Ohto Promate PM-703

When I first saw the Ohto Promate I knew that I just had to have one.  It has classic lines and to me looks like what a drafting pencil should look like.  Long, straight, knurled grip, knurled lead grade indicator, straight tube push button and a nearly squared off tip with a long tube then the 4 mm lead sleeve.  Classic.  Just classic.  But it's not unique in either looks or design.  It has a round barrel while some others it may resemble have hexagon barrels.  However it does have "sisters" in the world of drafting pencils.  While I do not have a Berol RapiDesign 0.3 mm pencil, it has a very similar appearance only the LGI is between the grip and the barrel.

However there is one pencil that could be the Promate's twin, aside from not having a rubber coated plastic barrel.  Instead the Alvin Draft/Matic DM03 has a plastic body.  Otherwise they look identical, as shown by the side-by-side presentation in my post, Two Of a Kind.  They even share limited interchangeability of parts!  If it were not for a few internal differences the 2 pencils could have been produced in the same factory, even on the same machinery.  But it's the differences that make the Ohto Promate it's own pencil and not a "clone".

The Ohto Promate id constructed of a plastic barrel covered in rubber, which happens to be black.  There is a bright metal nut/spacer in the tube that the knurled chromed metal grip/tip screws to.  The inner lead reservoir is a clear plastic and the clutch mechanism is housed in a white translucent plastic.  There is a small spring that supplies the return force to the clutch mechanism that fits between the white housing and the nut spacer which has a short tube that fits inside the grip/tip.  The lead reservoir does not come free of the pencil because the tube the eraser fits in is metal and fits over the lead reservoir. As the reservoir is pulled out the eraser holder hits the part of the nut/spacer inside the body tube.  The push button cap is removed to show the eraser.  The eraser is removed so the reservoir can be filled.  Beneath the eraser is a clean-out-rod.

The appearance of the Promate is very attractive.  Like I wrote above, very classic in design - the contrast of the flat black rubber coated barrel and the silver colored imprinting on the barrel as well as all the chrome plated exterior metal parts reminds me of a Black Tie Social Event, to which the Ohto Promate PM-703 would look right at home.

 

 

The pencil is 143 mm long and is 8 mm wide at the widest point, the spacer.  The grip is 7mm wide and 31 mm long (excluding the tip and lead sleeve).  The tip (including the lead sleeve) is 10 mm long.  The balance point is 65 mm from the tip of the pencil.  The pencil weighs 17.3 grams.  For me the diameter of the pencil, is good.  Not to chunky and not to skinny.  Just right.  The weight is good.  It's a light weight pencil which helps make the writing experience that much more pleasant.  The balance is below center making it top heavy, but even if I turn the pencil up side down I can not feel a difference in balance.  The sharp knurling and the rubberized barrel work in concert to help me hold the pencil with minimal effort making the writing experience that much more pleasant.  Add in HB grade lead and a good smooth writing surface and writing with the Ohto Promate feel almost effortless.  I like this as I tend to have a heavy hand and for over 45 years I have been trying to train myself to have a light touch.  Writing with 0.3 mm lead in a lightweight helps me to write with a light touch.

For those of you who like such details, it only takes 2 "clicks" to get enough lead out to write with.  Thereafter a single "click" will advance enough lead as you continue to write or draw.  With so little lead exposed there is very little "wobble" of the lead in the lead sleeve so lead breakage is held to a minimum. 

The 2 drawbacks I can see with the pencil concerns the LGI at the top of the pencil.  In bright light the silver on black letters and numerals are hard to see due to glare.  They are better viewed in a shade or low light or indirect light.  The chromed LGI housing is extremely loose.  Just handling the pencil can cause the LGI to move enough to move off the initial setting.  There doesn't seem to be any way of tightening the housing, so it's just something I have to get used to.

Despite the LGI problems, which are really minor, the Ohto Promate PM-703 is a very good example of a classic drafting pencil.  However the Ohto Promate is no longer made, so if you want one you will have to do an Internet search to find one.

