Review: Zebra DelGuard

I'm so excited about this review, you have no idea. This pencil has yet to imported to the US by the notorious company everyone knows about, so you may not know about its features yet. The DelGuard, released just last month, is Zebra's answer to the trend of lead breakage-resistant pencils, phew, that was a mouthful...that's what she said!

From gigazine.net/

What sets the DelGuard apart from other pencils is its spring-based shock absorbers that protect the lead from snapping under pressure. Those of you savvy with pencils know that this concept is not new; the Platinum OLEeNU Shield, for example, also has a spring that prevents lead breakage, as seen in the picture below

The OLEeNU Shield

However, the DelGuard has two sprngs instead of just one. While the OLEeNU does a pretty good job handling vertical stress that comes from the user pressing directly downward, it remains susceptible to horizontal stress when the user is moving the pencil parallel to the plane of the writing surface. The DelGuard protects against both normal and shear stress as seen in the figure below.

The Delguard, notice the two separate components

One caveat, it's still a muggle contraption, which means that you can still break your lead if you apply too much force. Personally, I have small, delicate hands to which I apply lotion regularly. Okay, TMI, but I really don't break my lead that often, especially 0.5mm lead. However, lead breakage can become a problem if I were to write in a hurry, say in an exam riddled with short essay questions or when I'm taking notes in a class with an instructor that writes with superhuman speed. The DelGuard is also particularly useful in multiple choice exams when you have to bubble your answers in bold. In fact, its CM especially marketed the pencil for its efficiency in these situations. This makes it a great choice for students. The weight of the pencil is just right for me although I think the mass is slightly more concentrated on the end of the pencil, not a big deal, really. It is slightly on the short side compared to other pencils although it fits perfectly in my writing hand.

The 6 Colorways of the DelGuard, from rss.bonjin.jp/

Aesthetically, I'm really impressed with this pencil given its price. It comes in a variety of colors which all are quite beautiful to behold. I'm a fan of the contrast between the metallic finish on the body and the clear plastic showcasing the pencil's unique springs near the tip. As you might also have noticed, the DelGuard does resemble the uni Kuru Toga quite a bit, and like the Kuru Toga, the DelGuard lacks a shaker feature. At a glance, the lead sleeve of the DelGuard does seem longer, though, and its grip has more grooves to prevent slippage.

Overall, I'm very impressed with the DelGuard and I can't wait to see how Zebra will build upon it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a 0.3mm version.

The Rundown:
Pros: Resistance to lead breakage
Cons: Lack of additional features
Estimated price: $4.50
Design: ★★★★★
Comfort: ★★★
Writing performance/stability: ★★★★★
Durability/quality: ★★★
Overall: ★★★★
I would recommend this pencil especially for students due to its functionality. It's not a pencil I would use for casual writing, but I'd keep it in my pen case just for exams and general scratch work.

Review: Pentel Orenz

Okay, it's pretty obvious by now that I'm a sucker for gimmicky pencils, and the Pentel Orenz is no exception. With so many brands all claiming to have perfected the snap-free mechanical pencil, it's easy to confuse them: Orenz, OLEeNU Shield, and most recently, the DelGuard. The Orenz stands out in its unique protruded lead sleeve.

The Five Original Colors of the Orenz

Instructions Included with Package

 As seen in the second figure, you only need to knock once to write. Instead of protruding out like other pencils, the lead in the Orenz is protected by the metal sleeve, which retracts with the lead upon wear. I know some of you are skeptical at this point; wouldn't the pencil get scratchy? I, too, was a bit wary at first. That's why I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth this pencil writes, which brings us to another merit of the Orenz, that is its lead diameter. Correct me if I'm wrong, as of December 16, 2014, the Orenz is the only pencil in production to support a 0.2mm lead size. Some of you seasoned fanatics may point out that Pentel has indeed manufactured a 0.2mm drafting pencil in the past, but it lacks the lead protection system of the Orenz and has been discontinued for quite a while now. With the Orenz, you can have literally the finest writing in your school, office, wherever! Okay, I know some people may be turned off by that, but personally, I love 0.2mm lead. It's particularly useful for writing complex Chinese characters. See the comparison between lead sizes below:

