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. :)