Pentel Ain Supplio Sharp Sented Pencil - Healing

There seems to be a lot of hype about the Pentel Ain Supplio Sharp Scented Pencils on the Net. In doing research on the pencils I learned that they were the July 2007 Stationary Of The Year award winners in Japan. The hype is more about the lead than the actual pencils themselves. This is as it should be as it's the lead that houses the scented oils not the pencil itself, which is really a Pentel Techniclick 0.5mm pencil in new clothes.

The scented leads employ nanotechnology to encapsulate the oils in microscopic bubbles. As the lead wears down the bubbles burst and the scent is released. It is a very subtle fragrance, and I do mean subtle. I have never used a scented pen but what I have read is that the fragrance from scented leads is much more subtle than the fragrance from scented pens.

The leads come in 3 scents: "Healing - gives you a change of mind. Has a soft, soothing scent, like lavender or fragrant tea; Refresh - gives you an extra boost when you feel tired. Has a winter fresh, minty scent; Positive - clears your mind so you can be motivated at work. Has a spring time scent of flower petals". According to Pentel the scent will last 2 years if the package is left sealed, 3 months once the seal is broken.

The pencil that I was given to review had a "Healing" scent. As soon as I opened the package I could smell the lavender fragrance, one I happen to like. That was the strongest the fragrance got. From then on, as I used the pencil, I only caught a hint, a suggestion, of lavender. In fact the scent was underwhelming, which is not a bad thing. If I had not known that the lead was scented I would have been wondering where the gentle odor was coming from. When I removed the end cap from the pencil while the lead was extended and put my nose up to it the scent was much stronger.

The pencil itself is a Pentel Techniclick, a side clicking pencil, color coded to match the particular scent, in this case green. The color, like the scent, is subtle. The pencil is mostly clear plastic with a green push button. Just above the push button is the pencil's name in white on a transparent field of green. Imprinted in opaque green on the pocket clip is the Healing logo. The plastic parts of the lead advance mechanism are white plastic. The grip area is nice as it is made up of almost 2 dozen raised rings. Because the pencil is so light this is quite adequate as a grip. Another feature of the pencil is the lead sleeve. It's in the style of a drafting pencil only it's 3mm long instead of 4mm. Even so it could serve as a 0.5mm drafting pencil as well as as a general writing pencil.

The pencil comes with only 2 scented leads while the lead reservoir is cavernous enough to hold a couple of dozen leads. Unlike most drafting style pencils the eraser provided with the Supplio is actually usable. It sets solidly in the top of the pencil and because the lead advance mechanism is in the lower half of the pencil using the eraser will not cause unwanted lead advancement. There is no push button on top of the pencil, it's on the side of the pencil, instead there is a cap which has the pocket clip attached. To refill the pencil with lead, remove the cap and then the eraser. If you use scented lead make sure that you don't fill it with any more lead than you will use in 3 months or your scented pencil will just be a pencil.

If you are into aromatherapy or if you just want a nice subtle scent wafting up from your paper then by all means go and order a Pentel Ain Supplio Sharp scented pencil from JetPens. If you don't like the look or feel of the Techniclick pencil then buy a tube of Pentel Ain Supplio Scented pencil leads, also available from JetPens. Go on, do your senses a favor.

I want to thank JetPens for the Pentel Ain Supplio Sharp 0.5mm "Healing" pencil and for the use of the photo of same used in this review.