so whats the difference?

i can see that the mechanicals tend to be more casual or cute with brighter colors, something you might not want if you were drafting something. but are there other differences?

help me out here...

thanks!

Though I don't think there's exactly a black/white answer to this these days, as regular mechanical pencils can be constructed very well, but I'll give a few basic perspectives I have on this.

Generally I tend to look at it this way:
Drafting pencils = professional grade mechanical pencils.
Mechanical pencils = consumer grade mechanical pencils.

If you look at just the offerings here on JetPens you'll start to see some of the differences. The drafting pencils are usually of a more professional style or construction.....many are an aluminum or other steel styled build....or at least a good portion of the overall pencil is. Some of these also have a different style base....where the lead comes out. I thought I'd like the "conical" shaped points myself, but after holding some in my hand to test out in person, I found the ones that had the rounded angles that allowed a thinner lead outlet overall were actually more comfortable to hold for any production or design work....where you need precision and quality. Something like the Pentel Graphgear 500 for instance. Many of the drafting pencils also have a wider range of lead capacity. For instance...many of these offer .3, .5, .7, .9, and some even 1.0mm leads.

Most mechanical pencils have a much slimmer range....more commonly just .5mm and .7mm if even that much. Some of the drafting pencils also offer a rotating display that can show the hardness of the lead inside....so you know which actual lead you're using in that pencil. An average consumer may not need this, but a professional may well need it! Further, it's more common for a consumer grade pencil to have an exposed or on the end eraser. Drafting pencils...some don't even have a space for one, or it's under the end cap or otherwise concealed during regular use. A professional user probably has some high grade erasers on their work table as it is, and are more likely to grab one of those than flip the pencil over and use the eraser end like a normal pencil.

And yes, the styles of the consumer grade pencils often have more colour options and whatnot, but you'll see some of the drafting series, they differentiate between .3/.5./.7/.9 primarily by the barrel colour....so you know at a glance which size you're picking up. Very handy when you need to use a .3 for some work and a .7 for other work, and maybe a few areas you need a .5.....since you know immediately what size you're using.

So, generally, that's my perspective on this. It does not mean a consumer grade pencil can't be used for some precision work. But it's not as likely if the person is doing a lot of work with such precision necessary....they're more likely to have the tools on hand they need. And a person with both pencils at their disposal may well use a pro grade pencil for casual use....it's not unheard of. But many will keep their pro pencils for actual work and other writing instruments for other use. So, there is overlap and it depends on the individual user, but generally that's a worthwhile distinction between the two.

One more thing to add on....like a square is always a rectangle, but a rectangle it not necessarily always a square, a drafting pencil is always a mechanical pencil, but not every mechnical pencil is worthy of being a drafting pencil! Hope that helps some.

wow! thanks SOO very much for such a thoughtful answer. i now feel VERY satisfied knowing the difference. it always sort of bugged me!

thanks again!!

Michael did a good job of it, but I'd like to add my $.02 worth.

First there are 3 types of "Drafting" pencils. One is a wooden pencil similar to an ordinary pencil only it comes in 17 different grades of lead. It requires a special pencil sharpener.

Another is the old style lead holder. This is a manual pencil that holds a lead that is 128mm long and 2mm in diameter and come in 17 different grades. This type of drafting pencil needs a special sharpener, of which there are several types. The amount of exposed lead is adjustable manually. The point widens out quickly so line width varies.

The third is the mechanical or automatic drafting pencil. This pencil is dedicated to a specific lead diameter, 0.2/0.3/0.4/0.5/0.7/0.9mms (the 0.2 is an old size almost impossible to find and the 0.4 is popular in Japan) and in all 17 grades. It is uses a push button lead advance system though some pencils employ a duel system, both push button and shake-to-advance lead advance. They will have either a fixed 4mm long lead sleeve or a sliding (hideaway) sleeve or even an adjustable length sleeve. Typically they will have a small, practically useless, eraser under the push button and have a short metal rod under the eraser. This rod is the diameter of the lead used and is used to clean out the broken pieces of lead from the lead sleeve. They will often have a limited use lead grade indicator somewhere on the pencil. They sometimes have all of their body or a small part of it color coded in the international color signifying the color chosen for the lead size indicated. They can be all metal or plastic or a combination of both (always with a brass 3-jawed lead chuck). They are generally better balanced than non-drafting mechanical pencils and are better made. They generally cost more than non-drafting pencils (except for some very high end designer non-drafting mechanical pencils). These pencils are made for drafting and mechanical drawing. The long lead sleeve allows the user to see the point of contact more clearly as well as offering enough clearance for the use of drafting tools such as triangles and T-squares.

Non-drafting mechanical pencils come in several lead advance types. The push button, shaker, side click and twist lead advance. They come in 0.5/0.7/0.9/1.0mm lead sizes and sometimes greater diameters. They often are made of plastic or lightweight metal and come in many different, bright colors. The will either have a short (2mm) lead sleeve or no lead sleeve at all, instead they will have a conical tip. The 3-jawed chuck is often all or partially made of plastic. The larger eraser is generally, but not always, exposed and there is no clean out rod under the eraser. Often they are cheaply made except for high end designer pencils. These pencils are made for writing or even free hand drawing.

The line between the 2 types of mechanical pencils often gets blurred and there is some interchangeability between the two. As long as the lead sleeve can clear a drafting instrument there is no reason why it can not be used as a drafting pencil. And the reverse is certainly true as I routinely use a drafting pencil as a writing instrument. 8)