(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
The more stationery products I see and use, the more I'm convinced that there is really is a specific product for every tiny use case you can imagine. In some cases, you might want the convenience of a "shake to advance" lead system in a mechanical pencil combined with the luxurious grip of the Uni Alpha series. It seems like a completely random combination at first, but I'm also glad that it exists in case someone does need this specific combination of functionality. And even if you don't care much about the nifty shaking mechanism, it's still a great mechanical pencil that features the soft Alpha grip section.
The (take a big breath for this one) Uni Alpha Gel HD II Shaka Shaker Mechanical Pencil is the exact combination I described above. At first glance, it looks like a Uni Signo with the Alpha grip. We've reviewed these gel refill cousins before, and they're fantastic for people who want a soft and gel-like cushion on the pen grip. The pencil we have here is the same concept, but with a mechanical pencil component inside. On top of that, you can also advance the lead by gently shaking the pencil.
I've used pencils like this in the past, like the Tombow Mono Graph Shaker and Pilot Mogulair, and the concept of shaking the pencil to advance the lead is quite interesting. With this feature, you can advance your pencil lead with one hand and without moving your fingers from the grip section. I can see where this can be convenient, but it's also partly a marketing gimmick to set this pencil apart from the many, many other options. That being said, it's a really well done gimmick that works great in practice.
Similar to the Tombow, you can lock the advancement mechanism on the Shaka so that it doesn't accidentally extend (and break) lead while being jostled around in a pocket or bag. To do this, you have to rethink the top button of this pencil. The top button can certainly advance the lead if you press it down about 80% of the way. One press advances roughly 1 millimeter of lead, and you can also press and hold to push the lead back into the pencil when it's time to pack up. But, if you press the top button all the way down (it feels like pressing the nock of a normal ballpoint or gel pen), it clicks and stays in place. When the top button is down, it means the shaking mechanism is disabled and won't advance lead while the pencil is in transit. It took me a few minutes to figure out how this works, but once your brain gets over the confusing aspect of how the button being down seems like the opposite of a "ready to carry" position, you're all set.
It's entertaining to picture someone furiously shaking this pencil like a dried up bottle of Wite-Out or a fresh Polaroid, but that's not the kind of effort you need to exert with the Shaka pencil. All it takes is a small flick of the wrist to extend the lead by a millimeter or so. I can easily do this without moving my elbow or shoulder, and I really appreciate how easy it is to use in this regard. Let's be real: if it required the kind of effort that I mentioned above, you're not likely to use this pencil in public.
Along with the cushy grip and unique lead advancing system, you get the usual perks of almost every mechanical pencil ever made. There's a small eraser under the top button, and you can add more lead by removing the top button and the eraser to open the lead reservoir.
If you've never tried out one of the Uni Alpha Gel grip pens, you really owe it to yourself to try one some day. It's not for everyone, but you never know until you try one.
At less than $8, the Uni Alpha Gel HD II Shaka Shaker Mechanical Pencil (seriously, who came up with this name?) is an excellent value. If you try it out and don't like it, you're only out a few bucks, and maybe someone you know will love it instead. The pencil only comes in 0.5mm lead size, and you also only have two choices of color: the white featured here, and a classy Navy with chrome hardware. It's a fun pencil that I can definitely recommend if you want a unique mechanical pencil experience for a few bucks.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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