Pentel Graphgear 500 review

Pentel is a big name in the industry but not so common over here, so I am exited to test one of their drafting mechanical pencils. I picked the middle of the range, the Graphgear 500 in 0.5 mm thickness. It is an utilitarian design, with knurled grip and plastic body, with the color of the body being color coded to the thickness of the lead. It feels like a very serious pencil ready to do some drafting. 

The Pentel Graphgear 500 is the quintessential classic designer's best friend, with a fixed 4 mm sleeve for accurate lines, knurled grip for great feel in the hand and the body color coded in the side of the led, so you can pick the correct tool from the arsenal.

The Pentel Graphgear 500 is made in Japan.

The pencil sits well in the hand. The weight feels good, even if the pen is a little bit tip heavy. The balance point of the pencil is just at the end of the grip section. The knurling is fine, grips well without being uncomfortable for longer writing sessions. Due to it's fixed sleeve and long tip the pencil is perfect for precision work, lines with rulers but it can be just as good for writing with it.

The body is made out of plastic with hexagonal shape, while the clip is friction fitted to it. It is a very simple and unrefined clip, rather short and unappealing, but strong and robust offering you the confidence that you will not lose it while clipped.

On the side of the clip it stamped Japan and Pentel. It is a nice touch that sometimes it is missing from more expensive pencils. 

One of the facets of the body is written in white paint Graphgear 500 PG525 0.5 2h.

The cap has a unique look, with it's top part being extruded offering a flat top with a bevel around it. It feels a lot opportunity to use the space available to display with text or in color code the thickness of the pencil. A feature that is very useful for drafting especially when you have several lead sizes.

With the cap removed the small eraser encased is a metal holder is revealed .

Because it's a drafting pencil it doesn't have a retractable sleeve making it more difficult to carry it around without a case. The long expose sleeve might get damaged in a pocket. Also be careful when handling it, the pen is tip heavy due to the metal grip and the plastic body. I managed drop it on the first week of ownership on it's tip. I was lucky that the band wasn't severe and I could restore it to its original state more or less. I mean the pencil is functional and working just fine, even if there might be a slight bend to the tip.

The mechanism is robust, with the jaws made from bronze or some alloy from what I can tell. The clicks are very satisfying and precise.

10 click will advance the lead almost 6 mm (something like 5.7 - 5.8 mm). The pencil has a length of 14 cm, and a 9,6 mm grip width, with a weight of 15 grams. The sleeve is a very standard 4 mm in leangth.

Graphgear 500 used by Gerard Butler in the movie Greenland

In the movie Greenland starring Gerard Butler, right in the starting scene you can see a glimpse of a GraphGear 500 used for a brief moment by the star of the movie.

The movie starts with John Garrity (Gerard Butler) as an engineer on a construction site looking over some designs and taking some notes with a Pentel GraphGear 500 mechanical pencil. It is a disaster movie, a comet is going to hit earth and, and a few selected people are notified to go to a shelter.

This is the first and last time the pencil appears in the movie, but I am sure the pencil survived the comet and is still working today.

In the rest of the movie, you can see the trip to the shelter and all the misfortunes that happen on the way.

I do not know if the crew chose with a reason the Graphgear 500 over its bigger brother 1000 (braking issues) or it was just what they had lying around. Either way I think this is a solid choice, in case of a disaster, to have such a good mechanical pencil.

"Paul" sketch with Pentel Graphgear 500

A new mechanical pencil spot in the movie "Paul". An older movie with Simon Peg where Graeme Willy (played by Simon) is trying to help the alien with the name Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) to escape from earth.

While in the RV, Willy is drawing a sketch of Paul, using a mechanical pencil.

Even though the image is not very clear I think it is safe to say that Willy is using a Pentel Graphgear 500

Not very clear but if you zoom enough you see that the cap and clip are metal while the barrel is not. Also at very close inspection the clip attaches to the barrel leaving a small gap in the back

The tip is "technical" with long sleeve and a knurled grip

This last picture is where you can see the entire pencil. Again with high magnification, it is more clear that the mechanical pencil used by Simon Pegg is a Pentel.

It seems that Pentel's are pretty used in movies (see the Doctor Who seen on screen post)

Pentel Energel on Doctor Who

Doctor Who Christmas Special 2016 - The return of Doctor Mysterio

I have just received a double treat this Christmas. I was eager to see the Doctor coming back on the screens. It was a long wait for all Doctor Who fans. And what a season start it was. Not only we were able to see Peter Capaldi doing a great job as the Doctor Mysterio, but Pentel Energel appeared on the screen as well.

In the episode, the return of the Doctor Mysterio, the 2016 Christmas Doctor Who Special, the Doctor makes a superhero by mistake. A Superman.

Grant a small boy ingests by mistake a gemstone given by the Doctor and becomes G, from Ghost. Of course, every Superman has its Luis Lane, and this one is no exception. Well a version of her. A journalist that Grant loves in secret, Lucy Fletcher.

The journalist Lucy Fletcher, played by Charity Wakefield, interrogates the doctor while holding a grey Pentel Energel

It is hard to see as the pen is not the main focus of the scene.

It seems that the Pentel is a popular pen, as it was spotted on an episode of Better Call Saul as well.

Pentel Energel on the screen

Watching the tv series Better Call Saul, I spotted a Pentel Energel pen. For you that do not know, Better Call Saul is a sideshow of Breaking Bad, on AMC. It presents the background of Saul Goodman the lawyer in Breaking Bad, his efforts of creating a name for himself, establishing a legitimate practice,  and the interaction with different characters that made a mark in Breaking Bad. In the 6th episode, Mike is the star. His background as an ex cop is under the spotlight, how did he end up in Albuquerque, and what made him leave the uniform for the criminal life.

Seven episodes into the life of Saul Goodman and I can say is a great show. Give it a try, especially if you enjoyed Breaking Bad.

Back to the pen spot.