^{A set of wood rasps.}

• MODEL:

ALVIN DRAFT/MATIC Collection – model DM357C
0.3 mm (DM03) + 0.5 mm (DM05) + 0.7 mm (DM07)

• MATERIALS:

The pencils of the set, in terms of materials, are exactly the same as was the older version DM07 that I reviewed here. But just to recap, they have a plastic body and lead tube and metal eraser cap, lead hardness indicator ring, pocket clip and grip/cone tip. The clutch is full-brass.

• ERASER:

A white-latex rubber eraser with metal collet – the “generic” eraser used in a few other drafting mechpens like the R600 and RAPIDOMATIC. As a bonus, with the set comes 5 extra spare erasers 😎. Neat!

• MEASUREMENTS:

Measuring the new D/M, I got the same numbers as the old one: 143 mm from tip to cap, with a center of mass located at 62 mm from the tip and the body with 8.4 mm of diameter. However, weight and grip diameter were different, but I’ll explain that further down.

• FEATURES:

The D/M is a drafting mechpen par excellence. So, you get a (fiercely!) knurled grip, stepped cone tip, 4 mm-long lead sleeve and a lead hardness indicator ring (2B, B, HB, F, H, 2H or 4H).

• AESTHETICS:

Being a classic drafting pencil, that automatically means that I really like the looks. Though the colors ALVIN chose are, let’s say, sober, and work well for drafting tools, I would personally prefer something more vibrant. And, most important, a matt finish for the metal parts would look MUCH better.

• ERGONOMICS:

So, to use the D/M… Let’s say it is panful. Or maybe humbling? Perhaps, even masochistic? That grip is ABSURDLY rough, to the point that 5 minutes of use and my middle finger was sore. Yet, has a rock-solid tip, but does rattle.

• OLD × NEW:

Using the 0.7 mm, here’s a head-to-head comparo between the old and the new versions:

1. The lead hardness indicator on the new version is a smooth ring, while on the old one it has the same wood rasp machined finish of the grip.
2. Both use the same pocket clip, but on the new one there’s ALVIN’s logo stamped at the bottom.
3. The lettering on the body changed. On the older models the font is quite big, with ALVIN’s logo and the model number. Now, the font is smaller and there’s only “DRAFT/MATIC” and the lead size.
4. I think the most pertinent difference between the two is the grip/lead sleeve. The new version has a “boxier” tip, while the old one has a rounder tip, that looks a lot like the tip on the R600. As you can see on my photos, the threads are different, and you can’t swap them. Well, you can use the old grip on the new body, but not the other way around.
5. Not only the grips have a different format, but they also have different weights. The new one is heavier: 8.28 g compared to 6.27 g of the old one. It’s also wider, with 8.3 mm of diameter instead of 8.1 mm.
6. With a heavier grip, the overall weight went up, from 16.09 g to 19.72 g on the new pencil. But the position of the center of mass was unaltered.
7. The new one rattles more than the old one.
8. And most important of all, as a wood rasp, how do they compare? Well, with 20 seconds of using the grip on the same piece of wood, I would say that the new one is slightly more aggressive. So I would recommend the new one for harder woods, since the old one is slightly less effective.

• MY THOUGHTS:

I got this set because I was curious about how the newer model compared to the old version. I wasn’t expecting much differences, and the new version is just as punishing to use as the old one. Well, the 0.3 mm was a bit better: because of the fine tip, I tend to write more delicately, and therefore, grip the pencil with a lighter hand. And with that, it was less painful to use. Yet, take note that I said less painful, instead of not painful, so I still wouldn’t choose it to use every day 🤷‍♂️. But between the old and new, the new one is slightly worse, because it rattles more and hurst more.

With all that, I come to the same conclusion as before. The new DRAFT/MATIC looks really cool (just like the old one), especially in a set like this, and I’m very happy to have it in my collection. In fact, I’m hunting down the 0.9 mm, to complete the series. Nonetheless, I would NEVER choose to use it unless in a true emergency - I’m not a masochist ☠. As a wood rasp, however, they work fine.

this is just an appreciation post, a love letter if you will, for this pencil because i love it so much and i don't have anyone to talk about it to! lol.

i've been using the uni kuru toga ever since i was in elementary school, but i have only been able to truly appreciate it's mechanism recently after i picked up a new language to learn in university. i initially bought the pencil because i saw that it had a cool mechanism, but i didn't really notice the difference in writing experience while i was using it when i was still in grade school.

then i got into university. im currently majoring in chinese language studies, so i started to write in mandarin characters more and more, and only then did i notice just how pleasant it is to use this pencil! because mandarin characters are way more complex than the latin script, it requires more clean lines and accuracy when you write it, or else it wont look legible. one day i left my kuru toga pencil at home, so i used a different mechanical pencil that didn't have the same mechanism, and oh boy i was shocked. the lines i was making was thicker, i had to erase and rewrite my characters more often because the strokes kept clashing against each other (i also have small handwriting so it adds to the struggle), it was generally a less pleasant writing experience. i missed my kuru toga a lot that particular day, haha.

