Posts filed under Pencil Reviews

Lamy 2000 Mechanical Pencil Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The Lamy 2000 is a timeless, attractive design that we're all familiar with. The fountain pen is certainly the flagship version of this beautiful design, but there are several other variations to fit the needs of many people. In this case, we're looking at the Lamy 2000 mechanical pencil.

I'm not a connoisseur of mechanical pencils, but I understand if a pencil I'm using is well-made. With the Lamy 2000, it's a sturdy, dependable pencil worthy of the name. The copy I have is of the 0.5mm lead size, but they're also available in 0.7mm.

The lead advancement mechanism is pretty standard — just depress the top of the pen to advance the lead. Under the top, you'll find a small eraser, and beneath that you'll find access to the lead compartment, as well as a handy tool for cleaning out lead jams. Like most mechanical pencils, the eraser included on the pencil is only intended for dire circumstances. A proper eraser is something you should keep close by when using this pencil.

The clip, like all the other Lamy 2000 variations, has a spring and hinge that makes it easy to use. And when you're using the clip to store or transport the pencil, you also don't need to worry about the point damaging your clothes or cases. The Lamy 2000 pencil features a nice blunt cone at the tip that ensures it won't poke through any fabric.

The pencil (of course) has the unique nose cone that sets the Lamy 2000 apart. The rest of the material (Makrolon) has a warm, smooth touch and gives the pencil a distinctive look.

If you need to perform any maintenance, the pencil comes apart about a third of the way up from the tip, giving you access to the inner workings. From here, you can remove the entire pencil mechanism for inspection.

Even though the pencil looks almost identical to the fountain pen, it's a bit slimmer in diameter. Still, it's extremely comfortable to use and hold. It's very light when compared to other premium mechanical pencils since metal is a common material for the genre.

Overall, the Lamy 2000 mechanical pencil is a worthy cousin to the Lamy 2000 fountain pen. It takes a classic, successful design and morphs it into another useful tool. The price might turn some away, but at around $55 it will certainly entice many.


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Posted on November 29, 2017 and filed under Lamy, Mechanical Pencil, Pencil Reviews.

Pencil According to Brad Dowdy

My good friends at CW Pencil Enterprise saw it fit to allow my ink-stand hands on their blog, where you can read my thoughts on all things graphite. We mixed in a little pen talk too.

The CWPE X Pen Addict: Pencils For Pen Lovers Sampler Set was a fun collaboration with the staff at CWPE, and I’m happy to report they are now back in stock after a quick sellout of the first batch. This is where you should start if you are curious about pencils.

And if you make it to NYC, their brick and mortar store has reopened at 15 Orchard Street. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

Posted on October 30, 2017 and filed under Pencil Reviews.

Modern Fuel Mechanical Pencil 2.0 Review

Andrew Sanderson, the owner and designer behind Modern Fuel, sent me a prototype of his 1.0 mechanical pencil last year to get feedback on. I liked it, but didn’t love it, and explained to him why. It was too light, and the balance was a bit off. The refinement for a 1.0 release wasn’t there, at least in my book.

With Version 2.0, Andrew has made all the updates I personally was looking for in a quality machined mechanical pencil, and, after getting to test out this prototype, I am happy to back his current Kickstarter project.

The change list from Version 1.0 to Version 2.0 is large, and includes new materials, a retractable tip, and most impressively, a custom built internal mechanism. That last item alone had to be quite an engineering feat.

By designing his own mechanism, Andrew allows you to easily swap out the internals of the pencil and change the lead size. 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm , and 0.9 mm mechanisms are available, and you can even order all three for a single pencil. The retractable tip was a pleasant surprise as well. I didn’t expect that at all, but it is a big bonus for mechanical pencil fans.

My prototype model is made from stainless steel, and is accordingly heavy. Not too heavy, mind you, but I prefer using the 0.9 mm mechanism due to the weight. In general, the heavier or larger the pen or pencil, the wider the tip I prefer. The 0.9 mm delivers a line similar to using a wooden pencil, and allows for a greater range of motion when writing. I’m still surprised at how much I like the width.

One add-on that I haven’t seen offered before is an option for an eraser plug. The standard configuration ships with an eraser, but you can buy an accessory that allows you to remove the eraser and seal the opening. I’m generally a no pencil eraser person, but I think I prefer having the eraser available on this style of pencil. I don’t think the plug adds anything style or functionality wise and likely isn’t worth the additional $12 unless you are really committed to the look.

Like most of our buying decisions, this one comes down to value. Will you get enough usage out of this product to justify the price? The Modern Fuel Mechanical Pencil starts at $70 for Stainless Steel, Brass, or Copper, and $130 for Titanium. That’s very expensive, but worth it in my book. The amount of engineering alone justifies the price for me, plus I like supporting people who make cool things. After using this prototype for the past few weeks I decided to back the Stainless Steel model, and am excited to get this in the rotation once the project completes.

My thanks to Modern Fuel for loaning me this prototype for purposes of this review.


Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on October 9, 2017 and filed under Modern Fuel, Mechanical Pencil, Pencil Reviews.