Definitely check out the Steadler silver series lead holder. That one has a mechanical pencil click-advance mechanism instead of the free-fall clutch mechanism. Also, some lead holders will have an integrated sharpener for the 2mm leads in their cap, such as the Castell TK 4600, the Steadler Mars series and Rotring 300. Having a hardness indicator on a lead holder is also very useful. BTW the main use for lead holders by draftsmen (together with traditional pencils) was the ability to sharpen the 2mm leads to an incredibly fine point using a knife and sand paper. This was useful for drawing very fine lines with high hardness lead. Some draftsmen used lead holders and pencils exclusively for that reason.
Have you actuall seen a draftsman using a clutch lead holder? I only know them to use mecanical pencils with fixed lead size like 0.3 , 0.5 mm. Draftsman need precise, constant linework. Hower these a very comon for freehand drawing artists for drawing and painting.
Some clutch pencils have a sharpener push button, like the Koh-i-Noor Versatile which I have and love. Clutch pencils are awesome as they bring together the best features of a wooden and a mechanical pencil.
i found a box of my wifes grand parents old drafting stuff, and there were 2 micropoint holders (red ones) from what im guessing is the late 60s, and like 10 different packs of berol leads, one with a date from the 30s in a wood and paper sleeved package..all work perfecty, and icant believe i went my whole life without knowing these types of pencils exits
If I ever find, my old (bought in 1995) Rotring and Faber pencils and all the sharpeners and accecories, I will feel like the luckiest man on earth! I mean, the quality back then, was so much higher, that makes them a treasure!! Nice video!
This was an excellent review for those of us completely new to clutch pencils/lead holders. I'm particularly interested in the lightweight lead holders, because I have tendonitis, and quite small hands, so I think a lighter one like the Faber-Castell would be more comfortable for me. I was wondering if a lead holder would work to hold the broken ends of expensive colored pencils, so I don't have to waste them. The leads range from 2.8mm to 4mm, with my 3.0mm (Prismacolor) and 3.3mm (Brutfuner) leads breaking rather frequently. I've read that the Faber-Castell lead holders come in either 2mm or 3.15mm. The 3.15mm might be perfect for my needs. Have you ever tested the idea? I was thinking, if I leave a long piece of lead inside the pencil body, the colored pencil lead can't get pushed back inside while I'm coloring with it. What do you think?
I tend to use Koh I noor metal clutch pencils in 2 and 5.6 mm, they are built like russian tanks are totally reliable and I have never had a problem with them.
Spunds fancy. I use a CIS Tecno, which is more of a mechanical clutch pencil (it has gradual lead advancement). It's mostly plastic but feels good and sturdy, and the sharpener in the tailcap works well for me. Then again, I don't draw, I just write.
Science teacher / Forestry tech / Light Infantry veteran/ Long Range instructor here…..I’ve kept my Staedtler Tecnico clutch pencils in my shooter log books because regular pencils and writing gear was smashed in my chest rig/plate carrier one winter exercise (we are Canadian, eh?) when climbing a Chinook helicopter ramp… internal temperature was about 90 Fahrenheit, and when the ramp is lowered to load soldiers, that wet ramp flash freezes. It’s minus 20 degrees Celsius! Unsuspecting and rookie troopers like myself slip and crush my pens/pencils located forward of my magazine pouches. Now my blue Staedtler clutch pencils have proven themselves to be bombproof! Heh Heh Heh... Peace Be The Journey!
I just started using the Blick studio (drop) clutch pencil and am pleasantly surprised by it's feel and functions. The lead indicator window can be locked in place, the barrel has a grippy soft coating, the pocket clip can be removed of slid farther up and it even fits the Steadtler lead pointer. I can retire my Mars 780's now, yeah probably not.
