Mechanical Pencil Review: Ohto Sharp APS-280E

In belated celebration of National Pencil Day (which was yesterday), I decided to dig back through my “stationery drawer of shame” and pull out a product that I’ve owned for years but never formally reviewed. (To be honest, there are multiple “drawers of shame.” And cabinets. And storage bins. But we won’t go there.) Close at hand I found a quirky mechanical pencil that struck me as the perfect way to celebrate our appreciation for pencils both woodcase and mechanical: the Ohto Sharp .5mm mechanical pencil.

[Note: Since I didn’t post a review on National Pencil Day, I’m extending the National Pencil Day promotional code until 11:59pm ET tonight. Take 10% off your order of pencils and/or pencil sharpeners in the Curated Shop using the code “PENCILDAY” at checkout!]

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Established in 1929, Ohto is a long-standing Japanese stationery brand that is best known for their mechanical pencils, ballpoints, and rollerballs. (Reviews of Ohto fountain pens are best described as, ahem, “mixed.”) While Ohto makes a wide range of different writing instruments, the one that’s repeatedly caught my eye is the Ohto Sharp .5mm pencil, in which the company has hollowed out a traditional woodcase pencil body and inserted a .5mm mechanical pencil mechanism. The knock, (or “clicker”) is inserted into the ferrule and includes a traditional pink eraser. While it does rattle a bit as you write, overall, I was impressed at how well this contraption actually works.

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The eraser pops out of the Ohto Sharp, exposing the tube that holds the pencil leads. (You can also purchase replacement erasers.)

So why does this product exist at all? Apart from just being a neat design idea, the Ohto Sharp caters to those who enjoy the feel of a woodcase pencil, but either (1) write very small and don’t enjoy constantly sharpening a pencil to maintain a needle point; and/or (2) prefer their woodcase pencils at a specific length, namely when they’ve been sharpened a handful of times. I fall into both categories, and marveled at how much fun it was to use this pencil to make tiny notes and annotations in a way that you can only really do with a mechanical pencil, yet with the comfort and balance of a hexagonal woodcase pencil at what I consider a great length.

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I love woodcase pencils when they are just about this length - probably sharpened 3-5 times, depending on the pencil.

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Shown next to a Blackwing Volume 3, which I would estimate has been sharpened approximately 4-5 times.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I’ve enjoyed the Ohto Sharp, and will probably keep one in my regular pencil rotation, especially when I’m traveling and don’t have a convenient opportunity to use a sharpener. (I was going to say that I plan to pick up another, but while I was writing this review, further digging in the “drawer of shame” revealed another Sharp, still sealed in its packaging, this time in a natural finish!) While I’m set for the .5mm version, there’s also apparently a 2mm leadholder version, which I have not used.

I should mention that the Ohto Sharp is, effectively, a disposable mechanical pencil. While I’ve owned this particular pencil for several years without incident, others have had issues with the Ohto Sharp jamming, and if so, you likely will not be able to disassemble the pencil in order to repair it. This doesn’t bother me too much - priced around $5, it’s not too expensive to replace, and as I mentioned, I’ve used one of my Sharp pencils on and off for about three years without experiencing any problems.

I acquired the pencil featured in this review at Kinokuniya Bookstore in New York, with my own funds, for my own personal use. I was not compensated for this review and this post does not include affiliate links. Ohto products are available online from a variety of retailers, and this is one that I may look to add to the Curated Shop in the future.

Vintage Gem: The Dixon Ticonderoga Woodgrain Pencil

While the standard Ticonderoga sold in stores has been on and off my “favorites” list over the years, depending on quality control at any given time, recent iterations have been on the lower end of the quality spectrum and it’s fallen out of favor. Fortunately, I have a “healthy” stock of vintage pencils, including a few dozen of the coveted Ticonderoga “Woodgrain” pencils.

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I took mainly pencils with me while I was away this week, including the Ticonderoga Woodgrain and Blackwing 10001. (As an aside, I’m not sure I’m digging the five sides on the latter. It’s weirdly uncomfortable.)

I’m not a pencil historian, so I don’t know exactly when these were sold, but since mine are marked “U.S.A.,” I’m going to assume they’re well over ten years old. (Dixon ceased production in the U.S. sometime in the 2000s.) If I had to guess, these pencils likely date from the late 1990s, early 2000s, and have aged well. The erasers remain soft, and the wood sharpens better than many of the more expensive pencils in my collection.

