Leuchtturm Drehgriffel Mechanical Pencil Review

The fact that I’m sitting here thinking about if the Leuchtturm Drehgriffel Mechanical Pencil is better than the Drehgriffel Ballpoint pen I already love tells you what I think about this pencil. Is it better, though? Maybe. Is it better than a traditional mechanical pencil? That’s a tougher question to answer, but I’m going to give it a shot today.

The Mechanical Pencil was a surprise entrant into the Drehgriffel lineup, at least for me. The Ballpoint seemed to be a success, so why not a pencil? From standard colors, to gel ink refills, to building your own pen from an array of colors, I’ve enjoyed all things Drehgriffel. Would I enjoy the pencil? Clearly, yes.

What is it about this lineup that I like so much? The design is wonderful. It has a vintage feel with modern colors. It’s small and slim, so it fits in many places, including in the hand nicely when it’s time to write. The aluminum barrel feels sturdy, and both models - Ballpoint and Mechanical Pencil - use a twist mechanism to extend and retract the tip or graphite.

Leuchtturm Drehgriffel Ballpoint and Mechanical Pencil — *My custom built ballpoint.*

The pencil ships with 0.7 mm HB graphite, and it does a nice job. I do find it to be slightly on the Hard side of the scale, but that works well if you are looking for a portable pencil. That’s where this Drehgriffel thrives. In other areas, like when compared to more traditional mechanical pencils, it falls a bit short.

For starters, there is no eraser. That’s not a deal-breaker for me, but is mandatory for others. What may be closer to a deal-breaker, is the aforementioned twist mechanism. To extend the graphite, you give the mechanism on the end of the pencil a quarter-twist, counter-clockwise, for each stage you would like to extend. For me, that’s two clicks (it’s a ratchet-style mechanism that snaps back after each twist,) to get my preferred writing length.

Leuchtturm Drehgriffel Mechanical Pencil Comparison — *Rotring 600, left. Pentel Sharp, right.*

While this mechanism is functional, it becomes weird when it is time to retract the lead. For that, you will hold the twist instead of letting it go, and push the graphite back in, either with your finger or on the page or desk. It’s easy enough, and it feels weird to complain about something that works fine, but decades of standard mechanical pencil operation had me overthinking this.

Leuchtturm Drehgriffel Mechanical Pencil Grip — *You may have to grip the Drehgriffel further back on the barrel.*

Another design element to consider is the grip section. While it matches the entire Drehgriffel design aesthetic, the large nose cone is more befitting of a traditional wooden pencil than a mechanical one. Most typical mechanical pencils, especially of the engineering variety, have some form of straight-sided grip section. There are some notable exceptions - the Pentel Sharp is a big one - so keep that in mind if that is important to you.

With all of the pros and cons laid out, there is of course one more detail to consider: price. This is a $34 mechanical pencil, which puts it well into the upper end of the price spectrum for mechanical pencils. I think that limits who this pencil is for. Leuchtturm fans will enjoy it, as will stationery nerds like myself. It would also make for a good gift. Otherwise, I think it might be a tough sell for a user needing a mechanical pencil, or a random stationery purchase.

Leuchtturm Drehgriffel Mechanical Pencil Writing

For me, I enjoy it and I can see using it frequently. It will be a nice travel companion since it doesn’t have a lead pipe on the front that can get bent, and it is more writer-ish than my favorite travel pencil, the Caran d’Ache Fixpencil. And who knows, if Leuchtturm ever offers the opportunity to build your own, I may add another one to the arsenal.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Leuchtturm Drehgriffel Mechanical Pencil Close

Posted on July 14, 2025 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Leuchtturm, Drehgriffel, Mechanical Pencil, Pencil Reviews.

Misfill, Emboss Edition

Each week in Refill, the Pen Addict Members newsletter, I publish Ink Links as part of the additional content you receive for being a member. And each week, after 10 to 15 links, plus my added commentary on each, I'm left with many great items I want to share. Enter Misfill. Here are this weeks links:

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