Pentel P205 Custom Exotic Wood Barrel Pencils

Short History

Welcome to the custom, handmade barrels for the Pentel P205 mechanical pencils. I used my first Pentel mechanical pencil in 1978 and have been hooked ever since. In the early 2000’s, I expanded on my woodworking capabilities and I purchased a lathe. One thing lead to another, and I came up with the idea to replace the plastic barrel with a piece of exotic wood that I had in my shop. This sounds a lot simpler than it is.

Custom Pentel Pencils

The inside of the barrel has several different widths, depths of cuts, and tolerances that have literally taken me years to perfect. While perfection would imply that I have this process down to an exact science, not all barrels make it to completion because of maker error and the natural tendencies of wood. I have a large box of exotic wood barrel mistakes to prove this is the case.

Finishing

Each pencil is finished in one of two ways; with multiple coats of linseed oil and buffed at a high speed to burnish a long-lasting natural finish, or because of the natural oils of the wood (i.e. cocobolo and lignum vitae), buffed on a high-speed organic cotton wheel.

The Pentel P205 mechanical pencil is included with the custom made barrel.

Note: I am experimenting with gluing woods together for the areas which require more precise engineering, i.e. purpleheart would be in the middle.

About the woods

Each wood has its own link to learn more specifically, or you can references different woods here: https://www.wood-database.com

Pencils for Sale

Below are some of the examples that I have made and available for sale, unless marked (sold). In which case I may be able to make another one similar.

I will take request, though may not accept due to some woods I have just not had any success with (i.e. purpleheart).

Mirror Image Matching Set, Heart/Sapwood (forgot the wood)

Mirror Image Matching Set, Heart/Sapwood Ziricote (Sold)

Applewood, seldom available and usually only in small pieces. I have small supply from a tree which fell and I have been drying for over a decade.

Cocobolo, expensive, highly figured wood which is in limited supply
Used in musical instruments
(beautiful grain, but this will turn a bit darker with time, it is about halfway there)

Kingwood, an very expensive and seldom available lumber. Beautiful texture.

Lignum Vitae (aka Argentine Lignum Vitae or Verawood)
Known as the hardest and densest wood on earth with a perfume-like fragrance.
Extremely hard, heavy, and oily. It was used as bearings on the US battleships because of its natural lubricant (and uses a lot of sandpaper to get it smooth), polishes beautifully.

This was custom made for a collector of P220 Pentel Pencils, complete with the ribs on the bottom end of the pencil. It “turned” out great!