Winner - Cult Pens Mechanical Pencil Day Giveaway

We have ourselves a winner.

Thanks to Cult Pens for the giveaway of GBP 50. If you haven't already visited their mechanical pencil specials then do so. Some good discounts and other deals are still available.

Good to hear from all of you who entered the contest. I am surprised at how few of you took the opportunity of a second entry by leaving a comment. Only 13 out of 72 entrants. Perhaps I didn't make it clear how that works. I did though enjoy the comments that were left, some very entertaining stuff there.

Right then, onto the winner, whose second entry by comment was the number picked by my random number generator.

The winner is.... Dashy.

Mechanical Pencil Day - 2019 - Giveaway

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Last year Cult Pens had their 05/07 (or 07/05) Mechanical Pencil Day, and it's back again this year. Head on over to Cult Pens to see the specials.

Like last year, they have also generously offered a giveaway for you - a voucher to spend on their website to the value of GBP 50 plus free international shipping. GBP 50 is about US$62. So, how do you enter the contest and win the shopping spree? Simple, you just send me an email saying you want to enter! My address is in the sidebar - About Me > View My Complete Profile. If you are extra keen, you can even double your chances of winning by leaving a comment here on this blog post. But nothings that easy, your comment has to be a little something extoling the glory of mechanical pencils. It can be a sentence or two of prose, a poem, a pun, a joke, an anecdote... a whatever. Anything will do. I will start you off with a haiku.

Wonderful Cult Pens
mechanical graphite sticks
pencils and refills

Just make sure that I can identify your comment with the email you send.

Good luck :)

Entries close at the end of 11-July. Winner will be notified by email.

ENTRIES HAVE NOW CLOSED

Zebra DelGuard - The Other End

The Zebra DelGuard range of mechanical pencils has been around for a while, but hasn’t been mentioned on this blog before, so it’s time to put an end to that. The DelGuard system is a very effective anti-“lead breakage” invention. Sure, you can still break the lead if you advance it out a stupidly long way, but for all reasonable intents and purposes, leads in a DelGuard mechanical pencil are virtually immune to breaking from writing pressure. It really is impressive. If you don’t have a DelGuard then I really do think you need to add one to your collection. It would be like not having a Kuru Toga. It’s sort of compulsory, whether you like it or not. My only negative is that I don’t like the aesthetics of the current crop of DelGuard tips.

Zebra DelGuard - full strength for strong leads

The Japanese pencil brands still seem to produce a lot of advertising material, and some of it is a constant reminder of just how different the Japanese market is to the western market. This DelGuard video sort of sums it up. I can’t imagine a western brand producing such pencilporn. Softcore hard lead?

Anyway, as I said, I’m not a fan of the DelGuard tip, so let’s turn that around and focus on the other end.

Focus on the blunt end, not the sharp point.

Top to bottom = DelGuard standard, Type-ER and Type-Lx

Firstly, take a look at my three DelGuards. Two have pocket clips but the third one does not. The Type-ER model has a small anti-roll finial rather than a pocket clip. At first I didn't really like it, but it has grown on me. The Type-Lx (luxury?) has a smooth metal grip section and a metal pocket clip as opposed to the standard models plastic grip and clip. I much prefer the eraser cap on the Lx to the standard.

Now, taking a further look at those erasers.

The DelGuard Type-ER has one of those magic erasers. The type that automatically extends out when you turn the pencil upside down to use it, and it locks in place whilst the pencil is upside down, but then it automatically retracts back when you turn the pencil up ready to write. Magic 😁 I am a bit of a sucker for magic erasers.

DelGuard tips - no thanks.

DelGuard Type-ER

All Black colour scheme and magic eraser - hooked - addictive and habit forming.

Scripto Kingsmark

Here's a very nice ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil set by Scripto.  In original box with instruction sheet / guarantee and price tag. Quite thin and lightweight, but metal construction. Cisele pattern engraved body. The mechanical pencil is a screw mechanism, 0.9mm lead.

I don't know much about Scripto, but I assume this would have been one of their top end products, and I guess it dates to around the 1970's. The $10.00 price tag would have been a substantial investment back in the day.

Also on Scripto related matters,  a pencil-pal sent me the below photos of his recently acquired Scripto.

It is unusual in that it has two erasers, the larger of which is permanently exposed. It has a twist mechanism to propel and retract, and uses a 0.9 mm lead. Any information about model name/number, date of manufacture, etc would be appreciated.

Happy penciling to you all.

Radio Silence

My apologies for the radio silence. Normal transmission will be resumed soon.

"The Unbroken Vista"

Zebra Hill to Delguard Peak

Winner - Jeopardy Giveaway

So, the number is 542, which means "Paul" is the winner.
Paul, please email me - address is in the sidebar About Me, My Profile.

"Hue T", you are second so you might want to contact me too just in case Paul doesn't :)