What #2 Pencil Should I use? Forum

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What is your favorite #2 pencil?

Ticonderoga (original)
123
33%
Black Ticonderoga
140
37%
Tri-conderoga
24
6%
Blackwing 602
17
5%
Black Mirado Warrior
38
10%
Palomino's Golden Bear
2
1%
General's Semi-Hex
5
1%
Palomino HB
13
3%
Other (post ITT what it is)
13
3%
 
Total votes: 375

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ManoftheHour

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by ManoftheHour » Wed Aug 07, 2013 7:10 pm

jlb251 wrote:
They (warriors) wrote fine and the eraser was decent, but in my experience they just did not sharpen well. I took six or seven to the test because I knew I wouldn't be able to sharpen them mid-test.
Pages back, we ruled that sharpening pencils during the exam is TTT. No need to worry about any of that stuff. Just bring 7-10 pencils and you should be fine. If one craps out on you, just grab another. No time wasted.

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Balthy

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by Balthy » Wed Aug 07, 2013 8:53 pm

ManoftheHour wrote:
jlb251 wrote:
They (warriors) wrote fine and the eraser was decent, but in my experience they just did not sharpen well. I took six or seven to the test because I knew I wouldn't be able to sharpen them mid-test.
Pages back, we ruled that sharpening pencils during the exam is TTT. No need to worry about any of that stuff. Just bring 7-10 pencils and you should be fine. If one craps out on you, just grab another. No time wasted.
Bring this too:
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vuthy

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by vuthy » Wed Aug 07, 2013 9:55 pm

I'm not a pencil expert or connoisseur, so this may be a stupid question. But I have discovered that my preferred pencil style is one where the point is not super sharp or super long. (I know there are probably proper terms from this, just from glancing at pencilrevolution, but anyway.) What I prefer is a sturdy point, one that writes fairly fine (hate dull and fat), but can also stand up to a decent degree of pressure. So if the spectrum goes from golf pencil on one end, to a long-point super sharp pencil on the other, I kind of prefer my points to be more toward golf pencil.

Do any of the preferred pencils on the list sound right for me? Just by eyeballing it, something about the General Semi-Hex looks right to me, but I have no idea. Also, is this more a question of sharpener than pencil? And if so, is there a sharpener that tend so to make a shorter but sharp point?

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by Pancakes12 » Thu Aug 08, 2013 1:36 pm

vuthy wrote:I'm not a pencil expert or connoisseur, so this may be a stupid question. But I have discovered that my preferred pencil style is one where the point is not super sharp or super long. (I know there are probably proper terms from this, just from glancing at pencilrevolution, but anyway.) What I prefer is a sturdy point, one that writes fairly fine (hate dull and fat), but can also stand up to a decent degree of pressure. So if the spectrum goes from golf pencil on one end, to a long-point super sharp pencil on the other, I kind of prefer my points to be more toward golf pencil.

Do any of the preferred pencils on the list sound right for me? Just by eyeballing it, something about the General Semi-Hex looks right to me, but I have no idea. Also, is this more a question of sharpener than pencil? And if so, is there a sharpener that tend so to make a shorter but sharp point?
In my experience (given you have a good sharpener), Ticonderogas will get you what you're looking for. But as discussed above, don't bother sharpening during the real test. Best to take a brand new pack that is pre-sharpened.

10052014

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Post by 10052014 » Thu Aug 08, 2013 1:42 pm

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echamberlin8

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by echamberlin8 » Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:06 pm

I guess, based on what I've read of this thread so far (how can one possibly read all 36 pages?!) I'm going to order a pack of Ticonderoga Blacks and this eraser: http://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Hi-Polymer ... mer+eraser. Thoughts?

