Silly question, but I'm out of #2 pencils and wanted to know if any of y'all have raving recommendations for a particular brand before I re-stock for the June test. I'm a lefty, so any that are anti-smudge would be especially useful!
My current go to pencils are the Staedler Norica's and Staedler Wopex. Sharpener is Kum long point (non-branded blackwing), and erasers are pentel block erasers. We went at it in the linked threads for a long time before I arrived to these conclusions lol
Staedtler changed the formula of the Noricas in 2015, so be aware of that before you buy. I ended up sticking with the Palomino Golden Bears because they're cheap, sharpen well, and don't sound scratchy as hell (which was my issue with the new Noricas). The lead's also dark, but not as dark as the Norica's. You could get those pencils from Pencils.com, where the Palomino Blackwing sharpener is cheaper than it is on Amazon. You do have to pay for shipping, but it's about $2-4, depending on how much you buy.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I knew we were due for another pencil discussion!!
I was just thinking the other day that my Noricas sure do wear down too quickly, even with my long point sharpener, when I do the CC quizzes.
I'll save the Noricas for the crappy PT paper, but I went back to my Papermates, and dammit, they're much lighter to read than my gloriously dark Noricas! WTH?!
I might try the Wopex's because I do love Staedtler.
Are the Wopex as smooth as the Noricas? And, more importantly, are they as dark on the page as the Noricas? I looked them up and have a feeling I tried these greenies before and really disliked them.
Where are the silver ones JY uses in his videos. You know, the ones with no eraser? I think they're silver, or are they gray? Maybe they're black. I have seen a video in a while.
@"Bevs ScooterMinion" said:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I knew we were due for another pencil discussion!!
I was just thinking the other day that my Noricas sure do wear down too quickly, even with my long point sharpener, when I do the CC quizzes.
I'll save the Noricas for the crappy PT paper, but I went back to my Papermates, and dammit, they're much lighter to read than my gloriously dark Noricas! WTH?!
I might try the Wopex's because I do love Staedtler.
Are the Wopex as smooth as the Noricas? And, more importantly, are they as dark on the page as the Noricas? I looked them up and have a feeling I tried these greenies before and really disliked them.
Where are the silver ones JY uses in his videos. You know, the ones with no eraser? I think they're silver, or are they gray? Maybe they're black. I have seen a video in a while.
I've been using the Wopexs more and more myself. There was a sale and I picked up 5 18 packs very cheap! I think it was under $30!
They are about as smooth as the Noricas, however, the lead is not as "creamy." They are also not as dark. They are definitely darker than a Dixon Ticon, though.
That said, they write forever... Today I did about 10 games and haven't had to sharpen my Wopex at all. I've also done an entire PT with one Wopex! Usually I need 3 to comfortably write a Pt using the Norica. The Wopex is actually marketed as lasting at least 2x longer than the Norica. They are also a bit wider and heavier. I like how the Noricas write, but having a longer lasting pencil seems like more of an advantage on a test like this. Not to mention the newer Noricas have a bit more hard and scratchy lead then the ones made before 2016.
The Wopex's point is nearly unbreakable too! I've converted to the Wopex!
The one's JY uses in the live videos are both the gray and black Wopexs without erasers. I also have a few of these and they are essentially the same thing as the green ones. The green ones have an eraser and are the newer version. Staedtler no longer makes the ones JY uses in the live videos but you can still find them on Amazon.
@"Alex Divine" huge fan of your pencil posts ^
what sharpener would you recommend for the Wopex? I've yet to try the Wopex pencils but am now planning on it.
(sidenote: i found the blackwing/kum long point sharpener's blades go dull after about a month or two of sharpening staedtler noricas, so not sure how they'll fare with the wopex. i've also read that the blackwing long point sharpener and wopex don't go well together?)
@MapleSarahp said: @"Alex Divine" huge fan of your pencil posts ^
what sharpener would you recommend for the Wopex? I've yet to try the Wopex pencils but am now planning on it.
(sidenote: i found the blackwing/kum long point sharpener's blades go dull after about a month or two of sharpening staedtler noricas, so not sure how they'll fare with the wopex. i've also read that the blackwing long point sharpener and wopex don't go well together?)
Haha thanks! Before this, while in college, I was obsessed with pens. I clearly have no life, lol.
Definitely try them! Although the Blackwing long point sharpener works with the Wopex, I find that it makes the points more susceptible to pitting. I've been using this basic Staedtler sharpener and it works great w/ minimal pitting.
