Top Ten Mechanical Pencils Updated Feb 2017
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- See how the list has changed over a year-and-a-half!
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Only on the internet will you find people who love to geek out about Mechanical Pencil. Man, I love this place!
Coming to you direct from the Power of the IntraWebs!
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Top review thanks. Absolutely swear by Rotring. My Rotring trio which I've had for 34 years recently fell damaging the tip ... almost had to shed a tear. Can absolutely attest to the quality and longevity of pencils from this company. Will settle on the Rotring 600 as replacement thanks to your review. Cheers
I'm so glad to see this in my feed today. Feels good to know I have comrades in stationery out there who are just as "consumed" as I am in the details of things. Go Clutch, go!
Nice Video! You have changed my life with my passion level for these writing instruments
i thought i collect mechanical pencil..... suddenly i feel like nothing...
and you really COLLECT mechanical pencil.....
good job to you n pad on the back... keep up the good word buddy....
Great job on this vid keep up the good work thumbs up from another pencil fanatic
y'all really dedicated to pencils
I have $400 worth of rotring writing instruments...and I don't regret a thing. the rotring 600 truly is the best, I use it with pilot neox 4b lead primarily and I love it.
Ethereal Rose Same
Ethereal Rose I wish I got the 600, but at the time I was running low on funds so I got the 500 instead, still a great pencil.
I am graateful that the Platinum ZeroShin, Sharp Kerry and TWSBI Precision were still on the list! Amazing rundown of mechanical pencils, please keep doing more videos!
Absolutely agree with you on all aspects of the Pentel P200 series... very reliable
I got a Rotring 600 myself, I just added a black Bic pen cap to make it poket safe, and I love it
That is an ingenious idea! Wish I had thought about doing that sooner.
Very good list, I'm familiar with quite a few of the pencils in this list, and my experience matches yours with them!
I got the twsbi and the rotring 600 based on ur videos and it did not disappoint!! The best pair of pencils i've ever had.
I have the Rotring 600 and TWSBI and I love them both, if you don't mind 0.7mm lead, I suggest looking into the Retro 51 Hex-O-Matic. It is right up there with the 600 in my mind.
Solid list. P205 is always hard to place for most it seems. Rotring 600 has been my #1 go to pencil for years now, even without the retractable function. I just keep it safe in a case.
I have spent so much money since starting watching your videos haha. I have your entire list except the rotring newton and 800. You have great taste!
Also Of course the p200 deserves a spot on your list. I put off buying one because I kept telling myself I didn't like the grip, but I was wrong it truly is a classic.
Happy to....help? ;P
Clutch Situation and I found a seller for the 600 newton in lava for $199.99, just a tad out of my price range. Haha, I want it so bad!
Yeah, they're truly collector's items now. If I had a cool G to drop on luxury pencils there are two or three that would eat that right up.
Clutch Situation I cant believe my classmates, guess what my Pentel Graphgear 1000 when I left it at school by mistake :(
Awesome channel keep up the great work. I will definitely be checking out your other videos as my list has 7 of your top 10.
after watching this video…i knew i wanted a Rotring 600… but i had told myself before the video…i have enough mechanical pencils,,,no more,! even the R600…but guess what?..i was looking on Amazon and found the 600 for a great price n free shipping. it came and has been flawless…my favorite pencil of all the hundred i have.
My mother doesnt allow me to spend 33 on a pencil and insted gives me a piece of wood sharpened with some graphite shavings attachted to the tip
I just bought the Rotring 600 by your review thanks!!! I got the black one and I really enjoy it.
Like the way you explain your choices :)
I still have my ancient Pentel classic.... It never broke and can always depend on it
That's what I'm talking about!
Great review, very helpful Thank you very much for uploading valuable informative videos. Cheer!
I've always been a fan of the zebra M-301. It's a very budget pencil, but it works well and I've never had an issue with them.
Your reviews have inspired me to step up to rotring 600. I'm getting the set: .3 .5 .7
I'm not getting a 2mm because I don't see myself ever needing that blunt of a lead.
2 mm is only blunt if you don't sharpen it. ;) They have 2 mm lead sharpeners that sharpen them to a fine point. People like them because they approximate the point of a sharpened woodcase pencil.
