Am I on the record that Pentel makes the best mechanical pencils on the market? If not, I am now.
I’ll hear your Uni-ball Kuru Toga and Rotring 600 arguments, and I do think they are individually great. But as a group, across the board? Give me all Pentel, all the time.
The Pentel Sharp is the classic office and school mechanical pencil. The Pentel GraphGear is a beloved drafting and engineering pencil, right there with the Rotring 600 for many people. The Pentel Kerry is a unique and fun capped - yes, capped - mechanical pencil. Throw in the Pentel Smash, the litany of sub-$10 quality pencils, and the best stock lead and eraser setup … have I said Pentel is the best yet? Ok, just making sure.
With all of those amazing options, the Graph 1000 was one I hadn’t tried, and it’s safe to say you can go ahead and add it to the list of excellent mechanical pencils above.
Compared to the classic GraphGear, the Graph 1000 is the little sibling. Other companies have this type of setup with their main-line, full-metal drafting pencils as the top tier, followed by a metal grip, plastic barrel option a tier below. See the Rotring 600 vs. 500, for example.
That’s no slight on these step-down pens. In fact, they are probably the better entry point for general writing. The Graph 1000 is lightweight, and has a fantastic aluminum grip section with raised rubber ovals to keep your fingers in place. There are no other bells and whistles outside of the lead grade indicator on the cap, which ranges from B to 3H.
The main selling point of this particular model is the gradient paint job. These were a limited edition produced for the Korean market, and I wish we would see these with a broader release because they are so great. Due to this fact, the price of these specific Graph 1000 pens runs $20 - more than the cost of the standard, premium, GraphGear.
I’m fine with the premium because I am a superfan of the brand. The standard Graph 1000 runs $12, which puts it in line with what it intended to be in Pentel’s lineup.
And what a lineup it is. I’ve been using this mechanical pencil, along with an Orange Kerry, as part of my weekly planner setup, and I can’t want for anything more.
(I purchased this pencil from Yoseka Stationery at regular price.)
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