ~25 years ago, I wrote most of my notes with it from 3rd grade, through university, and a decade of engineering design work. Not sure how many disposable Bics I've gone through at the same time, but I've become very protective of my Zebra, and lament the disposables for the waste created.
These Pentels look great and comfortable, but I'm glad I don't need one. The Zebra is not a particularly pretty design, but it's proven to be limitlessly functional. My wife heard me talking about how great they are and bought me a twelve pack, a more than lifetime supply. I still protect my original, my office building was totalled by a fire recently and when we allowed in to salvage it was the first thing I looked for in my desk. All I had to do was clean a layer of smoke off it and it was fine. Even had one last sleeve of my original 25 year old 0.5mm Pentel Super lead refills that were bought with - another quality, long lasting product.
have you tried rotring pencils for comparison?
Yeah I have a few rotrings and they a great. I like the endless lead point. But you just can’t beat the feel of the graphgears.
The Pentel P209 in yellow is my favorite mechanical pencil and is what I keep in my shop
Same. sitting next to me on my desk right now!
I knew someone else would comment this. My go to as well.
Then may I suggest watching Van Neistat's video on just that pencil? Fun side note, Van is Tom Sachs' former intern/apprentice. He makes good videos, too.
My main go to.
The Pentel P209 is the best hands down
I have finally accepted that Im getting older (39).........my favorite content on TH-cam is...........mechanical pencil testing.......
Hats off to Pentel
While Pentel may have decided to sign each in a different color, I've worked where some people used a different color within their group on a regular basis, to make it more evident who is commenting on what. I knew a colonel in the Pentagon who reserved purple ink as his within his command. I used to use green pens, but with email not as much.
I´ve worked for 40 years + as a civil servant, and we had/have strict rules who might be sign or put a paraphe in what color under a design or calculation. It´s a bit tricky, though, for those with colorblindness.
That colonel has good taste, purple was Enzo Ferrari’s ink color.
I do this with my co-teachers. It's always a fun game for the students to guess who is what colour. ❤
The thing about, for instance, signing in different colors is that it implies a degree of intentionality. It's like so many other things that may or may not be important in the design of an object or media, but it's immediately obvious that it was _on purpose_ . It's the very epitome of "thoughtful design".
And see my first thought was, it’s their favorite or go to pens that they carry. Which shows the quality and expansiveness of the line. Even if you eliminate the forethought about choosing different colors intentionally, there is still something quality and remarkable there.
@@nicklikethesoup I too was wondering if it was maybe less of a conscious decision in the moment of signing and more of a “signature” (no pun intended) pen of choice for each individual employee. Both scenarios have their own beauty and intentionality.
This is one of my favorite videos ever. Jamie's enthusiasm and love of the mechanical pencil is endearing. The marketing clinic that Pentel put on was epic.
I have several GraphGear 1000, in each of my shops, office, and truck, all in 0.5mm. I have them in 4B, 2B, and HB #2 leads (these pencils don't have a label for the 4B, but I just used the blank space to make one with an acrylic pen).
I’ve been using a Pentel 209 since my mom brought one home from work 20+ years ago. The same pencil got me through 4 years of engineering school. It was lost some time later but I use one as my primary pencil today.
Wow, I also learned about the 209 from my mother, but it is my shop pencil. Engineering school was done in 0.5 or 0.7
As an Architect I have always used a Pentel 0.9mm (P209) in the office or on site for sketching and note taking; it is a very versitile pencil.
I always have a pack of 12 on the go just in case one is lost or dropped it down a drain etc., and I still have my original pencil (kept safely at home) that I had on my very first day at University Sept 1991.
I have and used my mother's "vintage" P209 & P207s! She's an interior architect who went through college in the 80's and when I went off to school for technical theatre she gifted them to me. Absolutely phenomenal pencils for hand drafting. the barrel is just a tad too small for my hands but with that comes the necessity to be purposeful with my strokes so it wasn't ever an issue
I had a lengthy conversation with another technical designer about hand drafting and the importance of it still being taught in todays era of CAD and like you mentioed it boils down to meaningful decisions. The limitations of hand drafting encourage you to design with forethought, purpose, and efficiency and those thought processes can be easily skipped over in CAD where you can draw a circle in 3 keypresses!
