Pens And Pencils

Sometimes...

2013-02-18T23:15:00.002-05:00

Recently I did a review of the Hi-Tec-C Coleto Lumio 4 Multi pen. One of the inserts that I put in mine was a 0.3 mm pencil. Avid readers of this blog are well aware of my fondness for 0.3 mm drafting pencils, so I was stoked to have a 0.3 mm pencil in a multi pen. My write up was rather glowing, and perhaps a bit premature! As you can see it proved to be a bit fragile! The pencil refused to advance lead when I tried to use it the other day so I removed it from the Coleto body to see if I could find the problem. my investigation proved fatal for the poor fragile pencil. It broke at the swivel point where the plastic push button meets the metal body.

Now as to why the pencil stopped working I'm not 100% sure, but my guess is static electricity! ).3 mm pencils often have this problem, probably due to the fact that the lead is so small in diameter that there is not enough weight to break the lead free of the adjoining pieces. It could be any number of problems, but the fact is I have had quite a few 0.3 mm pencils fail to feed over the years and I have had to tear them down and clean them out before they will feed again. I guess it's the nature of the beast.

I wrote to jetpens.com to inform them of the breakage and to say that I should have bought a 0.5 mm pencil instead, believing them to be less susceptible to feeding problems. Lo and Behold, I received and email informing me that I was being sent, free of charge a 0.5 mm insert as a replacement form the broken 0.3 mm insert! Wow! That was unexpected! But I guess I really should have expected something like that to happen considering my past dealings with JetPens.

Sometimes it's not about the sales, or the product being sold, sometimes it's all about the service after the sale. Sometimes it's all about the Customer Service. If JetPens is about nothing else it's about customer service! Not lip service, but real, honest, "the customer is always right" Customer Service! I have dealt with all kinds of customer service personal with all kinds of companies, both small and giant, both via phone and email but I can count on one hand how many of them have been as customer oriented as the people at JetPens! Everyone I have dealt with at JetPens, from employee to co-owner has treated me with the utmost kindness and respect! They treat me as if I matter to them, and I believe that I do, as all their customers do to them, I'm sure!

It's not that I received a freebie from JetPens (which is a heck of a lot more than I've often got from companies 10 to 1000 times their fiscal size), instead it's about how I was treated, how I am genuinely thought of as an important customer to JetPens, even though I am sure I am not one of their most prolific customers! But I am treated as one! As if I buy high ticket items in quantity all the time! It's the type of customer service lots of companies reserve for such "important" clients! But JetPens gives out such customer service to each and every customer they have!

Sometimes it's not about what you buy, it's about who you buy it from! Sometimes it's all about the people behind the counter, or in this case across cyberspace, that matter. If all Customer Services personnel across the world were like the Customer Service personnel at JetPens then this would be a much nicer world. So guys and gals at JetPens, take a bow, you've earned it!

Attention Readers. I would very much like to read about your experiences with JetPens customer service. So please leave a comment or drop me an email about your experience with JetPens customer service. I'll pass along the comments I get to JetPen.

Please check out all the latest items JetPens has to offer by visiting jetpens.com.

Pacific Arc DP-03 0.3 mm Drafting Pencil

2013-02-03T17:14:00.001-05:00

The regular readers of my blog know that I have a fondness for 0.3 mm drafting pencils. I have a particularly keenness for the Pentel 0.3 mm P203, which some years back I discovered was discontinued... "Discontinue! No discontinue, Stephenie!". Pardon my "Short Circuit" parody, bit I just couldn't help it!... Well I could help it, I just didn't! When I inquired about why the response from Pentel was that it was being discontinued due to a lack of sales! What? A lack of sales? I did not believe it then and I do not believe it now! The pencil sold for about $4.00back then, now they are $10.00, when you can find them! As far as I am concerned Pentel made one of the biggest mistakes the company has ever made when they discontinued the P203! The P200 series pencils have been one of the most copied and cloned and modified mechanical pencils in history! Case in point the Pacific Arc DP-03, 0.3 mm Mechanical Pencil.

When I saw the pencil I was intrigued. A P203 clone or copy (clone - all parts are interchangeable with a Pentel P200 series pencil. Copy - they are not all interchangeable, though some might). The DP-03 0.3 mm mechanical is a copy. I discovered this when I disassembled the pencil, along with a P203 and tried to interchange some of the parts! The tips, erasers and push buttons exchange but the non-tapered Pentel mechanism would not fit into the Pacific Arc body, though the Pacific Arc mechanism did fit the Pentel body. The parts look similar but there are subtle differences such as the shape of the metal tip.

The 2 pencils are very close in size and balance, but the Pentel is slightly heavier at 11 grams verses 9 grams for the Pacific Arc. The feel of the Pacific Arc is also different due to the slight difference and slightly more forward balance. It also sounds less solid, more clunky when the push button is used to advance lead. Lockup of the lead is as solid as with any such pencil but there were 2 things I didn't like about the Pacific Arc DP-03. One is that a single 'click' does not quite advance enough lead to write with, for me any way, but a second advances too much! With the Pentel the advancements are in very small increments which means it takes at least 3 'clicks' to advance enough lead to write with.

The second is that the the lead protruding from the tip of the Pacific Arc pencil has considerable lead shake. That means that the interior of the lead sleeve is slightly over sized inside the tube. Thus the lead does not fight as tightly in the tube as does the Pentel! This, along with the over extended lead meant that there was considerable lead breakage when I used the pencil. Now I was using the Pacific Arc lead at the time, so I replaced it with Pentel lead and got about the same amount of breakage! The Pacific Arc lead is a high polymer and comes 24 pieces per tube. 2 tubes per package, for only $2.00 as of Saturday, February 1, 2011, from Hobby Lobby. While I like the price what I don't like is that the pour spout is recessed into the mouth of the cap so it has to be removed by hand and inserted into the lead reservoir. No direct pouring of lead into the lead reservoir from the container!

I had high hopes for the Pacific Arc DP-03. I was hoping that I had found a low cost ($3) alternative to the Pentel P203. While I did find a bargain in the lead, the pencil is another matter. Aside from the lead breakage/enlarged lead sleeve the product seems to be more cheaply made than I thought! As I was disassembling the pencil for photographic reasons, the lead retainer fell out of the tip! This is never good! Now I have some experience replacing lead retainers so I tried to replace it. Dang if I somehow didn't loose it! I don't know how, but when I went to see if it was in the tip, it wasn't!

For most people this would be a lost cause and no matter how little or how much (I've had a similar problem with an $80.00 pencil) the pencil cost, it would now be rendered useless. Without a lead retainer the lead falls straight through the pencil when you try and advance the lead! But for me, it proved a challenge, nothing more. After some searching I found a piece of small gage wire where the sheath was an adequate substitute. With some work I got the pencil to function properly once more. Hooray for me!

But the bottom line is, while I really like the shape and feel of the pencil, I can not and do not recommend the pencil for any reason. Yeah, it's only $3.00, but one can do better by buying a different style pencil from jetpens.com. Or if you must have a Pentel P203, than $10.00 on the net. So my advice is to avoid the Pacific Arc DP-03 0.3 mm pencil, at least for now. However the lead is another story. It seems of good quality and the price is unbeatable.

Pilot S20, Elegance In Wood

2013-01-29T23:00:00.000-05:00

The first experience that I had with the Pilot S series was a pleasant surprise! I really enjoyed my experience with the Pilot S10. I liked it so much that I ended up buying an S3 and an S5 in 0.3 mm and an S3 in 0.4 mm. But circumstances would not allow me to buy an S20. But recently I was gifted an S20, the only one in the series made of wood. There is no material more naturally elegant than wood. And the Pilot S20 is nothing if not elegant!

The other pencils in the series are made of plastic with either a plastic grip (S3), rubber grip (S5), or a metal grip (S10) and have a straight grip where the grip of the S20 is nicely curved near the tip. The over all look of the shape of the pencil adds to it's elegance. With the satin finish metal components the dark wood with it's satin finish gives the S20 a very sleek and elegant appearance.

But appearances alone do not make the pilot S20 such an elegant pencil. The feel of the pencil is also elegant. The shape along with the satin finish allows for a good grip and a good feel. Writing with the S20 is a pleasant experience in part due to it's satiny smooth finish and shape, but the balance point is approximately 65 mm from the tip, just 6 mm shy from center. This combination for me makes for a nice writing experience. The pencil is not hard to hold and the wood feels so good in my fingers.

