Last week, I reviewed the Pilot S20 Drafting Pencil, and this week I’m tackling it’s pricier sibling, the Pilot S30 Drafting Pencil, to see if the premium features - and price - are worth it.
If you didn’t read last’s week’s review of the S20 you should, but if you want the short version you should know this: I adore the S20. I’m still in the honeymoon phase with it, but I can tell it will have a long-term spot in my writing arsenal.
The S30 takes the straightforward S20 pencil platform, and turns it up a notch or three. At a quick glance, these two pencils look the same, but on the inside, the S30 uses a different mechanism to auto-advance the lead when the empty tip is pressed against the paper. The traditional knock-advance mechanism is still in place, so you have a choice how to advance the lead when using the pencil.
In addition, the S30 has a retractable pipe. This allows for a bit of added safety when storing the pen away. For some, this is a mandatory feature for any mechanical or drafting pencil.
Those two mechanism changes increase the weight of the S30 to 21 grams, versus 18 grams for the S20. The approximately 15% increase in weight is noticeable.
What else is noticeable is the shiny chrome finish of the S30, as well as the matching wood treatment on the knock. The packaging of the S30 also gets upgraded to a more traditional hanging box, compared to no packaging for the S20.
Last but not least, the S30 checks in at $40. If the $25 S20 is in the premium pricing category, then the S30 levels that up even more.
So, is it worth the premium price for the premium product? To me, no. I prefer the lighter weight and matte hardware of the S20 more than I need a retractable pipe, touch-advance lead, and a box that I will throw in the garbage. For others, the retractable pipe will be worth every penny of the premium if they like the pencil overall.
That’s the takeaway here. If you like the style of the S20 or S30, then it boils down to which features you are willing to pay, or not pay, for. No matter the choice, there is a high likelihood that you just found your new favorite pencil.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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