JetPens Forums

[dzdncnfsd]

Great - looks like there are some 0.3mm mech. pencil enthusiasts/fans around here.

Is there a 0.3mm mech. pencil you would recommend for general handwriting/note-taking? I know they are finer, more delicate, etc. than a 0.5mm. The only 0.3mm's I currently have are the Pentel Forte Pro ll and the Pentel Sharplet. I like the Forte Pro ll more for its wider grip and it seems better to use for writing/note-taking than the Sharplet does.

I think a lot of the Japanese drafting mech. pencils look really cool, but with the few I've tried, they seem maybe too thin (still) and too heavy, and maybe too delicate too, for general writing/note-taking. I guess the wider grips of some 0.5mm's (like Dr. Grip/Dr. Grip COG/G-Spce, Uni Alpha Gel HD's, and Papermate PhD) and the more durable lead suit me better. But I do like the finer line of 0.3mm's.

The drafting mech. pencils that catch my eyes most are the Uni KURU TOGA and the Uni SHIFT. But it looks like the Kuru Toga's grip is not rubbery, and therefore maybe not very grippy. The SHIFT's grip looks fairly grippy, but I figure that it will be maybe too heavy and still a bit too thin of a grip, like most of the drafting mech. pencils.

Looking forward to some advice.

[onelonegunman]

For general note taking and all around writing my choice is the Mitsubishi uni-ball Kura Toga 0.5 mm pencil, not the 0.3 mm one. The 0.5 mm Kura Toga writes with a smooth consistent 0.3 mm line. It writes like no other mechanical pencil I've used, and I've used quite a few 0.3 mm pencils. The 0.3 mm version, at least my example, writes very thin, less than 0.3 mm, and feels sharp and seems to catch on the paper thus feeling scratchy. The lack of a rubber grip is no problem for me and the pencil is about as fat as they come! It's very easy to hold and write with and the lead doesn't break like a 0.3 mm pencil does. The 0.5 mm Kura Toga is the winner in my book!
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[PencilNStuffAddict]

there was this one pentel pencil that i saw on the jetpens website that is .3 lead
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Pens, pencils, and other stuff like stationery is like my life. I'm a writer, so I love this stuff.

[dzdncnfsd]

Great - thanks for the advice. I'll probably give the Kuru Toga 0.5mm a try, since you said it's so good. Even though it doesn't have a rubbery grip!

Partly, it's because that shade of green that Uni uses is so cool...

[onelonegunman]

Rubber grips are few and far between on true drafting pencils. You are considerably more likely to run across ones with metal grips, then plastic grips and finally rubber grips. To each his own, but personally, I don't think rubber grips are as effective as hyped. And they have to be cared for way more than plastic or metal grips.

I hope that you like the Kura Toga, I do and I'm a confirmed 0.3 mm drafting pencil addict! It's comfortable to write with, has a fat grip, indeed, the entire pencil is fat! It really is a great pencil.
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Pens are great, but I make too many mistakes so pencils are better.
Pens And Pencils
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[violet]

I use Pilot airblanc for some note taking I do.. of course I'm a student so note taking is all I do It's best in geometry when I have to draw shapes and stuff; the lines are very neat and smooth. And it has a comfortable rubber grip !

[wendell]

I'll second the Pilot Airblanc. I tried many models and the Airblanc was the only one I found reasonably comfortable.