0.9mm Pencil Kits?

[BHuij]

I've turned my fair share of pencils, tried a lot of different kits. Mostly bad experiences with mechanism failures where the slimline-type and even Sierra-type click pencils are concerned.

Better with some of the nicer kits (Duraclick, collet/clutch type lead holders, etc) that seem to use nicer Schmidt mechanisms.

Does anyone make a good 0.9mm kit? I haven't been able to find one. I like 0.7mm lead fine, but my preference is for 0.9. Would love to get my hands on a good kit with that lead size if it exists. So far my research suggests that simply re-tubing a Pentel P209 might be the only option out there.

 

[Penultimate]

I've only converted one P205, for the price IMHO it is the best kit. The mech is really reliable, my conversion pen is about 40 yrs old.

 

[its_virgil]

Pentel™ Pencil Conversion

Pentel pencils, especially the P205, P207 and the P209 are very popular with accountants and engineers. The step bit made making these conversions much easier. But in the December 2012 issue of Woodturning Design magazine had an article by my...

www.penturners.org

 

[BHuij]

Pentel P209 is the only option then?

 

[Woodchipper]

Never heard of a 0.9mm pencil. Have seen some pencils at the office supply that used a #2 lead.

 

[BHuij]

0.9mm refers to the diameter (0.5 and 0.7 are the most common mech pencil lead diameters, but 0.9 isn't considered oddball or difficult to find). #2 refers to the lead hardness.

 

[Woodchipper]

0.9mm refers to the diameter (0.5 and 0.7 are the most common mech pencil lead diameters, but 0.9 isn't considered oddball or difficult to find). #2 refers to the lead hardness.

Will measure a #2 lead to compare.

 

[egnald]

Exotic Blanks carries some 0.9mm Schmidt DSM 2006 Pencil Mechanisms that are very close to the size of a standard Parker type ink refill, however, so far I haven't found a standard "Parker" type kit that they will fit into without some kind of kit modification. Usually the metal piece around the tip is just a little too large to fit into the tip/nib of the pens. The 2006 mechanisms in 0.5mm and 0.7mm however have fit nicely into all of the kits I have tried, effectively converting the pen into a mechanical pencil. - Dave

 

[BHuij]

Yes, this matches up with the research I've continued to do.

I've actually used the DSM 2006 mechanism in a couple of pens that used Parker style refills. But it was the 0.7mm version for both of the pencils I made with that mechanism. In both cases it did indeed drop right in and work seamlessly, and the mechanism itself seems quite nice.

I specifically avoided the 0.9mm version of the DSM 2006 specifically because everyone said it didn't fit their pens. I went ahead and reached out to Exotic Blanks via email today to see if they knew of any kits that could take the 0.9mm version without modification.

Failing that, I'm not necessarily opposed to modifying a kit to take it if it means I can have a reliable 0.9 pencil mechanism inside of a kit that I already like as a pen. PSI has several single-tube designs available in click version that I really like (Gatsby, Spartan, etc. etc.). Just curious if anyone has actually pulled it off.