Customer Reviews

I actually bought two of these pencils, a first and a second generation. I liked the feel of the first generation, its heft, and all the adjustability so for a time I was willing to overlook the fact that it kept breakng the lead inside the shaft. After a time I had my fill. I figured it might be just my particular unit so i bought a second and now this one will not advance the lead and makes a crunching sound where there shoud be a crisp click. I am very disappointed with the quality of these pencils. To give you an idea of how disappointed I am I will tell you that this is the first internet review I have ever written. Be warned.

This pencil is terrible. OHTO ought to be embarassed to sell this pencil at this price. The quality is horrendous. The lead breaks inside the pencil when adjusting the feed mechanism. Half of the grip is smooth, the other half is rough and nicley knurled like it is supposed to. How did this one ever make it past quality control, I have no idea. But buying this pencil was a great way to prevent me from ever buying another OOHTO product ever again.

Whatever you do, do NOT buy this "pencil" I agree with most of the other reviews in saying that this thing feels like it was made of aluminum foil. I dropped this pencil once and the guide pipe bent, the eraser cap broke off, and the whole was bosy was disfigured and bent. It is incredibly easy to bend this pencil.

Even though it looks really cool, it's absolutely NOT worth the money.

Bought this pencil a couple of months ago. I was interested in it because of the adjustable feed and guide-tube and the hefty looking knurled grip. What I discovered after using it for a while is that it is rather poorly built. There is a significant lack of material holding the grip end of the pencil to the back end. I put the pencil in my pocket and sat down to later discover that it had bent. It bent back easily enough though. The guide-tube also became bent after a fall from my desk. And finally, in order to use the eraser, you must remove the eraser cap and replace it. This is not ever an issue with other pencils, but with the Super Promecha, replacing the eraser cap often results in inadvertently advancing the lead.

Very cool looking, but not a very good pencil.

Do not buy.

Don't get be wrong, the drafting pencil write wells, the only problem is that it is poorly built.

The adjustable portion to adjust the lead length SIGNIFICANTLY takes away from the durability of the pencil. My pencil has bent right above the knob to adjust the lead length (the odd little notch above the pencil grip).

Other than that rather significant problem, it works well and it well build - I would strongly suggest saving the few extra dollars and buying the ProMecha 1000P instead - you might not be able to adjust the lead length, but because of that it probably won't snap in half ...

The weight and build quality of this pencil is fairly good, but not the best. The lead sleeve isn't as snug as, say, a Pentel and it's not as solid as the Rotring pencils, but on par with the price.

The biggest concern I have is that Ohto decided to revise the entire pencil apparently without notifying anyone. If you bought this pencil back at the end of 2012, you may have one of the "older" models with a more pronounced knurled grip and chalkier finish.

The latest iteration of these pencils have a super smooth and noticably shiner aluminum finish, rounded corners on the adjustment window near the middle of the pencil and most importantly - the knurled grip is no longer a knurled grip in functionality, but only in looks. It's as though they missed a step in the manufacturing process and didn't create a 3d surface in the knurling part. It's basically just a smooth aluminum surface with channels or grooves cut where there should be knurling. The end result is a grip that is very slippery and quite honestly not on par with the previous version of this pencil.

Can't recommend it anymore, even though it used to be a really nice pencil. If they fix the grip, it'll be fantastic again.

I bought this around Oct 2012, others have said that theirs differ, but mines just like how they describe it in the video. I dont use this a whole lot, bought it more for the mechanical aspect of it. It really is a fun pencil to play around with the features. Though once its set, really no need to keep changing it. Heres my review.

