Little Things | Pentel 209

4 Comments

three retro and vintage mechanical pencils

Sometimes there are little things that are so nice that they make you wonder why you didn’t think of them before. For me, it was getting some new mechanical pencils to use for my notebooks and planner. I prefer mechanical pencils for writing, but have been using a basic “non-aesthetic” black and clear plastic mechanical pencil for years. I “borrowed” it indefinitely from my family’s office drawer. And then a few weeks ago, I looked at it and asked myself, why am I using such an ugly pencil? Of course it works, but I don’t particularly like it. Also, most mechanical pencils have a plastic clip, which I inevitably end up breaking while fiddling with the pencil…

So, I started the hunt for a nice pencil.

vintage metal mechanical pencil in silver and gold sitting on a notebook page full of writing

And then the very next week, a lady in my church was decluttering office supplies, and this beautiful silver and gold vintage metal pencil was among the items! It is a truly lovely pencil, with the old fashioned continuous twist mechanism and it is very nicely balanced for writing. The only marking on the pencil is a stamp “Taiwan”. The pencil comes apart to store extra 0.9mm lead and an eraser.

vintage mechanical pencil with the lid off to show the eraser underneat

But… I use pencils in a couple of places, so I decided to also see about getting another one to leave in each spot.

pentel 209 pencils in mustard yellow

I decided upon these Pentel 209 drafting pencils for a couple of reasons (they came in a pack of 2). The other pencil is also 0.9mm lead, so that way I only need to get once size of lead. And more obviously: they are mustard yellow! This style of drafting pencil has been around since 1970 and has that very retro, industrial feel to them. While they are made of plastic, I know that these are good quality pencils because my dad has used the 207’s for years. And they have a metal clip that doesn’t break when you fiddle with it (from my own personal experience-hehe.)

using a pentel 209 pencil for my planner

So, for a grand total of around $15, I have two yellow pencils and a metal pencil that just make me smile when I use them. And now I wonder if I should start the hunt for a nice pen…

Do you have any small things, like pencils or other office supplies, that make you happy when you use them? 

vintage and retro office supplies