Customer Reviews

My go to pencil for every day use. I actually got this from a friend in Japan, but the packaging was exactly the same as it is in the picture. Great for everything from notes to sketches to scantrons to just about anything else! The paint on mine (blue) quickly looked battered within a couple of weeks, but I have had mine for almost a year now and it still works like a charm despite this.

I literally use this pencil every day and am always sure to keep it safe within my reach. It works well with my typical small print, my large and quick (and ugly) cursive and just about any application you would use a pencil for typically.

The kuru toga mechanism is not a gimmick and works very well. My pencil marks are always the same thickness and my notes always come out looking great. I especially like the small rubber grip towards the front of the pencil that is good for keeping your fingers comfortable, yet not too invasive to make your hand feel weird like with the Dr. Grip.

This is my favorite pencil and was worth every penny. A must have for any student who wants a strong, reliable and versatile pencil. I would happily buy it 100x again.

I love this pencil very much! I have lost it twice in the blue, and I am obsessive over the color blue, and my sister had one but is not as insane with mechanical pencils as I am, so she gave me hers. That was so nice of her! Only thing I would say that is bad about this pencil is that you have to have a certain type of lead in order for it to work entirely the way it is supposed to. If the lead is too soft, it will wear down before the rotation kicks in. However, the weight, size, mechanism, and styles are absolutely to die for! Definitely recommend this pencil, but make sure you get some extra lead; the correct type.

I've been using this pencil for over a year now and I love it. it's light-weight and surprisingly durable. The color is scratching off and by looking at it, it's obvious it has seen some time but it still performs amazingly. I don't think I'll be buying another mechanical pencil for a long time. In fact, I have a number of other mechanical pencils that I haven't used since buying this one. It's just great.

Let's take a look at the pros and cons, shall we?

Pros:

> The pencil tip always stays the same size
> There is somewhat of a grip which makes it somewhat comfortable
> It's fun to explain how it works to a friend, classmate, or co-worker which is facilitated by the transparent area around the grip which shows the mechanics
> The color is absolutely GORGEOUS
> All together, it's a really nice shape and color

Cons:

> There is no upper-grip for those of you who like holding the pencil a bit higher up
> The color chips off really easily
> It will likely be stolen if left unattended

Conclusion:

This pencil is fairly nice and very useful. The price is reasonable as well. However, there are a few drawbacks, some of which have the potential to be solved. All in all, I would totally recommend buying it.

I love this pencil! In fact I love it so much I have about 5 different ones :)
They're great for taking detailed notes in smaller spaces, especially with the 0.5 mm lead versions. Finding the right lead for this pencil was a little tricky at first though. I originally favored the 2B leads because they left a dark and definite mark, but with these pencils, the 2B lead was too soft and tended to shave excessively. So I switched to the 2HB leads, and problem solved!
I highly recommend this pencil for those who write with soft-medium pressure and prefer to have a sharp edge on the lead.
For those with a heavier hand but still want the rotating feature, look towards the 0.7mm Kuru Toga.

The design of these pencils is AMAZING! I bought three of these, and I use them like crazy. It's so neat how the lead rotates, and I've noticed that I don't break my lead if at all. Awesome, awesome, AWESOME!!! ^^!

nice pencil mech ;P but you have to get used to it.

I love this pencil. It's fun to watch the little mechanism turn when I lift up the pencil, and it really works! My lead does seem to be sharp than my normal 0.5 mechanical pencils are. I love the color, and it's very sturdy. Thouugh most of the grip is hard plastic (like the barrel) at the bottom of where most people grip (the blue ring in the picture) is a nice rubber ring that feels similar to the outside material of the Alpha-Gel grip. Overall a wonderful pencil.

This pencil is decent. It's lightweight and made entirely of plastic. I'm not sure how well it will hold up. The rotation mechanism is a nice feature though.

omg! (: my friend had this and i thought it was AMAZING!
so i decided to get it and it's ahmazing! (: haha!
i would DEF. recommend it!~ it's really really cool~

Very nice and good price.(for school will be cool)

I like this pencil. It feels cheeper than the other model but i use it at school and it helps my hand writing look a little better than usual and it doesnt dull like other pencils or break. I would recomend it to anyone for anything.

