uni-ball Kuru Toga 0.5mm - Self Sharpening Mechanical Pencil - Pink Barrel + 12 Free Leads and 5 Free Erasers

Product Information

The Uni Kuru Toga are available in many different types of bodies and comes in three tip sizes: 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7mm. As many of you have post about problems, I’m not sure is it because of writing in different language. For example, English language can be written one word without lifting the pencil, while Japanese have to lift the pencil several times for one word. Therefore Japanese language may be rotated 10 times faster than English (Just my guessing). The standout mechanical pencil from the Pilot Dr. Grip line is the Ace Shaker. Its ergonomic design has earned an “Ease-of-Use" Commendation from the Arthritis Foundation. The Ace Shaker’s double layer grip is flared to prevent you from cramping your fingers up too close to the tip. The grip itself consists of a firm rubber outer layer and softer inner layer. This results in a moderately soft grip that is comfortable to hold and ensures you have a stable grasp on the pencil. In combination with the barrel’s optimized weight balance, this pencil is perfect for longer writing sessions. and the inability to fill in as many spare leads as in some other mechanical pencils (maximum 4 – 6 leads, depending on length and whether you try hard to squeeze them in) I recommend getting the transparent grip version if you want to see the gear turning. The Starter kit (above) has a grip tinted in colour and it's not easy to see what's inside.

Sadly this pencil just isn’t for everyone. The construction seems good, though the material choices and weight aren’t my particular favorites (the regular Kuru Toga is almost entirely plastic, quite light, and neutrally weighted). The thing that bothers me about the Kuru Toga most though is the play that is needed to use the mechanism. I prefer to write very small characters, and precision is important. When writing much larger, it’s not an issue, but for tiny, complex characters, there’s a bit of a tactile disconnect, which makes the whole thing feel less precise. It reminds me a bit of some retractable-sleeve pencils with a lot of wobble to them. I don’t use a pencil much, but I think it’s a great thing as when I was a student I had to rotate my pencil as usually. The Kuru Toga eliminates this problem with the use of an ingenious lead rotation mechanism that continually rotates the pencil lead as you write. A spring-loaded clutch twists the lead incrementally every time you lift the pencil from the paper. This allows a uniform wearing of the lead to create a conical tip shape that provides a fine, consistent line. The Kuru Toga has been a disappointment for me, as the lead is not rotating, eliminating the advantage of this pencil while the disadvantages of this pencil remain:

Same-day dispatch

So with each stroke, the lead will turn, and you will get a sharper point to write with the next stroke. Kiki's Delivery Service - Everyday Items, My Neighbor Totoro - Stationery, Spirited Away - No-Face and All the Deities I’ve used quite a few Kuru Togas and own one of the 0.5mm versions, and I agree with the original poster that you need to use a certain amount of force to engage the mechanism, particularly if you hold the pencil at a fairly low angle. I prefer using softer lead and much less pressure, and get pretty inconsistent results most of the time, unless I change my writing style. Holding the pencil so the logo appears between my thumb and index finger, I can write a complete sentence without seeing the logo move at all. It might be a substandard pencil, and other Kuru Toga Engines work with less pressure. This would would mean that there is a quality control problem at uni / Mitsubishi pencil. This is probably not the case.

The end result is I have a pencil I’m really, really happy with. It’s a plastic 0.5mm Kuru Toga running 0.5mm 2B [Uni Nano Dia Blended] lead. My only gripe is the eraser. It’s uselessly tiny. As a result, I now carry a dedicated clutch eraser (like a clutch pencil, but it dispenses eraser).

Penorama newsletter

I’ve been looking at the Kuru Toga for a long time, and finally I got one yesterday. I sadly have the same problem as memm, and can confirm that it isn’t merely a defective pencil. My wife and friend have no problem activating the mechanism consistently, and there are two pencils involved with consistent results. The Kuru Toga is a mechanical pencil from uni / Mitsubishi pencil. In Japan it has been available for more than a year. The plastic version is now officially distributed in the UK and other countries, while the successor, the new Kuru Toga pencil, is already available in Japan. The Uni Kuru Toga is a fantastic mechanical pencil for writing. When it comes to drawing, the turning mechanism may or may not work that well. But even so, it's still a mechanical pencil and will work like one. Nothing much to complaint about. And it's not too expensive. Availability

So the conclusion I’ve drawn is that it’s indeed a matter of pressure and perhaps angle when writing. I’m used to mechanical pencils and I generally never break leads. I hold the pencil at a roughly 40 degree angle, and usually rotate it myself every couple of words (something I had to consciously stop when trying the Kuru Toga). I’m not a fountain pen user, and generally use a mix of ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil at work. The turning mechanism works great for writing where there are plenty of strokes. When it comes to drawing, whether or not the pencil will turn will depend on how long your lines are. So if you draw a long line, that pencil lead will only get turned once. And in that case, it's actually no different from using any typical mechanical pencil.

Products we think you'll like too

Extremely low angles would do it but the angle is about where you’d be using a pencil to shade a drawing – almost parallel to the paper. You know how sometimes when you draw for too long, the pencil becomes blunt, sometimes you may rotate the pencil to the sharp side of the lead that gives you a thin line. When you're writing, you'll immediately see and feel the difference. With the Kuru Toga, I can actually feel the difference but can't really see the difference unless I'm really looking out for it. Kuru Toga is a mechanical pencil line developed by the Uni Mitsubishi company. The special feature of this pencil is a particular mechanism (referred as "Kuru Toga Engine") which rotates the lead every time the tip is pressed and then released from the paper surface.