But enough gushing over the appearance and feel of elegant wood, let's get down to some stats. Over all the S20 is approximately 146 mm long and 11 mm in diameter at it's widest. it weighs 17.5 grams making it a semi heavyweight. But I like a weighty pencil, but then again I like a lightweight pencil as well. Come to think of it, I like drafting pencils of all kinds and weights. Each delivers it's own experience.

Unlike the rest of the series, with the exception of the S3, the S20 breaks down into only 5 major components, the grip/body along with the metal pocket clip, the tip/end cap, the eraser with clean out rod and the lead indicator/push button. I am sure that the pencil can be broken down further, but probably at the cost of breaking the pencil. Besides there is no need to break the pencil down further in order to clear a lead jam.

The S20 is a ratcheting/clutch pencil which takes just two presses of the push button to advance enough to write with. The mechanism is not loud enough to be a bother and the the mechanism is tight. The lead reservoir is cavernous enough to hold a tube of lead or more but works best with a tube or less. To change the lead grade in the lead grade indicator window the push button must be removed so the tube can be held as the top is turned to the desired lead grade. The pocket clip is removable but I would never do so for fear of damaging the wood.

Weather you use the S20 at home or at the office, it will defiantly make a statement. It's design, It's juxtaposition of wood and bright metal, both satin finish make the S20 the most elegant of the Pilot S series drafting pencils. The entire series is available from our friends at JetPens.com.

Pentel Graph PG2 0.2mm Drafting Pencil

2013-01-26T07:09:00.000-05:00

When is small too small? I am a big fan of 0.3 mm drafting pencils and I own a few! I like the very thin line that the lead produces, albeit at a cost - lead breakage! So in order to use a 03. mm pencil I have had to train myself to write with a light hand. If, like now, I use some other lead size, like a 0.5 mm lead sized pencil, such as the Kuru Toga Rouletta, then I have to retrain my self when I go back to a 0.3 mm lead size! I like the Kuru Toga because I can use a pencil with the stronger 0.5 mm lead size yet get a near 0.3 mm line. Lately I have been using a 0.3 mm Kuru Toga because it produces a sum 0.3 mm line! But lead breakage is still a problem.

Then comes the Pentel Graph PG2 0.2 mm Drafting Pencil. No, it's not a typo! Not 2 mm but 0.2 mm! Now that's a thin line (for a pencil)! The pencils has been around for a while, since the late 70's, but I didn't notice it until a few years ago. With my propensity for thin line lead pencils had I known of it's existence back then, I would have had several by now! Or would!?

The lead grade indicator has 2 readings, HB and B and that's all the lead grades the 0.2 mm currently comes in! Oddly enough the lead is also made by Pentel. The Pentel Graph PG2 may be the only 0.2mm pencil made! A quick search of the Internet provided some proof of my claim as the only 0.2 mm pencil that came up was indeed the Pentel Garph PG2! And there may be good reason for this!

But before I get into this lets dive into some stats! Now who doesn't like to read about the stats of a fine drafting pencil (not a word out of you, Tommy Turquoise)? All the mumblers tossed out at this point have been rounded to the nearest whole digit. The PG2 is approximately 146 mm long making it of average length. it is approximately 8 mm in diameter making it a slim pencil. It's balance point is approximately 68 mm from the tip making it a little top heavy but you'd hardly notice and it weighs approximately 10 grams making it a feather weight! It almost feels like there is nothing in my hand!

The grip area of the pencil is a set of concentric close set rings approximately 14 mm long. They are smooth to the touch, probably rounded instead of square, providing a good non-slip grip with out a sharp bite. The chromed metal pocket grip appear to be of the same type if not the same one used on the P200 series Pentel drafting pencils. The good grip area along with the light weight and good balance would make the PG2 easy to control and fatigue free, except for one fact. More on that later.

The construction of the PG2 is as what would be expected from Pentel, a leader in the world of fine and affordable drafting pencils. It's solid, well made and easily torn down. The body is plastic, along with the lead reservoir retainer/ lead grade indicator body and clean out rod handle. The pocket clip, tip of the pencil, entire clutch and lead reservoir assembly and the but stock are metal.

The pencil can be torn down into 7 major pieces/ submersibles. The body and removable pocket clip, the tip, the clutch/reservoir assembly, the clutch/reservoir retainer/lead indicator body, the lead indicator window, the clean out rod and holder/push button assembly and the tail stock.

To disassemble the PG2 into it's major components first unscrew the tip, which screws to the clutch assembly. Unscrew the tail stock, lead grade indicator window and the clutch/reservoir retainer then pull the clutch/reservoir free from the pencil then pull the clean-out-rod holder/push button free. Reassembly is just the opposite. due to the potential of losing an important part of the pencil, I recommend the average user do not break down the PG2 this far. In order to clear a led jam all you have to do is remove the tip, tail stock and clean out rod/push button assembly.

The PG2 is a sliding sleeve retracts with the lead as it is used up, but only about 1/2 the distance to the base of the tip. In my humble opinion the pencil would have been better if the sliding sleeve would have retracted all the way to the tip! This would have given the pencil a little more versatility.

Now at the beginning of this review I ask the question, "When is small too small?" The answer to that question, in this bloggerss mind, is when small become impracticable. To me a 0.2 mm lead size is impracticable, which is maybe why there is only one pencil made in that lead size. An extremely light hand must be used in conjunction with a slow, fluid writing style in order to prevent lead breakage. But a light hand, even with HB lead, produces a light line. This lightness combined with sheer 0.2 mm line width makes the writing/drawing produced with such a fine width extremely hard to discern by many people. Even with the sliding sleeve the instrument is impracticable because the tip of the lead sleeve contacting the paper scratches and drags and one day will wear out.

While I do not recommend this pencil to anyone with out who does not have the lightest of hands and the keenest eyesight, does not mean that I don't like the pencil! I do like it. I like it's looks, light weight, balance, etc. I just don't like using it. A softer lead, like grade 'B' would be more practical, offering a dark line with less lead breakage.

Bottom line, for all practical purposes the Pentel PG2 is not for every one and certainly not for every day use. It even has limited use as a drafting pencil. It is however an elegant and beautiful pencil and it looks good in my pencil case.

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Lumio 4 Multi-Pen

2012-11-06T00:23:00.000-05:00

I have never been a fan of multi-pens. Mainly because of the early ones like the Bic 4 color pens. They were always ball points and in four colors, red, blue, green and black! And the slimmer 2 color pens that came in either red and black or blue and red, again in all point. Not a big fan of ball point pens either. Refills, if the pen was refillable, were hard to find, expensive and the reservoir was small! But over the years things have changed. Now there are all kinds of refillable multi-pens! Some are still ball-point pens, but even so many of these come with a built in mechanical pencil! The best are the ones that are 3 to 4 pen/pencil multi pens that are sold empty. The user them customizes their own multi-pen with a wide variety of refills, from ball point to gel to mechanical pencil. Some can even be fitted with a stylus! These multi-pens are a far cry from the earlier ones and can be custom fitted to suit the need of the user!

One of the very best of these is the very versatile Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Lumio 4 (now that's a mouth full)! This pen comes as a pen body with nothing in it! A blank slate ready to be filled with the users desired components! The components are each sold separately. The body comes in Black, Metallic Blue, Metallic Pink, Silver, Blue, Gray, Pink, soft Green and White as sold by JetPen.com. Mine is in silver. The Hi-Tec-C gel pen refills come in 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm & 0.5 mm sizes in 15 different colors! The mechanical pencil refill comes in 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm. There is also an eraser component and a stylus component! WOW! That's a lot of different refills! Choices, choices, choices!

I ended up choosing the 0.3 mm mechanical pencil (a no-brainer) and a black gel pen in all 3 sizes! Sweet! I'm happy with my choices as I do use gel pens often. And 0.3 mm is my favorite lead size. I carry with me, in a pocket protector, a 0.5 mm drafting pencil, a uni Signo 207 Micro, a Pilot 0.38 mm G2, a stick eraser, a retractable EF Sharpie and an X-Acto style hobby knife. In a second pocket protector I carry a small top ring note book. My lovely wife calls them my "Geek Gear". Cute. But at one time or another while out and about, I've had need of every item in the pouches! What I am considering doing is to replace the 2 gel pens and the pencil with the Coleto Lumio 4! I like it that much! But to be perfectly honest, if I had not been gifted the body, I probably never would have bought one and the refills to fill it.