Pros:
Length - On the longer side, not really an issue, I have bigger hands, but really any length on drafting pencils isnt an issue to me.
Pipe - Adjustable. For me, I have it extended out as much as it goes. Why, because I can.
Tip - Decent enough, looks different than other drafting pencils, not by a whole lot, but when you have numerous drafting pencils as I do, you tend to see the differences. Works well enough.
Grip - This is what controls the pipe length, which is cool. The width of it is just right for my fingers. Its more wide than most drafting pencils, feels great when I hold it and use it. The knurling is on the less aggressive side, its there, hasnt slipped from my fingers when writing, not like my Alvins but it works. The grip knurl length is fine for me, works for my writing style.
Lead out adjuster - Works, made in a way that when you're writing it out mess with it, unless you have a really unique writing style. The fact that you can adjust the lead out length is awesome, as brands spit out different lengths, and depending on what lead softness you're using, you'll want to have it spit out at different lengths. So this is a HUGE plus in my book.
Rubber Rings - More for looks, yes you "can" take them off, but you'll have to purposely take them off. I dont feel them using it, looks cool.
Clip - Above standard, stiffer than most. You can unscrew the portion above the clip to take it off, but I dont see a reason to do that. More for looks, which isnt bad.
Lettering - Decent enough, havent used it a whole lot to tell if it'll wear off easily, seems like it'll last a long time.
Cap - on mine, its a tight snug fit. One of my pet peeves is having caps fall off my pencils, this one doesnt seem to be a problem. HUGE plus. Has a color system for different lead size, small, but there. Easier if the pencil is vertical than laying down. Plus, the cap looks better than other drafting pencils.
Eraser - Has one.
Weight - Its on the heavier side, though pencil weight isnt an issue with me, whether it be light or heavy.
Finish - Its nice, but I do see where it shows scratches on it. Not a big deal, its going to happen if you use your pencils often enough.
Lead Indicator - Has one, plus in my book. Its on the smaller side as far as a quick glance. But it will stay in place, its a little awkward at first to change the lead softness (might take a whole min to figure it out) but once you put it on the softness of your lead, it will stay there, HUGE plus.

Cons:
Grip - Though it works just fine for me, it could be about another 5mm longer.
Bulky - Its bulky enough that it wont go into my elastic holders very well, not a big problem, but enough for me to carry it other than my pencil pack.
Cost - Although I realize that it cost money to make a more mechanical featured pencil, still on the pricier side.
Cap - Biggest grip, the cap movement, really its the lead compartment that the cap attaches to that moves a lot, and if you shake this pencil back and forth, you'll hear it. Frustrating when you pay $25 for it.

Overall:
This is a great pencil, though like mentioned, others have gotten different pencils than what the video shows. As for mine, I dont regret buying it, I have the 0.7mm, would like to get 0.5mm as I use a different 0.9mm pencil for certain personal reasons. I think its great to use, though I dont use it a whole lot, kind of on that "I dont want someone stealing it" reason as to why I dont take it to my work. But when funds are more plentiful, I do plan on getting different lead sizes.

This pencil is one of the best pencils I have ever used when it comes to drawing...but it is very badly built for the price. My friend bought one and I have bought three the first one I bought it broke at the lead adjust part and the shaft I thought it was because I had just put it in my suit case and some how it got broke during the trip. so I had ordered 2 more for the two different leads I use and well guess what it broke too. It's a very good pencil just built very badly if you do decide to buy this pencil make sure you keep it very very secure or it will break. My friend broke his in less than a week. not worth the money for the quality of the pencil is poor...I've had dollar store pencils last longer.

I've had this pencil for a year and three months now, and for some reason experienced none of the problems other reviewers on this site had. For a year this pencil was not just sitting on a drawing table. It was on the floor, held during sketching trips, dropped, used for miscellaneous purposes, etc. And even now every function works like it was purchased yesterday. Retractable lead pipe cover works, lead length adjustment works, lead dispensing works. Probably the only thing that is off is the lettering - expect nearly all the printed black text to have worn off after a year of continuous use.

I don't know why this thing gets so much criticism - maybe I'm lucky.

I had three major problems with this pencil:
1). The day I got it, the eraser cover/lead indicator broke (I dropped it, but that was the first and last time I did so, and who doesn't drop their pencil at least once in their life?). While this provided little inconvenience other than being visually unappealing, it indicates a poor material quality.

2). The second issue I had with it was that the lead dispenser adjustment feature slowly began to "drift" towards the tip of the pencil, by this I mean that the piece was sliding (not twisting) in such a manner that eventually, to keep the pencil at the same lead-dispensing level, there was a physical gap where the twistable section ended. This is difficult to describe with words, but the end result was that it became more difficult to adjust the lead dispenser as time went on, and it was again visually unappealing.

3) The third and worst issue I had with this pencil was that as time went on, the lead dispersal became more difficult, in that pressing the eraser to release more lead would often time fail entirely. The best way I can describe this is with the analogy of prairie dogging; the lead would simply push out slightly before retracting back into the shaft. End result being that the pencil became completely useless.

