Pentel Sharp Kerry and Uni Kuru Toga Dive Side by Side

Capped Mechanical Pencils: Who Did It Better, Pentel Sharp Kerry or Uni Kuru Toga Dive?

June 26, 2024

To my knowledge, the "capped mechanical pencil" market is mostly divided between two popular options: The Pentel Sharp Kerry and the recently released Kuru Toga Dive. (Yes, I know there are other models out there that feature a cap, but these two get 90% of the mainstream attention.) When I refer to a capped mechanical pencil, it's basically what it sounds like: a traditional mechanical pencil with a pen-style cap that protects the tip when not in use. For those who enjoy writing with a pencil but lament the difficulties of pocket carry, these pencils can offer a level of convenience and usability beyond the bullet pencil (which still requires that you carry a sharpener).

Pentel Sharp Kerry: Excellent Since 1971

You rarely find a piece of stationery that's remained essentially unchanged for more than 50 years. Other examples I can think of off the top of my head would be classics such as the Lamy 2000 or the Pilot Capless/Vanishing Point. Does 50+ years make a pen or pencil "iconic"? In my book, yes. And if the form of this pencil looks familiar to all you fountain pen lovers, that's no coincidence: Pentel designed this pencil to appeal to fountain pen users by offering a design that wouldn't look out of place on their desk or in their pen case alongside more expensive writing instruments. The design is reminiscent of the Pilot Myu or Murex fountain pens from the same era (1970s). For more on the history of the Pentel Sharp Kerry, you can check out this article from the Pen Addict, which originally appeared on Mai-Bun.com.

Practically speaking, I can easily see why the design of the Pentel Sharp Kerry hasn't changed in a half-century. It’s insanely comfortable to use. Posted, the pencil measures 5.25" long, so it sits right in the center of my hand. The long, smooth section accommodates a wide variety of different grips. Best of all, there is a button incorporated into the cap, so when the pen is uncapped and the cap posted on the back, you can still activate the knock. Unlike many technical-style mechanical pencils with their knurled grip and somewhat heavy all-metal construction, the Sharp Kerry feels designed for writing. It's one of the most well-balanced mechanical pencils in my collection, and the absence of a pronounced texture on the grip allows you to write for long sessions without discomfort.

Pentel Sharp Kerry Eraser in Cap — The Pentel Sharp Kerry is designed to be used posted. Evidence? The knock button on the cap can be removed to reveal a Pentel eraser!

Pentel Sharp Kerry with Pilot Myu — I kind of can’t believe I haven’t previously noticed the design similarities between the Pentel Sharp Kerry Mechanical Pencil (left) and the vintage Pilot Myu fountain pen (right).

Pentel Sharp Kerry Pilot Myu Uncapped — Hmmm. I’m starting to like it even more.

Uni Kuru Toga Dive Uncapped — The Uni Kuru Toga Dive in “Abyss Blue”.

Uni Kuru Toga Dive: Innovative Technology in a “no-Knock” format, But at What Price?

Mechanical pencils often feel like a less-discussed subset of the stationery world, but if you’ve followed the reaction to the announcement, release, discontinuation, and re-release of the Kuru Toga "Dive" over the past two years, you’ll quickly come to realize that there is a significant level of interest. I'm actually not sure that any product release generated as much "controversy" as the Dive, particularly after Uni raised the price in the U.S. by nearly 30%, supposedly to undercut resellers who were buying up stock and reselling the pencils at marked-up rates. I never grasped the logic or strategy here, but I understand that they have since walked it back, and in any event the pencils are not even currently available other than on the secondary market. It will be interesting to see what happens if/when the Dive reappears - and I hope it does, because it’s a really good pencil! For me the question is one of value: do you appreciate the high-tech features, or are you good with a standard Kuru Toga?

Uni Kuru Toga Dive Tip Adjustment — The dial allows you to adjust lead length.

So what makes the Kuru Toga Dive special? In addition to Uni's signature Kuru Toga lead rotation mechanism (which maintains a sharp point on the pencil by automatically rotating the lead as you write), the Kuru Toga Dive automatically advances the lead when you uncap the pencil. You rotate the grip in order to set the desired length ("Min," "Mid", or "Max") and the pencil does the rest. I love this kind of innovation, even if I personally prefer to set/control my own lead length manually. (More on that below.)

Uni Kuru Toga Dive Posted In Hand — The cap on the Kuru Toga Dive is magnetic, so it caps and posts securely.

