Pilot Dr. Grip Play Balance Shaker 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.)

We all know that there's a lot of preference that goes into the perfect balance and handling of a writing instrument. The lower the center of gravity, the better the control. Too low, though, and it just feels weird. Each pen or pencil has a unique balance, and that attributes so much to the overall writing experience. But what if you could customize the balance of the pen or pencil by adding/subtracting weight to the grip section?

I'm guessing this is the question that came up in a Pilot design session at some point, because that's why we now have the Dr. Grip Play Balance Shaker Mechanical Pencil. There's a lot going on in this name, so let's break it down.

• Dr. Grip — contoured and squishy grip that you'll either love or hate
• Play Balance — you can add or remove weight from the grip section to alter the center of gravity!
• Shaker — you can press the nock at the top of the pencil to advance the lead like any other mechanical pencil, but you can also advance the lead by giving the pencil a little shake.

The Dr. Grip product line has been around quite a while now. If you've never tried one, you owe it to yourself to see if the grip fits your hand and grip style. If it happens to fit, it's really one of the most comfortable writing experiences I've had for a moderately cheap pen that I can buy at most big-box stores. It's got plenty of soft give while also having enough firmness to easily control. For me, the Uni Signo Alpha gel grip is just too soft and I have a hard time writing precisely.

With this mechanical pencil, you have the option of 0.5mm or 0.3mm lead sizes. The version I have is the 0.5mm in the clear body color. There's also black, red, green, and blue if clear isn't your thing. Regardless of the lead size or color, there's a chrome lead advancement button on the top of the pen, a chrome nose cone and lead shoulder, and a small nub at the top of the pencil to keep it from rolling away. There's also a small hole in the nub, so you could theoretically attach it to a lanyard strap or something else to secure it. Unfortunately, there's no clip on this pencil!

I have several mechanical pencils that use the shaker mechanism for advancing the lead, and I have to say that I like it a lot more than I thought I would. At first glance, this just seems like a gimmick that only exists to sell units. But, after retraining my brain that a quick shake will extend enough lead to keep writing, I was instantly sold. The quick shake is milliseconds faster than changing my grip to click the button with my thumb, and it's also just more fun. The shaker mechanism in this pencil is well done — it works easily and doesn't take much effort.

Now, let's talk about the main differentiator for the pencil — the reason is exists and has its own SKU: the Play Balance feature. While I'm not a fan of the name, I actually like the ability to change up the balance of the pencil will little effort. I've seen this type of option in gaming mice — the mouse comes with a cavity inside that you can fill up with a number of small weights until you achieve the perfect weight for your preferences. The idea here is similar, but since you hold a pencil upright instead of laying it flat on a desk and moving it around, you're actually shifting the center of gravity when you move the weight around.

So how does this work? Well, the package comes with three weights (equal sizes) and two silicone spacers. The pencil is preloaded with one weight and two silicone spacers. The weight is closest to the writing tip of the pencil. Changing out the weights and spacers is easy — just unscrew the cone, slide off the Dr. Grip squishy bit, and add/remove weights and spacers to the inner section. The grip section slides back over pretty easily, and as soon as you screw the cone back onto the pencil, you're ready to go. Since there are three available spaces to play with, your options are quite numerous. It's been a long time since I had a statistics math class, but I think this comes out to eight unique configurations (I checked the JetPens page after spending an embarrassing number of minutes trying to remember how to calculate the number of possible options, and JetPens had me covered). It's difficult to tell a difference between small changes, but it's really obvious when you from one extreme to the other. This is similar to how it feels to write with a pen that's posted versus one that isn't. For me, the perfect balance is one spacer at the top, and then two weights at the tip of the section. The beauty of this system is that you can find the perfect balance for your writing style or the task at hand!

At just under $12, this is a fun pencil that I'd happily recommend if you need a solid mechanical pencil that also allows you to play with the balance. It seems like there are so many gimmick-y stationery items in this price range, but this one actually delivers. Even if you never play with the weights, it's still a solid pencil that will serve you for decades to come.

