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Length: 145mm (5.7 in)
Diameter: 9.5mm (.375 in)
Every Modern Fuel pencil is carved out of a solid block of metal and contains no plastic parts. The pencil is an engineering marvel that fits together seamlessly. No two pencils are exactly alike and yours comes with its own unique serial number.
Limited time offer: Save $50 on a matching pen
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100 year warranty. We’ll fix or replace your pencil for any reason.
As an Aerospace Engineer, Andrew used a mechanical pencil every day. But, he noticed that universally, mechanical pencils were cheap, disposable items. It bothered him that the tools to his trade were of such obviously poor quality.
After some research, he found that even expensive pencils were cheaply made and relied on stock plastic parts. If he wanted an heirloom-quality, entirely metal pencil, he’d have to make it himself.
First the cone and the body are cut out of a solid block of premium metal independently. This gives us the overall shape of the pencil and parts we can now work with.
Once we have the cone and the body, we thread each of them to screw the solid pieces of premium metal together. The fit is already impressively snug, for most manufacturers this would be “good enough.” But, for Modern Fuel, we want to ensure the pencil is flawless.
With the full pencil assembled, we run the piece through the lathe at an extremely high speed. This gives the metal a smooth finish and mates the cone and body so they appear as a single unit. This process results in a pencil that is completely unique. No cone will perfectly fit the body like the two mated together in the production process.
Finally, the pencil has its custom interior parts that fit the body perfectly added and tightened. Then, your unique pencil is hand-finished, inspected to exacting standards, and packaged up.
First the cone and the body are cut out of a solid block of premium metal independently. This gives us the overall shape of the pencil and parts we can now work with.
Once we have the cone and the body, we thread each of them to screw the solid pieces of premium metal together. The fit is already impressively snug, for most manufacturers this would be “good enough.” But, for Modern Fuel, we want to ensure the pencil is flawless.
With the full pencil assembled, we run the piece through the lathe at an extremely high speed. This gives the metal a smooth finish and mates the cone and body so they appear as a single unit. This process results in a pencil that is completely unique. No cone will perfectly fit the body like the two mated together in the production process.
Finally, the pencil has its custom interior parts that fit the body perfectly added and tightened. Then, your unique pencil is hand-finished, inspected to exacting standards, and packaged up.
Luxury watch grade bronze
Bronze has long been used as a durable metal for ship fittings and diving equipment. We’re the only pencil out there that uses a solid piece of C52100 bronze, a high quality bronze often reserved for high-end luxury watches. Bronze has a significant weight to it, the user can truly feel the stable balance and all-metal construction. The bronze pencil will have a matte patina over time as it ages. Choose bronze if you’re looking for a softer metal that ages with character offers an antique feel.
VINTAGE HEIRLOOM FEEL
Copper has a distinct look and feel that ages with character. Often used for high end home finishings like faucets. Copper is a softer metal that will embody its usage and patina over time. For the discerning user looking for a pencil with heft, copper is our heaviest pencil. Choose copper if you’re looking for a distinct metal with heft that ages with the user for a beautiful antique heirloom piece.
SLEEK, LOW-MAINTENANCE ELEGANCE
Stainless steel is a hard metal with excellent resistance to corrosion. It is one of the most common metals used in luxury watches for a highly practical clean, sleek look. The pencil is heavy enough to feel the heft of quality, but not too heavy. It will not dull or patina over time, leaving you with the same pristine pencil for decades to come. Choose stainless steel if you want a moderately heavy pencil that will look as good as new in 50 years.
Unparalleled strength
Titanium is as hard as steel and 45% lighter. Unaffected by fatigue, cracking, aging, or corrosion. Titanium is trusted for the toughest jobs on the planet, including use inside jet engines. The titanium pencil is the lightest pencil by far. Choose titanium if you want a light, nearly indestructible pencil that will withstand even the harshest conditions and still look brand new.
Luxury watch grade bronze
Bronze has long been used as a durable metal for ship fittings and diving equipment. We’re the only pencil out there that uses a solid piece of C52100 bronze, a high quality bronze often reserved for high-end luxury watches. Bronze has a significant weight to it, the user can truly feel the stable balance and all-metal construction. The bronze pencil will have a matte patina over time as it ages. Choose bronze if you’re looking for a softer metal that ages with character offers an antique feel.
