Pencils, Part One

We've covered pencil leads and using pencils in various ways but not much has been said so far about the pencils themselves. This topic will cover multiple posts, not sure yet exactly how many. Today I'll cover some basics and then mention a couple cheaper pencils that might be a good place to start.  

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.