P.S. @dantlee14 , I forgot to answer you: I'm also a lefty, and haven't really found a smudgeproof pencil I liked to write with. So over the years, I've managed to just keep my hand out of the way since I have to see what it typed or under on the left of my hand. Annoying, but since we read and write left to right, I doubt the LSAC is going to change it all just for us. More's the pity. lol
Dixon Ticonderoga Black #2 I especially love that the eraser doesn't smudge. I tried the papermate but the eraser left a trail. I would like to try the Staedtler but since I've done all my LSAT stuff with the Ticonderoga, I'd feel like I'd be betraying a loyal team member lol. The Ticonderoga has been with me through the LSAT trials and tribulations, I'd like it to be there with me as we finish the job.
@Patroclus said:
Dixon Ticonderoga Black #2 I especially love that the eraser doesn't smudge. I tried the papermate but the eraser left a trail. I would like to try the Staedtler but since I've done all my LSAT stuff with the Ticonderoga, I'd feel like I'd be betraying a loyal team member lol. The Ticonderoga has been with me through the LSAT trials and tribulations, I'd like it to be there with me as we finish the job.
In Japan, there are specific pencils made for filling in the bubbles on standardized tests. These are great
@dantlee14 said:
Thanks everyone! Super helpful. Tho I gota say that I really had no idea what I was unleashing upon the forums when I asked this question O.o
@"Alex Divine" So, I bought the lime green Wopex pencils and LOVE them. The tip lasts forEVER. Took a PT today and had absolutely no issues. They're not nearly as dark as the Noricas BUT I prefer a long lasting point to a darker mark any day. Just thought you'd like to know.
@RafaelBernard said: @"Alex Divine" So, I bought the lime green Wopex pencils and LOVE them. The tip lasts forEVER. Took a PT today and had absolutely no issues. They're not nearly as dark as the Noricas BUT I prefer a long lasting point to a darker mark any day. Just thought you'd like to know.
YES!! I know that's the exact reason I've grown so fond of them. Thank you Team Wopex!
Comments
Not silly at all. Actually there's an entire thread dedicated to pencils!
https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/2543/the-pencil-thread-7sage-style/p1
I really love the Staedtler Norcia and the Staedtler Wopex. I also use a Staedtler Eraser.
All the pencil talk you'll ever want:
https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/2543/the-pencil-thread-7sage-style/p1
https://7sage.com/forums/discussion/10792/
I use Black wing 602.
My current go to pencils are the Staedler Norica's and Staedler Wopex. Sharpener is Kum long point (non-branded blackwing), and erasers are pentel block erasers. We went at it in the linked threads for a long time before I arrived to these conclusions lol
Staedtler changed the formula of the Noricas in 2015, so be aware of that before you buy. I ended up sticking with the Palomino Golden Bears because they're cheap, sharpen well, and don't sound scratchy as hell (which was my issue with the new Noricas). The lead's also dark, but not as dark as the Norica's. You could get those pencils from Pencils.com, where the Palomino Blackwing sharpener is cheaper than it is on Amazon. You do have to pay for shipping, but it's about $2-4, depending on how much you buy.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I knew we were due for another pencil discussion!!
I was just thinking the other day that my Noricas sure do wear down too quickly, even with my long point sharpener, when I do the CC quizzes.
I'll save the Noricas for the crappy PT paper, but I went back to my Papermates, and dammit, they're much lighter to read than my gloriously dark Noricas! WTH?!
I might try the Wopex's because I do love Staedtler.
Are the Wopex as smooth as the Noricas? And, more importantly, are they as dark on the page as the Noricas? I looked them up and have a feeling I tried these greenies before and really disliked them.
Where are the silver ones JY uses in his videos. You know, the ones with no eraser? I think they're silver, or are they gray? Maybe they're black. I have seen a video in a while.
Are they these...Staedtler Noris in a different color: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M6CPTO2/ref=asc_df_B00M6CPTO24988268/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=395009&creativeASIN=B00M6CPTO2&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167123392997&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6864299694218940524&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003773&hvtargid=pla-312588173428 ?
Back to the pencil board I go!
I've been using the Wopexs more and more myself. There was a sale and I picked up 5 18 packs very cheap! I think it was under $30!
They are about as smooth as the Noricas, however, the lead is not as "creamy." They are also not as dark. They are definitely darker than a Dixon Ticon, though.
That said, they write forever... Today I did about 10 games and haven't had to sharpen my Wopex at all. I've also done an entire PT with one Wopex! Usually I need 3 to comfortably write a Pt using the Norica. The Wopex is actually marketed as lasting at least 2x longer than the Norica. They are also a bit wider and heavier. I like how the Noricas write, but having a longer lasting pencil seems like more of an advantage on a test like this. Not to mention the newer Noricas have a bit more hard and scratchy lead then the ones made before 2016.
The Wopex's point is nearly unbreakable too! I've converted to the Wopex!
