Wingback is a purveyor of proper pocket pens, so why not pencils? That’s what I’m discussing today, as I have been putting their Stainless Steel Wingback Pencil to the test over the past several months.
When I first tested the Mechanical Pen, I found it to be well made and enjoyable to use. It looked great, too. With a huge amount of design crossover, it’s safe to say I feel the same way about the Mechanical Pencil.
Designed to be shorter and heavier than most mechanical pencils you will find on the market, Wingback places this pencil firmly in the EDC category. And yes, the lead pipe retracts into the barrel when not in use, so don’t hesitate to throw this in a bag, backpack, or pocket at will.
Like their pens, the pencil barrels are made from either Brass or Steel, with various coatings or etchings, depending on the series. The Steel model is perfectly my aesthetic. Heck, all of Wingback’s goods are my aesthetic.
The one kicker with their entire lineup is barrel weight. As you may have surmised by now, these metals make for heavy pens and pencils. This pencil checks in at 40 grams, nearly double the 22 grams of the Rotring 600, for example. Combine that with aggressive knurling, well, let’s just say your hand will be exhausted at the end of a morning leaning over the drafting table.
And I would contend that all day writing is not what these pencils are designed for. Maybe that goes against the marketing of their large capacity, custom-made mechanism, which is designed to hold “up to 40 lead refills – enough to keep you going for over 50km.” This isn’t a novel-writing pencil. It’s an up and down note-taking pencil, which is exactly as I have been using it.
I discovered this when copying a book for my still-in-progess #NaNoCoMo project. After two consecutive A5 pages, around 800 words, my hand was tired! I liked the pencil enough to try long-from writing, but short-form is where it is at. My Wingback Pencil lives on my desk, and is a frequent contributor to notes and planner entires. If I ever decide to leave the house again, it would be a fine pocket companion as well.
Wingback’s writing instruments fall into the premium price category. This Steel Mechanical Pencil runs £95 (approx. $124,) which is the entry point to the lineup. Additional finishes and barrel designs ramp up the price from there.
I’ve been happy with everything I have seen from Wingback so far. Enough so, that I added a Black Steel Pen to the rotation a while back. The Mechanical Pencil is in the rotation as well, and I’ll be keeping an eye on the brand closely to see what they come up with next.
(Wingback provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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