Dave's Mechanical Pencils: Pentel Sharp P205 Mechanical Pencil Review Page 1 of 23

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Dave's Mechanical Pencils

My mechanical pencil collection and various related things, some thoughts about them, mechanical pencil reviews and reviews of other products, and more. I'm not prejudiced - all forms of graphite are welcome here, even some ink sneaks in too. You can use the sidebar links to find mechanical pencil reviews and other stuff.

Subscribe To Thursday, May 18, 2006 Pentel Sharp P205 Mechanical Pencil Review When I first started learning mechanical drawing, my classmates and I nearly all used the Pentel P205 because it was Search This Blog - the mechanical pencil sold by the school stationary supply Lijit shop. Class upon class of budding little Kiwi engineers Research were raised on the P205, and From my blog: so, at least in my part of the woods, Pentels claim that the Pentel Sharp P205 P205 is “The #1-selling automatic drafting pencil and the Mechanical Pencil Review industry standard” was unquestionably true. I am sure that it is Pentel Smash Q1005 Mechanical Pencil Review the mechanical pencil that I and my contemporaries will A Wooden P205 forever judge all others against. I haven’t really worked as an Poll 8 – Pentel Sharp P205 v engineer for many years and it’s quite a long time since I last Pentel ... picked up my P205. I spent the review week in a pleasantly From my content: nostalgic mood, remembering the times when I had a real Dave's Mechanical Pencils: engineering job in a factory – helping design products, tooling, Pentel Sharp P205... Dave's Mechanical Pencils: jigs and fixtures, and so on. My mood was helped along by the Pentel Smash Q1005... coincidence that the very week that I was using my Pentel P205 Dave's Mechanical Pencils: was the week that the Pencil Revolution posted their interview Poll 8 – Pentel... with pencil hero Henry Petroski, who it turns out is also a user More results for Pentel of the P205. P205... powered by But enough of all this nostalgia - on with the real stuff. The Pentel P200 series of mechanical pencils come in a variety of Lijit Search colours and lead sizes – The P205 (black) is 0.5mm, P207 (blue) is 0.7mm Visitors Map and the P209 Recent Readers (yellow) is… yes, you guessed it, Last 5 Comments 0.9mm. The P205 has a Just a random - plastic body speculative - thought; with metal maybe it is... - trims. The Anonymous On

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plastic is a http://fountainpen.de/ hard shiny material, very abrasion and impact resistant. The old60-70.htm are many body is twelve sided – a rod of dodecahedral cross-section inf... - 2nd_astronaut slightly tapering towards the tip. But in the middle, two faces Lead is 1.18mm as are sort of joined into one where “Pentel” and the model noted in the posting. - information are printed on, so it’s a mixed eleven and twelve kiwi-d sided rod. At about 8mm across the faces in the grip section it Hi,What kind of lead is on the lower limit of my preferred size range. The grip does it take (refillable section is grooved for improved grip, and is effective. Being a fro... - MZK slim plastic design, it is a relatively lightweight but well What's the lead dia?I balanced pencil. The pocket clip is a good strong metal clip am actually looking to which works well, but it can slip out of its recessed section and buy ... - Anonymous so twist around or slide up and down. It’s a minor point, but it can be a little annoying. FAQs & General The lead holding sleeve is a 4mm long fixed metal sleeve - the ultimate for draughting and pocket stabbing! Give it half a Guestbook, Comments chance and this baby will punch through and stab you quick as & Questions a wink. I do know some people have complained that the long List of Reviews sleeve can become bent over time, but I’ve never had that My Top Five Pencils problem. I guess if you keep throwing your pencil into a pencil Lead Reviews mug with a hard base then the sleeve could suffer some Pencils With Extendable damage. But the long sleeve really is great for drawing and Erasers template work. Clearing A Jammed Pencil The push top ratchet mechanism is a fairly stiff “positive” one, Pencil Refill which I like. The mechanism only advances the lead a very Instructions short distance for each activation – about ¼ to ½ less than Online Retailers many other brands of pencils, and some non-draughting Pentels. There is a small eraser under the cap which is better than nothing, but not by much. If you wear it right down you Lead Information can have trouble getting it out to refill the lead magazine. Lead Reviews There is also a lead clearing needle under the eraser, not that Lead Size & Grades I’ve ever had to use it. The top cap is a tight fit over the eraser No 2 Pencil = HB? so you often advance the lead when pushing it back on. Lead Composition Non-Repro Blue I really like the look of the P205 in black - the black body, chrome trims and proudly marked “0.5mm Pentel P205” are a true classic look. This pencil reminds me of why I like Pencil Links Pentel – it’s not the fanciest, Alexa's MPs but it’s a good, solid, reliable Brand Name Pencils instrument that just shouts Flickr - MP Junkies out “efficiency”, “no-nonsense” and “I’m the pencil of real Gunthers Virtual Pencil engineers”, and maybe architects too, but I’m not sure about Case that. Leadholder On The Desk, At Any z Best Points – In black it’s a true cool calculating classic Time (In Japanese) look, with a real engineering lead sleeve. Pencil Revolution z Not So Good Points – The lead sleeve is not retractable. Pencil Talk z Price Range – Low. PenciLog (In Korean & English) Dimensions – Length 142mm, diameter 9mm across faces. Pencils 11 Balance point about 70mm up from the tip. Pens and Pencils RBs Autopoint & Other

