Do any of you use a leadholder?

[FlameDragon]

I just got one and I'm loving it! Although I have a question, is there supposed to be a way to get the lead sharp again? Or is it that once you've used it enough that it becomes dull, it stays like that?

[JonZ_]

Steadler make some sharpener for these. I use a Steadler lead holder and there's a sharpener on the cap, the small hole. But it a bit long to sharp a lead with it.

[Kman.]

most lead holders that I've seen have a pointer on the back of them, just take it off and its like a mini sharpener.

edit: whoops Jonz just said that haha

[sweetoblivion314]

use sandpaper or buy a rotary sharpener.

[Elwell]

Rotary lead pointer:
199520

[FlameDragon]

Ah so that thing ong the cap is a sharpener?? I'll try it out

[JonZ_]

Ah so that thing ong the cap is a sharpener?? I'll try it out

yeah :) When I had my first one ages ago it took almost a year before a friend comes up and told me that hole on the cap was a sharpener :D

But like Elwell mentionned, that rotary lead sharpener is more like something you would want over that cap sharpener if you are ready to spend some extras.

[FlameDragon]

yeah :) When I had my first one ages ago it took almost a year before a friend comes up and told me that hole on the cap was a sharpener :D

But like Elwell mentionned, that rotary lead sharpener is more like something you would want over that cap sharpener if you are ready to spend some extras.

Yeah but it's ridiculously expensive. Nearly $7 for that, costs more than the leadholder and lead combined!! The cap sharpener seems to be working really well for me

[Elwell]

It's worth it.

[HunterKiller_]

Yeah but it's ridiculously expensive. Nearly $7 for that

Ha! You Americans think you've got it tough, aye.
That thing cost me 27 smackroos.

It's worth it.

QFT. 'Spensive, but worth it for sure.


They should have stickied my leadholder thread from a couple weeks back. :P

[FlameDragon]

Hmm, what makes it much better than the cap sharpener? I thought as long as the lead gets sharpened its fine

[JonZ_]

it faster and you don't need to remove the lead. One turn in the barel and it already sharp. You can even select two sharp mode.

[egerie]

Didn't we have a thread about exactly that 2 weeks ago?
I hate cap sharpeners. They blow compared to a rotary. Cleaner, less busted leads, straight sharpen, faster. You'll notice if you actually spend hours a day at drawing. 2c

[JonZ_]

Didn't we have a thread about exactly that 2 weeks ago?
I hate cap sharpeners. They blow compared to a rotary. Cleaner, less busted leads, straight sharpen, faster. You'll notice if you actually spend hours a day at drawing. 2c

Quoted for truth -

oh and salut fellow Montrealer ^^

[Collin Smiley]

:blahblah: Can some one tell me what a lead holder is ???

sorry im new to this

[JonZ_]

:blahblah: Can some one tell me what a lead holder is ???

sorry im new to this

http://www.artstuff.net/images/staedtler%20780.jpg

[FlameDragon]

I understand what you guys mean, I tried using the cap sharpener today and I broke my lead almost all the way :(

[Favila]

Actually I broke lots of lead before I learned to use the lead pointer lol

[ramoutar]

I've always just used a sandpaper block, they're cheap and easy to use. Just my $0.02

[HunterKiller_]

Actually I broke lots of lead before I learned to use the lead pointer lol

I'm sorry, but I find it totally funny that people do this.
I knew exactly how the rotary pointer would work after seeing a picture of it. :confident

[Darktwin]

I love lead holders, I draw with the staedler brand all the time, their great, the sharper and pencil is totally worth if your thinking about picking one up.

[Favila]

I'm sorry, but I find it totally funny that people do this.
I knew exactly how the rotary pointer would work after seeing a picture of it. :confident

I agree, it's funny, that's why I LOL'ed at myself :)

[Senira]

I thought the rotary sharpener was a waste of money, too, but after seeing all these posts to the contrary I think I'll pop up to the student store and buy one. Sharpening with the cap is a little time-consuming, and it wrecks my drawing flow. :/

EDIT: Staedtler really needs to include mini-manuals with its products. What are those two little holes in the front of the sharpener for? The Staedtler website says it's for determining led protrusion, which I assume means how much lead you ought to let out to get the desired point, but how do they determine this? I prodded at them for about two minutes before saying, "screw it" and just picking a length at random.

By the way, the rotary sharpener was definitely worth the money. I haven't seen my pencil that sharp since I bought it.

[Dave Kendall]

Yeah the rotary lead sharpener's invaluable. the powder it creates is perfect lubrication for my hair trimmer. Not only can you draw you can have the perfect stubble. What more can you ask for. Unless you're female.:)

[JL.Alfaro]

Doesnt anyone use real pencils anymore? I too have a lead holder, I call it pencil.