From kenkihou.com

I have read in some reviews that the Orenz may experience lead jams, but it does come with a needle on the bottom of the eraser so hopefully it won't be a problem. It also boasts a super-handy tip retraction feature which is especially important to protecting its needle-thin tip. But how does it compare to the 0.3mm Kuru Toga? I've compared the two and it appears that the Orenz still produces slightly thinner lines, not to mention it is a lot more stable. The Orenz simply has no competition in fine writing; however, the only company that currently manufactures 0.2mm lead is, you guessed it, Pentel. Pentel 0.2mm comes in a shiny gold package befitting of its price tag. The typical 0.5mm Pentel lead costs about 200 yen (roughly $2) and comes with 40 pieces of lead while the 0.2mm version costs the same but only has 10 pieces of lead, so you're basically paying four times the price of regular lead for your Orenz, maybe even more in some countries.

Is it worth it? You decide.

In a nice turn of events, the Pentel has announced the release of a 0.3mm version of the Orenz along with some new colors of the 0.2mm version in January of 2015. So now you'll only have to pay 2 and 2/3 the price of regular 0.5mm lead for your Orenz, hurray! 

Released 2014.12.12

That aside, I really do like thinner lead, so I'll probably get the 0.3mm version even though it'll mean that my $5 (approximately) for the original Orenz just went down the drain. With the 0.3mm Orenz, the future of 0.2mm lead seems bleak, but that's all too early to say.

The Rundown:
Pros: Extended lead sleeve, lead jam pin, 0.2mm lead, retracting tip
Cons: Lackluster design, relatively expensive lead
Estimated price: $5.00
Design: ★★★★
Comfort: ★★
Writing performance/stability: ★★★★
Durability/quality: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★½

Would I recommend the Orenz? It depends whether you prefer finer writing or not. I suggest getting the 0.3mm version if you're looking to save some money. Personally, I'm not 100% satisfied with the design of the Orenz. I wish Pentel had made the body hexagonal like the Zebra Color Flight. Most of all, I don't like the old-fashioned curved clip and hope Pentel would release an upgraded version of the Orenz in the near future. But if you're fine with its current design, then go ahead and get it.

Edit: Since the time of the last review, I've discovered a major flaw in the Orenz that could compromise your writing experience if you frequently use a ruler with your pencil to draw lines. Friction from the ruler causes the metal sleeve that protects the lead to slip, exposing a good portion of lead, causing it to snap almost immediately. This is a huge disappointment to someone relies heavily on rulers for note taking and assignments. I apologize for neglecting to inform you of this earlier, but it's a flaw that I've never encountered in other pencils before. So indeed, Orenz + Ruler = Oreru :(

Review: Tombow Olno Swift (and Olno)

Yay! Its time for another edition of pencil reviews. Perhaps I should come up with a more creative title rather than that... Anyway, I've wanted to review today's pencil(s) for a while now, but life happened, you know.
Without further ado, boys and girls, I present to you the Tombow Olno and Olno Swift. The Olno—to avoid confusion, let's just call it vanilla from here on—is basically the economical version of the Olno Swift, which was released after the vanilla version and has a few upgrades from the original. 

Regular Olno

Olno Swift

What sets the Olno apart from other pencil is its unique lead advancing mechanics; you can load more lead by pressing on the top like most other pencils, but you can also achieve the same results by bending the pen body, hence the name Olno. When I first got my vanilla Olno, I was afraid I might accidentally break the pencil if I applied too much force, but now that I've familiarized myself with it, I can attest to the Olno's durability. To break it, you pretty much have to consciously apply all your force on the pencil. The bending is simple,  I usually prop the pencil on my middle finger and clutch the middle of the pencil in my thumb and press down with my thumb. To facilitate the process, Tombow even extended the grip as you can see in both versions. The elongated grip definitely adds more comfort, especially to the area of hand that is between the index finger and the thumb. Of course, if you hold your pencil differently from the regular tripod grip, then you will probably find it easier just to press the top of the pencil. Also, it was quite uncomfortable when I tried holding the pencil with four fingers, so if you insist on holding your pencil like that, guess what this is an ergonomic pencil and you're doing it wrong. Personally, I found the bending mechanism wildly addicting; it reminded me of the first time I used a shaker pencil in elementary school and how I couldn't stop shaking the darn thing. Shaker pencils are probably more efficient than the Olno, but it sure is fun venting your frustrations out on the Olno. The pencil lead will retract when you hold the pencil in its bent position and press down on the tip.