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by haus » Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:24 pm

echamberlin8 wrote:I guess, based on what I've read of this thread so far (how can one possibly read all 36 pages?!) I'm going to order a pack of Ticonderoga Blacks and this eraser: http://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Hi-Polymer ... mer+eraser. Thoughts?
Those are nice erasers, but can be a little on the rough side for your test book and/or bubble sheet. You may want to take a look at a foam eraser, such as...

http://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Foam-Erase ... 10/pd/2526

While you are there, you may want to try a nice HB (international equivalent to a #2) Tombow or Mitsubishi.
Last edited by haus on Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Pancakes12

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by Pancakes12 » Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:25 pm

echamberlin8 wrote:I guess, based on what I've read of this thread so far (how can one possibly read all 36 pages?!) I'm going to order a pack of Ticonderoga Blacks and this eraser: http://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Hi-Polymer ... mer+eraser. Thoughts?
How can one read 36 pages? Can you really risk not reading it all?

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Post by 10052014 » Thu Aug 08, 2013 6:15 pm

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echamberlin8

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by echamberlin8 » Fri Aug 09, 2013 4:50 pm

jlb251 wrote:
echamberlin8 wrote:I guess, based on what I've read of this thread so far (how can one possibly read all 36 pages?!) I'm going to order a pack of Ticonderoga Blacks and this eraser: http://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Hi-Polymer ... mer+eraser. Thoughts?
How can one read 36 pages? Can you really risk not reading it all?
(Shudders) I was worried it might come to that.

Someone mentioned a foam eraser. Interesting. What are everyone else's thoughts on this? Is it better to have an eraser in general instead of just using the one on your pencil?

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echamberlin8

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by echamberlin8 » Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:19 pm

PourMeTea wrote:
echamberlin8 wrote:
jlb251 wrote:
echamberlin8 wrote:I guess, based on what I've read of this thread so far (how can one possibly read all 36 pages?!) I'm going to order a pack of Ticonderoga Blacks and this eraser: http://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Hi-Polymer ... mer+eraser. Thoughts?
How can one read 36 pages? Can you really risk not reading it all?
(Shudders) I was worried it might come to that.

Someone mentioned a foam eraser. Interesting. What are everyone else's thoughts on this? Is it better to have an eraser in general instead of just using the one on your pencil?
I would have an eraser in general for larger erasures. You never know if you'll mess up a diagram. BEST BE PREPARED!

What sort of foam eraser did you have in mind? I play it safe and sleek:

http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Mate-Premiu ... arl+eraser
This was the foam eraser that haus mentioned: http://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Foam-Erase ... 10/pd/2526.

From what I've seen in this thread and mostly the poll, the Black Ticonderogas are the pencil of choice. I will order these once I get paid on Friday.

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Post by PourMeTea » Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:26 pm

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echamberlin8

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by echamberlin8 » Wed Aug 14, 2013 12:27 pm

PourMeTea wrote:
echamberlin8 wrote: This was the foam eraser that haus mentioned: http://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Foam-Erase ... 10/pd/2526.

From what I've seen in this thread and mostly the poll, the Black Ticonderogas are the pencil of choice. I will order these once I get paid on Friday.
I'm not sure why Black Ticonderogas won the poll, tbh. I think it's because it was reset. Palomino HBs are tcr, I'd recommend ordering a pack of those as well to see what suits you.
Okay, I'll order both. Anyone else have any recommendations for pencils/erasers?

Also ordering the LSAT Trainer book today, since everyone seems to be buzzing about it on here, and it'd be good to have a nice book to read on my 12-hour flights to and from Japan in the coming weeks.

Edit: Are these the ones you'd recommend? They seem a bit pricey.... http://www.amazon.com/Palomino-Graphite ... alomino+hb

The other things I am planning on ordering:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004X4 ... PDKIKX0DER

and

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001Q4 ... UTF8&psc=1

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ScottRiqui

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by ScottRiqui » Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:30 pm

Is it just me, or are the orange Palomino HB with the eraser tip not available on Amazon? I've found the blue eraser-tip, the blue dipped-tip, and the orange dipped-tip, but that's all.

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by Loaded » Fri Aug 16, 2013 2:00 pm

Palominos are available from CalCedar's retail website: http://www.pencils.com/

CalCedar harvests and sells incense cedar wood for many different companies that make pencils in addition to marketing their own family of pencils under the Palomino name. If you haven't tried the other CalCedar pencils, I recommend the Golden Bear.

