Technical Pens and Pencils: The TWSBI Precision Ballpoint and Mechanical Pencil

So-called “drafting” pens and pencils are sometimes considered a category unto themselves, or as a subset of the slightly broader “technical” pen and pencil category. Long-dominated by the beloved (and excellent) Rotring 600 and 800, many companies have shied away from introducing their own version of this classic piece of stationery kit, despite it’s enduring popularity. Not TWSBI, who over the years has introduced four different mechanical pencils, two ballpoint pens, and a technical-style fountain pen through their “Precision” line of products. Today I’ll take a look at the Precision mechanical pencil and ballpoint.

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The Precision Mechanical Pencil comes in both fixed and retractable-pipe versions.

So What Distinguishes the TWSBI Precision Line of Pens?

If you (like me) already own multiple Rotring 600 and Rotring 800 pens and mechanical pencils, what differentiates the TWSBI Precision to the point that you might want to give this particular pen and/or pencil a shot? Here are my main points to consider:

• Different Knurling on the Grip. The primary difference I would highlight is the knurling (or grip texture), because this aspect will likely affect your everyday writing the most. Rotring uses a rougher, almost sandpaper-like texture that people either love or dislike depending on whether it hurts their fingers. Personally, I’m a big fan of the Rotring grip, which I think gives the pen a tactile writing experience that’s not duplicated elsewhere, but I also enjoy TWSBI’s approach. The Precision grip appears to be molded into the barrel as opposed to machined, so the knurling is slightly more raised and can have a softer feel. It all comes down to personal preference.

• Slightly Softer Edges on the Hexagonal Barrel. I’ve never noticed it until this direct comparison, but the edges on the Rotring pens are pretty sharp. The TWSBI Precision is more rounded, akin to the Caran d’Ache 849, though I would place the Precision “in the middle” between the other two.

• Different Aesthetics. Rotring famously adheres to a black/silver + red color scheme, and though they’ve moved away from that in recent years with a few new base colors, the overall aesthetic remains consistent. I would characterize the finish on the TWSBI Precision as more “satin” as opposed to Rotring’s true “matte”, and the TWSBI’s chrome clip, knock, and tip look nice on either the black or silver pen/pencil.

• Different Mechanism on the Retractable Pipe Mechanical Pencil. I previously reviewed the Rotring 800, and I love how that pen features a twist mechanism on the knock that allows you to retract the sleeve / “pipe” for pocket carry. The TWSBI Precision has a similar feature, though you need to depress the knock and press down gently to get the pipe to retract. It’s less convenient, but it’s also a less expensive pencil.

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The knurling on the TWSBI Precision (top) and the Rotring 600 (bottom) is very different. One is not better than the other - they just have a completely different feel. Note that the tip on the TWSBI Precision ballpoint extends slightly farther than on the Rotring 600. Personally, I like this because I enjoy more needle-tip pens that feel as though they provide more control over my writing. Others prefer how the Rotring looks.

See the gallery below for a comparison between the Rotring 800 retractable mechanical pencil and the TWSBI precision mechanical pencil, both retracted (right) and extended (left).

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General Functionality and Writing Experience

Overall, the Precision provides a very nice writing experience for the price point. The Precision pens and pencils are approximately the same weight and length as the Rotring 600, and slightly shorter/slimmer than the Rotring 800. Due to the different texture, the feel in the hand is more akin to the Caran d’Ache 849, and those who appreciate the 849 line of writing instruments but find themselves wanting a more textured grip section and slightly longer barrel should consider the TWSBI Precision.

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While the pens discussed here all share certain design elements, they have their own unique feel in hand and will appeal to different users in terms of both aesthetics and functionality.

Though not a game changer, I wanted to point out that TWSBI adds value by including a pack of leads and replacement erasers with the Precision mechanical pencil, and a second Parker-style ballpoint cartridge with the ballpoint pen. The erasers are a cool touch - they’re super long, do their job well, and should last you for a while. The TWSBI-branded ballpoint refill is quite nice, but if you prefer something else it’s Parker-style so you can swap in your choice of the endless Parker-style ballpoint/gel/capless roller refills out there.

