Kaweco SKETCH UP Clutch Pencil 5.6 mm 5B Black I Exclusive Mechanical Pencil with Lead Refill I Pencil 10.5 cm

This arrived on time and was as described.I love this lead clutch. It is great. Like most of the companies writing implements, it is well built and is a joy to work with. I especially love the shortness of it, and how it fits in the hand. It also has a nice weight to it as well.

Writing tools are objects that attain a personal status in our lives. We all have (or have had) a favorite writing or sketching utensil that we always go back to -or wish we could get back in our hands. This short but thick and heavy clutch pencil is just such an object. At first glance, you think it's not going to be a comfortable pencil with which to work. It's shorter than most drafting and wood pencils, it's thicker than most pens and the weight immediately makes you think of tiredness. The 5.6mm lead doesn't help either. It looks way too big for writing on a daily basis or doing fine detail work on drawings. But looks can be deceiving, this tool allows you to draw, sketch, write and shade in many ways, you can even sharpen the lead in any custom shape by using sandpaper or a knife. It's weight and thickness are non-intrusive for those who like to take pencil and paper with them on their outings, or like to do hour long drawing sessions. Some even take it for a spin on more industrial uses to be used over wood, cardboard, or even metal.You can write long essays with it, provided you rotate the tip on a constant basis so as not to get a broad line, but perhaps, in this application it will prove a bit on the heavy side, thou.It's got a solid build quality with only a tiny rattle when you drop it over your notebook for instance. But the real magnet is the raw brass finish. It not only looks great, it develops a patina that really takes on a character of its own. The Kaweco supplied leads are nice and smooth, thou you might want to try other grades with it. Also, there are Metallic and Artist Pastel leads available from Koh-I-Noor for this pencil.

I grabbed this when I noticed the price had fallen to about 25 bucks from 35. This is a great thick dang honking hunk of lead in a well-machined and weighty brass tube. AND said tube is a bloody octagon! So there are plenty of surfaces for your fingers to explore when finding your best grips. The heft lends itself to exerting subtle changes in pressure on the lead, which leads to more successful and nuanced shading. You can turn it and get thicker or thinner lines. It's brass, so it smells like brass and makes your hand smell that way too. But on the flip side, it's brass, so it's gorgeous and durable AF. My only (minor) complaint would be that it is a drop clutch, rather than an automatic, so if you hold the button the whole lead could fall right out. But this seems to be the way for most clutch pencils, I guess, and makes it easier to take apart if necessary. Just make quick clicks to advance the lead and poke any excess length back in with your finger.It's small enough to slip in your pocket, and I believe that the octagonal Kaweco Sport pen clips fit it, if that's your fancy. Once it is safely stashed in your EDC bag or pocket, you are well-equipped to draw, sketch, write, carpenter, fidget (this thing is a great fidget piece), or jab into an attacker's eye. Or you can just keep it in a pencil case. Either way, awesome.

More expensive than a lot of options, but I'm not complaining. The quality is perfect. Feels just right in the hand, the clutch action is smooth and secure, and the brass is already picking up a cool patina. The lead is soft, which is great for sketching and marking wood, but if you're going to use it for writing/note-taking you might want to get some harder leads. They're cheap and easy to find

5.6 mm leads have become my favorite for shading/rendering drawings, rough sketching, and some textures. This Kaweco Sketch Up lead holder is comfortable, durable, and compact. Because it is metal, it warms as it is used. This lead holder doesn't roll as much as others, thanks to the shape. Clutch design and all metal construction mean this should last for a very long time. I found a local trophy shop that can engrave the brass barrel, which is handy for gifts or personalization/identification. Other brands of 5.6 mm leads are too long to fit fully in the barrel when new, but I use them anyway. Leads wear down quick enough with use, and then they fit just fine. A range of 5.6 mm refills (not just graphite) are available; I have used Cretacolor and Koh-I-Noor products, but there are other brands, too. I don't care for built-in sharpeners, as they tend to be messy, dusting the lead holder in graphite, no matter how much you try to clean it each time. So, I used the sharpener to verify that it functions in a pinch (and it does), but prefer to use a separate, handheld standard sharpener. This lead holder also works to hold *some* eraser stick refills, tortillons, blending stumps, charcoal sticks, pastels, chalks, silicone color shapers, and brushes, but will not fit most "woodless pencils", and will not function as a pencil extender for wood-cased pencils. With the addition of other grades of graphite and different media, this tool is very versatile for many different tasks/hobbies/vocations. Overall, this is an excellent lead holder to use, and it looks very nice, as well. Since it is designed as part of a coordinating line of Kaweco Sport products, it is particularly nice when paired with a pen or two, so you have a "set", but it is attractive and practical on its own.

So, this is a nice pencil. Solid, heavy, great lead. I like it. My complaint is Amazon’s presentation. It arrived along with two other purchases inside a large brown bag. They just tossed it in, loose, no tin box, no wrapper, just the unprotected pencil in a bag. It looks new but without the packaging I suspect otherwise. Amazon needs to do better as the lack of packaging of what is not a cheap item was completely unacceptable. I want the tin box that was shown when I placed my order.