Reviews Written by ericajwhitaker

  I'm glad I got this little..., May 20, 2013

I'm glad I got this little gadget. At first the mechanism seemed awkward, but I got used to it fairly easily. I only wish it had a clip to keep it secure in my pen case. I don't use it often, and try to be gentle with it; this isn't a heavy-duty item. But having a way to carry a stapler without damaging it, or it damaging anything else, is awfully useful at times. And it's just clever; nobody would guess it is a stapler until you show them how it works. :-)

  Oh no!!! I only use 2B..., April 15, 2011

Oh no!!! I only use 2B lead, and I thought, yeah, right, an eraser that works better for one lead or another. But... it does. It erases cleanly with less pressure and leaves fewer eraser crumbs. My friends who make fun of my office supply addiction will never let me live down that now I have specialized erasers to go with my over-the-top awesome pencils. :-)

  I really like this one...., April 14, 2011

I really like this one. I was worried it would take time to tie and untie it, but really it's very easy. (I got this to replace one that was too noisy with its Velcro.) In the middle pouch I put some extra pencil leads at the bottom and then a box eraser above (so it's easy to reach; it stays above the leads). The sides hold a few drafting pencils and a few pens, which is all I need to carry around with me.

  Finally a winner! I've..., September 18, 2010

Finally a winner! I've tried the staetler silver series and and Ohto here, as well as the 500 graphgear series. I prefer a heavier pencil (obviously) and am pleased with the balance. I use drafting pencils to make complicated diagrams with tiny notations. With this pencil I have control, with the grip and the weight it doesn't slip and I can focus on the notation without squeezing the life out of the pencil.

Being retractable is great -- I'm tired of stabbing myself when reaching in my schoolbag and find pencils unexpectedly upside-down. One caveat: with my tiny notations I often need the eraser and leave the caps off. But, if you use the clip to retract the pencil, the eraser will shoot out the end. :-)

  This is a great case...., September 18, 2010

This is a great case. It's well made, easily holds pencils and pens, the slots are just wide enough to be secure without fighting to stuff them inside. Only one problem: I really wish I'd thought about how loud velcro can be. I can't open this during a lecture without attracting too much attention.

  I've tried the orange,..., July 23, 2010

I've tried the orange, green and blue. They all erase surprisingly well The orange and green work well for me, but the blue is too dark. However, with all these highlighters I've noticed the following: If I highlight over pencil and then erase, the highlighter disappears, but I can't erase the pencil marks that were underneath.

  The orange and green..., July 23, 2010

The orange and green work great! The blue, not so much. The ink is too dark to read text through, which is kind of the point of a highlighter. As for erasing, it erases surprisingly well. However, with all these highlighters I've noticed the following: If I highlight over pencil and then erase, the highlighter disappears, but I can't erase the pencil marks that were underneath. So, 4 stars for the rest, only 3 for this dark blue marker.

  This pencil is very light..., July 4, 2010

This pencil is very light -- I prefer a heavier pencil but everyone is different. I do like the eraser: it worked better than some drafting pencils I've tried. However, I don't like the cap over the eraser. It's very small and easy to lose track of. It won't stand up, and when it's on its side it likes to roll (and hide).

I do like the .4mm size. I'm using the B lead and still breaking too much, but not nearly the frustration I had with a .3mm. If nothing else, this pencil inspired me to find a .4mm that might work better for me.

  Great pencil! But for..., February 1, 2010

Great pencil! But for me, the eraser on the Uni Color brand works better.

  I'm sticking with the..., February 1, 2010

I'm sticking with the Staedtler "Mars plastic" eraser. This one is very soft and feels like it will bend apart at the middle; I have a heavy hand and want an eraser that has a more solid feel.