The Dive is a large mechanical pencil. Unlike the Pentel Sharp Kerry, it can easily be used posted or unposted. Some might even consider the Dive unwieldy with the cap posted, but given the plastic/acrylic construction, I didn't find it too heavy and regularly use it this way. (The Dive is actually lighter (.7oz) than the Sharp Kerry (.8oz).) That said, there is one drawback for me: Unlike the Pentel Sharp Kerry, you cannot manually advance the lead via the cap, which I find to be something of an inconvenience if the auto-advance mechanism doesn't keep up or if you have lead breakage. If lead breakage occurs, you have to unpost the pencil in order to hit the knock, as well as to access the eraser.

Uni Kuru Toga Dive Eraser Unposted — The eraser on the Kuru Toga Dive can only be accessed by unposting the pen and removing the knock.

Takeaways: Which Do I Prefer?

These two pencils have completely different feature sets, and sit in two wildly different price brackets, so an apples-to-apples comparison is hard. That said, if I had to recommend spending $20 on the Pentel Sharp Kerry or $70-100 on the Uni Kuru Toga Dive (assuming you can find one), I would probably say start with the Kerry simply because (1) it's a classic piece of stationery that has been around for a long time and is an easy addition to our “best pencils” list; and (2) it will give you a good sense of whether this style of mechanical pencil appeals to you. I personally value the Kerry's ability to advance the lead manually when the cap is posted - as noted above, the auto-advance feature on the Kuru-Toga Dive can be convenient, but sometimes doesn’t keep up if you’re a fast writer or write with heavy pressure, and having to unpost the pen to advance more lead can be annoying.

Pentel Sharp Kerry and Kuru Toga Dive Posted Comparison

Don't get me wrong, I love my Kuru Toga Dive, and I've actually been trying to get my hands on these for the shop but they've been unavailable to both U.S. and Japanese distributors for much of the past year. Could Uni be in the middle of a redesign? A metal barrel perhaps? We'll see. For now, we do have stock of the Pentel Sharp Kerry in five different colors (blue, green, black, grey, and pink), all in the .5mm tip size. Pentel occasionally releases the Kerry in limited colors, and I plan to try to get these as they become available.

The two pencils featured in this review were purchased with my own funds for my own use. I've owned my green Pentel Sharp Kerry for years, and the Kuru Toga Dive was purchased at Kinokuniya in NYC for around $75 at the time. The Gentleman Stationer is currently supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop (including an expansive range of woodcase and mechanical pencils) and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting us directly!

Adventures in Weird Stationery: The Metacil "Infinity" Pencil

June 5, 2024

So-called “infinity” or “forever” pencils have been around for years, marketing themselves as anytime/anywhere writing instruments that never need to be sharpened. The Metacil barrel is made from lightweight machined aluminum, and the tip contains some sort of aluminum alloy, possibly with graphite blended in for added darkness. While the points technically won’t last forever, you can write with them for a very long time without having to replace the tip.

Metacil Pencil with Sunstar Branding — Though the pencil itself is branded “sun-star,” the packaging has Bandai Namco as the maker.

When I visited Kinokuniya in New York back in March, I picked up a couple of Bandai-Namco “Metacil” pencils on a whim, and found myself pleasantly surprised by how well these things wrote. While they certainly won’t replace mechanical or woodcase pencils in my everyday writing rotation, I see a few reasons why these pencils are increasingly popular for specific use cases:

No wood shavings or graphite dust. While the sharpening process can be meditative/contemplative and is one of the main reasons I love writing with woodcase pencils, under certain circumstances it can be inconvenient (i.e., when you need to make quick notes in a meeting or find yourself working in a location where there’s no convenient way to clean up your sharpening “mess”). I also give them convenience points for portability, such as when I’m reading on the patio, in a park, or on the beach and either can’t or don’t want to carry a sharpener with me.
Lighter "2H” grade markings are easy to erase. I like to annotate books and make small checkmarks, etc. in books that I’ve borrowed. These need to be erased prior to the book being returned to its owner. Marks made by lighter-grade graphite and pencils such as the Metacil erase with little effort, making them excellent annotation tools.
Portability without risk of lead breakage. I’ve been dropping my Metacil pencils into a general stationery pouch without issue. I treat them like a stylus (Apple Pencil, reMarkable Marker, Kindle Scribe Stylus, etc.) and they’ve held up quite well. I wouldn’t recommend carrying these in your pocket, as the point is quite hard and you could accidentally stick yourself in the leg.

Metacil Pencil Writing Sample on Blackwing Paper — A stand-alone Metacil writing sample on Blackwing “Illegal Pad” paper.