The one's JY uses in the live videos are both the gray and black Wopexs without erasers. I also have a few of these and they are essentially the same thing as the green ones. The green ones have an eraser and are the newer version. Staedtler no longer makes the ones JY uses in the live videos but you can still find them on Amazon.
They can be found here:
Black Wopex
https://www.amazon.com/Staedtler-Graphite-Pencil-Sharpener-Germany/dp/B01MZWXKX8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495052660&sr=8-1&keywords=black+wopex
Gray Wopex
https://www.amazon.com/Staedtler-WOPEX-Ecological-Pencils-Set/dp/B008MOB000/ref=pd_sbs_229_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B008MOB000&pd_rd_r=P1K9K7VQGJXJYWS9WYY4&pd_rd_w=jngXj&pd_rd_wg=T0Okn&psc=1&refRID=P1K9K7VQGJXJYWS9WYY4
Green ones I use:
https://www.amazon.com/Staedtler-Pencil-182-41CB18-NA/dp/B00IUT6PES/ref=pd_sbs_229_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00IUT6PES&pd_rd_r=P1K9K7VQGJXJYWS9WYY4&pd_rd_w=jngXj&pd_rd_wg=T0Okn&psc=1&refRID=P1K9K7VQGJXJYWS9WYY4
@"Alex Divine" huge fan of your pencil posts ^
what sharpener would you recommend for the Wopex? I've yet to try the Wopex pencils but am now planning on it.
(sidenote: i found the blackwing/kum long point sharpener's blades go dull after about a month or two of sharpening staedtler noricas, so not sure how they'll fare with the wopex. i've also read that the blackwing long point sharpener and wopex don't go well together?)
Haha thanks! Before this, while in college, I was obsessed with pens. I clearly have no life, lol.
Definitely try them! Although the Blackwing long point sharpener works with the Wopex, I find that it makes the points more susceptible to pitting. I've been using this basic Staedtler sharpener and it works great w/ minimal pitting.
https://www.amazon.com/Staedtler-2-Hole-Pencil-Sharpener-assorted/dp/B00006IEE2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1495054738&sr=8-6&keywords=staedtler+sharpener
Thank you!
P.S. @dantlee14 , I forgot to answer you: I'm also a lefty, and haven't really found a smudgeproof pencil I liked to write with. So over the years, I've managed to just keep my hand out of the way since I have to see what it typed or under on the left of my hand. Annoying, but since we read and write left to right, I doubt the LSAC is going to change it all just for us. More's the pity. lol
Dixon Ticonderoga Black #2 I especially love that the eraser doesn't smudge. I tried the papermate but the eraser left a trail. I would like to try the Staedtler but since I've done all my LSAT stuff with the Ticonderoga, I'd feel like I'd be betraying a loyal team member lol. The Ticonderoga has been with me through the LSAT trials and tribulations, I'd like it to be there with me as we finish the job.
In Japan, there are specific pencils made for filling in the bubbles on standardized tests. These are great
https://www.amazon.com/Mitsubishi-Pencil-sheet-pencil-MPUMSHB/dp/B001DUFKKG
https://www.amazon.com/Dragonfly-pencil-sheet-dozen-japan/dp/B0016GLVTG/
OMG! That's on a different level!
Oh, there are erasers made for erasing bubbles too
There are articles in Japanese testing the speed of filling in the bubbles using different pencils. HB UMSHB (http://a.co/8eGzngo) ranks the best.
Hahaha that description though...
good for student
good for children
good for teen
Hahaha! Maybe not good for adults! (They must have literally translated from Japanese.)
I need to book a flight to Japan and learn the ways of speed bubbling!
Palomino Golden Bears are too fresh.
All y'all are crazy. Pony up $15 bucks and these will change your life. https://www.amazon.com/Tombow-Mono-Hexagonal-Wooden-Pencil/dp/B0016GG7XQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1495398783&sr=8-4&keywords=tombow+mono+hb. Sure, it's a little aristocratic to spend money on fancy pencils, but they're perfect in every way.
Thanks everyone! Super helpful. Tho I gota say that I really had no idea what I was unleashing upon the forums when I asked this question O.o
Tombows are very nice pencils indeed! Not familiar with this particular model, but the reviews look damn good.
how are there two threads on this now?! i can't keep up!
Clearly we love our pencils!
Ticonderoga Black all day son.
@"Alex Divine" So, I bought the lime green Wopex pencils and LOVE them. The tip lasts forEVER. Took a PT today and had absolutely no issues. They're not nearly as dark as the Noricas BUT I prefer a long lasting point to a darker mark any day. Just thought you'd like to know.
YES!! I know that's the exact reason I've grown so fond of them. Thank you Team Wopex!