Autopoint Jumbo All-American Mechanical Pencil Review

I remember Autopoint mechanical pencils from when I was a kid. Not because I used them regularly, but from the fact that my grandfather’s art studio had them in nearly every drawer, or on every desk.

They were there because in the 1970’s, and I’m sure before and after, Autopoint did a lot of corporate branding work. I remember Exxon and Esso models specifically (my grandfather was in the oil business), and mostly I remember the big, bulky design of the pencil. I didn’t recall the name of them until I saw them show up recently at JetPens. Seeing that design brought back a wave of memories and I knew I had to get one to try out.

I went with the basic red 0.9 mm model. They don’t come any finer that that, but that is ok. These pencils were made to be used hard, and the width and strength of the 0.9 mm lead helps out with that. The same goes for the bulky barrel and large eraser.

One of the calling cards of the Autopoint design is how you refill the lead. You unscrew the tip of the pencil, unscrew the plunger, load a single lead, then put it back together. The pencil is twist to extend, too, so most of the action is up front.

The rear of the pencil can hold your spare leads under the eraser, and you will need them because they are half size leads. I hate to call them proprietary because you can snap other leads in half to make the length work, but it’s easier to just buy the Autopoint refills I think. As a bonus, they do come in a variety of colors.

The eraser itself works better than I remember, but that is mostly because they were petrified on the old pencils I used. Hooray for fresh erasers!

Auto point pencils are still made in the USA, come in several colors, and also in the amazing Twinpoint model, which I remember liberating from my grandfather quite frequently. I need to pick one of those up soon as well.

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

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Kutsuwa Stad T'Gaal Pencil Sharpener Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

I haven't been in the woodcase pencil game very long, but one of the first things I realized after buying a few pencils is that I didn't really have any pencil sharpeners. Thinking back, I hadn't owned a pencil sharpener since middle school, which makes sense given that's the time I was allowed to switch to using pens for class. And, just like the woodcase pencil world, there's a wide variety of sharpeners you can buy.

After trying a few, I noticed the Kutsuwa Stad T'Gaal sharpener on Jetpens. Besides, the difficult name, it sported a unique dial on the front that caught my interest. The benefit of this sharpener is that you can choose between 5 different sharpened lead core lengths. In other words, this sharpener can give you a short, stubby writing length, a long, pointy writing end, and three degrees in between. There are a number of reasons you might want different core lengths, but most of them boil down to preference. For me, it was mostly curiosity because I didn't really know what kind of length I preferred.

For less than $7, you can buy a sharpener that gives you an idea of what different core lengths do to a pencil. In a way, each length setting gives the pencil a different character.

So, how does it work? Simple: just rotate the dial to the core length you want (represented by the numbers 1 - 5), and sharpen away.

Setting 1 will sharpen the pencil to a short core length. This gives the tip a sharp angle that produces a stubby writing tip. I like this setting for some uses because after you wear down the initial sharp point, you have a wide, blunt tip to work with. This is great for shading or writing with a wider line width.

Setting 3 looks like the standard pencil core length you get from any other sharpener in school. It's the middle-ground setting, so that makes sense here. For most people, this will feel very familiar. It's a good setting for general writing.

Setting 5 produces the longest core length, accompanied by a very sharp tip. Obviously, you can get a very fine line with this setting, but it also makes the tip brittle.

Settings 2 and 4 are, shockingly, in between their surrounding settings. Is setting 3 too long, but setting 1 too short? Setting 2 might be perfect for you.

As an added bonus, there's also a "Closed" position on the dial that closes a small door at the sharpening hole to prevent shavings leaking out when being carried or moved.

When it's time to empty out all those shavings, there's a small door on the back of the sharpener. In my use, this door is a little small and needs help to empty the shavings, but it gets the job done. More importantly, this sharpener does a great job at keeping all the shavings inside while using it and carrying it in bags.

JetPens offer these sharpeners in four delightful colors: Orange, Green, Pink, and Light blue.

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

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Tombow Mono Graph Shaker Neon Green Mechanical Pencil Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The Tombow Mono Graph Shaker isn't a new player to the mechanical pencil lineup, but the new neon colors certainly are. The colors that you could buy from JetPens before this week were more standard and "non-exciting," but these new colors are far from normal or boring.

The particular color I have, the Neon Green, is especially bright on my desk. I have several orange bags and pens, and this Tombow has no problem standing out.

For those that are new to the Tombow Shaker series, what exactly makes these unique? Well, it has something to do with the name. The Shaker denotes the unique lead advancement method that this pencil employees. Sure, you can still click to advance lead using the pocket clip, but you can also give the pencil a shake or two to bring out more lead. Once you try it, it makes perfect sense, and it works pretty well.

There's a small weight inside the body of the pencil (you can see it through the translucent grip section) that puts enough force on the lead mechanism to generate a "click" when it comes in contact. It's a pretty cool idea, and fun to use in practice. It does't require a violent shake, but just a simple flick of the wrist. Once you’ve done it a couple times, it's pretty easy to casually advance the lead when needed.

As far as unique click mechanisms go, I'be always been a fan of the index finger click button on the pencil grip because it allows you to keep the pencil on the page as you advance the lead. Still, this shaker method allows you to keep your grip on the pencil instead of repositioning so your thumb can click the back end of the pencil. The shaker mechanism adds a bit of fun to the process of keeping your lead going while writing.

Like I mentioned earlier, the pocket clip also acts as a clicker to advance the lead, but if you push the clip up toward the back of the pencil, it locks the shaker mechanism so that it doesn't accidentally advance lead while not in use. It's a very firm position on the clip that isn't likely to come undone accidentally. It takes deliberate action to open the pencil for use again.

On the end of the pencil, you have a standard twist eraser that does a pretty good job of erasing marks. If you pull the eraser component, it pops off to reveal the lead reservoir. The Shaker I have is the 0.5 mm version that came with standard HB lead.

The grip of the pencil is actually very comfortable. I've enjoyed writing with it so far. Even though it's completely plastic, it doesn't have any issues with slipping or being uncomfortable. Plus, the fact that it's translucent and exposes the pencil workings inside is an added bonus.

The tip of the pencil is a 5 mm long shaft that makes it easy to always see where your lead is on the page or to use a straight-edge without damaging the lead.

All in all, it's a great pencil. There's nothing earth-shatteringly new with this version, but the additional colors are a nice bonus for those of you that want a more exciting array of colors in your pencil collection.

The price is also very agreeable, at just $6.00. As far as "gimmicky" pencils go, this one doesn't break the bank, and it does a great job to boot.

The barrel is a bit on the thick side, but it's still very comfortable for me. I compared the size to a Rotring 600, which I feel is a skinny pencil. There's a nice weight to the Mono Graph, and the balance works well since the shaker weight always sits toward the writing end of the pencil while you're writing (assuming you're not writing upside down).

Overall, the Tombow Mono Graph Shaker is a great pencil with or without the shaker mechanism. It writes well, feels great in the hand, and has a decent eraser. Now, with the additional neon colors, you have more choices in front of you.

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

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!