I’ve finally decided to pull the trigger on buying a new mechanical pencil.

Currently, I use a Rotring Tikky, which is their entry-level pencil. It’s OK, but it’s not very good, in my opinion. I took the clip off because it bothered me, the lead breaks a little too often for my liking (which, admittedly, could also be improved with better lead), and its weird triangular shape is also ugly af. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, if I write for long it does start to hurt a little. It’s not that the pencil is particularly uncomfortable, or anything, but it’s not particularly comfortable either.

The bottom line, really, is that I know there’s much better out there, and I’d like to have that.

However, I can’t pick, for the life of me. I need to try it out first, I need to make sure I like this or that feature, this or that design decision… I can’t just pull the trigger on a 50€ Rotring 800 because it seems ideal just to have my heart ripped to shreds because, as it turns out, I hate knurling or something.

Also, there’s lots of tech out there. Very notably, the Kuru Toga engine by Uni and the DelGuard system by Zebra. Different benefits. For the unaware:

The Kuru Toga engine is a little thing inside the pencils that rotates the lead over time, leading to a funneled tip, rather than the usual chiseled tip that forms overtime as one writes. Usually, you’d have to turn the pencil in your hand to stay with the sharp end, but the Kuru Toga engine does that for you. An issue that some people report is that it feels a little mushy, since the lead has some “give,” because of the engine.

The DelGuard system is a two-spring system inside the pencil that makes it very hard to break the lead while writing. If you press too hard, the lead gives and gets protected by the sleeve. Turtle-mode, if you will. Reportedly, this is very effective, and doesn’t have nearly as much “mush” as the Kuru Toga system.

Now, these systems don’t, and aren’t attempting to do the same thing at all, but they’re both really cool.

I got both.

The base model of these pencils are relatively inexpensive, at about 5€ each, so it doesn’t really hurt. Also, I wouldn’t mind just having a bunch of pencils. Right now, I have exactly 1. Well, 2, I guess, if you count the wooden pencil I carry as a backup.

Regardless, I bought them and they should be arriving… Some time… In the future…

AliExpress, damn you! But the prices were very reasonable.

I also got Pentel Ain Stein leads.

Quite honestly, I’m not quite sure what to expect. Knowing myself, I suspect I won’t like the Kuru Toga feel very much, as much as I love the concept. It’s one of those things I would love to love, but will unfortunately hate to hate. We’ll see, though, I’m trying to keep an open mind about it, that’s why I bought it. I think I’ll like the DelGuard more, though, especially because I do tend to break leads fairly often.

  • scintilla@lemm.ee
    2·
    6 days ago

    I am really into mechanical pencils and the Kuru toga is closer to a gimmick than something that actually helps lead if you write angled like I do. Maybe the kuru toga advanced is better but I write at a really steep angle that doesn’t consistently actuate the rotation mechanism so it’s been more annoying than useful. My experience with Del Gaurd is far more limited but it it very impressive from what I remember.

    • gon [he]@lemm.eeOPM
      2·
      6 days ago

      Oh, that’s too bad… Sucks that it doesn’t work for you.

      I have no idea if I write at a particular angle… I don’t think anyone’s ever commented, so I’m assuming I write pretty standard. Hopefully I have a better experience. Well, at least now I have some more confidence that the DelGuard is unlikely to disappoint!

      If I may ask, what are you favourite pencils? I’ve heard great things about the Pentel Graphgear 1000 and the Rotring 600.

      • scintilla@lemm.ee
        2·
        6 days ago

        If you like the retractable tip the graphgear 1000 is above the rotring 800(+) in my opinion because the tip is less wobbly.

        I have a nearly full collection of 600s though only don’t have the two newest colors because I’ve been too busy to find a non amazon place that sells them.

        My all time favourite pencil though is the pens Nero 0.3. The 0.2 eats through paper if you push too hard but the 0.3 feels like a 0.5 but writes noticably smaller and the lead being in the sleeve means that it doesn’t break constantly.

        • gon [he]@lemm.eeOPM
          2·
          6 days ago

          If you like the retractable tip the graphgear 1000 is above the rotring 800(+) in my opinion because the tip is less wobbly.

          Well, that’s good to know… The price is also less violent.

          I have a nearly full collection of 600s

          AWESOME :D I browse Reddit sometimes and look at people’s collections; some are super impressive.

          My all time favourite pencil though is the pens Nero 0.3.

          I’ve heard about this one. I’ve always used 0.5, so I’m a little reticent about trying 0.3 or even 0.2, but the Orenz Nero just looks so gorgeous, so that alone makes me want to try it out. It looks a little weird, the way it writes with the sleeve over the lead, but if it works, it works. I feel like it would write kinda scratchy, IDK.