Pentel GraphGear 1000 Mechanical Pencil 0.3mm

Very well designed and perfectly weighted. Would not consider any other brand. Can be a real pain to remove tiny stubs left from the leads, but I like the pencil too much to care.

Art tutor here. This pencil is my go to. I have two, one for HB and one for B. That’s all I need. The added eraser is extremely handy. One thing that makes it for me is that the lead is safely tucked away by the release lock which doubles as a pocket clip. I’ve dropped it many times and is extremely robust. I like the weight of it and fits my hand perfectly. The standard leads are spot on as always. Not ease to replace the leads but with patience it’s fine. Drawing is great with these.

I actually did quite a lot of research before buying this pencil. As an engineer I have used a lot of mechanical pencils over the years, all of which have been relatively cheap models purchased from local stationery shops. When I was looking for a new one I decided to see if there was anything out there a little nicer than what I was used to. Well, my eyes were opened! I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that there are a multitude of websites dedicated to mechanical pencils (or clutch pencils if you hail from the USA). The most helpful site I found was Dave's Mechanical Pencils. He is a kiwi who has reviews of hundreds of pencils. It is clearly a labour of love. On to this particular pencil. I was attracted by the good looking aluminium body, build quality and the neat mechanism by which the tip retracts when not in use. I have been stabbed a number of time by mechanical pencils, so it is great to be able to retract the sharp tip and know I am safe with the pencil in my trouser or shirt pocket. I have found the grip to be really good - it is a mix of knurled aluminium and rubber dimples. In use this provides a solid and comfortable grip. The mechanism for pushing the lead through works well and seems reliable. The rubber works as you'd expect and it is useful that you can buy additional rubbers for the end at a reasonable price through Amazon also. It isn't the cheapest pencil out there, but it is also far from the most expensive. Considering the style, quality and utility I'd say this is excellent value for money. If I ever lose mine I'll certainly be buying another one!

Great pencil, very techy! Good sturdy, heavy pencil. Fab for sketching.

I’ve been using the 0.7 model for many years. Totally my go-to writing tool. It’s so-well made, easy to write with, well balanced in the hand etc. I like that there’s the option to set a visual at the top that reminds you what grade of lead you are using. I always use Pentel Ain Stein refills, and always 2B, but that’s not a fact I hold in my head every day, so when I go to order refills the “2B” reference is useful. This is my go-to tool for writing notes at work. And has been for years. What I don’t like - it’s quite long, even after clicking the button to retract the nib. Having said that, it still fits in any case or bag that in which I transport it. Other things - give it good quality lead. It works brilliantly with Pentel Ain Stein leads. They’re smooth when laying down text (I don’t have any experience of drawing with this tool) When I first got it I used whatever 0.7 leads I had to hand, and it was awful. The above Pentel leads are now available a lot cheaper - and are significantly better. Hope that helps in your purchasing decision. I have amassed quite a ‘collection’ of mechanical pencils including Rotring etc, but this one is totally the best. Not just slightly better- a lot better. My ‘collection’ isn’t really a planned collection- it’s stuff I’ve bought over the years on the journey to find a really decent mechanical pencil. Pentel Ain Stein Leads are equally key, in any pencil. Very smooth.

Had a 0.5mm model for just over a year now. Very please with it in use. I use mine for woodworking - I find it far better for making accurate, fine marks than wooden pencils of any variety. I do have ongoing problems with refilling/reloading it though. As per the Q&A, you take the cap off and rubber out an pop more leads into the chamber. They should then feed through "automatically". However, I do not find that this happens. No amount of gentle shaking to get the next lead to drop through into the nib succeeds. I've ended up having to feed leads back in the 'wrong way' to get the next one in place. I don't know if there's a fault with my mechanism - I've trashed quite a few leads trying to get a reload. and the nib does seem to block quite easily with broken lead as a result. (5 amp fuse wire makes a good poker to get the old leads and broken pipeces out.) Once it is loaded though, it's great again. I would buy again despite the issues I'm having reloading it.

Love this pencil, has a nice weighted feel, fills its purpose. Just overall a lovely quality pencil that’s built to last

Excellent device, good quality and feel