Uni Kuru Toga is my go to! Cheaper $6 and the way the lead is shielded with a retractable sheath works great in incra and other type marking tools. I have a Pentel graph gear 1000 and a rotring 600 both have been dropped and the ends bent and they are almost impossible to get straight after. They are intended for draft work at a desk. Uni Kuru Toga has been dropped and thrown and still works perfectly. I have 3-4 different models of these and they are all spectacular.

For sure. They don’t do well even falling from the desk onto carpet. That one was unusable after that.

* When I was taking graphic arts back in the late 60’s, a friend of my mother’s gave me a set of Pentels.

I have found several! I like one particular one, which I mention above.

There are mechanical pencils with big erasers and retractable lead pipes. I forget which, but you can do a parametric search at Jetpens to find some.

I tried the QE405, and it’s a cheap, effective pencil, but the lead sleeve in the tip doesn’t retract.

The 600 has a pocket clip and is very stabby in a shirt pocket. It remains at my desk.

They’re both very nice pencils. I don’t use either of them. I much prefer the Pentel Twist Erase QE405. Lightweight, big/easy eraser, much less stabby, have not broken any when dropped, got a bunch of them everywhere. Out of production, but current models are similar.

It struck me that mechanical pencils & LED flashlights share something here: We can have a lot of more-than-adequate models of both scattered around everywhere, or a few fancier, fiddlier models in a few places. I prefer the former over the latter.

(And if I need a writing tool in my pocket, I go with a Fisher Bullet Space Pen. Always works, zero stabs.)

Levenger has a (not really unreasonable) habit of providing very cool stuff and simply dropping the items when they feel like it…
AKA they used to sell leather seat cushions. Don’t laugh. They were (and still are) great. ;-)~

Faber-Castell TK-matic. which I’ve had since the ’70’s and is now, apparently, highly collectable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Gvlb81XMM&t=564s
Pilot Automac
rOtring 600
rOtring 800
Pentel GraphGear 1000
Pentel GraphGear 500

And, of course, a couple of plastic Bics.
Don’t really know why, I just seem to gravitate to mechanical pencils (and fountain pens).

While the 600 doesn’t have the “‘twist and click’ retractable mechanism of the entire sleeve and lead” feature, I’m going to buy one of this more plebeian model for desk only use.

Thanks again Stuart!

DelGuard is available in various trim levels, from all plastic to ergo grip to metal grip. 3 for $11 is still a good price, but the DelGuard is especially good for 0.3mm because of its lead breakage prevention features.

People should be aware that these are specialized drafting pencils. IMO both the 600 and 800 are too heavy for writing. For general use I like these Pentel Twist-Erase GTs. They are sturdy and have large erasers.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DDWELI4/

I used to like Paper Mate Clearpoints, but they have a design flaw that causes the upper barrel to crack and then refuse to stay affixed to the lower barrel.

I bought a Zebra DelGuard for around $6 in 2017, and it’s about the same price. It’s decent, but not even close to the Rotring.

I also like Kuru Toga pencils, e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Pencil-Starter-Silver-Barrel/dp/B089QC2C8G/?tag=toolguyd-20 .

A lot of people like these, which are 10 for less than $3. https://www.amazon.com/BIC-Xtra-Life-Mechanical-Pencil-10-Count/dp/B00260X7F2/tag=toolguyd-20

There’s no right answer. Anyway, 3 DelGuard for $11 sounds like a good deal too.

Zebra Delguard Mechanical Pencils – HB 0.5mm – 1 of Each Colour Barrel – Pack of 3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PSNPQF4

Also made in Japan.

Nice!

I’ve owned 3 in the past 3 decades — two of which are the only pens I’ve lost since high school.

Current replacement is N.O.S., and in my bag which I carry to work and when traveling.

Really wish I could find a replacement for the first one I had, a Levenger model w/ rubber coating.