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The Last Mechanical Pencil You'll Ever Buy?

By Rain Noe - December 10, 2014

in Kickstarter

"I noticed I was using packs and packs of mechanical pencils at work as disposable items," writes Andrew Sanderson, who spent six years as an aircraft propulsion technician and a decade as a gas turbine engineer. He subsequently switched to product design, with the goal of creating a mechanical pencil that you could keep and use forever.

"I set out to design a mechanical pencil that would reduce the waste, be a testament to U.S. manufacturing and design, and not break the bank," Sanderson explains. "Having a single mechanical pencil that replaces the endless packs of plastic that end up sitting it landfills and floating in our oceans has to be a good thing."

What most impressed me about Sanderson's design is how he endeavored to hide the seams. It really does look like the conical tip and the shaft are one solid, machined piece, though of course they're not. Take a closer look:

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The pencil's Kickstarter campaign had the humble goal of just $4,000, and at press time was at nearly $33,000 with 51 days left to pledge. (The Early Bird specials at $50 a pop are long gone, though there are still some $60 units on offer. The brass units go for $5 more than the steel.)

The lifetime guarantee is as attractive as the product, but one caveat is that the pencil is designed for 0.5mm leads only. As for the erasers, Sanderson says he's aware that "as soon as the eraser wears down on a mechanical pencil it starts sitting around. I don't want that to happen," and thus has plans to make five-packs available for sale "well after the Kickstarter project."

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Hyena

10 years ago

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I've got 3 Pentel graphgear 1000's, been using them for about 4 years now. Much better design than this guy's seamless pens and much cheaper as well.
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Evan

10 years ago

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i really don't get it? He throws mechanical pencils away when their erasers are worn down and its lead runs out(wtf?!) , then proceeds to design a mechanical pencil that addressees none of this? The only nice thing I can say about his pen is the seamless design, but to me its too smooth, and without any real guarantee on those erasers I wouldn't buy it. Another hipster pen marketed as "green" when big companies like rotring have been doing this since forever.

One word, forgettable.
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lamborini

10 years ago

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Not really a desperate need for this. I've had the same Pentel since 1991 and it's been the genesis of pretty much every design I've created ever since.
It's not made of a slippery cold metal either.
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John

10 years ago

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Agree with everything KROBUZ says. I've had at least two of my four mechanical pencils for 10+ years. If you throw out, instead of changing the lead or rubber on, a mechanical pencil you may be in the wrong profession.

Undoubtedly lovely looking pen but looks about as grippy as a greasy water-balloon

Experience: product designer / water-balloon gripograpical specialist
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Scott Bennett

10 years ago

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Needs a better clip, those crappy thin stamped clips are always the weak point for me (I keep a pencil attached to a notebook cover).
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KROBUZ

10 years ago

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My go-to pencil is the Pentel P205. It also holds 0.5mm lead so only having that option is not an issue to me. Other pencils in my daily arsenal are 2 Staedtler Mars lead holders. One has a non-photo blue lead and the other is for softer graphite. Since I do not have erasers on either of the lead holders, It has become a habit to also carry a retractable eraser with me. I have had the lead holders for almost 15 years. The P205's haven't lasted as long, but the parts can be salvaged. Some of the bodies have been Frankensteined for 10+ years. While P205 erasers are readily available, I only use them to hold the leads in the pencil.

This is just my two-cents, but if you have a careless enough attitude to throw away a good pencil just because the eraser is worn down when erasers can be replaced or supplemented through one that is not attached to the pencil, a $60 dollar pencil with an eraser that will inevitably be worn down and needing replacement is still going to be worthless to the user.

It's a nice design but it really doesn't solve the problem that was initially addressed.
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