Posts filed under Mechanical Pencil

Little Pen Designs Acrylic Barrel Mechanical Pencil Review

Joe Little, from Little Pen Designs, is a pen maker; casting many of his own barrel materials, and turning them on a wooden lathe into the finished products you see throughout his site, Instagram, and at pen shows. Not too long ago, he added another product to his lineup: mechanical pencils. Not just any mechanical pencils, though. These are mechanical pencils with barrels made from some of the same acrylics Joe uses for his fountain pens.

You had me at hello.

My mechanical pencil fandom began at a young age. They were the first writing instruments that were accessible to me that I could write small with. Not many pens in the 1980’s could match the lines of an 0.5 mm mechanical pencil.

At the time, my favorite was the Pentel Sharp, and it remains one of the best mechanical pencils on the market to this day. I’ve reviewed different models throughout the years, mostly with unique or limited edition barrels. Heck, I’m even part of a company that makes metal barrels for the same Pentel Sharp mechanism.

With Little Pen Designs, Joe has taken that same internal Pentel Sharp mechanism, and surrounded it with a thin, lightweight, colorful acrylic barrel. For a mechanical pencil fan like myself, these barrels add even more character to a product I already enjoy.

While a product review like this is rather straightforward, there is one pro, and one con, worth mentioning. On the downside, the grip area is smooth, and can be slick. It’s not much of an issue for me with light grip pressure on a light pencil, but I’ve noticed when my hands are dry my fingers move easily. On the plus side of the ledger, these pencils use the traditional Pentel Sharp clip. Joe turns the barrel slightly narrower in that area, allowing the clip to slide on easily.

*Top to bottom: Pentel Sharp, Little Pen Designs, Spoke Design.*

And that’s it. This is a full Pentel Sharp mechanical pencil, with an upgraded, fountain pen-like, exterior barrel. The only other downside is that I might cause Joe some problems reviewing this, as he doesn’t make too many of them.

There is only one in stock on his site as I type this, and I was lucky to grab mine when I saw it pop up on his Instagram. My Blue Nile model was $45, a price I’m more than happy to pay for a fun product like this. I’m not sure if the price varies depending on the material, but I imagine they are all in this range.

I love all kinds of mechanical pencils - from stock models to highly custom and unique versions - and I’m glad to add one of these Little Pen Designs models to my collection. It likely won’t be my last.

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Posted on October 9, 2023 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Little Pen Designs, Mechanical Pencil, Pencil Reviews.

Caran d'Ache 849 COLORMAT-X 0.7mm Mechanical Pencil Review

The Washington D.C. pen show was an exercise in sensory overload, so it is time to get back to the basics this week and tackle one of my favorite product categories: mechanical pencils.

“Basic” is a term rarely used when referring to Caran d’Ache products. Classic is probably a better term, and they do classic as well as anybody, as seen with this Caran d’Ache 849 Mechanical Pencil.

Given my love for the 849 Ballpoint and Fixpencil, both of which share a similar 849 barrel design as the mechanical pencil, I’m surprised it took me so long to try one out. My first impression when unboxing it? “Oh, yeah.”

*Top to bottom: 849 Ballpoint, 849 Mechanical Pencil, Fixpencil.*

That’s the sound of being familiar with a product lineup and brand, despite never using this exact model. The aluminum barrel of the 849 Mechanical Pencil is lightweight, sturdy, and comfortable. This model features a Blue COLORMAT-X anodized finish, giving the pencil a subtle sparkle and satin/matte feel. If the Pentel Sharp P Series mechanical pencil shipped with a metal barrel, it would look and feel a lot like this.

Staying with the Sharp comparison, the primary aesthetic difference between the two is the lack of a screw-on nose cone. The 849 barrel is one piece through the front taper, with only the tip of the mechanism appearing through the opening. It is not retractable into the barrel, unlike its ballpoint brethren.

The stock Caran d’Ache 0.7 mm lead is soft and dark. While I enjoyed writing with it, if this was primarily a writing pencil, I would look into swapping the lead out for something harder. But for artwork, drawing, and sketching, this lead is ideal. 0.7 mm width is your only choice, though.

While the lead is an easy swap, the price isn’t. This pencil is expensive for what it is, but that is the C’dA way. At around $23 it isn’t outrageous, and the similar 844 model is only a few dollars cheaper, so you are paying that Swiss premium for sure. Some of their products are easily worth that premium for me, and others have more competition.

I think the 849 mechanical pencil falls into that latter category, where I find the various 849 ballpoint and Fixpencil styles more “worth it.” I’m glad to have this pencil in the arsenal to play around with and compare to other products, but I’m not looking to add another one at this point.

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on August 14, 2023 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Caran d'Ache, Mechanical Pencil, Pencil Reviews.

Tombow Mono Graph Lite Mechanical Pencil Review

Is there a more underrated stationery maker than Tombow?

Their product lineup is not the biggest, and they don’t cover every corner of the stationery world. They are more Zebra than Pilot, for comparison. But everything they make, especially in the sub $10 price point, is outstanding. Often, that product is the best in its category.

Is the Tombow Mono Graph Lite Mechanical Pencil the best in its category? If not, it’s close. When I pick it up and use it, I smile. Sometimes stationery is that simple.

Oh, did I mention this is a $3 mechanical pencil? That’s right. This pencil would be right at home on a students desk as much as it would be on the drafting tables of an architectural firm. They still have those, right?

Why do I like this mechanical pencil so much? Design execution. You’d think companies wouldn’t obsess over a $3 pen or pencil, but the ones that do are clear. The plastic barrel is light and smooth. The rubber grip hits in the right spot and feels nice. The fixed lead pipe is long, but proportional to the overall length of the pencil. The clip color is designed to match the barrel across the lineup. And finally, a Tombow staple, the eraser doesn’t have a cap, it twists to extend and retract.

If I can overthink a $3 mechanical pencil this much, they must be doing something right.

*The stock 0.5 mm Tombow graphite is crisp and firm - exactly what I’m looking for. Written on the* *Kobeha Graphilo Square Notebook*.

This isn’t the first time I’ve gushed over a Tombow mechanical pencil or ballpoint pen. Their woodcase pencils and brush pens are pretty darn good to. They also make my all-time favorite color pencil in the Tombow Irojiten, so yeah, you could say I’m a fan.

Tombow isn’t the largest stationery brand in the world, but not everyone needs to be Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour to be important. Sometimes, three friends loading in and out from their Econoline every night, heading from Athens to Asheville to Amherst, is exactly what you need. Like a Tombow.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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