Posts filed under Mechanical Pencil

Pilot Cocoon 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The Pilot Cocoon mechanical pencil is a familiar design that was born from the popular Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen. I've long been a fan of the Metropolitan, and the Cocoon hits a similar price point and comfort level that makes it easy to love.

Apart from sharing the general shape and feel of the Metropolitan, that's where the similarities stop. This is a pencil after all! Pilot also makes gel pen and other versions of the Metropolitan and Cocoon line, but those all feature a cap system. For the pencil, there is no cap; instead, it looks like a posted Metropolitan or Cocoon all the time.

To advance the lead, just click the cap down a couple of times. The build quality of the pencil is good, which is to be expected for the name. There's a shirt protector built into the tip of the pencil, which prevents the lead from snagging anything when retracted. For my taste, I wish the tip retracted fully into the pencil body, but that's a bit much to ask for the price range. As it works today, I have no real complaints.

0.5mm is the only lead size available in this line of pencils. Pilot could probably sell a few more units if they offered a couple other sizes, but 0.5mm is a good middle ground.

If you remove the cap from the pencil, there's a tiny eraser that closes the lead tube. To refill the lead, just remove the eraser to drop the lead into the tube. Of course, Pilot sell replacement erasers in a set of 5, but I'd recommend picking up a dedicated eraser to use with your pencils.

There's a nice range of colors available for this pencil, from silver, black, white, and several in between. In all, there are eight colors available.

When using the pencil, the Cocoon feels great in the hand. It's not too heavy, but it also offers a great deal of control and stability. I've used it quite a bit and haven't had any complaints on the way the pencil feels. It isn't fair to say that it feels just like the Metropolitan or Cocoon since the overall design and construction is much different. It looks very similar, but feels entirely unique.

All in all, the Cocoon mechanical pencil is a fantastic iteration of a beloved pen lineup from Pilot. It's a solid pencil with a great aesthetic, and also available in a wide variety of fun colors. Students and professionals alike can enjoy this pen, and the price is low enough to make it an easy decision.

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

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Posted on December 27, 2017 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Pilot, Mechanical Pencil, Pencil Reviews.

Lamy 2000 Mechanical Pencil Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The Lamy 2000 is a timeless, attractive design that we're all familiar with. The fountain pen is certainly the flagship version of this beautiful design, but there are several other variations to fit the needs of many people. In this case, we're looking at the Lamy 2000 mechanical pencil.

I'm not a connoisseur of mechanical pencils, but I understand if a pencil I'm using is well-made. With the Lamy 2000, it's a sturdy, dependable pencil worthy of the name. The copy I have is of the 0.5mm lead size, but they're also available in 0.7mm.

The lead advancement mechanism is pretty standard — just depress the top of the pen to advance the lead. Under the top, you'll find a small eraser, and beneath that you'll find access to the lead compartment, as well as a handy tool for cleaning out lead jams. Like most mechanical pencils, the eraser included on the pencil is only intended for dire circumstances. A proper eraser is something you should keep close by when using this pencil.

The clip, like all the other Lamy 2000 variations, has a spring and hinge that makes it easy to use. And when you're using the clip to store or transport the pencil, you also don't need to worry about the point damaging your clothes or cases. The Lamy 2000 pencil features a nice blunt cone at the tip that ensures it won't poke through any fabric.

The pencil (of course) has the unique nose cone that sets the Lamy 2000 apart. The rest of the material (Makrolon) has a warm, smooth touch and gives the pencil a distinctive look.

If you need to perform any maintenance, the pencil comes apart about a third of the way up from the tip, giving you access to the inner workings. From here, you can remove the entire pencil mechanism for inspection.

Even though the pencil looks almost identical to the fountain pen, it's a bit slimmer in diameter. Still, it's extremely comfortable to use and hold. It's very light when compared to other premium mechanical pencils since metal is a common material for the genre.

Overall, the Lamy 2000 mechanical pencil is a worthy cousin to the Lamy 2000 fountain pen. It takes a classic, successful design and morphs it into another useful tool. The price might turn some away, but at around $55 it will certainly entice many.

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Posted on November 29, 2017 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Lamy, Mechanical Pencil, Pencil Reviews.

Zebra DelGuard Type-Lx 0.3 mm Mechanical Pencil Review

Zebra has been making inroads in the mechanical pencil market over the past couple of years, and the DelGuard model has been the primary vessel.

The DelGuard features an internal mechanism to prevent lead breakage for both vertical and sideways pressure. It works amazingly well in every model we have reviewed on the blog. Never once have I had a lead breakage or writing consistency issue.

Since Zebra has seemingly nailed this technology, they have ramped up the styles and models available in the DelGuard. There are different price points, different materials, and yes, even Hello Kitty. Getting that Sanrio deal is when you know you have made it in the stationery market.

The model I’m reviewing today is the Type-Lx, which is currently the highest priced model at $13.50. It’s the only DelGuard model to feature a metal grip section, which is where much of the price increase lies. It also features a rotating grip section which none of the other models have…and I wish this one didn’t have it either.

I was ready to compare this pencil - at least in barrel style and price point - to the Uni-ball Kuru Toga High Grade and the Uni-ball Shift Pipe Lock. Both are metal section/plastic barrel mechanical pencils in the same price range, each with a different feature set than the DelGuard. But this rotating section threw me for a loop.

Why it is there I can’t fully say. It’s not listed in the product description, and I didn’t even notice it until I slid my fingers down to where the nose cone connects with the section. Have you even been using a pen and feel like the nose cone has started to come unthreaded from the barrel? That’s what I assumed I was feeling. No big deal, I’ll just tighten it back up. What, what? The whole thing rotates 360 degrees?

I don’t like it, and it is unnecessary. I can’t figure out why it was designed this way technically either. If it was an auto-tip rotation pencil like the Kuru Toga I’d understand, but this is a lead protection pencil. Maybe pressure gets displaced slightly as you write, lessening the chance of breakage? If that is the case, the the Type-Lx has better design than all of the other DelGuards, which doesn’t make logical sense.

Traditionally, one rotates the pencil in hand while writing as the lead wears down. Having the section rotate eliminates that on occasion, like if the clip of the pencil is resting in the cusp of your hand in the direction you are rotating. You will attempt to spin the pencil but the clip works against the section rotation, and it gets you nowhere.

Yes, I obsess over these somewhat minor things because there are better choices for you to make. I can’t think of a situation offhand where I would recommend this pencil over any of the lower priced DelGuards.

DelGuard technology is fantastic and the build quality of these pencils is excellent. Just don’t feel like you are getting an upgraded experience buying the upgraded barrel. In fact, it could be a downgrade for you like it was for me.

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

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