Pentel5-piece Set, Pg1013e, 0.3mm Graph Gear 1000 Automatic Pencil

High quality, well-developed mechanical pencil. The components fit well, are comfortable, and seem robust. If I have any longevity issues, I'll edit this accordingly, but I'm not a heavy user. I just wanted a well-made pencil with very fine graphite, and this fits the bill perfectly.Something that wasn't clear to me before purchase is that you can retract the entire metal tip, to protect against drops, by lifting the clip.

For years I used Zebra M402 0.5mm mechanical pencils. I still love them, but I was recommended I try this Pentel 0.3mm pencil. There was some adjusting necessary, as I broke the lead often at first due to the increased fragility that comes with a thinner lead. Now that I've adapted, I can say I am very pleased with both the quality and comfort found in this product.The most amazing feature of this pencil is the retractable tip - I can't tell you how many fine tipped pencils I've had to let go because they were dropped and the the metal tip bent or broke. Pressing the clip at the end retracts the tip so it is safe inside the pencil's thicker chamber. This is also handy for travel to prevent stabbing or scratching yourself.The grip is comfortable, the pencil feels well-balanced and solid without feeling too heavy. Great purchase all around.

Upgraded to this pencil after having problems with my graph gear 500. Much better pencil so far, the 500 no longer works, I think the tip must have gotten slightly bent as lead will no longer go through it correctly, although i certainly cant see any bend to it. The 1000's retractable tip helps protect it so that shouldn't be an issue. The 1000 also has rubber knobs on the grip making it much more comfortable in your hand than the 500. The fixed pocket clip is also nice, as the one on the 500 fell off and got lost after a few weeks. It should be noted that I do not use this as a drafting pencil, but instead use it for everyday writing at school, as I prefer a very fine pencil. The only thing I could complain about is when your lead gets short it does have a tendency to jam in the tip instead of getting fed out by a new stick. It is pretty easily fixable, but means wasting more of the lead stick than I would like.

This product is the best there is . I use mechanical pencils a lot and have them in every degree they come in . I had a Staedtler mars micro 0.3mm which I have now thrown away , it was nothing more than a piece of junk when compared to the Pentel . This is surprising for me because I normally lean towards all products that are German as their workmanship is generally excellent . I use 0.3mm when I am drawing the details inside an eye in my graphite drawings. The mechanism inside the Graph Gear is very smooth , lead changing even on something as fine as 0.3mm is so easy . The Pentel leads are also so much stronger than Staedtlers . Graph Gear 1000 is the top of the line and deserves two thumbs up.

I use this pencil for making notes on technical drawings. It writes clearly precisely. The fact that it comes with the accesories it does was a big plus. The lead refills alone almost make up the cost of the whole package.The only drawback is that, while it is weighted verry well, the ergonomics of where you hold the pencil are not that great. I could see if I were to use it for hours on end that it would become uncomfortable in my hand. This may be subjective though. Otherwise it is a great product

Everything about this pencil is the best. It's beautiful to look at -- like a sexy hypodermic needle, but for writing (Editor's Note: DO NOT USE THE PENCIL AS A HYPODERMIC NEEDLE). The 0.3mm lead allows for Very Precise block printing, which is my primary means of printing. It has a nice heft to it, a substantial weightiness, that is very pleasing in the hand.My plan is to make this my Permanent Pencil of Choice -- which means I will lose it probably four times because I'm not good at having nice things.

The pencil itself is great! I can't fault the pencil. Good form. Has a good feel in my hand. Very good quality.However, I give it a 1 star rating because I goofed up and bought the 0.3mm lead size. It's too small. The lead snaps too easily. I really gave it a try but ended up buying the 0.9mm pencil and use it instead.Again, there is nothing wrong with the pencil itself, its the 0.3mm lead size that is the problem for me.

I like the brand but find .3mm is unreliable because the lead breaks in the barrel and will not slide out when the back is pushed. I recommend buying this iff you will not transport it in backpacks, etc.