Mechanical pencils are a fantastic enhancement in drawing and writing technology, giving you the convenience of using a pen with the effect of a pencil! For anyone who’s serious about writing, drawing or intensive note-taking, mechanical pencils are kind of a necessity! They aren’t the typical frontrunner of artist kits or pencil collections, but they absolutely should be. Read on for your complete guide to using mechanical pencils, and their inarguably great benefits…
No more blunting
An amazing benefit of mechanical pencils is that they don’t blunt! This is perfect if you’re an obsessive artist or you’re often taking notes in classes, lectures or meetings. There is nothing more annoying than having to keep stopping and sharpening your pencil when you’re trying to concentrate or you’re in a drawing groove, it totally removes you from the situation. Mechanical pencils maintain their sharp edge from the start to the end of the lead, so no need for that pencil sharpener! This lack of sharpening also means that your pencil maintains a very even balance, making all lines event and exact.
Precision
The consistently sharp edge of a mechanical pencil gives you ultimate precision when you’re creating intricate drawings! This is great if you’re a cartoonist or you love to draw very fine pieces. Although you don’t get the inky impact of a heavier, traditional B pencil, you do enjoy feather-light lines that can produce the most amazing artworks.
Convenience
If you’re after an easy tool that doesn’t need much maintenance or faffing with, then a mechanical pencil is your guy. Carrying one of these with you makes writing and drawing just easier, so whether you’re absolutely in need of convenience or you’re just an efficient person who likes to utilise every productive second, it’s ideal. There are a few factors to consider in order to ensure your mechanical pencil is as convenient and comfortable as possible…
Watch out for lead thickness
This makes a huge impact on your work or handwriting, so definitely pay attention to lead thickness when you’re shopping around for the perfect mechanical pencil. You should judge your required lead thickness on your drawing or writing style. If you like thicker lines or to put more pressure on the page when you’re working, you need a heavier lead like 0.9mm or 2.0mm. If you want to create super-fine lines, opt for 0.5mm. Maybe you’re searching for something in the middle? 0.7mm lead is usually best for drawing or medium size handwriting.
Pay attention to the feeding mechanism
The feeding mechanism determines how new lead gets through to your mechanical pencil once you run out. The most popular options are…
Click: Click mechanisms are the most simple and common for mechanical pencils. Click the top and through the lead feeds!
Twist: This is where you click the top of the pencil’s barrel, and new lead clicks forward. This is very similar to the click option; you just have to twist instead of clicking!
Shaker: To get more lead with a shaker mechanism, you just have to shake your pencil up and down. This moves a weight inside of the pencil and clicks to feed lead through. Shakers are great if you have absolutely no time to waste during your note-taking.
Auto Feed: Auto feeds don’t require any action to produce more lead. When your pencil’s nib hits to surface of your page, a spring pushes back through and brings the lead back with it.
By making these considerations and thinking through what exactly you’ll be using your mechanical pencil for, you can be confident that you will pick up the right model for you!
