Customer Reviews

(12 customer reviews)

1 out of 1 people found the following review helpful

  Now to those that are..., February 19, 2011

By Dan...

Now to those that are looking for a good writing pencil. This is a drafting pencil it’s not designed to be held near the tip for writing. Drafting pencils are designed to be held a little further up so that when you are running along a straight edge or a template the lead is very close to the edge of it. If you are a person that holds a pencil close to the tip you will NOT like drafting pencils. If you are a person that holds your pencil a little further up the pencil this pencil has a great feel and weight to it.

First let me start off that I’m a Drafter (Board and CAD). Just like any other Artist we have our preferences of pens and pencils, myself I prefer the graphgear 500 the weight being focused near the tip allows me to keep a lighter touch even with the .3mm. Recently my faithful .3mm graphgear 500 (of 7 years) broke, the only place I have found it is here on JetPens. I ended up buying 3 500’s and 2 1000. I still like the 500 over the 1000 for drafting. However, to my surprise I find myself using the 1000 for calculations and writing over the 500, the retractable tip helps to guard it from bending, and “poking” my when I stick it in my pocket, plus the feel is very nice much like a nice pen. I do use different types of lead HB, 2B, and 2H the lead indicator is much nicer then the colored tape tied around the eraser cover. The lead size markings(are color coordinated too) on the eraser cover is very nice considering that all the different sizes are the same color barrel only the “rubber” is colored and is covered when in a pen holder. The clip is heavy duty and doesn’t feel like it’s going to break when you pull on it.

  Before I start I'd like..., March 16, 2012

By pulangpnoi

Before I start I'd like to say that I bought this pencil primarily for writing. I write small and some of the books in which I annotate have small text, so I wanted something with 0.3mm lead. I'm not a drafter or artist, so keep that in mind.

The Graphgear 1000 is quite sturdy, sans one component: the clip. Be careful where you clip the pencil. If the pencil is moved side-to-side while clipped firmly to a pocket, the clip will loosen at its pivot point. Consequently the clip won't travel straight up and down when pressed, it will veer side to side which can get annoying. I know it is obvious, but I think it is worthwhile to note since the clip is a very crucial part of this pencil; without it, you cannot operate the retracting mechanism, which means you can't write with it.

Another unfortunate characteristic of the Graphgear is its weight distribution. Its center of gravity is roughly in the middle, which can cause fatigue unless you hold the pencil near the top of the grip section.

Also the tip (by which I mean the pointy metal thing), in my opinion, is a tad bit long. This is not something that just affects writing, but storage as well. If you advance the lead even just a little and retract the tip, lead will still stick out just a tiny bit. Most of the time you don't notice, but it can get caught on things and break.

Otherwise, the Graphgear 1000 is pretty well made. Depending on your usage, I would not hesitate to recommend it. However I can see some of its pitfalls being dealbreakers for some, so keep the criticisms in mind.

  I find myself needing..., July 25, 2011

By dspropp

I find myself needing a new pencil. Why you ask? My 14 year old son as horrible handwriting (takes after Dad) so I got him an inexpensive 0.3 mm pencil. This helped his penmanship (heard so from his teachers). Unfortunately, the tip got bend after 5 months (he probably dropped it). So I gave him my Graphgear 1000 since it has the retractable tip. Well, I still like it so I am buying my own.

  i just recently purchased..., May 24, 2011

By swe...

i just recently purchased this pencil, the only bad thing, is there is no pipe cleaners, but using this for drawing a is really nice and the clicky thing is pretty awesome too, it's attractive, the grip is good and it's sure is one of the best pencils ever, it's well worth the price

  this pencil looks beautiful..., February 21, 2010

By psi...

this pencil looks beautiful and tough. i really like features of this pencil, push to show the tip and push pocket clip to hide it. This pencil is perfect for me because i draw on the go for a quick draft and easy to carry, very secure and well protect. i love it. However,there is one thing that i dont like is the weight of this pen. when i hold this pencil,weight has more at the end. i prefer to weight more at the grip but that is not really a big deal. i can live with that. For my final draft, i use pro-use platinum (recommend), well balanced through out the pencil. It just feel right for my hand.( a must have)
i recommend using 2B lead, from my past experience, 0.3 pencil comes with HB lead and HB lead is not give darker line, so i give a little pressure on the pencil to get an extra darkness and it breaks. So i tried 2B lead and i become a big fan of 2B lead, dark and smooth line as good as .5 mm.