I love the long eraser on the TWSBI Precision. Plus you get three of them, likely enough to last you years unless you really enjoy your mechanical pencil erasers.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

To be perfectly honest, now that I’ve been using my own Precision ballpoint and Precision .5mm retractable mechanical pencil for a couple of months now, I’m kicking myself for having waited this long. In my opinion, TWSBI doesn’t do a great job of promoting their non-fountain pen product line, and even though many people have commented about how nice their mechanical pencils are, it’s one of those products that I put off trying and reviewing for years. I’m now wondering whether it’s time to pick up a Precision fountain pen.

Three different pens/pencils, three great options: the Rotring 600 (top), the TWSBI Precision (center), and the Caran d’Ache 849.

We recently added the TWSBI Precision line to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and currently stock both the Precision Ballpoint and Precision Mechanical Pencil in all colors and subtypes. As noted above, the mechanical pencil is available with both .5mm and .7mm lead sizes, with a fixed or retractable pipe. Both Precision Ballpoint Pens and Mechanical Pencils are priced at $25, which I personally consider a very fair value.

Disclaimer: The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of TWSBI products, including the Precision pens featured in this review. This post does not contain third-party advertising and affiliate links, and we are supported entirely by shop purchases and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Pencil Review: Wingback Mechanical Pencil in Brass

Like their machined pen counterparts, machined mechanical pencils have grown in popularity over the past five years or so, with many of these brands vying for top billing in the “buy it once/use it forever” category. People get emotionally attached to their mechanical pencils, possibly more so than any other tool or stationery item, and it’s not uncommon to find people still using the same drafting pencil they purchased in high school or college twenty or thirty years later. If you’re looking for such a workhorse, why not consider a high-quality, machined metal pencil that’s guaranteed for 30 years?

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Wingback is a UK-based company that makes a variety of stationery and lifestyle products, ranging from pens and pencils to hip flasks and leather wallets. The company presents itself as “a 100 year company and antidote to disposable culture,” offering a 30-day return period and a 30-year guarantee on all of its products. After a month or so of experiencing the Wingback Mechanical Pencil, I can easily see it lasting that long (or more likely, even longer).

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All of Wingback’s writing instruments - there’s also a pen - are machined from brass or stainless steel. The pencil has a shorter length and wider diameter than your typical drafting pencil, which helps significantly with balance. If there’s one drawback to a machined metal mechanical pencil, it’s weight, and a combination of weight and length can throw off the balance for some users, leading to hand fatigue and even more frequent lead breakage. Though shorter than I’m used to, the Wingback rests perfectly in the web of my hand. The subtle knurling on the barrel offers excellent grip and control without sacrificing comfort, though knurling is always a matter of personal preference.

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I opted for the .7mm. With a heavier pencil, I sometimes find that .5mm leads tend to break more frequently, especially at the softer B and 2B hardnesses.

Clearly, the Wingback Mechanical Pencil has been designed and created as an all-day, everyday writing instrument. (In other words, what I’d call a workhorse.) Though it’s a bit more complex to refill than the average mechanical pencil, the Wingback holds a massive number of leads inside the metal barrel. Wingback pegs this number at 40, and I haven’t done an official test, but I was easily able to fit an entire pack of Pentel 2B leads, which will take me at least a year to use up. The pencil features a retractable pipe, making it suitable for pocket carry. One drawback, however, is the lack of an integrated eraser. That’s not an issue for me, since I rarely use mechanical pencil erasers in favor of better stand-alone options, but those who don’t want to carry a separate eraser should be aware.