So let's talk about vanilla Olno first: unlike the Swift, the vanilla is entirely plastic except for its lead clutch. Although it is less durable, the vanilla version comes in a wider variety of colors, keep in mind though that some of these colors are discontinued; the first picture from the top showcases the newest colorways of the vanilla Olno. It has a cute half-moon cap at the top that stays out of your way when writing. Despite what you would think, lead has to be inserted by unscrewing the plastic pipe at the end from the main body. The little cap just opens to nothing. Otherwise, the pencil wouldn't have its bending mechanism.

This is what I'm talking about

 The grip is made out of just the worst kind of rubber. Allow me to explain, I also have a Uni Signo and Zebra Sarasa, both with rubber grips. Compared to the other two, however, the Signo's grip is clearly smoother with a lot less friction. The Sarasa's does not feel as velvety-smooth as the Signo, but it still withstands dirt and grime fairly well. The Olno's grip, well, has so much friction it feels sticky when you rub on it. As a result, it gets dirty very easily. Unlike the Dr. Grip which is a lint magnet, the Olno vanilla's grip does not attract all that much dust but frequently produces black smears just from being in the pencil case. It's also a lot harder to clean than the Dr. Grip as grime tends to stick on it. I've had more luck cleaning the Olno's grip with an oil-based makeup remover than regular soap. Even though I liked the Olno, I just couldn't stand having to clean it every so often, so it's now on permanent display in the pen stand.

Olno rainbow

However, I still really wanted a pencil that can bend—that's when the Olno Swift comes in. According to its marketing, the Olno Swift is supposed to be the higher-quality version of the Olno, the David Beckham of the world of bending pencils, so to speak. Unlike the Olno vanilla which came in a cheap plastic packet, the Olno Swift actually came with hard plastic packaging. *Gasp*

All the sarcasm aside, the Olno Swift does have a few redeeming features. Unlike the short, conical tip of the vanilla, the Olno Swift sports a 4mm needle-tip lead sleeve that is reminiscent of drafting pencils and allows for precision writing, although I  Next, the Olno Swift has a metallic main body and grip, leading to increased heft from the vanilla version. I like the metallic accent, but would much prefer the lightness of the vanilla when writing. However, most of Olno Swift's weight is near the tip, so the balance of the pencil isn't that bad, although I still prefer fiddling with the vanilla more. As with the newest models of the vanilla Olno, the Olno Swift ;features a clear window that allows you to see its mechanism in action; the orange part you can see in the picture below bends with each press. When pressed, the Olno Swift makes a softer sound than the original and it is overall easier to bend. Unlike the vanilla Olno, the Swift comes only in five colors shown in the second picture from the top, the one in the picture below was produced and sold along Tombow's complete pencil catalog for its 100th anniversary back in 2013, so sad.

The Limited Centennial Model of the Olno Swift

Like the vanilla version, you still have to load your lead by unscrewing the plastic part from main body. So far so good, Olno Swift, but how about your grip? I wanted an upgrade specifically because of the vanilla Olno's tendency to blemish. The white, translucent grip of the Olno Swift reminded me of that of the Alpha Gel models, and I was misled into thinking it was going to be just as soft, boy, was I wrong. Sure, the Olno Swift has a thicker, now silicone rubber grip, but it's still fairly firm and reminded me of the first Dr. Grips way back yonder. The Olno Swift's grip is definitely more resistant to dust and grime, but it still feels rough compared to that of the Signo. I wish the grip could have been softer and smoother, but maybe that's just me and my bias for squishy grips.

The Rundown:
Tombow Olno
Pros: Bending mechanicsm, lightweight
Cons: Poor quality grip, tendency to blemish
Estimated price: $3.00
Design: ★★★★
Comfort: ★★★
Writing performance/stability: ★★★
Durability/quality: ★★
Overall: ★★★
Despite its low overall rating, the Olno is a solid choice for those with a super tight budget. (I mean seriously, you can't fork out 3 more bucks?)