I can't wait to see those sharps you mentioned. There becoming popular in my class.(school)
You just get a new subscriber!! Great work!!
Yeah, I also think that 600 is the genuine of all. Good vid.
The one thing I dislike about the rotring pencils is that their knurling grips are made of brass so its easy to scrape.
I used Pentel 205 pencils for 30 years in my job and used one, single 205 pencil for close to 15 years before it wore out. Needless to say all production in the whole office stopped whenever I misplaced that pencil. In any event, they were great pencils but about three years ago I came across a .5mm Kaweco Special and that's my go to pencil now. I hold my pencil very low on the barrel so I need a pencil that has an "inverted cone" bottom piece. (For example, on the Pentel 205 I hold the pencil on the bottom, silver piece) I can't use Rotrings because they don't have that "smooth" transition from the barrel to that bottom section of the pencil. They hurt my finger holding them. Anyway, cool looking at these. Nice to see someone else is hung up on pencils like I am. Ha ha.
Wonderful and helpful top ten list :X
Thank you so much for this channel! Your content allows me to figure out what pencils I should buy later on, as I only have a Staedtler 925-25, Rotring 600, and Pentel Smash. Right now, I am thinking about getting a Rotring 800 since I carry my pencils in my pocket.
I would like to make a request for a video that goes into the internals of a current Rotring 800, as many reviews I have seen say that the mechanism has been bad. Many say they have fixed it, but I want to be super sure before I buy it. Supposedly, a plastic part of the mechanism would shatter frequently, along with quality issues.
The only problem with this plan is that I don't know how recent the stock of my current 800 is. It may very well be of the newer ilk since I only bought it a little over a year ago. I just can't afford to drop 40 bucks on what could be a duplicate.
In addition, I'm also not sure how to disassemble an 800 without breaking it. So, if you'd like to see a video, I'd appreciate it if you could find a step-by-step of how to disassemble it.
Googling doesn't seem to bring up much, and it only seems that you can find disassembled ones because they are broken. I am still thinking about it, and maybe I could just pick up a vintage one, if that's possible.
On that, I really hate how Sanford has been branding the new 800 as a lifelong pencil, and it seems they are trying to push it more than the 600. That just makes me wonder why they would cheap out on the materials and engineering of the 800 itself when they keep advertising it. It's sad, really.
The rapid pro is always an option too, nothing but positive responses on that pencil.
I think the sad answer is that the profit margin is probably much greater on the 800.
Hi great video . Really helped to narrow it down to two options: Rotring 600 or Rotring rapid pro . If it helps i love doodling sketching and random drawings . Please reply thank you
Bro I got you on the sharp I have the aquamarine 50th aniversery and the rose gold it is by far my favorite.
Good job, I am still mourning for my Pilot S20. I took it to school as I was going to be running for the chairperson of a council at my school to make a statement about being serious about it, sadly someone took it right from my desk when I was talking to the teacher I would finish my work before trying to hunt down who had taken, after asking some people around the school. I confronted the suspect on the school grounds outside. They would take the pencil out there pocket and begin to run away shouting "HA HA!" After running a few meters away from me they stuffed the pencil back into their pocket to continue running before disaster the pencil would fall out there get all scratched on one side and the drafting sleeve would also become bent rendering the pencil unusable, I would confront again the next day, where they would shrug their shoulders at me and roll their eyes to "It's just a pencil. Who even cares!"
Sad to hear it. Bringing the fact that a fellow student stole your property to the school administration is an option.
Have you tried the Alvin DRAFT/MATIC pencils? Nothing fancy (no gimmicky engines or erasers), but just a very well built, solid drafting line of pencils, with a really great gnurled grip. Good weight, lead indicator, solid pocket clip and built to last for years and years of solid use.
ua-cam.com/video/zonddi45WWk/v-deo.html
@@ClutchSituation ahhhhh. I had not viewed that video yet. Good stuff.
lol.. the Staedtler 925 25 and Platinum pro use I are the same pencil. the only difference being some styling/knurled grip. (exact same internal assembly and interchangeable parts) definitely not criticizing, as I like the video, just funny that you would like one, and not the other
Hahahah I cannot believe the rotating 600 is number 1. This pencil has literally gotten my through almost my whole engineering degree. I have filled books upon books upon books of maths and working out with the r600. It's worn back to the brass on the grip now. Very solid pencil!
