Ordinary mechanical pencils are nice but the 0.7-0.5mm tips the layman is likely to see aren't always the best option. I recommend the use of a 2mm lead holder, because it acts a lot more like a regular pencil, and because no one except architects seems to know these fascinating little implements exist (and the architects are all doing things on computers these days anyway). And I can easily see you having the same one after 8 years :)
When I was in school, we used pencils until we were in standard 1 (now called grade 3). After that it was mostly pen. In fact, I remember my teacher saying that I'd have to use a pen if I wanted to progress to grade 4. Pencils were perceived as infantile, outside of a few niches (technical drawing, geometric constructions and automated tests).
It therefore surprises me to see their widespread use in, especially, the US, if movies are to be believed. I would never be able to write an essay in pencil, for example. Are there any particular applications to which they are better than pens?
I grew up in an Indian school in the middle east, and know what you're talking about with pencils considered infantile (grade 5 we HAD to write with pen, and until then we almost HAD to write in pencil). As soon as I came to college in the US and realized I could submit work in pencil, I ditched all my pens like termite-infested bricks.
In my opinion, pencils are clearly superior for everyday tasks. Basically, just with the fact that they can be better erased. To me personally, they feel better to work with because they have finer pressure-based control. This is why a lot of artists always draft in pencil, and leave a lot of details in pencil too. Manga artists, architects, proofreaders, some stenographers, etc use a lot of pencil. Several of these end up inking their work afterword, or using pencil-work just for drafts that are later digitized.
However, I can go on about objective reasons why pencils are just better regardless, no particular applications necessarily.
They're cheaper. They're not going to go dry because you 'lost the cap' or it's old. You know a pencil is going to work if it has any lead poking out. It's consistent and reliable compared to pens suddenly not working mid-word. They're lighter to hold (less tiring and strenuous on your wrist to write for a long time). If they break they're not going to get everything in your bag stained. They can write well on many more surfaces than most pens. If one pencil fails for some reason (lost?) you can just get almost any nearby pencil and resume (unless you're in an advanced application field like technical drawing or manga artistry) without your work looking strange (2-toned).
I keep a pen around for the sole purpose of signing forms and writing checks (where the fact they're harder to modify is actually a good thing), and filling things people ask me to fill in pen.
They are archival. Writing doesn't fade and doesn't react with the paper you write on. Very important if you are writing something that may need to be read 100 years from now.
Writing is erasable. By gently using an art gum eraser it's possible to remove and fix mistakes because there is no ink that soaks into the paper.
Pencils are pressure sensitive. You can have great control over the shape and darkness of the lines you draw.
They work extremely well with waterproof paper, much better than a pen, even the "special" pens that companies such as Rite in the Rain will sell you.
Pencils never dry out and you always know how much "ink" you have left by just looking at them.
I've personally use pencils as a museum curator, as an artist, as a field biologist and of course as a student.
Oh man, I got really used to pencils in University because they make it very easy to correct something while you're taking notes. But of course you still have to use a pen for exams, and one time I got carried away and used my pencil like I was used to. The examiner chewed me for a good ten minutes.
The whole point, of course, is that when you write in ink, it can't be easily erased and changed, while if it's written with a pencil, you could bribe the examiner to change it (or any number of other shenanigans). I guess Americans don't try to cheat as much.
Writing underwater, in space and at non standard angles. Pencils could not care less about gravity or lack of air, and have a wide temperature range of operation. I've no proof on this, but my guess will be something like -150:600 ± 50C.
A tip for aspiring professional pencil sharpeners - On step 7, after correcting the collar, make sure to clean the tip with strokes TOWARDS the tip of the pencil. Your client will not be happy with the product if graphite residue has stained the wood. Don't learn the hard way like I did!!
There seems to be something very Japanese about this to me. I get that there is a humorous component, but there's also something precious about putting so much time and focus into doing something obsessively well. This point is made more apparent in this case by the choice of pencil sharpening -- a practice that is easy to see as less important than many other things he could be doing. But that's kind of the point. It helps to bring the focus away from the utility of the practice, and point it more towards the idea of doing something well, regardless of what that thing is.
