4 ms·

I use a pencil extender to get more out of the stubs. I like the Staedtler 900 25 for this purpose.

by sidpatil 5y ago

Jorengarenar 5y ago
Just to note that a $2 extender will work as well.
amelius 5y ago
But you'll need a wider grip.
Wistar 5y ago
I bought one of those Staedtler holders but none of my pencils fit. Maybe I am doing something wrong.
shard 5y ago
Yes. The pencil sharpener removes the last 2.5cm of the pencil lead anyway, so why not just use a pencil extender? This seems like an overengineered solution looking for a problem. You're using a really classy extender, but one of those $0.10 plastic pencil caps would work as well.
alias_neo 5y ago
What is the benefit of using a wooden pencil over a mechanical pencil? Does it also depend on whether you're doing engineering drawing vs art? I am a (Software) Engineer so I've had no need to use a pencil/pen for many years now other than to write gift cards and sign things.
- skytreader 5y ago
  Software Engineer here who loves to draw/sketch. The biggest difference is stroke consistency and handling weight. So an ideal handling weight will let you exert more control over your strokes; your straights are cleaner, your curves are more fluid. Think of how some gaming mouses are weighted. If you find the right mechanical pencil (i.e., not a cheap plastic one), it wins in both aspects. Plus a mechanical pencil never becomes too short that it does not rest stably on your grip. But still, there is a certain charm to a drawing produced with the variable stroke widths of a wooden pencil. So I guess it depends what you're going for.
  - alias_neo 5y ago
    Interesting thank you. I am not very artistic so never got into drawing or sketching, I do understand the stroke width point though, my school required us to use fountain pens (as a left-handed person, it's probably the the single biggest reason I've avoided hand-writing ever since, what a nightmare!). I use a Uni Kuro Toga Roulette I got from Japan for measurements and technical drawings I do at home, but I don't do any of that professionally to say how good it is. The key point for me is that it's always sharp every time I reach for it. I have wooden pencils but when I grab those (infrequently, usually for marking wood or walls etc for DIY), I find they need sharpening, and some times the end isn't pointed enough to mark a wall through a screw-hole. I use them infrequently enough that I rarely bother sharpening them after I'm done, and they get thrown in a drawer or tool box as-is.

I use a pencil extender to get more out of the stubs. I like the Staedtler 900 25 for this purpose.

Jorengarenar 5y ago

Just to note that a $2 extender will work as well.

amelius 5y ago

But you'll need a wider grip.

Wistar 5y ago

I bought one of those Staedtler holders but none of my pencils fit. Maybe I am doing something wrong.

shard 5y ago

Yes. The pencil sharpener removes the last 2.5cm of the pencil lead anyway, so why not just use a pencil extender? This seems like an overengineered solution looking for a problem. You're using a really classy extender, but one of those $0.10 plastic pencil caps would work as well.

alias_neo 5y ago

What is the benefit of using a wooden pencil over a mechanical pencil? Does it also depend on whether you're doing engineering drawing vs art? I am a (Software) Engineer so I've had no need to use a pencil/pen for many years now other than to write gift cards and sign things.

skytreader 5y ago
Software Engineer here who loves to draw/sketch. The biggest difference is stroke consistency and handling weight. So an ideal handling weight will let you exert more control over your strokes; your straights are cleaner, your curves are more fluid. Think of how some gaming mouses are weighted. If you find the right mechanical pencil (i.e., not a cheap plastic one), it wins in both aspects. Plus a mechanical pencil never becomes too short that it does not rest stably on your grip. But still, there is a certain charm to a drawing produced with the variable stroke widths of a wooden pencil. So I guess it depends what you're going for.
- alias_neo 5y ago
  Interesting thank you. I am not very artistic so never got into drawing or sketching, I do understand the stroke width point though, my school required us to use fountain pens (as a left-handed person, it's probably the the single biggest reason I've avoided hand-writing ever since, what a nightmare!). I use a Uni Kuro Toga Roulette I got from Japan for measurements and technical drawings I do at home, but I don't do any of that professionally to say how good it is. The key point for me is that it's always sharp every time I reach for it. I have wooden pencils but when I grab those (infrequently, usually for marking wood or walls etc for DIY), I find they need sharpening, and some times the end isn't pointed enough to mark a wall through a screw-hole. I use them infrequently enough that I rarely bother sharpening them after I'm done, and they get thrown in a drawer or tool box as-is.