Pentel Graph Gear 1000 Pen, 0.5mm (PG1015)

In short: Fulfils all criteria to guarantee an excellent product experience. Looks: I have lost track of how many years I have had mine (best part of a decade now). They still look the business and are often asked about by my clients whilst I am using them. One was even stolen, so I suppose that makes them quite desirable. Construction: The retractable tip is just perfect. It has a slight springiness to it that not only cushions the writing/drawing experience, but also helps avoid lead breakages, although the modern hi-poly' refills are pretty good in their own right. Made principally of plastic and aluminium, it is light yet very robust. The combination of a knurled section and rubber grip is perfect - no readjustment or sweaty finger problems. There are no fancy gears that turn the lead around (as advertised by other products) neither have I ever thought to myself that I need one of those - one less unnecessary mechanism that can go wrong = minimalism = long-lasting = happy owner. Use: Always works well, very easy to carry around (very light). Solid enough construction to withstand severe punishment - mine has been submerged in water for ~3 days (flood while I was away) & dropped from a height of over 10m (~30ft) - accidentally dropped in the space between staircase - which obliterated the lead refills inside but the pen works just fine. If it was the cheaper plastics varieties of mechanical pencils then they would not have survived. I'm also sure that some of the more expensive varieties will not be able to boast this. Even if it did stop working, replacing them is not going to be too painful. As testament to how well these have worked, I now have 3 varieties of these that take different refill sizes, as well as a spare 0.5mm as my all-rounder when I have to jot down or explain anything on the go. The oldest one is pushing a decade in age and looks/works like new. [For the astute fans out there: yes, they did make minor changes in their construction over the years, but not to any detriment] Conclusion: I have never been let down, only pleasantly surprised. I would highly recommend this over any other product I have tried (including comparisons against other brands that are >4x more expensive). A fantastic product that offers excellent value and many years of great service. This product has never disappointed me and I'm certain that most will agree once they have had the pleasure of using it.

I have bought several 0.5mm pencils. Overall, it is a very good drafting mechanical pencil and I would highly recommend it. I have personally used it for writing notes, sketching and drawing for about a year, so far. Some pencils were gifts to friends and their feedback is very positive. Package and contents: 1x Pentel Graphgear 1000 drafting pencil - 0.5 mm with 3x pencil leads inside: one is fitted into the tip's chuck and two spare leads are stored in the inner tube-container; you have to remove the cap and the eraser to access the latter. Pros: (+) The retractable tip is one of the main advantages of this pencil. When you do not use the pencil, you can press the clip and the tip will retract completely in the body, leaving the bottom end of the pencil dull and safe. While retracted, the tip can not punch a hole in your pocket or become damaged. Accordingly, while the pencil is in working (extended) mode, the tip is firmly locked into place, there is no wobbling or unwanted sliding back to the body, so you get perfect writing or drawing experience. (+) Suitable as a small gift, of token value, for business. Some companies have strict ethics' policies, and their employees may not accept gifts with a value above certain limit, which can be as low as EUR10, for example. This pencil, when imported from Japan, is reasonably priced, so you can often get it for less than EUR10. (My thanks to Japanese sellers with free delivery to Ireland.) (+) Overall excellent build quality and metal body. You could have a look at the disassembled pencil in the attached pictures, and perhaps judge for yourself. (+) It has excellent gripping area, which is a combination of nicely machined metal and soft rubbery-feeling pads. (+) Long and heavy body. It feels heavier than a comparable size plastic-bodied mechanical pencil. I personally find this Graphgear 1000 very comfortable and of great balance, but please, keep in mind that for some hands it could be too big or too heavy. (If you have small children, for example, it might be better waiting them to grow up a bit, first, before you give them this pencil.) (+) I also like the shape of the cap. See why in the tip below. Cons: (-) The delivery from Japan may take very long time - 2 to 4 weeks, but that is somewhat expected trade off with the overall low price, including zero or very low delivery fee. (Well done, Japan Post!) Tip: With two or more pencils of same appearance laying around, I wanted to distinguish them at a glance, without necessarily looking for the integrated hardness indicator. So I have colour-coded a pencil with a small plastic ring fitted onto its cap: you can see a cap with a narrow red stripe on the pictures. In my case, I have cut off that coloured ring from a red plastic, drinking straw, but you could possibly try with a small coloured rubber band. Just pay attention, please, whatever you choose, it has to take less than 2 millimetres of cap length. Anything bigger will obstruct the cap movement and the normal operation of the pencil. Notes: You might also consider some Pentel refill leads for this pencil, like Pentel 0.5mm Ain Stein 4B Refill Lead and Pentel 0.5mm Ain Stein 2B Refill Lead .

Wirklich ein toller Stift. Sehr funktionell, sieht top aus und liegt perfekt in der Hand.

Very nice and useful product 💯‼️

Je l adore . Ce crayon est parfait , il est robuste et tient bien en main . Je l utilise tous les jours pour mes croquis et dessins . J en ai plusieurs de la marque et je ne suis jamais déçue . Le prix qui peut paraître excessif pour certain est totalement justifié en regard de la qualité

I ordered 0.5 mm graphite pencil but it came 0.3 mm . Pencil is good quality but I was not satisfied because of wrong item.

I first saw this on a woodworking channel from Japan. Getting one was a huge challenge, but SO HAPPY that Amazon now carries them :-) I bought one for myself... the team was enamoured with it so I bought 4 more for them. What is truly fantastic about this pencil is the fact the point retracts into the casing. As a professional woodworker, having a pencil is an absolute requirement. Marking is almost continuous - so is dropping them! A dropped micropencil always always dents or bends the end. Its damned irritating - but with this one, when one puts it in the pocket the handle lifts and POP! in sucks the tip. No more broken leds, ends, dents or kinks. NNIICCEE. It also has a nice feel in the hand. Its textured for easy grip and no slip. A highly recommended purchase.