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The Wingback Mechanical Pencil is machined in England, with the internal pencil mechanism made in Japan. The pencil is capable of holding an absolutely massive number of pencil leads inside the barrel, so you should rarely have to refill.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

If you appreciate the look and durability of a machined mechanical pencil, but worry that many of the models currently on the market are too heavy or unbalanced for your hand, you should consider the Wingback Mechanical Pencil. Personally, I love the “buy it once” philosophy Wingback espouses, and I especially appreciate the large lead capacity and retractable pipe, which lands this pencil squarely within “portable workhorse” territory. If you’re the type of person who loves to have a single pen or pencil in your bag, at hand and always ready, you can opt for the Wingback Mechanical Pencil without any concern over whether it will be ready to go.

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The Wingback Mechanical Pencil, second from left, shown here alongside the Rotring 600, Modern Fuel Mechanical Pencil, and Rotring 800.

You can purchase the Wingback Mechanical Pencil directly from Wingback, starting at £95.00 in either the brass shown here or stainless steel. Wingback has also started to offer special finishes, including a “Black Steel” version that’s now sold out, as well as an artist collaboration with cartography studio Lást Maps. Given the quality of the work and the fact that I would expect this product to last for many years, I consider Wingback’s pricing more than fair, and even a good value. If you’re in the market for a machined pen or pencil, I would highly encourage you to check out their offerings.

Wingback provided me with the pencil featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review. This post does not contain affiliate links, and all opinions expressed herein are my own.

Pencil Review: Retro 51 Tornado Pencil

I’ve held off writing much on Retro 51 over the past year because I wanted to first see what was happening with the future of the company. As many of you may have heard, Retro 51 announced last year that their owners were retiring, and that the company would be “wound down” over the first six to nine months of 2020. Many were surprised - and a bit puzzled, to be honest - as Retro continued to roll out a seemingly endless stream of special and limited editions, store exclusive pens, and new products throughout the year, only to announce in January 2021 that the company wasn’t closing after all, that it was being acquired by new ownership, and that most of the staff would stay on to maintain continuity of operations.

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The Retro 51 “The System” Pencil designed by my friend, Mike Dudek of Dudek Modern Goods and The Clicky Post. I have a pen/pencil set, and it’s probably my favorite of all the Retro 51s.

While Retro 51 has never been one of my main collecting interests, the possibility of any pen company shutting down made me sad. While I’m glad to see the pens will still be available, and presumably all the Retro employees will keep their jobs, I will admit to some unease about how the company took an entire year to announce the “change in plans,” presumably knowing that fans were snapping up Retro 51 pens as “last chance” purchases because - as far as they knew - Retro 51 was shutting down. For now, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt until we know more details about what happened over this past year and the plans new ownership has for the company.

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Shown here in-hand, the Retro 51 “Albert” pencil from the Vintage Metalsmith Collection.

But back to the substance of today’s review: the Retro 51 Tornado Pencil, a somewhat unique writing instrument that’s often overshadowed by its (much) more famous sibling, the Retro 51 Tornado Rollerball. Shape-wise, the pen and pencil versions of the Tornado are identical, save for the large (and very good) eraser on the pencil. The pencil even uses the same twist mechanism to retract the lead, which is an ultra-wide 1.15mm. In terms of weight and balance, the Tornado Pencil and Rollerball feel nearly identical, so if you’re a fan of one, you’ll like the other. IF you can get past the lead size….

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Twist mechanism and eraser.

That brings me to the main downside of this product. A 1.15mm mechanical pencil lead is extremely broad - almost as broad as a leadholder pencil, but still too narrow to sharpen in a lead pointer. That leaves you with a rather blunt pencil point. For me, it limits the utility because I can’t write small, and annotations/marginalia while reading are my primary use case for mechanical pencils. You also won’t find many refill options other than the Retro 51-branded option, as 1.15mm is an odd size, and you’re typically stuck with standard HB grade without the option to go darker or harder.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

Overall, the Retro 51 Tornado is a good mechanical pencil, and I keep a couple in my collection. Since I enjoy writing small, the lead size on the Tornado Pencil makes regular use a challenge, despite the functional twist design and quality build. When I do use this pencil, it’s typically to jot quick notes to myself. Those with larger handwriting, or who prefer a broader pencil point for things like drawing, may not be bothered by the lead size, and if you find standard woodcase or mechanical pencil barrels too narrow, you may appreciate the more substantial Tornado.