[Favila]

if you search a little, staedtler has pdf instructions for the lead pointer online

[egerie]

#9 August 12th, 2007, 01:45 PM
That fat kid
Registered User
Level 11 Gladiator: Essedarii Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: The local art store!
Posts: 1,768


Those two little holes opposite the tube that leads down into the grinder shaft and next to the point cleaner are to set the length of the lead. Put the lead holder above one of those holes, let the stick fall into one of those holes, then push the lead holder down flush onto the sharpener while holding the back button to keep the lead loose. Let go of the back button while it's in there. When you pull the holder back, the lead should be set at a depth that allows the sharpener to sharpen without breaking any lead.

From This thread. (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=103855)

Additionaly, it prevents you from grinding too much lead for nothing.

[HunterKiller_]

From This thread. (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=103855)

See, somebody should've stickied my awesome thread. :P

[Thew]

a lead holder is great

it keeps the length, never gets small so you never waist led
and it's better to sharpen because the lead is straight in the pencil unlike some regular pencils where it is off center so when you sharpen those it breaks off

the rotary sharpener is a must have as well

[sweetoblivion314]

Doesnt anyone use real pencils anymore? I too have a lead holder, I call it pencil.

i prefer to use real pencils to lead holders. I really like faber castels and i sharpen them like you would sharpen a charcoal pencil. I keep my lead holder around because of its convenience but if Im gonna do a long pencil drawing i pull out my regular pencil set.

[egerie]

Doesnt anyone use real pencils anymore? I too have a lead holder, I call it pencil.

I use pencils all the time too. Only time I had a leadholder was when we were doing technical drawings and such.

HunterKiller_: ;)

Thew: Actually I'm more enclined to think that the lead breaks because people buy pencils by the unit. Thich sucks because they are tossed around a lot more (and dropped) than the boxed ones. Since I've learnt that, I've *always* bought mine in boxes (col-erase, sanford regulars, etc.) and never had a broken core. But anyhow, to each their own, right? :)

[FlameDragon]

I got the expensive sharpener and its good!!

[Blaque]

Maybe I'm missing something completely obvious.. but what's the difference between a leadholder and a mechanical pencil?

[light]

Maybe I'm missing something completely obvious.. but what's the difference between a leadholder and a mechanical pencil?
Thickness of the lead and usually it's a bit easier to get different hardness and points for lead holders.

[FlameDragon]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I didnt want to make a new one on it. How much of a difference is there between the different brand leadholders, like Koh-I-Noor and Staedtler? I have a Staedtler but I'm thinking of trying out a Koh-I-Noor

[dose]

It's all preference. It's best to try it out and see for yourself.

But for what it's worth, I prefer the Staedtler. The construction on the Koh-I-Noor feels a bit less solid- it's not contoured at all and doesn't sit in my hand as nicely. The lead release system is kind of floppy- the button has less spring and the "claws" are floppier and open wider so the lead wiggles around a little bit when you release it- whereas with the Staedtler the lead feels like it comes straight out and the button feels nice and solid.

Also, no built-in lead pointer on the Koh-I-Noor. Everybody seems to poo-poo the one on the staedtler in favor of the rotary pointer but I make a lot of use of it when the rotary pointer is impractical, like the subway. Also, the Koh-I-Noor I have doesn't have a clip, which I like to use to clip it to my various sketchbooks. Some people hate the clip, and the Staedtler can roll all over the place if you take the clip off.

My only tiny complaint about the Staedtler one is that I wish it came in different colors, or had some other way for me to tell at-a-glance which type of lead a given holder has. I have 15 or 20 of them between work, home, my backpack, and my various sketchboxes, and I use H, HB, non-photo blue, and occasionally 2B or 4H. When I'm life drawing I often use 2 or 3 at once. I've resorted to putting different pieces of tape on the end (terrible, really!).

YMMV! All very subjective stuff...

[FlameDragon]

It's all preference. It's best to try it out and see for yourself.

But for what it's worth, I prefer the Staedtler. The construction on the Koh-I-Noor feels a bit less solid- it's not contoured at all and doesn't sit in my hand as nicely. The lead release system is kind of floppy- the button has less spring and the "claws" are floppier and open wider so the lead wiggles around a little bit when you release it- whereas with the Staedtler the lead feels like it comes straight out and the button feels nice and solid.

