Pentel Orenz Mechanical Pencil (0.2mm), White Barrel, 1 Pack (PP502BP)

As far as basic mechanical pencils go, this one is is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine. The primary reason is because it is simply a well made, effective and no frills writing implement, that gets the job done. No shock absorbing spring setups, no double clutch lead advancement, no shaker mechanism, no twist-up eraser, no special ergonomic grip. This is just a simple, sleek, one-piece body, with a metal cap, metal clip, metal cone, coupled with a retractable guide pipe. It bears mentioning that the retractable guide pipe is not the same thing as a traditional "pocket safe" retractable tip. The guide pipe "floats" once extended, retracting as you wear down the lead, whereas a regular retractable tip would stay fixed in place once extended, and the lead would need to protrude past it in order to write anything.Of course, if using a guide pipe isn't your thing, you can certainly treat this pencil as any other by using the guide pipe as if it were any old retractable tip, but I actually find that it works as advertised too. That is, you click once to extend the pipe and then begin writing, with the lead barely exiting the pipe. The beveled edge of the pipe floats across the paper, just barely exposing enough lead to write, which protects the remaining few millimeters of lead inside the pipe (which retracts as the lead wears down, exposing more lead so you can keep writing). Essentially the pressure is on the pipe vs. the lead, so you avoid breakage almost completely. It sounds like it would be weird, but you actually can't feel any difference from using a regular fixed tip.For what it's worth, I actually picked this up primarily because I own other Pentel Orenz pencils, mainly in .3mm, and wanted to see how well the Orenz guide pipe system worked in .5mm. I was pleasantly surprised by the build quality on this vanilla version of the Orenz pencil, because the plastic seems denser and heavier than what is used on the metal-gripped version, which you can find here: Pentel Mechanical Pencil, Orenz, with Metal Grip, 0.3mm, Navy (XPP1003G-C). If I had to choose, I would take this pared-down, all-plastic, one-piece version every time. It's a much better value for the money, has the same metal parts aside from the grip, and much nicer plastic for the body. To put it another way, this is most certainly a case where less turns out to be more.

I had to fill out a spread sheet by hand and this very thin lead pencil was perfect. Didn’t break easily and allowed me to make very small entries. I love this pencil

I never realized how much better a mechanical pencil could ever be. This company is legendary and obviously is still keeping their name held in high regards. Great writing machine. Also, if you were wondering .2mm is the way to go if you like fine details, or fitting a lot of words in a small place, clearly. Then .2mm pencil is perfect! With the design of the pencil it's impossible to break the lead no matter how hard you try to write. The sleeve does exactly what it's supposed to and it feels 100% great and perfect to write with. Actually it's easier to write with .2mm lead because with the same force you'd use on a larger lead size, you get much darker results with the .2mm lead because of the distribution of surface area across the smaller lead size. Takes less pressure to write, so you can get dark clean lines without having to push as hard as you would with a normal .7 pencil. Also having a rigid metal construction means there is no play in any of the components. Everything is structurally sound so any force you put into writing goes straight into the lead. Plastic pencils have some give and that's really just making you use extra energy to make sure the lead does what you want.Seriously, perfect pencil!

I like it. Works well without the tip breaking.

I have used Pentel for decades, before the whole autocad software took over drafting.It has kept quality and durability. It takes me years to replace it.Thanks !!

I really liked this pencil at first. After using it for a while I have come to realize it wastes a lot of lead. I go through way more leads now. I guess it's time to go back to a cheaper version. This is one of those instances where a higher price does not provide a better product.

Updated: Pencils fkn awesome. I regret reviewing this pencil as a 3 star. This pencil easily is a 5 out of 5. The pencil was no the problem, its because I was using the wrong lead which was trash. It was very brittle and would barely mark anything, that was the standard lead it came with. I bought a different one though, the HB and that one works great. Not brittle and the other lead I used it for fine drawing details. The erasers I also recommend. They're great and helps with your sketches aswell.

I adore mechanical pencils and have many types. But they are now all lying unused thanks to Pentels new Orenz. It is genuinely different. It takes some getting used to. I was suspicious of the pencil for 3 years. Then I had the patience to really try it. I realized what a simple marvel it is, how finely made the tip must be so that it is that smooth. Plus, I never break a .5 lead now, that used to happen regularly. Game changer. Like boots support your ankle, the Orenz supports the lead, lets it be the best it can be. The .5 can be used more heavily since the lead wont break. And then, somehow, conversely and to a pencil nerd magically, the .7 is made more fine. The Orenz boot prevents the lead from spreading out. I'm talking about 2B lead here, not HB, I can't even understand how that became the norm.