Ray McCarthy I own many lol
Those space pens are great. I write in waterproof field notes a lot I always make the joke that now i can finally write sad poetry while lying on my back in the rain. The only downside to this whole kit is that pens in general don’t write well in those waterproofs
What do you think of the space pen? How is your experience of it?
..... did ., is that really SOLID gold
Try Tombow Zoom 505. It takes some time to get use to, but if you use a pencil for more than 5 hours a day 505 is pretty much in category of its own. The clutch mechanism is week but it lasts for years.
Reviewed it years ago on my blog. Don't like the advance. Don't like the eraser. I like the grip. I like lea sleeve/cap. Maybe I'll do an updated video review sometime.
Nice list!
I have 4 of these items. TWSB, Pentel, Platinum and rotring. The others do not look aesthetically pleasing. I think they should look as pretty as roller pens in Versatil. For example, waterman has very nice versatil pens.
It’s no surprise that rotrings took the top 4 lol.
Well done an amazing video as always! I was wondering if you have ever thought of getting ZEBRA NU Spiral, it's kind of like the uni alpha gel, but not quite as soft or thick as the a gel, it is a bit cheaper of jet pens than the a gel. It has a metal clutch and a pretty classy looking design with a spiral up the barrel of the pencil and is pretty good for the price
I'll look into it.
Are you planning on making a collection update soon? Would love to see the collection now
Please review and rate the TOMBOW OLNO & TOMBOW ONLO SWIFT. They are really unique in terms of the mechanism.
great video
To me my 2 favs are and still the rotring 600 and pentel kerry I really enjoy them
Ice1619 and those are for like drawing right?
_AlexTheRebel_ yea and writing
My personal opinion,I think Kerry is to pricey for it's functions.. Absolutely hate the slippery grip, and the cap gets broken real easily...So yeah..
Hey Man Im back!!! to your videos nice job!
How about the Lamy Safari mechanical pencil (0.5)? Thats my favourite!
Has been in the Top Ten. Has been an Honorable Mention. Definitely worth someone checking out. Not my cup of tea.
use the kuru toga it spins around each time u press down and lift up so you get even led usage
The spongy feel of the Kuru Toga bother me. You fix one problem in exchange for another.
Ok but Mabey make a video with some of the best school type mechanical pencils because the kuru toga is probably the best one but my friend doesn't like the sponge like texture to it and I have been looking to suggest some others to my friends
Have you tried the Pilot Cavalier pencil? It seems pretty good build quality and nice looking
I'll check it out.
People who collect pencils are like sneaker heads for pencils
Rotring 600 is in my top 3. I wish to buy a rapid pro 0.5. You should try Pilot 2020 young.
Ruh roh - I was mispronouncing it as Ro-tring apparently
Is that 0.5 mm lead hes writing? 'Cause look like it! + impressive handwriting wish mine that great needs work.
Do you have a video that demonstrates if some lead pencils are better than others at specific tasks?
Starts at 2:00
Nice selection! What do you think of Kuru Toga, btw? I have the Roulette - metal with knurling. Slim & solid.
I will be reviewing it soon!
Looking forward to it.
I like your videos
What a great review of great pencils! I'm wondering how do you think about rotring 500?!
I don't have one but want to try it.
When the zebra delgard ER is turned over and the eraser emerges, does using the eraser with any amount of pressure retract it again? Because that would be frustrating.
Also, if price didn't matter, what would be your best mechanical pencil?
I also just got the rOtring 800+, which is VERY good
I'm really interested in the Caran d-Ache Ecridor, the Porsche Design Tec Flex and lots of vintage luxury pencils. Alas, I'll never afford those. ;)
yeah I was looking at the Tec Flex. Way out of my price range but that's a sharp pencil.
Doesn’t the TWSBI Precision have a wobbly tip? I have a rotring 800 retractable and that is garbage because the tip keeps shaking. I much prefer the pens that have a stable solid feel when writing. Also what do you think about the Kaweco Al sport?
last week I bought 3 pencils, rotring 600, because of this video, a pentel 205, because they are classics, and I had them before and I liked it, and a kuru toga, basically the ones that are all the rage, and unfortunately I must say I'm underwhelmed, specially with the rotring, maybe because I read/heard so many great things, I am not sure if it's worth the premium price, but even if you forget about the price, I feel like I have some cheapie bic ones that are just as good. The kuru toga I got I am quite sure doesn't turn as it supposed to, which is disappointing. Moral of the story, it really doesn't matter, this things are probably like wine anyways, it all depends on your taste I guess...
