this post was submitted on 10 Mar 2025
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Asklemmy

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[โ€“] MathGrunt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Pencils. The ones where you need a pencil sharpener to sharpen them every so often. Mechanical pencils just aren't the same.

[โ€“] Sludgeyy@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Have you tried an auto rotating mechanical pencil?

Other mechanical pencils suck because you get a flat side on the lead. An auto rotating one fixes this problem and makes it like new everytime you pick up and put down the tip to write.

[โ€“] myrrh@ttrpg.network 10 points 6 days ago (1 children)

...for fine drafting, rotation is the last thing you want: that chisel-tip is precious, lead holders are love, lead holders are life...

[โ€“] CarbonBasedNPU@lemm.ee 1 points 5 days ago

I own far too many rotoring products for someone who does not draft. their lead holder is significantly better than the others that I have used.

[โ€“] wheeldawg@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 days ago

Oh man reading the previous comment instantly reminded me of this problem I haven't had any encounter with since I left high school. I've never heard of that, but if I ever had any reason to write anything I would love it to be one of these.

The only writing I've done in YEARS is signing my name on screens at doctor offices and pharmacies.

[โ€“] VirusMaster3073@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Aren't mechanical pencils incompatible with scantrons?

Shouldn't be. As long as you are on the same hardness scale it should be fine. The standard number 2 pencil just means its a medium-hardness graphite or HB on the grading scale. An argument can be made for the finer tip of the mechanical pencil can damage the scantron paper, but one should be able to fill in a circle without pressing so hard it damages the paper.

[โ€“] easily3667@lemmus.org 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[โ€“] CarbonBasedNPU@lemm.ee 1 points 5 days ago

"school says they are because you could technically put in something like 10H and have it not read properly and they aren't going to check to make sure that students are using the right type of lead." -a random reddit user like 5 years ago when I asked the same question

That is the only theory I have heard as to why teachers say that they are incompatible that makes sense to me.