Mechanical Inclination

I initially reviewed the Pentel GraphGear line nearly 2 years ago. Since then, I have gotten many more pencils, but there is still one pencil I always come back to: the GraphGear 1000. My GG1000 was one of the first pencils I ever got. It has been on many adventures, chewed through hundreds of lead sticks, and truly stood the test of time. The only sign this pencils isn’t brand new is the Pentel branding that has rubbed off over the years. In this short, sentimental post, I wanted to revisit my initial review and add some more thoughts. As I said before, this is one of my all-time favorite pencils. I would go so far as to say it has taken the #1 spot. I find myself coming back to it again and again. Whenever I need a pencil, I almost instinctively reach for the GG1000. The only issue I mentioned was the plastic portion connecting the main body to the grip. After 4 years of continual use, I have had no issues with cracking or breakage. There is no wiggle or give in the mechanism thu...

  Ohto Super ProMecha Review Of all the pencils I have reviewed, the Ohto Super ProMecha takes the cake for being the most interesting. Keep in mind, “interesting” and “nicest to use” are not mutually exclusive. This pencil certainly has its quirks and a few clever tricks up its sleeve, but it is far from comfortable. It has a fully retractable lead sleeve, lead grade indicator, and a solid aluminum body, as well as a nice eraser. With all that aside, let's get down to the nitty-gritty, no pun intended. The main feature of the ProMecha that sets it apart is the ability to change how much lead comes out when you click the button. This feature is very neat, and I found myself fidgeting with it while writing. There is a dial on the barrel that lengthens and shortens the travel between the bottom of the cap and the body to get this level of control. One issue I personally have is that the hole in the body that is used to access this dial is very sharp, and it rests right in between...

One of my goals this year is to work through the backlog of pens and pencils I have to review, which, as it turns, is around 20. I figured I might as well start from my most recent acquisitions, and here we are. I had been eyeing the Pro Use 171 for several months before getting it, and all I can say is that it did not disappoint. Coming in at just under 25 grams, the 171 strikes a nice balance between using premium materials, while not being too heavy and unwieldy. It comes with pretty standard features; a lead grade indicator, pocket clip, and small eraser, although there are a few features on this pencil that make it different from most others I have reviewed. Starting off with the most useful feature, we have the retractable lead sleeve. It can be extended out to around 4.5mm using a screw mechanism. The one issue I have run into is that if you overtighten it when retracting the sleeve, it can get stuck. To fix this, simply unscrew the grip and the sleeve mechanism should c...