Filling the Coleto is easy as popin' the top!

Sliding in the refill, making sure all the grooves and tabs align (they practically thread themselves and lock in with a noticeable feel)!

Then closing the top! It closes with a snap! The Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Lumio 4 is now ready for use, eh almost! Before you insert the pencil component into the pencil you should put a few pieces of lead into the reservoir. This is easily done as the tip separates from the reservoir easily where the plastic part of the tip connects to the metal reservoir. Add a few pieces of lead to the reservoir then reassemble the component. NOW insert it into the body...

Using the Coleto is as simple as any other multi-pen only smoother. The components go down with a smooth, easy motion using very little pressure because the springs in the pen are light but strong enough to do the job. Releasing the locked down component is equally as light and easy! As far as the feel of the pen components goes, they feel like any other Hi-Tec-C gel pen of the size chosen. Same goes for the 0.3mm pencil. The tips of the pencils and pens look very similar. This means the pencil's lead sleeve is short making it definitely a mechanical pencil component, not a drafting pencil component. So long as excess lead is not extended and excess pressure is not applied then the pencil writes fine.

Pencil tip

Pen tip

Now I guess you blog readers want me to give you some stats! Well I'm not going to do it! Nope, not this time! Ain't gonna do it! Well, OK! You talked me into it... Or was that just the voices in my head...? Anyway, the Coleto Lumio 4 is a lightweight weighing only15.7 grams filled as I have it. Different components are going to change the weight to some degree. The over all length with the components detracted is 142 mm making it of average length. The upper body diameter is 12.3 mm and the diameter of the grip is 11.4 mm. The balance point is approximately 72 mm from the tip of the pen body. This makes the pen nearly perfectly balanced at the pens center. The pen body is plastic with a metal pocket clip. The body separates from the grip so the components can be accessed without excessive wear and tear on the pens cap. The texture of the finish on the plastic is excellent! Despite there being no roughness to the surface the surface provides an excellent gripping surface! I have no problem holding onto the pen!

Bottom line... Like I stated earlier, I would probably never have bought a Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Lumio 4 Multi-pen if it had not been for the gift of the body. I like the pen so much I am now considering buying another one, maybe in blue, and filling it with both pencil components, the eraser component and the stylus component! I'll certainly review it if I do! So, if you are in the market for a good, customizable, multi-pen then I don't think you could go wrong by purchasing a Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Lumio 4 from JetPens.com.

The Old Geezer

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Giveaway

2012-10-27T20:47:00.002-04:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and since my lovely wife is a survivor of breast cancer I wanted to give away these special uni Signo Pink Ribbon gel pens. I wanted to do this earlier in the month to help promote Breast Cancer Awareness, but I could not find the pens until now. So better late than never!

All you have to do to win these pens is to send me an email with Breast Cancer Awarness Month in the subject line and include your name of on-line handle. Please, one entry per person, please!

The Giveaway will lastuntil midnight the 31st of October. The winner will be chosen by the Randon Integer Generator. at the end of the blog.

You can also enter my other giveaway, the "October Giveaway".

Enter now before it's too, late!

Thanks to all who entered, but the Giveaway is now CLOSED.

October Giveaway

2012-10-26T18:07:00.000-04:00

I know it's late in the month for a giveaway, but better late than never, right?... Right?... Brother, tough crowd. Anyway this month up for grabs is a Mitsubishi uni a-gel HD 0.5mm mechanical pencil. Get this, not only does it have a squishy gel grip that some people love, it's a shaker! That's right, blog fans! Just shake it to extend the lead! Or just used the push button! Either way, lead gets extended! But there's more! To prevent lead from being extended accidentally while the pencil is getting jostled, (jostled, does anyone use words like jostled anymore?) around it has a catch. Literally, there's a catch! By pressing the push button all the way down until an audible "click" is heard the mechanism is rendered inoperable! This helps prevent the user from getting stuck with a length of graphite! It also helps prevent lead loss by preventing lead from being accidentally extended then broken.

Anyway, it's a nice looking pencil with a blur gel grip, chrome tip and collar between body and grip, chrome & plastic pocket clip, blue transparent collar around the push button, chrome push button and argent (graphite gray) body with silver lettering! It's new, never used and it's up for grabs!

All you have to do to have a chance of winning this squishy grip pencil is send me an email, theoldgeezer@live.com. telling me why you like squishy grip pencils! Because I can't stand them and can not fathom why anybody would! So enlighten me, please! Oh, in the subject line of the email put October Giveaway. That way I'll spot it and keep it! Please only one entry per person per email addy! That's all there is to it! Entries will be accepted until midnight on Oct. 31. After midnight I'll use the Random Integer Generator at the bottom of the page to select a winner. Entries will be assigned a number from 1 to whatever in order in which they are received.

So, thanks for reading my humble blog.

Oops! Is my face red! I forgot to publish the Giveaway soon enough! So I'm extending the deadline until Monday, November 5th at midnight! Sorry, blog fans! Even the Old Geezer makes a mistake every now and then... Don't you say a word, Tommy Turquoise!

Pleas, no more entries as the giveaway is now closed. Thank you for reading my blog.

The Old Geezer

uni Kuru Toga Family of Mechanical Pencils

2012-10-19T12:34:00.001-04:00

Some years ago Mitsubishi came out with a unique pencil under the uni (uni-ball) label. They called it the Kuru Toga, meaning auto rotation pencil. The idea was a simple one, rotate the lead in the pencil rather than having the user rotate the pencil in order to keep the end of the lead, where it contacts the paper, from ovaling, or flattening, out. When the lead ovals out the line it produces is wider than the actual diameter of the lead itself. The lead also ends up with a sharp angular point that causes the lead to dig into the paper, when the pencil id rotated, and breaks the lead. This is especially true with small diameter leads like 0.5 mm and 0.3 mm. Draftsmen once were taught to rotate the pencil in their hand as they drew a line to give the lead a conical point and avoid lead breakage. However with so many of us using drafting pencils and mechanical pencils designed like drafting pencils to write with the draftsman's technique does not work. But the ratcheting mechanism of the Kuru Toga does.

Basically the mechanism works much like the mechanism that operates a "click" style pen. Teeth in a clutch, under spring tension, hold the tip in place until pressure is put on the tip, such as what happens when one puts pencil to paper. The clutch releases, rotates the lead a small degree the reengages, much like when one presses the push button on a "click" style pen. As one writes the constant pressing and releasing of the lead to the paper causes a continual flow of energy to the Kuru Toga engine, rotating the lead continually, giving it and keep a conical point. The result is less lead breakage and a written line with a diameter less than the actual diameter of the lead. Thus a 0.5 mm pencil delivers close to a 0.3 mm line and a 0.3 mm pencil close to a 0.2 mm line. Brilliant!

0.5 mm version

The original Kuru Toga was an almost entirely plastic pencil with a metal tip cover and a clear grip. The grip was clear so the user could see the auto rotating mechanism in action and be amazed at the brilliance of Japanese engineering! Or something like that. The tip cover has a rubber ring around it to enhance the grip of the pencil. This pencil was first offered in 0.5 mm only, then later in 0.5 mm and 0.3 mm.

0.3 mm version

But the pencil, as awesome as the design was, is as inelegant as it is functional. Enter the High Grade. This was the next phase in the Kuru Toga line. It featured a more elegant looking and smaller diameter upper body as well as a metal pocket clip and more traditional mushroom style push button. A metal conical ring separates the upper body from the lower, which retains much the same shape as the original Kuru Toga. Only the clear grip is now opaque, being a sliver/white silken plastic with a small "port hole" window with which to view the rotation Kuru Toga Symbol. The tip cap was also redesigned, being slightly longer with a tighter fitting rubber grip ring.

High Grade version

This was a major improvement over the original Kuru Toga as far as athletics goes. The auto rotation engine was unchanged in the High Grade. There was no real reason to change it. It works so why mess with it in order to make it slightly slimmer? Or perhaps the design had reached it'd limits miniaturization wise while being made from plastic and using other materials may have not been cost effective! Who knows? This design may have been the final version had it not been for, in my opinion, the grip!

