Posts filed under Kokuyo

Kokuyo Enpitsu Sharp 1.3mm Mechanical Pencil Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Before seeing the Enpitsu Sharp 1.3mm mechanical pencil from Kokuyo, I don't think I really knew that they made anything besides paper products. I really enjoy their paper, and I really can't pass up anything that comes in a bright, semi-transparent color, so this mechanical pencil was an instant want. I'm not even sure I noticed the lead size until I had the pencil in hand — that's how much I love anything that features a bright, semi-transparent color. To sum it up, the wide lead took some getting used to, but after settling in, this is a really comfortable and fun pencil.

Let's talk about my favorite part first — the color. Described as a yellow-green, this bright neon material is so good. It's slightly transparent and frosty so that you can see the components under the pencil barrel in blurry detail. It brings back memories of lots of different items I enjoyed in the 90s that took advantage of the bright, translucent plastic aesthetic of the time. I'll pretty much always pick something in this aesthetic over other options, and it's especially problematic if something is offered in multiple bright/translucent color options. For this pencil, it's quite simple — if you look at it and smile, then it will fit you perfectly. If you think it's garish or loud, then that's fine too — there are so many good pencils out there that will have a color option you love.

Due to the bright color, it can be a bit difficult to discern the slight triangular shape of the barrel, but it's there. Even though it's hard to see, your fingers can immediately sense the petit, soft corners that make up the three sides of the pencil grip. It's really well done and offers a bit more grip than a plain round barrel. For my grip, it feels fantastic when writing. On top of that, the barrel material feels almost porous. It's not soft-touch plastic, but it has a similar feel. Whatever it is, it provides great tactile feel and doesn't slip.

Something else that fascinated me about this pencil when I first looked it over is that there isn't a cap or eraser on the tail end of the pencil. Yes, it uses a click mechanism to advance the lead, but there aren't any removable parts or an eraser. Instead, there's a hole in the click mechanism that is just a hair larger than the 1.3mm lead that you can insert. Once you insert some lead, it feels like there's a gentle clutch that prevents the lead from coming back out, and I had zero success in trying to shake the lead out of the open hole in the pencil. Even if the stars aligned and the lead found the perfect trajectory to the hole, the small clutch mechanism would prevent it from actually escaping. I'm still fascinated by this odd design choice every time I pick up this pencil, and that's one of the reasons that I keep picking it up.

Getting to what I think is Kokuyo's main selling point for this pencil — the 1.3mm lead is wide. As someone who rarely uses 0.7mm lead because it feels too wide, this was a bit of a struggle to get used to. On top of the width, this lead is also extremely soft, so it wears down very quickly. If you're writing, your fingers will get a small workout as they continuously have to rotate the pencil to keep a usable edge against the paper. But, if you want a large writing surface for shading, hatching, or anything else that requires lots of dark graphite, this lead size and softness makes that an easy task. After getting used to the diameter of the line, I really have come to enjoy the dark, rich line that this lead produces. It's similar to writing with a wide rollerball refill that makes dark, crisp lines on the page. It's not my everyday preference, but I can certainly appreciate and enjoy it.

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this pencil. As I've stated too many times already, I only got it because of the color — and even if I never used the pencil, I'd still be happy to have it just as a decoration to look at. But I've been pleasantly enamored with the wide, rich lead and the quirky refill system that I keep reaching for this pencil over other pencils or even pens.

At $6, it's also an incredible value — especially if you know that you can really benefit from the wide lead option. For most mechanical pencils, 0.7 is the largest "easy to find" option, and 1.0mm can be had in limited supply. Anything bigger usually comes from a lead holder, but they're not as easy to use as a simple mechanical pencil. Again, this all comes down to how you intend to use a pencil or what you need from it. All I can say is that this $6 pencil has provided me with a lot more joy than I ever expected.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)


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Posted on November 15, 2023 and filed under Kokuyo, Mechanical Pencil, Pencil Reviews.

Kokuyo Campus Notebook Shizuku Semi B5 Review

Kokuyo Campus Notebook Shizuku Semi B5 Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

School is on the horizon--or has already started for some of you. And with that comes the best season for Pen Addicts--school shopping season, where an abundance of stationery flows from around every corner. If you are a student, or provide for students, it's time for that bountiful harvest of papers and pens. I have two semesters of school left, and two kids in school, which I consider permission to indulge.

My dislike for most spiral notebooks is well documented, which is one of the reasons that these Kokuyo Campus notebooks with the glue binding are some of my favorites. This pack of five notebooks has a pattern inspired by water drops, with each book a different color to make different volumes easy to find. They're very pretty--calming, with more flair than a standard plain cover.