Now this is a great pencil!

The freedom to change lead advancement length, guide pipe length, and the hardness indicator is great, especially the first feature.

The grip is alright, I thought it would hurt my hand when writing with it since I'm used to using much softer grips. It feels nice in the hands, however, and writes well.

The pencil feels very solid, which is another one of the main reasons I got it.

I had always used .9mm pencil lead because I write very heavily and was annoyed by .7 and .5 (and of course .3) snapping when I wrote. But with this pencil, the lead seems held in place better and I find myself snapping less, even with the .5 lead.

I didn't like that the lead indicator lacked a 2B indication, which was disappointing to me because personally I find HB to be not dark enough for my tastes. However, I knew this when I bought it, so it's not a huge problem. The indicator goes from B-4H , and I'm sure there's a reason for this instead of 2B-2H, but I wouldn't know.

Overall, I liked this pencil, and aside my minor complaint about no 2B indication, it's a great pencil. It feels very solid and breaks lead less (in my opinion). Also, the fine control over how much lead is advanced is simply wonderful.

If you need a pencil that will stand up to the heaviest of writing, I'd heartily recommend this one.

I got my Otho Super Promecha 1500 today.Never have had an better mechanical pencil in my hands.Super item

I have the first edition version of this pencil and after a couple months, I have mixed feelings about this new iteration.

Pros -

-The grip is smaller, which makes it much easier and less tiring to use for long periods of time. The addition of the rubber ringlets further up the base also helps your grip.

-the pencil is lighter overall, which is welcome, but also leads to a con.

-the adjustment features of the pencil are far easier to use because of the inclusion of indicators on the body, but have been slightly simplified, but the same functionality is retained.

Cons -

-The build quality appears to have suffered from the reduction of weight. I have had the body of the pencil, where the adjustable grip meets the upper body bend noticeably in my back pack. I was able to straighten it out without a problem, but I was dismayed nonetheless.

-the simplification of the adjustment mechanism makes the pencil feel cheaper, but doesn't impair functionality. the original had a separate lead guide length adjuster while on this one, you accomplish the same thing by just twisting the grip to reach the desired pipe length that you want.

Overall -

Functionally, this pencil is excellent. Writing with it does not cause fatigue as the original did - however, the build quality seems to have suffered slightly as a result.

Simply put, it's an expensive luxury pencil with very poor quality. First day I loved it. It felt great in the hands, light, comfortable, and a unique attractive design. Then the problems started, I carry it in a pencil slot in my binder and about 2 weeks after I purchased it every time I'd click for more lead, the lead would just break and pop out in 2mm pieces. This was very frustrating, the problem was the adjustable guide tube had bent which caused the lead to break. I eventually got it back to normal. Then, about 2 months after I had purchased it, it broke. just plain snapped. Right where the lead adjustment wheel and the upper body of the pencil meet. So, basically it was a waste of the $22.00 +shipping.

I don't recommend this pencil. It may be cool and comfortable but it sure isn't going to last you very long.

I just got it today and this thing is amazing.
Lightweight, durable and I find it very comfortable to hold.

This is one ultimate pencil. perfectly balanced. built like a tank. period.
More than this, i would like to tell a story. I gave a wrong address when ordering, with the tracking number i found that the package was lost. i conveyed that to the jetpens, they were happy to send another one without any extra cost. five stars for pencil and five stars for jetpens. hurray to the customer service.

This pencil is awesome, but although I use it rarely, its still one of my better pencils.
If you want a better pencil, go for the agel shacka shackers

This is a great pencil! The adjustable lead sleeve exposure is a handy feature if you don't want or need the full 4mm length of lead sleeve exposed. Frankly I use it simply as a lead sleeve hide/reveal device. I expose all 4mm's of lead sleeve at a time when I use the pencil. The lead length exposure device is one of the greatest devices ever put on a pencil. I adjusted mine so that it puts out enough lead with a single push of the button that it takes 3 to 4 clicks in order to expose enough lead to write with. I have a habit of clicking my pencils every few minutes as I write in order to replenish the lead. With the 1500P I can set it so that I don't get too much lead exposed as I do this. Over all it's a great pencil!