Metacil Pencil Writing Sample Comparison with Blackwing Soft Graphite — Another shot of the writing sample on the same paper, compared here to the Blackwing “Soft” core found in the Blackwing Matte pencils. This is basically a comparison between 2H and 4B graphite.

Tips for Writing with Infinity Pencils

There isn’t really a drawback to infinity pencils, other than you don’t get the tactile experience of writing with a woodcase pencil that so many people love. They’re sort of an odd stationery item that will appeal to certain people like myself who enjoy using pencils to mark stuff up but occasionally find themselves in circumstances where they can’t sharpen a woodcase pencil and they don’t want to deal with possible lead breakage and graphite dust that still happens with mechanical pencils and leadholders. As I referenced earlier in this post, I’d generally compare the Metacil hardness to 2H graphite with ordinary use. Writing on a harder surface or paper with more texture will result in a darker line and the best overall tactile feel. Darkness will also increase with added writing pressure. While the inability to sharpen the tip may affect your ability to write smaller script, I’ve found the point size consistently usable, and I have small-ish handwriting.

Metacil Pencils Black and White — I love my red Metacil (as of yet unavailable for me to stock), but I think the “Stormtrooper” white version looks best in person.

We currently have a small test batch of the full-size Metacil Pencils in the Curated Shop, priced at $15, in either a black or white finish. If they do well I’ll try to seek out other colors. “Infinity pencil” technology seems to have come a long way since I first tried these out back in 2015(?), when they were so light you could barely read the mark. The Metacil has actually been something I pick up and write with, and has turned into one of my “porch pencils” of choice.

Metacil Pencil Removable Tip Showing Detached — While you likely won’t have to replace the tip due to wear for a very long time, the tips screw out for easy replacement. I should have them sourced in the shop soon.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Exploring New Formats: Lamy AL-Star Rollerball and Mechanical Pencil

April 17, 2024

Over the years when evaluating the latest releases from Lamy (and most other brands), my default has been to review the fountain pen and, occasionally, the ballpoint. But what about the rollerball? As I was writing last week's review on the Tom's Studio Lumos fineliner, I was struck by the simplicity of writing with basic black ink, and the focus it allowed in terms of not being distracted by all the various elements that go into writing with a fountain pen. When I decided to do my initial review of the new Lamy AL-Star pens that arrived last week, I pulled one of the Fiery AL-Star Rollerballs and the Aquatic .5mm mechanical pencil - two formats that don't receive a lot of attention.

The Lamy AL-Star Rollerball: Taking a Second Look

We sell a fair number of Lamy AL-Star and Safari rollerball pens, but it's not a format I've personally used very much. It's only fair that I take one for a test drive, right? So far, the experience has been mostly positive, and largely consistent with the writing experience offered by other rollerball pens using a standard medium refill. The pen itself looks nearly identical to the AL-Star fountain pen, with the exception that there is no "cutout" in the barrel to allow you to view the ink level in the cartridge or converter. (This feature would serve no purpose in a rollerball pen, as you can't view the ink level in a metal refill, and it would look pretty ugly to see the silver peeking out, IMHO.) The grip is the same, as is the overall feel and balance of the pen.

Lamy Rollerball In-Hand — Balance in the hand is very similar to the AL-Star fountain pen, posted or unposted.

With respect to the writing experience, it all comes down to whether you enjoy writing with a rollerball pen, which typically write a wetter line than a ballpoint or gel pen. The refills contain very dark pigmented liquid ink, and in a wider tip size, have a tendency to bleed through paper - even good paper such as the Lamy notebook in the photos below, or Tomoe River (!?!). That said, if you want a pen that writes a smooth, bold black/blue line, breaking out a rollerball can be quite satisfying. Yesterday I spent most of the afternoon outlining the main ideas for a legal brief on a legal pad, and while I had some show-through and feathering from the rollerball cartridge on the thinner paper, I would compare the experience to working with a marker on a whiteboard. There was no need for me to write small, as my primary goal was to get the "big ideas" on paper so that I could later organize them into a coherent rough draft. For this, the rollerball was perfect, especially since I didn’t plan to preserve this writing for posterity.

Pro Tip: I hardly ever purchase rollerball cartridges in bulk. Over the years, I've noticed that they don't age well (across brands), and can become skippy and dry out quickly. For that reason I typically purchase rollerball refills in smaller batches, if not one at a time, as I need them.