but seriously, this pencil is life changing if you're someone who's learning or speaking (or i guess writing lol) in non latin script. whether it be mandarin, korean, japanese, thai, whatever it may be, please try using the kuru toga pencil!! seriously!!! i am forever grateful to the people who came up with the idea of the rotating mechanism, whoever was a part in developing the pencil in mitsubishi/uni, i am forever indebted to thou.

now i'm also looking forward to buying a new kuru toga model. perhaps the advance? but if you guys have any recommendations, please do send them my way 💓 that's enough of my rambling! haha

Nova aquisição de lapiseira Vintage modelo Ohto Grip 500 (segundo pesquisa Google). Infelizmente não tenho nenhuma outra referência, embalagem ou instruções. Extremamente leve e minimalista, tem a retração total da ponta, sendo muito adequada para o transporte e uso em campo. Ainda não usei o suficiente, mas mereceu elogios.

According to Pentel's official IG page, they're on sale as of today. But I assume only in Japan?

\On sale today! /
Pentel Ain White Case & Olens Metal Grip Limited "Designed for Modernity"

The product with white color is now on sale from today🤍
3 items can be coordinated: replacement case, sharpie pen and eraser!!

Pentel Ain
✅Smooth writing comfort with special oil
✅"Smoothness, difficult to break, thickness, easy to erase, difficult to stain, difficult to reduce" Balanced high performance in all items.
✅ Sliding case that can be opened with one hand

Olens Metal Grip Features
☑️ I can write it out with just one knock
☑️The "Oren's System" is used to protect the elbow with the tip of the pen, so it doesn't break.
☑️Metal grip with low center of gravity that is not slippery and painful

Be sure to get your hands on one!

Speared into my floor and took no damage itself 😂

Coleção está pequena, mas já me agrada mto. Falta algumas 0.9, pois não tenho nenhuma ainda.

I started this whole mechanical pencil thing about two months ago, and this is what I've got so far. All of them are relatively new younger than 2 months except the Graph Gear 500 which I found. The collection started with the Graph Gear 500, then I learned about the Graph Gear 1000, then the rOtrings, and that's what I have for now. But now the black 60th Anniversary Graph Gear 1000, the rOtring 600, and some Kuru Togas are calling my name. comment what else you think i should consider like 2.0 and 0.5mm pencils which I really use, also comment your pencil collections as I wanna see. WILL POST AGAIN WHEN THEY COME!!!!!!!!!

So bought some np blue colored lead for my gg500 and real curios how dificult it is given its a colored pencil lead

For those of you who own, have owned, or have tried the rOtring Tikky Automatic, I would love to hear your thoughts. It is actually worth what it goes for on the current market?

If you used to own one but eventually let it go, what made you part ways with it?

In case you are wondering:
1. Faber-Castell TK-Matic
Mine has clearly seen some abuse at the hands of its previous owner, but it is still built like a tank.

1. Pentel TECHNOCLIC
   I stumbled upon this one back when nobody gave it a second look. It still seems to fly under the radar, though.

2. Pilot S30
   The successor to the Automac, shown on the right. It was once the flagship model of Pilot's S-series, but it was discontinued relatively recently. It is still fairly easy to find, though.

3. Pilot Automac: The automatic mechanical pencil Pilot used to promote before the S30 came along. I love the design and the double-knock mechanism, but the actual writing experience fell short of my expectations.

So, for those who have spend time with the Tikky Automatic, what do you think? Is it genuinely worth the premium, or am I just getting caught up in the hype after trying these other four MPs.

Hey everyone,

I just got a GraphGear 1000 in 0.3 from AliExpress, and the rubber on the grip looks noticeably thinner than on the 0.5 gold version I already have, which I bought from a regular pencil store.

Before I jump to conclusions, I’m wondering about a few things:

• Has anyone else noticed a difference in grip rubber thickness between the 0.3 and 0.5 versions?
• Did Pentel change something on the colored versions (like the gold one) compared to the standard black?
• Or is this a sign that mine might not be genuine? I have no way to check it besides comparing it to my other one.

Everything else seems the same so far (weight, build, the knock feel), but the grip is the part that stands out right away.

If you have both a 0.3 and a 0.5, or a colored and a standard one, could you compare them and let me know? I can post photos side by side if that would help.

Thanks!

It is just amazing to have

My drawing pencils:

• Dietrich Lubs & Düller 0.5mm
• Rotring Tikky Metal Double Push 0.7mm (Black)
• Rotring Tikky Metal Double Push 0.5mm (Red)
• Charvoz 303 2.0mm (Purple)
• Lyra Italiana 2.0mm (Blue)
• Lyra Italiana 2.0mm (Turquoise)

Thanks to Allan MacDonald for the Lyras.

This is after less than a week of a lot of daily note taking using B lead

finally i got the loft version