The grip retained the original shape and size as the original Kuru Toga, which in itself is not a bad thing. The bad thing is the material it is made of and it's lack of any knurled surfaces makes the High Grades grip less effective than the original! I personally find the grip hard to hold. The pencil has a tendency to ride up in my hand making it hard to write with. I have little idea as to why they chose the material they did to make the grip from. It almost feels like a hard silicon grip! Had they made the grip from a less slick material or had they put some type of knurling on the grip then the design may have reached it's peak.

Enter the Roulette. This is what the High Grade should have been. The upper body of the Roulette is the same as the High Grade, but in silver, and so is the tip cover. The big difference between the two pencils is the grip. Here they finally got it right. The grip of the Roulette is made from aluminum and is a straight barrel with 3 wide knurled rings at the bottom of the grip where it meets the tip cover.

Roulette version

The knurled rings add a considerable amount of gripping surface to the pencil. I find the Roulette by far the easiest Kuru Toga to grip and write with. I really like mine and I use it all he time. Up until the Roulette my "go to" pencil had been a Pentel P203 0.3 mm pencil. But like all 0.3 mm pencils, the lead still breaks too often. I really can not recall the 0.5 mm lead breaking on me while using the Roulette with the proper amount of lead extended. So the Kuru Toga Roulette has now become my "go to" pencil.

Other than athletics the Kuru Toga family of mechanical pencils all share the same auto rotation engine. The also share the same low capacity, hard to feed lead into lead reservoir! Lead has to be fed into the reservoir one-piece-at-a-time and the reservoir fills up fast (well as fast as it can being fed one lead at time). They also share the same basic take down.

The push button comes off, the eraser pulls out, the tip cover unscrews and the lead sleeve/tip pops off. The lead sleeve/tips and tip covers are different between the two basic pencil designs and so is the end of the pencils where the tips/lead sleeves and tip covers fit. The erasers and push button/eraser covers also are completely different. So of the 4 removable parts none are interchangeable between the 2 designs.

Bottom line is that while all the Kuru Togas have their fine points, my favorite by far is the Roulette, for reasons already stated. However the roulette may not be, and I'm sure that it isn't, every ones favorite Kuru Toga. The best way to find out which one is best suited to you, the reader, try each one out and see which one fits you best.

The Old Geezer

Retro 1951 Hex-O-Matic In White

2012-10-17T22:12:00.000-04:00

Every now and then I come across a pencil that I'd never seen or heard of before. That shouldn't surprise me as I am not arrogant enough to believe that "I've seen them all". But when I do come across something strange or unusual it's generally something old or out of manufacturer or from a company that I've never heard of or has long gone out of business or has had a name change, etc. It's rare that I come across a new, modern pencil that's still being made in one form or another that I've never heard a bout or seen. But that's just the case with the Retro 1951 Hex-O-Matic drafting pencil. Until I was gifted the pencil I didn't know they existed! But then again, I've been away from blogging for a while, so anything could have slipped by me!

Apparently the company has been around since 1990! But the reason they have slipped under my radar is because the manufacturer ball point pens! They have a line called the Tornado, which seems to be their best seller, which also includes a few mechanical pencils. The pens/ mechanical pencils all share the same basic shape! They all look like a round metal spike! The design of each is unique but the shape is always the same! While not unattractive pens/pencils, they just aren't for me. The Hex-O-Matic is more in line with what I look for in a drafting pencil.

The overall look is indeed retro. As one can see the overall design on the outside looks a lot like the rotring 600 and family as well as the Koh-I-Noor Rapiodomatic series. It has a hexagonal barrel forming the main part of the body, and a round knurled grip which is slightly smaller than the barrel itself. Integral with and above the body is a pocket clip, which rests in a recess in the body. Then there is the area above the pocket clip which on similar designs houses the lead grade indicator but on the Hex-O-Matic is just knurled bright metal with a satin bright metal push button with the numerals "51" painted on the end. The pocket clip is also satin bright metal as is the tip with the lead sleeve being bright stainless steel. There is a black band between the body and the knurled top ring where the two join.

The only wording on the pencil aside from the "51" on the push button is on the pocket clip, which has stamped into the ring, "RETRO 1951 HEX-O-MATIC".

The body is made from aluminium which on most pencils is clear anodized giving the pencil that raw metal look. Or it is anodized black. If the surface of the pencil is rough when anodized it has a flat, rough texture! If smooth, then it will have a smooth texture. But this version of the Hex-O-matic is not finished in the traditional way. It's been painted white! I have never seen a white drafting pencil before. Now let's not confuse the color white with the term "white metal" or "In the white", which means in both cases, the raw color of the base metal. This is usually a silver tone of some sort. But this pencil has actually been painted white (backed on enamel, I hope). While not an unpleasing color, it is unusual. However it is not offered in white on the Retro 1951 website!

The only 2 finishes currently offered on the Hex-O-Matic pencils and companion pen, is black (anodized, I assume) and silver (clear anodized). It appears that the white painted finish is no longer sold. Probably because of paints lack of durability, especially on such an item as a pencil which is going to get banged a round a bit! It's also a much heavier finish than anodize. This means when it chips, there is a hole where the paint used to be. Just like a chip out of a car body! So I'm not surprised that the company dropped the painted white pencil from the lineup.

The Hex-O-Matic has one very nice feature, a sliding sleeve! Most pencils will have a fixed lead sleeve about 4 mm long. This can be a hazard when the pencil if placed into a shirt pocket! Ouch! So some pencil makers have come up with various ways of hiding the lead sleeve to protect it and the user! One way is the hide-away or projecting sleeve. Another is the sliding sleeve. The difference between the two is that the former will lock in the extended position while the latter is free floating and as the lead wears down the sleeve moves with it, protecting the lead. The Hex-O-Matic is a true sliding sleeve pencil.

Some other features of the pencil are a smooth, but noisy, ratcheting action, smooth transition from hidden to extended lead sleeve and a hidden clean out rod under the eraser. That's becoming a rarer and rarer find in drafting pencils now a days. The grip is nicely knurled however I think that the fact that it's painted detracts from the bite it could have if it were anodized. As is the grip is adequate. The overall fit and finish is very good. The paint job is even with no drip marks or runs. All the joints are tight with no gaps. Over all the appearance is very pleasing, it's a very attractive pencil, even in white.

Hum... I suppose that you, the reader, would like some stats, huh? Well, OK, here goes... The pencil,with tip hidden is 134 mm long, 137 with it extended. Across the flats the body measures 8.4 mm while the diameter of the grip is 8.2 mm. The pencil weighs 21.8 grams and the balance point is64 mm from the tip and 72 mm from the bush button. Technically this means the pencil is top heavy, but in reality when held in the writing position the pencil feels quite well balanced. From a "cold start" (lead sleeve hidden) one push of the lead advancement button (push button) extends the lead sleeve. a second push extends a minimal amount of lead while a third extends enough to write with. The lead reservoir is of average capacity and can hold 6 leads easily. All things considered the Hex-O-Matic delivers a pleasant writing experience.

The only time you may need to break down the Hex-O-Matic is to clear a lead jam. but in order to do so you practically have to break it down completely! First, hold the grip and body in opposite hands and unscrew the two apart. Next, separate the tip from the grip in the same fashion. Now do the same to separate the tip from the clutch assembly (hint: they separate at the point the metals change colors). Now hold the tube so that the clutch is pointed down and remove the push button to reveal the eraser. Remove the eraser and replace the push button to avoid spilling all the lead from the reservoir. See All Jammed Up for further instructions. To put the pencil back together simply reverse the breakdown procedure.

My over all impression of the Hex-O-Matic is a very good one. I like the way it feels and writes as well as how it works internally. The white paint issue aside there is just one thing I dislike about the Hex-O-Matic. And that's the fact that it comes in one lead size only! That one size is 0.7 mm! The only thing, for me, that could make the pencil less appealing is if it came in 0.9 mm only! Having said that, well, regular readers of my humble blog know my prejudice against any lead size above 0.4 mm! So with that in mind I'd say Retro 1951 has a winner in the over all design and construction of the Hex-O-Matic! Thy would reach a broader customer base, however, if they would produce the pencil in the full range of available lead sizes. But, if you are in the market for a 0.7 mm drafting style pencil, then by no means overlook the Retro 1951 Hex-O-Matic.

For Hans and Penelope. Thanks for reading my blog.

