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CTyankee

(67,783 posts)
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 10:01 AM Dec 21

Do you still use pencils? If so, for what?

I still mark stuff in a book calendar, with those little squares for days, which is the way I visualize days, weeks, months.

However, I am old and set in my ways.

Is there any use of pencils anymore (except for me and I am old)?

72 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Do you still use pencils? If so, for what? (Original Post) CTyankee Dec 21 OP
If my True Dough Dec 21 #1
Drawing, marking musical scores. Ocelot II Dec 21 #2
That hasn't been updated with computer technology? CTyankee Dec 21 #5
Yes, you can use an iPad and a stylus, but I'm old-fashioned. Ocelot II Dec 21 #13
I've never seen iPads on stands at the symphony, but Ilsa Dec 21 #39
It's fairly common in choirs, and I've also seen it in small instrumental ensembles. Ocelot II Dec 21 #40
I bet it's wonderfully convenient. Of course, I'd be scared Ilsa Dec 21 #46
Yes Thunderbeast Dec 21 #50
manual impact device. AllaN01Bear Dec 21 #22
I have a pencil attached at to my trombone for making notes on music. TomSlick Dec 21 #48
Calendar, crosswords, & artwork SheltieLover Dec 21 #3
Pencil for crosswords? BOSSHOG Dec 21 #6
Sometimes SheltieLover Dec 21 #15
Ah yes, the pencil for the NYT Sunday puzzle! My sense of worth depends on me finishing that puzzle, which I never do CTyankee Dec 21 #8
Crossing off completed rows in knitting patterns. likesmountains 52 Dec 21 #4
Be ever frugal bucolic_frolic Dec 21 #7
Doyou have a pencil sharpener? The old kind with a little handle for your real desk top which is now a computer desk for CTyankee Dec 21 #12
Yes, I have a hand crank grinder 1960s model, state of the art bucolic_frolic Dec 21 #14
Boston Self-Feeder 4 bucolic_frolic Dec 21 #21
I use pencils and a hand-crank Boston sharpener democrank Dec 21 #24
I need a pencil sharpener and can't PoindexterOglethorpe Dec 21 #37
They have them on Amazon. Haggard Celine Dec 21 #52
I looked on Amazon and was horrified at how PoindexterOglethorpe Dec 21 #68
Oh, yes, the booklet calendar! I have one which is the 8/2 X 11". It is a spiral notebook. CTyankee Dec 21 #17
Yes, I still do for artwork, and especially color pencils. Thank you CTYankee and have a great day. debm55 Dec 21 #9
4 and 5 star sudoku. I'm not that good Raven123 Dec 21 #10
drawing, mostly surrealAmerican Dec 21 #11
Yes, almost daily WestMichRad Dec 21 #16
This message was self-deleted by its author CTyankee Dec 21 #18
Making lumber for cutting, you know, 15 and 5/16s, take the line. dem4decades Dec 21 #19
Yes because I make mistakes or change my mind PJMcK Dec 21 #20
My older Rebl2 Dec 21 #23
Here's a pencil joke for you: True Dough Dec 21 #25
OMG, that's funny! Whatta sense of humor he has! CTyankee Dec 21 #42
I use them for drawing. Mr. Diamond uses them for crossword puzzles. Diamond_Dog Dec 21 #26
yes...always carry a few... ret5hd Dec 21 #27
Every day. Mechanical pencils on cryptograms & drawing pencils for sketching. -nt CrispyQ Dec 21 #28
Carpentry! Bobstandard Dec 21 #29
We still use them for that too, Bayard Dec 21 #57
Also old, but I use them, as you do, for things I might want to change karynnj Dec 21 #30
I like the logic of your creating a plan. It's "if this, then that" kind of thinking which I find helpful. After all, CTyankee Dec 21 #43
Yes Sequoia Dec 21 #31
oh yes markie Dec 21 #32
Carpenters pencils, yes. RockRaven Dec 21 #33
A world without pencils? I can't imagine!😁 I use them on my calendar, doing puzzles, KitFox Dec 21 #34
Sketching. GPV Dec 21 #35
Sewing..marking up patterns. BlueWaveNeverEnd Dec 21 #36
Yes, I use pencils mostly for woodworking projects. HappyH Dec 21 #38
Sketchng bif Dec 21 #41
BlackWing pencils Maninacan Dec 21 #44
I am a public librarian. intheflow Dec 21 #45
I use pencils everyday. I still write checks and doc03 Dec 21 #47
I didn't know you could write a check with a pencil! I always thought you had to use a pen. CTyankee Dec 21 #58
No I record my checks in the check book because I make mistakes, don't use a pencil on checks. doc03 Dec 21 #66
In a compass or other scribing tool... LuckyCharms Dec 21 #49
Yes, bamagal62 Dec 21 #51
Yes ! ShepKat Dec 21 #53
Winding cassette tapes. NT mahatmakanejeeves Dec 21 #54
for drawing. nt Trueblue Texan Dec 21 #55
I use a mechanical pencil for everything. Phoenix61 Dec 21 #56
Keeping score at a baseball game Rastapopoulos Dec 21 #59
I use them for my wood cutting projects. Emile Dec 21 #60
Mechanical pencils every day. I'm a list maker: grocery lists, to-do lists, menus, Christmas gift lists, chia Dec 21 #61
I have one that I got at the county fair this summer. Xavier Breath Dec 21 #62
I use them but not as often as I used to LogDog75 Dec 21 #63
Yes...I grab whatever is nearby when I write a list... Tikki Dec 21 #64
I find that the backs of envelopes make wonderful, if disorganized, note paper. CTyankee Dec 21 #65
Notes on Randomthought Dec 21 #67
Always. OldBaldy1701E Dec 22 #69
Sort Of ProfessorGAC Dec 22 #70
Sometimes for a reminder, a list, but Mostly for Drawing... electric_blue68 Dec 23 #71
I bite the wood! It helps calm me. All my wood pencils are branded with Ziggysmom Dec 23 #72