November/December Givaway

Welcome one and all to my humble blog!  Up for grabs this time is a brand new never used Ohto Super Promecha PM 1505P drafting pencil.  For those of you who are familiar with the Ohto brand of all metal drafting pencils will recognize this as being the latest iteration of the 0.5 mm version of the top of the line Ohto Super Promechas!  The PM 1505P features a variable length lead sleeve, a lead projection adjustment, a removable pocket clip, a lead grade indicator and an all metal exterior construction!   It is in top condition because it's been sitting around safe in it's plastic case awaiting it's turn at being given away!  It's wait is almost over!  I'm giving away this pencil just in time for Christmas! 

And all any one has to do is to have a chance at winning this great example of a drafting pencil is to send me, the Old Geezer, an e-mail containing somewhere in the body of the e-mail the words -  Ohto Super Promecha Giveaway.  That's it!  Once the giveaway is closed I will use the random integer generator to generate a random integer between 0 and the number of e-mails I have received.  The e-mails will be numbered in the order they are received (dated and time stamped).  No comments to this post will be accepted as entries to the giveaway.  You must send me an e-mail.  If you are the winner I will contact you via e-mail and ask for your mailing address.  You don't even have to check back after the contest ends to see if you've won!  The contest will remain open until midnight Friday, December 10th.  Shortly after closing I will pick the winner! 

But wait, there's more!  Along with the pencil I'm giving away 19 tubes of grade B lead!  That's right!  19 tubes!  That's 288 pieces of Pentel Super Hi- polymer grade B lead!  There is one full box of 12 tubes plus 7 tubes in a partially filled box!  Plus the pencil is already filled with 12 pieces of lead!  That's a total of 300 pieces of Grade B lead!  Wow!  Am I a great guy or what!? (don't you dare say "or what")!

So, times a waitin'!  Get to sending me e-mails!

UPDATE: We have a winner. Congrats to Dave who had the winning slot!

Clearing A Lead Jam From An Ohto Super Promecha PM-1503P Drafting Pencil

The Ohto Super Promecha PM-1503P Automatic Drafting pencil is what appears to me to be a 3rd generation Super Promecha. It's by far the best looking and the best designed of the series. The 2 predecessors that I'm aware of, the PM-1000S and the PM-1500S (see fig. 2) both have the unique feature of being able to set the maximum lead sleeve exposure length via a spring loaded threaded adjustment tubular wheel in the end cap of the pencil.

The PM-1500P Series lacks this feature and for a good reason. It was redundant (and probably costly to make) so it was unnecessary. The threaded tube sets the maximum length of the lead sleeve that is exposed when the lead sleeve is exposed regardless. The lead sleeve is exposed or hidden by turning the grip. With the grip all the up the lead sleeve is fully exposed, within the limits set by the adjustment in the end cap. With the grip all the way down the lead sleeve is completely hidden. But the grip can stop and expose only a portion of the lead sleeve any where along it's length of travel. Starting to get the picture? There were 2 devises that could do the same job, but in slightly different ways, so why keep both? So the lead sleeve length adjustment in the pencils end cap was finally drooped on the current model. So while this article focuses on the current model Super Promecha, it can easily be applied to the other 2 models with a slight variation.

Lead jams are not as common as they once were. This is due in part to better quality pencils as well as better quality lead. They also occur more readily in the smaller diameter lead sizes, mainly the 0.3 mm size. Despite this some pencil manufacturers have decided to leave clean out rods out out their pencils. Ohto is not one of them. So if you do experience a lead jam and have to clear the lead sleeve you'll have the proper tool to do the job. When lead jams do occur they can stop up a pencil instantly and the only thing that will get it working again is to clear the jam.

To clear a lead jam from the PM-1503S (and any other 1500S series pencil) follow these simple instructions. First remove the push button to expose the eraser. Remove the eraser and beneath it will be a very small diameter length of wire called a clean out rod. Keep the eraser and clean out rod out but replace the push button before proceeding or else you'll dump the lead from the pencil! Next rotate the grip counter clockwise, lowering the grip and hiding the lead sleeve (see fig. 2).

