Review: Uni-Ball Kuru Toga High Grade 0.5mm

I first reviewed the Uni-Ball Kuru Toga back in December of last year, and now that the Kuru Toga High Grade model is available at JetPens, I wanted to try out some new things.  In my original review, the Kuru Toga was an 0.3mm model, and while I liked it a lot, I felt that the lead size, combined with my writing style, didn't take full advantage of the core rotation mechanism that makes the Kuru Toga what it is.  This time around, I went with the 0.5mm size and did a little more accurate testing with the pencil.

My normal writing style involves a bit of spinning the pen or pencil in my hand when writing.  I write a few words, pick up the pencil, rotate it a bit in my fingertips, and put it back to paper.  It is a fraction of a second thing, but to really get a feel for how the Kuru Toga works, I need to let the pencil do its job.  So for this writing sample, I decided to punish myself like I was in 4th grade, forcing myself to write "I will not rotate the pencil in my hand when writing" over and over again until the page was full.  I made a concerted effort to keep the lettering on the barrel perfectly square between my thumb and index finger throughout this experience, and was successful in doing so.  If you didn't realize this already by looking at the page, the Kuru Toga really, really works.  Any other pencil around would have a huge flat spot on the lead, making for wider and lighter transfer to the page.  The Kuru Toga rotated properly the entire way through, keeping the lead sharp and ready to go with every word.  There is no difference in line width or darkness between any line on the page.  Fantastic results!

The design differences between the original Kuru Toga and the High Grade are not that different other than the materials used in construction of the barrel.  The original has a plastic grip, plastic clip, and is a touch shorter, while the High Grade has an aluminum grip section, metal clip, and is a bit longer.  The eraser section is also designed a bit differently as you can see in the photo, and the original is a hair lighter, but they are both lightweight pencils.  The biggest difference is price, with the original costing $6.50 and the High Grade at $15.00, so it just depends on what you are looking for in a pencil for which one you should buy.  The High Grade is striking looking, but my next Kuru Toga will probably be another original.  You can't go wrong with either.

Click Here for the XL review.

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Review: Styb Pens

This slew of Styb pens was sent to me by Pen Addict reader Carmen from Puerto Rico (sorry this took so long).  She emailed me about these pens, mentioning how she used them everyday at work, and was wondering if I had heard of them.  I hadn't, and she graciously offered to send me some in the mail.  Little did I know that "some" meant "an envelope stuffed to the gills" - thanks Carmen!

The variety that Styb offers is pretty impressive, especially since this is only a sampling.  From plastic tip pens, to liquid ink, to fountain pens - both large and small - Styb looks to have things covered.  My favorites of the bunch are the first two pictured at left, which are the Styb Precision 04 and 08.  They are a plastic tip pen, but the firmness of the tip is something I haven't experienced in a pen like this before.  It is very rigid, and writes a very sharp line, which I like.  The other pen I liked a lot was the Styb K2 Megaroller 07.  It reminds me a lot of the Uni-Ball Vision, which is an excellent liquid ink pen and high praise indeed.

I was shocked to see a fountain pen included in this lot, but there was one, and reminds me a lot of the Pilot Petit fountain pen, size wise at least.  I couldn't really get the ink flowing well with this model though, so the jury is still out on this one.  I'm not sure what the difference is between the Styb Sprinter Roller and the Styb Glider Megaroller are, but I didn't really care for either.  The ink bled too much on both, especially the Sprinter Roller.  It also laid down a line much wider than the 07 K2 and it is apparently supposed to be an 05 width.  The Signpen, on the other hand, is great.  It is the perfect size and design, and writes just how I would expect it to.

Overall, there are some good pens in this bunch, and only a couple that I really didn't care for.  Huge thanks to Carmen for sending these to me.  You can read more about Styb pens and additional products at their website.

Click Here for XL review.