Japanese Pencil Comparison: Mitsubishi and Tombow

I recently purchased several of the more popular Japanese wood-cased pencils from Jet Pens. I got the Tombow 2558 ($1 each) and three Misubishis: the 9800 ($0.70 each), the Hi-Uni ($2.35 each) and the 9850 ($1 each). All of the pencils are the standard HB/#2 hardness. As far as I can tell, the only difference…

Review: Dixon Tri-Conderoga Pencil

I’ve always been a fan of the classic Ticonderoga  pencils from Dixon. Where the Ticonderoga is a classic hexagonal wood-cased pencil, the Tri-Conderoga is a triangular pencil. The Tri-Conderoga has a rubberized coating with a matte black finish. What most surprised me is that the Tri-Conderoga is wider in diameter than the regular Ticonderoga or…

Review: Pentel Graph 600 Mechanical Pencil (and Tombow Mono-WX 0.3mm HB leads)

I blame Mr. Dudek and, of course, Jet Pens for continuing to stoke my interest in evermore writing tools. My most recent foray was into modern technical pencils. I’ve used the sort of “standard” mechanical pencils for years but wanted to upgrade into a more substantial tool. This lovely, aqua blue Pentel Graph 600 0.3mm…