Customer Reviews

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!

I love this pencil a lot. Not only does it look tech, but not geeky, it's also really comfortable to hold. It's not too short nor too heavy at all. It actually looks kind of classy. I love it a lot.

Contrary to what is stated on the description, there are really several different colors for every point size. I have the 0.5mm in red. I want to try the 0.4mm size next once I see it in stores.

This pencil is perfect. It advances just the right amount of lead, and it has a good grip. Definitely buy this if you're looking for a good drafting pencil! :)

works great! the lead is really hard and thin, great for detail. However, when I use it for a long time my fingers hurt from the grip, so it's better to put a cushion where the grip is :)

This is a pretty spiffy pencil. Or at least, it looks cool to carry around. Rather ergonomic and has a long grip, but you're better off buying a thicker version if you don't have tiny hands.

This pencil is not the best and is a little expensive. The body is plastic and there is no grip at all. However, it does work well and is cool to carry around.

I really like sketching preliminary lines with this pencil, when I'm still feeling out the shape of the drawing. It's smooth, light, and very slender. I have very very slender hands, and some overuse problems, so the light, balanced weight of this pencil suits me perfectly. There's enough of a grip near the tip. And I have to admit I really, really love the color! *laughs*

this is a really good basic pencil. it's well constructed and solid. the barrel seems to be a bit larger than other pencils and the grooves along the surface are smooth when compared to the rough edges of some other pencils. The pencil sports a gloss finish, though it gives the pencil a nice appearance, it also can make it just a bit slick between the fingers. I solved this issue with very fine sandpaper, but thats just personal preference. overall great pencil at a very good price.

I really like this pencil I used to have this pencil before but I lost it it was red and also .3 it was my first time using a .3
pencil before I loved It.
But now going back to the red .3mm pencil i dont know why but in japan they have this pencil in many colors my sister has a pink version of this.

I use this pencil for drawing and writing and stuff like that I hold my hand very close to the top so it is really easy to get good control and very precise lines

bottom line best/cheapest .3 mm pencil

I really want this pencil! And in relation to the previous comment/review I really want to see the other colors for the different lead sizes! Also, I was wondering if you can buy replacement erasers for the Pilot S series of Mechanical Pencils

Sharp-looking futuristic pencil makes a nice addition to my collection. Light enough for a field skething tool, but it would probably be best to carry it within a cushioned case or pouch to protect the tip from bending. Given the small diameter of the lead, it works better on smoother heavier papers. On rougher surfaces, the tip tends to snag and skip. Ridged grip is fair, but can easily become slippery under humid conditions. Thus, it's probably best to use it as a specialized drafting tool within an air-condtioned studio.