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 |
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 :(
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 :(
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