Once the grip is all the way down, remove the end cap. Be very careful
at this point as the end cap is under spring tension from a large spring housed inside the grip. This spring is what allows the grip to stop at any point in its length of travel and maintain its position. To remove the end cap tightly grasp the grip in one hand while grasping the end cap in the other and twist the end cap counter clockwise to unscrew it from the grip. Make sure that you do not lose the grip spring (see fig. 3)! The grip spring may stay in the grip or come out with the end cap, either way remove it and secure it and the end cap somewhere safe for a short period (see fig. 3A).




The lead sleeve is now partially exposed . To fully expose the lead sleeve reverse the direction of the grip, stopping just short of fully removing it from the threads (see fig. 4).

Now you are ready to remove the lead sleeve. Be careful here as well as the lead sleeve is also under tension by a small spring that sets tension for the tubular wheel that sets the max. length of lead exposed per click. To remove the lead sleeve, which is polished stainless steel, you may need something to give you added grip, such as a rubber jar lid opener, as the lead sleeve is on extremely tight. Grasp the body tube with one had, right where the rubber "O" rings are positioned (I used to think that these rubber "O" rings were purely decoration, but I've since learned that they serve a purpose. They are the grip used to help the user remove the lead sleeve). While grasping the lead sleeve in the other hand turn it counter clockwise to remove it (see fig. 5). Once the lead sleeve is free of the pencil, remove the spring and secure both in a safe place (see fig. 5A).


At this stage any further handling of the pencil proper will probably cause changes in the setting for the max. lead length per click as the tension has been removed from the tubular wheel that controls the setting. Secure the rest of the pencil in a safe place.

Next, take the lead sleeve and place it large end down on a hard surface like a desk or counter top. Hold it there with one hand and while using the eraser as a handle, insert the clean out rod into the mouth of the lead sleeve with the other hand and push down. You should feel some resistance as the clean out rod encounters the lead jam. Push past this resistance, it shouldn't take much force at all to clear the lead jam. When pulling the clean out rod out of the lead sleeve you should feel the resistance of the rubber lead retainer on the clean out rod suddenly give way. That's fine and should be expected. If you feel no resistance at all while removing the clean out rod then check the debris under the lead sleeve for a small black "top hat" looking device. Without the lead retainer the pencil will not work.

Should you find that the unlikely has happened and the lead retainer has become dislodged, click on this link to find out how to replace it.

Should all go well, and it should, retrieve all the pencil parts and reassemble the pencil simply by reversing the steps for disassembly. Once assembled the pencil should now be in working order. You may have to reset the amount of lead exposed per click as the disassembly and reassembly procedures may have disturbed this setting.

For the 2 older models that I have mentioned in this article the procedure will be very much the same with the following exceptions: There is a tubular wheel that controls the max. length lead sleeve espouser in the end cap of the 2 pencils along with a spring, visible through the opening in the end cap. Use caution when removing the end cap as the spring in the end cap slides inside the spring that is inside the grip. The 2 springs can become entangled, pulling the smaller spring from the end cap. It could therefore get lost causing the lead sleeve espouser function to become non functional. This part of the pencil will not work without the spring; The lead sleeve is not under spring tension as in the newest model and does not have as wide a base. Take extra care when pushing the clean out rod into the mouth of the lead sleeve as the lead sleeve can easily move and the thin wire of the clean out rod easily punctures skin.

For the full line of Ohto Drafting Pencils please visit our friends at JetPens.com.

Two Of A Kind?

When I first saw the Alvin Draft/Matic DM03 I wondered just how like the Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatic 5633 it was. Well I was quite surprised to discover that the 2, while looking similar, were entirely two different beasts altogether.

In appearance they differ only slightly: the Koh-I-Noor has a hexagonal body while the Alvin has a round body; the Alvin has a ring between the grip and the body while the Koh-I-Noor does not; the end of the grip/beginning of the end cap and lead sleeve also differ slightly between the two; and the knurling on the grip and lead grade indicator is courser on the Alvin. But aesthetically they are definitely in the same family, if not siblings then kissin' cousins. But internally they are completely different! To see just how different please read my reviews of each pencil at Associated Content. Each is listed in the side bar just below the Alltop badge.