I love drawing with the .9 mm size of mechanical pencil but after buying a couple dozen PaperMates I have decided to invest a little time and money trying to actually find a pencil AND brand that ISN’T utter frikkin JUNK! I have the WORST damn luck with those but I also realize they’re pretty cheap and basic but either it’s stops advancing the lead when you click it or it ends up that you can’t even TRY to click it because the button seizes and you can’t press it at all! I’m DONE! I’m also a little heavy handed which is why I found that the .9mm is perfect for me and I’ve grown to love that size. But I’m not above trying those thicker clutch pencils too. The idea behind them sounds like the best of all worlds. I’m just not sure if I could manage the change to such a thick lead but I like the idea of just having one utensil that accepts different grades and colors of lead instead of having a half dozen asst. sizes of the traditional mechanical pencils. Someone suggested Staedtler clutches to start off with. Do you have any favourite brands. I don’t even mind spending a little of doe if I have to too get SOMETHING that actually LASTS longer than a container of refill leads. Lol! Any thoughts for a beginner to pencils.
Clutches are super neat. They're convenient like mechs but have a very pencil-like experience as Unsharpen said. And no, they're not hard to get into at all, the lead is wide and thick specifically so you can sharpen it however you want, you know, like we do with pencils. Start with Staedtler. Cheap brands like PaperMate and Bic are not worth the money for graphite stationery at all. *Side note:* If you want to keep using 0.9 lead mechs, I love my Pentel to bits. Staedtler is good too.
Found a conte criterium on ebay, one russian guy apparantly bought it during whenn it was released. It is the last three now and he sold over 280 piece
@@unsharpen I just have bought the last one after seeing this video. I hope mine ages like that, too. I like leadholders for sketching and drawing. And this one looks incredibly cool, I imagine how eager I’d to draw after getting this. It is always nice to do some stuff with cool stuff. Also, did you know that there is a sterling silver limited edition of tk 9400? Now I want that too. Only produved like 2000 pieces. Anyway, love your videos!
You did not even talk about the built in sharpening device on the pencil on some of the 2.0 mm pencils. No extra cost there and most of them come with extra lead .
It allows you to quickly adjust the length of the lead. Sometimes you want it long to do shading, and it also makes the pencil much simpler. Simple tends to last longer. Plus it is nice to have options isn't it?
Late to the discussion, but there's nothing stopping you from using your hand to pull the lead longer with usual mechanical pencil. You dont have to click multiple times, just once or twice to get a grip.
all of you reviewers keep repeating the same boring obvious information over and over again all fail to mention some actually useful specs for example: how short of a lead can the specific model hold onto/can you use the graphite all the way or will it start to loose grip about 20mm etc. or whether they can hold both 2mm and 2.5mm lead
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Everything To Know About Clutch Pencils: unsharpen.com/clutch-pencil-basics/
Definitely check out the Steadler silver series lead holder. That one has a mechanical pencil click-advance mechanism instead of the free-fall clutch mechanism. Also, some lead holders will have an integrated sharpener for the 2mm leads in their cap, such as the Castell TK 4600, the Steadler Mars series and Rotring 300. Having a hardness indicator on a lead holder is also very useful.
BTW the main use for lead holders by draftsmen (together with traditional pencils) was the ability to sharpen the 2mm leads to an incredibly fine point using a knife and sand paper. This was useful for drawing very fine lines with high hardness lead. Some draftsmen used lead holders and pencils exclusively for that reason.
I have Steadler 780C and love the feel and weight. Great for drawing
Have you actuall seen a draftsman using a clutch lead holder? I only know them to use mecanical pencils with fixed lead size like 0.3 , 0.5 mm. Draftsman need precise, constant linework.
Hower these a very comon for freehand drawing artists for drawing and painting.
Some clutch pencils have a sharpener push button, like the Koh-i-Noor Versatile which I have and love. Clutch pencils are awesome as they bring together the best features of a wooden and a mechanical pencil.
Interesting- I've never thought about putting a pen insert into my clutch pencil... That would make a slick pen/pencil combo!
