As recommended by readers of Electric Speed in November 2025

• I used to fuss at my (now-grown) kids for using mechanical pencils when they were in school since I was always a Ticonderoga fan. But now I get it. I love both the Uni Kuru Toga Advance Upgrade Model and the Uni Kuru Toga Roulette Model Auto Lead Rotation. I apparently bear down a lot when I write, so I have a slight preference for the “advance upgrade model” because it doesn’t break on me. —Elizabeth S. Craig
• I love a good mechanical pencil, I think they might be my favorite writing tool. The Uni Kuru Toga is the absolute best that I’ve found. Inexpensive, sturdy, and has some sort of rotating barrel magic so that the point is always sharp. —Emily McCann
• I would recommend the Kuru Toga self-sharpening mechanical pencil. I found it through Kevin Kelly’s Cool Tools website. I’m also a fan of thicker leads, currently fixed on .9mm. —Paul Steger
• I love perusing JetPens’ selection of wild and wonderful mechanical pencils. I use a Uni Alpha Gel Kuru Toga mechanical pencil because of the cushy grip; it looks like this, but in red. —Teresa Robeson
• Mechanical pencil porn: the Uni Kuru Toga Studio Ghibli collection. —Mary Brown
• I use two mechanical pencils for writing. For fine lines, 0.05mm, the Uni Ball Kuru Toga Elite, about $14. For medium width lines, 0.07 mm the PaperMate Clear Point, about $11 for a four pack. If you are looking for a wider range of uses (drafting, sketching), Nicpro 6Pcs Art Mechanical Pencil Set, competitive at $12–$18 for the set. —Eve Datisman
• I love mechanical pencils. My favorite since high school is Papermate’s Clear Point 0.5mm. It’s easy to load new lead, easy to guide new lead into the opening, and it has a generous eraser that is adjustable. It also comes in several colors. I love it! —Torri Weldon
• I adore mechanical pencils! Rarely write with anything else. My favorites are the Papermate Clear Points, 7mm (they also come in 5mm). They come in tons of fun colors and last forever. —Lisa Binsfeld
• I love mechanical pencils. I have several and this is the one I love the most: PaperMate Clear Point 0.7 mm. —Blaine Kruizetech Kruizenga
• Not proud of this, but nothing beats PaperMate Sharpwriter #2. The erasers actually work, and in 20 years I’ve never used one up before losing it. I buy them by the box and keep at least one in every backpack, purse, or tote. —Carol Saller
• My favorite mechanical pencil is Pentel Twist-Erase. I found it when Wirecutter did a feature on best pencils. I bought a box of them and shared with my children and grandchildren. —Shirley Showalter
• It’s no contest: Pentel Twist-Erase 0.7. I prefer pencil to pen whenever possible and I’ve tried a lot of variations. This is the one. Nice heft, rubber grip, magnificent eraser (no dregs). Truly the best. It’s available in other lead sizes. At Amazon & elsewhere. —Kim Bonnell
• I use a mechanical pencil everyday. I have used the Pentel Twist-Erase for 20+ years (I’m partial to the larger 0.9mm graphite lead size). It’s inexpensive which is good as I have them in two places in my studio and in various places in my home. Always there when I need to write! —Alis Sefick
• I have been through so many mechanical pencils, and now have settled on the one I love. It is a Pentel Twist-Erase. It has an eraser that never hardens and works beautifully. And no sharpening of the pencil lead ever involved. I have three of these in different colors and lead thickness—usually 0.5 or 0.7 depending on my project. And I vary the hardness of the lead too. I tend to prefer a softer lead to get a darker line. All the cool people use the not- mechanical Palomino Black Wing, a gorgeous object indeed, but I’m stuck on my mechanical pencil. Luckily, I’ve never been cool, so I don’t have to worry too much, although I do have a Black Wing pencil because someone gave it to me, and I confess, I occasionally I aspire to be cool. —Lauren Crux
• I’ve been using mechanical pencils for 70 years for both sketching and for making notes in books I’m reading and by far the best I’ve ever used is my current one, the Pentel Twist-Erase III, of which I have many in case I lose one or they discontinue manufacturing them. Here’s why. Its lead feed mechanism is very stable and controllable. Second, you can buy them for different size leads. While I prefer a 9mm lead, you can get them in 5 and 7mm as well. Third, it has a great eraser that can be adjusted up and down with ease and is cheap and replaceable. Fourth, it’s a nice weight, well built, and has a very comfortable grip. I’ve never found this combination of features in a mechanical pencil. I bought many brands over the years and this is by far the most useful. Amazingly, it’s also among the least expensive… around five dollars. I enjoy giving them away, though I doubt anyone treasures them as much as I do. I know this sounds a bit over-the-top, but I love a good pencil—the world’s least expensive yet most valuable piece of technology. —Paul Tamminen
• I seldom use pencils nowadays (really since completing my last math class in college), but my all-time favorite pencil is the Pentel 0.5mm Twist-Erase. The four pack comes with replacement lead and a fantastic block eraser. And I can’t help but sneak in a pen recommendation: I’ve been absolutely loving these Kaco 0.5mm gel pens for the last few years (great stocking stuffers!). —Pete Millspaugh
• I've been using the Pentel P205 for decades. The same one. Still works like it is new. Very precise, comfortable and costs about $6. —John Malnor
• I only use mechanical pencils. My favorite is the Pentel P205. I use 0.5mm lead because I like fine point print, both in pen (also Pentel fine line ballpoint pen) and pencil. Since the eraser inside the pencil cartridge runs out often, I have a Pentel Clic Eraser ZE33 which I always keep fully stocked and loaded. —Shauna L. Bowling
• In college, I relied on the Pentel P205 0.5mm with HB leads for taking notes. I kept using them through the early part of my career until I moved on to various rolling writers. I still have a couple and they still work well. The grip is a little small, which might not work for every hand. —Bill Weinberger