Appreciation post: That old drafting pencil I almost threw away

I kept using a beat-up Pentel P205 for years because I was too lazy to replace it, until I finally bought a cheap knockoff last week and realized the P205's clutch actually holds the lead steady without slipping. Anyone else find a tool they ignored for way too long that turned out to be way better than they thought?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancy_ross2d ago

Keep that P205 around honestly. I had the same thing happen with a cheap Staedtler Mars 780 - thought it was fine until I grabbed a rotting old clutch pencil from my dad's desk and realized the grip actually stopped my hand cramping up. Sometimes the old stuff just has better basics that nobody bothers to copy right.

angela_grant2d ago

Nah, I think people just get used to bad ergonomics. The P205 is fine but the Mars 780 has a better balance point for most hands. Your dad's pencil is just worn in perfectly to YOUR grip, not a universal truth.