This is the Pentel GraphGear 1000 mechanical pencil, and it’s currently on sale for the super-low price of $5.93. This is the 0.5mm size with black barrel. The other sizes are on sale too (or so they appear to be), but at higher pricing.
I wrote about the GraphGear 1000 a few years ago, here. I’ve mentioned it since then, and for good reason – it’s an awesome mechanical pencil.
Advertisement
At its sale price of just under $6, buy one, especially if you’re a Prime member who won’t have to pay for shipping.
I paid a whopping $16.54 for my first one, back in 2011, and back in November 2016 I bought one for $8.67, on sale. I ordered both from Amazon.
Priced at under $6, I’m very tempted to buy another one or two to keep around.
The main selling point of the GraphGear 1000, aside from its solid build quality and durable construction, is that you can retract the lead pipe into the main body for safer carrying and a much-reduced chance of breakage.
The lead pipe is the small and thin guide tube at the front of the pencil, the tip. As you can image, it doesn’t take much to bend or break these off of lesser mechanical pencils. But with the tip retracted into the pencil, the GraphGear 1000 stands a better chance at serving you for years and years.
You could read through the very many user reviews on Amazon, but at this price there’s not much risk to buy one and try it for yourself.
0.5mm is a good size for precise writing and sketching. If you have a heavier hand, 0.7mm pencils and graphite are a little more forgiving.
Deal Price: $5.93
If you’ve used this pencil before, what have your experiences been like?
The “regular” price seems to be $8-10. Blick has them for $8.92 right now, and JetPens $11.50. Office supply and retail stores have them for much higher.