Mechanical Pencil Day 2022

Tuesday 5th July is Mechanical Pencil Day! 

Pencils were invented in the 1560’s when graphite deposits were discovered in Europe. Traditional pencils have changed since their original design however the main idea of a lead that is moulded into a solid structure, (normally wooden), has stayed the same. These pencils require you to sharpen them each time the lead gets too low to use, using either a manual or an electric pencil sharpener.

Mechanical pencils were first patented in 1822 by Sampson Mordan and John Isaac Hawkins in Britain. This type of pencil has a solid casing, usually plastic or metal but sometimes wooden, but uses any of 3 ways to move the lead out the nib of the casing, eliminating the need for pencil sharpeners.  

The three methods this type of pencil uses to give you more lead, are ratchet-based, clutch-based, and screw-based. Essentially, the mechanism grabs hold of the inner lead and pulls it up through the pencil and out of the end for you to write or draw with. All of these types have the ability of using different lead types and widths so that you are able to select the pencil type that you prefer.

People who do a lot of intricate drawings, for example, architects, artists, graphic designers, may prefer to use a mechanical pencil as the lead tends to be thinner that a traditional pencil and therefore allows for more detail to be added. Although, this type of pencil is becoming ever more popular due to the reusable feature of them meaning there is less waste overall. 

We offer a number of everyday affordable options as well as more substantial higher end options. 

A good entry level option which is popular amongst schools is the 5 Star Mechanical Pencil. These come in packs of 10 either assorted colours or black. 

5 Star Mechanical Pencil Assorted

5 Star Mechanical Pencil Black

Another affordable option which is popular amongst schools and offices is the PaperMate No-Stop Automatic Pencils. These are available in packs of 12 neon assorted colours or solid yellow.

PaperMate Non-Stop Automatic Pencils Neon Assorted

PaperMate Non-Stop Automatic Pencils Solid Yellow

Both of these entry level options are classed as disposable however can be refilled if you wish. These come with built in erasers in the end and the lead extends by pressing the end.

A popular more high end option is the Pentel P205. This pencil features a black stainless steel barrel, an adjustable pocket clip and a replaceable eraser.  These can be purchases singularly or in packs of 12 with 6 Hi-Polymer replacement leads.

Pentel P205

We have a huge amount of mechanical pencils and replacement leads for you to choose from, please just use the links below to start your shopping-

MECHANICAL PENCILS

REPLACEMENT LEADS