The Koh-I-Noor 5633


While the internal differences were striking the 2 pencils wrote very much alike as they were very close in length, girth and weight. I can't say which one that I like best. It's like having to choose between your two best girlfriends. A very difficult task to say the least. So pretty much the 2 cousins were alone in their close-but-no-cigar designs, snuggled within my pencil case for a while. I saw other pencils that seemed similar to the Koh-I-Noor, the Rotring 500 and 600 among them which is as it should be as they are owned and made by the same parent company. The Kokuyo TZ-PSP 503 is similar but lacks a lead grade indicator. I saw only one that looked like the Alvin, the Berol Rapid Design which has the lead grade indicator between the grip and the body. So I was pretty much satisfied that I had a representative of each design, but longed for the Rotrings (maybe one day). Then I saw the Ohto Promate PM-703.

A discontinued design of unknown (to me) era it looked very much to me like the Alvin, only in black and rubberized. I figured that it was a similar design on the outside with a different interior mechanism. I had learned form my experience with the K0h-I-Noor and Alvin that looks can be deceiving. Well as things would have it I was able to scrape up enough from my meager profits from my Associated Content publications to be able to purchase a copy of the Ohto. It arrived today, all the way from Japan via Russia! (the vendor who had it is in the Russian Republic). Well I wasted no time comparing it to the Alvin... lo and behold it's the Alvin's twin!

If the Koh-I-Noor is the Alvin's kissin' cousin then the Ohto is it's sibling! The differences in appearances are minor indeed. Aside from the color and the fact that the Ohto has a rubberized barrel the major differences in appearances are the fact that the knurling on the Avlin is courser than that on the Ohto and the way that the grips taper to the the lead sleeve. If one did not know that the two were of different makes one could hardly be faulted for thinking that one was just a slightly different model of the other. Both are really great looking pencils (except for the yellow color of the Alvin's barrel) and the stats on them both are almost exactly the same! The differences are minor and not worth mentioning and could be attributed to differences in tolerances if in fact they were of the same manufacturer. They even weight the same! But that's not where the family resemblance stops! Not by a long shot!

As much as the Alvin and the Koh-I-Noor differ on the inside the Alvin and the Ohto are the same. Almost exactly the same. Again the internal differences are so minor that once again they could just be considered different revisions of the same pencil. They are so alike that the parts from each are completely interchangeable with one another! If you were to strip the 2 pencils down to the 3 major components/sub assemblies and mix them all up, hand them to someone who has never seen the pencils before and ask them to reassemble them they would have no trouble assembling 2 complete working pencils despite the fact that both would likely contain parts from each other. Because the mechanisms are so similar they even project lead at the same rate. It takes only 2 clicks to produce enough lead to write with.

Someone else may feel slighted at having bought 2 almost identical pencils, but not me, and not any true pencilholic. It's the slight differences amongst all the sameness between the "twins" that make having them so interesting. As a collector/user and true pencilholic I think it's great finding two pencils from two different Japanese manufacturers that are so much alike! It makes me wonder, did one company clone the other's design (as if that's never happened)? Are the 2 companies owned by the same parent company? Did one designer sell the same design to both companies? Just what is the story behind these 2 pencils? I guess as time allows I'll just have to search the Net and find some answers.

And BTW, did I fail to mention that I really like the design of the "twins"? Well, I do... ;-)

Christmas Gift: Ohto Super Promecha SP1503P 0.3mm Drafting Pencil

Christmas is supposed to come only once a year. For me it came twice, once on December 25st and then again on December 28th when I went to the mailbox. There amongst the bills and flyers was a small white package from JetPens. This was a surprise as I had already received my order from JetPens and I wasn’t expecting any items for review. When I opened it there to my utter surprise was an Ohto Super Promecha PM-1503S 0.3mm drafting pencil! Along with the pencil was a note from JetPens telling me it was a Christmas present. WOW! I was floored. The pencil has been discontinued but still it’s an Ohto Super Promecha 0.3mm pencil! So why get so excited about a discontinued pencil? It’s an Ohto Super Promecha 0.3mm pencil! OK, it’s an Ohto Super Promecha 0.3mm pencil, but it’s been discontinued, so why blog about it? Because it let’s me compare the old design with the new (see my review of the Ohto Super Promecha PM-1505P 0.5mm Pencil) and it’s an Ohto Super Promecha 0.3mm pencil!