Didn't quite pan out I'm afraid. Won't fit my small pen refills... Nor my 2.3mm erasers
@@HellFire107 there is a Pilot Multi 8 pen / pencil combo that uses 2 mm ballpoint fills, maybe give those a try if you can find them in your area
i found a box of my wifes grand parents old drafting stuff, and there were 2 micropoint holders (red ones) from what im guessing is the late 60s, and like 10 different packs of berol leads, one with a date from the 30s in a wood and paper sleeved package..all work perfecty, and icant believe i went my whole life without knowing these types of pencils exits
Good find. The stuff is uncommon today but still quite good
If I ever find, my old (bought in 1995) Rotring and Faber pencils and all the sharpeners and accecories, I will feel like the luckiest man on earth! I mean, the quality back then, was so much higher, that makes them a treasure!! Nice video!
Early 90s are the peak for me. Great stuff then from Rotring and Faber in particular, but many others as well.
This was an excellent review for those of us completely new to clutch pencils/lead holders. I'm particularly interested in the lightweight lead holders, because I have tendonitis, and quite small hands, so I think a lighter one like the Faber-Castell would be more comfortable for me. I was wondering if a lead holder would work to hold the broken ends of expensive colored pencils, so I don't have to waste them. The leads range from 2.8mm to 4mm, with my 3.0mm (Prismacolor) and 3.3mm (Brutfuner) leads breaking rather frequently.
I've read that the Faber-Castell lead holders come in either 2mm or 3.15mm. The 3.15mm might be perfect for my needs. Have you ever tested the idea? I was thinking, if I leave a long piece of lead inside the pencil body, the colored pencil lead can't get pushed back inside while I'm coloring with it. What do you think?
I tend to use Koh I noor metal clutch pencils in 2 and 5.6 mm, they are built like russian tanks are totally reliable and I have never had a problem with them.
Yes, they are pretty good - the only thing is that I find that the tips tend to work themselves loose.
From my experience, the Koh-i-noor Tecnigraph 5611 made in Italy is better than the Versatil models.
During the 70's , school time, my was a Toinson D'or made in Tchecoslováquia and the best one sold in Brazil that time.
You forgot to minsion that most if not all clutch mechanical pencils comes with the sharpener and you don't need to buy one.
@@nawfalmattoka1464 exactly, you are correct sir.
Spunds fancy. I use a CIS Tecno, which is more of a mechanical clutch pencil (it has gradual lead advancement). It's mostly plastic but feels good and sturdy, and the sharpener in the tailcap works well for me.
Then again, I don't draw, I just write.
Some Staedtler lead holders have a sharpener or 'pointer' built into the cap. (metal caps do, plastic caps don't)
That's my experience too. Most of my clutch pencils have a sharpener in the point.
@@fredklier The cap?
@@GordieGii Yes, on the cap.
Hauser pencils have sharpener built into metal cap too
I'm pretty sure my caran d'ache caps are plastic yet they still have a sharpener, maybe they insert a metal sharpener into the plastic
Science teacher / Forestry tech / Light Infantry veteran/ Long Range instructor here…..I’ve kept my Staedtler Tecnico clutch pencils in my shooter log books because regular pencils and writing gear was smashed in my chest rig/plate carrier one winter exercise (we are Canadian, eh?) when climbing a Chinook helicopter ramp… internal temperature was about 90 Fahrenheit, and when the ramp is lowered to load soldiers, that wet ramp flash freezes. It’s minus 20 degrees Celsius! Unsuspecting and rookie troopers like myself slip and crush my pens/pencils located forward of my magazine pouches. Now my blue Staedtler clutch pencils have proven themselves to be bombproof! Heh Heh Heh... Peace Be The Journey!
Good info and a fascinating use case. Thank you!
