I love these pencils.
These are .7mm, original "Quicker Clicker" mechanical pencils by Pentel.
I first discovered the QC years ago (late '80's?) when I bought a couple, most likely in a drugstore or art supply.
This was the first mechanical pencil with the lead advance on the side, placed where it was most convenient and efficient.
I've bought them as I've needed them ever since.
A couple of years ago, when I suddenly found myself down to one QC, I went looking for more.
I could not find them for sale anywhere.
I did, however, find several pretenders.
Apparently, the side-clicking patent had expired and there were versions now offered by most manufacturers. However, all side-advance mechanical pencils are not equal. The picture below illustrates the important differences between a QC and the pretenders.
The monstrosity at the top of the image (below) is a Bic. You can see one of the two annoyingly tiny advance buttons, all but lost in the hulking rubber grip.
Below that is an "Original" QC. Notice the one, large, easily accessible advance button and slender barrel NOT encased in a sickening bloat of useless rubber.
The only reasons I can think of to add a blob of cushion to a writing instrument is either to make the thing more "grippable" in the presence of profuse moisture or to fit people with hands the size of catcher's mitts.
For those of us with normal-sized hands who don't sweat profusely while making marks on paper, this addition is an aesthetic annoyance at best, at worst, a major irritation.
Engineers who design mechanical pencils should probably be forced to use their own creations.
So, two years ago, not being able to find OQCs in stores, I went online and searched for "Pentel mechanical pencil". I found a site which was selling OQCs, ordered and received five, and thus Harmony was restored to the Universe.
In the meantime Pentel, for some unfathomable reason, "improved" the QC by adding - wait for it - a rubber grip, so when I went to reorder just a few months ago, the original QC was again, not available.
I left two messages on the feedback form, not really expecting anything to change.
Two weeks ago, I again searched for "original" Quicker Clicker and, lo and behold, I found this.
It is amazing how unfamiliar some companies can be with fans of their products. They make, "...does not have a barrel grip", sound like a disadvantage!
Anyway... Yesssssss!
So, if you've read this far, you're probably interested in getting your hands on some OQCs, so go here
No idea how long they'll be available, and four will set you back about $25US with shipping.
