Uni Kurutoga Mechanical Pencil Standard, 0.3mm, Black (M34501P.24)

This is THE BEST mechanical pencil I own. The Kuru Toga engine makes writing smooth and fast. I have good grip, the design is amazing, it’s fine line, and it’s not easy to break. This is one of the best additions to my school supplies!!!

Yes, I'm spending time reviewing a mechanical pencil because I've destroyed so many others. This one works as they say it does and quite frankly it's really hard to find one that doesn't break. I both draw and write for long periods of time and I've bent pencil tips, snapped countless graphite sticks, and had one wooden pencil snap in my hand. I had to dig wooden splinters out of my cuticle section after sharpening a regular wood pencil that was a piece of junk and this was after being awake for two days. Exhaustion did play a role. I only use Ticonderoga pencils and Faber-Castell graphite holders - then these babies for fine detail on drawings! If you need something for notes or drafting then these are perfect!While I also use a computer much of my preliminary work is done by hand through drafting and writing. The way your brain functions using a pencil/pen instead of a keyboard has been researched and I just love this pencil. The mechanism that spins the graphite is wonderful and at first I thought it was too good to be true but I'm not twisting the mechanical pencils by hand at all. I do have all three sizes 0.7 mm, 0.5 mm, and 0.3 mm as well. Why? Because I love these mechanical pencils! Definitely get the Japanese made ones if you can and the graphite is like writing or drawing with silk.I swear if you are a Southpaw you won't end up with graphite all over your hand! They erase just fine and feel great in your hands. It may seem like a stupid thing to purchase but I have to deal with hand cramps and this has saved my hands that I use for drafting, drawing, sketching and note taking. If you have the same problems I did then take more breaks as well. It helps but when you use the same instrument all day every day then it needs to work reliably. So far these mechanical pencils are great! I really like the 0.3 mm because I can write very small and consistent letters without the lead breaking. Yes it's a small writing utensil with what most people call an extravagant feature. Who cares? Get what you need and use it without apology!

You probably already know that Uni's Kuru Toga pencils ingeniously rotate their lead slightly each time you press down to write, keeping the lead from developing the elongated oval tip common in other mechanical pencils.Kuru Togas come in a variety of lead sizes: .3, .5, and .7mm. This is the .3mm pencil, and I've noticed a few distinctions with the extremely small diameter lead relative to the .5mm and .7mm pencils.I use the pencil to make notes in books and documents, and the small diameter lead lets me underline and write more notes in margins. It's great for this purpose. But there are several drawbacks you should be aware of with the .3mm lead.First, the lead runs out fast. You don't think about it when buying the pencil, but .3mm is really thin, and you're constantly clicking the end of the pencil to advance the lead when you write with this pencil. You would think it would just make a thinner line and not be consumed any faster. Nope. The lead and the line it makes are thinner, but it's at the cost of the lead being consumed fast--over twice as fast as lead in the .5mm pencil in my experience.Second, weirdly, one consequence of the really thin lead is that it gets so sharp you often tear or puncture your paper when starting up with this pencil--something that really doesn't happen with the .5mm or .7mm pencils.On a final note, the pencil is fed by removing the cap and the eraser underneath and placing lead pieces in the hole exposed when the eraser is removed.

The Japanese REALLY know how to make a mechanical pencil, and the Kuru Toga is proof of that. Make sure you purchase the Japanese version and not the cheaper American build. A buddy of mine is teaching English in Japan and I asked him to send me some of the best Japanese school supplies, several of these pencils were in the box.The Kuru Toga has a special feature that rotates the lead as you write. It's not going to keep you from always having to rotate the pencil when writing in English since you don't lift the pencil off the paper and place it back down as much as you would writing Japanese, but it definitely cuts down on the need. The "Diamond Infused" lead these pencils ship with is much stronger than traditional lead and writes smoother as well. I also highly recommend the 0.3mm lead size pencil over the 0.5mm as I prefer a fine line. Keep in mind you can use regular 0.3mm lead in this pencil, but it's such a thin lead that the non-Diamon Infused lead will be prone to break. The Japanese Kuru Toga's have a metal tip that helps balance the pencil, the American Kuru-Toga's lack this feature.Remember to buy a separate stand alone eraser to go with this. All Japanese students use mechanical pencils and they always have three things in their pencil case. Extra lead, and two erasers. Don't expect to get much of any use of the eraser on the pencil.Pros:- Auto-Rotate feature cuts down on need to adjust pencil to get sharpest piece of lead on writing surface.- Metal tip provides better balance than cheaper plastic pencils.- Lead is tightly held in place and does not slip- Comes with high quality pencil lead that is less prone to breaking during writing- Well built pencil that you can put plenty of miles on without the internal mechanics wearing out like cheap bic mechanic pencilsCons:- Expensive and difficult to procure the better Japanese Kuru-Toga- Diamond Infused lead can be hard to find and is also expensive- Eraser top is difficult to remove which can make refilling leads a little frustrating.- Metal tip can hurt you if you place this pencil in your pants pocket, forget, and sit down.