“It would be prefect, the absolutely perfect mechanical pencil…but we will never see it…”
Brad Dowdy, The Penaddict , 2022
I bet you have never noticed, but when you write with a pencil, you are continually rotating it to keep a constant, sharp graphite tip on the page. It is subconscious, we all do it. This phenomenon has tremendous implications for mechanical pencils. The much admired LAMY Safari models, ballpoint, rollerball, fountain pen and mechanical pencil, all have a uniquely popular triangular grip section. This gives a very precise location for the tip of each writing instrument. For something like a fountain pen, this fixed position is life changing for many users, particularly those new to the caper. For the pencil this fixed position which eliminates any rotation, has often made for a very disappointing user experience. At the same time, for over a decade the Mitsubishi Uniball Kurutoga mechanical pencil has had a patented graphite rotating mechanism. The downwards pressure of writing continually turns the tip. This pencil has a round barrel, so it is a nice trick, but not essential. The stationery community has always lamented they would never see the Holy Grail of both features together. Well unexpectedly, LAMY was taken over by Uniball in 2024. In April 2026 all our prayers will be answered with the release of the LAMY Safari Kurutoga mechanical pencil. #orderonenow #letsmakelemonade
Pen Paint and Scalpel 