Lexmark 100 XL Ink

2012-10-02T00:29:00.001-04:00

When my old printer/copier/scanner became to expensive to buy ink cartridges for I went shopping on-line for a new one. This time I wanted one that was also a fax. I was also looking at one that had individual ink cartridges for the colors! I hated running out of one color in a cartridge while there was still ink of the other 2 colors in the cartridge and having to go out and buy a new cartridge! What I found was a Lexmark Pro 200 series that fit the bill and didn't break the bank! It has been a great machine but now it's time to think about finding some replacement cartridges! In comes Viking Direct.

They seem to carry ink and toner cartridges of all kinds! And sure enough they sell just what I'm looking for! Lexmark 100 XL ink cartridges! The XL cartridge differs from the standard 100 series cartridge in that it's high capacity. The black XL is a double capacity cartridge, which makes sense because it's the highest usage color. Viking has them in stock and ready to ship so when the time comes for a replacement cartridge or 2, I know where I can find just what I need.

Compact Digital Camera

2012-10-01T18:31:00.000-04:00

My lovely wife wants a digital camera, one, unlike mine with all sorts of features and SLR style and large size, is a compact. Well I myself didn't have much use for a compact because of the macro feature I need in a digital camera! But then I got to looking around and found Jessops. There I found a host of compact digital cameras at varying prices! Well, I've been rather happy with my Fujifilm FinePix SLR style camera so I looked at a Fujifilm at Jessops. There, at a price closer to what I'm willing to pay for a compact camera, I found a Fujifilm FinePix JX510!

This little camera is a 14 mega pixel camera! That's as much as mine! And it can get as close as 4". That's pretty darn close! It has a host of other features that impressed me as well. Jessops offers this little gem all by itself as well as a host of bundles not offered in stores! And the bundle prices are attractive! So it looks like there may be another camera in the Mrs. Old geezers future! So if you want a new camera then by all means check out Jessops.

Picture used without permission.

Poster Printing And More

2012-09-30T18:53:00.000-04:00

Hey, blog fans! Just a note to inform you of yet another website that may be of interest to some of you. It's a place called Photoline. Check it out, they offer all kinds of photographic services such as Posters and display items, which include poster and display printing, display boards and printed foamboards, encapsulated posters and canvas prints! Just imagine putting one of your own photos, drawings or digital artwork onto a piece of canvas! That would be so cool! I've seen this done on a TV special years ago! An artist had his paintings digitized and put onto large canvas rolls! He then added little flourishes to each, making each one unique! Now I've found a place where I could do the same thing! The site also offers exhibition stands, leaflets and flyers, display accessories, signage and point of sale items and printing of plans and CAD printouts! So if you have need of any of the above mentioned services then by all means check this site out!

Pocket Photo Book

2012-09-30T18:09:00.001-04:00

Hello blog fans! I'll get back to blogging about pens and pencils here in a while, but right now I'd like to tell you a little about a website that I found that has me a bit excited. It's a site called Jessops Photos! They seem to offer a large line of photo services from gift cards to stationary to prints to calendars to wail art and more! Lots more. The reason that I'm all excited this site is because of a service that they offer called Photo Books! Now these are just what I've been looking for! Why? Because I dabble in a little bit of unusual art! That is I makes small sculptures and things out of found objects! I also decorate small masks as well as plastic skulls some small figurines, working desk top wind mills I even turn broken glass objects into art pieces using copper foil and solder! I do a few other things as well, but that's another story! The trouble is whenever I try and tell anyone about my sculptures, they don't get the picture, literally!

Now I do have a digital camera, thanks in part to some generous relatives, which I use to take pictures of pens and pencils when I blog about them. So I have been meaning to take some pictures of some of my art work so I can show them to people! But carrying around a photo album is impractical! Not to mention expensive! So when I saw the Pocket Photo Books at Jessops Photo I got excited! They make several sizes of Photo books but the Pocket Photo Book that peaked my interest! These are books of up to 75 prints in a handy 15mm by 11mm size! That's a perfect size! The Pocket Photo Book comes with a soft cover and you can add pages in 8 page increments! And the price is right, too!

Just download the free software that they offer on their site and follow the instructions on setting up you own Pocket Photo Book! I'm looking forward to ordering mine! Now, where did I put my camera...?

Picture used without permission

Am I Drooling?

2012-09-13T01:54:00.003-04:00

While surfing the web I came across the Viking Direct website. I looked around a bit then, I found "it". The all stainless version of the Porsche Design Tec Flex P'3110 Fountain Pen! I'd seen this fountain pen some years back and was struck by it's overall beauty and design. I was also struck by it's price tag! While I'd love to be able to afford such a magnificent pen, like most very high quality fountain pens, the price is a bit out of my reach - like from here to the moon out of reach! But that does not stop me from wanting one!

It features a rhodium coated 18K gold nib, silver plated and palladium* coated finishes, and a barrel made from the weaved stainless steel material used to make metal flex hoses for a cars electrical system! It also accepts international sized ink cartridges or bottled ink with the use of the converted provided with the pen. It also carries the Porsche Design name! While it may not approach 200 mph it sure looks like it could! It's just one of those iconic items that I just know instinctively that I'd really, really like to have. Or at the very least have the chance to write with one for a day!

So, if any of you rich blog readers out there just happen to want to lavish a perfect stranger (OK, so I not perfect) with an expensive gift, send me an email and I'll send you my shipping addy! In the meantime go check out the Porsche Design Tec Flex P'3110 Fountain Pen at Viking Direct!

August Giveaway

2012-08-19T16:25:00.000-04:00

Hello blog fans and other assorted peoples! It's time for a little giveaway! It's not much but up for grabs are 6 Uni ball Signo 0.7 mm bits in assorted colors. In this case the colors are green, red, pink, violet, blue & orange. That's six, count them! They are band new, never really used (except enough to make sure that they still work! They work!

I'm not a fan of 0.7 mm writing instruments so I decided to give these puppies away to a good home where they will get used up! So, that's just what I'm going to do! Yep, I'm giving them away! To a good home. Yep! A good home...

"GEEZER!"

Huh? Who said that...? Oh, Tommy it's you! What's up, Tommy?

"You were rambling on!"

I was?... Oh, yeah, I guess I was!...

"Come on, Geezer! Get it together! You're on the Net!"

Oh, Yeah, the Met! The Giveaway! Thanks, Tommy!

"You're welcome, Geezer!...Some one's got to watch out for the senile old fart!"

I heard that, Tommy Turquoise!... Now where was I... Oh yeah! If you'd like a chance to win this months give away then all you have to do is send me an email (theoldgeezer@live.com) telling me whether or not you think I need Tommy to watch out for me! It's that simple.

In the subject line of your email please put... August Giveaway... That way I'll know that you want to enter the contest! You must send me an email in order to enter the contest. A comment on this or any other post on this blog asking to be included in the contest will be ignored! The email must be one that I can reply to as this is how I will notify you that you have won! Please, also include your name in the email so I'll know who you are.

The contest will run from now until Sunday, August 26th, 2012. At that Time I will let the Random Integer Generator at the bottom of this blog to pick a winner! So send me your email telling me if you think Tommy needs to watch over me or not!

OK blogfans! The contesr is officially closed! No more emails will be accepted as entries into the giveaway! I have picked a winner in the usual fashion and the winner is... Arisu! Congratulations, Arisu! I'll be contacting you asking for shipping details! I hope that you enjoy your new pens!

Thr Old Geezer.

The rotring 800 Drafting Pencil in Black

2012-08-19T11:54:00.000-04:00

Hey, Tommy! Long time no see! Where you been, Tommy?

"I've been around, Geezer! The question is, where have you been?"

Well, I've been sick, real sick! And I'm struggling to get better. It's a hard road, buddy! But I'm going to make it!... Say, what have you got there, Tommy! Is that a...

"That's right, Geezer! It's a black rotring 800 0.5mm drafting pencil!"

Oh my word! Where did you get that!?

"It's yours, Geezer!"

No! I can't afford one of those!... Tommy, if you stole that from someone...

"No, Geezer! It was a gift, remember? You got it from someone very special who really cares about you! You got it from..."

YES! I remember! I remember, now! I've, I've been so confused lately, Tommy! I can't seem to remember things like I used to! I, I think that I'm losing my mind, Tommy!... I'm really loosing it...

"Oh, come on, Geezer! Quit being so melodramatic, will you! You're just getting old, that's all!"

