In a recent post (“Stationery Fun: Pencils, Pencils, Pencils!“), I spoke at length about how I’ve been diving back into pencils and enjoying myself thoroughly. It’s not all puppy dogs and rainbows, though; there are more than a few things that irritate, annoy, or otherwise bother me about pencils. I’ve prepared a sampling of a few of my biggest hang-ups around pencils, ranked from least to most bothersome, for your reading pleasure.
My Hang Ups
Why Do So Few Pencils Cap?
This is less of a pet peeve and more of a missed opportunity on the part of pen designers and manufacturers. It’s possible that this feature isn’t offered more regularly because two pencils that I am aware of that feature a capping mechanism: the Uni Kuru Toga Dive and thePentel Sharp Kerry. While the Dive has more features (and accompanying higher cost), I vastly prefer the Kerry. Part of this is, undoubtedly, due to nostalgia. The Kerry was THE pencil I coveted as a stationery loving kid. With that being said, I also feel that the Kerry’s design is more elegant, with the cap integrating well on both sides of the pen. The Dive, by contrast, looks a bit wonky while posted, with the cap not sitting flush with the pencil’s body. The fact that the Dive regularly sells for $80 USD or more doesn’t help its case either; I could get four Kerrys (Kerri?) for that price! So, where are the rest of the capping pencils?
I know there’s an obvious answer to this question: pencils with retractable lead sleeves (and clutch pencils and bolt action pencils) exist. The rOtring 800, Pentel Graph Gear 1000, OHTO MS01, and TWSBI Precision are some of the first pencils that come to mind, and there are undoubtedly many more. While I find these pencils interesting in their own right, I would still love to see more options for capped pencils. I freely admit that this is due in part to my love for the Kerry and a desire to see more pencils like it. Part of it also comes from my deep appreciation for fountain pens; every fountain pen I own has a cap, and I think it’d be neat to own more pencils designed in that vein.
(Also, before anyone asks: yes, I know the Pilot Vanishing Point, Platinum Curidas, and other such fountain pens with no cap or capping mechanism exist. I’ve never gotten along with them for a variety of reasons; either their clip placement interferes with my grip, they tend to dry out faster compared to capped peers, or they otherwise rub me the wrong way.)
Lastly, my research has only surfaced a handful of pencils that have a capping mechanism that are readily available for purchase (i.e. not secondhand or vintage). They can be seen in the bulleted list below. I sure wish the list was longer, if I’m honest.
- Meister by Point – Cap Mechanical Pencil
- Penco “Perfection” Pencil
- Tombow Zoom 505
Weird, In-Between Lead Sizes
For a long time, I didn’t understand the purpose of “in-between” lead sizes like 0.4mm. The usual suspects of 0.5mm and 0.7mm were more than capable of fulfilling my needs! Recently, though, I had a breakthrough. Though I still don’t work in the visual arts or drafting, I found a use for the 0.03mm lead size. It sounds obvious in retrospect, but the smaller lead size meant the “guide line” I was drawing into my notebooks was less noticeable, and thus, less distracting. I’m even looking into getting some “2H” lead to make the line in question even less obtrusive. Given my tendency toward darker (e.g., more “B”) lead sizes, this represents a shift in my thinking. Ultimately, having more lead sizes on offer can hardly be called an irritation or pet peeve. Said lead was something I avoided for years, though, so I’m including it in the post for posterity. I’m even thinking about trying a 0.02mm lead pencil; we’ll see
Kind of a Problem
Color Conundrum
On one hand, I find the colors most associated with pencils, and especially drafting pencils, to be desirable. I’d even go so far as to call them understated and sleek. On the other hand, I also sometimes want a color that POPS. To that end, the Tombow Mono range has a neon range that really speaks to me. I especially like the green and orange variants; those are pencils that’d be hard to lose in clutter! Considering only my desire for wacky pencils, it’d be easy for me to opine that pencils, and drafting pencils in particular, should come in more colors. There’s a specter hanging over that opinion, though: “chase colors.” (I originally saw this term used in the context of pencils, but my cursory research suggests that it is a common term among those who enjoy Funko Pop figures and Hot Wheels. Go figure.) While I want to see more color in the mechanical pencil market, I don’t want to be subjected to FOMO (fear of missing out) marketing, exorbitant mark-ups, or competing with scalpers. Is it too much to ask for more colors without any of that? Sigh.
Clips
Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by my fountain pens, but I’m particular when it comes to pencil clips. This is doubly true for drafting and “upmarket” pencils; if I’m paying more, I have higher expectations. With regards to clips, I want them to be robust. If it breaks off after a few uses, that’s a dealbreaker. I also prefer clips that can be removed. While I know clips have utility (clipping to things (duh), acting as a roll-stop, etc), I like having the option to remove them when I want a sleeker / lower profile pencil. I hope this goes without saying, but clips that are sharp to the touch are right out. While I’ve never been cut by a clip, I’ve handled a few that were unpleasant to the touch. I’ve generally found folded metal clips to be inferior to cast metal clips in that regard (though cast clips seem to appear mostly on high end pens). The fact that most “mass market” pencils I’ve handled are made entirely of plastic kind of renders the point moot, though.