It is. I am not making any guarantees here.
maybe I'm just new to the mechanical pencil game but since the rotting internals are all the same, wouldn't the writing feel be the same for all of them? rapid through 800? I wanted to get the rotring 800 but since you suggested the 600 over it, would it be smarter to forget the retractable mechanism of the 800 for the better writablibly of the 600?
All of the following can contribute to writing feel: 1) Pencil weight 2) Pencil balance 3) Grip thickness 4) Grip texture. It's going to be unique to each person's tastes. The 600 and 800 have a very similar (nearly identical) feel in the hand, with one exception: a little bit of lead sleeve wiggle in the 800.
I can't decide whether I should buy the Rotring Newton or the Caran d'ache ecridor mechanical pencil. Does the Rotring Newton retract the lead too when you press down hard? Which pencil would be the best to buy?
1-Pentel Smash q1005
I seem to recall you had another pencil that had a retraction mechanism similar to the Rotring 600 Newton but I can't find the video. Do you know what I'm talking about or am I dreaming?
Alvin Draft-matic Retrac?
Alvin Draf-Tec Retrac seems to exist, but I don't your video about it. I may have been thinking of the Graph Gear 1000 which doesn't retract in exactly the same way but close.
What the hell? What about the Pentel Graphgear 1000?
cool video,
can you please recommend any cheaper mechanical pencil that have 8mm top? so i can put eraser cap on it. Thank you
What are some good pencils for Note-taking in my calc class?
What about pentel graphgear 1000. How low does it fall on your list.
Its not on any of my lists. Too heavy. No grip. I know people like it. It is not my cup of tea.
JUST ORDERED A 600 5mm.....for twenty bucks. Do you prefer 5mm or7mm in this model?
I like them both.
Can you do a video inside Tokyo Pen Shop? Kinda a vlog... without your face, unless you want it in there(probably not)
That's the plan. I'm waiting to hear back from Kimberly to get permission to do so.
Have you tried the Kuru Toga?
I love that pencil.
Yes. It gets an honorable mention as well as the Roulette.
pentel p205 is my favorite pencil to
Great video! Have you tried out the pentel graph 100 for pro?
I have not. It's on the list.
Which do you use pen point ??
İ wonder brand of the pen point be cause it looks like very dark
what about the pentel graphgear 500? i love the grip and the balance but the only con i have with it, is that it isnt pocket safe, what would you recommend me?
The 500 has really frown on me over the years. The trouble is that it is difficult to replicate that precise weighting in a pocket safe pencil.
thanks for the answer :D
Pentel Graphgear 1000 is my favorite, pocket safe, precision lead advancement, best clip retention for thick too thin surfaces, and unique look.
The Pentel Sharp Kerry was not pocket safe for me... Damn thing slipped out of my pocket and went MIA. Just too slippery in a pocket, though that was my second favorite.
I don't know alot about pencils. so my fave is the bic sparkle!
KillSwitch1331 awn ...
What are your opinions on the Pentel Graphgear 1000? :D
Personally I've always wanted the 0.5, but I've only had the 0.7
I lost it tho :/
Too heavy. No grip.
Perdi apenas a ponteira da Lapiseira marca Pilot modelo Shaker 0.5 mm H1010 ,
tem alguma dica de como posso adquirir ? A lapiseira é nova e é perfeita
Não tenho certeza do que você quer dizer. Como você perdeu a ponta de um lápis?
veja a imagem no site abaixo, apenas a ponta onde sai a grafite
produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-841903451-lapiseira-pilot-skaker-05-automatica--_JM
Se esse é o problema, provavelmente é defeituoso.
can you review the pilot H1005 vanishing point mechanical pencil?
oh wait it's discontinued..
Yep, if I had access to one I'd review it. It's not only discontinued but also commanding ridiculous prices on eBay. Many people claim it as their top of all time.