Kokuyo Campus Notebook

The cover is thin cardstock and each book has 30 sheets of Kokuyo's 70gsm paper. Kokuyo's paper is very good. It doesn't feel like it's going to be fancy, but it holds up well. It impresses me every single time, and the sense of wonder never gets old. With non-liquid ink and fine pens I saw no hint of misbehavior, though there was some feathering on my test page when I used several kinds of very broad and wet nibs. There was no bleeding, though. Even the Sharpie struggled to bleed through. This is the first time I've had feathering with this paper, and I didn't see any in other spots, so I'll have to revisit my thoughts on this after more writing.

Kokuyo Campus Notebook
Kokuyo Campus Notebook

The paper format is excellent, with a space for the date on each page, and a dotted line layout, which is a wonderful compromise between grid and lined paper. The lines are present for even writing, and the dots make outlining look neat and organized. All the lines are faint enough, though, that you can choose your own adventure if needed. The lines are 6mm spaced, with dots every 5mm. This layout really works for me, and I wish it was more widely available.

Kokuyo Campus Notebook
Kokuyo Campus Notebook

The pack of five notebooks is listed at $19 on Jetpens, which is a great deal, since the individual B5 notebooks are $4.25. It's a fantastic price for paper this good. I'll make great use of these in my last few classes, with hope that the nice paper and pretty covers helps sooth my blooming senioritis.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)


Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

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Posted on August 4, 2022 and filed under Kokuyo, Notebook Reviews.

Kokuyo Trystrams Field Sketch Book Review

Kokuyo Trystrams Field Sketch Book Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

While Field Notes certainly corners a lot of the market in the pocket notebook category, that doesn't mean the 3.5x5.5 inch format is the only player in town. There are plenty of other small pocket notebooks out there, and I'm already interested in larger formats in this category.

I've seen a few of these Japanese field notebooks on Instagram over the years, but they haven't really caught on in the US. The slightly taller format gives you about an inch of extra vertical writing space, so it's definitely worth a look if you're ever feeling cramped by the standard 3.5x5.5 format.

Kokuyo Trystrams Field Sketch Book

The Kokuyo Trystrams Field Sketch Book is a hard-covered notebook with 40 sheets of thin 3mm graph lined paper inside. The weight of the paper isn't listed, but I'd guess it's somewhere in the 70-80gsm ballpark. The notebook is 3.7 x 6.5, which is just a touch wider and a full inch taller than most popular pocket notebooks on the market today. This notebook is still easy to pocket and store in a bag, but that extra inch of vertical space is more useful than you might think.

Kokuyo Trystrams Field Sketch Book

The threaded binding is sturdy and easy to open and close. When first using the book, it doesn't like to lay flat or stay closed, but this gets better with a little time and use. After going through a few pages, my notebook easily lays open and stays shut.

The pages are simply grid lined with a 3mm spacing. It's a tiny grid, but it does the job. The lines are a dark gray and are very noticeable. I'd prefer a lighter ink or even a dot grid pattern instead, but it's not terrible. The pages aren't numbered and there aren't any spaces for a date or anything else. Very utilitarian!

Kokuyo Trystrams Field Sketch Book

The paper used in this notebook is pretty thin, which is great when it comes to the overall thickness of the notebook, but it also means you can't get away with using any nib and ink combo without noticing some pretty severe show-through on the back of the page. That's not to say it performs poorly — quite the opposite actually. This paper handles inks and nibs better than the standard Field Notes paper, but doesn't come close to something like Clairefontaine or Rhodia. If you're using a gel pen or pencil, you don't have to worry at all. Certain fountain pen inks and liquid rollerball inks will bleed through pretty bad depending on the ink formula. In most of my testing, the results are okay-ish and I'm fine with writing on both sides of the sheet as long as the ink I'm using doesn't show through too much.

Kokuyo Field Sketch Book

The purpose of a portable field book is to be utilitarian, and you'll be fine with any properly matched writing instruments. Although, I am confused that Kokuyo chose to deboss "SKETCH BOOK" across the front cover, as this paper is hilariously thin compared to any proper sketch book paper. I know these terms can be used quite loosely, but just be aware: if you're looking for a sketch book that can take watercolors, this is not the notebook you're looking for.

With just 40 sheets, you'll get just about as much use out of it as any other pocket notebook, but this one will definitely take more of a beating, thanks to the resin hardcover. At just $5 a notebook, it doesn't break the bank either. It's a bit pricey compared to Field Notes, but remember that this notebook is a hard cover, has better paper, and is a little larger.

At $5, it's a great impulse buy to add to your cart to try out with your next order. The notebook comes in nine colors, so good luck picking out your favorite. This blue version I have is handsome, but I'm eyeing that Grayish Blue or Original Green for next time.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)


Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Kokuyo Trystrams Field Sketch Book
Posted on May 18, 2022 and filed under Kokuyo, Notebook Reviews.