Magnificent Obsession # 1872

February 17, 2004 9:12 AM

leadholder.com:: the online drafting pencil museum
posted by anastasiav (11 comments total)

This brings back memories of my early days in the post-college working world. My company had a Vax minicomputer that handled (I think) 4 drafters but there were still dozens of guys working at the traditional drafting tables with drafting pencils like these.

Despite having schematic capture tools, most of the schematics were still on vellum and required an ammonia-based diazo machine to make copies. There's just something about a hand drawing that's missing from the precise computer-generated ones.
posted by tommasz at 9:46 AM on February 17, 2004

I loves me my Staedtler/Mars 780s with the pushbuttons color-coded to the lead grade.
posted by LionIndex at 9:52 AM on February 17, 2004

oh god, just four seconds on my screen and already i love this site. cool!
posted by Peter H at 9:55 AM on February 17, 2004

Ack! *gasp* I remember the vellum days, too, tommasz. And how 'bout those sepias, were they torture or what? Mylar, I also learned then, gives cavernous paper cuts. One of my koh-i-noors was malfunctioning repeatedly one day, so I took it out back and bashed it with a hammer. And the ammonia machines were good for clearing the sinuses. BTW 'Tis true the CAD output is less human.

Thanks, anastasiav. It's hard to believe there's a website for nothing but leadholders.
posted by yoga at 11:22 AM on February 17, 2004

Man, I came across this a few months ago. Hopefully coudal has it in his Museum of Online Museums.
posted by me3dia at 12:04 PM on February 17, 2004

This website is going to kill me, I know it.

Lots of stuff here I'd forgotten about, although my late 70's Koh-I-Noor Technigraph 5611 is still right here on the desk.
posted by xiffix at 12:24 PM on February 17, 2004

It's interesting how the curator despises thin lead pencils. I once treated myself to a Rotring 600, and I have to say that it is a really horrible pencil, despite its hefty pricetag and nifty appearance. Very very disappointing. Death to all thin lead drafting pencils!!!1!
posted by chrid at 12:28 PM on February 17, 2004

Wow. This is...just wow. About the thin lead pencils: the only holiday gift I recieved this past december was a Rotring pencil that takes a .5mm lead. I love it. I use it for everything from notetaking to sketching, although I've never tried using it as a drafting pencil, as I have no need. The only complaint I have is the metal grip can become slippery despite the rather fetching pitted surface.
posted by Grod at 4:14 PM on February 17, 2004

Nice. I've had lead holder (the 203) since 1987, and it's held up nicely. The .3mm lead was the cause of many down-graded papers in middle and high school due to the inability of teachers to read my miniscule handwriting. Ahh, good days.

Thanks for the link.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:41 PM on February 17, 2004

Yep me3dia. This beauty is in the queue waiting to be hung with the rest of the coming MoOM Spring Exhibitions, along with the Compact Cassette Cover Gallery, the Gallery of Lesser-Known International Super Heroes and others.
posted by coudal at 4:12 AM on February 18, 2004

I've noticed that engineers in general still use pencils. I know I do. Most use the freebies from the supply closet. I've been trying to find a nice mechanical pencil, something of the same quality and feel as a nice pen. I'm using a Retro 51 Tornado right now. It has a nice feel but I wish it was full size. I'm still looking for mechanical pencil nirvana but it's difficult. Not many stores stock anything other then pens.
posted by substrate at 4:29 AM on February 18, 2004