Uni Shift Pipe Lock Drafting 0.5mm Pencil, Silver Body with Blue Accent (M51010.26)

TLDR:+Plastic does not feel cheap+Worth the price+Does not break easy, though it is definitely ~possible~ due to plastic upper body+RETRACTABLE AND POCKET SAFE+Attractive challenger the the Pentel Graphgear 1000+WAY cheaper than Rotring, which is more likely to break at the tip than the body.-Upper is plastic-Like all graphing pencils the eraser is not great, opt for a click pen eraser or a MARS plastic block eraser.-The screw on tip (not the pipe) can become loose on occasion though it is rare and has never fallen off, and also has long threads inside to prevent this. I have attached a photo to show both the length of the screw with the piece removed to show just how hard it would be for it to fall, and to show the length of the pencil compared to a Lamy safari and an eraser.-I wish the upper was aluminum so it was stronger without losing is forward heavy weight.I wanted to wait a month or two before reviewing this, and I have found that it is of surprising quality. Many of you have heard of the declining quality of Rotring since the 90s and as such I opted for this in place of the Rotring 800 which is substantially more expensive. The Rotring 600 is only slightly more expensive though the lack of a retractable causes problems for people like me- the people that SHOULD be these brands target markets as we write infinitely more than almost any profession- and that is students. I carry a Lamy Safari, Clic-Erase pen eraser, and this pencil with me constantly. The wobble mentioned was all but absent. I really did not notice any play, though it does rattle near the eraser, it does not do so when writing, only when shaken while in the deployed position. The shift mechanism is sure and effective. The plastic upper feels quality and has a nice matte finish. This light upper leaves the weight at the bottom which I actually prefer. While it may not be quite as rigid, solid, or hardy as some expensive fixed pipe pencils it ties the Pentel Graphgear 1000 for best low-price pencil, sacrificing the metal upper for a better grip, and much better aesthetics. The shift mechanism is absurdly good and due the "Z" shape of the track it can be deployed and closed in one fluid motion and stays locked (provided you fasten it entirely, don't pin human error on the product.) The mechanism should be standard for retractable pencils in my opinion. My only wish is that the upper was aluminum so it was stronger without losing is forward heavy weight.

The Short Story: The idea behind this pencil is brilliant and the execution is actually really great. There are a few things that might turn you off to it (see below) but overall if you are looking to spend a little extra on a nice pencil you won't be disappointed.The Longer Story: I also own a uni kura toga roulette 0.5 (another pencil I would highly recommend) so I had that to compare this to. I got this pencil one day earlier than they originally said it was going to arrive which was a nice surprise. It arrived in a very large box, covered by a cellophane sleeve. Immediately upon pulling it out of the box I was surprised by how heavy it was and by how much weight was at the writing end of the pencil. Once I pulled it out of the sleeve I immediately noticed the plastic upper body of this pencil. Everything that is black in the picture is made of plastic. It is coated in something to make it not a slick type of plastic but a "softer" plastic. While a lot of people had a problem with this, something I realized is that, not only does this put the weight more directly into your hand due to the silver part being a nice knurled metal, but it also keeps the pencil slightly lighter. The second thing I noticed once I began experimenting with the shift mechanism was that it felt kind of loose. While I will admit that it does wiggle a little when locked in the writing position, I would say that mostly the wiggle I was feeling is when it is in "neutral" (neither locked closed nor locked open). It took me a few tries to get the correct rotation down, but I was able to remember it with a little trick. I imagine I am screwing on/off the silver knurled part to the plastic part.Thus, if the tip is pointed away from you and the pencil is locked in the safety position, turn it left to neutral, pull it back and left again to lock it. To undo that, turn it right to neutral, let it slide away, then right again to lock it. Overall I am very satisfied with the uni SHIFT. Brilliant design. Great job uni!!

I own over 40 mechanical pencils, as an engineer I enjoy and respect a good pencil. This pencil, for the price is a great option.PROS:- Solid grip, the knurling is similar to the Alvin Draft Matic. it feels great in the hand.- pocket safe- Long sleeve, great for writing and drafting.- The clip is very sturdy.Cons:- The eraser is really small.- The top part of the pencil is plastic.- Not sure if this pencil will last more than 1 or 2 years since the mechanism to hide the sleeve is a "Twist and pull/push". If the part holding the pencil in place wears the pencil will be useless.

A couple were purchased for EDC, and they work fine for that. The mechanism for retracting the tip works and is quite novel. It’s a sharp looking unit when deployed and writes fine without breaking much. Some use these automatic type pencils for drafting. What? None of these work well for precision drafting. 2mm lead holders are the standard and have been for decades. Politics aside, if it isn’t lines on tracing paper, these units are pretty good. Some in dismay about this pencil suggest going with something better, at twice the price. I’m not about to carry a pricey Rotring collection around town. Sometimes writing utensils get lost or hammered hard. Carry pencils you won’t cry about if lost/broken/stolen.Addendum: I got to thinking how nice this pencil would be with a few modifications. All metal construction with anodized color where there is now plastic. Reduce width of knurled part to match same diameter of barrel. All metal retraction parts. It would be expensive, but I’d buy it just to look at it now and then, and use it when someone important came in. Titanium for the metal parts would be quite something, though likely out of range....