Staedtler Mars Micro Carbon 0.5 mm 2B Pencil Lead Review

I’m still working my way through a good backlog of mechanical pencil leads in an attempt to find a favorite. Next on the docket: The Staedtler Mars Micro Carbon Pencil Lead.

To begin this process, I chose many different brands in varying diameters and hardness levels. Even though I have my own tastes, I wanted to cover the spectrum and make sure I didn’t miss anything. 0.5 mm diameter lead in 2B hardness is not a lead I would ever pick for myself, for example, but I wanted to try it to see what if?

I must say, this one is nice.

It is dark and soft, and unlike some other leads I have tested, there is feedback! The last thing I want is a fake plastic-y feeling lead, and the Mars Micro Carbon feels like what graphite on the page should feel like. Maybe it’s their formulation?

It is highly flexible and thus break-resistant. The lead is also environmentally friendly, composed of more than 90% natural raw materials. Plus, it is produced using unique ecologically-responsible manufacturing processes without PVC or softening agents.

Those are words. I don’t know what they mean, but if they translate into “Hey, this feels like writing with a pencil!” then I am in. Now, I need to move down the line to a firmer lead for my personal use. If you like a softer lead that performs great, then this is one to check out.

As a side note, I used some fun new products to test this lead out. I had yet to take my Spoke Model 5 pencil for a spin, and to write on, what better than the Huntington Base Ball Co. Hardcover Score Book and Score Card I picked up as part of the Baseball Lovers boxed set I bought from C.W. Pencil Enterprise? A match made in my nerdy little heaven!

For Spoke Pencil fans, the Model 5 is the ultralight option when compared to the more stout Model 4. I prefer the feel of the 4, but the 5 is light and airy, and I can see why it has been popular.

The Huntington Score Card is very well designed and comes with a tremendous hardcover to use to bear down on when scoring a game. I scored the early Saturday Atlanta Braves at Cleveland Indians game, and everything I had in use worked wonderfully. Unfortunately, they didn’t work well enough for the Braves to win but impressed nonetheless.

To put a bow on this review, the Staedtler Mars Micro Carbon 0.5 mm 2B Pencil Lead is a lead I would recommend to others, but not use for myself due to the softness. I’m impressed with the feel and performance of it otherwise, and I already have firmer samples ready to test out.

(JetPens provided the Staedtler lead at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes. I bought and paid full price for the C.W. Pencil Baseball Box. The Spoke Pencil was given to me because I am part-owner of the company.)

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 April 23, 2019 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Staedtler, Mechanical Pencil Lead.

North of Rosemont Notebook Giveaway

One of the most impressive notebook products I have seen recently is from North of Rosemont. They reached out to me a couple of months ago, and after testing them out for a bit, I raved about them on episode 351 of the podcast.

They were kind enough to send me an extra two-pack of notebooks to give away to one lucky reader. Read the rules below and enter away.

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Brad Dowdy and filed under North of Rosemont, Giveaways.

Caran d’Ache Chromatics Hypnotic Turquoise Ink Review

Ink cartridge review, to be more specific.

I've always had an affinity for fountain pen ink cartridges, but have never truly embraced all of the options available. Until this point, my most used cartridge has been Pilot Blue Black in most any Pilot pen I own. That's right; they are proprietary. Same with Sailor, Platinum, and Lamy. Proprietary is fine, as long as there are options.

If you want even more options, international-sized cartridges give you that. But they are often limited to short international cartridges, made primarily for pocket pens with shorter barrels that can't accommodate a full-length cartridge. Pelikan makes an excellent standard international cartridge for their Edelstein lineup, but that's about it.

For mixing and matching colors with your compatible pens, short international cartridges are where it's at. And thankfully, that market has blown up over the past several years.

When I first got into Kaweco pocket pens, I felt limited by their stock cartridge offerings. They were excellent, and I used blue black and aubergine with regularity, but I wanted the choices in my ink cartridges to be closer to my options in ink bottles. Yes, I've syringe-filled many an ink cartridge in my day, but that kind of defeats the convenience of cartridges in the first place.

With more brands expanding their short international ink cartridge lineups I'm beginning to get the choice I've always wanted for my pens. And it is time for me to start exploring.

The words “Caran d’Ache” and “good value” will never be used in the same sentence. They are a luxury brand, and luxury pricing applies. On the surface, $5 for a 6-pack of short international ink cartridges may not sound like a lot, but comparatively, it is pretty steep. If I can get the quality I see out of my first cartridge choice - Hypnotic Turquoise - in the rest of their lineup, then I will have no problem saying that the price is worth it.

This bright blue pops off the page. It flows wonderfully from my Fine steel Kaweco Sport nib and has yet to dry out or hard start on me. There is a visible red sheen on the edges of my letters, and while this nib doesn't show off the inks full shading characteristics, I can see the color variation that would be even more present in a broader nib.

In short, this is a fantastic ink. I want more of this, and that is the path I am going down with this next little experiment of mine. I bought a dozen or so different ink cartridge colors and brands and will be testing them out. I also got your recommendations last week and will be adding those to my shopping list.

Right out the gate, they are going to have a tough time beating Hypnotic Turquoise.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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