[leveraction]

I really like pencils as well. A few years ago I started a development journal mainly to stay motivated and so that I could look back to see how far I had come. I quickly found out that the whole process was a lot more enjoyable with nice paper and pencils.

I use several pencils and like them all really. I currently use all four Blackwings (black, pearl, natural and 602) as well as as a Tombow MONO 2H if I want fine lines, and I occassionally use the Mitsubishi k9800HB which is nice but not my favorite.

Now I am going to try the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni 10B and even the KH-20 pencil sharpener. I like the manual long point sharpener from Blackwing and it is what I use daily. Overall, for general use, I like either the blackwing natural or the 602. The Black is very dark and makes normal pencil look anemic but you do have to sharpen frequently, although sometimes pausing to sharpen helps me clarify my thoughts, so I don't really mind. The pearl gives you similar quality, but is slightly harder so it last longer between sharpenings. Also a very good choice.

[criddell]

How well do the pages hold up over time? When I look back at my notebooks from ten and twenty years ago, the pencil has not held up well. I think the rubbing of the pages from use and moving them around has really lightened the marks.

For anything I'm going to keep, I use ink now.

[leveraction]

My journals are net yet that old, 3 to 4 years, so probably too early to say. Thus far, they look good, and with a really dark pencil, even with a bit of fading it doesn't really matter.