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The Ticonderoga actually sharpens better than this particular Blackwing Volumes edition (maybe due to the odd shape of the latter?). Point here is done with a M+R Castor.

While the graphite on this pencil is a touch harder than I prefer, the finish is absolutely beautiful. To think that not so long ago, you could get a pencil like this in an office supply store for a few bucks a dozen makes me sad (and a little angry, honestly), given that the closest equivalent I have in my collection now costs more than $3 per pencil.

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Both of these pencils felt oddly locale-appropriate.

Since the Ticonderoga Woodgrains are no more, you’ll need to resort to scouring eBay. While standard vintage U.S.A.-made Ticonderogas are fairly easy to find (you can still get a half gross for around $45 shipped), the Woodgrain variant is rare. I actually received these as a pleasant surprise, when I purchased a larger eBay lot and found that it included three dozen of the pencils shown here.

Further Reading

I don’t have a massive vintage pencil collection, and what I do have isn’t really valuable, but over the years I have stashed away a fair number of pencils I enjoyed when I was in school and therefore have personal significance. Other favorites I’ve reviewed include the Blackfeet Indian Pencil, which has a similar finish as the Ticonderoga Woodgrain. I plan to review more of these “vintage gems,” such as the Faber-Castell American, Mirado Black Warrior, and several Mongol variants, as I go along.

Disclaimer: All pencils discussed in this review are from my own personal collection and purchased with my own funds. This post does not contain affiliate links.

Bring Back Jumbo Pencils as a Standard Stationery Item!

Or, at the very least, make good ones more available. Over the years, I’ve written several different posts about my love for jumbo and “mini-jumbo” pencils, ranging from humble school pencils such as the beloved Ticonderoga Laddie to the more exotic (and now discontinued) Caran d’Ache Black Wood. Why do I love these oversized pencils so much? It pretty much comes down to comfort.

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A well-made round or hexagonal jumbo pencil offers one of the most comfortable writing experiences around. The problem seems to be (1) availability and (2) the fear of looking like a little kid writing with a giant pencil. IMHO, these two things go hand-in-hand. If the only jumbo pencils on the market are designed for, and marketed to, kindergartners, well, that’s going to affect perception and negatively impact demand. I’m doing my best to change that.

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What sharpener put that point on the Black Wood? It’s the Classroom Friendly Jumbo Sharpener, which I’ve previously reviewed. While you may pay a premium for the smooth Caran d’Ache graphite, the pencils have excellent point retention, and my Black Woods have lasted me a long time.

Five years ago, Swiss Brand Caran d’Ache sold a hexagonal jumbo pencil called the Black Wood, which I mentioned above. The Black Wood packed an oversized core of high-quality, Caran d’Ache HB graphite into a sleek black pencil which, to me, became the ultimate pencil for journaling and drafting longer pieces of writing by hand. Even ardent pencil lovers appreciate how a standard hexagonal pencil can get uncomfortable if you’re writing for hours, and this larger format offered both bigger facets and softer edges to grip. I bought a half-dozen or so, and as luck would have it, when I went to procure a larger supply, they had been discontinued.

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This is one of the better pictures I’ve been able to take, in terms of duplicating the Klein Blue pantone on a screen.

This fall, Caran d’Ache announced a collaboration with the estate of French artist Yves Klein, known for his signature shade of ultramarine, “Klein Blue.” Caran d’Ache reissued a number of products from their catalog in this color, including a jumbo pencil! Of course, to my chagrin, when I went to order the line for the store, the jumbo pencil was the one item that sold out immediately. A month or so later, Caran d’Ache apparently decided to release more, because I was recently received a few dozen of what they refer to as the Klein Blue “Maxi” HB Pencil, which appears to be a Black Wood reborn in a Klein Blue barrel, featuring the same smooth oversized HB core. (I might have put a few aside for myself this time. We do need “shop testers,” after all.)

