2006-03-09
14:06
Pilot Easy-Lead Pencil Review
What Is It?
An automatic pencil from Pilot. The difference with the Easy-Lead is supposed to be that it has extra-long leads, and that they’re formulated for “super-smooth and super-dense writing”.
- Clear plastic casing, with no separate grip area.
- Reasonably large eraser.
- Refillable leads and eraser.
- Costs – £1.45 RRP here (£1.16 at time of writing from Cult Pens), so probably $1 or $2 USD.
Looks
It’s a cheap plastic pen, and it looks like one. Not actually bad, but nobody’s going to think it was expensive. It looks a bit cheaper, somehow, than the same-priced Super Grip.
Feel
The lack of a rubber grip area does make it feel a bit slippery in use. Again, not bad, but not good. The balance is quite nice, if a little on the top heavy side.
In Use
This is where the Easy-Lead should shine. Whether it does or not may depend on your opinion a little.
- Me: I find it a bit too light, yet too top-heavy, and I don’t find the lead pleasant to write or draw with either. It’s a nice dense black, but doesn’t shade easily, and smudges a bit too easily. I thought it felt a bit like charcoal, so I thought Sam might like it.
- Sam: As I thought, Sam quite liked the texture of it, and enjoyed the dense, dark lines.
The eraser isn’t bad, but isn’t as effective as it looks.
Conclusion
Opinion here at PigPog is a bit divided, but at the price, it might be worth a try. Especially if you like your pencil lines bold and black. If nothing else, it’s a bit different to any other cheap automatic pencils.
Disclosure: Our Easy-Lead was from Cult Pens, who give us a little discount in return for us mentioning them when we review stuff we got there. We used them and mentioned them before any of this started, but we like to be open about it.
I regularly use a Parker Duofold 0.7mm pencil and, sometimes, a Pentel Kerry 0.7mm. Pilot EasyLeads are the only leads I use with them. (Wish they would sell these leads in the US)
I spent the weekend in Dartmouth. A stationery shop lured me in with a display of retractable Pentel pencils on discount (GraphGear 1000). The helpful lady serving me said the business stocked every Pentel pen available. Then she explained the shop was going over entirely to web based mail order for such items. I’ve just looked at the business card she gave me: it says “Cult Pens http://www.cultpens.com” which I think PigPog readers probably already know. Anyway, it’s a very cool shop.
Peter Bryenton http://www.brypix.com
Now we’re jealous. We’ve only ever ‘visited’ online. I very nearly ordered the GraphGear 1000, actually, but changed my mind at the last minute when I spotted the Kerry. I may yet give in and order a GraphGear at some point – they do look nice.
They keep stock of almost everything Pilot make too. Maybe we’ll have to start working through gel pens next.
Just a few minutes after commenting, the post arrived, with a package from Cult Pens – Simon has sent us a GraphGear 1000 for review! W00t!
We’ve both had a quick play, and love it. Personally, I still find the Kerry a bit better, but it’s just as solid and heavy as it looks.
There’s a couple of others that we’ll review soon, too – a Pilot Shaker (nice-ish, but I’d go for the Super Grip instead, personally) and a Uni-ball Shalaku DX with the advance button on the side (quite, quite awful… oh, hang on – just taken it apart and put it back together, and now it seems to be working as it should – not bad, actually).
Just be careful of all of this corporate bribery – you don’t want to go all Dawn’n'Drew on us do you? (I’m just jealous! Nobody ever sent me anything to review – yet!) Thumbrella - Words to A Void Little Feat Covers Annexe
and I’d just like to give a big PigPog hello to all the beautiful people at:
Sellout? Moi?
Sam Harris (Coming April ’06 – Re-branding!) Creative Wanderer and Wonderer You’ll have to excuse me, it’s the hormones.