My wife ordered one of these for me for Valentine's Day (unfortunately not from Jet Pens since they didn't carry them at the time). It arrived in a nice metal tin which was protected by a cardboard sleeve. The tin was a nice bonus as it will actually hold two pencils for pens and makes a nice carrying case.The pencil itself has rapidly become my go to pencil for daily writing. It is a very well made, attractive pencil. everything except for the lead tube appears to be made of metal. The octagon design is reminiscent of wooden pencils and prevents it from annoyingly rolling off my desk as some of my other pencils do.The lead advances a little further than I would like on a single click but personal preference will vary. It writes very smoothly. I tend to break a ... MoreMy wife ordered one of these for me for Valentine's Day (unfortunately not from Jet Pens since they didn't carry them at the time). It arrived in a nice metal tin which was protected by a cardboard sleeve. The tin was a nice bonus as it will actually hold two pencils for pens and makes a nice carrying case.The pencil itself has rapidly become my go to pencil for daily writing. It is a very well made, attractive pencil. everything except for the lead tube appears to be made of metal. The octagon design is reminiscent of wooden pencils and prevents it from annoyingly rolling off my desk as some of my other pencils do.The lead advances a little further than I would like on a single click but personal preference will vary. It writes very smoothly. I tend to break a lot of lead with every pencil I use but it doesn't happen often with this pencil. (I wish Jet Pens would consider carrying Kaweco lead as I've been impressed by the quality of the lead that came in the pencil.)If you are unfamiliar with Kaweco it is a German company that dates from 1883 that was revived in the 1990s. Kaweco designs have an authentic "retro" look and feel to me (much more so than other brands that seem to attempt similar styles). This is not an inexpensive pencil and it probably wouldn't be suitable for drafting but for an elegant, retro style everyday writer, you can't go wrong with a Kaweco Special.

This Kaweco pencil is for MY Christmas present to me. I own several Kaweco pens, but never a pencil...which I frequently use on my Midori Notebook Diary. It is wonderful, small and sturdy with the favorite .5 lead. I am keeping it right by my Midori and intend to have it always available...no shifting from here to there so that I don't have it when needed. I love Kaweco pens...wonderful smooth nibs and...well...just favorites and this will be a new favorite, also!

How many pencils does one actually need - you can never have too many!Especially when they look and feel as good as this one. Nicely balanced in the hand and eye-catching.

I already had two of these at different locations (home and office), but this one will hold colored lead in my daily carry bag. Everything about these is "Five Stars" - the heft, feel and dependability. Great product from Kaweco and Jet Pens.

After 31 years of using the Pentel P205 and having the latest one (15 years of use) finally give up the ghost I thought I would "look around" a bit. Within 15 minutes of using it I knew I had found my new pencil. I ordered the black version shown here and use it as my all day pencil. I'm a CPA (Tax Director with a Regional Firm) and while computers have taken over a lot of the "pencil pushing" the ol' pencil is still used a lot during the day and especially during tax season.The things I like about this pencil:(1) Built SOLID. Does not have that cheap "lightweight" mass produced feel to it. I see one reviewer said his cap rattled. I think that is a case of just getting a lemon because both of mine are rock solid with no noise whatsoever.(2) Weight. This pencil ... MoreAfter 31 years of using the Pentel P205 and having the latest one (15 years of use) finally give up the ghost I thought I would "look around" a bit. Within 15 minutes of using it I knew I had found my new pencil. I ordered the black version shown here and use it as my all day pencil. I'm a CPA (Tax Director with a Regional Firm) and while computers have taken over a lot of the "pencil pushing" the ol' pencil is still used a lot during the day and especially during tax season.The things I like about this pencil:(1) Built SOLID. Does not have that cheap "lightweight" mass produced feel to it. I see one reviewer said his cap rattled. I think that is a case of just getting a lemon because both of mine are rock solid with no noise whatsoever.(2) Weight. This pencil actually has some weight and heft to it. You can actually feel the "heft" in your hand. I like the feel of actually having some "weight" in your hand at as it feels solid in your hand and doesn't move around as you use it.(3) Mechanics are great. Lead advances perfectly with no "hangs".(4) No breakage. RARELY do I have lead break using this pencil. Don't know why that is but I don't know that it has ever happened. If so, it happens so infrequently you don't notice it.(5) Girth. Finally, this is the thing that makes me really like this pencil. It has a slightly larger circumference than most mechanical pencils. Larger but not TOO large. The benefit of that (for me) is the fact that my hand no longer "cramps" when writing for long periods of time. My old pencils were fairly skinny and I often had to quit writing and flex the hand. Not with this pencil. I think that extra thickness allows my hand and hand muscles to maintain a more natural, unstrained position...thus no writer's cramps.Good pencil. Glad I came across it.

