Reddit mentions of STAEDTLER Mars Plastic, Premium Quality Vinyl Eraser, White, Latex-free, Age-resistant, Minimal Crumbling (526 50 BK) (single pack)

Here is my December EDC/pocket dump. Look out for a reoccurring theme/brand. Enjoy! (Re-upload after spelling mistake found).

• Item 1:Regular black sharpie
  
• Item 2:Field Notes Pencil
  
• Item 3:Tech 21 phone case and Iphone 6s
  
• Item 4:Expedition field notes
  
• Item 5:Chicago field notes, got this one as a guest pass when going to the HQ
  
• Item 6:Field notes band of rubber
  
• Item 7:Wallet that I received from my aunt with a custom sanic sticker I got.
  
• Item 8:Leatherman style
  
• Item 9:Original chapstick, lable taken off.
  
• Item 10:Staedtler eraser
  
• Item 11:Field notes space pen, matte black
  
• Item 12:Field notes/DDC pocket ruler
  
• Item 13:DDC pocket first aid kit, contents shown
  
• Item 14:Apple earpods, 3.5mm version.
  
• Item 15:Spinner
  
  Edit:spinner link
  

Blowing on the games doesn't really do anything. Best way I have found to clean them is to open them up and rub the contacts with a MARS plastic eraser to clean off corrosion. You can also get a replacement pin set for your NES to replace the default pin set. If you replace the pin set and clean off the contacts of all of your games, everything will work like brand new.

Yikes!! You've probably tried different ways of cleaning that up... one suggestion I have, as a last resort and strictly in an experimental sense, is that you get one of those premium, hi-polymer white erasers (see links below) and gently rub the darkened areas with it... in a sense, trying to erase that material off, especially if it turns out to be a residue from your black microfiber cloth.

Those white erasers have been remarkably successful at removing toning, milk spots, and other stains from metallic surfaces (silver, copper, gold) when other cleaners and chemical solutions have failed... so it may work out on Alcantara too, but I don't know. Try at your own risk!

https://www.amazon.com/Staedtler-Mars-Plastic-Erasers-52650BK4/dp/B00006IFAN/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1501042975&sr=8-3&keywords=white+eraser

https://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Hi-polymer-Block-Eraser-ZEH10BP3-K6/dp/B001Q4HQVU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501042975&sr=8-1&keywords=white+eraser

STAEDTLER premium quality vinyl eraser, Mars plastic, white, phthalate & latex free, age-resistant, minimal crumbling, blistercard of 4 erasers, 526 50 BK4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IFAN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_pDMZAbCCEC8YD

https://www.amazon.com/Staedtler-Mars-Plastic-Erasers-52650BK4/dp/B00006IFAN

I like 0.7 mm lead and I find that these feel the most comfortable in my hand. The most important thing for me, though, is a clean erase. I tend to have at least one of these on hand all the time.

My SO likes these. They're okay.

You're going after the wrong problem.

The problem isn't the pencil so much as it is the erasing.

What you want is the Stadler eraser. Do not substitute or cheap out. They're as cheap as can be and you only need one. I barely used one for three years of grad school.

https://www.amazon.com/STAEDTLER-Plastic-Latex-free-Age-resistant-Crumbling/dp/B00006IFAN/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?keywords=eraser&qid=1555958207&s=gateway&sr=8-15

Buy the four pack and give some out to nerdy paper friends and keep one or two as back up.


Also try to work on easing up on the death grip. It's not a contest to break pencils and you're going to be writing for the next 50 years or so. It's a marathon not a Sprint.

The Palomino Blackwing 602 gets my nod. Pair it with a nice Staedler eraser and a Blackwing sharpener.

I dont do too many field-fixes anymore... Im now in startup land where everything is shiny & new, and we get what we need.

 

My things that were stupid-useful that mostly haven't been listed so far:

Klein Tools electrician scissors - Most useful cutters ever. Take-a-finger-off sharp, cuts though thick cables, the top is great for straining phone / ethernet cable. A cable puller had a set, and he sold me on them in 30 seconds when he raked the wobbly cat5 strands across them, and they were perfectly straight. Would have been worth the $$ at twice the cost.

I replaced my mismatched tools in my bag w/ a iFixit toolkit when I needed to start buying new bits for iPads and the tri-lobes for macs. Ended up being about the same cost as those bits alone, and it had them, and a bunch of other stuff that was better then my cobbled together tools. The screwdriver is far-better made then the little plastic ones I had before. They have a new-toolkit, but I haven't used it.

