Kitaboshi 2.0mm Mechanical Pencil, Wooden Barrel, With Lead Sharpener, #1 B, Black Lead, 1ea (OTP-680NST), natural wood color w/sharpener

The packaging states that this is a "Pencil for Adults" -or so I read, and that statement defines in part what this mechanical pencil is all about. Compared to the more common 2.0mm lead holder variants, this pencil is longer -almost the size of a regular ferruled pencil- and a tiny bit thicker. The clutch mechanism has lead advancement as opposed to drop type; it has no sharpener or eraser integrated (thou a somewhat portable sharpener is included in the package), but the wood body is what really sets it apart. It has a smooth finish, a lovely texture and a nice pink-shaded color to it. Along with the mushroom-like lead advancement button up top and the metal cone on the tip, both with a nice chrome finish, makes for very elegant writing instrument that looks far more expensive than it really is. It's got a nice and solid feel while holding and writing and there is not a single part that rattles or shakes. The provided B-grade lead is very smooth and dark (it's even darker than some Western 2B leads) which makes it great for writing in a journal or a diary. Obviously you can also sketch with this pencil, but I don't recommend it as a drafting pencil substitute. It's simply not designed for this. The wood finish is very delicate and can get dents, scratches or tiny bits lost -specially around the body's end below the button- if you're not careful, so I would not recommend this pencil for kids or youngsters. As stated in the packaging -it's an Adult's pencil! The included sharpener gets you a nice diamond-like point on the lead, just not very sharp. It has an integrated reservoir for the shavings and it's got a cap so you can take it along. Personally I prefer my Uni 2mm lead sharpener which gives a much sharper point and it's much smaller. This lead pencil is also sold under the Penco Brand in a series called "Prime Timber 2.0" that comes in the same packaging with the same sharpener; the only difference being the two-tone color paint over the wood. Considering is also more expensive, I would definitely recommend going for this, the original Kita-Boshi.

I have to admit, I love this pencil. It's a mechanical pencil that feels just like a regular pencil - the wood barrel is just a fraction thicker than a standard pencil. The satin finish to the wood barrel makes it easy to hold. I bought 4h leads for it to make light undersketches for watercolors. The great thing about using a 2mm lead is that you can tilt it to create thicker lines, but using a hard lead means the sketch is less likely to wash out, making your watercolor look dirty. It comes with a very different looking sharpener (meant for sharpening the lead only), but it works great. It's very easy to change/refill leads too. You can pull out the clicker off the end and drop it in that way, but I think it's easier to just hold the clicker down and drop the new lead in through the point. No messy wood chips, very comfortable to hold.

This is one of the finest lead holders money can buy. If you love writing with wood case pencils this may be the lead holder for you. It is made out of quality cedar, rigid and sturdy while still being lightweight. It is the perfect hexagon shape, not too wide, and the length feels comfy. It weighs in at 10.5 grams (with lead in) and has a really nice balance. The one difference in feel from a wood case pencil is that it has a rounded conical metal tip, rather than a classic triangular conical tip, but this is super super nit picky. I use it with an eraser cap, they do fit but are very very tight and can be annoying when advancing lead, not an issue for me. The lead is amazing, so smooth and dark, but you will need to sharpen often. I would suggest using a long point sharpener like a Uni lead pointer. The one downside to this pencil for me is that it is an incremental clutch. I personally like the feel of a drop clutch as it grabs the lead right at the tip and gives you a very stable point to write/draw from, much more similar to wood case. Many incremental clutch designs let the lead wobble ever so slightly within the tip sleeve. With that said Kitaboshi has done an exceptional job at dealing with this issue, there is the tiniest tiniest amount of wobble from the lead. Most people would not notice and is a total non issue, but I can notice when switching between wood case and my other clutch pencils. For now I still prefer my Koh-I-Noor Versatil 5211 and 5201, both are great balanced hexagonal lead holders. Downside to 5211 is that it is plastic and bends a bit when writing/drawing. The 5201 is the sturdiest pencil I have, but the downside is that it is a bit heavy for me and my hand gets tired from time to time. Still waiting for someone to make a quality drop clutch wood case Lead Holder!!!

A beautiful, well-crafted pencil that feels good in the hand. This is artfully made and an absolute delight to write with. I do really wish it had an option with an eraser on top. I also wish there was an option with the pocket clip and the sharpener packaged together. But this product is superbly made. It is a work of art. And an absolute joy to hold and to use. Highly recommend.

Kitaboshi is my favorite mechanical pencil. Basically the pencil feels good in the hand & provides a fairly smooth writing experience for a pencil. But the selling point for me was the dark black lead (graphite?) color! So many pencils write in such a light a grey (even some #1s) but this lead is DARK and wonderful! You can even sharpen it to as fine a point as you like with the included sharpener. I just ordered more refills for this pencil, but then ended up also just buying another one of these Kitaboshi pencils in black. I still adore the natural wood color of this one, but decided to try the black one also since you can't own too many favourite mechanical pencils. I hope they never stop making this pencil.