Hello. 

I’ve become mildly obsessed with mechanical pencils in the past few weeks. There’s something deeply satisfying about fiddling with their small, precise mechanisms. A good one will last practically forever so they’re collectable and I do love a good collection. Here are a few pencils you should know about; a CliffNotes version of an over-the-top wishlist. I’ve included Amazon links for each, but www.cultpens.com is useful too. 

Pentel P205
Plastic body available in lots of colours. A good basic pencil that works well and you won’t mind lending to a friend. 
0.3 / 0.5 / 0.7 / 0.9
143mm, 9g
https://amzn.to/39BI3Rq

Pentel Kerry
Metal and resin body, lovely capped design makes it look like a traditional fountain pen.
0.5 / 0.7
132mm, 21g
https://amzn.to/2FkdIJ3

Staedtler 925-35 series
I would probably go for the 2mm lead holder version if I were you. Metal body, metal knurled grip, lead grade indicator. 
0.3 / 0.5 / 0.7 / 0.9 / 2.0
143mm, 17g
https://amzn.to/2FdXNw2

OHTO Conception
Pleasingly fiddle gadget, with a metal body, retractable tip an adjustable lead advance (0.2 to 2mm) and the ability to switch between fixed-sleeve and sliding-sleeve modes.
0.3 / 0.5
141mm, 19g
https://amzn.to/2ZLywCT

Zebra Del Guard Type Lx 
Nifty design with both a sliding sleeve and a cushioned tip makes it very suitable for thin leads. This one has a black plastic body with metal grip, but there are lots of Del Guard variants with different grips and colours worth exploring. 
0.3 / 0.5 
146mm, 21g
https://amzn.to/2rVHMYA

Pentel Graph 1000 For Pro
Has ‘For Pro’ in the name, but the least pro of the top end Pentels. Plastic body, metal and rubber grip, lead grade indicator/
0.3 / 0.4 / 0.5 / 0.7 / 0.9
145mm, 11g
https://amzn.to/2FjDs8A

Pentel GraphGear 1000
Metal body with rubber grip blobs, retractable tip, lead grab indicator, weird clip
0.3 / 0.4 / 0.5 / 0.7 / 0.9
149mm, 20g
https://amzn.to/2MS9pZY

Pentel Orenz
Famous for providing support for thin leads via a sliding sleeve which moves to protect the tip against breaking. The Orenz is available in a plastic body with a wide choice of colours. The metal grip version is a little nicer and heavier than most. In theory there's a 0.5mm too, but buying on Orenz in 0.5mm is like buying a machete-sized scalpel. 
0.2 / 0.3
143mm, 14g
https://amzn.to/2rROxul

Pentel Orenz Nero
Building on the Orenz, but adds a metal body and automatic feed mechanism to the retractable tip. A relatively new addition to the Pentel line and the most likely (in early 2020 at least) to get you noticed by other mechanical pencil collectors.
0.2 / 0.3
140mm, 16g
https://amzn.to/2sMvm5w

Kaweco Special 
If it had a retractable tip I think I would have bought one by now. Instead it’s on my wish-list as a desirable looking item. This is the black one, but it also comes in less fingerprint-forgiving brass, as well a dinky 10cm ‘mini’ model. 
0.5 / 0.7 / 0.9 / 2.0
139mm, 15g
https://amzn.to/37znu6l

Uni Kuru Toga Roulette
Clever features: rotates the lead every time you lift the tip (one full revolution every 40 strokes), meaning the tip is worn to a round point. There are lots of Kuru Togas. The Roulette has a plastic body and metal grip.
146mm, 15g
https://amzn.to/2QkId87

Uni Kuru Toga Pipe Slide
This one one has a plastic body, and benefits from not only the Kuru Toga automatic lead rotation mechanism but also from a retractable tip and the sliding lead sleeve mechanism. I wish Uni made a full metal version of this one. 
0.5
139mm, 9g
https://amzn.to/2ZNjVqp

Rotring 500
I’m a sucker for the black Rotrings. They come in silver too if you prefer that. The 500 feels high quality, despite the plastic body, with its knurled metal grip and lead grade indicator
0.3 / 0.5 / 0.7
141mm, 13g
https://amzn.to/2MTKMMa

Rotring 600
A studier metal body, knurled metal grip, lead grade indicator. 
0.5 / 0.7
141mm, 22g
https://amzn.to/2ZNOooh

Rotring Rapid Pro
Features a metal body, knurled metal grip, spring to cushion the lead tip, sliding sleeve, retractable tip (in everything except the 2.0mm lead holder). If you only ever buy one mechanical pencil this is probably the one.
0.5 / 0.7 / 2.0
145mm, 25g
https://amzn.to/39zbK5y

Rotring 800
Probably the most sought-after pencil in this list and the most expensive. Metal body, knurled metal grip, with a fully retractable sleeve (though not in the 2.0mm) which also makes this the most pocket-safe pencil too. There’s also an 800+ which doubles as a touchscreen stylus, a feature which I don’t personally like enough to prefer over the normal 800.
0.5 / 0.7 / 2.0
133mm (retracted), 25g
https://amzn.to/35gPdqJ


Did I miss your favourite? Let me know. 

Yours sincerely  
Roo

Roo Reynolds  
@rooreynolds  
http://tinyletter.com/rooreynolds