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Writing sample shown here against a Rotring 800 with a .5mm lead. Paper is the Write Notepads Engineer Notebook.

Retro 51 Tornado Pencils are available for purchase individually, or as part of a pen/pencil set, from most Retro 51 dealers such as our friends at Vanness Pens. stand-alone pencils are priced between $40-45 and sets anywhere from $60-80, depending on the edition. This pricing is consistent with most high-quality mechanical pencils and the Retro 51 Tornado Rollerball, which I consider good value. Refills are somewhat difficult to find, given the uncommon lead diameter, but are mostly available from Retro 51 dealers.

Further Reading on Retro 51

I’ve not written much on Retro 51 in the past, but I have previously reviewed the Retro Collection Desk Set, as well as a piece comparing the Tornado Rollerball and the Baron Fig Squire. Even though I don’t use it as much as other rollerballs these days, I should eventually do a stand-alone review of the Retro 51 Tornado Rollerball.

Mechanical Pencil Review: Ohto Sharp APS-280E

In belated celebration of National Pencil Day (which was yesterday), I decided to dig back through my “stationery drawer of shame” and pull out a product that I’ve owned for years but never formally reviewed. (To be honest, there are multiple “drawers of shame.” And cabinets. And storage bins. But we won’t go there.) Close at hand I found a quirky mechanical pencil that struck me as the perfect way to celebrate our appreciation for pencils both woodcase and mechanical: the Ohto Sharp .5mm mechanical pencil.

[Note: Since I didn’t post a review on National Pencil Day, I’m extending the National Pencil Day promotional code until 11:59pm ET tonight. Take 10% off your order of pencils and/or pencil sharpeners in the Curated Shop using the code “PENCILDAY” at checkout!]

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Established in 1929, Ohto is a long-standing Japanese stationery brand that is best known for their mechanical pencils, ballpoints, and rollerballs. (Reviews of Ohto fountain pens are best described as, ahem, “mixed.”) While Ohto makes a wide range of different writing instruments, the one that’s repeatedly caught my eye is the Ohto Sharp .5mm pencil, in which the company has hollowed out a traditional woodcase pencil body and inserted a .5mm mechanical pencil mechanism. The knock, (or “clicker”) is inserted into the ferrule and includes a traditional pink eraser. While it does rattle a bit as you write, overall, I was impressed at how well this contraption actually works.

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The eraser pops out of the Ohto Sharp, exposing the tube that holds the pencil leads. (You can also purchase replacement erasers.)

So why does this product exist at all? Apart from just being a neat design idea, the Ohto Sharp caters to those who enjoy the feel of a woodcase pencil, but either (1) write very small and don’t enjoy constantly sharpening a pencil to maintain a needle point; and/or (2) prefer their woodcase pencils at a specific length, namely when they’ve been sharpened a handful of times. I fall into both categories, and marveled at how much fun it was to use this pencil to make tiny notes and annotations in a way that you can only really do with a mechanical pencil, yet with the comfort and balance of a hexagonal woodcase pencil at what I consider a great length.

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I love woodcase pencils when they are just about this length - probably sharpened 3-5 times, depending on the pencil.

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Shown next to a Blackwing Volume 3, which I would estimate has been sharpened approximately 4-5 times.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I’ve enjoyed the Ohto Sharp, and will probably keep one in my regular pencil rotation, especially when I’m traveling and don’t have a convenient opportunity to use a sharpener. (I was going to say that I plan to pick up another, but while I was writing this review, further digging in the “drawer of shame” revealed another Sharp, still sealed in its packaging, this time in a natural finish!) While I’m set for the .5mm version, there’s also apparently a 2mm leadholder version, which I have not used.

