(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
Before seeing the Enpitsu Sharp 1.3mm mechanical pencil from Kokuyo, I don't think I really knew that they made anything besides paper products. I really enjoy their paper, and I really can't pass up anything that comes in a bright, semi-transparent color, so this mechanical pencil was an instant want. I'm not even sure I noticed the lead size until I had the pencil in hand — that's how much I love anything that features a bright, semi-transparent color. To sum it up, the wide lead took some getting used to, but after settling in, this is a really comfortable and fun pencil.
Let's talk about my favorite part first — the color. Described as a yellow-green, this bright neon material is so good. It's slightly transparent and frosty so that you can see the components under the pencil barrel in blurry detail. It brings back memories of lots of different items I enjoyed in the 90s that took advantage of the bright, translucent plastic aesthetic of the time. I'll pretty much always pick something in this aesthetic over other options, and it's especially problematic if something is offered in multiple bright/translucent color options. For this pencil, it's quite simple — if you look at it and smile, then it will fit you perfectly. If you think it's garish or loud, then that's fine too — there are so many good pencils out there that will have a color option you love.
Due to the bright color, it can be a bit difficult to discern the slight triangular shape of the barrel, but it's there. Even though it's hard to see, your fingers can immediately sense the petit, soft corners that make up the three sides of the pencil grip. It's really well done and offers a bit more grip than a plain round barrel. For my grip, it feels fantastic when writing. On top of that, the barrel material feels almost porous. It's not soft-touch plastic, but it has a similar feel. Whatever it is, it provides great tactile feel and doesn't slip.
Something else that fascinated me about this pencil when I first looked it over is that there isn't a cap or eraser on the tail end of the pencil. Yes, it uses a click mechanism to advance the lead, but there aren't any removable parts or an eraser. Instead, there's a hole in the click mechanism that is just a hair larger than the 1.3mm lead that you can insert. Once you insert some lead, it feels like there's a gentle clutch that prevents the lead from coming back out, and I had zero success in trying to shake the lead out of the open hole in the pencil. Even if the stars aligned and the lead found the perfect trajectory to the hole, the small clutch mechanism would prevent it from actually escaping. I'm still fascinated by this odd design choice every time I pick up this pencil, and that's one of the reasons that I keep picking it up.
Getting to what I think is Kokuyo's main selling point for this pencil — the 1.3mm lead is wide. As someone who rarely uses 0.7mm lead because it feels too wide, this was a bit of a struggle to get used to. On top of the width, this lead is also extremely soft, so it wears down very quickly. If you're writing, your fingers will get a small workout as they continuously have to rotate the pencil to keep a usable edge against the paper. But, if you want a large writing surface for shading, hatching, or anything else that requires lots of dark graphite, this lead size and softness makes that an easy task. After getting used to the diameter of the line, I really have come to enjoy the dark, rich line that this lead produces. It's similar to writing with a wide rollerball refill that makes dark, crisp lines on the page. It's not my everyday preference, but I can certainly appreciate and enjoy it.
I really wasn't sure what to expect from this pencil. As I've stated too many times already, I only got it because of the color — and even if I never used the pencil, I'd still be happy to have it just as a decoration to look at. But I've been pleasantly enamored with the wide, rich lead and the quirky refill system that I keep reaching for this pencil over other pencils or even pens.
At $6, it's also an incredible value — especially if you know that you can really benefit from the wide lead option. For most mechanical pencils, 0.7 is the largest "easy to find" option, and 1.0mm can be had in limited supply. Anything bigger usually comes from a lead holder, but they're not as easy to use as a simple mechanical pencil. Again, this all comes down to how you intend to use a pencil or what you need from it. All I can say is that this $6 pencil has provided me with a lot more joy than I ever expected.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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