Also, no built-in lead pointer on the Koh-I-Noor. Everybody seems to poo-poo the one on the staedtler in favor of the rotary pointer but I make a lot of use of it when the rotary pointer is impractical, like the subway. Also, the Koh-I-Noor I have doesn't have a clip, which I like to use to clip it to my various sketchbooks. Some people hate the clip, and the Staedtler can roll all over the place if you take the clip off.

My only tiny complaint about the Staedtler one is that I wish it came in different colors, or had some other way for me to tell at-a-glance which type of lead a given holder has. I have 15 or 20 of them between work, home, my backpack, and my various sketchboxes, and I use H, HB, non-photo blue, and occasionally 2B or 4H. When I'm life drawing I often use 2 or 3 at once. I've resorted to putting different pieces of tape on the end (terrible, really!).

YMMV! All very subjective stuff...

Yeah that's one if the reasons I chose Staedtler, also the lead for the Koh-I-Noor seems inexplicably alot more expensive. It's about $3-$4 whereas Staedtler is maybe $2.50. I like that they have a 3H lead though, which Staedtler curiously seems to have ignored (at least in my experience, I tried about 5 art stores and they had all the different leads except 3H for it). Also I wish Staedtler had more diversity in colors...how about a red leadholder!?

[Elwell]

My only tiny complaint about the Staedtler one is that I wish it came in different colors, or had some other way for me to tell at-a-glance which type of lead a given holder has.
If you buy the twelve count boxes of Staedtler leads, they come with different color-coded replacement buttons for the different hardnesses. (I know, then you don't have the built in pointer, everything's a trade-off ;))

[Pilgrim1099]

http://www.artstuff.net/images/staedtler%20780.jpg

I have two Koh-i-noor models in red color from at least 15 years ago. Really old school and has lasted me for years and I still use them to this day, although I also have used Pentel's lead holders which is good for lighter drawings on my moleskine.

Montreal eh? Nice. I'm in VT actually. Never been further up north though but I hear the creative scene there is pretty cool.

-A

[HunterKiller_]

I have 15 or 20 of them

Holy crap! :wtf:
You must've spent a good couple of hundred on those.

I've got 3 lead holders altogether, and I thought I was a stationary geek. T.T


If you buy the twelve count boxes of Staedtler leads, they come with different color-coded replacement buttons for the different hardnesses.

Oooh! I didn't realize those things were replacement buttons.
They are actually sharpeners, too.

The still look ugly compared to the original steel button.

[dose]

You must've spent a good couple of hundred on those.


Yeah- looking back I probably have. But it's been over several years, and it was definitely worth it. I use them all constantly, and I'll probably save money in the long run. Also, I just can't go back to sharpening a regular pencil.

Oooh! I didn't realize those things were replacement buttons.
They are actually sharpeners, too.

Me neither- I'll have to check it out.

[Sturgeon]

I feel like a moron for posting this, but thanks for this thread. I just purchased my first leadholder a week ago figuring Id give it a try. As you might imagine the point disappeared rather quickly and I didn't know about the sharpener on the top. So much for being observant.

Of course the real tragedy was when I turned over the sharpener and accidentally emptied all the shavings right over my 2 month old white macbook.
It cleaned up nicely but its pretty horrible when you feel outsmarted by a writing utensil.

[FlameDragon]

I feel like a moron for posting this, but thanks for this thread. I just purchased my first leadholder a week ago figuring Id give it a try. As you might imagine the point disappeared rather quickly and I didn't know about the sharpener on the top. So much for being observant.

Of course the real tragedy was when I turned over the sharpener and accidentally emptied all the shavings right over my 2 month old white macbook.
It cleaned up nicely but its pretty horrible when you feel outsmarted by a writing utensil.

You're welcome. Leadholders are a godsend, before that I was using mechanical pencil with .05 mm lead for my figure drawings :( They always came out so stiff and I couldn't do much shading with them. I like the Koh-I-Noor I bought though, I know it lacks features of the Staedtler but for some reason I am liking it better.

[Dan_Grr]

Is it possible to have a Prismacolor Black 935 lead (just the lead not the pencil) into a leadholder?

What could be other differences between the Koh-I-Nor and the Staedtler?

[J Wilson]

I used to LOVE lead holders, but I grew really tired of dealing with the sharpeners. I would use the rotary sharperners and I would find two problems with them:

A) Eventually the grinding mechanism would feel like it was clogged up with accumulated lead. Maybe I ground my pencils too hard and got it caked in it? In any case they would eventually feel like they weren't turning smoothly, which would break leads.

B) The even more annoying problem was transport. I'd throw it in a bag pocket with pencils. Eventually I'd either forget to empty it first and end up with a mess in the bag, or even if I was pretty mindful of it eventually even the small amount of dust that just clings to the inside would eventually still make everything a mess.

