Well-made. The retraction mechanism with the clip is great especially if you are going to put this in a pocket. The tiny little eraser is pretty decent, too. Comfortable grip - those ovals on the grip area are a smooth rubber and contrast nicely with the knurled metal for non-slippage while not feeling harsh like you're holding on to a dumb bell while you write.

Great theft prevention! I bought this as a replacement for the plastic mechanical pencil my mom was using. When she ran out of lead one shopping trip, I lent her my 6 year old 0.5 mm Graphgear 1000. Well...she fell in love with it and when the trip was over, she reluctantly relinquished it. So, this was a lovely treat for her on her birthday. She loved it, I already knew I would love it and I hope all of you will love this pencil as well. If the grip was all metal, I would consider the checkering to be too harsh. The little silicone rubber ovals break up the checkering on the grip section just enough to provide a comfortable, yet extremely solid grip anywhere along the section. .

This isn't really for me, but you might like it. All of what I say below is personal preference, so take it with a tiny grain of salt.The construction is well made but there is room for improvement.The body is mostly made of aluminum with plastic under the grip and tip part. The sticker indicating the lead size on mine was misaligned noticably. The plastic can be replaced with aluminum to prevent cracks or some other issues.The grip is quite awkward. It's the GraphGear 500 grip but with rubber dots. The rubber dots make it considerably more slippery than the 500 grip. The rubber can wear over time too from age or humidity instead of use like a knurled grip.The lead indicator bothers me a lot. You can move the indicator around if you loosen the tip. When you ... MoreThis isn't really for me, but you might like it. All of what I say below is personal preference, so take it with a tiny grain of salt.The construction is well made but there is room for improvement.The body is mostly made of aluminum with plastic under the grip and tip part. The sticker indicating the lead size on mine was misaligned noticably. The plastic can be replaced with aluminum to prevent cracks or some other issues.The grip is quite awkward. It's the GraphGear 500 grip but with rubber dots. The rubber dots make it considerably more slippery than the 500 grip. The rubber can wear over time too from age or humidity instead of use like a knurled grip.The lead indicator bothers me a lot. You can move the indicator around if you loosen the tip. When you tighten it, it will be harder to move around the lead grade indicator but you can still move it if you try. While this is fine for some or most, I prefer it to not move at all even if you try like the Staedtler 925-25's or 925-35's.The retractable tip is nice with a binder clip, but it can only be used when the tip is retracted. It is quite loud too when you retract the tip because it relies on a spring. Too loud for my preference. I also don't prefer retractable tips on drafting pencils either because I don't drop my pencils or treat them harshly.

One of the most comfortable Mechanical Pencils I have ever owned. Very expensive IMHO, but, after trying the pencil for a few days, decided to buy 2 more. I press hard but the .7mm thickness is perfect and doesn't keep snapping off.This will definitely be my go-to from now til my end of days. Am pretty old so I am sure I am accurate in this prediction. All the best to all of you,RC

I own a couple of Rotrings (Rapid Pro and 600) but find myself grabbing my GraphGear 1000s more often. I think it's because the weight is right between too light and too heavy. Not the prettiest to look at (the Rotrings take that award), but for 1/3 the price I prefer the GraphGears 1000s.I took one star off for the eraser cover, which sometimes catches and removes the whole eraser when I try to access the eraser.

I have been using a GG500 .9 for several years at home and at work. I use them as construction pencils at home, for taking notes and marking on steel for cutting at work. With 2B lead it works for all that.Based on a YT video I thought I would give the GG1000 a try. This thing is a marvel of penmanship. I was worried about the little dots but they are very subtle but helpful. The retract function is a game changer! It protects the vulnerable part of the pencil and keeps me from stabbing myself. I have had several co-workers threaten to "liberate" my pencil from me.I plan on buying a few more as gifts and to have around.

Simply the best mechanical pencil - ever.

I now have 6 of these ranging from 0.3 to 0.9 mm. The tip retracts when the clip is raised and extends again when the top is pressed. This eliminates any damage to the tube that extends beyond the tip and holds the lead - the single biggest cause of catastrophic damage. It is made largely from silver anodised aluminium that looks very fine. However there is some plastic used to make the hardness sleeve - you can twist this to note the hardness/softness of the lead through a little window. There may be more inside but I have not stripped it down to see. There is also some soft plastic, probably silicon rubber that form non-slips nodules. These can be seen in the photograph as four rings of dark eclipses. I would rather these non-recyclable materials were not used as ... MoreI now have 6 of these ranging from 0.3 to 0.9 mm. The tip retracts when the clip is raised and extends again when the top is pressed. This eliminates any damage to the tube that extends beyond the tip and holds the lead - the single biggest cause of catastrophic damage. It is made largely from silver anodised aluminium that looks very fine. However there is some plastic used to make the hardness sleeve - you can twist this to note the hardness/softness of the lead through a little window. There may be more inside but I have not stripped it down to see. There is also some soft plastic, probably silicon rubber that form non-slips nodules. These can be seen in the photograph as four rings of dark eclipses. I would rather these non-recyclable materials were not used as they will inevitably fail with age. Otherwise I believe these would last for years and years. Why were these not designed and made in England?

The Mechanical Pencil of My Dreams

The shipping and handling of the products I bought were wonderful. This drafting pencil is quite likely top of the range for affordability and quality. You can adjust the slider with the grip to remember what softness of lead you are using, click twice for lead dispensing, and press the clip to retract the lead and nib into itself for easy and safe transportation! Beware, the nib is soft and easy to bend in accidents! I bent mine back and all seems well for the meantime. There is an eraser located under the metal cover at the butt end, which you can gently remove to access the lead compartment. All in all, I love this pencil, and if mine happens to have broken, I won't hesitate to buy a duplicate.