The PM-1503S breaks down into 12 parts/sub assemblies. They are, from the top down, the push button (consists of the top retainer, lead grade indicator and lower retainer), pocket clip retainer, pocket clip, upper body, grip sleeve (also serves as a wheel to extend/hide lead sleeve), lower body assembly (consists of the lower body shell, lead length adjustment wheel, clutch assembly and lead reservoir), tension spring (gives tension to lead adjustment wheel and lead sleeve adjustment wheel), end cap (contains the lead sleeve adjustment wheel) and the lead sleeve. Only the PM 1503S’s replacement, the SP-1503P, is comprised of more user accessible parts by 1 part.

The Ohto Super Promecha is a marvel of engineering. It is even more complex than the pencil that replaces it. There are five individual adjustments available to the user of the Super Promecha. They include the lead grade indicator, the pocket clip, the length of lead projected with a single click, the length of the lead sleeve available for exposure, and the lead sleeve exposure. As far as I know these are the most user adjustments available on any drafting pencil available.

To adjust the lead grade window remove the push button from the pencil, hold the lower retainer and lead grade indicator window while loosening the top retainer slightly. Move the window to the desired lead grade. While holding the lower retainer and lead grade indicator tighten the upper retainer then replace the push button. The pocket clip is easily removed should you wish by first removing the push button, then holding the pocket clip so it doesn’t move, loosen and remove the pocket clip retainer. Remove the pocket clip and replace the retainer. The advantage to not having a pocket clip on a pencil is if, like me, the pencil has a tendency to roll in the hand when writing the removal of the pocket clip allows the pencil to rotate freely without the pocket clip interfering with the web of the hand.

The regular Ohto Promechas that I have project too much lead if the push button is pressed more that once before the lead has been used up. With the Super Promechas there is an adjustment just above the grip sleeve that allows for the adjustment of the amount of lead projected with each press of the push button, from 0mm to 2mm. Lowering the wheel (turning it to the left) decreases the amount of lead projected with each press of the push button while raising it (turning it to the right) increases the amount of lead projected. This is, to me, the most useful of all the adjustments available on the Super Promechas. I keep mine set to where it takes 4 clicks in order to get enough lead to write with, about 1mm. This is because when writing I have a tendency of pressing the push button a time or two in order to project more lead whether it’s needed or not.

The grip sleeve also serves as the wheel that hides or shows the lead sleeve. It also allows the user to adjust the amount of lead sleeve projected within the confines set by the lead sleeve adjustment wheel below the grip sleeve inside the end cap. Turning the grip down (to the left) hides or shortens the lead sleeve. Turning it up (to the right) shows or lengthens the lead sleeve. On the latest model of the Super Promecha this is the only lead sleeve adjustment available. Ohto saw the duplicity in having this adjustment and the one in the end cap and eliminated it.

The lead sleeve adjustment in the end cap sets the maximum amount of lead sleeve the prior adjustment is allowed to show, from 0mm to 4mm. Since the grip adjustment can regulate the amount of the lead sleeve shown the lead sleeve adjustment in the end cap is rather redundant. This is probably why Ohto redesigned the pencil to eliminate this redundancy. To set the length of the lead sleeve turn the wheel down (to the right) to show less lead sleeve and up (to the left) to show less. I just keep mine set to the maximum of 4mm.

A word about the ‘sliding sleeve’ of the Ohto Super Promechas. A true sliding sleeve is just that. The lead sleeve retracts back up into the end cap generally with the help of users finger. The sleeve has a plastic cone on the back end of it that acts as a stop to keep the sleeve from exiting the end cap. It extends, when the lead is first projected, by the jaws of the clutch system, just before they begin to offer out lead. The lead sleeve will remain there until it is pushed back up into the pencil by hand. The problem with this system is that the lead sleeve can work loose and the lead begins to break when writing. The System used by Ohto employs a fixed lead sleeve that is shown or hidden by the movement of the end cap of the pencil. This system makes the lead sleeve just as stable as any other fixed sleeve pencil.

