Uni Mitsubishi 9000 Pencil 3H Review

I would hesitate to call 2015 the year of the pencil for me personally, but dang if I'm not finding myself using them more and more. I have received several sampler packs from the Erasable crew, and of course JetPens keeps bringing in some of the top brands from Japan like this Uni Mitsubishi 9000.

The 9000 is a standard issue wood case pencil with a range of ten different lead grades. I branched out a bit for this review, choosing the 3H instead of a normal middle grade. I hadn't used a lead this hard yet so I was interested to see what it is all about.

My tendencies lead me to firmer, finer pens so my tastes in pencils should be about the same, right? It seems to be that way because this 3H is fantastic. The worry with harder lead grades is that the lines are much lighter, but with the 9000 I found it to be completely acceptable. In fact, it's right on the money. My lines were sharp, consistent, and easily dark enough to read.

When used side by side with more mid-range lead grades like HB it is clearly lighter, but not as much as I thought it would be. And when you add in the slick green paint job and the phrase "Made By Elaborate Process" stamped into the barrel, there is a lot to like about this pencil. The only hangup for some may be the lack of eraser, but this is my preferred style.

At some point I will put together a Top 5 wood case pencil list, and the 9000 will get consideration for the back end of the list. The Tombow Mono and Blackwing 602 are my go to pencils still but I am keeping this Uni on the radar.

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

Sonic Ratchetta Capsule Pencil Sharpener Review

Pencils are a thing, even for a pen addict, and now that I carry wooden pencils with me frequently I need a portable pencil sharpener to keep me company. The Sonic Ratchetta Capsule Pencil Sharpener fits the bill nicely.

I’m all set at home with the desktop Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener, but hauling that around in my backpack doesn’t exactly fly. I’ve also seen many open blade models where the pencil shavings go everywhere you don’t want them to be. I’m a bit of a neat freak - which was part of my pencil hangup in the first place - so having a compartment to hold the shavings until I am able to dump them out fits my needs perfectly.

The Rachetta handles that task well, but what really sets it apart is the way you sharpen the pencil itself. It’s like a socket wrench or ratchet screwdriver in that you don’t have to readjust your grip with each twist. The ratcheting mechanism lets you work your sharpening magic with ease. A little back and forth and a fresh new point is yours.

There are also two point settings on the sharpener: Fine point and broad point. The fine is what you think of with a traditional pencil, and the broad is useful for colored pencils or those who want wider, softer lines.

For someone who is not a traditional pencil person I’m impressed with the Sonic Rachetta. For only $5.50 and your choice of five colors it is a solid addition to your daily carry.

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

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.)