Rotring Inital Black Silver Mechanical Pencil
597582
This is got to be on of the best, if not the best mechanical pencil that I have ever owned.  It is perfectly balanced and comfortable to write with, and very stylish.  The 0.7 mm lead is perfect for extended writing.
4793738
This order took forever and although I cancelled it, I still received the pencil. I had ordered a different one when I cancelled this one but it's ok. This pencil feels great in the hand, the gel sheath is nice however, the lead mechanism doesn't work well. It will act as though you're running out of lead and keeps pushing the lead back into the pencil so you have to kind of over extend the lead so it won't do that. the mechanics of this mechanical pencil are not good. I prefer my Dr. Grip mechanical pencil.
2553292
I prefer fine points with my pens and pencils. I typically use 0.5 mechanical pencils and decided to try this 0.3 for the finer point (I prefer 0.4 for my pens, so you can see my preferences!). I don't care for the plastic barrel and grip area, but I knew thats what this pencil had and it feels good enough in my hand. I love the 0.3 size.

I docked a star from this review because one of the big selling points - and what I wanted - was the rotating lead. Seemed like a good idea, to be honest! The problem is you have to write fairly hard in order for the rotation to occur, and it doesnt rotate while you write, but each time you pick the pencil up to start a new line. My writing doesnt make the lead rotate at all.

The pencil was only about five bucks so Ill keep it and continue using it, but if you're wanting the lead rotation and are light handed with your writing, this won't give you that. Its a decent enough pencil otherwise.
1827455
It's really a deep black, better than graphite pencils, but the point degrades easier so you have to sharpen frequently it you want to have a find point.
2740032
BigBrother - See all my reviews

I have lots of mechnical pencils and for the price this is the best one. My top three are the Rotring 600, Faber-Castel Vario and of course the Pentel 1000. The 1000 has the features you would expect on a good automatic pencil including the HB, F, M, 2H, 4H,2B,B (controls the softness) and a feature not on those other two: You press the clip and it retracts the last part of the metal barrel that sticks out and contains the lead. Without that, pencils such as the Rotring 600 and Vario can be dangerous weapons and cut through your shirt pocket or break. The 1000 pencil retracts so you can carry it arround in your pockets without it cutting through it. The only feature I wish it had was a moving eraser like the Vario. I have a heavy hand apparently and I am constantly breaking the leads of many other automatic pencils even when I try to write softly but not with the 1000 (.7). Also I like the grip of the rough metal surface which is pleasant and provides precise control over your writing. The silver and blue metal surface looks very nice. You would pay about 3 times more for a Cross mechanical and in my opinion an inferior product to the Pentel Graphgear.
3941575
Great Drafting pencil. Good feel in the hand. The lead is solid in the holder which give the pencil a premium feel. I had trouble figuring out how to turn the hardness indicator. It turns out that the end cap was so tightly screwed on it wouldn't turn. The endcap needed the help of some rubber traction material to unscrew it.
3133289
Best pencil I've ever used.  However The lead plays a big role in its performance so I'd recommend to only use rotring lead.
1876606
I bought this mechanical pencil, because it has a shaker lead feed mechanism.  That that means is that in addition to pressing the end cap down, you can also advance the lead simply by shaking pencil.  This is very convenient and allows you to get back to work quickly.  I still own the original Pentel "Shaker" 0.5 mm pencil, and it works 35 years later.  So I'm hoping I can pass this pencil along to my daughter one day
1646131
This is my first 0.3mm mechanical pencil, and I have to say I am impressed. I love the fact that this pencil has a rubber/silicon grip. The grip are the only bumps shown on the picture. The lead does break (HB) if you push too hard, but that's every lead especially the "B" lead. Overall, I'm buying another.
38881
One of the best automatic pencils made.  I have had three over the years and still have two of them.  I got a black one as a gift for my son and he loves it.  I recently purchased a pink one for my daughter and put it in my gift drawer.  I hope she likes it.  I had a green one years ago that went missing.  I wish they still made that color.
389075
It is a fine mechanical pencil, however, the material around the place you put your fingers is kind of rough.
4367634
Striker 77629 Mechanical Carpenter Pencil
I bought these for my husband because he has been doing a lot of woodworking lately.  He absolutely loves this mechanical pencil.  The only complaint that he had was that if you have it in your tool belt and if you push down on it the lead will fall out.  With that being said it was difficult for him to put the lead back in once it came out.  Other than that he really like it and it is great because make a fine line.  Shipping was prompt and an overall great buy.
422233
I feel Rotring is the best manufacturer of mechanical pencils.  This has been a great addition to the 3 others that I own.  The collapsable tip provides the safety for attaching to your Ipad holder pen/pencil loop or work bag without the exposed tip.
3554593
This is a wonderfully made wood pencil, with a triangular-shaped barrel. The lead core is very good and probable between an HB and B grade. Ideal size for small children as a first pencil, or for those that need to grip a larger diameter pencil. Made in the USA. Highly recommended. Good eraser as well. Compares with the Dixon 13082 Tri-Write large diameter pencil, but those are not made in the USA, if that matters to you...
1519438
This is probably the best mechanical pencil I have ever used! I ordered it for drawing and sketching. It has a very good weight in your hand, and the comfort grip is the most comfortable grip I have ever felt on a pencil! I love that you just shake the pencil to get more lead and can put it on a 'locked' setting so lead doesn't accidentally come out while I have it in a pencil case in my purse. Lovely product and I absolutely LOVE using it! Definitely worth the money I paid.
3408165
This pencil has a comfortable grip. Works well. Best mechanical pencil I have ever used. It's plastic. Don't let the picture fool you into thinking it's metal.
4286936
Who would pay over even $10 for a mechanical pencil? Apparently some do - at four times the price. Hence the Rotring 800 is available today. I decided to reward myself with some luxury and what I got was not luxury at all. But then again, there wasn't much to fault either.

Build - For a person used to plastic BICs and Target pencils, this pencil felt pretty heavy and maybe not appropriate for long sessions. But it felt solid in my hands. It looks very utilitarian rather than a sophisticated design. It has a hexagonal body which apparently prevents it from rolling on a surface. Guess what? The clip that is on almost every mechanical pencil does the same thing anyway. I haven't dropped this pencil yet, but it feels quite durable (although it will be a loud drop in the examination room).

Performance - The performance largely depend on the lead used in the pencil. Even a cheap $1 pencil can use the same lead found in $100 pencils so there is not much to say here. However, being so heavy, it requires less effort for writing consistent, dark lines.

Features - Arguably the most important feature of a mechanical pencil is to have a reliable lead advance mechanism, a reliable lead sleeve and a comfortable grip. The Rotring 800 only has two of the three, which is a reliable lead sleeve and lead advance mechanism. Some people commented that the sleeve has a bit of a play to it, and I didn't find that to be true on mine. The lead advancement mechanism was okay, but there wasn't much feedback and it felt a bit springy. But it did the job reliably. The grip I found was not very comfortable and slipped easily in long sessions. It is a knurled grip and it is very slippery, especially in long writing sessions. But it shouldn't prove too much of an issue in short sessions.
The lead sleeve is also retractable. The retractable mechanism had a bit of a play in it, so I was a bit unhappy about that (since it is one of the biggest features of this pencil).
Overall, this is a good pencil in terms of build quality. There are a few shortcomings (which is disappointing at this price point) but you can overcome it. There isn't really a big issue with the pencil. But there really isn't an outstanding feature either. So at this price point, I recommend you spend your money elsewhere.