A roll of Velcro ties Far more useful then zips. Use the scissors above to trim as needed.

Mars-eraser. Great for cleaning toner from printers, and cleaning up corroded connectors (first pass).

Melamine Sponge (aka Magic Eraser) - They clean up things nothing else does like the weird tint that macs wrist guards get from skin oil. Also great for getting toner off of the outside of printers. Also good for cleaning up cherry-coke from a $25k piece of sound gear.

Deoxit - You can use the cheap stuff that was like $5 a can at any automotive parts store, and that will work for most things. This is for more sensitive stuff. I used this repairing contacts in audio-control-surfaces, rebuilding DSLRs, etc. Its for when more then a mars-eraser is needed.

You'd be surprised. I'm a full time college student with depression. I'm still managing to pull off art on the side.

Initial costs are a box of pencils, erasers and a notebook.

Canson Artist Series Universal Sketch Pad, 9"X12" Side Wire https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004IXJ7CM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_mtWJzbS3BS01W

Palomino 2B Pencils Orange Set Of 12 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P50UTE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_KuWJzb7MTP1WQ

Staedtler Mars Plastic Erasers,Pack of 4 (52650BK4) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IFAN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ZvWJzb48BV8JQ

There's more affordable options but these are my favorites so far.

It's probably best to stop by a superstore and pick up whatever they have on the cheap.

Edit: Tacklebox has been drawing for four years. Think about it. You can do this. You can get the skills you want if you practice.

There's a lot of art pencil sets like this that you can find online or at art specialty stores like Michael's or Hobby Lobby that are good for beginning. Don't worry about the big pencil sets that have every grade available--you really don't need all that right away, and probably wouldn't use most of them anyway.

For pencils, I'd start with just a 2H, an HB or F, a 2B, and maybe a 4B. This gets you a decent range of light to dark. You can add in a layout or black colored pencil for when you want to go really dark.

Find yourself a white eraser or a kneaded eraser, a good sketchbook with 60 or 70lb paper (or copy paper like a printer uses is a super cheap alternative). I'd personally recommend drawing without an eraser at the ready for a while in order to train yourself to learn from any mistakes and to be more economical and thoughtful with your lines among other things.

When you get more confident using those tools, you can add in other pencil grades, blending tools (like a tortillon, stump, or chamois), or even graduate to charcoals.

I hope that helps with getting you going! Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in what we think we need in order to draw that we forget that the most important thing is to grab whatever you have at the ready along with a piece of paper and start drawing.

(Side note: I'm not selling anything and am unaffiliated with the products linked to-- they're just examples.)

Many of my favorites have been discontinued or changed.

The Koh-i-Noor Rapidomatic was my primary pencil for my first 4 college years. I even bought a red and blue colored versions to put red and blue lead in, which was nice for graphs or occasional emphasis. Lovely pencils made in Japan. However, looking at the Amazon reviews they no longer make these, but instead something with the same name and general look, but using all new parts and process in China. You can taste the sadness in the reviews. It looks like people are happy with the Alvin Draftmatic which looks exactly like the Rapidomatic.

The Pilot Vanishing Point has been discontinued. Sad. My favorite pencil, made in Japan. See reviews on Amazon. I introduced a number of people to this, and many of them started using it as their primary pencil. My manager even questioned why I had spent $200 on pencils, when I explained I was ordering a couple of these for myself, asked around, and 10 others in the office said they wanted one or two as well (after trying mine). No drafting grip, and shorter, but really good weight, good feel, quality, and I could write well with them.

The Uni Kuru Toga is nice, but too lightweight and plastic for my taste. The price is hard to argue with. I wonder if the Roulette model would be better as it sounds like it might weigh more.

Dave's review site recommends the Staedtler 925-25. I've tried the 925-05 which is ok (my 11yo uses it) but not the 925-25.

If you have more money, the Rotring 600 and 800+ come highly recommended (lots of metal, high quality, made in Japan). I have never tried one, but I'll buy a 600 sometime soon.

For erasers, I use Staedtler Mars Plastic. They last forever -- I still have one from 1985 with more than half remaining and it works fine. I only bought more so the family can each have one of their own. My tips are (1) don't get oil on them or the paper, and get it off if you do. This means don't run your finger along the eraser part. It causes smearing. (2) erase flat if you can, to save sharp edges for fine work. If you always use the edges, then you won't have a sharp edge to change φ' to φ in the middle of an equation.

