Wes wrote in rec.crafts.metalworking:

"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get lead
for them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up, because
there's no telling how long it will be before you have to order them
online.

They come in at least two different diameters. They're quite thick;
you need a special sharpener to produce a conical point on them
(Staedtler makes a good, compact one that uses an internal file to
sharpen. I also have a Boston desk model that uses sandpaper cones.
They both work fine.)

What the heck are these things. I learned drafting when 0.3 to 0.9
Pentels were were the rage then. The only bare lead (graphite) I
sharpened was for a compass.

Wes

--

Too late for graphite, too early for Cad


That dates you pretty well.

Personally, I prefer my lead holders (often with 6H, HB, and 4B leads) for
doing my planning.

I also use one with a thin long-shanked knife blade for cutting stencils.

CAD is handy when you have enough power to run the 'puter but it's easier
to use "old tech" when doodling at the coffee shop. grin