Your absolute glee throughout this entire video is infectious. Also... the person/people at Pentel who arranged this? Genius. I might have to go check some out myself, tbh. They looked lovely.
I loved this video. Your energy and the generosity of the Pentel folks was astounding. I have a few of the Pentel products and love them. This was a very enjoyable 20:27 minutes. Thank you and Pentel.
I love that Pentel sent you that package. My favorite mechanical pencil is the Pentel Sharp Kerry. I was hoping to see one of those in your package.
Bingo! Same thoughts here.
Still have my Pentel P205 from 1985. It was a backup to my Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatic 5635 pencils which I also still have. These are the predecessors to the Rotring mechanical pencils. Enjoy them for many years.
Only Adam can create a video about pencils that will have thousands of people excitedly tuning into.
Facts!
You’d be surprised! The stationary side of TH-cam is serious business. Still, I put so much more into Adam’s opinions on the whole. ^^;
I saw the title and IMMEDIATELY needed to know more.
Him and Franlab
I think you vastly underestimate the number of pencil enthusiasts
I just love how wholesome this whole video is, it's barely in shot, we can't feel what he feels, but we're just here for the ride
My grandfather who was a naval architect and owned a shipyard building tugs and barges from about 1930 to about 1965 used Pentel in his drafting work. I was gifted one of his original pencils and I used it throughout high school and college for my science classes. I really enjoyed it. I've got the Pentel Orennero .3 on my wishlist because I like the look of it.
I've just started collecting and I appreciate Adam's comments about design. I could go and buy a dozen pencils for a dollar, but it wouldn't bring my joy (an appropriate if overused cliche). My favorite pencil right now is the Rotring 600 .5 with an all aluminum body and an indicator that tells what kind of lead is in the barrel (currently I use HB for general work). The heft isn't for everyone, but I like the feel of it.
After Adam's last video about his Sharpwriter woes I realized I had never bought myself a _nice_ pencil (to go with the nice pens I _do_ have) so I did some shopping around and went with the Rotring 600! It's such a nice little pencil.
the graphgear 1000 also has the lead indicator in the grip, you just have to loosen the tip a tiny bit and twist the grip till the window lines up with whatever type you're using
Popular pick for VERY good reason. If you ever want something more pocket-safe, the Retro Hex-O-Matic is basically a retractable 600 with better tolerances and at half the price of an 800.
The Rotring 600 is made of brass
I collect vintage and modern writing implements, and I was enjoying the blazes out of watching Adam's enthusiasm for testing the samples sent to him by Pentel. There have been many great companies over the last century (and more) that have designed amazing pens and pencils, but IMHO, it is Pentel that has most consistently hit that sweet spot between affordability and thoughtful design. Pentel 👏knows 👏their 👏stuff! They are deservedly proud of their products. I hope Adam gives the Graphgear 1000 series more than a passing try, and the Click Eraser can be taken for granted, but they are the Pentel products I keep coming back to even with 100+ years of different mechanical pencil designs to choose from. Also? I've never used a Smash, and I think I'm going to ask Santa to put one in my stocking after seeing Adam's reaction to writing with one. I know, I know, most of the Tested audience shows up for the maker content, but seeing a fellow pencil nerd geek out over a swag haul like that one really made my day. Thanks Tested!
Adam, I would like to thank you for the video you did a while back on your hearing loss and hearing aids. My mom had been suffering for 30+ years of hearing loss. With grand kids and now a great grand son, she was missing out on so much of their lives. I showed her your video and I think I finally sunk in. About a week later, she had me make an appointment for a hearing test and hearing aids. She now tells me to lower my voice! 30 years of yelling to be heard and now I can give my chords a rest. Thanks again, Bryan
The GraphGear 1000 is my daily carry pencil. The retractable tip prevents damage when it is in my pocket all day. Have been carrying one for 25 years but I have worn out a few. They neglected to send you their finest engineered one and my favorite, the Pentel Sharp-Kerry mechanical pencil. It is just a little more fragile than the 1000.