Well, here's a list of items you'll find useful if you decide it's something you might like to pursue.

Round pegbar - get one and tape it to your desk, get another and tape it to your scanner and you'll have a very easy time keeping sheets of paper aligned. Shipping on these is expensive but I couldn't find any other place that sells them. You might be able to 3d print a couple if you have 3d printer access.

Three hole punch - anything that punches holes of the right diameter (1/4 inch) reliably with the same spacing of the pegbar is fine. You probably already have one of these.

Scanner - any scanner that fits letter paper is fine. You probably already have one of these, and if you don't you might be able to use one at a library.

Paper - cheap paper is ideal. This is the cheapest that I know of at $2 for 500 sheets but copy paper isn't hard to find for a reasonable price. Get 2 reams or a big old box. You'll go through it faster than you'd think if you want to make an animation of any meaningful length.

Pencils - It'll be easiest if you have two kinds, but the most important kind is a regular old 2B or 4B pencil. Staedtler Mars Lumographs are the best but really you can use whatever pencil you find around the house, lying on the street, and so on for practice. If you really get into it and you need a lot of pencils, you should get these. The other kind you'll want is a light blue or light green colored pencil. You can use the colored pencil to lay down really rough, quick sketches for each frame and do a refined, accurate drawing for each frame with the regular old pencil. Then, when you scan the frames in color, you can remove the colored pencil marks using a technique similar to this. I'd probably use Blender for this because it's easier to remove the blue lineswith the whole image sequence. If you need help figuring out how to do this efficiently you can PM me and I'll give you a comprehensive tutorial. After the non-photo blue is removed you can take it into OpenToonz or Krita to colorize the animation if you wish.

Erasers - it's very important to have a high-quality eraser! I recommend these. They usually erase very cleanly unless you dug really hard into the paper when drawing.

Book - For animation, start with The Animator's Survival Kit. It's got lots of good information in it. Absolutely essential book. If you can't afford it, you can find illegal copies online.

For drawing instruction, visit /r/artfundamentals and do all of the exercises. It's fine to use pencils for the exercises as long as you use them like you'd use a pigment liner, that is, pressing just hard enough to get a reasonably dark line and correcting mistakes by incorporating them into your drawing, rather than with an eraser. For this reason I recommend getting and using up one pigment liner just so you can get used to how it feels to use them. Then you can do the rest of them with pencils if you want, since you know how to use a pencil like a pigment liner, or you can get an inexpensive fountain pen that will let you refill from fountain pen ink in a bottle, which can be extremely cost-effective as long as you don't get into the habit of buying lots of expensive pens and every ink color under the sun.

All in all, including the book and excluding the items that you probably already have (scanner, 3 hole punch) you're probably looking at around
I feel like I should warn you at this point before you spend any money that you'll need to either have or acquire a pathological tolerance for tedium if you want to be successful at animating and drawing. You'll definitely be going through at least a ream of drawings before you're any good. As long as you're OK with that, go for it.

For two pegbars, two reams of paper, a dozen good pencils, 4 good erasers you're looking at around $60. If you have some of this stuff around the house you might only need the pegbars, which is about $24. In any case I'd encourage you to buy the book I recommended if you can afford it. It's really helpful.

Pencil: Pentel Graph Gear 1000 0.5mm

Eraser: Staedtler Mars Plastic Eraser

Calculator: Casio fx-115 MS

https://www.amazon.com/STAEDTLER-Plastic-Latex-free-Age-resistant-Crumbling/dp/B00006IFAN

This is what you need bro, way way better erasing than any tiny pencil eraser can do and one eraser will last you more than a year easy

Read the title and came here to recommend getting a mechanical pencil, and it looks like you were already thinking about it!

My rOtring 600 should be here tomorrow. Pretty psyched about it.

A good eraser is also a life changer.

Personally I have found that the Staedtler Mars plastic eraser is best. You want to do it evenly across the length of the book as to not create a "clean" area. Additionally it does not require scrubbing with it, just use it like you would with a pencil mark on paper... there are also youtube videos on this:

https://youtu.be/d399AFqTzVY

STAEDTLER Mars Plastic, Premium Quality Vinyl Eraser, White, Latex-free, Age-resistant, Minimal Crumbling (526 50 BK) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IFAN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_oaXACbRK5R447