Clutch Pencils

Clutch pencils, or leadholders, are one of the oldest forms of writing instruments around, dating back hundreds of years. The modern spring clutch push-button type was pioneered by Caran d'Ache in 1929 with the Fixpencil. Caran d'Ache still make a number of Fixpencil versions, which are probably our absolute favourites.

It seems suprising, but there is still a great variety of clutch pencils available, and we have a huge range of finishes, prices, and lead sizes. Most of our clutch pencils have a lead size of 2mm, but we also have 3mm, 3.15mm and 5.6mm pencils.

Clutch Pencils have a useful property over traditional wood-cased pencils - their balance doesn't alter over time as the lead is used up. This can be great advantage, especially for more rapid and expressive work. There's a great range of lead available to suit technical or art endeavours. Many clutch pencils have a little lead pointer hidden in the push-buttons, which also helps portability and convenience.