Pencils...

[Shellie]

This feels like a silly question, but if you have a brand of pencil that doesn't break as you're sharpening it, or where the led doesn't just fall out of the pencil, can you post it here? We have such a problem with pencils and sharpening, it seems to take up more time than the actual work! Thanks ;)

[Cheryl in CA]

We made the switch to mechanical pencils years ago and haven't looked back ;)  The only kinds of pencils we have that need sharpening are colored pencils. 

[SoCalLynn]

We only use Ticonderoga. Their quality is the best of any we've tried. They sharpen nicely in the electric pencil sharpener and rarely break off in there. We used to use mechanical pencils because my daughter thought she liked them but she realized she couldn't take the squeaky sound they make when writing.

[Vida Winter]

Mechanical pencils with .9 lead.

[Occasionally]

We just got a box of these recycled paper pencils. We love them. Even when they've been sharpened to a fine point, the tip doesn't break when you start to write. I have yet to have a lead wiggle or fall out or break or do anything unpleasant.

[~Anna~]

We use these and love them. I get them at Target though, not Amazon.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Write-Dudes-Series-Pencils-Natural/dp/B00INAX06A/ref=sr_1_4?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1397234011&sr=1-4&keywords=USA+cedar+pencils

[kbutton]

We love Ticonderoga.

[readwithem]

I second (or third?) Ticonderoga.  Even the erasers are superior.

[Danielle1746]

Ticonderoga here too.

[Indian summer]

I like the Tri Ticonderoga. Very good quality and ergonomic too.

[73349]

Faber Castell.

[Guest]

I switched the olders to mechanical pencils fairly early on. The little still uses pre-sharpened golf pencils  as recommended by HWT and I'd rather spend the money to toss them and grab a fresh one than the time and frustration to try to resharpen them.

 

Looking forward to reading the whole thread.

[Seeking Squirrels]

Everyone always loves Ticonderoga, but I don't get it.  I can't make them too sharp or it just breaks right off before you even start writing. Even sharpened slightly less than I prefer, they still seem unstable and break easily.  Did I get a knock off still called Ticonderoga or something? I still have a box of them, maybe I'll give them one more go.

 

DD loves smencils and they keep her motivated so that's what we use most of the time. And they actually sharpen really well and don't break often, so I like them, too. But I do need a good pencil for me since I don't want to use up her smencils.

[kbutton]

I think the sharpener is a big part of the equation as well. We use a Staedler sharpener from Staples. (Not sure that is spelled correctly.) It's small and inexpensive, but it works really well.

[laundrycrisis]

We love these.  

 

http://www.target.com/p/usa-gold-natural-wood-pencils-12-pk/-/A-10805593

 

I can only find them at Target. 

[bluemongoose]

We used to like Ticonderoga...bought them at costco in huge amounts, but they are not what they once were.  Plus they added Microban to them. Now I dont freak out about too much, but this stuff is kinda nasty and my kids will chew their pencils so I have stopped purchasing them.

 

Now we use the write dudes natural cedar or generals ceder point which are also natural and do not contain microban.  They also work well and break less often.  

 

We like the faber castel ones linked above, but I reserve those for beginning writers as they are more expensive. Once they can handle a standard width pencil, we move on to less expensive options.

[clemota]

Giving a third nod to the USA Gold pencils found at Target and Amazon (also found under the brand name of "Write Guys"). 

 

We tried Ticonderoga; they are a close second.  From personal observation, and in no way scientific, Ticonderoga tend to break their pointy lead tips more often that the USA Gold.

 

[mombygrace]

We use mechanical pencils for the older and ticonderoga or write guys for younger DS. I love this sharpener.

[LuvToRead]

We like the Palomino Golden Bear Pencil http://pencils.com/product/golden-bear-orange-2-pencils-12-pack-made-in-the-usa/

[Mama Geek]

I haven't tried the ones people mentioned here, but I have noticed that crayola colored pencils do pretty well with dd3

[mama27]

This feels like a silly question, but if you have a brand of pencil that doesn't break as you're sharpening it, or where the led doesn't just fall out of the pencil, can you post it here? We have such a problem with pencils and sharpening, it seems to take up more time than the actual work! Thanks ;)

 

Isure haven't! I've tried cheap ones, expensive ones, cheap mechanical, expensive mechanical, and they all break. The latest batch had broken leads inside the stupid things. They just came out broken in little pieces.

I've also tried different types of sharpeners.

Now we use pens. No more pencils here.

[Cottonwood]

We have mechanical pencils..the kids prefer the one in the link.  They are 3.50 ish ea at Walmart, and at back to school time are around the 2 for $5 mark.  We buy the lead that fits it at the dollar store and away we go.  The eraser winds up or down and they last for a really long time.  DD has 3 she has used for 2 yrs now.  The eraser is JUST NOW getting low.  We also only use the sharpener for colored pencils or stray #2 pencils someone picks up.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Mate-Mechanical-Starter-56047PP/dp/B001T6QCJC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397341952&sr=8-1&keywords=papermate+clearpoint+mechanical+pencil

 

 

[MeAndTheBoys]

This may be a wives tale--but we were at a tutoring thing a few weeks ago, and DS2 was tapping his pencil on the table.  She (very nicely) got on to him and told him that tapping causes the lead to break inside the pencil.

 

We DO have a lot of trouble with broken lead, and my son is a huge tapper--so I wonder if there is any truth in that--

 

We usually buy cheap Dixon yellow pencils when they go on sale at Walmart during back-to-school.

 

Betsy

[Stars]

Bic #2 mechanical pencils.  I started my Ker on them last year because I liked them myself.  They even have some different-colored parts so the children can tell their own apart (and fight over them).  I hate wooden pencils because I want a sharp point all the time.

[~Anna~]

This may be a wives tale--but we were at a tutoring thing a few weeks ago, and DS2 was tapping his pencil on the table. She (very nicely) got on to him and told him that tapping causes the lead to break inside the pencil.

 

We DO have a lot of trouble with broken lead, and my son is a huge tapper--so I wonder if there is any truth in that--

 

I think this is true. We weren't having any problems with this, until the last 2 pencils my DD used. I noticed she had been dropping them on the table a lot and also tapping them, which she doesn't normally do.