I hated to use MPs until I got this one! =D
I'm very impressed by its mechanism. the kuru toga engine works very good!
I dont regret buying this MP =D I'm using it for a week now and I didnt have any hand wrist problems.


highly recommended

I lurf this pencil. I bought 3 of them just in case they decide to discontinue it one day. The only bad thing is that the grip can become very uncomfortable to people who likes squishy grips :]
But overall it's a really nice pen. The engine keeps your lead sharp all the time.

PS : have used it for a year and the blue paint is fading to white on the top. But it's okay! :]

This is truly an amazing pencil!!!! The mechanism works properly and the grip is not bad either. It keeps all your lines at an equal width which I also really enjoy.

I love this pencil!! It came in the mail today and when i tried it out its extremely comfortable, it make my handwriting neater too. I would recommend it to all my friends.

EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE to write with, esp for extended sessions. The mechanism is reliable and it works as it should. As a bonus, it seems to act as a shock absorber for the lead, which reduces the incidence of breaks and snapping. Faber Castell of Germany uses a shock absorber in its much-acclaimed Vario line. The Vario is made of plastic, too, and costs a lot more than this one does. If you can live with a non-retractable lead protecting tube (as it's called in US Patent 3914059), this is an excellent choice for everyday use. The Vario's lead protecting tube is also non-retractable. If you need the retractable tube, I suggest either the Pilot Vanishing Point pencil or either of the the A.G. Spalding mechanical pencils available here at Jetpens. (The white rubberized body is comfortable too, but the mechanism can play havoc with the lead. I once had to delay the start of a monthly Library Board meeting I was taking the minutes for, while I cleaned lead pieces out of the nose cap. That only happened once, and maybe because of the soft 2B lead grade.) The Kuru Toga has joined the white AG Sparlding and FC Vario as my favorite everyday mechanical pencils.

The technology behind this is cool and works as advertised but it just doesn't cut it in the comfort department. It's like a pair of nice shoes and you put them on and after wearing them all day you get blisters and regret buying them in the first place. Even after giving this pencil my best effort for 2 weeks final verdict: DON'T buy it unless you like hand cramps, blisters and painful wrists for a few days.

An amazing pencil!
the mechanism is really handy and great for both drawing and long-term writing (i find it keeps my maths work tidy) and really makes this pencil worth buying.
i hesitated because i read reviews that the body felt cheap, but its very impressive. The barrel is just plastic, and you might think this would make it bottom heavy, but it has perfect balance and the material is not an issue at all. Also, the clear plastic grip over the mechanism worried me because i thought my hand would be slipping, but the grip has excellent grooves that are gently sloping and fairly wide, making the grip effective and very comfortable. As for the eraser, its fairly sturdy and perfectly adequate for small writing corrections, though youd be better off using a larger and separate eraser for anything bigger than five or ten words.
the only drawback is a personal pet peeve of mine, and that that the nib that holds the lead doesnt retract fully into the pencil and leaves an awkward point. really minor when you consider the utensil as a whole.

if you have any doubts about this pen, dont have them. its worth every penny.

Best pencil. Everyone that has tried it also loves it. Great for scan-trons: doesn't smudge, precise, and it will never put a hole into the paper. While writing it is smooth and comfortable. I highly recommend it.

ok the mechanism is neat but honestly, i wouldn't have bought it if i knew how cheap it felt!! seriously it feels like it should be like 2 dollars or something =/

[The bad first: Drawbacks are the cheap feeling plastic upper body and the itty-bitty eraser that can get lost. I usually use a mars plastic eraser anyway, so it's not a big deal to me.]

Awesome pencil. I do a lot of engineering calcs and this baby comes in handy. Stays sharp because of the rotation, where before I had to manually rotate the pencil in my hand (and what a pain that was). There is a noticable difference in the clarity of your writing / object drawing. It doesn't break too easily, has a decent sleeve, pretty metallic blue color, and is nice and light in the hands.

Did I mention this pencil is awesome? Plus you can brag about having the latest technology, exclusive to Japan.

Bad Paint

PLEASE RESTOCK!!!!

OMIGOSH! STILL OUT OF STOCK? THIS PENCIL IS POPULAR! HOLD ON ONE FOR ME! I WANT BLUE ONE 0.5! WHEEEEE.