Why Mechanical Pencils are Better Than Wooden Ones

    Pencils are a fundamental tool for those learning in school. They are used to complete assignments, which encompass a large portion of our academic careers. There are two types of pencils: wooden ones and mechanical ones. But, it is clear the two types of pencils are not created equal. Mechanical pencils are much better than wooden pencils, and there are many reasons to support that claim.

    First of all, unlike wooden pencils, mechanical pencils don’t sharpen unevenly. Have you ever seen a compilation of annoying pictures with an infuriating unevenly sharpened pencil being one of them? That’s normal. Many wood pencils sharpen very unevenly, which can make them harder to write with. That can create constant trips to the pencil sharpener and thus, agitation. On the other hand, however, mechanical pencils always have even lead, no matter what you do. 

    Speaking of sharpening, mechanical pencils don’t even need to be sharpened, which creates massive convenience. There is less worry of having to go to the sharpener. All you do to a mechanical pencil is to press on the back of it and lead comes out. It’s that simple. You also only need to carry one mechanical pencil, rather than keep hundreds of wooden ones, which brings to my next point.

    There is less clutter when you switch to mechanical pencils. Regular pencils have a limited lifespan, as repeated sharpening results in them being too small for use and thus making them obsolete. This leads to wooden pencils being bought in bulk, which can add up over time and make a disorganized or small amount of space. Mechanical pencils can hypothetically last forever if used correctly, so only a few mechanical pencils and a few refills of lead are needed after switching. This makes a cleaner space and, as a result, a fresher mind.

    To continue, writing is so much cleaner when using mechanical pencils. Wooden pencils only write clean when the pencil is well-sharpened, and the wooden pencil’s clean writing lasts five minutes until your writing becomes big, clunky, and hard to read. According to Pilot, a company that is popular in manufacturing mechanical pencils, “[A mechanical pencil] provides uniformity in line thickness, essential for technical drawing and legible writing.” So if your teacher gives points off on your short answer test because it wasn’t legible, maybe you should consider switching to mechanical pencils.

    Last, but definitely not the least, mechanical pencils act better on our environment. Wooden pencils have harmful effects on the environment, promoting climate change and hurting our planet. Mechanical pencils have the opposite effect, offering convenience and good actions for the environment. According to Researchgate, wooden pencils use nearly 0.45 kilograms of carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming, while mechanical pencils use less than half of that, at 0.2. Mechanical pencils also produce much less fine particulate matter than wooden ones. This all says that if you have a passion for climate change, you should switch to mechanical pencils. You get to enjoy their benefits and care more for the environment. That sounds like a win-win.

    In the end, mechanical pencils are clearly better than wooden pencils. Mechanical pencils contribute less to global warming, are more convenient, and create less clutter in people’s workspaces. Mechanical pencils pose many more pros than wooden pencils do, so maybe consider making the switch. Everyone always wants to have an easier and cleaner life, and maybe the use of wooden pencils is objecting to that. If you haven’t already, make the switch to mechanical pencils and see how you feel after.