A size comparison for jumbo pencils, from lower right: Caran d’Ache Klein Blue “Maxi” HB, Blackfeet Indian Pencil (a vintage classic from my childhood), Caran d’Ache Black Wood, Caran d’Ache Swiss Wood, and the Klein Blue Fixpencil, which is now sold out but standard versions are in stock.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

To summarize: I think jumbo pencils are great, but there’s a paucity of quality ones on the market. “School pencils” such as the Ticonderoga Laddie and “My First Ticonderoga” that you see at Target and Wal-mart are certainly available - and the Laddie is an excellent cheap pencil for everyday use - but the quality can vary wildly. A safer, more consistent choice for an inexpensive jumbo, in my opinion, is the Musgrave Cub.

When they’re available, Caran d’Ache offers the ultimate jumbo pencil experience. I have a decent stock of the Klein Blue “Maxi” pencils currently available for purchase in The Curated Shop, but my understanding is that this is a limited run and these pencils will not be available as part of the standard lineup. That’s a shame, because based on what I’ve seen to date in terms of demand, Caran d’Ache could sell a lot of these pencils and I would love to have these as an option for everyday writing. Maybe if we make enough noise they’ll bring back the Black Wood? One can dream.

The Gentleman Stationer Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Caran d’Ache products. Sales through The Curated Shop, the TGS Patreon Program, and affiliations with other sites and retailers are how I fund The Gentleman Stationer. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Can You Write With a Leadholder? I do!

Lead holders or “clutch pencils” are an overlooked and under-appreciated category of stationery, sitting in a strange twilight zone between woodcase and mechanical pencils. Despite many different options on the market, these pencils have garnered a reputation as artist’s or draftman’s tools, unsuitable for writing. That’s actually not the case at all, and I keep several on hand that I use regularly (and almost solely for writing).

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Nearly all leadholders use a “clutch” mechanism to hold the lead, meaning that you depress the knock to release the button and the lead drops out via gravity, as opposed to a traditional mechanical pencil in which the lead advances a predetermined distance after each click. After sharpening the lead, you must reopen the clutch and push it back in.

A key difference between a lead holder pencil and a standard mechanical pencil is the diameter of the graphite. Lead holders typically use either 2mm or 3mm leads, whereas your traditional mechanical pencil uses leads with a much smaller diameter ranging from .2mm to .9mm, with the most popular sizes being .5mm or .7mm. If you write with heavier pressure, and find yourself constantly breaking standard mechanical pencil leads, a larger-diameter lead holder pencil will likely suit you better. I also prefer these larger leads because they offer the line variation and legibility of a woodcase pencil. (I’m often told that my handwriting degenerates into an unreadable scrawl when I write with mechanical pencils.)

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.2mm lead refills. You refill a lead holder by feeding the lead into the front of the pencil. Most hold one lead at at time.

The downside? The clutch mechanism is a bit clumsier than a standard mechanical pencil, and you need to sharpen a lead holder much like you need to sharpen a woodcase pencil. You typically use a “lead pointer” instead of a standard pencil sharpener, with some lead holders, such as the Caran d’Ache Fixpencil, incorporating a sharpener/pointer into the nock or button. While you won’t have to deal with a large volume of wood shavings, the graphite dust from lead pointers can get messy very quickly. I always try to sharpen directly over a garbage can.

And, yes, some brands make blue and red leads (but these are used mainly for drawing and drafting).

Another consideration when choosing a lead holder is shape and weight. Those intended strictly for drawing and drafting tend to be heavier, and often feature metal knurling on the grip that some find uncomfortable when writing for longer sessions. For this reason, I gravitate towards lead holders that mimic the look and feel of a round or hexagonal woodcase pencil, including Caran d’Ache’s iconic “Fixpencil” pictured above. Fun historical fact: the Fixpencil was originally created as a replacement for standard woodcase pencils due to wartime materials shortages. The idea caught on, and the product has remained in the company’s lineup as one of its longest-running products.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Despite their niche status, leadholders are fairly easy to find. Your local art or office supply store will likely stock leadholders from brands such as Mars and Alvin. Rotring even makes a lead holder version of its Rotring 88 pencil. I currently have three in my personal collection: a Sierra “Slip-On” that I purchased at Kinokuniya in NYC, the “Sostanza” Kickstarter pencil from a few years ago, and a Caran d’Ache Fixpencil.