I like how he likened the tutorial to a science prac. "Did closely does the sharpened pencil correspond to your desired outcome?"
We often take the most basic tasks and just do it without much thinking, but when once you do, like in the article, it's amazing how many different outcomes can be produced (i.e the table)
The extensiveness is the charm of it. It's not strictly a humor piece, I think you can consider it more of a performance art that he does. You could buy a pencil sharpened by David Rees in this manner and he would ship it to you. I'm not sure he still does it though.
[+] [-] po|12 years ago|reply
http://vimeo.com/60718161
[+] [-] pling|12 years ago|reply
...which incidentally I was laughed at when I started at my current company as everyone had IBM X60 tablets apart from me.
I have the same pencil after 8 years though.
[+] [-] fennecfoxen|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] buyx|12 years ago|reply
It therefore surprises me to see their widespread use in, especially, the US, if movies are to be believed. I would never be able to write an essay in pencil, for example. Are there any particular applications to which they are better than pens?
[+] [-] keerthiko|12 years ago|reply
In my opinion, pencils are clearly superior for everyday tasks. Basically, just with the fact that they can be better erased. To me personally, they feel better to work with because they have finer pressure-based control. This is why a lot of artists always draft in pencil, and leave a lot of details in pencil too. Manga artists, architects, proofreaders, some stenographers, etc use a lot of pencil. Several of these end up inking their work afterword, or using pencil-work just for drafts that are later digitized.
However, I can go on about objective reasons why pencils are just better regardless, no particular applications necessarily.
They're cheaper. They're not going to go dry because you 'lost the cap' or it's old. You know a pencil is going to work if it has any lead poking out. It's consistent and reliable compared to pens suddenly not working mid-word. They're lighter to hold (less tiring and strenuous on your wrist to write for a long time). If they break they're not going to get everything in your bag stained. They can write well on many more surfaces than most pens. If one pencil fails for some reason (lost?) you can just get almost any nearby pencil and resume (unless you're in an advanced application field like technical drawing or manga artistry) without your work looking strange (2-toned).
I keep a pen around for the sole purpose of signing forms and writing checks (where the fact they're harder to modify is actually a good thing), and filling things people ask me to fill in pen.
[+] [-] whyenot|12 years ago|reply
Writing is erasable. By gently using an art gum eraser it's possible to remove and fix mistakes because there is no ink that soaks into the paper.
Pencils are pressure sensitive. You can have great control over the shape and darkness of the lines you draw.
They work extremely well with waterproof paper, much better than a pen, even the "special" pens that companies such as Rite in the Rain will sell you.
Pencils never dry out and you always know how much "ink" you have left by just looking at them.
I've personally use pencils as a museum curator, as an artist, as a field biologist and of course as a student.
[+] [-] anon4|12 years ago|reply
The whole point, of course, is that when you write in ink, it can't be easily erased and changed, while if it's written with a pencil, you could bribe the examiner to change it (or any number of other shenanigans). I guess Americans don't try to cheat as much.
[+] [-] hkmurakami|12 years ago|reply
(I use Mitsubishi drafting pencils)
[+] [-] bigd|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kamaal|12 years ago|reply
Would love to see a tutorial on that.
[+] [-] unknown|12 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] jorjordandan|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] borkabrak|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sambeau|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] praptak|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Pitarou|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pandatigox|12 years ago|reply
We often take the most basic tasks and just do it without much thinking, but when once you do, like in the article, it's amazing how many different outcomes can be produced (i.e the table)
[+] [-] gopalv|12 years ago|reply
In particular the "23 rotations" and "25 rotations" rows.
[+] [-] Eathys|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bagosm|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] po|12 years ago|reply
http://www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com
As far as I know, it's not a joke but the absurdity of it is part of the point of doing it.
[+] [-] juandopazo|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] artificialidiot|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Eric_WVGG|12 years ago|reply