Uni Kurutoga Mechanical Pencil Standard Blue

This pencil is awesome and I truly love using it. After this whenever I want to use a mechanical pencil, I only want to use this pencil! As expected, it does its job, however, I notice that (even with the kuru toga lead) it sometimes doesn't write with a sharp point. This makes the text I wrote more inconsistent than when I wrote with a normal mechanical pencil that stays blunt all the time. I find myself rotating the pencil myself at times and when I look more closely at the lead, it's unevenly worn down. Additionally, the body isn't as good as I expected it to be. To be honest, it feels quite filmsy, especially for the price I paid. Despite all this, this pencil is still better than any I've ever tried so I'll keep using it.

First off, I bought this pencil because I thought it looked beautiful. I wanted something on the slimmer side that seemed like it would feel good in my hands while still looking great. I ended up really loving this pencil and thoroughly enjoy using it.The lead rotation works well for print lettering. If you tend to write in cursive or in a hybrid of print/cursive (like I do) then it may not work as well since the lead is kept on the paper longer. I still think it works great. I use it a lot for math problems and it motivates me to do my homework!My favorite lead to use with this pencil is the Pilot Neox High-Purity Graphite Pencil Lead - 0.5 mm - HB. It is the perfect combination of smoothness and crispness.I also feel as though the pencil will withstand wear ... MoreFirst off, I bought this pencil because I thought it looked beautiful. I wanted something on the slimmer side that seemed like it would feel good in my hands while still looking great. I ended up really loving this pencil and thoroughly enjoy using it.The lead rotation works well for print lettering. If you tend to write in cursive or in a hybrid of print/cursive (like I do) then it may not work as well since the lead is kept on the paper longer. I still think it works great. I use it a lot for math problems and it motivates me to do my homework!My favorite lead to use with this pencil is the Pilot Neox High-Purity Graphite Pencil Lead - 0.5 mm - HB. It is the perfect combination of smoothness and crispness.I also feel as though the pencil will withstand wear and tear very well. There isn't a rubber grippy which tends to be the first thing to get damaged on my mechanical pencils. Despite not having a grippy, it is still very comfortable which was really my main priority.

I love the color of the body, and keeps my lead/writing sharp and neat. I love the twisting action. However there is no grip for comfort. I hold my pencils with the end resting on my ring finger, and it can cause soreness after long time of writing. Fairly easy fit with getting a pencil grip.

Super smooth writing utensil. No skipping just a continued flow of lead and pencil. This is not a gimmick. It works and the demonstrator chamber shows the lead rotating with even the slightest pressure. This will be among your favorite when you need to quickly write.

It writes smoothly. The only thing I personally do not like is the grip. I got this to try with the Uni Alpha gel Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil since I was not sure about the grip on it. My pinky does not go numb when I use it compared to the regular wooden pencil. So, if you want a mechanical pencil that is not to think but is a little thicker than a pen this is a good pencil.

Part Five of my reviews... following on from the Uni Shift.A lot of people have been raving about the Kuru Toga so I was curious. I only bought the least expensive plastic version to try.Even if it is the entry-level version, it feels nicely solid and well-made. In fact, it feels more solid and well-made than its much more expensive stable-mate, the Shift. It's comfortable in use, even for quite long writing sessions and it's been reliable.But it all rides on the special lead rotation mechanism which is supposed to automatically keep an even, sharp point on the lead as you write.The mechanism definitely works but for me it only works when I'm making an effort to write so that it will.The first issue I had is that I am used to writing with pencils and found ... MorePart Five of my reviews... following on from the Uni Shift.A lot of people have been raving about the Kuru Toga so I was curious. I only bought the least expensive plastic version to try.Even if it is the entry-level version, it feels nicely solid and well-made. In fact, it feels more solid and well-made than its much more expensive stable-mate, the Shift. It's comfortable in use, even for quite long writing sessions and it's been reliable.But it all rides on the special lead rotation mechanism which is supposed to automatically keep an even, sharp point on the lead as you write.The mechanism definitely works but for me it only works when I'm making an effort to write so that it will.The first issue I had is that I am used to writing with pencils and found it quite difficult to stop rotating the pencil and let the mechanism do it for me.The next is that I tend to write in cursive. The mechanism works by rotating the lead each time you lift the pencil from the page. If you don't lift the pencil much, it doesn't rotate the lead enough. I found that even doing pages of maths (as I do) it wasn't working. Printing in capitals showed off the mechanism best. It formed a perfect conical point on the lead and produced fine, even lettering. It's just a pity that I rarely write in capitals.I also made things worse by swapping to 4B lead. I love the 4B lead because it produces a nice line with very little pressure but, unfortunately, very little pressure is not ideal for the Kuru Toga mechanism and tends to result in very little rotation of the lead.Finally I also realised that I don't particularly want a fine line all the time. I like the way the soft leads make a chisel point so I can have a wider line most of the time or as fine as I like if I turn the pencil.None of this is really a flaw of the pencil and if you write in the right way, with enough pressure and want the fine line then it is very good. For example, I assume that it was invented for complicated multi-stroke Japanese characters and I imagine it is excellent for that.Even if the rotation mechanism didn't really work for me, I would have been tempted to keep using the Kuru Toga anyway because I just like the feel of it - except for one thing. Presumably because of the rotation mechanism, the tip has a LOT of play in it.The wobbly imprecise tip is too much of a price to pay, for me, for a rotation mechanism that doesn't do a lot for me in a pencil which isn't pocket safe.Next... Staedtler 925-35