Tombow Olno Swift
Pros: 4mm needle-tip, easier to bend, improved grip
Cons: Heavy, grip not as soft as advertised
Estimated price: $6.00
Design: ★★★★
Comfort: ★★★★
Writing performance/stability: ★★★★
Durability/quality: ★★★
Overall: ★★★¾
The Olno Swift is a good choice for those looking for a tough, reliable pencil, although I would watch out for the tip if you plan to carry this in a pocket. Also, it might be harder to use if you have smaller hands. Honestly, I think the Olno Swift is way too heavy; therefore it's not a pencil I recommend use for extended use like in exams. However, I would recommend both the Olno and the Olno Swift if you like what you've heard so far and don't mind the stuff I complained about. :)

Review: Pilot Dr. Grip PureWhite (and FullBlack)

Hello again! I thought I was going to continue my pencil reviews in the same format as before with a bunch of different pencils crammed into one post, but I realized that it's probably neater and less time consuming if I worked on the reviews separately, so here we go!


The pencil I want to talk about today is Pilot's Dr. Grip PureWhite—really, it's the same as the FullBlack lineup except this one is white while the other is black, duh. Honestly, I didn't notice that much of a difference between this pencil and the Dr. Grip CL I reviewed earlier either.
From Pilot's offical website, you can tell this pencil is realy marketed for its ergonomic dual layer grip. It's made with two layers of silicon rubber with a firmer outer layer and a softer inner layer.

Like it's predecessors, PureWhite/FullBlack come with a shaker lead loading feature perfect for annoying your classmates during an exam.
Also, it's a bit hard to tell, but the conical tip and eraser cap of the pen are actually metal (like the G-Spec) coated by a thin layer of paint.
Now that you are well acquainted with this pencil, let's get to the review. Like I mentioned earlier, I didn't find the grip in the PureWhite all that amazing. The grip is still the same firm grip as ever; it is thicker than the original Dr. Grip from way back but you'd expect Pilot to make way more improvements in past 20 years or so. I have a bias for squishy gel grips like that of an Alpha Gel's in an ergonomic pencil, and needless to say I was really disappointed by this pencil. I had a lot of expectations for a pencil that cost me around $8. The Dr. Grip CL's grip was softer and more comfortable than that of the PureWhite in my opinion. Even though both the Alpha Gel and the Dr. Grip's outer layers are both made of silicon rubber, I find that the Dr. Grip attracts a lot more dust than the Alpha Gel does in the same pencil bag. The worst part is that the PureWhite attracts more dust than my old CL and I'ave never cleaned the latter since I got it nearly a year ago.
The shaker feature was nice but it's not much different from that of the CL or the G-Spec. One would expect Pilot to add a lock feature for a pencil $2 more than the older Dr. Grips, but no, it's just the same old shaker.
Frankly, I'm not that much of a Dr. Grip person, but I do sometimes use my CL, but with this pencil I just want to give it away as a gift and forget about it. Aside from its grip, the CL also doesn't have that annoying clip that I never use. Also, both the CL and G-Spec come in a variety of colors and themes. Rilakkuma, Gundam, Hello Kitty, Disney, you name it—you can  literally find every character plastered onto a Dr. Grip. With the PureWhite and FullBlack, however, there are no limited edition themes and you are basically stuck with an ugly black or white pencil. Compared to other mechanical pencils on the market, this pencil is very plain. I apologize if you actually like the design of this, but I am bothered by the fact that, since its release 3~4 years ago, the PureWhite/FullBlack has not offered anyone the option of colorway different than that of its usual white/black.
If I were to buy another Dr. Grip in the future, I would definitely go with a G-Spec or CL instead of this one.

P.S. Just last week Pilot released a 0.3mm G-Spec (and 0.7mm if that's your thing) Dr. Grip with the same dual layer grip that is $2 cheaper. There is officially a 0% chance I'm ever going to buy the PureWhite/FullBlack Dr. Grip ever again.

Cue: Heavenly chorus

The Rundown:
Pros: Slightly improved grip, shaker feature
Cons: Lack of limited edition models, grip attracts dust, no lock on shaker, $2 more than other Dr. Grips
Estimated price: $8.00
Design: ★★★
Comfort: ★★★
Writing performance/stability: ★★★★
Durability/quality: ★★★
Overall: ★★★¼

I don't always buy ergonomics pencils, but when I do, I hate how these stationery companies always market these pencils, throwing the word "human factor engineering" around like it's nothing. Stay thirsty (for cool stationery) my friends.