I've pretty much switched over to a mechanical pencil. Most of my sketching now is line work anyways, so I don't NEED the flexibility of the lead holder as much. I do miss how much more versatile it was though.

[FlameDragon]

I dont know why, but when I am sketching with the Koh-I-Noor the lines are coming out more assertively/firmly than with the Staedtler. Maybe it's the Koh-I-Noor lead, although I'm using each leadholder's H lead.

[Dan_Grr]

I noticed my leadholder is squareish, but there are others roundish, whad shape yours has and what do any of you feel comfortable with?

[FlameDragon]

After using the Koh-I-Noor, I find it hard to use the Staedtler anymore. It just doesnt feel as comfortable in my hand.

[ramoutar]

I love the Koh-I-Noor lead holders...but I can't find any stores that sell the 5.6 mm lead in HB...

[Equus]

Since I switched over to leadholders, I have pretty much stopped using woodcased pencils. Just preference.

For my 2mm leads (staedtler) I use Koh-I-Noor 5616 holders. As far as I know its the only "all metal" holder for 2mm leads made today. It has a real nice feel to it. I use a Staetler Mars 500 rotary sharpener. Its a larger than the portable versions and clamps onto my drafting table.

For my .5mm and .3mm leads (pentel) I use the Pentel Graph Gear 1000. These are also all metal and have a cool built-in device that retracts the point so you won't bend it when not in use. Never have to sharpen these!!!

I have one Creatcolor leadholder that holds a 5mm lead. That one is a honker!

Check out leadholder.com

The guy collects them and has a whole museum of them online.

Equus

[Caledonian]

I also tend to use graphite in different formats ranging from wooden pencils to mechanical pencils and leadholders. My current favorite is the Mitsubishi Uni-ball 2.0 mm leadholder. For refills, JetPens offers a pretty good value with Uni-ball Leadholder Refill 6-packs for $3.50.
Assortment of leadholders photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/53818504@N00/3016908810/
Mini review of my graphite collection: http://robotninjamonsters.blogspot.com/2008/11/graphite-pencils-mechanical-pencils-and.html

[OmenSpirits]

found this the other day. must have bought it years ago, and love the damn thing:

http://cdn.dickblick.com/items/204/11/20411-2009-2-2ww-m.jpg

[Black Spot]

Amongst other things, I got given a jumbo lead holder with an assortment of 8 leads for Christmas. Never used one before. I sort of like my biro.

[CaNiBaLe]

any ideas of how could leadholders be called in SPANISH? :geekg:

[Ian Miles]

any ideas of how could leadholders be called in SPANISH? :geekg:
Leadholder in spanish = Portaminas (2mm) or Lapicera (0,5mm)

[Phlipper]

found this the other day. must have bought it years ago, and love the damn thing:

http://cdn.dickblick.com/items/204/11/20411-2009-2-2ww-m.jpg

LOL. My favorite 'everyday' tool is a plain old Ebony Design pencil. I have a very specifically designed sketch set of woodless graphite pencils, Wolffe carbon, Faber charcoal, and Faber pastel pencils that match Conte crayons. But for everyday drawing it's an old sketchbook and an Ebony. Gets the job done.

As for lead holders ... I used the Kohinoor in college for my drafting classes and I had the large CretaColor holder for a while with the basic lead set (Sanguine, Sepia, White, Charcoal, and Graphite). The problem I had with the Creta is that the white, sanguine, and sepia leads were rock hard and almost tore the newsprint when life drawing and really needing to get the pigment down.

I guess you can't have both. Smooth and creamy or hard enough to use as a lead. We got two ... pick one. :donk:

[CaNiBaLe]

Leadholder in spanish = Portaminas (2mm) or Lapicera (0,5mm)

Thanks for the answer, but I'm afraid you're wrong, a Portaminas is just a mechanical pencil and a Lapicera is a common pen. Maybe I should look for a broad portaminas or something like that. Again, thanks anyway !

[FlameDragon]

Koh-i-noor feels wonderful...the Staedtler leadholder feels stiff for some reason.

[Caledonian]

Well in Peruvian Spanish, "Portaminas" would have applied to both 0.5 mechanical pencils and 2.0 mm leadholders. One would just have to specify at the stationery store "estoy buscando un portaminas de 0.5 mm o un portaminas de 2 mm". "Lapicero" would be any ink pen. Although last time I went shopping for them in Lima, the 0.2 mm leadholders were rather hard to find (only found them in "Libreria Minerva en Miraflores"). The 0.5 mm mechanical pencils were fairly common and sold at many grocery and stationery stores throughout the city.