I stole a Pentel P205 from my dad's desk because I thought it looked so cool way back in middle school. Now 20 plus years later they are the only pencils I use.
I do IT for many companies in the PNW and recently I was installing a computer for one of our clients who do structural engineering. I had to leave a note for one of the users who wasn't there that day, so I grabbed a Post-It and pencil from their desk and wrote it down. Something about the pencil felt so pleasant compared to the cheap mechanical pencils I'd always used. It was a Pentel Twist-Erase III, and I immediately loved it. I took a picture of it so I could look it up later and, as soon as I got home, I ordered myself a pack of .7mm ones. I didn't know anything about Pentel until then, and I'm so glad that, based on that letter, the people there really do care about quality.
Rotring makes an extremely good mechanical pencil (for words), and Staedtler makes a good drafting pencil with super thick lead (for projects)
There is also a very deep rabbit hole of Japanese writing instruments, which is really an elevation of writing haha
Nice to see some other brands in comments, especially Rotring, kudos to you sir!
Staedtler sold off that Draftmatic Line to Alvin about 10 years ago. I don't know the story but they are now Alvin Draftmatic.
Watching your enthusiasm for such a range of things, like a cheap mechanical pencil (and events) creates incredibly positive moments while watching your videos. Here is to many more great videos.
Agreed! Adam happily geeking out over something simple like this is a great break in the day.
The fact that they cared to send you this care package is heartening. So many great art and drafting supplies (pens, pencils, paper, erasers, films, film leads) have gone by the wayside with conglomeration and the proliferation of digital art.
As an illustrator who trained traditionally, I still start (and prefer) to draw and sketch on paper, scanning my sketches before painting digitally. Bless Pentel for keeping the dream alive.
I love the Clicker eraser and the GraphGear and have used them for years. I prefer the weight of the metallic mechanical pencil bodies to the light plastic (eg PaperMate) because of the balance and resistance to breaking the lead.
Cool video,
Another lovely, nerdy video. Thanks Adam! I have a set of Pentel P200 pencils in the classic colours permanently in my Savage Industries Apron (Chest pockets, far right sleeve) which I wear daily, previously in London at Foster and Partner Architects as an Architectural Model Maker and now as a Student of Furniture Design and Manufacture in Co, Galway, Ireland. I love the colour system because I can quickly grab the lead thickness I want without much thought, they are a really well made, sturdy, simple pencil and I love using them. Thanks again for bringing the Apron design to market, it has been great!
As someone who recently found out they have an unruptured intracranial aneurysm, your verbal slip really cracked me up for some reason. I guess sometimes it's helpful to laugh at life's unfortunate turns! Thanks for making dope things!
Grant Imahara died of a brain aneurysm. Might be why?
One of the few creators that can make a video on a pencil and keep me entertained throughout the whole video. Good work Adam.
Good design leaves an impression on us. To the point of the previous video, we notice when something has stopped leaving that impression, when design has been... neglected.
To this video's point, a family member of mine always used a Pentel twist erase. Decades of engineering notes went through that mech pencil (and probably years of erasing went through the twist!). Child me was immediately enamored with it one time I was allowed to play and fiddle with it. It was so clearly something else entirely from the wooden #2s I was using in elementary school.
Instead of being some cheap consumable whose only purpose was to meet the lowest bar of putting lead on paper... THIS object was clearly an implement or tool. Something to be wielded and respected. Something that said "I'm not here to meet the minimum and be some item you have to wrestle with to get results. I'm here to execute as you intend with as little interruption as possible".
Obviously, it's current me waxing poetic and child me was simply impressed. But I remember that moment and that says something about good design.
