Alvin Draft-Matic Drafting Pencil 0.3 mm Review

What is it about the design of drafting pencils that appeals to me so much? There is something about the clean lines, long lead pipe, and knurling found on many of this type of pencil that is so attractive. The Alvin Draft-Matic Drafting Pencil is a recent addition to the lineup at JetPens, and is one of my new favorites.

You would think the banana yellow barrel would blow my design aesthetic theory out of the water, but I find it one of the most attractive things about this pencil. The bright color makes the chrome clip, cap, and knurling really pop. Speaking of the knurling, this is some of the deepest I have used, meaning the grip can be pretty rough on your fingers. It doesn’t bother me, but then again, back in my golf playing days I wanted my grips to feel like sandpaper.

The barrel color sucked me into buying the 0.3mm lead size, but I think I should have chosen 0.5mm instead. For my ink pens, I almost can’t get too small, but the 0.3mm lead width doesn’t suit my writing style as well. I don’t break a lot of leads, but I am overly conscious about it, so the 0.5mm lead would have been better in the long run.

Many people compare this pencil to the Rotring 500 because of the plastic barrel and knurled grip combination, and that is a fair comp. The knurling on the Rotring is not as rough - which some may like - but it is a few dollars more expensive. Either one makes for a great entry level drafting pencil. The Alvin does have four different lead widths available, and you can even save a few bucks by purchasing a two or three pencil set.

Ohto Super Promecha 1500P 0.7mm Review

The Ohto Super Promecha 1500P is one of the craziest pencils I have ever reviewed. It is so customizable I bet I played around with the different settings on it for ten minutes before even starting to write with it.

Let’s get the basics out of the way first. This is a fully aluminum barrel with a knurled grip, on board eraser, and lead grade indicator – all of which most drafting pencils in this class have. There are a couple items that separate it from the rest of the pack though.

First of all, not only is the guide pipe fully retractable, its writing length is fully customizable. Twisting the knurled grip brings the pipe from 0mm all the way out to 4mm, and anywhere in between. You can write normally with it in any position.

Secondly, there is a dial built into the barrel that controls the amount or lead extended with each push. You can get anywhere from 0.2mm to 2mm of lead with each click. I spent more time on this than any normal person should! I have never owned a pencil like this before and was pretty fascinated.

If you are a heavy drafting pencil user the Ohto Super Promecha line needs to be on your radar. Casual users may not get the full benefit of all this pencil has to offer, but if you want your pencil your way then this is the one.

Be sure to check out all of the pictures and video on the JetPens product page.

Pentel Sharp Kerry Mechanical Pencil 0.5mm Review

I have seen the Pentel Sharp Kerry around JetPens for a while, but never really had a reason to try it out. I am a Kuru Toga guy after all right? This red body Kerry showed up in a box of samples I got from work two months back, and even then I kind of set it to the side and wasn’t anxious to review it. I had no idea how much I was missing out on.

Not knowing anything about the Kerry model before getting this one in my hands, I didn’t even realize it is a capped mechanical pencil. It is fully capped at that - just like a nice rollerball pen would be. The unique part about that is you can advance the lead with the cap on or off. The engineering and design of the click mechanism works flawlessly in either position.

The build quality is excellent as well. The color sections are plastic and are surrounded by silver chrome accents. The tip of the pencil has a nice matte finish, which makes for a beautiful overall package. When writing, the pencil is perfectly balanced in the hand. With the cap posted, it is a little shorter than a standard mechanical pencil, but is more than long enough for a comfortable writing experience.

I really can’t say enough about how pleased I am with this pencil. It has top notch styling, comfort, and performance, and is one of the best pencils I have reviewed.