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ScottRiqui

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by ScottRiqui » Fri Aug 16, 2013 11:34 pm

Loaded wrote:Palominos are available from CalCedar's retail website: http://www.pencils.com/

CalCedar harvests and sells incense cedar wood for many different companies that make pencils in addition to marketing their own family of pencils under the Palomino name. If you haven't tried the other CalCedar pencils, I recommend the Golden Bear.
Thanks - CalCedar had the Palomino HB eraser-tip in orange, so I ordered a box.

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by rebexness » Fri Aug 16, 2013 11:39 pm

Copped a bunch of Black Warriors on sale today. <3

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by FalParsi » Mon Aug 19, 2013 5:07 pm

I accidentally all 36 pages of this topic...is this dangerous?

Something I don't recall being mentioned in these 36 sometimes-hilarious pages is the General #580 Test Scoring Pencil (or maybe my eyes glazed over and I missed it):

--LinkRemoved--

It's discussed favorably in several comments on this post:
http://www.pencilrevolution.com/2011/01 ... g-pencils/

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by haus » Mon Aug 19, 2013 5:41 pm

FalParsi wrote:I accidentally all 36 pages of this topic...is this dangerous?

Something I don't recall being mentioned in these 36 sometimes-hilarious pages is the General #580 Test Scoring Pencil (or maybe my eyes glazed over and I missed it):

--LinkRemoved--

It's discussed favorably in several comments on this post:
http://www.pencilrevolution.com/2011/01 ... g-pencils/
I ordered a box of these pencils, and while they are not bad pencils, they are not among my favorites either. The erasers, while better than many on pencil erasers are not nearly as nice as either a Mars plastic or a Pilot Foam (perhaps my favorite eraser for test type work), AND the lead was not as smooth as the Warriror leads, and definitely not as nice as the lead on with the HB Hi-Uni or HB Tombow Mono.
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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by UNoHooIM7 » Wed Aug 21, 2013 8:46 pm

After staying up past 1am reading this thread ( :shock: ), I placed an Amazon order: a KUM Automatic Long Point sharpener, some Pentel Hi-Polymer Erasers and a box of 12 Black Ticonderogas.

I got my order today and I'm not a fan of the pencils I received. They are cheaply made in China. They don't even have DIXON printed on the barrel (instead there's what I assume is a batch number imprinted in the paint). I sharpened one and there's a visible gap between the two pieces of wood they sandwiched together to make the pencil. Another appears to have a groove mid-barrel where the wood obviously splintered at the seam. Those are just the two random pencils I pulled from a box of 12. Ugh.

Luckily, yesterday I bought a box of 24 Black Ticonderogas and a few tri-write Ticonderogas from Staples and those were made in Mexico and seem of higher quality. ¡Viva Mexico!

I never thought I'd ever devote this much mental energy to pencils... :roll:

By the way, loving the KUM sharperner. For those fanatics of this thread who watched the video with the guy who wrote the book on sharpening pencils, the KUM seems to do what he did with his two-stage hand-sharpening technique. It shapes the wood, and then you end up with the exposed lead, then you use the second barrel which sharpens the lead to a point. It also have a grove that stores the two extra sharpening blades. Oh those Germans! :o

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wtrc

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by wtrc » Thu Aug 22, 2013 12:31 pm

I was using a TTTTTTTTT 120 manual pencil sharpener that barely worked and caused so much frustration. Then a friend came to my work to do a PT, and just saw a 180 electric pencil sharpener just sitting there that I never even noticed. Hope this didn't use up all my LSAT Karma...

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Re: What #2 Pencil Should I use?

Post by Loaded » Thu Aug 22, 2013 1:05 pm

Ditch the Ticonderogas and Triconderogas. Try some Palomino HBs and Mirado Black Warriors. HTH
What I least like about Ticonderogas and other "standard" yellow #2 pencils is the diameter. Dixon and many other mass produced pencils use a smaller diameter barrel than premium brands like Palomino, Mitsubishi, Tombow, Faber, etc. Visually it's hard to see the difference, but you can definitely feel the larger barrel of a premium pencil when your holding it. Personally, after sitting and writing for an extended period of time, the larger barrel pencil results in much less hand & finger strain.

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