Rite in the Rain, whose claim to fame is their all-weather notepads, somewhat recently (last year) came out with a new mechanical pencil that they say is the last pencil you will ever need.
Going by how they categorize the new pencils on their website, the Rite in the Rain mechanical pencil, dubbed “No. 99,” is designed for construction use, and also for general purpose use.
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It works with 1.1 mm pencil lead, and comes with (7) HB #2 leads and 2 spare erasers. You get 3 pencil color choices: black, yellow, and red. The black and yellow pencils come with black lead, the red pencil comes with red lead.
These pencils are 5-3/4″ long and feature a specially designed expanding tip that helps to prevent breakage, wobbling, twisting, or loose lead. The pencil body is made of a strong resin (plastic) material.
We asked you about your favorite pen, pencil, marker, or other writing tool a few months ago, and nobody mentioned this model. If you like what it offers and buy one, please report back and tell us how you like it! As for me, the 1.1 mm lead is a big detractor.
Rite in the Rain offers refill pencil leads, but 1.3 mm seems to be a common size. The Staedtler pencil I previously wrote about is one such pencil that takes this size.
Price: $11-14
Bonus: The Rite in the Rain #99 pencil is made in the USA. So are the brand’s notebooks, at least all I’ve seen.
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Buy Now: Black, Yellow, Red (via Amazon)
Here’s their promo video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA87B_b9aDo
More Info(via Rite in the Rain)
Jerry
I really don’t think the odd sized lead is much of a handicap, because I figure if you are spending a few extra bucks to buy a pencil designed to write on wet objects or in a rainstorm, you are going to refill it with lead that has the same quality.
Thinking about it, maybe they made it a unique size, so you pretty much have to buy their lead, so that there won’t be pencils out there that have ‘rite in the rain’ stamped on them that only write on dry paper on sunny days.
fred
I have a Pentel AM13 that uses1.3mm leads – but I looked in the drawer and my refill leads come from Staedtler-Mars (EAN 4007817250075)
fred
My old (1980’s vintage) Scripto K770 uses 1.1 leads and I still have some old Scripto (E430 HB) leads – but both of these items seem to be ones you need to buy on eBay if at all.
Rite in the Rain
Yeah the 1.1mm leads are non-standard, but these things last a ridiculously long time. They require replacement very, very infrequently. I’ve used one personally to track workouts and as a gym bag pencil and it’s lasted me six months without a lead switch. Each pencil comes with 6 leads, too. You can pick up more refills directly from us for $6 for 12 leads.
Mike
1.1 mm leads (actually 0.046″) are a standard size. But it’s an old, OLD standard. I still have some pencils (nearly identical to these) that use them in my manual drafting supplies. They were probably 50 years old when they came into my possession and that was 25 years ago.
I haven’t done any manual drafting in almost 20 years, but back at that time you could still find that size lead in any office supply store or drafting shop. Drafting shops are now non-existent and OfficeMax, Office Depot, and Staples have killed the smaller office supply stores. So if the big chains don’t carry them I could see how they would be hard to find now.
Rite in the Rain
Yeah, since we launched this pencil last August, I’ve kept my eyes peeled. Unfortunately compatible leads aren’t common in retail.
We hope that we aren’t robbing you blind at $6 / 12 refills given the longevity of a single lead. It takes a long, long while to get through one of these things and the leads won’t be snapping off chunks due to the flexible tip design and the lead advance mechanism that clutches the lead near the tip, reducing the flexion of the lead.
Jerrick
It appears that Autopoint is the manufacturer of these pencils.
http://autopointinc.com/jumbo-all-american-pencil.html
Rite in the Rain
Yep; we partnered with Autopoint to develop this pencil. There are a few relatively minor differences between the Autopoint Jumbo and RITR pencils. Ours is round vs hexagonal, ours comes with a few extra erasers and a few more extra leads than the Autopoint model.
They really came up with something special in that lead advance mechanism and we’re glad to partner with them. We also partner with Tactical Tailor in the manufacture of our Cordura covers and pouches, and we partner with Fisher Pen Company in the manufacture of our pen bodies (our water-resistant ink is the distinguishing factor).
Dennis
Meh. I’ve been using 2mm lead holders for years, they work great. All the ones I have, have metal bodies. They don’t have erasers, but who uses erasers in construction? You can find the lead in most office supply stores or Amazon (which has tons of colors) fairly easily. So I guess I don’t need “the last pencil that I’ll ever need”…
Rite in the Rain
Ha. To be honest, I’m a bit of a pencil nut, so it’s not even the last pencil the Rite in the Rain guy needs; I have about 6 or 7 other pencils right here at my desk…
That said, this pencil is designed as a replacement for crummy carpenter’s pencils that get waterlogged, don’t have the degree of precision that some prefer, and require a knife to maintain.