I just started using the Blick studio (drop) clutch pencil and am pleasantly surprised by it's feel and functions. The lead indicator window can be locked in place, the barrel has a grippy soft coating, the pocket clip can be removed of slid farther up and it even fits the Steadtler lead pointer. I can retire my Mars 780's now, yeah probably not.
The feedback of a woodcase pencil plus the fiddle factor of a mechanical pencil. What's not to love?
I love drawing with the .9 mm size of mechanical pencil but after buying a couple dozen PaperMates I have decided to invest a little time and money trying to actually find a pencil AND brand that ISN’T utter frikkin JUNK! I have the WORST damn luck with those but I also realize they’re pretty cheap and basic but either it’s stops advancing the lead when you click it or it ends up that you can’t even TRY to click it because the button seizes and you can’t press it at all! I’m DONE! I’m also a little heavy handed which is why I found that the .9mm is perfect for me and I’ve grown to love that size. But I’m not above trying those thicker clutch pencils too. The idea behind them sounds like the best of all worlds. I’m just not sure if I could manage the change to such a thick lead but I like the idea of just having one utensil that accepts different grades and colors of lead instead of having a half dozen asst. sizes of the traditional mechanical pencils. Someone suggested Staedtler clutches to start off with. Do you have any favourite brands. I don’t even mind spending a little of doe if I have to too get SOMETHING that actually LASTS longer than a container of refill leads. Lol! Any thoughts for a beginner to pencils.
Clutches are super neat. They're convenient like mechs but have a very pencil-like experience as Unsharpen said. And no, they're not hard to get into at all, the lead is wide and thick specifically so you can sharpen it however you want, you know, like we do with pencils.
Start with Staedtler. Cheap brands like PaperMate and Bic are not worth the money for graphite stationery at all.
*Side note:* If you want to keep using 0.9 lead mechs, I love my Pentel to bits. Staedtler is good too.
Found a conte criterium on ebay, one russian guy apparantly bought it during whenn it was released. It is the last three now and he sold over 280 piece
Oh wow. They are quite cool and ages incredibly well.
@@unsharpen I just have bought the last one after seeing this video. I hope mine ages like that, too. I like leadholders for sketching and drawing. And this one looks incredibly cool, I imagine how eager I’d to draw after getting this. It is always nice to do some stuff with cool stuff.
Also, did you know that there is a sterling silver limited edition of tk 9400? Now I want that too. Only produved like 2000 pieces.
Anyway, love your videos!
"a very standard pencil"
takes out a blackwing
How about the screw type?
I love the Pilot Croquis
What’s the shortest lead length they can grip? Is that significantly different from other pencils? I drop everything😢
In my experience they can hold a lead down to 1cm.
Have you heard of the Kokuyo Campus viviDRY Retractable Gel Pen? They look like and may also be an alternative to the Uniball One pens.
You did not even talk about the built in sharpening device on the pencil on some of the 2.0 mm pencils. No extra cost there and most of them come with extra lead .
Yes, I regret the oversight and have covered built-in sharpeners in subsequent videos.
Removing the clip affect the pencil at all?
Makes it lighter :)
I love it when Americans use the metric system.
I never really understood the appeal of these, given that you can also buy clickable mechanical pencils in 2mm.
They go wider too though - 5mm or so
It allows you to quickly adjust the length of the lead. Sometimes you want it long to do shading, and it also makes the pencil much simpler. Simple tends to last longer. Plus it is nice to have options isn't it?
I like 2-3 cm lead out, it takes a lot of clicking on the ones I have that only put out a small amount of lead at every click.
Late to the discussion, but there's nothing stopping you from using your hand to pull the lead longer with usual mechanical pencil. You dont have to click multiple times, just once or twice to get a grip.
all of you reviewers keep repeating the same boring obvious information over and over again all fail to mention some actually useful specs for example: how short of a lead can the specific model hold onto/can you use the graphite all the way or will it start to loose grip about 20mm etc.
or whether they can hold both 2mm and 2.5mm lead
Good call thanks!