Stationewryyyyy (Part One)

Man, I love that word. It's sad though that sometimes when I ask for stationery at bookstores and office supplies stores the employee doesn't know what it means. I don't know, last time I checked, this was America, where people spoke English.
Anyway, I wanted to do a comprehensive review on all of the pencils and desk paraphernalia. Since I am by no means a dedicated blogger nor am I a snooty pencil expert, I'll just review every darn pencil I've used in my years in school - all the ones worth mentioning, at least. That way people won't have to scour the web for information on a certain pencil. These are my honest opinions and I don't sell any of these pencils.

Pentel Side FX 0.5 mm

Ah, the nostalgia. These were my favorite pencils in middle school. Too we only had 3 or so color options to choose from in the States. I always got the navy model. Not only were they relatively good compared to the 99 cent pencils, they were so freaking common that no one ever stole my pencils! You can't say that about alpha gels. It's hard to get the initial release dates on most of the pencils in my list but I'm sure these have been around for at least ten years already. This pencil just looks plain old and boring.

Features: Retractable eraser

So there are not many special features for this pencil, but you don't really need those fancy mechanical pencils, anyway (if you are a middle school student who never receives allowance). Actually, I hated the eraser on this thing. Not only was it smudgy, it was annoying to have to buy special refills just for this pencil. It makes much more sense to just use a block eraser. Despite being relatively lightweight to some other pencils, the Side FX is comfortable without feeling too flimsy. I liked how the click button is located at the middle of the body rather than the top as it's more convenient when you're trying to finish a assignment at the last second.  The only gripe I have with this pencil is its lack of durability. Of course, most of the pencils I have on this list aren't going to survive repeated dives to the floor but this pencil just finds ways to break itself. I've broken numerous Side FX's just due to jamming the lead. Due to the old fashioned, or maybe just cheap-A design of the lead feeder, there is no way for you to retrieve a lead once it has been stuck inside the body. If anyone's ever fixed a jammed Pentel Side FX, please help a brother out. Actually, I do not plan on buying this pencil again, not only because it's a bit on the dated side, but also because of its lack of durability. The entire logo on my last Side FX rubbed off in less than a year. I couldn't even identify this thing had not been for Google.

The Rundown:
Estimated price: $3.00
Design/appearance: ★★
Comfort: ★★★
Writing performance/stability: ★★★★
Durability/quality: ★
Overall: ★★½
I would recommend this pencil if you are just looking for a cheap writing instrument that is easy to find.

Pentel Stein P315 0.5mm

One of my favorite pencils, the Pentel Stein P315, P313 in the 0.3mm version, is a sleek yet affordable pencil reminiscent of their Graph series drafting pencils. 

Features: 
None unless you consider the metal grip 

I really like this pencil; for one thing, it feels very durable and solid compared to the similar Zebra Color Flight in the same price range. The body is mainly plastic with some metal accents. The clip does its job pretty well. I this pencil because of its resemblance to the drafting pencils by Pentel. The plastic bodies of the pencil have a nice, polished look. Due to its metal components, this pencil is not too light and flimsy. In fact, this pencil is heavier than the popular Pentel Graph 1000. It also has a long lead pipe for precision writing. Despite its lack of a grip, I found this pencil to be pretty comfortable, although it can get a bit slippery if you have sweaty hands. When I hold this pencil, I tend to regress to holding it with four fingers, though. This could definitely use some rubber in the grip. The lead advances with a solid "click" sound. This pencil doesn't dispense much lead with a single lead, which is good for getting the exact amount of lead you'd like.The metal can get dirty or scratched to reveal a lighter color, but the plastic body of this pencil so far has been good.

The Rundown:
Estimated price: $3.00
Design: ★★★★★
Comfort: ★★
Writing performance/stability: ★★★★
Durability/quality: ★★★
Overall: ★★★½
I don't have much else to say except that this is a good pencil for its cheap price. Also, it's available in 0.3mm, which has the same colors. There's a limited edition of both the 0.3 and 0.5mm versions with constellations and a matching lead pack and erasers. It's really pretty and I suggest getting it if you can.

Zebra Color Flight 0.5 mm

Excuse me for the picture, I was trying to find one that had an exact picture of the one I purchased, which was a limited edition Color Flight with a ribbon charm. I got the blue and orange one and totally regret it. It looks cute among the other colors, but by itself the colors are really drab. But enough about the limited edition, I'm reviewing this for its functionality as a mechanical pencil, not as part of my pen stand bouquet.

