The most basic characteristics you need for use with Wild Gears is that the pencil hold the lead securely and that it have a straight tip that will ride along the edge of the holes in the gears. From what I've seen most modern mechanical pencils have both these characteristics. I've seen some older mechanical pencils that had a more conical tip that would not work very well with Wild Gears. Avoid that and you're probably okay.
Pencils are available to hold lead of various sizes from 0.2mm up to 0.9mm. Drafting/artist lead holders are also available that work with 2mm lead, but those are not suitable for use with Wild Gears unless you're looking to draw some very wide lines, which could actually be interesting as a shadow effect. The most popular sizes are 0.5mm and 0.7mm. Pencils and leads in these sizes are readily available in every office supply store.
At the low end are pencils like the Pentel Click pencils. These are mostly plastic with cheap mechanisms to manage the lead.
These can be had very cheaply. Truth be told, these are adequate for use with Wild Gears. If you intend to build a collection of various sizes and hardnesses of lead, you'll need quite a few pencils and these are an inexpensive way to go. I've only used one of these briefly with Wild Gears but it worked fine. I mostly use mine for general writing. To advance the lead you push on the lever on the side of the barrel near where you hold it when writing.
The model pictured has a very large eraser that you can extend as needed by twisting the ring just below the eraser. I'm sure these are very popular with students.
I've seen these in 0.5mm and 0.7mm. I'm not sure if they're available in other sizes.
Costco had these in a 6-pack of pencils with three tubes of HB lead and six eraser refills. I think I paid about $9. Unfortunately, they only had the 0.7mm models.
The next step up would be the Pentel P20x series -- P205 0.5mm, P207 0.7mm, and P209 0.9mm.
This basic design has been around for a long time. I recall using an earlier version of this model when I was in college, a very long time ago. They're sturdy, well made, and will last just about forever as long as you don't make a habit of dropping them. I think somewhere I still have that one from my college days. Prices vary widely but with careful shopping you should be able to find them for $4-$5 each.
You click the silver cap to extend the lead. There's a gripper mechanism inside that advances the lead a fixed distance with each click and then firmly holds it in place. When you have the cap depressed, it's possible to push the lead back up into the tip, which is a good idea when you're done writing so the lead doesn't break off.
Under the silver cap is the eraser. To add lead you pull out the eraser and this opens the lead reservoir. The pencil will hold quite a few leads but it's a good idea not to have more than two or three leads in the pencil at once. Less chance for breakage and jamming of the mechanism.
On the topic of breakage, for these pencils to work the tips must be absolutely straight. A common complaint is that one drop of the pencil where it lands tip down will most likely render the pencil useless. If the lead advances at all after the fall, it will often break before coming out the end of the tip. In many years of using these I've not found them particularly fragile, but I have broken a few when they slipped from my hand onto a hard floor. Just something to be aware of.
The biggest negative with both of these pencils if you plan on using a variety of leads is there's no indication on the pencil of what type of lead is loaded. With the P205s I use with my Wild Gears I printed labels on my Brother label printer and have them wrapped around the top, just above the pocket clip, to indicate the lead hardness loaded in that pencil. I wouldn't want to walk around with one of these sticking out of my pocket but for sitting by my drawing table it's okay.
If you read online reviews of pencils you'll often find a big deal being made about the construction of the mechanism that holds and advances the lead. Cheaper pencils, like the two mentioned above, tend to have a lot of plastic in the mechanism, and this is often criticized. Clearly plastic gears aren't going to be as robust as brass or stainless steel and they may not feel as crisp in operation, but you're only going to get so much in a $3 pencil.
Either of the pencils mentioned above will likely give good service. Will they last as long as a $15 or $30 pencil? Probably not. Will they last long enough for you to get your money's worth out of them? Almost certainly. Does this mean you should go for the cheapest pencil? Maybe.
There's more here than just holding lead. If you're really into your Wild Gears you could be spending many hours holding one of these pencils. If buying a nicer pencil makes you better enjoy those hours, then it's probably money well spent.
Next time I'll cover some of those more expensive pencils.
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