You should check out the Papermate g force, my favorite
No longer available.
OK putting you on the spot. I know they are very different, but if you were to combine the Rotring 600 Newton and the Rotring 600 into your #1 spot, what pencil would move from your honorable mentions into #10?
The Skilcraft B3 Aviator or the Monteverde Tool Pencil (which I will be reviewing soon).
Nice looking forward to that. I have been thinking about picking up a Monteverde Tool, it's one of the few pencils that I found in orange haha
By the way, I saw yesterday how close you are getting to 2k subs! Glad the channel is growing, keep it up.
Nothing about their technology? Pilot H1010 or Uni Kurutoga has interesting and usfull features
Personally, I think this is a far more accurate list, without delving into limited editions or discontinued lines (Lava rotring 600/Newton series). Please note: I primarily use mechanical pens for draughting.
1. rotring 600 - 0.35mm (Japanese Import)
2. Faber Castell TK Fine Vario - 0.5mm
3. Pentel Graphgear 1000 - 0.7mm
4. rotring 800 - 0.5mm
5. OHTO Super Promecha PM-1500P - 0.4mm
6. Uni 552 - 0.7mm
7. Staedtler Graphite 925 35 - 2.0mm Clutch
8. Aristo D1 - 0.35mm
9. Uni Kuru Toga - 0.5mm
10. Zebra Tect 2way - 0.3mm
In looking for the top everyday (borderline disposable) pencil, that'll set you back a maximum of 5 bucks;.
1. rotring 300
2. Pentel P200
3. Faber Castell Tk Fine (not Vario)
4. rotring Tikky
5. Staedtler Graphite 777
"Accurate" probably isn't the best term in that it implies that there is a "right" answer. The only correct answer is what an individual likes. And in that regard, it's useful for both your list and my list to be present! :)
I have the rotring 600 its the pencil i always come back to. one problem i have with it is that the end of the lead always is loose because if the length of the sleeve. i always throw out the end of the lead because it really bothers the writing experience
i have read the 800 has a shaky tip being retractable. did u find this in ur experience? does it have the end of lead problem?
Any pencil will have the "end of lead" problem based upon the distance that the clutch is from the tip. The Platinum Zero Shin is designed to solve this problem, but it is not stylized in the same way as the 600. As to the 800, yes there is slight play in the tip. It is up to the user to decide whether they can accept that.
Clutch Situation it is a bigger problem in the 600 because of the long sleeve. im throwing out about 1/6 the if my lead at the end. i still use it all the time anyways. i myself have went through a spree of trying out different pencils and the 600 is what i still use.
What are your thoughts on the kuru toga roulette?
I have it but it's not on here
I plan to try it out in April when I visit Tokyo Pen Shop.
Where papermate at ?
No kuru toga?
Nope. The Pipe Slide and Roulette make my honorable mentions.
why you did not include tombow mono graph or zoom 707!
Quality of the Mono Graph and I don't care for the look of the Zoom 707. You don't have to like the list. ;)
Clutch Situation I m a sole distributer of tombow in my market ;)
but I recommend you to try tombow leads there are the best in Japan
Sorry man, pocket clip on the Mono Graph is weak. I'm not going to pretend otherwise for you. The Mono Graph Zero is a huge improvement though.
What about the Kaweco special pencil? Have you ever used it?
The wide grips of Kaweco really turn me off. I'm a skinny grip guy.
Thank you!
Where I can get a Rotring 600 newton? And can I know the price range please?
eBay. From 150 to 300 dollars depending upon version currently.
What lead are you using? It's so dark in a nice way 😮
2B
Clutch Situation thank you! 😁
Would you know how lead breakage on a 0.5 rotring 800 would be? I’m considering getting one. Thanks!
People report it is less on the most current release. Order from JetPens but ask to make sure you are getting the most recent stock.
please consider reviewing the new orenznero by pentel~
Not available in the US yet, but you can bet I'm going to consider both 0.2 and 0.3. For people who don't know, Pentel has just released a new Orenz in Japan that apparently has some kind of aito-lead advancing feature. ua-cam.com/video/-2fyEbJZgD0/v-deo.html
Also, do you still like the Lamy 2000?
Fine pencil. It's on my Honorable Mentions.
oh yeah orenznero is the best