(And with the current Twist Erase looking seemingly identical to that one I held... it's an immediate invoking of that memory).
I’ve had the same Pentel twist erase pencil for at least 20 years.
Does anyone remember those cheap stackable mechanical pencils? The ones where there were a stack of short lead points stacked inside the barrel and when one was used you pulled it off and stuck it in the top pushing the next lead down to be used. We loved those things in elementary school back in the 70s. Mechanical pencils were a bit of a fad back then, (in my school district) The kid with the really cool expensive mechanical pencil was the envy.
You can still get the stackable lead pencils at the Dollar tree. I seen them there the other day and it took me back to the 1980's lol
Yeah, we had these in the 80's as well. Usually the "cool" kids, despite the pencils being rather poor quality, lol.
i sent those stackable pencils to Honduras to my kids. (Along with regular pencils) They are very approachable for kids to use without fiddling with refills.
As a kid in school through the 90s and into the early 00s, they were still very much "cool" in my area even still. What a weird little design.
Those go immediately into the trash in our home. You loose one and pooof - entire pencil is worthless.
My favorite part is how at around 2:10 you can clearly hear the letters about the pencils that were sent to Adam being hucked into a trash bin.
I am an artist and an art teacher, so I can confidently say that I’ve tried and seen every kind of writing instrument there is. Pentel is at the top of my list of best in the business of making writing instruments. The graphgear 1000 is the best there is. It is well balanced and its solid design cannot be compared to any other. All the graphgear pencils are fantastic and I love the colors. I also love the range of lead thicknesses since I like doing extremely tight details on my drawings. When it comes to ballpoint pens for drawing the best I’ve ever used are the pentel rsvp. I do ballpoint pen drawings and I like my pens to offer me the best range of marks without the buggers that ballpoint pens usually get. The only thing I wish is that pentel would make yellow ballpoint pens. I even emailed them once and asked them about it. Hope one day they will make yellow.
Look into refillable rollerball pens. You can fill them with your own ink! Goulet pens or jet pens are good resources.
@ the idea is to have yellow ballpoint pens, I have tons of other inks and colors. Ballpoint pens allow you to make marks that you cannot get from any other instrument. The Pentel ones are perfect because they don’t gush out a lot of ink, they have a slight drag to them which makes tons of variations and thicknesses of lines. It’s hard to explain… drawing with ballpoint pens is not the same as writing with ballpoint pens. I don’t like writing with ballpoints, I prefer fountain pens, but when it comes to drawing it’s one of my top favorite instruments. Pentel mechanical pencils are the best I own. I have tons of different kinds from the most expensive to the comparable ones with Pentel and I reach for Pentel Graphgear 1000 over and over again. I also have the 500 series which I have with different hardnesses of lead, and they work very well for me.
@clc3897 oh I use a fountain pen for daily writing and I've also used pentel ballpoint pens for illustration before. Because I prefer fountain pens for writing, I haven't used rollerball refillable ink pens before, but I imagine they have a similar page feel as the pentel ballpoint pens. It's worth a try at least.
@ I’ve tried every type of writing instrument, I swear I must have at least six huge deep drawers filled to the max just with all kinds of pens and pencils. The rollerball makes a particular kind of mark that is similar to the extra fine fountain pen or a fine dip pen. For the work I do I prefer the ballpoint pen, but I’ve used the rollerball a lot when a fountain pen or a dip pen was not doable. I remember liking the uniball pens because they were waterproof and the lines were crisp and very black if that was what I was going for, it is also very good if you’re trying to do the pointilism shading technique. But the rollerball doesn’t give you the option of super fine marks like the ballpoint pen does, and in my style or work that is very important. I’m mentioning all these in case someone reads these comments and is curious about the difference.
Love this! My daily-use pencil is a Pentel 209. I got a couple in around 2020 because I have a P205 that's probably 30+ years old and good as new. I love all the Pentel instruments I've used and gift them to folks. I want some GraphGear for myself next. Thanks for this video, and Good Job, Pentel, for making such lovely tools!