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Research A long time ago, my P205 had a RCX (Warning - PG lot of input into the metal Rated) sheathed heating element RRs Norma & Scripto inside this electric kettle. It Pencils was a good design, made for The Pencil Pages one of those rare customers – The Uncomfortable you know, the kind that was Chair (In Japanese) actually prepared to pay for Timberlines what they wanted. Not rip-off Wikipedia - Mechanical expensive or anything, but Pencils they wanted a reliable element that would last a long time, would automatically switch off when the water boiled, and cut-out if there was no water. See Also These days of course it’s made in China, not like in my day when we exported elements to China! Back then Chinese Critical Scribe elements were rubbish, but times have changed. Joy of Erasers Lexikaliker (In German) Posted by kiwi-d at 5:48 PM Lung Sketching Scrolls Labels: Pentel My Supply Room PigPog - MP section Ralrara`s Stationery (In Korean) 64 comments: The Pen Addict UC2 (In Japanese) Anonymous said... Blogs I Keep An Last time I checked, P205 pencils were made Eye On in Japan; however, I may be mistaken. Amateur Economist Tuesday, 09 January, 2007 Clangnuts DMP Lead Free (Thats Anonymous said... Me) Glen Mullaly Strange Maps You missed the fact that Pentel makes the P203 which is a .3 lead pencil. I love the .3s for the fine lines they make, Japan seems the last bastion of this lead size.

Thursday, 01 February, 2007

kiwi-d said... Followers

Fair enough, although really I was just listing the specific pencils I personally had and was showing in the picture. But I should have mentioned the P203.

Yes, 0.3mm does seem to be in decline these days. Almost as if 0.3mm was the ultimate in thinness but now the pendulum is swinging

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back the other way to thicker leads. I am sure 0.7mm is increasing, and 0.9mm, 1.3mm, Follow 1.4mm, etc are on the up too, I think. with Google Friend Connect Followers (62) More » Thursday, 01 February, 2007

Anonymous said...

Very good description, i am also a fan of this particular model, do u know which model is currently replacing this one? P225?

Monday, 05 March, 2007

kiwi-d said...

Gulp...replacing the P205? I didn't know it was on the way out. It's still on the pentel.com website. Is this some misunderstanding between us?

Saturday, 10 March, 2007

lockheed123 said... Flag Count From May 2009 I actually came across the P203 today in a stationary warehouse - or actually more like a unorganised gem shop. Thry had loads of p205/3/2 and also a white one which I forgot the model of but it had an extra bit on the barrel which said 'for film'. The lead was very dark and the metal sleeve was somehow able to extend. There was also a berol mechanical pencil which looked almost identical to the P205 apart from that the grip looked different. The shop owner said that the P205 was made and modelled AFTER the Berol model. Do you know anything about this? The packaging certainly did look very old and old fashioned

Sunday, 22 April, 2007

kiwi-d said...

Hi lockheed123. Well no, I don't know anything about that in particular. I'm unaware of any Berol products

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at all ever having made it to my part of the world, so I'm generally unfamiliar with them.

What I can say is that the Pentel Sharp P203/5/7/9 pencils have been around for a long time, as in pre 1980, so if they copied Berol, that must be an even older one. Also since Pentel were basically one of the world leaders in modern thin lead pencils I'd be surprised if they copied anyone, but then back in the 70's the stereotype of many Japanese prodcuts was that they were just "copies" of the real thing. So who knows.