Ilsa

(63,813 posts)
39. I've never seen iPads on stands at the symphony, but
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 12:44 PM
Dec 21

I haven't been there in awhile. Do some musicians carry their work this way?

Ocelot II

(129,009 posts)
40. It's fairly common in choirs, and I've also seen it in small instrumental ensembles.
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 12:56 PM
Dec 21

Having all your music on an iPad instead of paper copies in a folder is convenient if you're in a concert consisting of multiple scores.

Ilsa

(63,813 posts)
46. I bet it's wonderfully convenient. Of course, I'd be scared
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 01:09 PM
Dec 21

of breaking it, running out of charge, etc!

TomSlick

(12,878 posts)
48. I have a pencil attached at to my trombone for making notes on music.
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 03:33 PM
Dec 21

They idea is to erase the chart before turning it in Of course, that never happens.

CTyankee

(67,783 posts)
8. Ah yes, the pencil for the NYT Sunday puzzle! My sense of worth depends on me finishing that puzzle, which I never do
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 10:07 AM
Dec 21

since I end up throwing it against the wall in disgust and I hate people who claim to finish it!

bucolic_frolic

(53,998 posts)
7. Be ever frugal
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 10:07 AM
Dec 21

I use pencils because there are some around my house. I inherited them mostly. But last week I salvaged a long pencil from the parking lot. It had been run over a few times, but after sharpening I've got more than 1/2 a pencil.

What do I use them for? The cost of pens is through the roof! What was Write Bros Dollar Tree package is $4.49. Gel $6.99.

So for making disposable lists, pencils are the way to go.

I too use a booklet calendar. $Tree version. I got the last one, buried beneath all the others. Two years' worth! Can hardly find them.

The paperwork of one's life troubles me. I have calendars going back to about age 12. What will become of them? I have relatives papers, some from the 1920s, 1950-the aughts '00s. My niece doesn't care about her parent's papers.

CTyankee

(67,783 posts)
12. Doyou have a pencil sharpener? The old kind with a little handle for your real desk top which is now a computer desk for
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 10:11 AM
Dec 21

my large screen computer (yes, I do have one. Is there something wrong with that, too?).

bucolic_frolic

(53,998 posts)
14. Yes, I have a hand crank grinder 1960s model, state of the art
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 10:15 AM
Dec 21

Bolted to the wall. Pinch the spring-loaded top to allow the pencil to enter the grinding cones.

democrank

(12,121 posts)
24. I use pencils and a hand-crank Boston sharpener
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 11:15 AM
Dec 21

My sharpener has a rubber base that adheres to a flat surface when you use the metal lever.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(28,452 posts)
68. I looked on Amazon and was horrified at how
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 09:16 PM
Dec 21

expensive an electric sharpener is. Oh, well, the front office where I live has a sharpener, and they let me use it.

