Am I the only one who started using a 0.3mm mechanical pencil for my initial sketches?

My linework got way cleaner and my eraser marks almost disappeared after I switched from a standard 0.5mm lead about two months ago, so has anyone found a good brand for refills that don't snap so easy?

3 comments

3 Comments

wadem892mo ago

Yeah, I made the same switch last year. For refills, I've had good luck with Pentel Ain Stein 2B leads in 0.3mm. They seem to hold up a bit better to my heavy hand. Still snaps if you press like a maniac, but way less than the generic stuff.

the_linda2mo ago

My old drafting teacher swore by Ain Stein leads, but he always said the real trick is in the clutch. If the little metal fingers inside the pencil are even a bit out of alignment, it puts weird pressure on the lead before it even hits the paper. I spent a whole weekend once taking apart a pencil to fix that... made more difference than the lead brand for me.

mason.brian2mo agoTop Commenter

That's true for so many little tools, the tiny hidden parts matter most.