Was your retailer old enough to have been retailing in the 1970's when the alleged Pentel copy first arrived in his store?

Sunday, 22 April, 2007

Figue said...

It's my favorite mechanical pencil so far, it's a shame it's not longer, everything else is perfectly designed no question about it, I really like that groove at the start of the nose where the plastic meets the metal its so ingeniuos and it works really great!

Sunday, 29 April, 2007

Séamas said...

Apparently, Pentel doesn't make the P203 anymore! It's not listed on their site.

I am quite ticked off about this. The P-series are my favorite automatic drafting pencils, and I need the .3mm lead for my calligraphy work. What have they done? What have they done?!?

Grrrrrrr.... About Me If you like the P203, write to Pentel at [email protected] and let them know your kiwi-d feelings.

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Friday, 02 November, 2007 Once upon a time there was an innocent young fellow who Séamas said... got a dose of graphite, was lead astray and became a lead junkie, with way too A clarification, if anyone cares: apparently the many pencils. P203s are just not available in the U.S. View my complete profile They are in various UK, Canadian, Australian, and other overseas stores. They are listed at the pentel.au site, and the pentel.co.uk site. Jeopardy 541 Slán go fóill

Saturday, 03 November, 2007 Labels

Anonymous said... Caran d'Ache (9) Ephemera (16) Erasers (15) The P205s are awesome. I have been using Faber-Castell (16) mine for years and it hasn't failed me yet. I Lamy (12) have tried all of them (.5, .7, and .9) but not Leads (38) the .3. Might have to give that a shot. Mini Pencils (9) Multi-Pens (11) Wednesday, 27 February, 2008 Novelty Items (14) Pens (2) Pentel (37) Anonymous said... Pilot (9) Polls (10) man I love the internet --- a pencil fan site Staedtler (17) wow.. Uni (7) Wooden Pencils (16) Anyway I am not a draftsman but I too like the p205 and related series. Blog Archive I have use them since college and I can't even ► 2009 (74) think strait with out one in my hand. I have ► 2008 (102) noticed howwever that the newer version does ► 2007 (88) ▼ 2006 (93) not seem to have the clearing tool in the eraser like the first ones I got back in college. ► December (4) I found this site becuse I have mislaid a few of ► November (7) my P205's and may need to buy a few more. ► October (9) ► September (7) I do so love the internet... ► August (10) ► July (7) Monday, 24 March, 2008 ► June (11) Anonymous said... ▼ May (10) The Lead Cup - Pool B man I love the internet --- a pencil fan site Staedtler Graphite 779 Mechanical Pencil wow.. Review

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The Lead Cup - Pool A Yeah, I know exactly what you mean, I ran Pentel Sharp P205 into this site from precisely the same reasons. Mechanical Pencil Review The Lead Championship Anyways, it turns out I still had my old p205, Cup but the tip was broken. I decided to test Staedtler Mars Micro 775 Pentel's lifetime warranty that I read about on Mechanical Pencil a pencil blog somewhere, and went ahead and Review mailed in my pencil to Pentel. A Few Leads Rotring Part 3. Papermate Auto Well, just today I got a brand new Advance Mechanical replacement from Pentel! Truly a company Pencil Review with great products and service. Two Dollar Shop ► April (10) Sunday, 30 March, 2008 ► March (8) ► February (7) adair said... ► January (3) Recently on ebay I saw Pentel P212-219's for Some Stuff I'm sale...They looked, as far as I could tell, Thinking About identical to the P203-209's...But they were My Wiki - Definitions, stamped clearly with the different series Research, etc. numbers (in the same type-face as on the P203-209's). Any explanations out there? Older Comments Thursday, 03 April, 2008 Older Comments (Feed Page) Anonymous said...

"There was also a berol mechanical pencil which looked almost identical to the P205 apart from that the grip looked different."

I owned a 0.9mm berol mechanical pencil and it was yellow, so I guess the colour coding was the same as Pentel. I loved this pencil, but I somehow managed to lose it. This was around about 1990. I have looked and looked on ebay, but can't find one. The barrel was very cylindrical all the way down, apart from near to the pencil tip where it was a little wider and had a definate 'grip'area. From what I can rememeber, it was also a little heavier than the Pentel. I'm gonna keep looking, someone will sell one eventually...

