Reddit mentions of Alvin, Draft-Matic Mechanical Pencil, 0.7mm

They make pencils with spring-loaded lead, which makes the lead much less likely to break.

I'm partial to Alvins, but I've seen similar designs from other companies.

Alvin Draft/Matic. Extremely well built, smooth and easy to work with. A bit expensive, but I've been using the same one for three years.

I'm pretty sure it bent in my pocket or bag or something. I don't press that hard hahaha. And here you go.

All my school documents (including Eclipse projects/workspaces and MATLAB files) are stored with Dropbox - at CC, several students have an Engineering shared folder going, which has all sorts of goodies in it, like the PSPICE exe distributed by the teach, notes from other students, etc... everybody here should do this at their campus!

Also, iPad 2 w/

• GoodReader -- For all of my textbooks, lecture notes and assignments posted by instructor on school intranet - can highlight, annotate, etc, all digitally.
  
  
• Noteshelf -- For all note taking, in multiple colors - notes can be tagged and exported as PDF for studying for exams on any device, no wasted paper and hitting undo is faster than erasing
  
  
• Cregle iPen -- Not perfect, but better than a touchscreen stylus - can rest my palm on the screen while writing without leaving stray marks
  
  
• DodoCase -- keeps it safe in my backpack
  
  
• iTunes U -- for MIT OpenCourseware videos
  
  
• WolframAlpha -- sometimes useful for visualizing problems
  
  Android phone w/
  
  
• HandyCalc -- very excellent calculator
  
  
• ElectroDroid -- very handy during my circuits course
  
  
• Monoprice $7 earbuds - amazing for $7! Blocks out noise for studyin.
  
  
• Tasker for silencing my phone/enabling airplane mode when I'm scheduled to be in class on Google calendar, automatically launching...
  
  
• WIFI Web Login -- ...and authenticating me on campus wifi when I connect to access points
  
  
• ...writing two apps, one to organize course assignments, one that helps with general ed courses... :)
  
  Also,
  
  
• TI-86 -- old faithful
  
  
• spare AAA's
  
  
• Ampad graphing paper pads for homework assignments (one per class)
  
  
• mini stapler with mini staples
  
  
• one small 3-ring binder for class handouts
  
  
• [ALVIN Draft Matic Mechanical Pencil Size 0.7mm] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HF6I90/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000HF6I90&linkCode=as2&tag=semboftrut-20) -- best mechanical pencil I've ever used, no slipping lead
  
  
• Pentel Super Hi-Polymer Lead Refill, 0.7mm Medium, 2B, 144 Pieces of Lead (50-2B) -- nice and dark pencil lead - more smearing, but less effort to make visible strokes
  
  
• Subsonic -- music and podcasts on my phone, tablet, computer, streaming from friend's houses, everywhere!
  
  
• EasyBib.com -- because I will never remember how to do MLA citations properly
  
  
• Word -- old faithful
  
  
• 13" 2011 Macbook Air w/ VMware Fusion for Windows when needed.
  
  In search of an amazing eraser to go with the draftmatic. Open to suggestions!

It seems they have .7mm versions as well

http://www.amazon.com/Alvin-DM07-Draft-Matic-Mechanical-Pencil/dp/B000HF6I90

This, I have a set of them from high school. 27 years now.