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When you press the knock on the top of the pencil, it pushes a small internal mechanism that releases a small amount of lead through the tip of the pencil. The piece of lead is then held in place by a clutch mechanism inside the pencil. As you write, the lead wears down, and you can extend more by clicking the top again.
Pencil Types:
Mechanical pencils can be divided into two basic types:
Can hold the lead and are able to propel it forward.
Wikipedia- “[Automatic] pencils are a variant of the clutch pencil, in which the lead is held in place by two or three small jaws inside a ring at the tip. The jaws are controlled by a button on the end or the side of the pencil. When the button is pushed, the jaws move forward and separate, allowing the lead to advance. When the button is released and the jaws retract, the "lead retainer" (a small rubber device inside the tip) keeps the lead in place, preventing the lead from either falling freely outward or riding back up into the barrel until the jaws recover their grip. Other designs use a precisely-fitted metal sleeve to guide and support the lead, and do not need a rubber retainer.”
Can only hold the lead in position.
Wikipedia- “A typical clutch pencil is activated by pressing the eraser cap on the top, to open the jaws inside the tip and allow the lead to freely drop through from the barrel (or back into it when retracting). Because the lead falls out freely when the jaws are opened, its forward movement cannot be controlled except by external means. This can be easily done by keeping the tip of the pencil a few millimeters above a work surface or the palm of one's hand. Some clutch pencils do have mechanisms which incrementally advance the lead, such as the Alvin Tech-Matic leadholder, but these are not normally considered to be in the same category as most pencils with propelling mechanisms.”
Usually, most mechanical pencils are of the Automatic type, and Clutch pencils (usually referred to as lead holders) tend to be for thicker lead sizes beyond 0.9 mm.