Tuesday, 08 April, 2008

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adair said...

The ebay seller explains the P215 as almost identical to the P205, except that it has a grey body and a different clip. Apparently, he writes, it was supplied only to Pentel's corporate accounts.

Wednesday, 09 April, 2008

Anonymous said...

Where can i find a mechanical pencil 0.9 made in japan here in sydney??? thks a lot Roberta

Sunday, 10 August, 2008

Ian said...

I have a whole drawer full of these that I got when I worked for Hughes Aircraft in the 80's. I prefered the P225 which is somewhat smaller. It has a really 'right' feel. For some reason, it helps me think.

Saturday, 16 August, 2008

Germ said...

roberta-Ebay should have them, or the Pentel webstore.

Ian-want to part with them?

For some history, in japan, the p20_ was called the p32_ series back when they used script printing on these. check www.shogei- bungu.com either the sold out section or current rare offerings.

Tuesday, 19 August, 2008

Keith said...

Amazing. I did not know they still made the

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Pentel P205 - I have a couple that I have had since 1978 when I started my first job, designing integrated circuits. They still work just fine.

Monday, 29 September, 2008

Lodro said...

I'm a college trained drafter in the early 90's right as drafting went to hell/heaven on the PC in forms like AutoCAD to SolidWorks. I still do my sketching and designing with the P205,7 & 9.

I design and build kayaks and teardrop trailers among other things and it's with the P series I design and build everything. The P205 for drawing and the P207 for marking wood. This is the best lead writing instrument ever designed and built and I would pay 4-5 times the $6.00 Pentel asked for them they are that good. I've got two of them in my shop work bib covered in sawdust. Two more in my writing kit that has been all over the world with me. No one gets to borrow these pencils as I learned they don't tend to come back, they are that good!

I also do a lot of writing and use a Pentel P205 for my extensive journaling and hate to write with another pencil as they write worth crap compared to the P205!

I'm a pencil geek!

Thanks Pentel. Don't ever stop building this amazing Pencil. You couldn't improve it. Even the funny clip I love - it gives me something to fiddle and play with when I have to listen to boring guys at the shop!

Tuesday, 30 September, 2008

Anonymous said...

I'm no draftsperson, but I do love the Pentel P205. I bought it last Feb. at the U of Wash

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art museum gift shop. However, I have messed it up: I removed the end cap, then took out the easer (in its sheath) and in order to extend it I bent the sheath a bit (it was really tight), now I can't get the eraser/sheath back into the pencil end. Woe. Are these replaceable parts?

Thursday, 09 October, 2008

kiwi-d said...

Replacement eraser for P205 is the Z2-1. You can see it on sites like pentelstore.com

Thursday, 09 October, 2008

njj said...

Thank you kiwi-d! (My name isn't really anonymous)...call me njj!

Thursday, 09 October, 2008

Anonymous said...

I love my P205! I also love it's replacement, the PG205. Pentel maintained the "All Buisness" look and feel. I'm studying Japanese. Writing the kanji characters needs fine lines and lots of erasing! The .5mm is good. the .4 or .3 is even better! (PG204) (PG203)

Friday, 10 October, 2008

Germ said...

Anonymous- Are you referring to the Graphlet PG30_ series? The P20_ series doesn't have a 0.4mm model.

Friday, 10 October, 2008

Anonymous said...

I have two old (purchased in 1988) Berol 0.5mm drafting mechanical pencils. These are

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fairly heavy in weight and have a metal knerlled grip with a upper blue plastic body.

They both fell from the drafting table years ago and the 05.mm tube bent on impact ledning them both usless... but I kept them.

Are the any tips or tricks to bentig (without breaking) these metal tubes back to the orginal postion ? K

Sunday, 12 October, 2008

Will said...

I'm a student in high-school and love to use the P20x series. I tend to do a lot of writing (tons o' hw) and have found Pentel to be the best. The eraser can be annoying, but I usually use a block eraser. I'm thinking about buying a green and red p205 and the p203. Will Pentel ever make the p203 in America again?

Tuesday, 14 October, 2008

Germ said...

