uni-ball Kuru Toga 0.5mm - Self Sharpening Mechanical Pencil - Smoke Barrel - Pack of 2 + 24 Free Leads and 5 Free Erasers

These are the first mechanical pencils I have bought that aren't cheap disposables, at first I was concerned that they wouldn't be worth the price, but gladly they are worth every penny. The pencil itself feels amazing to write with, I'm sure this has to do with the engine inside that rotates the lead as it comes into contact with paper, but it is also very comfortable to hold and is just the right weight. I went ahead and bought this bundle as I knew I would need replacement lead and erasers, and I use the additional pencil to study at my desk so I can always have one in my bag when I'm out. Each pencil comes with 2 leads inside, one loose and one already locked into the tip of the pencil. They are the same nano diamond leads you get in the extra two packs. Which are amazingly durable and the quality of each lead is fantastic. I'd recommend not putting any more than 3 leads max into the pencil at a time or you risk breaking them. I didn't notice such a sharp edge on the lead as it rotated like shown in the images, however this didn't really matter as the pencil always stayed sharp regardless as the engine worked its magic. So even if it doesn't look to be working, just know it definitely does. (you can even look for the logo rotating inside as it moves) The erasers are a little softer than I would have liked, but for me this only became as issue as the eraser neared it's end and began to flake much more, thankfully this bundle comes with 5 replacements. Pros: - Comfortable to hold - Always sharp - Great build quality - Very well designed - Durable lead - Competitive bundle price - Eraser hidden underneath clicker cover - Come in a variety of colours (see other bundles) Cons: - Erasers can be a little too soft - Arrived in well protected bubble wrapped bag, would have liked retail packaging. (this seems to vary from seller to seller) This is a definite grab at such a good price, two great quality mechanical pencils engineered by Mitsubishi, with replacement leads and erasers for around £10. I don't think I'll need to replace these for a long time.

Compared to other mechanical pencils I've used these ones feel way more robust and reliable, I wouldn't say I particularly notice the sharpening feature but I guess that's the point. It seem to hold a good consistency when drawing or writing and doesn't feel uncomfortable to hold. I'd definitely buy again

The home market for Japanese stationary is very competitive, innovative products of good quality sell well. The Kura Toga range is very popular for good reason. When writing in Kanji fine leads are preferred as the characters are so intricate compared to Western lettering, but there is a problem all 0.3-0.7mm mechanical pencils have - lead breakage. Regular uses of these pencils will be all too familiar with. I use mechanical pencils a lot for technical drawing, sketching & writing, lead breakage is a real pain. Now those smart folks at Uni (Mitsubishi) were tasked to solve the lead breakage problem, first they looked at altering the lead structure which other companies have done but it really didn't make much of an improvement, so they looked at why leads break. In use the end of the lead develops a chisel shape which digs into the paper causing the lead to snap. So they engineered an automatic lead rotating mechanism. No chisel edge, no snapping , brilliant! I consider the Kuru Toga range top class when it comes to use, design, quality & price.

Historically I have used Rotring Tikky mechanical pencils, but thought I would give these a go to see what difference the revolving action makes (I use Uni pens in preference to Rotring ones these days due to price). In general appearance compared to the Tikky, the Kuru Toga looks more plasticky (disposable), lacks a rubber grip section, a metal pocket clip & feels less substantial in the hand. I easily snap plastic pocket grips (admittedly this is because I twang them while in thought). The lack of a rubber grip does make a difference in the hand, but its not a deal breaker at least in the office (yet to use it in the field with sweaty fingers). I'm not really sure about the revolving action - on this model it only happens when you push more lead out (not when you press down) and at this point I always rotated the Tikky in my hand to address the same issue. As a single pen, you can get a Kuru Toga off Amazon for less than a Tikky 0.5 (~75p / 16% less if you dont mind it being coloured). It's a great pencil for the money and I would recommend it as a step up from a cheap disposable mechanical. As with all such pencils, your problems often start when you buy replacement leads (cheap ones snap a lot, or are not quite the correct diameter and dont feed properly) or your eraser is worn down. In my experience it really then pays to buy genuine replacements (or your mechanical experience becomes tainted). Where this package comes into its own is that you get these genuine replacements up front - so you have them when you need them and the overall price is good value. I doubt it will convert dedicated users of Tikky's and other more substantial feeling devices, but its a worthy upgrade / dip into the mechanical pencil world for anyone else.

I own now three of those pencils, including more expensive yellow aluminium version, that I bought earlier. Those are good as well. Lead rotating mechanism is a game changer, no matter if you write or draw. I have few other mechanical pencils ( definitely more expensive, as at the time I had to order them from Japan) but haven't use them since I got those. One in my backpack, one in pencil case, one on the night stand. Only pencil I'm recommending to anyone who will ask me what to get.

I love these pencils. They do exactly as they claim. I've heard of some who were hesitant about trying a self-sharpening pencil, as this was my first also, citing that they didn't how it would react with cursive. It works perfectly fine. I always write in cursive and this pencil really does stay sharp. The lines are always consistent and easily erased. The lead is easy to put in if you follow a youtube video as the pencils themselves do not come with instructions. But I know I want to buy more lead when they run out. I only wish Uni Ball did different colours for the lead which were also erasable but I'm very pleased with this. It hasn't snapped on me once and I use one for drawing and the other for writing. This was a great value purchase. I'm sure they'd make great gifts too. Although, the lead comes up a light grey colour and isn't very dark - so if that will bother you, keep it in mind.

This is a light mechanical pencil, and although made from plastic, has a solid feel to it. The "self sharpening" feature works well, as the pencil lead rotates slightly as you lift it off the paper. In my experience, this doesn't have a negative impact on the feel of the pencil in use. It takes normal light writing or drawing pressure to rotate the nib, but unlike most other pencils, you will have a sharper line when making new strokes without spinning the pencil in your fingers. To see the mechanism in action, you can tap the pencil on the paper and watch the red part with the logo (inside the barrel near the top) rotate with each tap. The eraser on the end is good and this two-pack came with spare erasers and HB leads. Replacing leads is easy. Pull off the protective plastic button/cap on the end, then pull out the eraser and drop a new 0.5 lead into the end of the pencil. Clicking while holding the pencil vertically will extend the new nib and get the pencil ready to write again.

Good pencil one of the best I had before they got stolen :(

Brittle housing cracked after 3 months at the base of stem where you hold.

Brilliant product. Throw away or donate everything else.

Genius design. Love how it make writing with a pencil more consistent.

Córka rysuje i jest zadowolona dodaliśmy do tego kolorowe grafity i jest bomba.

Makes normal pacer pencils feel unbearable 😅