Uni Mechanical Pencil Kurutoga Standard 0.7mm, Blue (M74501P.33)

I'm a big fan of these pencils. This is the second one I have owned. Sadly, while moving I lost my other one. I LOVE THEM, however, there are some reasons why they might not be the proper choice for everyone:-The rotating lead motion only happens when you lift your pencil between motions. This can be difficult to get used to, causing you to notice zero difference in this from other pencils. That could also make your lead break, because if you don't lift your pencil up and you have too much lead out, then it will snag on the paper and possibly break like other mechanical pencils.-The eraser on these kind of suck. But, being an artist, I prefer having a kneaded eraser anyway, because those erase pretty much every 'lead' material.-Personally, I wouldn't trust the "clip" on it, but the times I've stuck it in my sketchbook spiral it's been fine... I've just never had good luck with them.As for the positives:-The rotating lead compartment inside the pencil definitely works. You have to slightly lift your pencil every once in a while to make sure it rotates, but if you're writing, you'll be doing that anyway... If you're sketching, it's just good practice. If you're shading with the pencil, you're going to have to be mindful of how hard you're pressing to not create too much of an angled lead tip, but even if you do, so long as you pay attention to how you put the lead against the paper for the next stroke after you lift it, your lead doesn't break, and the pencil will actually smooth it out again before you know it.-The lead included is GREAT for sketching. If you have a light hand sketching, it's very light, but you can adjust your pressure to make it darker. The range of values you can get is pretty impressive just because it starts out so light, but becomes so vibrant and saturated at it's most concentrated.-This pencil works best if you can hold it at a 90degree angle to the paper. I know that sounds crazy, but that's actually how you're supposed to sketch according to all the greats, because it gives you the most control over every aspect (line weight, value, precision, etc). The reason the pencil works best this way, is because you naturally lift it more and don't get the angle from drawing/writing anyway. I actually purchased the first one for this reason. The lead rotates when you lift, so it made me more aware of how I was holding the pencil and actually made my sketching/linework so much tighter, which allowed for less work when I went to refine the sketch to take something to rendering/final. **That's not to say it doesn't work perfectly well at the angle most people were taught to hold a pencil, I definitely use it that way from time to time as well, and it's perfectly fine as long as you lift it every once in a while.All in all, it's a perfect pencil for me. But I am aware it isn't right for everyone. So as long as you consider the things I've listed and think how you will utilize the pencil, it should be easier for you to decide if it's the right fit or not. At worst, it is cheap enough that it isn't going to break the bank if you decide you don't like it. At best, you have a fantastic new tool at your disposal for all your writing/drawing needs.*I like to buy the Pilot Color Eno Neox Mechanical Pencil Lead to use with this pencil, they're pretty high quality for colored leads, cost friendly, and it's nice to switch up the color you use every once in a while, or use them together to make more dynamic sketches/color coded notes/etc.

These are my favorite mechanical pencils, they write very well, and they do avoid getting sharp lead.

I love this pencil! I prefer fine points so that isn't an issue for me and I find that I can go light and dark with ease. The lead glides over the paper like a dream which is great for me since I'm using it to sketch. The grip is comfortable which is super important to me because I tend to have a vice grip on all my pens/pencils. I also appreciate how when you click the top to get more lead it doesn't extend too much, since this isn't just regular lead. I haven't had any issue with snapping lead so far either and as I said I have a very heavy hand.As for the eraser I was concerned at first because erasing colored lead is usually tough, but I found that going light, med, and dark I was able to erase the lines really well. If I went dark there were still lines left behind but I was able to erase enough to be satisfied. Just keep that in mind when making dark marks. It also shipped in only a couple of days for me and even the packaging was nice and easy to open. I will end this review how I began, saying I love this pencil and I see myself buying more in the future

I'm always looking for better more ergonomic writing tools and came across this one. It does what purports to admirably. If you are writing Japanese/Chinese charcters especially numbers and mathematical notation/equations in tight small spaces then this is the pencil for you!! However, try as I might I never found myself needing more than what a regular mechanical pencil provides. Nor do I reach for it over a regular Graph Gear mechanical pencil. However, I see exactly why a person writing small kanji/hanzi script would yearn for such a mechanical wonder. But writing regular English words, numbers, and equations I just don't think the problem presents itself (i.e. a continually dull point) that one would have with complicated far east writing. Build quality and mechanical engineering of the pencil is quite good for what it does. But as it stands, it likely adds an unnecessary complication to your writing! I can't leave a one star review because clearly it fits a narrowly defined niche quite well and works well for what it is. It might have some unusal artist applications for someone who wants to draw a lot of small tiny detailed things. But I also can't leave a 5 star (though it probably deserves one in Japan). Also I'm glad I there is access to it in the U.S. So my rating falls at 4 for these reasons.

The media could not be loaded. The Engineering behind this mechanical pencil is absolutely amazing as you write. It actually spins the lead so that you constantly have a sharpen pencil so to speak absolutely amazing incredible technology I love this mechanical pencil! One thing I forgot to mention in the video that I posted is it actually uses 0.7 mm pencil lead so you can easily find that anywhere that you would purchase pencils and paper. I had the packaging translated into English, so you could read it.

I have heard a lot about this mechanical and the .7 did not disappoint. It is pretty awesome. It feels great and handles well for me. I have large hands and I have no issues holding it for writing for long periods of time. Also, it is a nice device to draw with or just doodle. I have used the .5 version of this device and I prefer the .7 over the .5. In fairness the all metal .5 version is better and the quality is reflected in the cost. (smile). Hope this helps. Thanks for reading and best of luck. //Chuck

The blue Kuru Toga (0,7mm) is one of my favourite mechanical pencils. It writes well, stays sharp with the rotating lead, and is very durable. It’s an everyday carry and holds up well despite being tossed around in my briefcase day after day.

This pencil eraser works just great. I bought it to go with my password book. I bought a few of them and I gave them as gifts to my friends.