Anonymous, it is possible I can get replacements for you. Pencils, not the tips. best thing i have found, as long as ot severely bent, just get some needlenose pliers with smooth jaws, and slowly bend back. I have had to do ths numerous times with used pencils. Good luck!!!

Tuesday, 14 October, 2008

Samy said...

I have used Pentel P209 for the last 25 years and it is the best designed mechanical pencil hands down. Put some Pentel AIN "B" lead and you can glide across the paper. Now I passing on the tradition to my 6th daughter.

Saturday, 18 October, 2008

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Anonymous said...

Hey, I just came across this site, and it's awesome.

I'm currently using the P205, and I really do like it, but the thing that caught my attention was the "clearing tool." What is the clearing tool? I just recently purchased my first ever P205, so I'm not too enlightened on the history of this pencil unfortunately. If anyone could explain, I'd be grateful.

Thanks and keep up the good work with the blog!

Saturday, 18 October, 2008

Matthew R said...

The clearing tool is a small metal pin stuck into the bottom of the eraser. It's used to clear a broken lead from the tip tube or from the clutch jaws. When you pull out the eraser, the eraser acts as a handle for the pin.

Saturday, 18 October, 2008

Anonymous said...

Thanks for answering. But why doesn't Pentel include the clearing tool with the current P series pencils?

Sunday, 19 October, 2008

oneloneman said...

According to a source at Pentel Of America they are not including the clean out rod in current pencils because of safety reasons. No further details were given. But it's my guess that the smaller diameter rods, those used in 0.3mm pencils, can (and do) stick a person in the finger. In some cases all four pencil sizes carried the same small diameter clean out rod, the one that came with the 0.3mm

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pencil. It works for all lead sizes. I've bought other pencils that did not come with clean out rods, both Pentels and other brands. Since I think these are invaluable I've bought some 0.014" diameter stainless steel rod and started making my own clean out rods.

Saturday, 25 October, 2008

Anonymous said...

can someone tell me how to properly use the eraser in pentel mechanical pencils. Everytime I use the darn eraser the metal holder slides up into the shaft and I cannot use it anymore....

Wednesday, 19 November, 2008

Anonymous said...

My trusty old P205 bit the dust today. I'd been using the thing for 5 years I think. Last night, my stapler jammed and I used the tip of the pencil to pry the jammed staple out, and apparently it weakened it a bit, because this morning while I was taking an exam, the tip popped right off while I was advancing the lead. A sad sad day in mechanical pencil history.

Thursday, 11 December, 2008

andrew said...

Anonymous: Try squeezing the metal holder so that it's tighter around the eraser. I have to do that sometimes when I want to adjust my eraser.

Anonymous (the second anonymous!): I'm sorry to hear that. =( When you mean by the tip, do you mean the entire lead sleeve? Now that's a shocker.

Friday, 12 December, 2008

Stuart said...

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It's been a while since I looked at the cleaning pin on my old Pentel pencils, but if I remember it had a sharp point that was inserted into the eraser. The other end was blunt, but still dangerous if you weren't careful.

My first metric lead pencil was a Pentel PS315. It's the same pencil as the P205, except that it has a sliding tip. I bought it in the early '70s, and I think that it and the P205 were the only .5mm pencils available locally at that time. My PS315 has a grey barrel.

There were also models for use with film leads that were identical except for having beige plastic for the barrels.

I really like the P20x and similar pencils. I think I would say they're the standard by which I measure all other clutch-type mechanical pencils.

Tuesday, 13 January, 2009

Anonymous said...

Dued, this is one of the most nerdy yet helpful websites I have visited. Thank you, Dave for hosting this blog. I've used Pentel mechanical pencils since the early 1980s. Today I use them at work as a law enforcement officer as so much of our crime reports are in pencil. I have had a problem with the metal sleeves breaking off. Because of your website, I telephoned Pentel spoke with their Quality Assurance department and they are sending my replacement tips at no charge! Thank you, Dave and keep on clickin'!

Wednesday, 21 January, 2009

Anonymous said...

Yes i recieved my 1st today, i am so happy! =D

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Thursday, 22 January, 2009

Anonymous said...

I found this web page while looking for something else which is typical for me. I have always preferred the Koh-i-noor "Rapidomatic" and still have a .05 and a .07. However it appears that Koh-i-noor has discontinued these and so the P205, 207 and 209 are worthy replacements, Staedtler Mars, notwithstanding.

