[Pen/Pencil Review] Pilot Dr Grip Mechanical Pencil 0.5mm
I know I didn’t get a pen blog done yesterday. I was finalizing some fiction submissions for a short story submission deadline and some last bits of novel process. The novel has me very, very excited. In the interim I knew I was going to have to do let something go… well, this ended up delayed. I thought about doing a “favorite things” post, until I realized I’ve never reviewed one of the ones that would be on it.
One of my “go to” mechanical pencils when I’m in a “pencil mood” and have a lot of long-hand writing to do (as I have this week with the Day Job) is the Dr. Grip 0.5mm. The Dr. Grip line runs on the expensive side, but in some ways totally worth it. This one may look chewed up, but that’s because it’s been used quite a bit over years. This one is the silver with a white gel rubber ergonomic grip. And I come back to it time and again.
The barrel is 5.5″ long retracted and 5.75″ with the point extended. The barrel is plastic but well-balanced. The curves to the ergonomic design fit the hand well with little to no ridges to dig in and cause discomfort. One of the selling-point to this pencil is the cushion grip to reduce writing fatigue. And I think they’re on to something. The grip is wider than most mechanical pencils, but not uncomfortably so. There’s enough squish to the grip that even heavy handed writers will take quite a while to cramp up. Which is probably why the Dr. Grip line has some endorsement by the Arthritis Foundation.
This pencil has two kinds of lead advancement – the traditional click top through the cap, and a knock (shaker) mechanism. The traditional clicker moves through the replaceable eraser that covers the lead reservoir and is covered with a silver tone cap. It’s a smooth mechanism. The knock mechanism was one of the first on the market, I think, and requires a fairly sharp shake, but does work. You don’t have to click to advance, unless you want to (which I do, because it’s habit). And I load mine with 2B for a dark lead line.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – It works well. It has two kinds of lead advancement that both work.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – This is a pen designed for ergonomics. The grip is cushioned and tapered to reduce wear on the hand. The barrel is long enough for comfort and balanced well.
3. Material – 0.5 – For a plastic barrel pen, it’s pretty well-made. It doesn’t feel cheap. The ink is dark, fluid and has minimal smearing. But it is a plastic pen, and for the price point, I kinda want better material.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s a good design. But it does what it says – it’s comfortable, it has good advancement, and it is suitable for long-term writing
5. Price Point – 0.5 – This is the other knock. These aren’t cheap. They run $8 – $11 depending on where you get them. They are refillable, obviously, but you’re still going to pay for the ergonomic portions, which isn’t HORRIBLE, but still an investment. But I’ve used mine for years. I can’t even remember when I bought it.
That’s 4 of 5 bronze pencils.
