Kitaboshi Pencil Lead Holder 2mm, 3 Body Color Set, Black (OTP-680BST) / Red (OTP-680MST) / Navy (OTP-680IST) with Sharpener - Japan import (A-set)

I purchased these lead holders after researching mechanical pencils for drawing. While I love my Derwent and Blackwing pencils, I wanted to see how mechanical pencils felt, and if they were as convenient as they seemed. I didn’t want to spend the money on something like a Rotring for an experiment, so I went for these Kita-Boshi pencils. I’m really happy I did.It’s very convenient to get these as a three-pack, allowing you to load the barrels with different leads: hard for sketching and blocking, medium for linework and rendering, and soft for dark darks.The build on these pencils is quality, with decent heft, and the mechanism is smooth and solid. To folks used to using wooden pencils, the hard and smooth barrels might feel cold and unyielding at first, but after a bit of use it’s not an issue.The sharpeners are a nice touch, compact and functional. They hone lead tips to a very fine point, and catch all the lead shavings, which can come in handy if one likes to render in detail.Overall, as an artist I’m very happy with these lead holders. They’re very convenient and feel like they will last a good, long time. It took a little while to get used to the feel of the barrels, but since then the experience has been nothing but positive. The Kita-Boshis are my main drawing tools now, and I’m in no hurry to get a Rotring.

As the heading says, I love this lead holder. I really appreciate the push click advance of the lead. There is a good weight and balance to the pencil and it just feels right. I do have to admit that I prefer another brand of lead but I love this pencil! The added sharpener is a nice touch and the product packaging is very tasteful. My only complaint is that it would be nice touch in production if they would feather the octagon of the pencil smoothly into the lower lead ferule.

The drafting pencils work like a regular mechanical pencil. They click and lead extends out with each click. Unlike all other drafting pencils the lead will not just slide out when the plunger is pushed, which is nice. The only complaint it that they do not fit in a regular lead pointer. Thankfully it comes with one per pencil, a bit of a different design, but they work fantastic. I'd highly recommend these to anyone that asks. I use them all the time!

I promise I am tough on product reviews because I believe a product should be everything you want it to be, that's what we pay for, and If you read this, you are looking a the best sharpener I have ever seen. Wayne Thanks for making a quality product.

Quite possibly the best pencil lead holders I have ever had the pleasure of using. They have a great feel, weight, and minimalist design. The mechanical bits are simple in design and durable. I would buy more, but I don't think I'll ever need to.

All three pencils arrived with black lead. No red. No blue.

I ordered these and a Staedler lead holder. These work better, advancing the lead a small amount with each click.

Really like these and the sharpeners come in handy for many of my mechanical pencils and lead holders.