I’m pretty sure that up until last month, the last time I used a mechanical pencil was 1987 as I switched majors from engineering to the arts. Since then, I’ve always used pens. Last month I purchased my first mechanical pencil in a very long time and began using it with my trusty Field Notes. There were a couple reasons for this move:

• As much as I like my Field Notes, sometimes ink bleeds through the paper and shows up on the opposite page.

• There is no need for permanency. On a daily basis, I clear out my Field Notes and put in the necessary information into my digital world. When I finish a book, I trash it and start a new one.

• I forgot how much I like erasers.

Anyway, I’ve been using this mechanical pencil with my Field Notes now for a month and I’m sticking with it. For the fetishists, the specific pencil I purchased was a Kuro Toga Auto Lead Rotation .5mm Mechanical Pencil. There is a mechanism inside that constantly rotates so the lead doesn’t flatten. While I agree paying $17 for a pencil is nuts, I appreciate this pencil every time I use it.