Hey! It's my blog! I'll get melodramatic if I want to!

"Sure, Geezer, sure! How about reviewing the pencil, OK?"

Oh, yeah, the pencil! Well, since you brought it out...

When this fine example of the pencil makers art arrived in my mailbox I was flabbergasted! I had dreamed of owning one of these superb pencils ever since I bought my silver rotring 600 0.3mm pencil. But economic times being what they are and all, it was forever going to stay a dream! But I guess dreams do come true, due to the generosity of a few kind souls! So, what makes this pencil the stuff of dreams? Craftsmanship and design! I put craftsmanship first because the design, rather the look, is classic! The general shape of the pencil has been around for years! Koh-i-noor, Pentel, Ohto even Retro 1951 all have used the hexagonal shape with a round grip in some form or another, and there are others! But the quality, the craftsmanship of these fine instruments may equal but never surpass the craftsmanship of the rotring 800!

This pencil is externally all metal, whether it be brass, stainless steel or hard anodized aluminum this is a well built pencil. The joint between the body and the grip is seamless! All the joints are this way from head to toe. Inside the quality continues. There are non-metal parts on the inside, but this by no means implies lower quality! No, on the contrary, the use of flexible synthetic parts helps the pencil deal with internal pressures, like repeated lead advancement as well as continued use by cushioning the impact of both internal and external applied stresses! In other words it helps keep the thing from being pounded a part and gives the pencil a softer feel when writing.

But that's not to say that the rotring 800 isn't a looker! Because it is! I'm a fan of silver colored pencils myself but when I saw the flat black finish of the 800 with the red and gold colored accents, I couldn't take my eyes off of it! This pencil is a real beauty! It looks stealthy! Kind of reminds me of a ninja! Lurking in the dark, ready to strike! And like a ninja the rotring 800 has something up it's sleeve!

The lead sleeve retracts into the grip with a simple twist of the knurled top end of the red ringed pencil. Twist the top the other way and the lead sleeve extends! It retracts with a snap! However if there is no lead in the clutch, the mechanism does not work smoothly! In fact, it is rather difficult to get the sleeve to extend without some effort! The same is true for retracting the sleeve! With lead in the clutch the mechanism should work almost effortlessly! This feature is an elegant way of solving the problem of having the slender lead sleeve sticking out when carrying the pencil in a breast picket, especially when it's a shirt pocket! Ouch! If you've never been pierced by the needle like lead sleeve of a drafting pencil then you have no puncher marks in your man boobs!

The rotring 800 breaks down into 5 components. The grip, the main body and enclosed mechanism, the lead sleeve/tip the eraser and the push button. Unless you happen to work for rotring in the assembly plant or as a engineer, that I suggest that you do not attempt to dismantle the pencil any further than this! There is no clean out rod, but I don't think you're going to need one as 0.5mm lead does not break as easily as 0.3mm lead does! Lead capacity is good, a tube of 12 leads should fit easily and still have the pencil feed. With the lead pushed back flush with the lead sleeve 2 depressions of the push button advances enough lead to write with. The eraser is about as useful as drafting pencil erasers are! Which is next to useless! Get yourself a stick eraser ll be happier.

The 800 measures 133.04 mm with the lead sleeve retracted and 143.49 mm with it extended. It's 8.38 mm across the flats and the grip is 8.25 mm in diameter. It weighs 24.5 grams making it a heavyweight in the pencil world! But I like the weight of an all metal pencil! Normally I would measure the balance point from the tip of the pencil. However the tip of the 800 moves so that wasn't possible. So I measured it from the push button. Extended the balance point is approximately 69.10 mm from the push button and retracted it's approximately 65.85 mm from the push button.

The writing experience with the 800 was a dream The weight and balance are good, for a boy like me! The knurled grip is just the right cut neither too course nor too fine! It affords me a good hold so I'm not having to spend so much trying to hold onto a poorly made grip! If you write a lot with a pencil then the weight of the 800 just might be enough to fatigue your hand. If not then I suggest that you dig deep into your pocketbook if you want a rotring 800 for they don't cone cheap! The rotring 800 in both black and silver and in 0.5 mm and 2.0 mm (lead holder) is available from our friends at JetPens.

They're Back! June Giveaway

2012-06-04T16:50:00.000-04:00

Two years ago I gave away, for the first time, a set of the Peachtree Plaything's Magna Tank 0.5 mm gel pens. The gel pens are a big hit with many people all over the world. Wal-Mart had been the best place to buy Magna Tanks until some time in 2009 the giant department store chain stopped selling them and they became almost impossible to find! My email inbox was flooded with rumors of where they could be found, but I was never able to find them again!

Then in 2011 I was informed (by a company rep) that in the late summer of that year Wal-Mart would start selling them again! But I never saw them back on the store shelves and soon stopped looking for them. Then, while shopping at a Wal-Mart in another city, I accidentally stumbled across a rack of them! I could hardly believe my eyes! I wanted to buy several sets but budget constraints limited me to one set! The purpose of my purchase was to announce their comeback via this giveawayhat's right, blog fans, I'm giving away the first set of Magna Tank gel pens in 0.5 mm that I've seen in over a year!

And all you have to do is to drop me, The Old Geezer, an email, at theoldgeezer@live.com, telling me just why I should let the Random Integer Generator at the bottom of this blog pick you as the first Pens And Pencils giveaway in over a year! HA! Caught ya! I have aboslutely no control over who wins the giveaway as it's done randomly! But tell me why you should win anyway! Please do not post a comment on this post in expectation of entering the contest! I need an actual email from you so, in case you win, I can contact you. And please, when you send an email make sure that it's a valid addy as I will assign each email a number in accordance to it's date of entry (early emails equate to lower numbers, not that that means a hill of beans). Please limit the number of emails to one per entry. In the email's title, please put June Giveaway so I will know not to just gloss over it!

The contest will remain open until the day of my birthday (June 12). Sometime after 12:00 PM on that day I will let the Random Integer pick a winner, So get your entry in ASAP!

Thanks for entering my giveaway.

OOPS! I almost forgot! The Giveaway is officaly closed!

The Kuru Toga Roulette

2011-07-06T15:54:00.001-04:00

I now own 3 Kuru Toga pencils. The only one I don't have is the High Grade, because I do not like silicone grips. The Roulette is to me buy and large the best Kuru Toga available. It has the overall shape of the High Grade with the advantage of being almost all metal. The only external plastic piece (save for the black tip) is the push button topper. This is on the silver model a translucent light gray plastic. The rest of the Roulette is a two-tone silver-gray metal. The upper body is a bright silver with the name in a dark gray color. The neck of the push button, pocket clip, coupling and and end cap are all chrome. The lower half of the body, which is 1-1/2 times the upper body diameter is beautiful satin gray with 4 groves designating the finely knurled grip.

The diameter of the Roulette's grip is nearly perfect for this blogger. I really like the feel of the fine knurls of the grip. It is easy to grip and slip resistant. Writing with the Roulette is a pleasure from beginning to end. The auto rotating mechanism provides a built in cushion making the writing experience quite smooth. There is a slight learning curve with any Kuru Toga, or in my case an unlearning curve. As I write with a standard drafting pencil I have trained myself to rotate the pencil automatically as I write. This helps keep the lead from ovaling out. With the Kuru Toga rotating the pencil defeats the principle of the auto rotating mechanism. So I'm having to learn to hold the pencil without letting it rotate in my hand.

I've come to like using the Kuru Toga Roulette over all my other Mechanical/Drafting pencils. I've always like the auto rotating mechanism but not the thickness of the original Kuru Toga or the grip of the High Grade. The Roulette is the culmination of all the best features of the Kura Toga Series.

The Roulette as well as the full line of Kuru Toga's are available from our friends at JetPens.com

The Case For The 0.4mm Pencil

2011-07-05T22:48:00.001-04:00

Regular readers of this blog know that I am a die hard 0.3mm drafting pencil fan, evident by my sizable collection of modern 0.3mm drafting pencils. But for some time I have been wondering about the newest lead size in the drafting pencil line-up, the 0.4mm. One can wonder if a single millimeter could make a difference. Well, it can. The chart below shows the line width of a 0.3mm, o.4mm and a 0.5mm pencil lead, all HB grade. Each line was drawn with a squared off lead at 90%. Each line measures 0.3mm, 0.4mm and 0.5mm from top to bottom (PEAK Scale Lupe, 10X power, metric scale was used to measure line width).

