![]() ![]() Yet as an “obsolete” technology, the capabilities of drafting film and film pencils may be unknown to those of us who never experienced these products first hand, and I thought it would be enjoyable to share some discoveries. The observations made here are probably trivialities to those familiar with the tools. Architects, draftspeople, engineers, and others, used lead pencils alongside other tools to create plans for everything from small industrial parts to immense cities. Before computer aided design (CAD), precision drawings were made by hand. Let’s take a brief trip into the almost departed world of drafting by pencil. Since composing the article, Leon has noticed that the HEMA clip appears to be identical to that of the Rotring 600. Sincere thanks to Leon for contributing this excellent article. All together, it’s a little gem among those plastic elements.Ī closer look at the different parts of the HEMA mechanical pencil In the center of the grip are some deeper laying rings that amplify this effect even more. The diamond shaped profile makes the grip much better and en passant makes it look like a piece of a fine mechanical instrumentation. The body is sleek but the lower part is slightly wider, which makes it more comfortable to hold. The metal clip is strong but flexible enough to be really useful. The surface looks like aluminium but given the weight, I’d say it’s steel covered with a layer of aluminium. Therefore, I wouldn’t be surprised if these mechanical pencils are not available anywhere else. Most are produced specially for them, to their specifications. It comes with a single 0.5 mm lead to get you started and even though the eraser is too small for frequent use, the weight of it alone gives you confidence that it’s a serious piece of equipment. However, at the HEMA, a series of Dutch department stores, I found a nice exception. Of course, you’ll often find dozens of cheap lead holders usually mostly made of plastic, designed without any fantasy. I’m not a very active collector, but whenever I visit a warehouse or bookstore, I like to check the assortment of mechanical pencils. ![]() Still, I think some of these items have never been so high in quality while so affordable as now, in the 21st century. They are there, but they are not advertised much. Fortunately, this is not the case, although they don’t get a lot of attention. You’d think that, with the increased use of computers and the digital lifestyle becoming the standard, items like mechanical pencils would be used less and less or would even disappear completely. Apparently I am not the only one who likes mechanical pencils. Mechanical pencils (vulpotloden in Dutch) are among my favorites. I can’t resist buying them every once in a while, when I’ve found a new one that looks promising. Outside of school and some internships I never used these (literally) old school techniques any more, but I still love the tools of the trade. The Mac had taken over the pre-press world but our school was a little late to the party, so I still learned to work with paper, ink, huge cameras and chemically developed, rasterized film. I have an education as a pre-press graphic designer and graduated in 1995. Since my schooldays, I haven’t done much work with a mechanical pencil. to R.: Stanley knife, Pentel Side FX 0.5 PD255, HEMA vulpotlood, Pentel Function. Today, we are honored to have a guest post from Leon of Oude Tonge, Netherlands.
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