Column by J1 Reporter Elli Jones

Click…The refreshing sound of a fresh piece of lead coming out of the nozzle of a mechanical pencil. Instead, some people choose the stubby, smudgy, and the never ending wooden pencil shavings. 

Mechanical pencils are the easiest to click and refill the lead almost instantly. During tests or quizzes it doesn’t bother anyone and works almost the same and even better than a regular pencil. 

Mechanical pencils bring an aesthetic look to pencils; they are modern, professional, and have a sleek design. Higher ended mechanical pencils may even have a rubber grip or a side button for lead.

 Wooden pencil enthusiasts can argue that they are too fragile because of how easily the lead can break. Yes, the lead may snap but that’s only if you’re heavy handed and that’s a technique issue not a design flaw. 

We can’t forget that wooden pencils are a complete waste. Inch by inch you sharpen them until you finally land with a stub that is barely the size of your pinky. Mechanical pencils are better for the environment and your wallet. You can keep a mechanical pencil for as long as you need if it is taken care of properly. 

The wooden pencil has some sort of nostalgia built into it from elementary school. We all remember turning the pencil sharpener on the wall that has been there since the 1960’s. But this is choosing a flip phone over the newest iPhone. It is completely impractical when mechanical pencils are advancing.