Uni Shift Pipe Lock Drafting 0.5mm Pencil, Black Body with Smoke Accent (M51010.24)

TLDR:+Plastic does not feel cheap+Worth the price+Does not break easy, though it is definitely ~possible~ due to plastic upper body+RETRACTABLE AND POCKET SAFE+Attractive challenger the the Pentel Graphgear 1000+WAY cheaper than Rotring, which is more likely to break at the tip than the body.-Upper is plastic-Like all graphing pencils the eraser is not great, opt for a click pen eraser or a MARS plastic block eraser.-The screw on tip (not the pipe) can become loose on occasion though it is rare and has never fallen off, and also has long threads inside to prevent this. I have attached a photo to show both the length of the screw with the piece removed to show just how hard it would be for it to fall, and to show the length of the pencil compared to a Lamy safari and an eraser.-I wish the upper was aluminum so it was stronger without losing is forward heavy weight.I wanted to wait a month or two before reviewing this, and I have found that it is of surprising quality. Many of you have heard of the declining quality of Rotring since the 90s and as such I opted for this in place of the Rotring 800 which is substantially more expensive. The Rotring 600 is only slightly more expensive though the lack of a retractable causes problems for people like me- the people that SHOULD be these brands target markets as we write infinitely more than almost any profession- and that is students. I carry a Lamy Safari, Clic-Erase pen eraser, and this pencil with me constantly. The wobble mentioned was all but absent. I really did not notice any play, though it does rattle near the eraser, it does not do so when writing, only when shaken while in the deployed position. The shift mechanism is sure and effective. The plastic upper feels quality and has a nice matte finish. This light upper leaves the weight at the bottom which I actually prefer. While it may not be quite as rigid, solid, or hardy as some expensive fixed pipe pencils it ties the Pentel Graphgear 1000 for best low-price pencil, sacrificing the metal upper for a better grip, and much better aesthetics. The shift mechanism is absurdly good and due the "Z" shape of the track it can be deployed and closed in one fluid motion and stays locked (provided you fasten it entirely, don't pin human error on the product.) The mechanism should be standard for retractable pencils in my opinion. My only wish is that the upper was aluminum so it was stronger without losing is forward heavy weight.

I have been using 0.5mm pencils from Pentel, Rotring, Pilot etc for over 30 years and by far this is the best I have had the pleasure of using. Neat retracting pipe-lock feature provides great protection for the lead-barrel. Robust, durable and really well balanced. Writes nicely and ace for drawing. I am an engineer and appreciate the form, functionality and aesthetics. Five lead capacity is OK: I have had pencils with higher, but they can be subject to blockage, sometimes terminal. Ace pencil, sweet price-point.

Very good the pencil holder! Beautiful color, cutting edge protection system sometimes looks fragile, but it is efficient. Holding is comfortable, does not slip nor escape from the hand.

I love mechanical pencils. I have at least a dozen. My favorite, my trusty Rotring 600 - the Rolls Royce of technical pencils never leaves my desk. I have a spare in my drawer just incase anything ever happens to it. But what about when you need to leave the office, take to a meeting put it in your bag? travel? take across? You don't want to rush damaging the sleeve! It'll be useless! I've tried a number of retractible sleeves- the Rotring 800- the mechanism is a bit wobbly, the Alvin DR05- same mechanism but a bit better executed. My favorite, shockingly, is the Uniball. It's a different solution to the old problem. It's the same mechanism that you love, but here, it's the barrel that slides. This mechanical pencil is just want I want. Sure, I wish it were a little heavier (it's mostly plastic) and sturdier (the ring around that keeps the pocket clip on is a bit flimsy) but it's a reliable pencil and the action is great. I've have several- one at my office for when I have to step away to a meeting, one in my bag and one at home. I love it and can't recommend it more highly. And the price is great.

The Short Story: The idea behind this pencil is brilliant and the execution is actually really great. There are a few things that might turn you off to it (see below) but overall if you are looking to spend a little extra on a nice pencil you won't be disappointed.The Longer Story: I also own a uni kura toga roulette 0.5 (another pencil I would highly recommend) so I had that to compare this to. I got this pencil one day earlier than they originally said it was going to arrive which was a nice surprise. It arrived in a very large box, covered by a cellophane sleeve. Immediately upon pulling it out of the box I was surprised by how heavy it was and by how much weight was at the writing end of the pencil. Once I pulled it out of the sleeve I immediately noticed the plastic upper body of this pencil. Everything that is black in the picture is made of plastic. It is coated in something to make it not a slick type of plastic but a "softer" plastic. While a lot of people had a problem with this, something I realized is that, not only does this put the weight more directly into your hand due to the silver part being a nice knurled metal, but it also keeps the pencil slightly lighter. The second thing I noticed once I began experimenting with the shift mechanism was that it felt kind of loose. While I will admit that it does wiggle a little when locked in the writing position, I would say that mostly the wiggle I was feeling is when it is in "neutral" (neither locked closed nor locked open). It took me a few tries to get the correct rotation down, but I was able to remember it with a little trick. I imagine I am screwing on/off the silver knurled part to the plastic part.Thus, if the tip is pointed away from you and the pencil is locked in the safety position, turn it left to neutral, pull it back and left again to lock it. To undo that, turn it right to neutral, let it slide away, then right again to lock it. Overall I am very satisfied with the uni SHIFT. Brilliant design. Great job uni!!

In theory this should be the perfect mechanical pencil for drawing or drafting. Either you have fixed sleeve pencils, which are super stable but don't offer the convenience of a retractable mechanism, and aren't pocket safe- or you have retractable pencils that have a little annoying wobble in the tip sleeve. With this pencil, the grip section housing moves to cover the tip, instead of the tip retracting into the body- so on paper you should have the best of both worlds.However, in practice, there is still some tip wobble. Furthermore, the styling of the pencil isn't really elegant, though it looks good in photos- in use it's a bit short and clunky, and doesn't have that streamlined, tapered drafting point you'll find on pencils like the Pentel P200 series or the Graph Gears. The twist action is also a bit more finicky than I would expect.Overall, there is zero reason to choose this over the cheaper and better Pentel Graph Gear 1000. That pencil has the perfect balance, length, size, weight, and is extremely solid and robust feeling. It has a retractable tip with only a very, very tiny amount of wobble- the closest I've found to a fixed tip pencil like a Rotring 600. This is not a bad pencil by any means, and the concept is great- the execution is lacking.

use it every day for school and the lead hasn't broken once. the retractable lead sleve is useful so that it doesn't get damaged, unlike my other drafting pencils

ビジュアルでは圧倒的にshiftの方が優れてる。持ちやすさは1000だけどローレットと低重心でそこそこ描きやすい何よりかっこいい。

The Uni-ball Shift mechanical pencil arrived early in perfect condition. It is a fantastic pencil. Perfectly balanced with great metal grip. It also has the bonus of being pocket friendly. So happy with it that I bought another one.

Muy bueno. Aunque el cuerpo es de plástico, por poner alguna pega y todo el peso esta situado en la punta. Muy cómodo de usar