Pilot S3 Drafting Pencil - 0.4 mm

About as good as it gets for the price. Hard to find 0.4mm size. Has a wire pipe cleaner on standard eraser, extremely light. I am a fan of the Pilot S series, the S3 does not disappoint.

Can you say CHERRY! as in Jolly Rancher (Yippie!)

Meet the Pilot S3 Drafting Pencil!

Top notch plating job on the metal parts

Super bright shiny "Candy Apple" plastic body that is feather light and has a pretty nice grip

Tight mechanics...no wobble here

A dream entry level pen that is superb for drawing, notetaking, and journal writing...

I have the set in a 122KCal "Carrot Orange" Roll Pencil Case...ready to go at any time!

Highly Reccomended ENJOY!! :)

I have several of these, since it is one of the few 0.4mm handles that I could find (in addition to Pentel PG1004) which are very comfortable for general writing of technical analysis notes and math, rather than drafting. It is comfortable because it doesn't have an abrasive knurled metal handle, is very light so it doesn't want to slide toward the paper, and has a little flare at the front which keeps my grip from sliding forward, despite the simple smooth plastic body (with very slight grooves).

The build quality is quite cheap, but it works fine. The only thing I don't like is that the lead advance is quite a large increment. I prefer very slight advances like many Pentel models. I often have to poke the lead back in and then advance twice again to get it just right. So I have to let it wear down very close to the tip or else the next click will make the lead too long. It also has a minor drawback that the eraser cap on some handles is very tight, and so it's very difficult to replace without clicking the lead forward.

This pencil is reasonably comfortable to hold, with a relatively thick barrel and a fairly broad range of grip position available- if you crowd the tip, it'll do fine. My only ergonomic gripe is that the plastic can be pretty slick, which is probably why there are other models with progressively grippier grip areas available. Lead advance is by a 3-jawed brass clutch, which unfortunately doesn't feel terribly precise or "clicky". The translucent barrel grants an unflattering view of the mechanism woggling to and fro in its passage. The other end of the pencil is reasonably snug, though the cap can feel a bit loose. The quality of plastic and molding is, overall, excellent, however, and the eraser includes a cleaning pin. I can't say I'd recommend this over, say, the Paper Mate Precision models offered elsewhere on this site, with similar, and more successfully met, ergonomic goals.

There are many fine mechanical pencils offered on this website and I have used a number of them. Ounce for ounce, the Pilot S3 offers the best value. An extremely reasonable price for a durable, attractive and comfortable drafting and writing tool. Highly recommended!