  Nice instrument and very..., January 12, 2010

By gar...

Nice instrument and very sturdy! I have one in the 0.3 and it has been rock solid. I like a low grip, so for longer periods of writing I prefer my Super Promecha which allows me to adjust the sleeve length; however, the Pentel feels to be the better-built of the two in my opinion. I have had only one broken lead jam - but unfortunately there is no clearing pin included with the pencil (unless this is a characteristic of 0.3 pencils) and it took some work to clear. Otherwise a great pencil.

  I love the grip on this..., December 3, 2009

By joemetry

I love the grip on this pencil. I also really like the strong clip. I thought eveything was perfect on this pencil, except for one thing. When I write/draft with this pencil, it feels unsmooth. It feels like I am scratching at the paper when positioning it at a high angle, and at a low angle to the paper, the lead breaks occasionally.

  Great pencil!! Breaking..., July 30, 2009

By neverwiredhouse

Great pencil!! Breaking it down, this is why I love it so much:

- Style: Very pretty and creative design.

- Grip: Surprisingly the grip is amazing, I thought it would be a bad grip but turns out it works REALLY well.

- Sturdiness: Out of all the pencils I have ever had (and comparing with others I have bought here) it is a very strong pencil! When pushing the pencil top for lead, the spring is strong and pushing it does not have a sketchy cheap feel, which is nice when the price is so steep.

- Weight: GREAT, I love heavy pencils and the distribution of the weight is good, its not that top heavy and for pen-flicks it has the PERFECT weight/distribution. My favorite pencil for pen-flicks.

- Price vs Value: Worth the buy if you need a good pencil for school or whatever. I am buying the .4 mm version of this pencil because its so great and I want a larger lead for math.

Conclusion: If your going to buy a pencil, just get this one. It's pricey, but its WORTH it, and great for pen-flicks.

  I have .3, .5, .7, and..., July 6, 2009

By 3mowarriorwantsamod

I have .3, .5, .7, and .9. I've decided to write a review about .3 over the others as it probably has the most problems. So, here's some pros and cons. Yup, it has an awesome design. It has a sleek metal body and well made exterior. The problem for most .3mm mechanical pencils are the common lead breakage. Well, expect it to be the same for this one as many others. I am always worried about the heavy bolt mechanism that retracts the tip of the pencil. Once in a while, though rarely, the bolt makes a heavy clank that ends up breaking the lead stick inside the barrel. It becomes a stressful situation whenever that occurs when taking notes in class. Also for those who love a smooth clicking type of pencil or pen to click away when bored in the office or class, the Graphgear pencils have a tendency to have a rough click as you push it down (though not all the time). Anyways, these pencils still impresses me with the awesome looks that my friends adore over. I guard them well and treasure these pencils! A bit pricey, but something I haven't regret buying.

  I have been in search..., February 14, 2009

By bowen.pi

I have been in search of a great 0.3 mm pencil for a while and I believe I have finally settled on this one. I have also used the Pentel Grapgear 500, the Pentel Graph 1000, and the Staedtler 925. The Graph 1000 feels too flimsy for me (just a personal preference) and I have had problems with the lead breaking in the barrel. The Staedtler 925 and Pentel Graphgear 500 are both great pencils, but I keep all my writing utensils in my pocket, and they both do not have a retractable tip, which in one of my favorite features of the GraphGear 1000. I have not had issues with the lead breaking in the barrel as the other reviewer had. I have a feeling that might have something to do with the hardness of the lead (I use Pentel Ain HB 0.3mm). The pencil is quite well balanced and the lead advances a couple of mm at a time. Great pencil. I also have the 0.5 mm and the GraphGear 1000 0.5mm ballpoint pen.

  The .5mm from the same..., October 23, 2008

By ekove

The .5mm from the same series is by far my favorite mechanical pencil. While the 0.3mm has all of it's advantages (sleek design, nice grip, good balance), The 0.3mm didn't seem as heavy duty to me, it kept going weird on me and sometimes the lead would get stuck inside after only 3 times of use, this seems to be common with thin lead pencils but I didn't expect that from pentel. It might be just the one I got though...I still recommend it over other 0.3mm's

  this pencil writes beautifully..., March 25, 2006

By serena.zhan

this pencil writes beautifully and has an amazing exterior. very sturdy. love it.