# What pencil types?



## Kralc (May 10, 2012)

Okay, sorry for the most unexciting question on the forum, but what pencils are you guys using? I've been using a HB,mainly because it's all I had lying around, also I never really factored in pencils as something important, but it's far too heavy and hard to work with.


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## RiffWraith (May 10, 2012)

Pencil? What's that? I dunno, maybe you should get with the times - try using that thing in front of you with all of those buttons....it's called a _keyboard_.


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## Dave Connor (May 10, 2012)

Pacific Music Papers 'Magic Writer' 818-343-4223


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## Arbee (May 10, 2012)

2B (or not.... :oops: )


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## Peter Alexander (May 10, 2012)

Kralc @ Thu May 10 said:


> Okay, sorry for the most unexciting question on the forum, but what pencils are you guys using? I've been using a HB,mainly because it's all I had lying around, also I never really factored in pencils as something important, but it's far too heavy and hard to work with.



HB is good.

For mechanical pencils, .07 as it's dark enough to fax over.

Do check out the Pacific Music pencils. I used to get mine from Judy Greene Music in L.A.
http://www.vallemusic.com/supplies.html

I do my first work this way because paper doesn't crash and when there's a brown out, I can keep working. I also use a "keyboard" called a piano. It's brown-out proof, too. >8o


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## Kralc (May 10, 2012)

RiffWraith @ Thu May 10 said:


> Pencil? What's that? I dunno, maybe you should get with the times - try using that thing in front of you with all of those buttons....it's called a _keyboard_.



But however shall I write home to my dearest love? She will wait for my letter, written in pencil and love, but alas, they shall never be read by her eyes! 

and cause I'm reducing JW signatures, and my current attempts look terrible.



Peter Alexander @ Thu May 10 said:


> HB is good.



Hmm, being a left-hander, I have quite an odd grip, so that might be the reason my writing is so dark and heavy.

But I'll try a 2B and a mechanical pencil! Thread accomplished!


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## Nick Batzdorf (May 10, 2012)

There was a time when pencil was considered totally wimpy. Real mean used pens.

I'm glad those days are over!


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## RiffWraith (May 10, 2012)

Nick Batzdorf @ Fri May 11 said:


> There was a time when pencil was considered totally wimpy. Real mean used pens.



Such a thing Mozart would agree with. They didn't have pencils in 1788, did they?


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## JJP (May 11, 2012)

Nick Batzdorf @ Thu May 10 said:


> There was a time when pencil was considered totally wimpy. Real mean used pens.
> 
> I'm glad those days are over!



I know of one Oscar-winning composer who uses pen because pencil makes him tense up his hand too much and he gets cramps. He's also pretty high-stress guy to begin with...


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## Kralc (May 11, 2012)

Howard Shore uses a........ _pen eraser_


Genius.


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## synthetic (May 11, 2012)

I wish Valle was open the occasional weekend.


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## Casey Edwards (May 11, 2012)

Kralc @ Fri May 11 said:


> Howard Shore uses a........ _pen eraser_
> 
> 
> Genius.



You sure about that? Check out at 2:22 of this video. It looks like a mechanical pencil to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NONDCA_dmHA


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## Nick Batzdorf (May 11, 2012)

Riff, I was curious and just looked up the pencil in Wikipedia (yes I'm in serious need of a life!).

The Romans had pencils.


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## Nick Batzdorf (May 11, 2012)

Actually I do have a quasi-serious answer to this question.

I have a Staedler Mars drawing pencil that I use for scribbling music, along with a matching eraser. The lead is pretty soft.

For everything else I use a vintage Parker 51 pencil (and also a matching 51 fountain pen, both from the mid-1940s). That seems kind of affected, I know, but I've always liked writing with them.


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## Kralc (May 11, 2012)

Casey Edwards @ Fri May 11 said:


> Kralc @ Fri May 11 said:
> 
> 
> > You sure about that? Check out at 2:22 of this video. It looks like a mechanical pencil to me.
> ...



Huh, yeah it is, that's the video I was going from, I've just never seen one that nice looking.

And thanks for those other suggestions Nick.


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## JJP (May 12, 2012)

Kralc @ Fri May 11 said:


> Casey Edwards @ Fri May 11 said:
> 
> 
> > Kralc @ Fri May 11 said:
> ...



Keep in mind that much in that video is carefully staged. I wouldn't go analyzing minutiae to try to get an idea of exactly how Shore works in private.


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## Nick Batzdorf (May 12, 2012)

This and this:

http://www.artifolk.co.uk/images/products/17389x300.jpg

http://content.etilize.com/900/1012897353.jpg

Actually my eraser is different. I must have had it for 20 years, so the probably do't make it any more. But it's the same idea.


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## Nick Batzdorf (May 12, 2012)

http://www002.upp.so-net.ne.jp/maktich/stationery/images/staedtler-rasor.jpg (http://www002.upp.so-net.ne.jp/maktich/ ... -rasor.jpg)


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## nikolas (May 12, 2012)

I hate mechanical pencisl. Never liked them, never used them after a tiny while...

I use CONSTANTLY (I currently have a stock of 144 pencils in my studio) these: http://www.plaisio.gr/Consumables/Office-Supplies/Pencils/Wood/Q-Connect-Hb-Wood-With-Rubber-Tip-KF25011.htm (http://www.plaisio.gr/Consumables/Offic ... F25011.htm)

(sorry for the Greek language).

Pros:
HB
The pencil, inside is never broken
The rubber on the back
You can actually trim off a tiny bit of the metal holder of the rubber, thus using more.
Dead cheap (0.10 euros per pencil)

Cons:
None

and I use it with this sharpener: http://www.plaisio.gr/controls/searchengine/guidedsearch.aspx?field.ManuTitleCombo=Linex%20%CE%9E%CF%8D%CF%83%CF%84%CF%81%CE%B1%20%CE%95%CF%80%CE%B9%CF%84%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%AD%CE%B6%CE%B9%CE%B1%20%20DS%201000%20%28%CE%9E%CF%8D%CF%83%CF%84%CF%81%CE%B5%CF%82%29&actual=%CE%BE%CF%8D%CF%83%CF%84%CF%81%CE%B1 (http://www.plaisio.gr/controls/searchen ... F%81%CE%B1)


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## Nick Batzdorf (May 12, 2012)

http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/1/6/1/1/ ... 062_tp.jpg

Ah, but those are the shizzle. I don't use that pencil for music writing, but it has a great feel.

(Actually my pen is an older version.)


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## bryla (May 13, 2012)

Mechanical pencils are fine for hand engraving but for daily composition I use the old fashioned ones and it only makes it so much easier to have a battery operated pencil sharpener


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## careyford (Jun 4, 2012)

As a pencil evangelist, I highly recommend these. They are a "reboot" of a famous pencil the Blackwing 602. Until these came out you often saw Blackwings on ebay for $6/pencil. It's a different lead mix than typical HB or softer leads. Try a box. If you're serious about pencils as I am, you'll likely love these. I write a lot with them and they're easier on my hands than the keyboard.

http://www.pencils.com/palomino-blackwing-12-pk

or

http://www.pencils.com/palomino-blackwing-602

Richard


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