Update 0.5 Mm Mechanical Pencils Review – From left: Rotring 600, Rotring 800, Uni Kuru Toga Roulette, Spoke Pencil version 4 and Sailor Imperial Black Multi Pen.
One category of writing instruments that I haven’t talked about much here on the blog is the mechanical pencil. I’ve reviewed several pencils in depth, including well-known fan favorites Rotring 600 and 800. While the Rotring Duo accounts for 80% of my mechanical pencil usage, there are other great options out there, many at extremely affordable prices. . As I mentioned in my recent Rotring 800 review, I like to use mechanical pencils when taking notes in tight margins and annotating books/documents in pencil. plastic lead is not as narrow as standard lead and comes in a variety of sizes (0.3mm to 2.0mm) depending on how small you want to write. 0.5mm pencils are my sweet spot.
Update 0.5 Mm Mechanical Pencils Review
So what am I looking for in a mechanical pencil? Basically the same things I look for in a pen: grip comfort and balance for sure, but with a mechanical pencil like a multi-pen or a retractable ballpoint, the quality of the mechanism also becomes an issue. You’re going to click this thing tens of thousands of times over its lifetime, so it needs to be well-built and durable. At the very least, the pencils that made my “Five Best” list have withstood the test of time for several years. I’ve provided links to full reviews of each pencil where possible.
Paper Mate Advanced Mechanical Pencils, 0.5mm, #2 Lead
Honorable Mention, from left: Interchangeable Mechanical Pen/Pencil Inventory; Modern fuel pencil; Pentel Sharp and the mid-1990s-era Pentel Quicker Clicker (which has somehow survived over 25 years of continuous use).
Pencil brands attract die-hard devotees and there are tons of options out there, so I’m sure people will disagree with my decision to put several pencils in the “top five”, but remember. that the five listed above only represent mine. own experience and personal preferences. If there are others you think I should check out let me know! One great thing about mechanical pencils is that you can find great options for cheap off the shelf at your local office supply store, including the Pentel Sharp mentioned above, the Pentel “Quicker Clicker” (a version I still own from high school – 20+ years then delayed!), or even the “disposable” version of the BIC (which can still be recharged). If you prefer a heavier writing instrument or like the “machined pen” look, check out the Modern Fuel Mechanical Pencil and Inventory Interchangeable Mechanical Pen and Pencil. In these last two, I would recommend using the strongest lead you can find, as the increased weight of a metal lead can lead to breakage. I have had good results with Pentel Ain Stein, even at hardness B or 2B. Good writing! It’s not very often that when you hold an instrument the thoughts, “this is how the Rolls Royce of “blank” happens. In this case, I will say categorically that the Automac, to me, looks at this level in the realm of the mechanical pencil could be. this thing is a beauty. The only thing missing is inlaid mahogany and a cigar humidor to put this baby in Rolls Royce territory… but without the $250,000 price tag.
Got this pen from our good friends at JetPens to review, and they are also giving away an Automac giveaway to one lucky reader of The Clicky Post! Please see the giveaway details below and how to enter! Many thanks to JetPens for sponsoring us.
The Automac comes packaged in its standard cardboard sleeve with a clear plastic cover (in this case, with a beige velvet insert with elastic); nothing really to write home about on that front, but when you open it… again, oh my gosh.
Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils, Hb #2 Lead (0.5mm), With Lead Refills And 2 Erasers
I have the Automac in the all silver finish and when you first open it up you are amazed at how beautiful this thing is. Colors from tip to notch are consistent in their hue, so no extraneous distractions break down the details. True, the barrel is slightly metallic and shiny, while the tip, grip and nock section are more matte silver. Regardless, all the pieces flow together beautifully as one solid piece. Simply stunning.
What first catches your eye is obviously the unique grip section. I would consider it “knurled” so to speak, but not in the traditional sense. Serration usually consists of small spikes on the surface or a crosshatch pattern machined into the barrel to act as a texture for the grip. Knurling on the Automac consists of several finely machined lines that run parallel to the barrel. Within these lines are rings cut along that run perpendicular to the barrel, creating a set of small rectangles towards the nose section. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves, but I really like this pencil look. The whole thing looks very futuristic.
The cam mechanism is top notch and feels nice and firm when pressed. It has a retractable tip that requires a big click to extend it and then small clicks to extend the lead. Standard issue for these types of pencils, but very well done. Under the notch is a small eraser. Let’s see it; with almost all mechanical pencils, the eraser under the cap is pretty useless. It’s small, gets dirty extremely quickly and wears out very quickly with excessive use. I would recommend a separate eraser to go with it, as I would with most other pencils.
The only caveat, which might be a little worrying, is a slight turnaround in the lead. Not visibly dancing (remember the Lamy logo?… yikes), but light. I’m not much of a pencil person, but I have a few (well, like 7 or 8) that I can use to compare curl.
Pentel Graphgear 500 Mechanical Pencil 0.5 Mm
Speaking of lead, Elaine at JetPens is a mind reader, as she included some low-wear Uni NanoDia lead in 3B. This is a softer lead that I prefer over the HB pencils that usually come with it and it’s fantastic. It lays down a nice smooth, dark line. Thanks Elaine!
At the request of some friends, here is a link to a recent Instagram post showing how the 3B compares to some standard HBs.
I did a simple test with the following pencils (many still need to be revised) and made a brief description of the movement of the tip when writing (in the order they appear in the photo below):
The Automac doesn’t rank extremely high by comparison, but I wouldn’t consider it a problem. This is the only aspect of the pencil that doesn’t live up to its Rolls Royce status in my book. Lexus maybe.
Review: Rotring Visuclick 0.7 Mechanical Pencil
Okay, there’s one other thing that’s more annoying than a critique of the pencil itself, but why on earth do pencil/pencil companies put stickers on the barrels of a fine writing instrument? It bothers me that they put an adhesive with the most toxic and sticky glue in the world on a $50 pencil that I have to peel. Not only that, but I also have to find some kind of non-abrasive solvent to remove the rest. grrrr… Though the auto-rest wasn’t too bad compared to some.
The Automac’s weight is incredible. For a mechanical pencil, it’s pretty heavy, even more so than a rOtring 600, which is notoriously heavier than you’d expect. The handle is beautiful in my opinion and the pencil well balanced. Everything about it looks very sturdy.
JetPens offered to give away a Pilot Automac to a reader of The Clicky Post! There are some limits to this as it’s only open to US readers, but I hope my international friends feel the love through other freebies on the site. As a fan of the brand, I don’t need much to test anything from Rotring. So why has it taken so long to review the Rotring 500? The simple fact that the Rotring 600 exists.
The 600 is the best mechanical pencil on the market and one of the best writing products ever. If there were a Stationery Hall of Fame, the 600 would be on the first ballot, no doubt. There is no better in my book.
The Best Mechanical Pencils Of 2023
Rotring might have you believing that the much more expensive model 800 is better, with its retractable lead tube and fancy gold finish, but no, the solid 600 is better. I am not.
The 500 takes an alternate route as the entry-level Rotring drawing pencil. At less than half the price of the 600 ($14 vs. $31.00), the main difference is that plastic is used for the center barrel on the 500, compared to brass on the 600.
For some writers, this may be preferable. For what? Balance. Most mechanical pencils classified in the “drawing” category have a low center of gravity for better control when
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