Sunday, 08 February, 2009

Anonymous said...

A tip for using mechanical pencil erasers: forget they ever existed - and buy erasers (kneaded, vinyl, Pink Pearl and gummy) separately. Think of an eraser on a mechanical pencil like the tailgunner of the early B52 jet bombers.

Monday, 16 February, 2009

Anonymous said...

Pencil geeks?! LOL WTF?

Wednesday, 04 March, 2009

Anonymous said...

After using (and losing) dozens of P205s (& a few P203's/P207's) over the years I'm still a fan. Except I wish they sold them with B (not HB) leads which produce a much darker line - without having to push hard on the pencil. Also their eraser mechanism stinks. I wrap an single layer of paper around the eraser (and under the metal sleeve so its not visible once the erasure is inserted into the pencil) to ensure the eraser doesn't slip into the barrel. They should just increase the size of the eraser instead to ensure a tighter fit.

Tuesday, 10 March, 2009

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Anonymous said...

I've never drafted or anything near it, but I love the P205. I used through most of high school and all of college. I have used my current P205 since at least my senior year in high school, and I still love it. The shiny metal parts are now scarred and the tip's finish has actually been warn nearly entirely off, but that just adds to its character.

Monday, 16 March, 2009

Anonymous said...

I'm trying to find older (25-30 years ago) cheap mechanical type pencils that had small plastic "barrels" with a lead tip that you would push into the top, to advance the next "barrel". Does anyone know the name or brand? Thanks for any help!

Friday, 03 April, 2009

kiwi-d said...

Dozens of brands still available. Often called push pencils, dart pencils. Try your cheap import store, One Dollar Shop, etc.

Friday, 03 April, 2009

Anonymous said...

I am a fan of the P205. Did you know the older models have green erasers? Anyway I want to try and remake my internal black plastic tube piece in aluminum to ad a little extra weight and to prevent my eraser metal ring from digging into my pencil. I constantly have this problem because I erase rather violently. However this may be harder than it seems.

Sunday, 05 April, 2009

Anonymous said...

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Hi kiwi-d!

I came across your posts when googling "thinnest japanese mechanical pencil", and had much fun browsing your entire site. I've even noted pencils to look into -- Mitsubishi's Uni Kuru Toga, for one.

Sadly I still haven't found the pencil that started my search. It was one I got on a brief stop in Japan, some 15 years ago.

It was a thin, white-painted metal tube maybe 4 mm in diameter and 10 cm long. It had a black rubber grip up front, and a "bellows" type black rubber bushing at the other end, between that end of the body and the lead- advancing clicker. The clicker tip was a round. The pencil had a pretty sturdy metal clip. And I simply don't recall manufacturer, much less model.

What I, and everybody who saw it, was taken by was its fine-boned, miniature proportions. Anything like that come to mind?

Thanx much!

--Ajit

Sunday, 05 April, 2009

Claes in Lund, Sweden said...

-> Ajit -- Was it something like one from the Tombow Zoom series (which can be found in their Design collection)? You can google for it. Have fun! Claes in Lund, Sweden

Monday, 06 April, 2009

Anonymous said...

Claes! Aha! Cute! Very cute! The pen I had was *very* similar to these, down to the "bellows"-type bushing below the

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spherical clicker-tip. Thanx much! I'll be ordering a few.

--Ajit

http://www.tomboweurope.com/schreibgeraet e/druck.html

Monday, 06 April, 2009

Peter said...

Well, despite my recent delving into all things... inky... I picked up a P205 today. "Surely they must be some substance to all the praise..."

Writing with it, I wasn't convinced, the Staedtler Triplus is streets ahead there.

Then I knocked up a quick P&ID(Piping and Instrument Diagram) with it. Holy bajeekus, against a ruler this thing is without peer. My Mars 775 has been turfed out of my drawing kit. This and the big Hidex leadholder are now my drawing instruments of choice.

I think I might be buying a few more Pentel pencils after this and the Kerry.

Thursday, 09 April, 2009

Alexa Matthews said...

Hello mechanical pencil an pen fans, If you liked this blog please check out the newly opened blog www.alexasmechanicalpencils.blogspot.com THANKS!!

-Alexa Matthews:)

Friday, 10 April, 2009

Anonymous said...