Lamy AL-Star Mechanical Pencil: Rotate to Your Heart’s Content

One of the curious decisions Lamy made during this recent product cycle was to release the AL-Star .5mm mechanical pencil in the new "Aquatic" finish. Why do one color but not the other? Regardless, I'm enjoying this new pencil and somewhat disagree with critics of the design, particularly those who dislike the molded grip on the AL-Star and Safari mechanical pencils.

Lamy AL-Star Mechanical Pencil Section — AL-Star and Safari Grip Sections are triangular, meaning that you can rotate them as needed (at least in the non-fountain pen versions).

The major gripe that I hear is that the molded grip supposedly prevents users from rotating the mechanical pencil as you write. Some - but not all - users rotate their pencil in order to prevent flat edges from forming on the lead and to maintain a sharp point. (Uni's Kuru-Toga pencils do this automatically, which is their key selling point.)

Sideways Grip Section on the AL-Star — The AL-Star Grip Section, viewed sideways.

I don't consider that critique entirely on-point for a couple of reasons. First, the molded grip on both the Safari and AL-Star is symmetrical and triangular, so rotating the pencil shouldn't affect your grip too much as long as you are someone who can actually use the AL-Star or Safari. (The molded section just doesn’t work for some people given issues of comfort and how they hold the pen/pencil.) If you rotate the pencil, there will be three different angles at which the grip remains the same. I don't personally use the molded grip to guide finger placement, as Lamy intends, and have no issue resting my fingers on top of the triangular edges, so this has never been a problem for me as someone who does rotate their mechanical pencils as I write.

For my own purposes, I wanted to find out whether the weight of the pen would affect lead breakage in the .5mm size. The AL-Star and Safari mechanical pencils are bigger pencils with a thicker diameter, and the AL-Star is metal. My concerns turned out to be unfounded. The pencil writes nicely, even with the thicker aluminum barrel. Those who sometimes find standard mechanical pencils too thin should definitely check this one out.

The fountain pen barrels in Aquatic and Fiery, for comparison purposes.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

A couple of years ago I reviewed the Lamy Safari ballpoint for the first time and (virtually) kicked myself for not testing one out sooner. The same goes for the rollerball and mechanical pencil versions of the AL-Star. I'm liking both of these and may even take a pass on the fountain pen versions of the new releases as I seek to diversify my personal collection.

The AL-Star ballpoint in Fiery and Aquatic, also for comparison purposes. I like the colored sections that complement the overall tone of the pen.

We currently stock the entire range of the Lamy AL-Star "Fiery" and "Aquatic" pens (and pencil), as well as remaining stock of other special and limited edition AL-Star finishes from recent years. Priced at $28 for the rollerball and $16 for the mechanical pencil, The Lamy AL-Star represents good value and should serve you well over the long-term, despite sitting at what many consider an entry-level price point. We also have all the refills you may need, should you wish to change ink color and tip size from the stock black medium rollerball refill, or swap out the stock HB mechanical pencil lead.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Lamy. T.G.S. is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Camel Pencils Writing Sample in HB Graphite

Pencil Review: Camel Pencils and the Joy of the Integrated Eraser

November 22, 2023

While Camel Pencils were added to the shop yesterday, they’re not new to me: I’ve used them for years and other than a short piece to discuss how I seriously stocked up during C.W. Pencil Enterprise’s closing sale back in 2021, I’ve never reviewed them. Why do I like these pencils so much? Because you have a stationery company known for doing one thing very well, and the one thing is a delightful twist on something as “standard” as the woodcase pencil. I love this sort of single-purpose excellence.

The eraser makes the Camel pencil. There is no ferrule (the metal sleeve that holds the eraser on most woodcase pencils), and instead the eraser is fitted to the end of the barrel like a “cap”, where it sits flush. The end result is an extremely well-balanced pencil that combines the lightness of an eraserless, capped pencil with the utility of an integrated eraser. I’ve noticed very few tradeoffs with this type of pencil: other than the one instance where I deliberately removed the eraser, I’ve had no issues with it coming lose, nor have I had the eraser “run out” before I use up the entire pencil. Camel uses high-quality eraser material, which removes marks efficiently without a lot of residue.

Integrated Eraser on a Camel Pencil, Removed — The eraser attaches to a notch on the barrel. It’s glued, so it will stay put. I pulled this one off “for science”.

I’ll admit, part of my interest in Camel is the intrigue surrounding the company, which has remained a bit of a mystery outside of Japan despite the popularity of their products. I understand that the company is a very small, family-owned operation that manufactures a handful of products under their own name, and I suspect contracts with other brands and independent stores on a “white label” basis. (I know they have done this for Craft Design Technology). Camel’s website contains only basic information about the company, which dates back to the late 1930s/early 1940s.