CTyankee

(67,783 posts)
17. Oh, yes, the booklet calendar! I have one which is the 8/2 X 11". It is a spiral notebook.
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 10:16 AM
Dec 21

Every page contains a month with the little squares for days of the week and holidays where the day of the week is in red. At a glance I can see where I am in the week and how long it is til Xmas and where I can see my doctor's appointments and I can anticipate deadlines ahead of time. This is how I visualize time.

debm55

(55,602 posts)
9. Yes, I still do for artwork, and especially color pencils. Thank you CTYankee and have a great day.
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 10:08 AM
Dec 21

Response to WestMichRad (Reply #16)

PJMcK

(24,730 posts)
20. Yes because I make mistakes or change my mind
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 10:23 AM
Dec 21

I use Pentel 0.9 mm mechanical pencils using 2B leads (soft and dark). Years ago, I used Blackwing 502 pencils but they got too expensive and needed constant sharpening. Leonard Bernstein used the Blackwings to compose music and kept the used stubs in a big Chinese bowl because his creativity flowed through them.

The mechanical pencils are used for writing and arranging music, keeping my calendar and writing notes to myself. My erasers are some of my closest friends because they remove my mistakes. I also use the pencils for keeping a journal (on land) and a logbook (afloat and on nautical charts).

Rebl2

(17,388 posts)
23. My older
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 10:32 AM
Dec 21

sister told me years ago she uses a pencil to make entries in her checkbook. Guess I am crazy because I use a pen. Yes I still have a checkbook and balance it every month.

CTyankee

(67,783 posts)
42. OMG, that's funny! Whatta sense of humor he has!
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 12:58 PM
Dec 21

It's so bad it's funny for that imagery alone!

Diamond_Dog

(39,757 posts)
26. I use them for drawing. Mr. Diamond uses them for crossword puzzles.
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 11:26 AM
Dec 21

And we have a 1960s era hand crank pencil sharpener bolted to the wall down in the cellar by his work bench.

ret5hd

(22,183 posts)
27. yes...always carry a few...
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 11:28 AM
Dec 21

just in case i’m in an office with those white ceiling tiles then i throw one up and stick it in there.

Bobstandard

(2,181 posts)
29. Carpentry!
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 11:34 AM
Dec 21

You’ve got to have something to mark a cut when you’ve measured for it. A pencil remains the best, lowest cost, option.

karynnj

(60,775 posts)
30. Also old, but I use them, as you do, for things I might want to change
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 11:38 AM
Dec 21

Like you, I use them on a paper calendar that I regularly compare to a goggle calendar. I also create a dinner menu/grocery list before shopping each week. Doing it in pencil, I include anything I am not sure is in the pantry. When complete I check anything marked as unsure if I have it.

Also, there are times I try to figure things out using mathematical/logical skills from my past. Pencil is ALWAYS better for that.

Most lists of things I want to accomplish are in pencil so they can be revised

For complicated, many dish meals, I always use pencil to create a "plan". The plan is written for everything to be ready at T. Each recipe is essentially broken down to prep that can be done earlier, main cooking, and finishing. Main cooking includes when relative to T something should start cooking, where (oven, stovetop, air fryer, instapot), temperature. Finishing is just to have a convenient list of last minute garnishes etc. Doing this in ink would be a mess as I often make changes to make things work better.

CTyankee

(67,783 posts)
43. I like the logic of your creating a plan. It's "if this, then that" kind of thinking which I find helpful. After all,
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 01:01 PM
Dec 21

the first thing you do when you plan to bake a cake is make of list of ingredients you need (then you gotta make the plan to get to the supermarket to buy them....)

Sequoia

(12,717 posts)
31. Yes
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 11:41 AM
Dec 21

Grocery lists on refrigerator magnet pad, mathematics. Good ole Ticonderoga no. 2 pencils.

