Why The Pentel Sharp Mechanical Drafting Pencil Is Perfect For Me

Stationery goods that have been around for decades often have a good reason to stay viable for so long. In the case of the Pentel Sharp - which launched in 1970 - I’m a bit surprised it is still kicking around, and thriving, in the current age of mechanical pencils. Why?

It’s inexpensive.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, you could find the Pentel Sharp in office supply cabinets around the world. I know because I used to steal them from my dad’s work! They were sold by the dozen, in four tip sizes: 0.3 mm (P203/Brown barrel), 0.5 mm (P205/Black barrel), 0.7 mm (P207/Blue barrel), and 0.9 mm (P209/Yellow barrel).

The apple of my eye at the time was that shiny Black barrel, but those darn Blue barrels were everywhere! That’s ok, because I only needed one. These are refillable mechanical pencils, after all. But that never stopped me, because again, they still don’t cost much relatively speaking, even in 2025. $6.00 is pretty great, for any lead size you wish.

It’s beautiful.

The Sharp Mechanical Drafting Pencil is a masterclass of design. It is ultralight, checking in at just 9 grams. It’s narrow, with a taper from the grip section through the tip. The built-in plastic grip bumps hold your fingers in place, and doesn’t agitate them. The single ridge on the nose cone adds a nice visual element. The clip is clean, functional, and removable. The button knock completes the silver metal elements perfectly. And none of this has changed since the pencil first launched, as best as I can tell.

It’s fun.

Not only to look at, but to use. This is a product that molds into your hands in such a way that you hardly know it is there. Some of the striking barrel colors can’t be missed, either. I appreciate that Pentel leaned into it over the past decade-plus, like with these fluorescent barrels that I use the most. They mix it up every now and then, but they do charge a few dollars more for limited versions.

From my Delfonics x Pentel Sharp P205 Mechanical Pencil Review.

It’s better than your mechanical pencil.

Ok, slow down there Brad! The Pentel Sharp is not for everyone, and there are a ton of options on the market that may suit you better. I ranked my Top 10 Mechanical Pencils in Episode #635 of the Pen Addict Podcast, where only the Rotring 600 was placed ahead of it. I think that’s fair considering all of the differences the 600 brings to the table, and high praise for the Sharp to be placed in that company.

Even their stock lead is great, and comes in a range of hardnesses.

It’s nostalgic and modern, all at once.

I have a love for the Sharp that goes back decades, and Pentel has kept the flame burning with frequent colors, patterns, and styles which keep our relationship fresh. On the list of products that make me smile the most, the Pentel Sharp is right near the top.

What simple stationery goods make you smile the most? Let me know in the comments.

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Platinum Pro-Use 171 Drafting Pencil Limited Edition Review

Platinum not only makes some of the best fountain pens on the market, they have done a great job in the mechanical pencil space for decades as well. The Platinum Pro-Use 171 Drafting Pencil is their top of the line model, with a feature list to match the price tag. Is it worth it? Let’s find out.

The Pro-Use 171 has two main selling points outside of the standard setup: an adjustable length lead sleeve, and a toggleable spring mechanism to help prevent breakage. Let’s tackle those first, and then we will get into the traditional features.

On the front end of the pencil, the nose cone is twistable to extend and retract the lead sleeve. This extension ranges from 0 mm when completely retracted, to 4.5 mm when fully exposed. As a fan of an extended lead pipe, 4.5 mm is a bit too long even for my tastes, but that is the good news - you can customize it to fit your exact needs. It is a bit of a visual trick when doing this, as it’s the nose cone itself moving up and down. The shorter the sleeve appears, the bigger the gap between the nose cone and barrel. I’m not a fan of the aesthetics of this feature, but it’s usable in my normal writing position.

What I can get behind is the spring mechanism to help with lead breakage. Twisting the grip section to the proper station activates or deactivates the mechanism. I’ve kept it “on” for the most part, other than testing if I could feel any difference. If I push it hard I can notice some give with it activated, but my writing pressure is light enough that it’s hardly noticeable in either stage.

The two stages are marked on the barrel, with a short twist to engage/disengage the spring.

The standout feature of the Pro-Use 171 is the knurled metal grip section, and the balance it prides to the overall writing experience. The knurling is light-to-moderate so it won’t sandpaper your skin during long sessions, and the entire section is heavy, especially when placed against the lightweight plastic barrel. That’s how engineering and drafting pencils should be designed, but I can’t help but wonder if a lightweight aluminum barrel would better fit the price tag of this pencil.

The Pro-Use is a good pencil, but it has a long list of competitors that I would choose before it. Top to bottom: Spoke Design Model 4, uniball Kuru Toga Wood, Pro-Use, Rotring 600.

Price is the kicker for the Pro-Use 171. It’s $43 for this Limited Edition color (the all-Black standard model is $38,) and I’m not sure there is enough there to justify it for my own use. The lead sleeve adjustment is a set it and forget it situation, as is the spring mechanism to assist with breakage. With a few exceptions, I guess you could say I’m a fan of fixed pencils.

Do you have any use cases where the features of the Pro-Use 171 come into play? I’d love to hear them if so.

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

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Zebra DelGuard Type-GR Mechanical Pencil Review

I’m on record as only being “meh” about the Zebra DelGuard Mechanical Pencil. But a DelGuard in Purple and Pink with a squishy grip? Ok Zebra, you win!

The DelGuard is a legitimately good pencil. The build quality is great, the price is fair, and the selling point - a front-end mechanism that helps prevent breakage - works perfectly.

I’m only meh on it because of the mechanism. It’s nothing that has ever been a selling point for me. Rotating lead? I can use that from time to time. A retractable lead pipe? Yes, if additional protection while portable is required. Mostly, I prefer a standard fixed mechanical pencil, which more than meets my needs. I don’t use 0.3 mm lead sizes much, where the DelGuard mechanism would come in handy. And I’m sure there are a few other specific use cases too, such as using it against a ruler or other fast-paced situations.

All that said, I am a sucker for color and whimsy, and my goodness, does the DelGuard Type-GR have it all.

More color, more better! L to R: Pentel P205, DelGuard Type-GR, Pentel Smash.

Can we talk about this color scheme? It’s a mix of gradients and color blocks, and unbeknownst to me before I got it in hand, it has a subtle cloud pattern starting in the Blurple section of the pencil, rising up towards the clip. The Blue and Grey models each have their own atmospheric design, different from the clouds on this one.

The soft grip section is well done, providing a good middle ground from the firm grip on the Pilot Dr. Grip, and the extra squishy uniball Alpha Gel Grip. The Type GR grip is soft on the outer layer, and firm underneath, making for a comfortable writing experience.

Cloudy, with a chance of Graphite.

If I could wish cast, I would like an 0.7 mm or 0.9 mm option in the Type-GR. The wide diameter barrel lends itself to wider tip sizes, making for a more natural writing flow. But do you know what 0.7 mm or 0.9 mm lead sizes don’t do? Break as much. So there is less need for their mechanism to come in to play in those wider sizes. They do offer an 0.7 mm in their base model in a few colors, but the vast majority of the product lineup is 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm, for good reason.

Zebra’s stock graphite is fine. If this was a long-term use pencil I’d look at something with more tooth, like Pentel’s stock graphite.

Given all of my capitulating, and wondering what the perfect Zebra DelGuard would look like, sometimes I’m just enamored by how a product looks. That’s the case here with the Twilight Purple Limited Edition. It’s $10.75 at JetPens, which puts it a price tier above the base model, but far less expensive than some premium pencils. I’d say the fun it offers makes it more than worth it for me. Looks like I’m a DelGuard fan after all.

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

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