Neocaledonian - 31 Mar 2009, 02:16 pm
Just posted a review of my favorite 2 mm graphite leads in my blog:
http://robotninjamonsters.blogspot.com/2009/03/leadholders-and-best-2-mm-graphite.html
For graphite drawings on-the-go, I often choose 2 mm leadholders for a couple of reasons: they keep a constant length and comfortable grip and the 2 mm lead thickness resist breakage far better than thinner 0.5 mm leads under field conditions. A pack of 6 leadholder refills is also far more space-efficient than carrying the equivalent 6 wooden pencils. Unfortunately nowadays few brick-and-mortar outlets seem to carry leadholders, and fewer still carry the spare 2 mm lead refills. When they do, their usual narrow selection is limited to HB leads from either Staedtler or Sanford Turquoise. For everything there is to know about leadholders check out this comprehensive site.
My current absolute favorite 2 mm leads are made by Mitsubishi Uni-ball and they are conveniently available online through JetPens. All four grades tested (H, F, HB, & B) draw smoothly on the Xerox ivory paper without skipping, resist smudging, and easily produce uniform and far darker swatches than comparable leads from other major manufacturers. These superior Uni graphite leads probably have some wax polymer blend in their formulation since they glide so effortlessly on the paper support, and more importantly they do not suffer from the occasional rough impurities or poorly ground graphite particles within their cores that make some other leads so scratchy and unpleasant to use.
Full blog entry: http://robotninjamonsters.blogspot.com/2009/06/doodling-with-mitsubishi-uni-graphite.html
http://robotninjamonsters.blogspot.com/2009/03/leadholders-and-best-2-mm-graphite.html
For graphite drawings on-the-go, I often choose 2 mm leadholders for a couple of reasons: they keep a constant length and comfortable grip and the 2 mm lead thickness resist breakage far better than thinner 0.5 mm leads under field conditions. A pack of 6 leadholder refills is also far more space-efficient than carrying the equivalent 6 wooden pencils. Unfortunately nowadays few brick-and-mortar outlets seem to carry leadholders, and fewer still carry the spare 2 mm lead refills. When they do, their usual narrow selection is limited to HB leads from either Staedtler or Sanford Turquoise. For everything there is to know about leadholders check out this comprehensive site.
My current absolute favorite 2 mm leads are made by Mitsubishi Uni-ball and they are conveniently available online through JetPens. All four grades tested (H, F, HB, & B) draw smoothly on the Xerox ivory paper without skipping, resist smudging, and easily produce uniform and far darker swatches than comparable leads from other major manufacturers. These superior Uni graphite leads probably have some wax polymer blend in their formulation since they glide so effortlessly on the paper support, and more importantly they do not suffer from the occasional rough impurities or poorly ground graphite particles within their cores that make some other leads so scratchy and unpleasant to use.
Full blog entry: http://robotninjamonsters.blogspot.com/2009/06/doodling-with-mitsubishi-uni-graphite.html