hello. i'm hoping some of the faithful can suggest a new 0.3mm mechanical pencil for me.

i've recently discovered 0.3mm pencils and really love them. i do a lot of research and am constantly making notes on previous stuff so the 0.3mm is ideal for me: perfect for marginalia.

so .. i'm looking for a nice 0.3mm pencil that is pocket safe. willing to spend a little money (up to $25 or so i guess) but would like something that has a little class, and a solid feel to it. i guess pocket safe is my highest priority though.

i have a Faber-Castell TK Fine Vario but the grip on it is WAY too skinny and slippery for me. i've covered it with rubber but that's just a kludge and barely makes it usable. 'sides, not pocket safe.

stuff like the old Pilot "Vanishing Point" pencils (H1005, H2105, H3003) really appeal to me but they're crazy pricey on 'bay. can't seem to find modern equivalents. :roll:

so there it is. any guidance would be much appreciated. thx.

as it happens i was able to find something i'm reasonably happy with, the Rotring Rapid 0.35mm.

it's a plastic unit, inside and out, so it's certainly not heirloom quality. but it is pocket safe, has a nice solid-feeling mechanism -- one big click to extend/retract the sleeve and little short clicks to feed the lead -- and it's got a semi-rubberized grip so it's comfy to use. also has a nice, long twist-feed eraser, same as the higher end Faber-Castell TK-Fine Vario (the Faber eraser replacements fit the Rotring exactly).

pencil is fairly hard to find but i see they have them at, um, some of the usual sites for $10 and change.