Category: manufacturers

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Mitsubishi Uni M-552 drafting pencils

Mitsubishi Uni M-552 drafting pencils

The Mitsubishi Uni M-552 is another inexpensive drafting pencil.

Lightweight at about 12.5g, they come in five lead diameters. I bought all five. I may soon regret this, as the 0.4mm pencil does not have refills available in Canada. On the other hand, it’s not too often that I’ve found myself saying that I need a 0.4mm pencil for a particular purpose.

The tip, grip, clip, and cap are metal, and the barrel is plastic.

The lead advances by clicking the cap. A thin plastic ring, the pencil’s only colourful element, is the pencil’s lead grade window.

The grip, very lightweight, screws off of the plastic barrel (see photo). Why a removable grip? I’m not sure, but if the idea was to make available a choice of grips to suit individual preferences, that would have been an excellent offering.

Mitsubishi Uni M-552 drafting pencils

The grip superficially resembles that of some expensive drafting pencils – which is probably the intent. But it doesn’t at all have the smooth feel of the Staedtler 925 95, for example. In fact, I found the 552 quite unpleasant.

It seemed to be a pencil that had a lot of attention paid to the cosmetics. Unfortunately, the looks don’t achieve much in person, and I would rate it lower than the A120 – though there is a 0.4mm version, if that is important to you.

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Staedtler 925 95 drafting pencils

Staedtler 925 95 drafting pencils

While I didn’t mind the Pentel 120, the Mars micro was not to my taste. Drafting tools are supposed to be Staedtler’s turf, so I thought I would try something else from them. A little bit of research indicated that the 925 95 series is highly regarded, though sometimes tricky to find.

The inner workings of Staedtler Inc. aren’t known to me, but it’s clear that their division in Japan seems to produce some good stuff – like the 925 95.

Staedtler 925 95 drafting pencils

The entire pencil, except for a plastic end-cap indicating lead diameter, is metal. A push advance drafting pencil, it is suitable for many tasks.

Staedtler 925 95 drafting pencils

It is a ferocious and scary instrument. Never mind pocket-safe. It’s not safe, period. At 21g (approximately), with an untapered tip (as well as sleeve), it could be used for nefarious purposes.

Staedtler 925 95 drafting pencils

The pencil has two special features: A lead degree indicator, and the capability to adjust the lead advance mechanism.

The lead degree indicator is okay, with the window changed by holding the metal cap portion, and rotating the plastic portion. But, if you ever find that you fiddle with the cap, the setting is easily lost.

The advance adjustment is a rotating ring below the cap. From the point of view of the cap, clockwise rotation causes the lead to be dispensed in decreasing amounts. The range seems to from about 1.5mm (counterclockwise extreme) to too small for me to measure (clockwise extreme). If you care about how much lead is advanced per click, you may like this feature.

The clip is looser than I might expect – though while clipping the pencil to documents, it was the easily removed cap that I feared might become lost.

The grip felt very comfortable to me. While always a personal preference, the 925 95 seems to offer a very nice fine milled knurl.

Staedtler 925 95 drafting pencils

The weight is in the grip, and this somehow makes sense.

The best recommendation I have is to replace the default lead with the Lead Cup winning Ain. That really made the pencil excel, producing rich, dark lines.

So where can I get the 0.7mm version?

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Steno pencils: pencils with a job

Steno pencils

Faber-Castell and Staedtler each make a specialty extension to their premier lines – a “steno pencil”, aimed at shorthand practitioners. They are round versions of the Castell 9000 and Lumograph 100.

Staedtler’s entry is the Mars Stenofix, model 101. A round version of the Lumograph 100 (a Lumograph 101?), it is dark blue, but with the cap in turquoise rather than black. My thanks to Dave for providing this pencil. It is unfortunately not locally available to me.

Steno pencils

Faber-Castell’s offering is the 9008 Steno, corresponding to the Castell 9000 series. In appearance, it looks just like a round 9000.

Each is a high quality pencil, and I couldn’t detect any difference between the lead used in the mainstream pencils and the steno versions.

Steno pencils

The Stenofix is available solely in HB, while the 9008 is offered in HB, B, and 2B.

There is one other practical difference – the Stenofix has a full size diameter at about 7.45mm, while the 9008 has a thinner 7.25mm diameter.

They are interesting, quality pencils, and it’s unfortunate that they aren’t more widely available.

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Staedtler 925 25 20 2.0mm leadholder

Staedtler 925 25 20 2.0mm leadholder

Wow, this is just a beautiful leadholder.

Staedtler 925 25 20 2.0mm leadholder

Made by Staedtler Japan, it has a number of interesting features, not least of which is a push button advance. The 2.0mm lead advances by clicking the cap. It functions just like a regular mechanical pencil, but with 2.0mm lead. Very nice.

Staedtler 925 25 20 2.0mm leadholder

It has a cylindrical sleeve, a knurled grip similar to that of the Staedtler pencil holder, lead degree window, a clip, and the lead diameter printed on the cap – as if there could be any doubt!

Staedtler 925 25 20 2.0mm leadholder

The general intent seems to be to bring mechanical pencil features to the 2.0mm leadholder. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but in addressing the chosen task, I think Staedtler has succeeded!

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Mistubishi Pure Malt 2.0mm leadholder (and Nikka Single Malt 10yo “Yoichi” Whisky)

Mistubishi Pure Malt 2.0mm leadholder

If you think luxury writing instruments and leadholders are mutually exclusive categories, look again.

Mistubishi Pure Malt 2.0mm leadholder

The Mitsubishi Pencil Company offers the Pure Malt leadholder, with the body made from oak reclaimed from Malt Whisky casks! (The clutch, tip, clip, and cap are metal.)

Mistubishi Pure Malt 2.0mm leadholder

It has a very sleek, clean appearance. The woodgrain is dark, smooth and elegant. Plus, it was made from a whisky cask!

Mistubishi Pure Malt 2.0mm leadholder

It has the great feature of a retracting clutch, making it quite portable and pocket-safe. (See photos.)

Mistubishi Pure Malt 2.0mm leadholder

I found the hold and feel quite comfortable, and like the manner in which it carries off being both a leadholder, and a fine looking writing implement.

Mistubishi Pure Malt 2.0mm leadholder

Mistubishi Pure Malt 2.0mm leadholder

The small instruction booklet indicates there is a matching lead pointer, in a cask shape! I would love to get that item, but have not seen it for sale.

The unusual materials motivated me to seek out some actual Japanese whisky. Living in a place with a government liquor monopoly, my choice was the usual – no choice. Nikka Whisky Distilling Co.’s 10 year old single malt is the sole current offering. So Nikka it is.

(I have no knowledge of which distillery, Nikka or otherwise, provided Mitsubishi’s wood.)

Nikka Single Malt 10yo Yoichi Whisky

The bottle is a pleasing shape, and the stopper seems to have a deep coating around the cork – something I’ve never before seen.

Anyhow, on to the whisky. It is a dark straw or tea colour. The nose is pleasant to me, but at a time of year when a “warm” day is -8 degrees, I won’t claim that I can discern much. The taste is full of nuts, toffee, and fruity notes. It’s a very nice dram – as smooth as a Tombow 6B pencil. The character is very much that of a nice scotch whisky, though made many miles away.

The bottle will certainly not survive as long as the leadholder.

Two great products, not necessarily for enjoyment at the same time!

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