I Like Mechanical Pencils, Too

I’ve got something a little different for you today. Rather than pens, I’m devoting a post to pencils. Mechanical pencils, to be specific. NOTE: I’m not affiliated with JetPens in any way, they simply have a lot of useful information and carry a lot of cool stuff.

My Pencil History

Through middle and high school — grades/years 6-12 of my education — I used mechanical pencils as my primary writing implements. Then in college/university, I continued using mechanical pencils fairly often.

My favorite was a 0.5mm Pilot Dr. Grip Ltd in pale blue. I don’t have it anymore — it finally fell apart a few years ago — but it was the same as the one in this review.

At the time, 0.5mm was as thin as mechanical pencils went. But, in the last few years, as I’ve fallen back in love with mechanical pencils, I’ve learned that they are available down to 0.2mm!

The “leads” available also come in a wider variety — colors, levels of softness, smudge-proof, etc. I don’t know why I was surprised. We’re approaching 20 years since I graduated high school. A lot has happened in that time.

My Pencils Now

Today, I have a nice little collection of mechanical pencils that I keep filled with different “leads” for different purposes. Because I don’t use mechanical pencils anywhere near as much as fountain pens, I keep myself from buying many pencils, avoiding ones that don’t have a special feature. Although, I couldn’t resist when the Winnie the Pooh pencil was released.

I’m going to go through my minimal — for me — pencil collection in the order I purchased them. If you aren’t interested in seeing the pencils themselves, you’re welcome to jump down to the writing samples to see how various “leads” perform.

Uni Kuru Togo Advance 0.5mm in Gradient Red

This was the first mechanical pencil I purchased for myself as an adult. I’d seen the episode of Begin Japanology on Stationery that covered how the Kuru Toga rotates the “lead” while writing. I saw this black and red beauty at a small Japanese stationery store in California when I was visiting my dad and snapped it up.

I have since learned that the Kuru Toga is better suited to writing with many strokes. The “lead” doesn’t get turned much when writing in cursive like I usually do.

Unfortunately, this colorway is no longer available. JetPens has a wide variety of other Kuru Toga Advance pencils available.

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto 1000 4 Color Body in Red with 0.3mm Pencil Component

I bought this one the same day as the Kuru Toga, won over by the 0.3mm component options. It’s nice having a pencil and two pen colors, all in such a fine point, and an eraser, all in one. Granted, that’s my preferred configuration. You can set it up however you’d like.

These are easy to find in the red colorway and many other colorways and configurations (2 color, 3 color, 5 color, etc.).

Uni x Sanrio Kuru Toga 0.3mm in Kero Kero Keroppi

Keroppi doesn’t get much love these days. So, I likely would have bought this pencil regardless of the type, brand, etc. But, I was happy that it’s the 0.3mm version. It’s when I started using this one more that I realized, as I wrote above, the Kuru Toga isn’t great for cursive.

Unfortunately, this design is no longer available, and the price gouging on the secondhand market is ridiculous. JetPens has a wide variety of other Kuru Toga pencils available.

Tombow x Sumikko Gurashi MONO Graph Shaker 0.5mm in Pink

I don’t remember why I got this one. It’s cute, and maybe I was interested in the shaker mechanism. But, I never think to use it. I’ll probably keep an eye out for an appealing version of one of the side-button pencils.

Unfortunately, this design is no longer available. JetPens has a wide variety of other MONO Graph Shaker pencils available.

Sun-Star Nicolo Multi 0.3mm and 0.5mm in Lavender Mist

While I don’t use this one as much as I should. It’s a fun pencil, and it’s nice to have two different “lead” widths. The downside is that the capacity is fairly low. This would be an excellent pencil if you draw a lot. You could have a hard “lead” in the 0.3mm component and a softer “lead” in the 0.5mm for shading.

These are pretty easy to find, too, and come in quite a few colors. While JetPens has a nice variety, a quick Google search will find you more unique and interesting colorways.

Pilot × Disney Dr. Grip PlayBorder 0.5mm in Winnie the Pooh

The 1977 Winnie the Pooh movie and the Winnie the Pooh series were favorites of mine as a kid. So, when JetPens posted this pen, I had to get it. I wish it had Tigger, too, but it hit me hard with the nostalgia mallet. I have no regrets.

Unfortunately, this design is no longer available. But, Dr. Grip pencils — and pens — are available virtually everywhere that sells mechanical pencils in all sorts of colors and designs. JetPens has a wide variety to browse.

Pentel Orenz Metal Grip 0.2mm in Turquoise Blue

I bought this one after watching one of the JetPens over-engineered mechanical pencils videos. The main selling point for me was the 0.2mm “lead” width. But, the rounded “lead” guard tube was pretty interesting, too. It really does glide across the paper. I may replace this Orenz with the Nero at some point in the future, since that one has the auto-advance feature.

These are also still readily available in multiple styles and colorways. JetPens has a nice variety.

Writing Samples

I’ve provided writing samples so you can get an idea of the difference between the various point sizes and “lead” grades. And, I wanted to provide swatches — sort of — of the different colors that come in the NanoDia Color Erasable Lead mixed pack.

Learn More

If you’re interested in mechanical pencils and want to learn more about the MANY options, JetPens has some lovely written guides and videos. I’ve linked their mechanical pencil blog archive as well as some posts that discuss the pencils I have.

Blog Posts

• Mechanical Pencil Posts
• The Beginner’s Guide to Mechanical Pencils
• Mechanical Pencil Lead Size Comparison
• The Best Mechanical Pencil Leads
• The Best Colored Mechanical Pencil Leads
• The 27 Best Pencils for 2024: Wooden and Mechanical Pencils
• The Best Fine-Tip Mechanical Pencils
• The Best Japanese Mechanical Pencils
• Pilot Dr. Grip: A Comprehensive Guide
• Uni Kuru Toga: A Comprehensive Guide
• Tombow Mono: A Comprehensive Guide

YouTube Videos

• Mechanical Pencil Videos
• Everything you ever wanted to know about Mechanical Pencils! 
• Mechanical Pencil Comparison
• Mechanical Pencil Lead Comparison
• Do #2 Mechanical Pencils Exist? Lead Grades Explained
• Best Mechanical Pencils Of All Time
• The Best Mechanical Pencils Part 1: Innovative Lead Mechanisms
• The Best Mechanical Pencils Part 2: Unique Features
• The OG Overengineered Mechanical Pencil: Uni Kuru Toga
• Tombow Mono Graph Shaker Mechanical Pencils

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Do you like mechanical pencils? What’s your favorite? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.

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