I should mention that the Ohto Sharp is, effectively, a disposable mechanical pencil. While I’ve owned this particular pencil for several years without incident, others have had issues with the Ohto Sharp jamming, and if so, you likely will not be able to disassemble the pencil in order to repair it. This doesn’t bother me too much - priced around $5, it’s not too expensive to replace, and as I mentioned, I’ve used one of my Sharp pencils on and off for about three years without experiencing any problems.

I acquired the pencil featured in this review at Kinokuniya Bookstore in New York, with my own funds, for my own personal use. I was not compensated for this review and this post does not include affiliate links. Ohto products are available online from a variety of retailers, and this is one that I may look to add to the Curated Shop in the future.

Which Mechanical Pencil to Pick: Rotring 600 vs. Rotring 800

Rotring makes my favorite mechanical pencils, and it’s not a close call. From the sturdy, industrial design and the clean color scheme, Rotring writing instruments are well-built and great looking. If you invest in a set, they should last you a lifetime (or at least close to it), and if you pair your Rotring pencil with a Lamy 2000 pen, you’ll have completed your industrial/minimalist writing kit.

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The Rotring 600 receives most of the attention in the stationery blogosphere, but lately I’ve been looking for a mechanical pencil that was slightly more portable - namely one with a retractable pipe that I could carry in a pocket without risking bending the tip or stabbing myself in the leg. I finally decided to splurge a bit and picked up Rotring’s “deluxe” offering, the Rotring 800.

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If you’re a hardcore fan of the Rotring 600, the more expensive 800 doesn’t break much new ground. More or less everything in my previous review of the Rotring 600 from a few years back still holds true. The approximately 50% price premium is driven by size and additional engineering. While the 800 does add some length and width to the writing experience, making the 800 slightly more balanced for longer writing sessions, the main difference is the retractable “pipe”, and on the Rotring 800+, a stylus tip that you can use on touchscreens when the tip is retracted. (I don’t use capacitative touch styli, so I passed on the latter.) The retractable mechanism on the Rotring 800 feels solid and works well, as you’d expect, and the pencil’s grip features the same exceptionally soft knurling as on the Rotring 600.

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The retractable tip works by twisting the knurled mechanism at the end of the pencil. Some online reviewers have commented on “tip wiggle” with retractable mechanical pencils such as the Rotring 800. I haven’t noticed it, personally, but YMMV if this is something that bothers you.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

A good mechanical pencil has its place in your writing kit, especially if you write small and annotate lots of books and documents, not to mention if you draft or draw. Mechanical pencil lead doesn’t ghost or smear nearly as much as standard graphite, so I like to use it when I’m making notes in books that I plan to go back through later. Though I own a handful of mechanical pencils, my Rotrings are the ones that get the most use, simply because I consider them to be that much better than anything else out there.

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The Rotring 800 fits my hand better than the more slender 600.

The big question is not whether the Rotring 800 is worth the money - $65 is more than a fair price for this pencil - it’s whether the Rotring 800 justifies a $33 premium over the Rotring 600. As with everything in stationery, it depends on how you plan to use the pencil. I sometimes find the standard Rotring 600 mechanical pencil slightly too small (really, too narrow) for longer writing sessions, and as I mentioned above, portability is an issue. While it’s true that the Rotring 600 offers substantially the same writing experience as the 800 for only $32, that says more about the extreme value of the Rotring 600 than anything else. Overall, I believe I prefer the balance of the slightly larger and longer Rotring 800, and the ability to retract the pipe for a more portable carry option.

Despite Rotring having discontinued its coveted fountain pens, the mechanical pencils are still relatively easy to find. Most retailers, such as our site sponsor Pen Chalet, stock both the Rotring 600 and Rotring 800, along with the Rapid Pro, for those of you who may prefer something with a wider grip and more rounded corners. Through July 4, you can use the coupon code “FREEDOM” to get an extra 10% off your Pen Chalet order at checkout!

Disclaimer: I purchased the pencil featured in this review from site sponsor Pen Chalet using affiliate credit. This post contains affiliate links.