Camel 2B Pencil Half Gross — Will I ever get through all of these? Probably not, but I’ll try.

The clear lacquered pencils that I currently stock, and which are shown here, contain standard Japanese HB graphite, which leaves a dark line while still erasing well. While a 2B pencil is, generally speaking, my “perfect” grade of graphite, I’ve found that with Camel, the difference primarily lies in the feel. I purchased a half-gross of the 2B C.W. Pencil Enterprise store exclusives, and they aren’t much darker than the HB but definitely have a smoother, waxier feel to them. Both grades are pleasant to write with, and I don’t really prefer one over the other here.

[Note: When I discuss the difference between grades of graphite, such as HB, B, and 2B, it will differ significantly across brands. In general, I’ve found Japanese and American pencils tend to write a darker line for their designation than European equivalents. For example, a Camel HB is roughly similar to a Caran d’Ache or Staedtler 2B.]

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I love Camel pencils - they’re among my favorite everyday writers, and frankly you get a much higher quality writing experience than you pay for. At roughly $2 per pencil (purchased individually), and under $10 for a pack of six, you get excellent Japanese graphite, a cedar barrel, and a good eraser with the cool design. Plus they’re gorgeous to look at and make excellent office conversation pieces. For some reason I always get more comments about my pencils than my fountain pens….

Camel Pencil Collection from Over the Years, with four pencils laid out on table — A selection from my Camel Pencils over the years!

As I mentioned above, you can now purchase Camel pencils directly from the T.G.S. Curated Shop in two different lacquered wood tones. At some point we will have more options, and some are currently on order with an indefinite arrival time. Stay tuned!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Essential Stationery Items: Pentel PD345 Quicker Clicker

May 5, 2021

Today I’m reviewing one product in my personal collection that may actually be nearly 30 years old: the Pentel PD345 “Quicker Clicker” mechanical pencil. Those of us who came of age in the early to mid-1990s might remember this mechanical pencil as “the one with the clicker on the side that holds a ton of lead.” I constantly had two or three of these in rotation throughout my middle and high school years, and one of them seems to have survived in the back of a desk drawer. I got curious: Was this pencil still available, and was the modern version as good as the vintage?

My early 1990s-vintage Quicker Clicker (center) alongside two modern versions, which still have their plastic eraser caps. I lost the original cap long ago.

I happily discovered that you can still get the Pentel PD345 today, with the design mostly unchanged. The aspect of this pencil that I always appreciated was that it seems to be made for actual writing, as opposed to drafting or engineering like many knurled metal mechanical pencils. The “Quicker Clicker” features a round barrel with a convex grip section coated in soft rubber. Despite the tendency for the grip to accumulate lint and other backpack detritus, and get kind of grungy over time, this pencil was insanely comfortable to use for long stretches, making it a go-to for test-taking and essay writing. I distinctly recall never having to refill this thing, and true to form, when I pulled the eraser from the original pen nearly a dozen leads fell out the back, all still intact.

Unfortunately the texture on the modern version of the Quicker Clicker probably makes it more likely to accumulate dirt, lint, etc, though it might be fairly easy to clean with compressed air.

If there is one drawback with the Quicker Clicker, it’s that you have to rotate the pencil if you’re interested in keeping a uniform point on the lead, and the placement of the plastic lever on the grip may make this uncomfortable for some people. For that reason, I’m not sure it will ever replace the Uni Kuru-Toga as my go-to inexpensive mechanical pencil recommendation, but hey, some things still get points for nostalgia, and anything that’s managed to hang around in my desk for 25-30 years isn’t going to be replaced altogether.

Takeaways and Where To Buy

Few items have had as much staying power in my collection as the Pentel Quicker Clicker, and at $8 for a pack of two (or $40 for a box of 12?!?), its hard to argue that this mechanical pencil isn’t a great deal. It’s a solid Amazon or big box stationery purchase, and with the enormous lead capacity and comfortable grip, one of the relatively few mechanical pencils on the market actually intended for writing.

I purchased the pencil featured in this review from Amazon, with my own funds, for my own personal use. Last time I checked, you could still find this pencil at Staples, Office Depot, Target, etc., though Amazon seems to have the best pricing, especially if you’re looking to acquire a good, inexpensive mechanical pencil in bulk.

Disclaimer: This post does not contain affiliate links. If you’re interested in helping to support The Gentleman Stationer, consider joining our Patreon or shopping the T.G.S. Curated Shop, our related retail operation. Many thanks!