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Because I find them more versatile and among the most comfortable to use for traditional writing, the Fixpencils are my favorite, and for that reason I’ve chosen to stock them in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. I have both the standard matte black Fixpencil with a black, red, or blue button, as well as the Fixpencil 884 or “JR”, which is the same size and comes in blue, red, and green. The different Fixpencil versions are priced at $24.50 and $22.00, respectively. Refill leads are also available in HB, 2H, and 2B.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized reseller of Caran d’Ache products, as well as any other products featured in the T.G.S. Curated Shop.

Gone But Not Forgotten: The Twist Bullet Pencil Revisited

In a niche industry admittedly dominated by hype and FOMO, products come and go. Something launches on Kickstarter, people buy the product in an initial rush, maybe it sells briefly at retail, and then it disappears. I can think of a few candidates, but the Steel & Flint pen and the Twist Bullet Pencil are the two that come to mind because I miss them the most. While I still have two Twists, the pencil has been out of production for a couple of years now, and no third-party retailers appear to have any left in stock. I hesitate to carry my Twists as much as I’d like because it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to source a replacement if lost.

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The brass “bullets” on my Twist pencils have aged nicely, developing quite the patina.

You can read my original review of the machined aluminum Twist Bullet Pencil here. The product itself impresses with the quality of construction and the way in which the designers took the bullet pencil, a classic piece of Americana, and modernized it for today’s stationery enthusiast. While I purchased several Twist pencils over a two or three year period, I only kept two in my collection. I suspect the primary reason behind the discontinuation of the Twist was that it was a niche product targeted to pencil/pocket notebook enthusiasts and the Erasable Podcast crowd - enough to support an initial Kickstarter project and product launch, but maybe not sustained production because even woodcase pencil enthusiasts don’t necessarily have a need for multiple bullet pencils.

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My favorite iteration of the Twist was the wooden “Timber Twist” model. It’s incredibly light.

Regardless, the Twist remains a great tool to have, and I’m sad to see a general lack of modern bullet pencils currently available for purchase. Neither of the Twist co-creators are still in the pencil business, from what I can tell. Jay Smith (“Huckleberry Woodchuck”) still maintains an active site, selling handkerchiefs, facemasks, and Begleri beads, and his site confirms that the Twist is officially out of production. Metal Shop CT, co-creator Jon Fontane’s machine shop, which actually manufactured the Twist pencils, no longer maintains an active website, though there was some chatter on Instagram last year about possibly resuming production at some point.

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My red and brass “Ironman” version.

Are There Any Viable Bullet Pencil Alternatives on the Market?

As I mentioned earlier, I couldn’t find many modern iterations of the classic bullet pencil currently on sale. You can always acquire vintage bullet pencils on Etsy or eBay (Seller “Barnstar Treasures” seems to have a lot of interesting options), but I’ve been hesitant to dive back into the vintage market due to the pain in sourcing replacement erasers, and the inherent fragility of using a pencil 70-90 years old as an everyday writer. Elegant Utility makes the brass “Pencil Pal,” a more modern machined brass take on the classic bullet, and there’s always the Traveler’s Company version, though it’s currently hard to find in the U.S. If you are aware of any other alternatives currently on the market, please let me know! [Update: I managed to source the Traveler’s Company bullet pencil and now have it available for sale in my shop! It has an excellent authentic vintage vibe, and even uses the same bullet style as some of the vintage pencils in my collection.]

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Maybe the solution is for Pokka to design a “pencil” insert for their recently released “Pokka Jakket” aluminum cap?

In my opinion, the true “spiritual successor” to the bullet pencil is probably the ultra-portable Pokka Pen - even though it’s a ballpoint pen and not a pencil - because it not only follows the “bullet” form factor but is inexpensive and designed to be used in a workaday scenario where you’re not necessarily afraid of losing a prized possession. As I posted yesterday, you can now “upgrade” your Pokka barrels to provide additional durability, if you so desire, and there’s even a keyring dock (pictured below) to make it a more integral part of your EDC. Maybe the solution is for Pokka to make a pencil insert for the Pokka Pen? We can dream, right?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I purchased the bullet pencils featured in this post with my own funds, for my own collection. I am also a retailer of Pokka Pens, and additional details can be found in The T.G.S. Curated Shop.

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