The 115mm length and 7mm diameter belie it's rather surprisingly substantial presence in the hand. Thats clearly an effect of the knurled grip zone and its weight to size ratio from all that metal componentry.
It's an ordinary push top ratchet mechanism pencil, but the lead is an 80mm length of 2mm diameter. Only one lead fits in the pencil, there is no spare carried inside. A replacement lead is fed in through the tip rather than in through the top end. Although not my favourite size, 2mm lead would suit many for writing quick rough and ready notes, particularly where thinner leads might get broken from the rough and tumble of being carried around in a bag, or where the writing situation is not ideal. There is no eraser under the top cap, rather it unscrews to reveal a lead sharpener.
It's a particularly vicious looking little sharpener. Lots of nasty little fangs to attack the lead.
Just FYI - you can unscrew things and remove the pocket clip.
Thanks to Nick from Hungary for sending this to me.
Pretty unique lead pointer indeed, so that's what the inside of Fixpencil push-button must look like.
ReplyDeletehaha, the last photo :-)
ReplyDeleteLooks really nice. I am quite tempted to buy one, but I am not sure I would appreciate a clutch pencil (never used one, so not sure).
ReplyDeleteMatthias - it's not what I call a clutch pencil, i.e. a leadholder where the jaws open and the lead is then free to slide in and our, rather it is an ordinary click to advance mechanicsm just using 2mm lead.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this clarification. Somehow I think of all mechanical pencils with leads > 1.3mm as clutch pencils. That's of course wrong.
ReplyDeleteLead pointer is really interesting.^^
ReplyDeleteMatthias - I know what you mean. I tend to think the same.
ReplyDeleteHi Dave, I haven't looked into your blog for a while and now, it was a surprise to read about the small KIN from Bratislava.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, like all of the newly available KIN pencils, the sharpener is not doing properly its job. One in ten maybe doing some basic sharpening but the rest is just hopelessly revolving together with the inner mechanism. Too bad. Actually the old ones from the 50's, 60's are having the same sharpener but doing their job perfectly even this date.
Nick
I have been using a Koh-i-noor 5608 mechanical pencil since 2011. It is handy for use with an organiser type notebook. Avoid using coloured Koh-i-noor leads with this pencil: they tend to jam the mechanism. It has been diagnosed somewhere on the internet that the Koh-i-noor coloured leads are fractionally thicker than 2mm, causing them to jam the mechanism. That is a pity because the colours are all vibrant. The black anodised barrel shows some exposed brass in my specimen after about 7 years of moderate use. Wish now that I hadn't given away so many 5608s as gifts and kept a couple for myself.
ReplyDelete