Features: Retractable eraser (the eraser had a knob at the bottom if you remove it and can extend when you twist the knob)
              Attached charm
              Hexagonal Grip
 I  feel lukewarm about this pencil. The only reason I even got it was because it looked cute and it was a popular model. It's not that special compared to other pencils around its price range. Another disappointing part of the pencil is that even though there are metal components, the pencil still feels too light. Perhaps I just prefer my pencils heavy enough to give my fingers a good workout, but this pencil just feels off when I grasp it. It's thin and hexagonal - like those wooden pencils I haven't had since the nineties. The actual writing isn't bad, though. Maybe it's just the jingling of that annoying charm which you can't remove, but the pencil just feels cheap whether it has the charm or not. For the same amount of money, I can get a pencil that is a heck a lot better with the Pentel Stein. However, I would recommend this pencil to people who like the traditional pencil feel without tips that get dull in the blink of an eye and smudgy fingers. There are also limited edition versions of this pencil without the stupid charm, but the original is cute enough in my opinion. This pencil is also available in 0.3mm for those of you who like to write tiny words.

The Rundown:
Estimated price: $3.00
Design: ★★★★
Comfort: ★★★
Writing performance/stability: ★★★
Durability/quality: ★★
Overall: ★★¾
I would recommend this pencil to decorate your pen case or stand, or as a gift for a younger sibling just as long as he or she is old enough as not to poke his/her eyes out with it.

Pilot Fure Fure Corone 0.5 mm

Yet another saccharine sweet mechanical pencil! Now you know what my tastes are for pencils. For the manly men out there, this pencil is pretty much identical to the Fure Fure Sprinter, except for the obvious divergence in marketing. Personally, I like the pastel colors paired with the cream white clip. It's pretty, although I can't speak so favorably about its actual usefulness as a pencil.

Features: Shaker mechanism

               Retractable tip

               Charms are attachable to the pencil via the hole under the clip

Compared to the Color Flight in the same price range, this pencil has a lot more features and is also pretty darn cute. However, these features are flawed in comparison to the more expensive pencils with the same features. For instance, the shaker of the Corone has the most annoying "shaka shaka" sound ever. I would definitely advise you not bring this to a test or a quiet library. The spring doesn't work as well as a heavier shaker pencil and you are forced to shaker the pencil harder, which makes even more noise. Honestly, I would  preferred it if Pilot just made the Corone without the shaker. The second feature of the Corone, the retractable clip, is also a letdown. The retractable clip isn't like that of a normal ballpoint pen where you just click and it retracts perfectly by itself; the pencil requires you to hold the button and press down on the tip to make it retract. This is totally fine, but I feel like it's unnecessary feature since I'm just going to put this on permanent display in the pen stand.  Really, I'm not so annoyed about the two features of the pencil as I am about its poor writing performance. No matter which lead I used, the words just came out bolder and more smudgy than those I wrote with a different pencil using the same lead. The lead guide pipe is too short for my liking, and the pen body is too light, not to mention 

that there are no grips on this pencil. That said, there is a newer and improved 0.3 mm version of the Fure Fure Corone which is supposed to have a quieter shaker system and a slimmer pen body. Still, I have way too many pencils already and the Corone just doesn't interest me right now.

The Rundown:
Estimated price: $2.00
Design/appearance: ★★★★★
Comfort: ★★
Writing performance/stability: ★
Durability/quality: ★★
Overall: ★★★
This pencil is yet another eye candy with no real performance, but look at that lead in the bottom right, cute!

Pilot Dr. Grip CL 0.5 mm

A variety of the ever-popular Dr. Grip series by Pilot, CL is probably the cheapest version (lol). I have used Uni Alpha Gels for a long time so even though I heard a lot of nice things about these pencils, I never got into them and there's an obvious reason: the difference in the grips. The Alpha Gel grips are significantly softer. It all depends on preference, I suppose, if you are interested in trying either of these brands. The CL is my first ever Dr. Grip pen and honestly, I would still prefer Alpha Gels over this pencil, but it does have a lot of interesting features that the Alpha Gel lacks in some cases.