Eraser Errors
To me, the fact that pencils can erase is a key feature! If I didn’t want to erase, frankly, I’d just write with a pen. As such, it boggles my mind when pencils include crappy erasers (i.e. those that leave behind smudges, those that harden and become unusable, those that fall apart quickly, etc) or – worse yet – no eraser at all! This issue is far from insurmountable; many companies make a retractable eraser that can act as a companion to any pencil (e.g. those made by Tombow, Staedtler, Pentel, etc). I’ll never complain when a pencil can “do it all” though.
No Replacement Parts? In This Economy?
If rubber grips are the biggest aesthetic sin a pencil can commit in my books, a lack of user serviceability is the biggest philosophical sin a pencil can commit. I understand that for many, pencils are a commodity that they readily discard, misplace, or mistreat. If it writes, what’s the problem? I simply do not feel that way, however. I want my pencils to last a lifetime, especially as I pay more for them. I find it annoying, then, that replacement parts are rarely available for pencils, with the exception of erasers. Maybe it doesn’t make sense for a “commodity” product that is produced at the scale of say, the Pilot G2 (aka the “best selling gel pen in the world”). There must be a point where it does, though, especially as a given pencil is produced in lower volumes and sold for a higher cost.
Don’t get me started on pencils that cannot be disassembled or seem to be explicitly designed to NOT be user serviceable. We do not abide by that on this blog. (Plus, though this is a considerably more minor concern by comparison, pens and pencils that can be disassembled make for fun fidget objects.)
Actually the Worst
Aggressive Knurling
In “Pencils, Pencils, Pencils!” I extolled the virtues of the drafting pencil. Their combination of features, construction, and aesthetic meant they were my favorite category of pencil. For as much as I love them, though, they do have one feature that can be a deal-breaker for me: their grips. In short, when the knurling is as aggressive as a cheese grater, I’m considerably less inclined to use a pencil! The Staedtler 925-35 All Black comes to mind in that regard. I could see bits of my skin in the grip after a single use; as such, I haven’t picked up the pencil since. By contrast, the Pentel Graph 600 has an excellent grip: it’s made of metal and has ridges, but has virtually no knurling to speak of. There’s just one problem: the pencil has been discontinued and is only available on the secondary market. Sigh.
Poor Labeling
I find Bock fountain pen nibs irritating because they do not list their grade (e.g. fine, medium, broad, etc) on the nib itself, and I’ve ranted about this in numerous journals and at least a few blog posts. The fact that some Bock nibs are labeled on the side of the nib is a step in the right direction, but that’s a feature I’d like to be brought to every Bock nib, full stop. Neither JoWo nor Schmidt nibs have this issue, and thus, those companies (and the manufacturers and makers who use them) are much more likely to receive my business.
What does any of this have to do with pencils? Pencil manufacturers that do not label what lead size their pencils use are committing the same cardinal design sin in my eyes. It’s rare, mind you, but my collection of pencils is large enough that the lack of labelling occasionally becomes a problem. Granted, some manufacturers solve this by color coding the different lead sizes; Pentel famously uses yellow for 0.9mm, blue for 0.7mm, black for 0.5mm, and brown for 0.03mm (“chase colors” and limited editions notwithstanding). Many drafting pencils are also marked in this way (the Alvin Draft/Matic comes to mind in that regard). Ultimately, I strongly believe that a pencil should be labeled with its lead size!
Rubber Grips
In my mind, this is THE cardinal sin for a pencil to commit. I’d go so as to say that a pencil having a rubber grip is an immediate deal breaker for me. Even community favorites like the Graph Gear series are non-starters for me. Why? In my experience, virtually every rubber grip eventually becomes uncomfortably sticky. Some brands and models are better than others (I’ve found the “Dr Grip” line tends to last the longest), but eventually they always get at least a little sticky. Aside from this making the pen gross to the touch, it also means that they are magnets for dust, debris, and other crap I don’t want anywhere near my hands. Perhaps I’m the problem, and my expectations are too high. Is it reasonable to expect a pencil to last indefinitely? Metal and plastic pens can, so I think it is; at the very least, it gives me a clear roadmap to the kinds of pens I prioritize in my purchasing.
The Economic Climate
At time of writing (March 2026), the world is in an economic upheaval; costs are rising across the board, and pencils are riding that wave. This isn’t the fault of the pencils themselves, obviously; I can only guess that most businesses and manufacturers would prefer a more stable economic climate. It’s a reality we’re faced with, though, and it’s safe to say that it annoys me (/understatement of the decade/). I’ve talked about this in other posts, but the one-two punch of tariffs and the ending of the de minimis tax doctrine has raised the cost of all of my hobbies. I could, in a phrase, “do without that.” To make matters worse, I’m not sure when (or, though I hesitate to say it, if) the economy will improve. Again, while this goes well beyond the domain of the pencil, I’d be remiss to not include it as a pain point. If nothing else, it serves as a reminder to focus on the less material portions of my hobbies; i.e. creating, not consuming.
Conclusion
So, what have we learned? I hope that it’s clear that the perfect pencil doesn’t exist; every pencil represents some level of compromise between form, function, and price. With that said, the end user can improve their experience with pencils by focusing on what’s most important to them. In other words, while the perfect pencil may not exist, the perfect pencil may exist for you. Beyond that, my earnest wish is that everyone reading this post (myself included) will remember that pencils are tools meant to be used! While collecting pencils is a valid approach to the hobby, the shiny new pencil you have your eye on will not make you more creative, it will just increase the size of your collection. Never forget that practice is what will improve your craft.