I have a forest green Pentel P205 from Japan that is my favorite mechanical pen. I've owned it since the 1980s (I believe). Thanks for another great video. Your positive energy and gratitude are contagious. Cheers!
Nothing catches my eye more than a 20+ minute video on a pencil.
My father was an accountant. He used the Pentel P205 to meticulously and manually add up projections on green ledger paper before switching to a PC and Lotus 1-2-3 in the mid 80s. I inherited his Pentels and still use them to this day. The don't die, and the design hasn't changed at all.
I love nothing more than watching someone geek out about a thing they really enjoy. Adam, thank you for sharing your joy.
I scour flea markets for vintage mechanical pencils and pens. Each writing utensil has a story, and I like to imagine the hands they've been in, and the things they've drawn through the past 40-80 years. The best part is, I usually get them for $1-$3, and that includes brands like Faber Castell, Parker, and even the occasional Mont Blanc.
17:57 took a intro CAD class in high school and we used some similar pencils to the graphic ones. I miss those pencils they were great.
I was watching this video with a Pentel Sharp P209-G in my hand! Going, "Yeah, I'm glad Adam has his PaperMates but I'll take my Pentel." I love it. I got a hold of my first P207-C in 1st grade, my uncle used them at work so my grandpa had them lying around the garage and at his desk. I remember my mom taking me to a special stationary supply when I was in the 5th grade so I could get lead refills and erasers (I miss the green erasers). My everyday Pentels are my P209--G ( the classic gold-yellow color) and a metallic green P205-MD. Some of my other favorites are my P205-WX (which is white with metallic green lettering) and my white PP502-W. Loved the video.
"Corporate decisions can have their own inertia" lol the timing of that statement...
It looks like Pentel has been taking notes on the Van Neistat customized P209.
How did he customise his?
Yep, we saw Van's video and even linked it to our YT video library (www.youtube.com/@pentel) a few years ago. Haven't been able to connect with him yet, but appreciate that you saw the authentic connection as well. Creatives support creatives!
Lo, the Pentel GraphGear 1000 mechanical pencil, of lead most slender at .4mm, doth stand as a paragon of craftsmanship unrivaled in the annals of writing instruments. Its barrel, resplendent with a grip both knurled and rubbered, doth offer a comfort most rare, befitting the discerning hand of the scholar or draftsman.
Except the inside is made of plastic, which tends to break if you're carrying it around and using the retraction mechanism often. Certainly not built for life
Not exactly a generational story, but I've been "daily driving" Pentel for nearly 30 years. I remember walking up to the wall of pens and pencils one year during back-to-school shopping in elementary school and thinking "adults don't use wood pencils, they always use mechanical pencils, so I'm gonna get a mechanical pencil this year." Then I heard my mom chuckle behind me and realized I'd said it out loud. XD Embarrassment aside, I picked out a Pentel P205 in the original black that day. I used that pencil for the entire rest of my education, all they way through earning my Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. When I moved back home after college, I realized while unpacking everything that somehow my trusty P205 was nowhere to be found. I was absolutely heartbroken and literally cried that day because of a pencil. A few days later I went out to buy a new P205, and picked one up in a lovely forest green. I don't plan on ever buying another pencil again.
Pentel twist erase! The only pen I know of with an actually usable amount of eraser at the end! Something like 40mm of it comes out by twisting (of course) and it just makes me happy that I can actually use the eraser without it running out really soon after buying it!
At my inner city school as a kid, we had a black market of sorts where you could pay discount prices and some less savory characters would acquire things for you. This is how I came to own a Pentel P209. It was a magnificent pencil and I used it religiously until the end cap bent and wouldn't fit into the top anymore (my fault, not theirs).