The leads are very difficult to break on these. The body is tough and isn’t about to fall apart on you. The eraser chews through mistakes. The leads last a ridiculously long time each, and there are 5 more in the reservoir under the eraser. The pencil comes with 2 extra erasers.
Every feature of this pencil was included to add to its toughness and reliability. For many, their search for a satisfactory pencil for work in compromised conditions will be over after they pick up one of these.
ktash
I got my hopes up when I read the title, but not when I read the lead size. What I need is something for really thin lead for woodworking, like .5 mm. Something where the lead won’t break. I’ve tried all kinds of mechanical pencils and different brands of lead and they all break when marking on wood. Some are slightly better than others. If anyone knows of a pencil like that, I’d be happy. I end up using regular wood pencils which break less, but still break. Ticonderoga is a good brand for the wood ones, they break less.
Stuart
0.5 mm is always going to break on wood, unless you keep the lead extension to an absolute and unusable minimum. Unless of course the wood is super duper smooth to reduce friction.
With a wood pencil, maybe finding a sharpener that creates a wider point angle might help?
Something like a 2 mm lead holder and softer grade of pencil lead might work – maybe B or 2B. Any softer would probably smudge too much. You would have to point (sharpen) the tip more often though. Some lead pointers give you the option of a shorter or longer point angle.
ktash
Thanks for the ideas, Stuart. Something I didn’t know about, using the 2mm lead and putting a point on it. I’ll give it a try.
fred
In the dark ages when I took mechanical drawing (computers were still things that took up whole rooms and ran COBOL programs – fed in via keypunched cards) – 2mm mechanical pencil sharpeners abounded. I still have my Keuffel & Esser (the slide rule people) one.
They still make them:
http://www.amazon.com/Staedtler-Rotary-Action-Pointer-502BKA6/dp/B002EL9J50/
ktash
One of the places I use the .5 mm most is with an Incra T-rule, which I love but hate the breaking lead. If Incra made something that worked better with this, they’d have a lot of sales. I got their pencil but it didn’t perform as well as the more expensive pencils I have.
Rite in the Rain
I’d agree with Stuart on the matter of 0.5mm pencils. I, too, typically prefer thinner leads, but they will break under duress. The thin leads will snap when stressed, simple as that.
This pencil is for use in difficult or compromised conditions, and it’s designed to avoid lead breakage as much as possible. The 1.1mm HB leads are part of that, and the lead advance mechanism is another. The advance grips the pencil quite close to the tip, so the lead sits quite rigidly without much flexion/stress.
The 1.1mm will still give you a more precise point than a 2mm lead holder, though you can sharpen those to your heart’s content to get a fine point out of them. They, like a Ticonderoga, may crumble a bit if the point is too fine, however.
pencil neck
Watched the video… was it inspired by the Ferd Truck commercial?
Rite in the Rain
Ha! I was responsible for that; we had a little fun making that video.
We did want to convey that it’s a tough pen designed for reliability and durability. The leads are tough to break, the eraser is extremely effective, the body is solid, and the lead advance mechanism allows you to extend exactly as much lead as you’d like.
Mac
I read tool reviews on this blog all the time (just for fun sometimes… is that weird..) and i’m going to give these a try mostly because of your continued response to comments. also, because they’re made in the USA – I wouldn’t consider it otherwise.
This USA-Made section is the just about the only place i go for reviews.
Cole
i ordered one of these after reading the article and it seems to be a well built pencil. I ordered the red in hopes that it would show up on concrete better than black. I scribbled on some wood after opening the package and it shows up fairly well.
Rite in the Rain
Hey, thanks Cole! Yeah, we introduced this pencil as a sturdy and more universal replacement for the carpenter’s pencil. Glad you like it so far.
Conrad
I would like to get the RIR pencil. 1.1mm leads are an old standard, but write nicely. Not too big not to small and there is less tendency to spin the pencil to keep a lead sharp. IMHO 2mm is too big for general writing and if you write and mark with the same pencil this one is probably the one for you. I have an old Scripto K27 1.1mm that I have used almost daily for 17 years or so. Although in all honesty I would like to see some 1.1mm 2B or 4B super dark leads. I have some but I will probably use them up at some point. Of corse the harder the lead the better the wear.