Pentel Graphgear 1000 Mechanical Drafting Pencil 0.3mm Brown (PG1013)

OK, I'm a mechanical pencil nerd . . . That being said, this is the best mechanical pencil I've ever owned. I actually researched various ones and this one always seems to come out on top. I now know why. It works flawlessly, has a decent weight and feel (it's actually metal, not plastic), and the point retracts back into pencil when you press the clip so no more getting poked through your pocket. Seems really durable even with heavy use and, while more expensive then the cheapos you can get at the local retailer, you actually do get more for the money.Only disappointment is the replacement erasers made by Pentel are half the size of the ones that come with the pencil.

I first learned about this pencil in the .7 variety from 731 Woodworks, a woodworker I follow on YouTube. I bought one immediately and loved it, but the .7 lead is a bit too fragile for marking rough lumber.I learned about the .9 version from Adam Savage and bought one immediately!I love it! The .9 lives in my shop, the .7 lives on my desk, and I've bought more for my friends and have given them away to people who try them and immediately fall in love with them.These pencils are sturdy, the mechanism is robust, the grip feels great in the hand, and I love the tip retraction with the clip.I don't know what else you could be looking for in a mechanical pencil.And they come in .5 and .3 if you're so inclined.

I really like this pencil, from the way it feels to the way it performs. It has a solid heft to it and I appreciate the mechanical features. The pencil will extend the point for service and then retract it with a push on the upper part of the clip. I bought two of them, one 0.5 mm and one 0.7 mm. I use the 0.7 mm one as a marking pencil for wood working. This works better for this application than the 0.5 because the thicker lead is a bit stronger. I use the 0.5 mm one for general paper work. I have used Pentel mechanical pencils since 1970 and these are two of my favorites.

I support college students in accounting and finance courses. So, using a pencil is the bread and butter of my daily routine: demonstrating problems, doing calculations, etc.After 10 years, this is the pencil I have always needed. The lead does not break, my biggest pet peeve. The hand feel is balanced and amazing -- it feels like an instrument, not simply a pencil. And, while I love (!!!) the Blackwing 602, this doesn't need sharpening.

I'm probably a little naive about the mechanical pencils as I have never used one before. I ordered two. They are sturdy and easy to use. I like the 9mm lead in them as the lines are easier to see and I don't think the lead will break off unless I exert an abnormal amount of pressure. Overall I feel they are of good quality and will last quite awhile.

This pencil is great. It's reliable, has a good weight to it, and it's perfectly comfortable and grippy in the hand. I have owned 2 of these over the last 4 years, after upgrading from a graphgear 500, and have enjoyed nearly every minute writing with them.Unfortunately, after about a year and a half or two, the central yellow plastic piece (0.9mm version) breaks. This has happened with both pencils I've owned. Each time, its broken around the threads (see picture), and because this plastic piece holds the rest of the pencil together, it basically renders the pencil useless after it breaks. I've never been overly rough with the pencil, and only take it apart maybe twice a year, so I think this piece just gets old and brittle after a while.That being said, 2 years is a pretty long time for a mechanical pencil to last. The rest of this pencil has basically no chance of breaking with normal use. If it wasn't for the plastic piece giving out, I'd probably still be on my first one. And yes, the proprietary eraser refills are a bit annoying, but they're pretty cheap and unusually last quite a while despite their small size. I can definitely still recommend this pencil to anyone looking for that "premium" experience.

I love these pencils. The metal body gives it a decent weight for more control, although it might feel a little "top-heavy" depending on your drawing style. I personally use them for technical drawing, with the pencil perpendicular to the page, so the balance isn't as much of an issue. I love the fact that they're retractable, as I don't know how many pencil tips I've bent over the years being fumble-fingered. When retracted, the metal shroud around the tip keeps it protected from bumps in all directions. When extended, the tips have a nice length, allowing them to get the point very close to the edge of a ruler while keeping the pencil perpendicular to the page.The one downside to this 0.3mm pencil is not actually the pencil's fault. 0.3mm leads break very easily. When I first got it, sometimes the leads wouldn't advance and I discovered that the lead had broken off inside the tip. Thankfully, the pencil comes with a small 0.3mm pin stuck into the inside of the eraser, which allowed me to pop the broken lead back into the pencil and remove it. I've come up with two possible causes for the breakage. One is that the pencil was bumped from the side with enough force to snap the lead somewhere in the middle. I don't expect it would take a lot of force for this to happen. The other possibility is that the lead snapped during retraction. The pencil retracts with a good amount of force, and the resulting shock/vibration might have broken the lead.This was easily solved with better lead though. I got rid of the lead that came in the pencil, and replaced it with some Pentel Ain Stein lead. I suspect that other reinforced leads such as Uni NanoDia would work as well. After replacing the lead, the breakage issue stopped completely.I'm extremely happy with these pencils and highly recommend them.

My favorite pencil by far. Just need a way to keep people from carrying them off.