One thing I will say towards design, and this is important for the sustainable vs. disposable debate. the SharpWriter won't be as long-lasting as the GraphGear 1000. It won't be as consistent. However, it has it's place, and that's why Adam loves it. It's probably 1/10th the price of the GraphGear. In a shop setting, your hands are getting dirty, and sometimes you grab a pen/pencil when your hands have glue or pipe dope or something on them, and you realize you've functionally ruined your pencil. It's a lot less stressful to throw away a SharpWriter than it is to throw away a GraphGear. Also, the SharpWriter, if I remember correctly, has a little bit of springy "give" to it due to that spiral action that makes it a little more forgiving when applying pressure to rougher surfaces.
In short. Pentel is superior for a drafting table or college classroom. SharpWriter is still king in a shop setting.
A p209 is only like $4 and they used to be even cheaper, especially in bulk. Not sure how much of a discount you needed when they aren't very expensive to begin with.
Pentel sharp Kerry has been my everyday pencil for the past 15 years. Brilliant 50 yr design that is still made.
100 percent agree
This should be the top comment. The Pentel Sharp Kerry is my top recommendation.
I am 62 now, and I had never seen a pentel pen when I was in upper elementary school, until my dad gave me a very special gift. A pentel superfine marker with sepia ink. I was the only kid using sepia ink and I used it on a dot ruled notebook that my aunt brought on a trip from japan in the early 70s. It made me feel very special and since then I have been a superfan of Pentel and their products.
My favorite mechanical pencil is the P205. Started using them in my civil engineering classes in the mid-90s and continue to this day. Still have one of my originals.
I used the same 0.5 graph gear through my entire high school career and all through my time earning my BS in mechanical engineering. I love that pencil, and it is always in my work bag.
Same for me, but Staedtler rather than Pentel. I've used my 0.5mm so much I've worn the chrome plating off the nib. A good propelling pencil is worth a hundred traditional wooden pencils!
My Pentel Click 0.5 pencil got me through college with a dual major in Math and Computer Science. It has a button on the side to advance the lead and a large eraser on the top for cleaning up the many many mistakes. It splits in half to add the lead and has a twisting top to bring more eraser out of it.
I just bought a couple of the EnerGel pens because they were made of metal and I can refill them. They feel so good in my hand. Quality.
I'm glad they made the point about sustainability and I think it hit home with Adam a bit. It's something that has always bugged me a bit with his pens, just tossing them seems like such a waste. I still have pens that I used 30+ years ago.
Am I correct in thinking that the Sharpwriters are only "disposable" because they made a design/marketing decision to prevent you from refilling them in the traditional way? But technically, can't you feed new leads in through the pointy end whilst holding the clicker in?
@@cray- It can be refilled, just not quite as easily as other pens where you can just dump a few new leads into the back and keep going. But it seems people don't want to spend the extra minute or two to refill.
I'm in my thirties. I've just been working from job to job, and I'm not doing terribly, but I've never found my big passion in life.
Watching your videos, especially this one, make me so happy to see people do their passion. Something as simple as a pencil, and the packages they come in, can be so inspiring when the care and attention is given proper respect. I'm so jealous of you Adam to have found your passion and are able to do it so well.
Thank you for the years of entertainment and education.
I'm sure you'll find a career that you're passionate about eventually. In my case I bumbled around from job to job for 13 years until I met an _occupational counsellor_ in private practice (more skilled in my opinion than the teacher/career counsellors we had in High School) and discovered that quiet place in my mind where my wise inner self "spoke" to me, and suggested I go to university as a mature-age student to study Health Science.
I had previously been a failure at studies, so it was a real challenge to accept this 4 year task with little income to pay my way (mostly derived from truck driving when I could spare the time to do it).
I'm 80 now, and can look back on that period from 1975 to 2010 as being a time in my life of great energy and satisfaction. I was blown away by how much energy was released when I finally got in touch with my true passion, with the help from the counsellor who helped me tune into that otherwise quiet inner wisdom.
I've been using the original Pentel P207 blue mech pencil for over 40 years. I still have my first one, it has NO issues, other than looking rather well loved. I own at least 10 of them, all in various places, including in my purse. A couple years ago I bought a set of GraphGear 500 mech pencils. I love the weight and feel in my hand of the GraphGear pencils.
