Pentel Graphgear 500 Drafting Pencil - 0.9 mm

Workhorse of a pencil. Gets the job done, never had any problems with it, good value. The knurled grip seems to have the right balance between grip-ability and comfort. I have pencils that cost twice as much that don't feel as sturdy as this guy.

I totally love this pencil. I definitely love the thicker lead size.

I have no use for this in real life, yet I always want to try and use it when I can!

I find graphing pencils to be lovely to look at and this one is no exception.

It has a great weight to it, I can use it for hours, and because of the wider lead I can't remember the last time the lead broke on me while in use.

For the money this pencil is a great deal. Light weight it feels great in your hand.

I'm a math graduate student, so producing reams of paper covered in pictures and calculations is how I spend my days. This has been my favorite pencil for some time now. I'm afraid I can't compare with the other drafting pencils -- some look attractive but not their prices, but for a student on a budget these have worked well. My friends notice and covet my pencil (though they make fun of my "exacto-pencil" since it resembles the knife).

Why I like it: The slim barrel is comfortable for my small hands. I'm clumsy and easily distracted, so the grip usually keeps me from dropping the pencil, and yet I can attest it isn't damaged when I do. The .9mm lead is most practical since I write with a heavy hand.