Drafting lead got stuck in my Pentel P209 last Thursday

Boss came over, saw me shaking the mechanical pencil, and said 'you're pushing too hard, let the weight of the pencil do the work'. I started holding it looser and my lines got way cleaner, has anyone else had a simple grip trick fix their whole drafting game?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_anthony20d ago

Wait, were you death gripping it like a video game controller or more like you were trying to choke the pencil? I used to squeeze so hard my hand would cramp after an hour, then someone told me to pretend like I was holding a bird or a hamster - loose enough not to crush it but firm enough it won't fly away. Did your boss actually take your pencil and show you the difference, or was it more of a verbal thing?

kai_park20d ago

Start by holding the pencil closer to the tip, like an inch above the point. That stopped my death grip because it gives you way more control without needing to squeeze hard. The bird comparison your boss gave is solid, but did you ever try just loosening your fingers one at a time until it felt weird but your hand stopped hurting?