Zebra DelGuard 0.5 mm Mehanical Pencil Review

The Zebra DelGuard introduces a new lead breakage prevention mechanism to the market by absorbing some of the writing pressure within the internals of the pencil. As with all new products on the market that introduce new features, it boils down to does it work as intended. In the case of the DelGuard, it does.

When I first saw the DelGuard I assumed by the similar looks that Zebra was going for a Kuru Toga type mechanism, but that is not the case. Instead, they built in cushioning inside barrel in the form of a spring and lead pipe that adjusts as you write.

My concern with the DelGuard is that I would feel the mechanism working as I was writing, but that wasn't the case at all. I prefer firm mechanical pencils and it felt as if I was writing with any standard pencil. That's good design. Do your job while not interfering with the expected experience.

I'm a medium to heavy pressure writer and never once broke the lead writing normally. When I increased my writing pressure gradually the lead stayed intact as well. Of course you could push it to the breaking point with extreme pressure or extending the lead too far, but the DelGuard handles everything else admirably.

If you enjoy mechanical pencils and lead breakage is holding you back, then give the Zebra DelGuard a try. At $7.50 it's not exactly cheap but if it can eliminate frustration it may be worth it.

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

Tombow Mono 100 Pencil Review

How do I integrate wooden pencils into my daily writing arsenal?

That is such a ridiculous question but it is where I am at mentally right now. I have become a pencil believer, with much gratitude to my compadres at Erasable, but taking a pencil with me for regular, daily use is a challenge I have yet to overcome.

The easy answer is to just do it, right? That is all well and good, but I am a peculiar and particular individual when it comes to things like writing instruments (I write a blog about these things for goodness sakes!) Daily wooden pencil use is a hump I haven't been able to get over, as much as I want to.

I think the carry aspect is what stops me on most days. When I leave the house, my notebook is in a front or back pants pocket, and a pen or three is clipped to my shirt or in a pocket somewhere. Wooden pencils do not work in this way, and therefore are never considered for this task.

I'm rambling about this because I think I have found the pencil for me in the Tombow Mono 100 and I want it to be a bigger part of my writing life. This is far and away the best looking pencil I own, the HB graphite lead is smooth with just a hint of feedback, the point holds an unreal amount of time, it's Japanese (I'm admittedly biased), and LOOK HOW PRETTY IT IS!

The Tombow Mono 100 is the only pencil I have thrown in my backpack to take from home to work and back because I wanted it available to me at all times. My Topo + Doane Mountain Bag has the perfect vertical slots for pencil carry and the Mono 100 travels well in it. I need to go ahead and stock my desk so I have a few available at all times.

That still doesn't solve my carry problems though. I know there are bullet pencil options and caps that prevent breakage, but I don't want to settle either. Like a good pen, I want to use it when and where and how I want. Answering all of those questions is the journey I am on.

(JetPens is a sponsor of The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Pentel Orenz 0.2 mm Mechanical Pencil Review

When mechanical pencil leads get under 0.5 mm the chance of breaking the lead when writing increases greatly. I think 0.5 mm is the sweet spot, but I will use an 0.3 mm pencil from time to time, knowing that it might cause frustration. 0.2 mm seems like a pipe dream, but the Pentel Orenz introduces a new feature to help prevent breakage that actually works.

With the Orenz, Pentel has created a lead guide pipe that fully protects the lead and has a rounded edge so you can write without the tip scratching or catching on the paper. This sounds like it wouldn't work, but I am here to say it works exactly as advertised.

Like the Uni-ball Kuru Toga before it, I didn't have high hopes for the Orenz. The Kuru Toga introduced legitimate technology that changed the way we write with pencils, and while I won't go that far with the Orenz, it absolutely fixes the lead breakage problem that keeps 0.2 mm from regular use.

In my time with the pencil I never once broke the lead. Not a single time. I was worried more about the smoothness than breakage to be honest, and that turned out to be a non-issue as well. No matter how low of an angle I wrote at the 0.2 mm lead just kept on writing.

Aside from the unique lead protection mechanism, the guide pipe is fully retractable, another feature in the plus column. The plastic barrel is lightweight and features the stock small Pentel eraser, both of which are similar to Pentel's famous Sharp drafting pencil line.

The Pentel Orenz is a good pencil, and may be a game changer for those who need 0.2 mm lead. You can pick one up at JetPens for $8.50.

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