SLEEK, LOW-MAINTENANCE ELEGANCE
Stainless steel is a hard metal with excellent resistance to corrosion. It is one of the most common metals used in luxury watches for a highly practical clean, sleek look. The pencil is heavy enough to feel the heft of quality, but not too heavy. It will not dull or patina over time, leaving you with the same pristine pencil for decades to come. Choose stainless steel if you want a moderately heavy pencil that will look as good as new in 50 years.
VINTAGE HEIRLOOM FEEL
Copper has a distinct look and feel that ages with character. Often used for high end home finishings like faucets. Copper is a softer metal that will embody its usage and patina over time. For the discerning user looking for a pencil with heft, copper is our heaviest pencil. Choose copper if you’re looking for a distinct metal with heft that ages with the user for a beautiful antique heirloom piece.
Unparalleled strength
Titanium is as hard as steel and 45% lighter. Unaffected by fatigue, cracking, aging, or corrosion. Titanium is trusted for the toughest jobs on the planet, including use inside jet engines. The titanium pencil is the lightest pencil by far. Choose titanium if you want a light, nearly indestructible pencil that will withstand even the harshest conditions and still look brand new.
What are the dimensions of The Pencil?
Length: 145mm (5.7 in)
Diameter: 9.5mm (.375 in)
Is The Pencil heavy?
Yes, all the pencils have a reasonable heft to them as they are made out of solid metal. Titanium is by far the lightest pencil if you’re looking for a lightweight pencil for longer writing sessions.
Below are the weights per metal:
Bronze - 47 g (1.66 oz)
Copper - 47 g (1.66 oz)
Stainless Steel - 42 g (1.48 oz)
Titanium - 27.5 g (.97 oz)
What size lead does the pencil use?
The pencil comes standard with 0.7mm lead. However, you can purchase 0.7mm or 0.9mm mechanisms from us to use with your pencil. The pencil comes with an allen wrench and you can change out one mechanism for another in under a minute.
Are different size mechanisms interchangeable?
Yes, the pencil comes standard with 0.7mm lead, but you can easily change one mechanism out for another in under a minute.
Where do I get lead refills? Will it take standard lead?
The pencil comes with 10 refills of the 0.7mm lead and more is available for purchase in our accessories section. You may also use any standard 0.7mm lead with the pencil.
What does patina mean?
Patina is the process of a metal reacting to oxygenation and showing its age. Typically it comes in a green/brown coloration for both Bronze and Copper. The natural process gives your pencil an aged or heirloom look and feel to it. Most customers like the distinguished look, however, if desired you may remove the patina by wiping with a salt and vinegar solution.
How long does it take for the bronze or copper pencil to patina?
The process of patina can vary dramatically depending the elements the pencil is exposed to. However, generally speaking, the pencil will begin to show patina within a month and may take several months to develop a more mature patina look.
Can I get rid of the patina if I don’t want it?
Most customers like the distinguished look, however, if desired you may remove the patina by wiping with a salt and vinegar solution.
Is it slippery without a grip?
The pencil has a smooth finish, but is not slippery to grip. The surface finish and weight of the pencil means you need less grip to hold it resulting in a more relaxed grip.
Which material is best for long periods of writing?
Titanium is lightest and customers often find that most comfortable for longer periods of writing.
I use a stand alone eraser. Can I replace the eraser with something?
Yes, we sell eraser plugs that match the metal for a more complete metal look.
What's Andrew's favorite material?
This is like making a father choose his favorite child. However, if forced to choose, Andrew does like the bronze and the titanium.
What grade of Ti (nickel content because of a nickel allergy)?
We use Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5).
What grade of stainless steel do you use?
We use SS303.
What grade of copper do you use?
We use CU145.
What grade of bronze do you use?
We use C52100.
What happens if I break it?
Our 100 year guarantee covers all craftsmanship and materials. If the pencil breaks for any reason under normal use, we will happily fix or replace it.
Is this version 1.0 or 2.0?
This is the version 2.0 pencil. You may have seen the original kickstarter, since that time, improvements have been made to the pencil.
Why is it so expensive?
The largest driver of price is simply the extremely high quality materials used in the pencil. Instead of cheap plastic parts in the interior, we have a custom metal mechanism that will withstand the use of millions of cycles. The exterior of the pencil is made out of solid premium metals.
Lastly, the process we use to mate the body and cone is an additional, somewhat laborious process.
In short, attention to detail and quality materials are unfortunately expensive. We believe the quality and life of the pencil more than makes up for the cost.