What type of lead should I buy for my mechanical pencil?

I received a lot of questions recently about lead. In the present post, I deal with this question decisively. Some have suggested that this is a matter of personal taste. I disagree. One essential is buying a lead that will not break too often. No one likes that person who is always click-clacking their mechanical pencil because their lead is constantly breaking. Some people go with HB lead that comes standard with most mechanical pencils. Unless the quality of the lead is extremely high, I see this as a mistake. Usually, I go with the a B grade lead. This is the perfect balance of writing smoothness and lead toughness. If one bears down with even moderate force, one stick of B grade lead will last four 8 hours of writing. This is quite excellent. On a side note, never buy colored leads for mechanical pencils. The technology just isnhasn't progressed that far yet.

47 Mechanical Pencils

Today I saw the McDonald's commercial in which several employees are discussing a trade. Instead of talking about how much money each object was worth, they discussed the trade in terms of hamburgers. It got me thinking. I think I actually think about purchases in terms of the number of mechanical pencils I can obtain for the same price. For example, my sister-in-law recently started selling "elf-on-a-shelf dolls." One might think, "oh, it's only $25" for a personalized doll. Many people are lulled to sleep by such logic. However, a wiser decision would be made if one asked the question, " is this worth 5 pentel 205 mechanical pencils?" Asking it this way makes it more of a rhetorical question.

Don't get carried away with Staplers!

When I first started in this field, America was a culture that cared very little about office supplies. In a very real way, America was uneducated regarding its office supplies. Not so today! Just a quick search on google yields thousands of reviews on office products. There is no shortage of knowledge.

The pendulum has swung. Now America has the reverse problem. Take, for example, the recent flurry of activity in the stapler world. More than a fancy car or a nice house, one's stapler has become a symbol of status. Let me show you the stapler that one of my good friends, Josh Hook, recently purchased.
I was out on a leisurely stroll on the app trail the other day, and I saw a camper with one of these. Are you kidding me?
There is no need for such extravagances when it comes to staplers. I have no problem with people choosing a stapler to represent their own personal taste. Every time I have the opportunity, I buy blue, that being my favorite color. Last Christmas, I put a pink stapler in my wife's stocking.
But I don't want to just tell you what not to do. Let me offer a few suggestions. This stapler, the Paper Pro, illustrates all the essentials of a stapler. It as a sleek, simple, even classic design, but this is no regular stapler. It carries a pop with its punch. Less than an ounce of pressure will release over 75 lbs. of force. The stapler claims to be able to staple 25 sheets, but they must have tested it on card stock. In our labs tests, we have stapled 53 sheets, and probably could have done more, had we not been limited by our staple length. The stapler is safe and can only be fired when pressed against a solid object (do not try this at home, but there is also a way around the safety. When the safety button is taped down, one can eject a staple up to 65 feet).

In short, staplers are important, but one should never draw one's sense of identity, security, and self-esteem, from a stapler. America needs to strive for excellence without extravagance. I have seen to0 many families destroyed when this balance is not quite right.

American Idol: Mechanical Pencil Edition

Daryl's introduction

Being the first member of the editorial staff to introduce himself, my excitement is only rivaled by the intense pressure I feel to adequately (and appropriately) demonstrate the great magnitude of this position. As our readership burgeons, I comprehend the huge undertaking of presenting informative, witty (though factually accurate), and ultimately uber-important information regarding the office supply world to masses in a format that is both unpretentious and accessible. I consider it nothing short of a great honor to be selected for such a touted position.

As the Associate Editor for Technical Minutia, my responsibilities are great and my burden is heavy: my solemn goal is to address the slight, perhaps even trivial or insignificant, differences in office supply products and lingo that could, potentially, catalyze into momumental disparaties in office supply usage and product outcome, if not properly understood. Some of our more uninformed readers might scoff at such frivolties; however, as I have always firmly believed, while the devil may be in the details, so may also be our office supply salvation. Coming to a sober understanding of the simplest of differences between office supplies might be your first step to one of the greatest journeys of enlightenment and discovery you will ever take.

I have only one remaining question: Are you ready?

Kelly Davis

I would like to thank Donnie Davis for appointing me to the editorial board for premium office supplies. I have a bachelor in Civil Engineering at Georgia Tech. When i began my first job at a medium-sized civil engineering firm, i got my first exposure to office supplies. During this time, i also obtained the highest honor in my Taekwando pursuits (9th degree black belt). Although my title was never official (for liability reasons), i was appointed the undercover security agent for the office.

My passion for office supplies merged with my ITF oath to "be a champion of justice and freedom," and to "build a better and peaceful world" in an amazing way. I had gotten up from my desk and walked into the common room in my office to bind some 24"x36" construction documents with a Staplex HD Thick Gauge Heavy Duty Manual Stapler, when an arguement developed between two members of the surveying department. Tensions were high, threats were issued, and before i knew it, i had snatched the Staplex HD Stapler, and readied my body and mind for action. Luckily, the situation de-esculated; but my passion had been born. I would fulfill my oath by mastering the subtle weapons of corporate america.



Since then, i have dedicated myself to both to creating the subtle offspring of Taekwondo (known as "Tae-supply") necessary to fulfill my mission, and rigerously testing mechanical properties of all office supplies to find the optimum weapon arsenal. Basically, if it can be used to kill, i have an informed opinion on it.

Editorial Staff

Due to the massive outpouring of support we have recieved, I realize that the office supplies needs of our readership are well beyond what just one man (or woman) could do. That is why I selected an editorial staff. Cumulatively, our staff has over 100 years of experience as reviewers in the office supplies industry. In addition, I have included several lay office supply editors. Often people who enter a profession lose touch with their "first love." For this reason, I have chosen a diverse staff to create a ural blend of passion and scientific rigor.