I have two P205 and two P207 pencils in my drawer that do not work. The leads jam in

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them and they cease to function. One day the pencil will work, the next day it won't. What the deuce!?! Do these things require some magical cleaning trick or something? By the way, it took 15 years of pencil using to accumulate four non-working pencils, but still... Now I have to go to the evil office supply nazi to ask ever-so-politely for another one.

Anybody a P205 cleaning pro?

Tuesday, 09 June, 2009

Matthew R said...

I'm no P205 cleaning pro, but I have cleaned a few.

With four bad, I seriously doubt that the tips are bent, but look anyway. If you've dropped it on the tip, or stuck it in the fabric pencil slots in some shoulder bags, the tip could be bent enough to break the lead between the jaws and the tip sleeve.

Other than that, I'd unscrew the tip and make sure the tip sleeve is open with no build up of dust, and that the jaws aren't jammed with pieces of broken lead or clogged with graphite powder. Push on the clicker and blow into the jaws. It's possible to have a compressed chunk of graphite in the jaws, but it's pretty uncommon. Maybe gently flick or tap the jaws to see if anything falls out.

With the tip off, you might be able to also take off the eraser and peer downward toward the jaws (and the other way, too) and look for problems.

One last thing. If you used an off-brand of leads, you should try some very trustworthy brand. I have bought boxes of P225s as gifts, and I always take out the first lead (that has been under pressure for like 20 years). It always seems to misfeed until I pull it out.

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The old ones in the magazine seem to work fine, though.

Friday, 12 June, 2009

Poincare said...

I love my p207! It leaves my Rotring tikky ii aside. I'm considering buying a p205. I have small hands (i'm going to 7th grade) so the torpedo type shape works great for me! I use this pencil a lot for math (which I do in my freetime, I don't take the pencil to school!) Keep posting!

Saturday, 13 June, 2009

mikecoffeecat said...

In several other postings on this blog, you have mentioned the high quality plastic moulding that Pentel uses. However, I've recently been disappointed in the build quality of P207s. The box says it's still made in Japan, but the plastic has a prominent fault line in all four of my recently purchased P207s (the P205s are fine). hmph. :(

Wednesday, 24 June, 2009

kiwi-d said...

Well that's not good to hear. On other comments and postings on this blog you will read of outstanding customer service from Pentel re faulty and not-faulty product so I would certainly suggest you raise it with your local Pentel.

Wednesday, 24 June, 2009

dodgemannfs said...

I have a pencil very much like this from Pentel called the PS315 its .5mm and blue but it has a sliding(not retractable) sleeve.

Thursday, 25 June, 2009

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Anonymous said...

Have you noticed the new "limited edition" Sharps? They look quite nice in "marble" colors. https://www.pentelstore.com/index.php? grp=3963&osCsid=0cb6a6cd85fb37a7ae53984 e41583d15

Friday, 26 June, 2009

Anonymous said...

This might sound stupid for all of you experienced users of mechanical pencils but...... first time user of a mechanical pencil (Pentel P205)-I have just used up my first piece of lead. BUT I can't figure it out. The lead will not stay in the opening. What am I doing wrong?

Please give me directions to refill the pencil. I feel like a fool not being able to refill the d*** thing!

Thursday, 06 August, 2009

Anonymous said...

I found a box years ago containing two each of all sizes of film pencils in this line. I saved only the .5mm sized ones, PF335's, as the .3's, .4's, .7's, and .9's had no lead.

These both had semi retractable sleeves, extending from about 2.5mm to 5mm. One has a green eraser, and the other has a rubber stopper with a clearing rod in it. The end caps are shorter and more rounded than the newer pencils and the body mold appears to have been slightly different.

I unscrewed the tip from one of the PF335's and found that the pencil's internals had a longer threading than the new P205's, almost twice as long!

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The tips were interchangeable though, and the slightly retracting tip has made this pencil mostly pocket safe. I love this pencil and use it all the time.

Sunday, 30 August, 2009

Anonymous said...

Hi,

FWIW, the cap from a Papermate Write Bros. Pen will fit write onto the end of a Pentel Sharp 20X and make it safe for pocket carry.

Bob S.

Thursday, 24 September, 2009

Anonymous said...

Hi Dave,

Oops, that unintended and pretty bad pun should be "fit right" not "fit write". It is an unintended typo.

Thanks, Bob S.

Friday, 25 September, 2009