Love your channel, I'm a big fan of your work!
My two favorite pencil and pen:
- uni Mechanical Pencil Kurutoga Roulette Model, 0.5
- Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.5 (Japan import)
LOVE Zebra pencils but not their pens! I dont like the way the write as I am addicted to the rollerball :)
YES! The Kuru Toga Roulette has been my favourite for awhile. Love the look, the weight, the knurling and of course the kuru toga mechanism.
I have many others, but none come close to the roulette.
same for both choices, except that I like the alpha-gel-grip version of the Kurutoga mor/find it more comfortable for writing. But love the turning mechanism - also love the Sarasa Clip Vintage colors
I love my Zebra G-450. It's the pen I use most of the time now.
Uni actually has a new one coming out around around April: KURUTOGA Wood
It's got a metal back-barrel, wooden grip, and they've even upgraded the engine so that it takes less force to make it rotate.
Is this the best video of all time?
omg. I just started it!
yes
almost its vary close
Yup. 100 percent ✏️
No
Love your video as always. I was sitting here watching a video about pencils and pens with a smile on my face for 20 minutes and didn't even think twice about it. Pentel Energel pens have been my go to pen for years. I have multiple of the aluminum body ones on my desk and they are all I ever use. I am especially fond of the 0.5 blue ink. It just writes smoother than anything I have ever used. I have given many as gifts over the years. Pentel really hooked you up.
The optimist in me: I love that Adam's fans sent him pencils.
The cynic in me: I hate sponsored advertising.
The realist in me: I've already ordered three of those Pentel pencils before the video is done.
I don't work for any pen company, I don't even write very often. But I have to be completely impressed with Pentel. I have a bit of a pen collection now because people know I like to ADHD geek out over pens. I could review them for days.
Papermate inkjoy quality has dropped massively, flashing and rough surfaces and the ink always has a gray cast... Writes fairly smooth though and at a wider angle than most pens. I keep these in the car because I'm usually writing unsupported in my hand or on the steering wheel or other curved surfaces.
Papermate flair is cool because they still make them. It's a felt tip but the gimmick is that it flairs out under pressure so you can decide the line width and create fountain pen type fonts. They work well but I miss the ribbed design of the 90's. And the quality of the barrels has dropped significantly as well.
No idea why the g2 gets the following it does, it's an ok pen but in no way special. Very cheap plastic. The tips always end up chipped, the clips break off. They don't write very smooth. And the tip size always seems to be smaller than advertised which makes it write rougher and just isn't the line width I asked it to write. The barrels and grips have noticeable seams and flashing. They rattle when I'm writing in a very annoying way. Even the "pilot japan" logo looks a bit sloppy and worn out. It's a cheap pen sold at mid-tier prices.
The zebra z grip is a very similar feel to the g2 but writes much smoother, has much less flashing and a smoother feeling body. And the clip is a resilient and flexible metal. The tip is plastic but quite thick. The only real downside is the grip has large ribs that can dig into my fingers when writing for long periods. But it does provide great grip especially if I'm wearing gloves or have wet or cold hands.
Pentel though, every pentel retractable pen I've ever owned or "borrowed from work" has been perfect. Zero flashing. Zero rough edges. The tip is metal. The clip is metal. I can see the seams if I squint but I can't feel them. It's perfectly balanced in the center. It's the smoothest writing pen I've ever tried. The lines are deep black. And every detail of the printing on it is crisp. The logos, the details about where it's made and the batch number and barcode. The way it says 0.7 on the side and the top of the pen so I know what I'm grabbing no matter how it's stored. The people who made this don't just love pens, they love people who love pens. There are no corners cut here. Not one person at this company seems to have said "we can save 6 cents per pen if we..." *thrown out the window meme*
In this price bracket, most pens are very mediocre and trying to save money to compete. The pentel feels like something I would like to receive as a gift.
