Pentel Graphgear 1000 Mechanical Drafting Pencil 0.3mm Brown (PG1013)

In short: Fulfils all criteria to guarantee an excellent product experience. Looks: I have lost track of how many years I have had mine (best part of a decade now). They still look the business and are often asked about by my clients whilst I am using them. One was even stolen, so I suppose that makes them quite desirable. Construction: The retractable tip is just perfect. It has a slight springiness to it that not only cushions the writing/drawing experience, but also helps avoid lead breakages, although the modern hi-poly' refills are pretty good in their own right. Made principally of plastic and aluminium, it is light yet very robust. The combination of a knurled section and rubber grip is perfect - no readjustment or sweaty finger problems. There are no fancy gears that turn the lead around (as advertised by other products) neither have I ever thought to myself that I need one of those - one less unnecessary mechanism that can go wrong = minimalism = long-lasting = happy owner. Use: Always works well, very easy to carry around (very light). Solid enough construction to withstand severe punishment - mine has been submerged in water for ~3 days (flood while I was away) & dropped from a height of over 10m (~30ft) - accidentally dropped in the space between staircase - which obliterated the lead refills inside but the pen works just fine. If it was the cheaper plastics varieties of mechanical pencils then they would not have survived. I'm also sure that some of the more expensive varieties will not be able to boast this. Even if it did stop working, replacing them is not going to be too painful. As testament to how well these have worked, I now have 3 varieties of these that take different refill sizes, as well as a spare 0.5mm as my all-rounder when I have to jot down or explain anything on the go. The oldest one is pushing a decade in age and looks/works like new. [For the astute fans out there: yes, they did make minor changes in their construction over the years, but not to any detriment] Conclusion: I have never been let down, only pleasantly surprised. I would highly recommend this over any other product I have tried (including comparisons against other brands that are >4x more expensive). A fantastic product that offers excellent value and many years of great service. This product has never disappointed me and I'm certain that most will agree once they have had the pleasure of using it.

I have two of these and been using them for around 7 years now. Majority of that use has been in diy, woodworking, second fixing, etc. Accurate marking, comfortable in the hand and the retracting nib is great in use. I always clip the pencil to my trouser pocket so the retraction means, 1) the nib itself and the leads within are protected when I'm moving around, 2) the nib isn't stabbing me in the thigh when I'm moving around, 3) it puts you into the habit of clipping it away so the pencil is always where you think it is (unlike when I use other pencils and end up wasting countless minutes trying to remember where I put it down or what pocket I hid it in).

Since buying this mechanical pencil I haven't picked up a normal pencil. The mechanical pencil is easy to use, the top of the barrel where the lead is, goes back into the pencil after use to protect it. The eraser is great, and is replaceable, as is the lead. And for the price point this pencil is ten times better than any other one I've tried. I love the solid, weighty feel it has, and how if you drop it, the lead doesn't break. I love how comfortable it is to hold in my hand, even after hours of holding it. I also love the thickness of the lead and how it gives a soft, fine line when written with. I also use it for drawing outlines before I paint in watercolour or acrylics. This is such a wonderful mechanical pencil in every way and I have now bought another one from the same merchant and intend to buy more in different sizes in the future. I highly recommend this device.

As far as I am concerned this is the best mechanical pencil you can get. I already own one with a 0.5 mm lead which has given sterling service so was delighted to find the 0.9mm at a good price. ( I am somewhat clumsy so anything I use a lot has to survive being dropped, getting dirty and lots of sack the juggler moments.) Like the other, this one is a pleasure to use. The pads on the grip make it comfortable to use for long periods, unlike some with metal grips that tend to make my fingers sore. The way the clip easily retracts the collar and lead means I preserve the leads and save time and money. The colour coding on the barrel makes it easy to recognise different sizes. It is perfectly balanced and the design and construction is of excellent quality. in my previous review I referred to this as the Rolls Royce of mechanical pencils and stand by this opinion. Anyone who constantly uses a mechanical pencil will find this a pleasure to use.

These Pentel Graphgear 1000 mechanical pencils are fantastic! I have multiples of all of them. They are well worth the extra because they are extremely durable, they are easy to use, comfortable to hold and allow accurate drawing. I can highly recommend them.

pentel graphgear 1000 is one of the best drafting pencils I used , love it . thank you

Perfect for drawing or just jotting down shopping lists etc. well made , nice grip and well balanced. Also great value for money. The 0.9 size lead is ideal for larger writing.

This is a fine mechanical pencil and the best I’ve used. The nib retraction is very good, a press of the pocket clip and the nib fires back into the pen body. The knurled and rubberised grip is very comfortable and the pencil has a good balanced weight to it. The pen outer is all metal, but some of the internals are plastic. A colleague of mine has the rotring 800 which is nice and seems all metal, but the nib is more loose than I would like, while the nib in the pentel has minimal play. I bought a 0.3mm and 0.7mm of this pen in approx 2008, both are still working as new. I bought another 0.7mm in 2019 so that I had a spare, in this time the pen clip has changed from a spring to a hinge. The hinge works the same but requires a little more press force to retract the nib, but Increases it’s functionally as a pocket clip. Also in the time, the metal shaft that houses the spare leads has been swapped for plastic, I guess this is to reduce costs, while it doesn’t seem to have any adverse effect on function or performance it’s a little disappointing it see, but for £7 it isn’t surprising. If pentel offered an all metal graphgear that replaced the plastic internals with metal, it’s likely buy it. For £7 this is a fantastic mechanical pencil and is the benchmark.