Faber-Castell Grip 2001 Pencil Review

OMG a pencil review!!!

In looking at a product like the Faber-Castell Grip 2001 Pencil I can understand why there is so much love for this oldest of writing instruments. Something about graphite on paper fires off those often under used creative brain cells.

I know the Grip 2001 comes highly recommended by many pencil addicts so I wanted to give them a try. I was not disappointed. The package I chose from JetPens contained three different lead grades: 2B, B, and HB. As an admitted pencil newbie, I always have to double-check the hardness chart to see where these grades fall in the scale. All three are right in the middle, with 2B being the softest and darkest, and HB being the hardest and lightest. It is relative though, as all three are neighbors.

The 2B did a wonderful job in the written review but I found that I much prefered the firmer HB for regular use. In fact, I have picked it up and used it several times over the past week and it was great. I loved how clean and sharp my lines were.

On the design side, the Faber-Castell 2001 is famous for those little black bumps on the barrel known as the Soft-Grip-Zone. They make for a non-slip grip and a comfortable writing experience. The barrel shape is triangular, and my only gripe with the pencil as a whole is that the overall diameter is slightly smaller than other pencils I have reviewed like the Blackwing 602. It's a minor complaint and I didn't notice until I picked up other pencils after using the 2001.

I'm not at the level yet where I can deep dive on all the reasons why you should or shouldn't use one pencil over the other but I will say I prefer my Blackwings over the 2001. That said, I just ordered several more pencils to get a better feel for different brands. The hook has been set folks.

For more reading on the Faber-Castell 2001 check out these great reviews:

Pencil Revolution

Pencil Talk

The Well-Appointed Desk

The Pencilcase Blog

Stationery Traffic

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Faber-Castell 2001

Faber-Castell Close

Faber-Castell Grade

Pentel Sharp Drafting Pencil - 0.5 mm - Carbon Black Review

I have a soft spot in my heart for the Pentel Sharp Drafting Pencil. It is the first quality mechanical pencil I remember using, and was ubiquitous in offices around the world for decades. Remember the time when you had access to decent quality office supplies at work? Me neither.

Pentel has done a nice job of keeping the brand alive, releasing a metallic plastic body last year and the Carbon Black plastic body this year. It actually took me several months to get this one from JetPens because it would keep selling out every time it restocked. Pentel Sharp fans love their pencils!

What has kept the Sharp so popular for all of these years is the simple but highly effective barrel design. Featuring a slight taper from around mid-barrel to the grip area, it fits the hand just right. The taper continues down through the tip section as well, giving users an unrestricted view of their work. No wonder it was so popular with architects and engineers in its heyday.

The Pentel Sharp's heyday is still here in my opinion. Sure, pencils like the Uni-ball Kuru Toga have surpassed it with technological advances, but as with other classic designs there will always be room on the desk for something this great.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Kokuyo Enpitsu 1.3 mm Mechanical Pencil Review

Stepping out of my comfort zone is part of the deal when reviewing products here at The Pen Addict. There are so many products on the market and only a subset of them make my regular rotation. That doesn't mean the rest of the goods don't warrant any attention though. Products like the Kokuyo Enpitsu are exactly why I write this blog.

By all appearances the Enpitsu is a simple pencil but it has a couple of added features that set it apart. First of all, the lead pipe retracts for protection when not in use. This is always a welcome feature in mechanical pencils to help prevent damage if dropped, or to prevent stabbing yourself if you get a little clumsy.

Secondly - and I'm not sure how I feel about this - the cap is fixed with a hole on top to insert lead through (I discount the fact there is no eraser. I assume most serious pencil users have seperate erasers anyway.). This sounds like a good idea in priciple and assumedly in practice too. It saves you from removing the cap and losing it while allowing you to drop the lead straight in (Forgive my ignorance in the image above. It was late.). I'm not sure of any other pencils designed this way.

Design wise, the rubber coated barrel provides an excellent grip surface, and the overall look of the pencil is great. The 1.3 mm lead was a pleasant surprise too. It was soft, dark, and smooth.

While I'm not a prime candidate to put this pencil through the rigors of everyday use, I see artists, sketchers, and even students as a good fit for the Kokuyo Enpitsu. It is comfortable, built well, and appears ready to handle anything you can throw at it.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)