Pentel Graph Gear 800 Drafting Pencil Review

Like micro-tip gel ink pens, mechanical pencils are a tool I like to have handy everywhere I may be writing. There is something about their technical design and fine lines that speak to me, and the Pentel Graph Gear 800 is a nice addition to my lineup.

Pentel’s Graph Gear lineup is well known and widely respected. The 1000 model drafting pencil and ballpoint are hugely popular with their aluminum barrel construction, but there is a definite place for the plastic barrel of the 800 lineup. The key is in the grip. It is metal, giving it the proper weight and balance for a drafting pencil, and features the same rubber pads that give other Graph Gear models an excellent feel.

Pentel color codes their barrels to match lead diameters, with black for 0.5 mm, blue for 0.7 mm, and yellow for 0.9 mm (green is 0.4 mm and brown is 0.3 mm for those product lines that use them). This is helpful for professionals who may have a lineup of pencils on their table when having to switch up line widths.

I find using the Graph Gear 800 to be a real pleasure. It is a comfortable writer while retaining the solid feel of the twice as expensive 1000 model. I prefer it over the less expensive Pentel Sharp model as well. The grip alone is worth the added cost.

Overall, this is a quality drafting pencil that I’m happy to have at my desk.

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

Zebra DelGuard 0.5 mm Mehanical Pencil Review

The Zebra DelGuard introduces a new lead breakage prevention mechanism to the market by absorbing some of the writing pressure within the internals of the pencil. As with all new products on the market that introduce new features, it boils down to does it work as intended. In the case of the DelGuard, it does.

When I first saw the DelGuard I assumed by the similar looks that Zebra was going for a Kuru Toga type mechanism, but that is not the case. Instead, they built in cushioning inside barrel in the form of a spring and lead pipe that adjusts as you write.

My concern with the DelGuard is that I would feel the mechanism working as I was writing, but that wasn't the case at all. I prefer firm mechanical pencils and it felt as if I was writing with any standard pencil. That's good design. Do your job while not interfering with the expected experience.

I'm a medium to heavy pressure writer and never once broke the lead writing normally. When I increased my writing pressure gradually the lead stayed intact as well. Of course you could push it to the breaking point with extreme pressure or extending the lead too far, but the DelGuard handles everything else admirably.

If you enjoy mechanical pencils and lead breakage is holding you back, then give the Zebra DelGuard a try. At $7.50 it's not exactly cheap but if it can eliminate frustration it may be worth it.

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

Tombow Mono Graph Shaker Mechanical Pencil Review

To compare any mechanical pencil to the Uni-ball Kuru Toga is unfair. The Kuru Toga is a game changer in so many ways, especially in the value it provides. It’s great technology for a great price. In a world where the Kuru Toga didn’t exist, the Tombow Mono Graph Shaker Mechanical Pencil might be king of the mountain.

I picked up this pencil from JetPens for its looks and expected very little else. Boy was I surprised. The first thing I noticed is how solid this mechanical pencil feels. It has some weight to it compared to other pencils in this category. The plastic barrel has a thick wall to help balance the barrel with the added weight of the shaker mechanism. I don’t want you to think this is a heavy pencil because it’s not. It just feels different than other pencils in this category.

The shaker also comes with lock protection, requiring a quick press of the clip downward to keep the shaker in place and prevent accidental lead advancement. The Mono Graph Shaker also comes with one of the largest erasers I’ve seen in a mechanical pencil, and it twists to extend, and it uses Tombow’s famous Mono eraser, AND it’s refillable.

The looks are classic Tombow too. The blue, black, red, lime, and pink barrels are stylish in their own right, but there was no way I could pass up the famous blue/white/black stripes of the Mono color scheme. So good looking.

This feels and functions like a $10 or more pencil. For less than $6 the Tombow Mono Graph Shaker is a steal and is one of the best mechanical pencils I’ve used in a long time.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)