As a CPA who has tried every conceivable mechanical pencil. Most cost less than $5 to $10 each. It was a leap to pay $40 for this German-made Kaweco mechanical pencil. The mechanism is excellent. The Japanese mechanical pencils are no slouches, but this is just better. (If this sort of thing matters to you). The main reason for buying this pen, is because it is SHORT. Does not stick out of your pocket, and is an easy reach to click the top to load more lead. Normal pens in my hands, have to do a "skip" with the pen so as to get the thumb over to click for more lead. this gets in the way of my writing fast. I used to use "side-click" pens to make this task easier. But they just do not work that well. So, this is a very well made pen. But you have to pay a lot for it. ... MoreAs a CPA who has tried every conceivable mechanical pencil. Most cost less than $5 to $10 each. It was a leap to pay $40 for this German-made Kaweco mechanical pencil. The mechanism is excellent. The Japanese mechanical pencils are no slouches, but this is just better. (If this sort of thing matters to you). The main reason for buying this pen, is because it is SHORT. Does not stick out of your pocket, and is an easy reach to click the top to load more lead. Normal pens in my hands, have to do a "skip" with the pen so as to get the thumb over to click for more lead. this gets in the way of my writing fast. I used to use "side-click" pens to make this task easier. But they just do not work that well. So, this is a very well made pen. But you have to pay a lot for it. You have to "need" it. I did find the aluminum barrel a little hard on my fingers. I use a sponge cover for the finger area.

Initially I thought this pencil would be too thick for me but as I have used it now i feel it is a perfect fit even though i have a relatively small hand. It goes perfectly with my Kaweco Special AL fountain pen. I thought about this one for a long time and I am so pleased that I bought it. It was packed perfectly as Jet Pens always does and even with my usual impatience it arrived on time. I don't hear any "clicking" sounds and find it to be well constructed and sturdy. Love this pencil!

I was a bit skeptical about the extra girth of the pencil, but i was delightfully surprised how natural it feels. It writes well and the slight weight is appreciated. I would recommend for others to give it a try.

worth the money? not sure. I purchased the Kaweco special a week ago from another supplier and have some time using it. don't get me wrong, it's a nice lead holder, and functions just as intended. It has nice weight to it, balanced and looks sleek. like a caran dache fixpencils older brother. the issue i have with it is it's size. it's about as thick as a platinum pro-use II http://www.jetpens.com/Platinum-Pro-Use-II-03-Drafting-Pencil-0.3-mm/pd/1459 which works great for a mechanical pencil, but not so great for a lead holder. trying to sharpen it can be a chore. you'll have to push out a lot of lead in order to use a standard rotary lead pointer, and you have to be extremely carefully not to snap your lead as you sharpen because of how far you have to extend the ... Moreworth the money? not sure. I purchased the Kaweco special a week ago from another supplier and have some time using it. don't get me wrong, it's a nice lead holder, and functions just as intended. It has nice weight to it, balanced and looks sleek. like a caran dache fixpencils older brother. the issue i have with it is it's size. it's about as thick as a platinum pro-use II http://www.jetpens.com/Platinum-Pro-Use-II-03-Drafting-Pencil-0.3-mm/pd/1459 which works great for a mechanical pencil, but not so great for a lead holder. trying to sharpen it can be a chore. you'll have to push out a lot of lead in order to use a standard rotary lead pointer, and you have to be extremely carefully not to snap your lead as you sharpen because of how far you have to extend the lead in order to reach the blades. you can give the tiny uni lead pointer a try, but that thing is more of a novelty than a reliable sharpening tool. this might not be a deterring factor for some, but if your an artist, you want to be focused on what your drawing, and not on trying to sharpen your pencil. Ive found myself distracted and taking time away from my work simply trying to sharpen this thing.I'll say it again, it's a nice pencil, sleek balanced and comfortable, but all that doesn't matter much when it can be a chore to use. if you like a larger sized lead holder, then this might be the one for you. if your looking for a nice balanced lead holder you can reach for and sharpen without thinking about, then you might want pass this one by and look at another model. i'll be trying the rotring rapid pro next, which jet pens assures me will fit into a standard rotary lead pointer. i'll have to wait and see for myself once it arrives.

Special Mechanical Pencil 0.5mm / Black

solid weight. solid feel. great functionality. a bit slipery if youve got sweaty fingers like me. and its fantastic brass doesnt lend itself ot been marred with a pencil grip. but otherwise, its a true delight to write with.