As one can see, there is clearly a difference in the size of the lines. While the top line, the 0.3mm is by far the thinnest of the three and the bottom, the 0.5mm it the thickest, the middle, the 0.4mm is exactly in between the other two. It's thin enough to be considered an extra fine line, unlike the 0.5mm line which, when ovaled out can become quite wide. The 0.4mm lead has the advantage of being a fine lead without being quite as fragile as the 0.3mm for the same lead grade. Of course the 0.5mm lead is, of the 3, the strongest.

I have been using the 0.4mm pencil for some months and have rarely found the need to use the 0.3mm pencil! Egad! Does this mean that I've fallen out of lust for the 0.3mm pencil!? Has the 0.4mm pencil take it's place in my heart!? Not quite! I'll always collect 0.3mm drafting pencils, for after all, they do produce the thinnest of lines (save for the 0.2mm pencil). But for practical everyday use, the 0.4mm has probably replaced the 0.3mm pencil in my book. If produces a suitable fine line while maintaining a modicum of strength.

A number of 0.4mm drafting pencils can be bought at our friends at Jetpens.com.

Rhodia dotPad

2011-07-02T11:32:00.000-04:00

Some time ago I received a small pad and 2 wooden pencils in the mail. This was not unexpected as I had been approached and ask if I would review what is called a dotPad by Rhodia as well as a Rhodia wooden pencil. I agreed. Once the package arrived I examined the contents and fully attended to do a review quickly. Well, I got sick just about that time and failed to do a quick review as promised. Time passed and my illness came and went and the review was not forgotten, just put aside. Recently the sender contacted me again about the review, I explained my situation and promised a timely review. Once again my illness befell me and the review was again put off until now. It is my hope that the sender will forgive me and accept this honest opinion of the items sent.

The dotPad I received was a 5.8" x 8.3" pad with a heavy backing. 80 sheets per pad of 21.3lb high grade vellum paper. The pad is microperforated at the top so the sheets are easily removable. The grid is composed of light lilac dots spaced 5mm apart. The 2 pencils are of Linden wood painted orange and black, the Rhodia colors, with black erasers. Surprisingly the black of the wood goes all the way through. The lead grade is HB, comparable to a #2 pencil. All in all the black covered dotPad and the orange and black pencils look striking nice! Oh, yeah, the pencils are triangular in cross section!

I do not use wooden pencils at all, having gone completely over to drafting pencils years ago. But I did find the triangular shape of the pencils afforded a comfortable grip. Like any grade HB lead, it's soft. Being soft it lays down a dark line that widens as the point dulls. No surprises here. The black erasers perform as one would expect erasing clean as long as the user isn't heavy handed. The pencils sharpened cleanly when I used a Steadtler open type metal sharpener, the kind that I use on my colored pencils (oops! I guess that I do use wooden pencils after all! Just not to write with!). All in all the Rhodia black and orange pencils are only exceptionable in their color, shape and solid construction.

The dotPad I found to be exceptional! The heavy weight vellum paper is very forgiving when erasing heavy lines. While it will smudge, it does not easily tear as lesser quality paper. It's sizing accommodates a wide variety of writing instruments from fountain pens to rollerballs to gel pens to pencils, even a 0000 rapidiograph pen! All seemed very smooth despite the fact all were fine to extra fine points. My test pencil was a 0.3mm with HB lead and it felt exceptional smooth! I really like the writing surface, especially when using a pencil.

I had a small project going when I took these pics so I used the dotPan and Rhodia pencils to do my calculations. The smoothness of the writing surface proved to be a blessing as I did all the lines freehand. I especially like that fact that unlike a standard quad pad the dots almost disappear beneath the dark lines of the pencil. With ordinary quad pads, even with the ones with light lines, the graph line often get in the way, especially when freehanding a "straight" line.

All in all I think that The uniqueness of the Rhodia triangular black and orange pencils will win over a lot of wooden pencil fans while the dotPad has already won me over! I wish all "graph" paper were like the Rhodia dotPad!

To find out how and where to purchase the entire Rhodia line of products click this link.

Pentel P203: A Review

2011-06-01T11:56:00.001-04:00

What follows is a review of the Pentel P203 that I originally did for Associated Content.

Review: Pentel 200 P203 0.3mm Automatic Pencil
Style: Drafting

Technical Data:
Length: 142.8
Diameter (Body): 9.3mm
Diameter (grip): N/A
Balance Point (From Push Button): 73mm
Weight: 11.3 grams
Lead Sleeve: 4mm, fixed
Lead size: 0.3mm

Major Components: End cap/Lead sleeve, body, clutch assembly/lead reservoir, push button, eraser with clean out rod.

Construction Type: Independent body, integral lead reservoir/clutch assembly.

Construction Materials: Plastic body, lead reservoir, metal end cap/lead sleeve, push button, clutch assembly.

Colors: Brown body, black lead reservoir, chrome pocket clip, end cap/lead sleeve, push button.

Mode Of Operation: Ratcheting push button lead advance, 3-jawed brass clutch with brass over-sleeve.

Appearance: With its tapering brown body the PG203 looks more like a typical writing pencil than a drafting pencil, but looks can be deceiving as the PG203 is a true drafting pencil. White lettering stands out on the multi-side body, which has an indentation for the pocket clip, which is set down a short distance from the top of the body. The chromed push button is the over the sleeve type and is a simple closed tube. The chrome end cap continues the pencil's taper to the lead sleeve. There is a small ringed rib at the end of the body where it contacts the end cap. Less than a centimeter up from the rib is a set of 11 equally spaced rings that makes up the grip. Simple elegance.

Disassembly: To disassemble the P203 first remove the end cap/lead sleeve. Next remove the clutch assembly/lead reservoir from in side the body. Remove the push button then the eraser with the clean out rod. Finally remove the pocket clip. Reassembly is the reverse of assembly. Note that the end cap screws onto the extended clutch assembly. The clutch assembly locks into the body via a hex nut.

Clearing A Lead Jam: Refer to this article, Clearing A Lead Jam, should clearing a lead jam be necessary.

My Opinion: The P203 feels great in my hand and writes remarkably well, feeling so well balanced in my hand. Two or 3 clicks produces enough lead to write with, about 1mm's worth. The lead advance mechanism has a distinct metallic sound and is semi loud. The P203 was my first 0.3mm drafting pencil and the one by which I hold all others up to. It is an old design but old does not mean out-of-date. While the P203 is no longer made (but still available) the design is so good that it is not only carried on in the Sharp line it has been copied by several different companies. The P203 is a rugged pencil; I've had one for over 25 years.

Last Words: While the P203 has been discontinued by the manufacturer (declining sales says the Pentel of America rep.) I fail to see why the other 3 pencils are still available. It really makes no scene to me and probably never will. Despite the fact that it has been left by the wayside by Pentel it remains one of the best drafting pencils ever made. The P203 is a pencil that should be in any collection so I suggest that you get one while you can.

March Giveaway!

2011-03-22T16:42:00.001-04:00

In July of 2009 I did a follow up review of the Staedtler Liquid Point 7 rollerball liquid ink pens. They have been sitting around in a drawer ever since! So I've decided to give them away as it looks like I'll never use them! Way too many pens to try and use them all! So some Pens And Pencils blog reader will win these beautiful German made rollerballs simply by sending me an email with something in the header about Staedtler Liquid Point 7's! That way I can tell who entered the giveaway and who didn't! Rules are simple: One entry per reader; must be an email, comments on the blog will not count (though you can leave all the comments that you wish); must be received before or on somewhere around March 31st. At some point I'll close the giveaway and let the RIG pick the winning number that corresponds to one of the entries. After that I'll contact the winner and ask for a mailing addy so I can ship them out! Simple, no?

So Pens And Pencils readers get those emails in! You never know just what number the RIG will pick!

BTW, just incase you can't find my email addy in the sidebar, in my profile, it'smailto:theoldgeezer@live.com.

The Giveaway is now closed. No more emails please! Thank you.

Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatic 5633 0.3mm Automatic Pencil

2011-02-19T11:41:00.002-05:00

Hello Pen And Pencils Blog Fans... and other assorted strangers! Welcome to my humble blog and another riveting review!... OK, so maybe not so riveting, but a review none the less! I did this one for Associated Content a couple of years ago. It's in a style I no longer use, but, hey, it's a valid review no matter what Tommy Turquoise says! I've altered it here for my blog. Enjoy!