Features:
Shaker Mechanism
Ergonomic grip
Charms are attachable
Scented pen
Customizable Appearance

The shaker mechanism on this pencil is no joke; it is probably the best out of my pathetic pencil collection. I'm confused though as to why there's no clip on this thing, but instead a plastic ring for charms. I mean, charms look cool, but it gets in the way of writing all too often for me. I suppose one can also strap this on a lanyard if he or she has a job that requires a lot of writing away from the desk (like in a hospital or construction site)  and doesn't have a breast pocket (why?). I wouldn't recommend hanging this pencil around on your neck because 1) it's not that lightweight and 2) the tip is not retractable. The actual writing of this pencil is pretty nice, but nothing extraordinary. The grip is really interesting in that it has an air layer below the out-most silicon rubber and inner white rubber ribs. I don't even know what the ribbed inner layer is for, but it reminds me of the Nike Air shoes and how I wanted to puncture every damn heel with a needle. The grip is firmer and feels almost like a Zebra Airfit (which I hate) when I first got it, but I am happy to report that the grip gets slightly softer with use; it does, however, attract a lot of dust, but nothing I can't clean off. Dr. Grip sets itself apart from Alpha Gel in customization. You can insert a picture into the upper body and sometimes even a scented stick into the lead stopper. There's a lot more limited edition pencils with tons of cute characters with the Dr. Grip series as well. However, I would recommend that you get an Alpha Gel pencil in the same price range instead. The grip in this thing really isn't that good. Due to its design, I often feel weird air pockets in the grip and the outer layer sometimes sticks to the inner.

Estimated price: $5.00
Design/appearance: ★★★
Comfort: ★★★★
Writing performance/stability: ★★★★
Durability/quality: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★¾

Pilot Delful 0.5 mm

Evident from the name, this pencil is marketed for its retractable and shaker feature. It comes in a variety of colors, including clear bodies which allows you to see the amazing mechanism of action of this pencil. 

Features:
Retractable tip
Shaker lead loading mechanism

I really like the retractable body tip in this pencil. Unlike the Fure Fure series, the tip actually retracts and snaps in place like that of a spring-loaded pen. The pencil is nice and heavy and doesn't feel filmy at all. The shaker is on par with the older Dr. Grips, However, you can still length the lead by lightly pressing the cap. There's just a slight problem: the shaker still works when the tip is retracted; it's not acutally locked from dispensing as the Alpha Gel HD Shaka Shaka. Of course, it's not that big of a deal since you are ultimately trying to protect the actual tip and not the lead. Even though the shaker feels really nice, I feel that it isn't all that consistent for the price I payed for because the lead doesn't come out as readily as the Dr. Grips. It's not horrible, just not as good as I expect from a pencil at this price. This pretty much makes this pencil a fluke considering it costs as much as the Dr. Grip CL but lacks the better grip. The grip on this pencil is almost nonexistent as a hard rubber found on generic pens. I didn't even notice it at first since it's the same color as the rest of the body. The colorways are good, but what I care about is its functionality, not to mention the metallic eraser cap doesn't match the plastic body at all since there isn't a metal tip to juxtapose with it, at least when the tip is retracted. What I hate most about this pencil is its center of mass. Although it is nice and heavy, the pencil feels like it's going to flip up from my hands due to the mass at the bottom of the pencil. Along with its grip and thickness, the poor center of mass of the Pilot Delful makes this pencil a poor one to write with. 

The Rundown

Estimated price: $5.00
Design/appearance: ★★★
Comfort: ★★
Writing performance/stability: ★★★
Durability/quality: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★

The only thing that makes this pencil stand out is then its retractable tip. If you are looking for a good shaker pencil, however, I would think twice about getting this one especially because of its price tag. whether it's $8 or cheaper elsewhere. According to Amazon, the Delful weighs about 19.9g. If you prefer a heavier pencil, I would recommend that you get the Pilot S10 around the same weight instead. If you were looking for a pencil to carry in your pocket, I would recommend the Pentel Kerry instead.

Gah, I know I promised to keep this in one post, but this post has gotten too long. I'll continue the rest in another blog post. I also noticed that it's really hard to feel objective when judging these pencils; so even if two pencils have the same number of stars, it doesn't necessarily mean that they're equal. I strongly recommend that you try these pencils out in a store or at least look at other reviews online (YouTube has a bunch). Sorry about the formatting, blogger is a b.