RockRaven

(18,687 posts)
33. Carpenters pencils, yes.
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 11:44 AM
Dec 21

Mechanical and regular, not as much. I still keep them around all the time, but am more likely to use a pen.

KitFox

(506 posts)
34. A world without pencils? I can't imagine!😁 I use them on my calendar, doing puzzles,
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 11:54 AM
Dec 21

drawing, doodling, list making, checkbook register, marking practice passages on sheet music, among multiple other uses. I’m a retired 32 year elementary school teacher, so it’s in my DNA!😁

HappyH

(174 posts)
38. Yes, I use pencils mostly for woodworking projects.
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 12:43 PM
Dec 21

Army recruiter pencils are the best, the point is durable and the mark is dark. I have a couple of hand crank Boston sharpeners, but the pencils in the shop usually get sharpened with a knife.

Maninacan

(215 posts)
44. BlackWing pencils
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 01:02 PM
Dec 21

I use Blackwing pencils to do my crossword and some sketching. Luxury i can afford.

intheflow

(29,986 posts)
45. I am a public librarian.
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 01:04 PM
Dec 21

We make weekly scavenger hunts for the kids. They write their answers with pencils, which can be erased when they inevitably transcribe their answers.

doc03

(38,820 posts)
47. I use pencils everyday. I still write checks and
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 03:22 PM
Dec 21

record them in my checkbook. I write notes to myself.

CTyankee

(67,783 posts)
58. I didn't know you could write a check with a pencil! I always thought you had to use a pen.
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 06:35 PM
Dec 21

doc03

(38,820 posts)
66. No I record my checks in the check book because I make mistakes, don't use a pencil on checks.
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 08:25 PM
Dec 21

A few years ago I remember they made erasable ink pens. I don't see them anymore probably people ran into trouble with
them.

LuckyCharms

(21,696 posts)
49. In a compass or other scribing tool...
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 03:57 PM
Dec 21

To scribe a piece of wood to an irregular, or non-square surface.

Phoenix61

(18,702 posts)
56. I use a mechanical pencil for everything.
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 05:19 PM
Dec 21

It helps me write a little neater and I need all the help I can get.

chia

(2,751 posts)
61. Mechanical pencils every day. I'm a list maker: grocery lists, to-do lists, menus, Christmas gift lists,
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 07:21 PM
Dec 21

reminders on post-it notes, calendar entries for appointments... I can't imagine not using a pencil. I like being able to erase mistakes, rearrange, re-imagine.

Xavier Breath

(6,470 posts)
62. I have one that I got at the county fair this summer.
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 07:30 PM
Dec 21

It's in my pen holder with a bunch of pens and a marker or two. It is unsharpened and since I don't own sharpener it may go forever unused.

LogDog75

(1,100 posts)
63. I use them but not as often as I used to
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 07:35 PM
Dec 21

Usually for taking short notes or marking some boards to cut. The pencils I have are fat ones because that's the only one's I've found. I prefer slender pencils because they feel better in my hand.

Tikki

(15,029 posts)
64. Yes...I grab whatever is nearby when I write a list...
Sun Dec 21, 2025, 07:52 PM
Dec 21

or write a thought down.
Pencils work just fine for everything except checks which should be written and signed in permanent ink'

Tikki

OldBaldy1701E

(10,149 posts)
69. Always.
Mon Dec 22, 2025, 08:55 AM
Dec 22

My TTRPG games require a lot of changes and corrections to the players sheet, so we will always need pencils.

I also need them for drafting things. I am not a drafter, but I do use them for such.

I am a loyal Dixon Ticonderoga user. They have always been my go to pencil!

ProfessorGAC

(75,839 posts)
70. Sort Of
Mon Dec 22, 2025, 02:42 PM
Dec 22

I use one when I substitute to put a little mark on the seating chart for kids absent.
Once I transcribe the name, I can erase my little mark & not mess up the real teacher's seating chart.
Other than that, I don't think I've used a pencil in years & years.
Even when I worked in the lab, everything was in pen. If we made a mistake, we needed to strike it, rewrite & initial the change, so there were no erasures in the record.
That same requirement applied to manufacturing later under our interpretation of ISO requirements.
No pencils; no white-out allowed.

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