This pencil is intriguing, that's for sure.The tradeoff for the kuru-toga feature is a pencil that feels "loose" in your hand, like you have less control over the lead.The Kuru-Toga engine works as advertised, albeit with some caveats:-- Don't use a lead that's too soft (H or harder works best)-- Don't hold the pencil with too much departure from vertical.On the latter point, it's simply that the mechanism requires a certain amount of pressure to operate. If you have a light touch and hold the pencil low to the paper, the mechanism won't activate. But if you hold it closer to vertical (as the Japanese do!), or use a heavier touch, it activates just fine and works as advertised.Overall the pencil feels cheap, but good enough for daily use. I think I prefer ... MoreThis pencil is intriguing, that's for sure.The tradeoff for the kuru-toga feature is a pencil that feels "loose" in your hand, like you have less control over the lead.The Kuru-Toga engine works as advertised, albeit with some caveats:-- Don't use a lead that's too soft (H or harder works best)-- Don't hold the pencil with too much departure from vertical.On the latter point, it's simply that the mechanism requires a certain amount of pressure to operate. If you have a light touch and hold the pencil low to the paper, the mechanism won't activate. But if you hold it closer to vertical (as the Japanese do!), or use a heavier touch, it activates just fine and works as advertised.Overall the pencil feels cheap, but good enough for daily use. I think I prefer the precision feel of my Staedlers overall, but I'd buy another KuruToga compared to other cheap pencils.

My go to pencil for every day use. I actually got this from a friend in Japan, but the packaging was exactly the same as it is in the picture. Great for everything from notes to sketches to scantrons to just about anything else! The paint on mine (blue) quickly looked battered within a couple of weeks, but I have had mine for almost a year now and it still works like a charm despite this.I literally use this pencil every day and am always sure to keep it safe within my reach. It works well with my typical small print, my large and quick (and ugly) cursive and just about any application you would use a pencil for typically.The kuru toga mechanism is not a gimmick and works very well. My pencil marks are always the same thickness and my notes always come out ... MoreMy go to pencil for every day use. I actually got this from a friend in Japan, but the packaging was exactly the same as it is in the picture. Great for everything from notes to sketches to scantrons to just about anything else! The paint on mine (blue) quickly looked battered within a couple of weeks, but I have had mine for almost a year now and it still works like a charm despite this.I literally use this pencil every day and am always sure to keep it safe within my reach. It works well with my typical small print, my large and quick (and ugly) cursive and just about any application you would use a pencil for typically.The kuru toga mechanism is not a gimmick and works very well. My pencil marks are always the same thickness and my notes always come out looking great. I especially like the small rubber grip towards the front of the pencil that is good for keeping your fingers comfortable, yet not too invasive to make your hand feel weird like with the Dr. Grip.This is my favorite pencil and was worth every penny. A must have for any student who wants a strong, reliable and versatile pencil. I would happily buy it 100x again.

Best pencil ever! I have many of these in the 0.5MM and 0.3MM sizes. Eraser is good, though the capping / uncapping is a little annoying, so I prefer to use a separate big eraser. Easy to load refill lead and the lead *never* breaks. Works exactly the way it is supposed to! My first one I used all through college and it is still going strong, though some of the paint has rubbed off on the barrel. I will continue to buy these pencils- thanks JetPens for stocking such a great product!

I bought this along with the Uni-Ball Kuru Toga Auto Rotation Mechanical Pencil 0.5 - Violet Standard model, and they are identical in almost every single aspect I can think of.However, that is A GREAT THING as that is what I hoping for!The only mini difference I experienced is that the erasers between the two are a bit different??? The violet one's eraser erased dark strokes just a smidge better, but maybe it might just be my imagination.That aside, the lead in these pencils are superb! Strong sturdy lead with a good darkness! Actually quite surprised how thick and dark it looks and feels for a 0.5! This is incredible for me personally as I generally prefer 0.7 leads for my standard, so I took a real gamble on these and I was not disappointed at all!Rather, I ... MoreI bought this along with the Uni-Ball Kuru Toga Auto Rotation Mechanical Pencil 0.5 - Violet Standard model, and they are identical in almost every single aspect I can think of.However, that is A GREAT THING as that is what I hoping for!The only mini difference I experienced is that the erasers between the two are a bit different??? The violet one's eraser erased dark strokes just a smidge better, but maybe it might just be my imagination.That aside, the lead in these pencils are superb! Strong sturdy lead with a good darkness! Actually quite surprised how thick and dark it looks and feels for a 0.5! This is incredible for me personally as I generally prefer 0.7 leads for my standard, so I took a real gamble on these and I was not disappointed at all!Rather, I was impressed!This mechanical pencil's grip is what I love most about it. Even though it has no gel or cushion grip, the little rubberized insert as the bottom works very well, and doesn't hurt my hand for extended amounts of use. The pencil is about a medium-to-light weight, but handles well.*I also have fairly small hands so that could be a factor as to why the weight feels a little more hefty compared to how others have described it*And that rotation mechanism that Kuru Toga is known for? Works phenomenally, nothing more than I can say than that. The lead hasn't broken once after 3 hours use.All and all, AMAZING MECHANICAL PENCIL!