Hey Adam! My Grandpa was a machinist and owned his own business. I grew up going to his shop and anytime I smell machine oil it reminds me of my grandpa. His business went under during covid and he had to sell his house, when i was going through his stuff I saw he loved his Pentel p209's and I snagged a particularly used one. I have been using it ever since for college and every time I see it it reminds me of him. Glad you go to check out their pencils because they are very special to me!
I used the Pentel Orenz 0.2mm all through Uni. I adored the thing, 5 years of daily use from a $10 pencil was insane. The 0.2mm was much more fussy with paper than the wider lead but it was amazing for my science classes. Now in the workplace, I'm using a 0.28mm Uni-ball gel pen in blue-black, it's unique and everyone in my office recognizes my work just based on that. I think that a person's writing implement of choice says a lot about them, something that often is ignored in our digital age.
Be careful... That's how one devolves into fountain pens...
My students marvel (I imagine) at my TWSBI Vac700R inked up with Pilot's Iroshuzuku Kon Peki blue flowing from its 1.1 stub nib (lays out a lot of ink, but with a 3+ ml capacity, who cares?). I teach 19 credit hours and only have to refill every few weeks. Imagine if I used an EF nib...
Pentel's Twist Erase III has long been my go to for pencils. I had found one that someone had dropped in high school and used it for 2 years until I graduated. That pencil (although it has long lost its metal clip) still sits in a pencil holder on my desk along with 12 other Pentel Twist Erase III's that I bought when I started my freshman year at Clemson over 10 years ago. I've broken a couple over the years but never lost one, even thought its a permanent piece of my EDC. I take pride in knowing how they've been a part of every letter, test or signature I've signed. For me, it is the perfect pencil. The eraser is fantastic and it is easy to replace. I rarely break lead when using these pencils. It has unmatched quality and it somehow helps you write neater due to the weight and comfort. I've never known any other pencil to do that. The price point is likely lower than some you used in this video but I highly recommend if you like heavier pencils (which I don't believe you do).
My favorite mechanical pencil has been Pentel's "Side FX" model (which I'm not certain is still in production) for probably two decades now, and they also have the Twist-Erase which is one of the features I really appreciate. Replaceable and long-lasting erasers are so uncommon on mechanical pencils, and Pentel's are also just much better than most other pencils I've used, mechanical or otherwise. I also love that nothing about these pencils feels flimsy, the grips are comfortable even over extended periods, and the fact that the lead advance is on the side makes it way harder to accidentally advance it and break it or poke yourself.
@@DarthRayj The Twist Erase III has a lead advance on the top by pushing the eraser cartridge down, which I prefer because I like being able to pick up the pencil and write without positioning around the lead advance. Aside from that I agree with all of this, the eraser is long lasting and easily erases. The grip is so comfortable. This pencil literally shaped the way I write and shape my letters
@@BeachedTiger Ahh makes sense! I definitely prefer having it on the side, so that's an individual preference thing then. I'm glad you have something you love!
It funny, the moment you opened those "Since 1970" pentels, I remembered using a black one of those as a kid.
Graphgear1000 is one of my favourite pencils in use, because of that retractable nib.
Adam, not often does an influencer’s video make me as giddy as the person on screen but today is a new day for me. I could do nothing but grin from ear to ear as you were writing for the first time as your enthusiasm flowed from your voice and heart.
This is the time of year when we all should be thankful for everything allotted to us and today I shall be thankful for this video and of course you.
You think of him as an influencer?
I'm not disagreeing with you, I guess it could be the case. But it's not a description I would have thought of. I think of him as a guy who does interesting things that he shares with an audience, without any attempt to "influence"
I have never thought of Adam as an influencer in the traditional sense but I can’t tell you how many tools I’ve bought or built because of Adam. In my mind, he has influenced me as far back as Myth Busters and continues to do so. ❤
@@johnbarry8238 makes sense. The term "influencer" has become so negative I just had trouble associating it with someone as positive as Adam. But I see your point.