I haven’t used a non-mechanical pencil in forever, but it was interesting to see some lead hardness grades that I have never used. Thanks for sharing this.
This is good to know for mechanical pencils as well! You'd think growing up with the whole "You can only use a #2 pencil for this test" that there would be more of a standard for graphite/lead hardness. On a completely other tangent I'm curious how graphite ages. I've come to really love lead holders/clutches and I've gotten some vintage "lead sticks" that I don't know if I should use or not.
like this type of content. do the same with mechanical pencil leads from different companies & the different tech (cons/pros of each) like nanodia etc.
Different hardness lead is useful when drawing lines with varying degrees of thickness and blackness in technical drafting. I use 2h mostly for the fine (0,3mm) line work (or just mark the paper with a compass needle), and HB for the thicker outlines which are supposed to be clearly visible. It is a great shame that the 0.2mm leads by pentel are no longer made in H as they once were. The Orenz (or Orenz Nero) would be a great tool for technical drafting otherwise, but with HB lead, the lines are just too dark to be useful. Whats the point of a .2mm pencil that cant draw fine lines?
@Unsharpen, as a fellow lefty, I notice that you write much like I do, using a more standard right-handed grip and hence dragging the meat of your hand across the written page as you go. In terms of pens, I tend to avoid gel pens for the reason that they smudge a lot compared with ballpoints because of my writing style, presumably because the water-based gel dries slower than oil-based ink. Do find yourself running into this problem, and if so, are rollerballs any better?
I favor quick drying gel pens, like the Energel and Sarasa line for this reason, as well as more absorbent papers. Also I'm worried about smudging I'll tend to migrate or roll my hand a little. Clearly doesn't help the writing quality but it can reduce smudging, which I find to be incredibly annoying.
