Is the ferule plastic? On other plastc ferule pencils I've tried, the lead wiggles a bit when you write. Annoying. Do these?
381905
The ferrule is plastic, and is the weak link in the pencil. It will ultimately crack and allow too much play in the lead, which will also break. However, they're so cheap I just throw them away and get out a new one. (I also change out the lead to my favorite brand, Pentel, which I think writes more smoothly than the lead that comes with the Zebra. It's a good product, especially for the price.
502708
They have refill pack of leads + erasers that's quite reasonable. The pencils are great -- the leads don't break easily and produce readable writing. My preschooler, 3rd grader, and I all love them. :)
1689839
This pencil is not self feeding, you advance the lead by pressing down on the eraser holder. I like the smooth grip on the pencil and the size of the lead. It is a winner in my book. I am a teacher so I use it a lot.
37586
That has happened with some of the ones I've used. No big problem. Just hold it with your fingers around the piece that's moving and the eraser will stay put. It sounds awkward, but it's really not. When you flip the pencil to erase, just slide your fingers down to the rim and hold it as you erase. The eraser won't be able to move. It's one of the few flaws.
1271819
I, personally, find the Prismacolor pencils of very good quality. I believe that those who find them cheap do not realize that hese pencils are artist's pencils. The leads are made of materials as pure as possible, and therefore, do not include materials to strengthen the lead, including strengthening matrial would sully the color. These pencils therefore are not made to be jostled, or dropped. I have been using my Prismacolor pencils for more than a year and I handle them with care. They are not "coloring pencils" they are artistic tools. If you treat them as ordinary pencils you will find the lead is often broken even before sharpening them. I, personally, find the Prismacolor pencils of very good quality. I believe that those who find them cheap do not realize that hese pencils are artist's pencils. The leads are made of materials as pure as possible, and therefore, do not include materials to strengthen the lead, including strengthening matrial would sully the color. These pencils therefore are not made to be jostled, or dropped. I have been using my Prismacolor pencils for more than a year and I handle them with care. They are not "coloring pencils" they are artistic tools. If you treat them as ordinary... » Read More I, personally, find the Prismacolor pencils of very good quality. I believe that those who find them cheap do not realize that hese pencils are artist's pencils. The leads are made of materials as pure as possible, and therefore, do not include materials to strengthen the lead, including strengthening matrial would sully the color. These pencils therefore are not made to be jostled, or dropped. I have been using my Prismacolor pencils for more than a year and I handle them with care. They are not "coloring pencils" they are artistic tools. If you treat them as ordinary pencils you will find the lead is often broken even before sharpening them. « Show Less
1664653
Yes all of mine have came with lead inside them. I've also bought refills here on amazon for the leads and erasers. I have not had to replace or add any to my pencils yet but did not want to wait till I ran out before I ordered. I love mine, very comfortable in the hand and balanced well for drawing.
713228
Use a .5 mm mechanical pencil. It is helpful to hold the pencil perpendicular to your work. (I. e. vertically in most cases.) This will go a long way to prevent lead breakage. It is also supposed to be possible to use a normal wooden pencil if it is sharp enough. I haven't tried that.
423392
The basic components of a pencil are the lead (actually graphite), the wood & paint, eraser holder, and the eraser. People who took pride in their craft started pencil companies and created a reputation based on their choice of these components, and their execution of certain other quality characteristics like centering the lead so sharpening is symmetrical, etc. Unfortunately some of these companies have been sold to corporations who reduce the quality of I all but keep the price up. For a period they show much improved profits and often sell he purchased company for more than they paid based on this artificial profitability which eventually diminishes as users of the product catch on that there favorite product is no longer what it use to be. With pencils companies, like Papermate, so it seems, have done just that. The lead is poor quality and inconsistent, the wood is thinner and no longer good quality cedar, the brass holding he eraser is no longer brass, and the eraser is also of poorer quality. Since these are only pencils, the bean counters at corporate I guess think they can pull it off. For some of us who enjoy using a good pencil, we notice. At least there are forums such as this where we can voice our discontent.
1689838
You must click the top cover over the eraser or the eraser itself to advance lead. The main reason this is my favorite pencil is that it automatically rotates the lead as you write, keeping the lead pointed and greatly reducing lead breakage.
1095549
It does! When you press the lead down into the paper, there's a feeding mechanism that advances the lead when you pick the pencil up. This does mean that it only works when you press hard enough to get the mechanism to do this (there's a spring involved), but it doesn't mean you end up digging into the paper either. It works well, and I don't think about it. Can't recommend this pencil enough, it's fantastic.
2269712
There is a sleeve that supports the very thin lead 0.5 mm. It is out when using the pencil to write. It does slide back in with the lead. I usually push the top, and then push the lead and sleeve back up into the tip. It does not retract by itself. I suppose I could leave it sticking out, but it would poke holes in my shirt pocket.
499210
YES!! I know what you mean. These are the only mechanical pencils I use and it is because the erasers are excellent. It is definitely worth a try.
456611
I like the top entry for colored pencils. It puts less stress on the inner wax layer and lessons the likelihood of breakage. For regular graphite pencils - it probably wouldn't make any difference.
1011395
The letters themselves are plastic and have magnets molded inside the back of each piece. I don't know if they contain lead but if so it would beMinimal as lead is non magnetic.
1150587
This paper is light. It is almost like plastic paper. It would certainly be light enough for a pencil to trace fine details through, but I don't know that it would last as long as you'd like. Also, it is too light to be able to trace around the edges.... there is no stiffness to it. You might be better off with the stiffer plastic sheets that are used as section dividers for reports. That's what I've used for quilt block pieces that are meant to be reused. There are also a variety of types of plastic sheets that can be found with blueprint and architectural supplies.
1076039
Hi A. Held!The Friendly Swede here:-) Apologies for the late reply, we're cleaning house on questions and noticed we missed yours! I would describe it as soft and pliable, not a firm writing tip. We do have some that are more firm for writing though, I'd be happy to show you some other options. Let me know if I can help you further at this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/contact-seller/contact-seller.html/ref=aag_m_fi?ie=UTF8&asin;=&isCBA;=&isPopup;=&marketplaceID;=ATVPDKIKX0DER&orderID;=&sellerID;=AP0GL3AYI3XW1Have a good day!:-)Maureen / The Friendly Swede Hi A. Held!The Friendly Swede here:-) Apologies for the late reply, we're cleaning house on questions and noticed we missed yours! I would describe it as soft and pliable, not a firm writing tip. We do have some that are more firm for writing though, I'd be happy to show you some other options. Let me know if I can help you further at this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/contact-seller/contact-seller.html/... » Read More Hi A. Held!The Friendly Swede here:-) Apologies for the late reply, we're cleaning house on questions and noticed we missed yours! I would describe it as soft and pliable, not a firm writing tip. We do have some that are more firm for writing though, I'd be happy to show you some other options. Let me know if I can help you further at this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/contact-seller/contact-seller.html/ref=aag_m_fi?ie=UTF8&asin;=&isCBA;=&isPopup;=&marketplaceID;=ATVPDKIKX0DER&orderID;=&sellerID;=AP0GL3AYI3XW1Have a good day!:-)Maureen / The Friendly Swede « Show Less
859176
most likely its its plastic is really noticeable. its not like the texture of a pen.