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

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Meet Your Maker – Adolphus Smith, Darailpenz

(Caroline Foty's first fountain pen was a 1970s Sheaffer No Nonsense that still writes perfectly. Since she discovered pens by independent makers, she wants "one of each, please" and wants to meet all the makers. Maybe you do, too. She lives in Baltimore with pens, cats, and all kinds of fiber arts supplies.)

It’s not often you ask a pen maker, “How long have you been making pens?” and the answer is: “Nearly three decades.”

Adolphus Smith, the man behind Darailpenz, was working for a furniture company when he saw a perfume atomizer someone had hand turned, and he thought, “I could do that.” Soon there was a Jet Mini wood lathe in his garage in Ohio, and he was making atomizers, bowls, furniture, and also kit pens. In the absence of the multitude of online resources available today, there was a lot of trial and error and learning by doing. However, he persisted to the point that he needed a company name for his work; he started with his first name, but then settled on Darail, his middle name.

Initially, the materials available for making pens were limited – most kit pens featured wood, and there was not the range of colorful materials available now. About seven years ago, he was introduced to kitless pens by a young maker who said, “Once you do these you’ll never go back.” He acquired the necessary taps and dies and found guidance through YouTube videos of makers turning kitless pens. Both kit and kitless pens remain important to his portfolio, however. First, “My wife likes kit pens.” But in addition, he has found that people new to pens or intimidated by fountain pens can still walk up to his table at a show and buy a rollerball or ballpoint kit pen and have a good variety of attractive affordable pens to choose from.

In addition to the universe of available materials, he particularly enjoys turning soapstone and alabaster, using the same tools as for the acrylics – as long as they are kept sharp and in good working order. Soapstone presents a favorite challenge. “It’s soft, you can’t rush it, you can be almost done and it will shatter.” His stone pens usually are sold before he can display them at a pen show.

Although he has dabbled in casting his own blanks, “it doesn’t call out to me.” He has a son, however, who enjoys casting and has been making blanks for his pens. And following what calls out to him keeps him happy with what he does. “To me it’s relaxation. I don’t look at it as a job.”

He finds constant inspiration in his materials. “The nature of each blank is what inspires me.” He enjoys working with celluloid, although it can be finicky, because of the challenge it offers. Which blank gets turned at any given time comes down to inspiration as he looks through a collection of blanks spanning fifteen years. Even beyond the fact that a given blank will make a different pen every time it’s turned, he will sometimes turn a blank on a slight angle to get a different look. Before cutting a blank he looks at it to decide which area should become a pen’s section, cap, and barrel. His philosophy is to “let the material talk to you.”

When asked about a favorite pen, Smith thinks immediately of one of his own that got away. “It was a Conway Stewart blank with blue, green, and purple. I put it on the table and said, ‘If they don’t buy it I’ll keep it,’ and it sold right away.” He’s still looking for more of that material. (Anybody have any? 😊 )

In search of a new challenge, he has ordered materials to make custom clips, to learn how it’s done and see if it brings that necessary joy. He’s also teaching some of his thirteen grandchildren to work in his shop (including young Darail), and he plans to begin naming pen models after his grandchildren.

Smith is willing to invest more time in custom orders, and is working with his son to improve his online presence. He intends to make and post some videos, especially of turning his stone pens.

When he teaches pen turning in his workshop, which is still outfitted with his Jet Mini lathe, “I tell them to keep it a joy. I don’t watch sports, my joy is in the shop.”

Adolphus Smith’s work can be seen on Instagram, at his website, and in his Etsy shop. He has a full show schedule this year, and you can visit him at shows in California, Baltimore, Arkansas, Chicago, St Louis, DC, New York, and possibly Atlanta, San Francisco, and, in the fall, London.

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TWSBI ECO Jade Fountain Pen Giveaway

Not to be confused visually with the TWSBI ECO Glow Green, nor in name with the recently released TWSBI ECO-T in Royal Jade, this TWSBI ECO Jade is the OG color, that is now difficult to find. I have one in my stash, with a Fine nib, to give away this week, so read the rules and enter away!

TWSBI ECO Jade Fountain Pen Giveaway