From the computer lab

I've been thinking a lot lately about what my next post should be, and I've come to the conclusion I'll talk about my collection a little, and my OCD toward pencils and their use.  So, off on a rant we go...

I decided on collecting mechanical pencils for two main reasons.  The first is that they are simply an awesome little gadget.  Regardless of the size or the style, mechanical pencils themselves are and engineering marvel.  Of course we take them for granted now with all of the technological advances we've seen in the last few decades, but come on, they're just awesome pieces of technology.  I think this mentality has had an impact on what I view to be an awesome pencil also.  While I have respect for classic and vintage pencils, the "beez neez" for me would have to be drafting pencils.  They are just wonderful instruments of precision and fine engineering, and that's my draw to them.  I loathe over classics like the Pentel Accugraph 1505 and other pencils of the likes from the 70s and on.  That's what really gets my juices flowing.

My other reason for starting a mechanical pencil collection was that I thought it would be a hobby that kept me happy but was less harmful to my wallet.  Too bad when I started I didn't know what I was getting myself into!  Most of my friends smirk at the idea of paying any more than a couple of dollars for a pencil.  I on the other hand don't see a better option.  To me, your writing instrument is vital in communcating what's in your head onto paper, so why not use the smartest and most awesome pencil you can!

The first pencil I found that really got me thinking about collecting MPs was the Kuru Toga.  I had just gotten back to school last fall after a year or so off.  I was messing around with my new pair of Pentel Twist Erase IIIs when I started wondering what new pencils were out there.  I did a search for cool mechanical pencils, and sure enough the Kuru Toga was the first to pop up.  Being an engineering student and understanding the engine behind the pencil, I just had to have it.  Not much longer I was showing all my friends and family and I had officially designated myself the pencil nerd.  Then I found Jetpens.com.  That I think was the real pandora's box.  Suddenly all of these amazing pencils I'd never seen before became available to me.  So I went crazy...

One thing I like to consider when adding to my collection is cheap pencils.  While I love my drafting pencils and what not, I am on a never ending quest to find the best economy pencil.  I will have to decide what guidelines I have for this pencil at a later date, but I will not know any time soon.

In reviewing my MPs, I hope to come up with a sheet of guidelines, some kind of structure or list of bullet points for me to cover with each pencil to give them all a fair review.  Any ideas for this list are welcome.

I'm gonna call it quits for now as I have two study partners ready to dive into a thermodynamics book with me.  I hope soon to get my collection as of now up for you all to see.  I also have a bunch of new goodies coming this week to add to the ever growing collection, and in the near future I'll have my first review up, as well as my selection method and testing/reviewing guidelines for each pencil.

til next time folks

The Beginning

Howdy all.  My name is Eric, and due to the inspiration of Dave from Dave's Mechanical Pencils I've started my own blog.  I have begun my own collection of mechanical pencils, but in an effort to have a different spin than Dave, I will look at most from an engineering perspective.  After all, most of what I'm doing is computations.  I hope to also talk about other things engineering related, and maybe incorporate my classes into the discussion.  I won't lie though, my true passion will be my pencils. 

A little about me, I'm a mechanical engineering student in Ohio.  I call myself a born again student because I spent a couple of years at school not really going anywhere.  I took a year off, worked retail, then decided that my education was much more important than I had allowed myself to believe before.  So I'm back at school now and doing better than ever before!

My core engineering classes right now are statics and thermodynamics, so my pencils will be getting a workout.  Tune in for more later, and I'm hoping to add to Dave's plethera of pencil reviews as time goes on.