Technical Data:
Length: 142.1mm
Diameter (Body) 9.1mm
Diameter (Grip): 8.1mm
Balance Point (From Bush Button): 74.6mm
Weight: 17 grams
Lead Sleeve: 4mm, fixed
Lead Size: 0.3mm

Major Components: End cap/lead sleeve/grip, body with lead grade indicator, pocket clip, clutch assembly/lead reservoir, push button and eraser with clean out rod.

Construction Type: Independent body and clutch/lead reservoir.

Construction Materials: Plastic body, metal end cap/lead sleeve/grip, pocket clip, push button, clutch assembly and lead reservoir.

Colors: Red, body, bright chrome pocket clip, lead grade indicator, push button, end cap/lead sleeve/grip, lead reservoir.

Mode Of Operation: Ratcheting push button lead advance, 3-jawed brass clutch with brass over-sleeve.

Appearance: The bright red color of the hexagonal body with its white lettering makes a striking contrast against the bright chrome of the other components. The chrome lead grade indicator rests at the top of the body and is finely knurled. The silver lead grade characters are set against a gloss black background and include the grades H, 2H, 4H, 2B, B, HB and F. The chrome pocket clip sets just below the lead grade indicator and is embossed with the brand name and country of origin, Japan. The chrome push button is the full over-sleeve type completely covering the lead reservoir and has the lead size nicely embossed on the top. The chrome grip is nicely knurled in a diamond pattern and steps down twice to form the integral end cap, squaring off before becoming the lead sleeve.

Disassembly: To completely disassemble the 5633 first remove the grip. The clutch assembly and lead reservoir will probably come along with it. Remove the clutch assembly from the end cap. Remove the pushbutton to expose the eraser. Remove the eraser to access the clean out rod. This completes the disassembly of the 5633. Reassembly is the opposite of disassembly.

Clearing A Lead Jam: Refer to this article, "All Jammed Up?", should clearing a lead jam be necessary.

My Opinion: The Koh-I-Noor was designed as a professionals tool but it's equally at home on the desk of the average homeowner. It is a well designed and built, being a highly sought after pencil brand for years. The lead is rock solid in the lead sleeve with very little if any wobble. Three clicks of the push button produce 1 mm of lead, quite enough lead to write with. Any more and there is a risk of breakage. The chrome lead reservoir is cavernous enough to hold several tubes of lead and still have room to spare. This is a feature that I like as I like to fill the lead reservoir with as much lead as possible. The balance point of the pencil is almost at the midpoint so the pencil is only slightly bottom heavy but it doesn't feel like it. The finely knurled diamond pattern on the grip makes a good surface to hold onto and helps guide the pencil across the paper. The only thing I don't like is the lead grade indicator. I'm not fond of the top of the body type of lead grade indicators. The one on the Koh-I-Noor started out tight but after years of use it has loosened up. Also the silver characters are set against a gloss black background making them hard to read due to glare. However the 5633 is a great pencil to write with being finely crafted and well built. I like the Koh-I-Noor, it feels good in my hand and is an easily guided across the paper despite its 17 gram weight, or maybe because of it. Either way I like this German designed pencil and wish that I had more.

Last Words: The above review was of a pencil that I've had for years. It was made in Japan and is a very well built pencil, possibly as well built as the original Koh-I-Noors made in Germany. Unfortunately the line is now made in China. The Chinese version of the pencils are not quite up to the standard of the Japanese or German versions. It's for this reason that I can not recommend buying a Koh-I-Noor 5633 unless you can find one in new or good condition that was made in Japan or Germany.

Picture courtesy of... wait! I took that one! Nice pic, huh?

February Giveaway

2011-02-13T23:41:00.001-05:00

Hello blog readers, Web surfers, and passers by! Welcome to my humble blog! Take your shoes off, set a spell... on second thought, leave your shoes on!... This month I'm giving away a Pilot 2020 Super Grip 0.5mm shaker mechanical pencil in Aqua. Apparently the solid colored versions are becoming hard to find, at least a search of the Web only turned up one place that showed the solid color pencil in Aqua, and they are no longer selling them! The version that I'm giving away differs from the photo only in that the eraser cap is totally clear, there is no color at the top of the cap.

This is a cute (yes, I did say "cute") mechanical pencil and from my observation a sturdy one as compared to some other mechanical pencils. It is made mostly of plastic and rubber with a few metal parts, namely the 3 jawed lead clutch system, the lead sleeve and the shaker weight, which appears to be a tightly wound spring! The 2mm lead sleeve is of the retractable type with the lead retainer being plastic, but internal, as it should be! It is integrated with the lead sleeve. This little gem has a 3 jawed brass clutch, not a plastic 2 jawed clutch as so many mechanical pencils in it's price range have! This speaks of quality. In fact, I'm impressed with many of the features of the Pilot 2020. It has a soft rubber grip, not the squishy silicone grip the other versions have! But I personally am not a fan of rubber grips. However over all the pencil, for what it is, is a nice pencil! It has features found on much more expensive pencils!

The Pilot 2020 is 148mm long, 11mm wide at the grip, weighs a scant 11 grams. The balance point is approximately 74mm from the tip of the pencil making it almost perfectly balanced! It feels nice in the hand and is easy to use. The grip affords plenty of gripping power, but gets dirty easily! There is a usable (almost) eraser under the clear cap that serves as a push button. It does not come with a clean out rod, but I've provided one under the eraser. The lead reservoir is small, holding about a 1/2 dozen leads max! It comes with 2 leads, but I made it an even 1/2 dozen.

To operate the pencil one can use the push button, or just shake the pencil a couple of times in order to advance the lead. But be careful when shaking the pencil to advance the lead as it is easy to advance too much lead!

Well, there you have it. An impromptu review of the Pilot 2020 Super Grip Shaker mechanical pencil. So if I have whet your appetite for the Pilot 2020 and you would like a chance to win this one then just drop me an email (theoldgeezer@live.com) with the words, Pilot 2020 Giveaway, in the subject line. That's all there is to it! Please just one email per person! The giveaway will remain open until sometime Saturday the 26th of this month. At that time I'll pick a winner using the RIG at the bottom of this blog. So get your emails in! Times a wastin'!

The photo is courtesy of our friends at Jetpens.

Stop the presses! We have a winner!

January Giveaway

2011-01-24T14:05:00.003-05:00

"Good morning America, how are ya! Don't cha ya know me I'm your native son..." Arlo Guthrie! How did you get on my blog!? Well, the nerve of some people!... Anyway it's time for my January giveaway.

This month up for grabs is a brand new set of uni-ball Signo Erasable gel pens in 0.5 mm point size. They come in 8 colors, black, red, orange, green, blue, violet, pink and aqua and come in their own handy carry case. These are similar to the uni-ball Signo UM-100 gel pens only they are erasable. They each have their own color coordinated eraser atop the cap. They are one of the smoothest erasable gel pens available.

If you would like a chance to win this nicely packaged set of erasable gel pens then all you have to do is send me an email. In the subject line of the email write Pens And Pencils January Giveaway and if you wish you can put some nice comment about how great an old geezer I am for giving away such nice things... or not! Hey! So what! I'm soliciting compliments!... I mean, it's not like a get a lot of them from friends and family, ya know! Yeah! I have feelings! I like to be appreciated! I'd feel a lot better about myself if a certain few individuals would pay a bit more attention to me from time to time... Eh, oh my! A-hum! Please excuse me! I've... I've been sick, yeah, that's it! I've been sick!...

At any rate get your email in because you can't win if you don't enter! I'll give you until sometime Monday, the 31st. Just exactly when on Saturday I don't know. I don't keep a regular schedule and I'm up at odd hours, asleep during the day and night, so I'll close the giveaway at my whim! But not before I've collected all the emails and posted that the giveaway is closed! Once closed I'll use the Random Integer Generator at the bottom of my blog to generate a number between 1 and the total number of eligible emails received. Emails are numbered in the order in which they are received, earliest first.

So, ladies and germs (I told you I've been sick) get those emails in! Just in case you can't find my email addy on my blog there on the left as part of my profile, it's theoldgeezer@live.com.

The giveaway is and has been officially closed!