I've seen this pencil in action, and I personally think is amazing. I new mechanism on a mech pencil is awesome; something never seen. This pencil was originally made for people who work on construction sites or tool sheds. Its built tough, for those who can handle it. :D

I got one and I don't use it anymore... get the black Promecha instead. Here are several factors to consider:

1) Yes, it's microadjustable, but that can sometimes be a distraction.
2) Because of (1), it is heavy -- and it will wiegh down your shirt pocket.
3) After prolonged use, I suspect that the pencil will start adjusting itself -- and this will cost you time in the long run.
4) Small, kind of crappy eraser. I would like a extendable eraser on these pens, but apparently Ohto thinks that people still draft with mechanical pencils.
5) Novelty wears off after awhile, as with all things that have a bit of 'bling' to them. If you plan on carrying this with you -- and are an intellectual type -- consider getting somethign a bit plainer... like the black Promecha :-)

But ... its a fine pencil, with these caveats. That is, great for 'drafting' (I suppose... but that's probably an anachronism these days) But, IMHO, not so good to carry around like Linus would his blanket.

I recieved this as a Christmas present and have used it for over a month now.
It is one of the finest writing instruments I have to date.
I am very happy with this gift.
I also press very hard when I use pencils and I have found that this pencil is doesn't break lead like all my other pencils do.
I was trained a professional draftsman, so I am very particular about my tools.
If I was still on the drafting board every day, I would not hesitate to order a complete set of these.

My only negative comment is that I wish that the instruction that were included with the pencil were also in English.
I found a copy of them translated online, so that is not a problem now.

Thanks so much and God bless.

O.k, I finally got this and yes, as in the other reviews, it's a great mechanical pencil, so I won't spend anymore time telling you about its good points.

So bad points:-
- The eraser is VERY small, and fiddley to adjust.
- While the grip, the tip, the clip, the lead selector are all metal and nicely
weighty, the barrel is not, which came as somewhat of a disapointment.
-In order to change the lead selection, youi have to partially unscrew the
cap which strikes me as bit of poor design, unwarrented possible, over
engineered? Quite likely.

Apart from these very,very minor points, I would definitly recomend buying one to anyone that uses a pencil a lot.

Hi Guys,

Ohto Super Promecha is a very unique pencil beside its many adjustments. First, I am big pencil enthusiasts. I always shop for better mechanical pencil. This pencil is unique in two ways:

1. The lead virtually never breaks while I'm writing. I am quite a hard pressurer and most mechanical pencils such as Alvin Draft Matic, Pilot, Sensa will break usually at least one time during my one hour class note taking session. I have been using Super Promecha for a week now and never once break a lead. Its PERFECT!

2. The weight is perfect. If you press hard, no unncessary lead leakage on the paper so that there is no smear on your paper. Its PERFECT!

3. The pencil is very solid and the materails are good enough to outlast any of my previous pencil collections. Sensa is cost more than $40; beside its comforts, it has a lot of problems. But Promecha can suffer a lot of abuses.

However, you should be careful of one thing.

1. You can easily drop your pencil sometime when you are not aware because the weight centers on the lower part of the pencil. If you break the pencil tip; your pencil will very likely be a waste. So be careful.

This pencil offers features not found in most mechanical pencils. it does have two things that i find invaluable, the large smooth grip that prevents you having to tightly grip the pencil, and good weight. i dont like drawing with something you cant feel, and for heavy handed artist this is perfect. price wise, its a bit higher than others, so you need to ask yourself if you really need all the customizing options this pencil provides. If you need need a heavier pencil, and large grip with the ability to set it up exactly how you want. then this pencil is for you.
enjoy,
Mario
chavezartdesigns.com

Just got one of these. One of the most awesome pencils I've seen. I like all the adjustments it provides.

The weight is nice and balanced, and the grip, even though metal, feels comfortable.

The only slightly annoying feature (although it would have been hard to do otherwise, since it is adjustable), is that you have to rotate the barrel or grip to retract the guide pipe. It's not that big of a deal, but if you go from writing to not writing a lot, it could be a pain (you always want to protect that $29 pencil, don't you?).

The clip is removeable, for those that don't like them.

The eraser is a kind of small size, and I do not know of a refill that would fit, at least, in the US. JetPens, got any sources for refills on the erasers?