Same here, got tired of finding a broken pencil everytime I went looking for it and bought the plastic mechanical one on a leash :)
Now for useless back in the 70’s Farralon, Oceanic’s predecessor made a mechanical decometer, there were 3 on one Jersey dive, square profile, down the anchor rode, flat bottom and back up, 3 different readings! They soon joined things brought up on the mantle :(