The Ohto PM-1503S is a very attractive drafting pencil. It is all sliver, being made of aluminum and brass, except for the reservoir, which is plastic. The grip is round and finely knurled making it very comfortable to hold and easy to control. The body is 12-sided alternating wide and narrow flats with the info imprinted on one side in yellow. The lead size is indicated in black on yellow on a sticker in the center of the top of the push button. The pencil is 1421.8mm long; 92.5mm in diameter at it’s widest. The balance point is approx.92.5mm from the end cap, making the pencil very bottom heavy. This is something I like especially when the pencil weighs 28 grams! That makes the Ohto Super Promecha the heaviest pencil that I have.

I like the weight of the pencil. It feels good in my hand, rock solid and steady. It projects the feeling of good quality and design. I’ve liked Ohto pencils ever since my first one (despite it’s tendency to project too much lead). However the Super Promecha is at the top of the class when it comes to drafting pencils. What I once thought as “gadgets” have turned out to be well conceived ideas, more than one of which I like very much.

While the PM-1503S has been discontinued by Ohto, it has been replaced with the Ohto Super Promecha PM1503P (see my review of the Ohto Super Promecha SP1505P). While JetPens is currently out of 0.3mm Super Promechas when they do get more in they will be of the new PM1503P’s. I highly recommend that if you want a great, fully adjustable 0.3mm drafting pencil that you get hold of an Ohto Super Promecha SP1503P from JetPens ASAP.

Ohto Super Promecha PM-1505P 0.5mm Pencil

I have quite a few drafting pencils, including a Ohto Promecha SP-503M 0.3mm, some simple in design, and some a bit more complex in design. But none of them are as complex as the Ohto Super Promecha PM-1505P. Of course none of them have all the features of the PM-1505P either. Ohto pulled out all the stops in the design of this pencil. The result is one of the most unique drafting pencils available.

Where to start, well, I guess I'll start with a few technical details. The PM-1505P is 152mm long from lead sleeve to push button making it the longest pencil in my collection, taking the spot over from my Pentel Graph 1000 PG1003. The grip is a whopping 11mm in diameter, making it the fattest pencil in my collection, taking the crown from my 2 Mitsubishi uni Kuru Toga pencils. The 12 sided body is about 8mm across the widest flats. The balance point is 81mm from the push button, making the pencil bottom heavy, and it weighs 18.5 grams, coming in second heaviest in my collection being beaten out by my other Ohto.

One of the first things that I do when I get a new pen or pencil is to take it apart. Within the first 10 minutes of receiving the Ohto I had it completely stripped to the bare bones. The PM-1505P breaks down into 13 components/systems: The push button/lead grade indicator - the upper tube w/lead grade indications, the outer tube w/lead grade indicator window, and the lower tube which fits onto the lead reservoir; the removable pocket clip and retaining nut; the upper body; the lower body; the end cap; the tension spring; the grip sleeve; the lead sleeve and tension spring; and the integral clutch assembly/lead length adjustment wheel/lead reservoir. This is the greatest number of user removable components of any automatic pencil that I have seen to date, more than twice as many as the average drafting pencil.

While I am the curious type and a tinker by nature I would suggest that the average user do nothing more than adjusting the various user adjustable parts of the pencil. These happen to be the lead grade indicator, the removable pocket clip, the lead length and the lead sleeve length. The lead grade indicator, which is part of the push button, is, to me, a bit more complicated than it has to be. To move the window to the desired lead grade it is best to remove the push button from the pencil. Grasping both knurled nuts in thumb and forefinger of each hand loosen the nuts by twisting them in opposite directions. Set the lead grade by turning it to the desire grade. Hold it and the top nut together while twisting the bottom nut tight again. Replace the push button.

In order to remove the pocket clip first remove the push button. Grasp the nut above the pocket clip and twist it off. Remove the pocket clip them replace the nut. The pencil can now be rotated in the hand while writing without the pocket clip interfering. This is a feature that I like a lot because I tend to rotate the pencil automatically. With some other pencils with non-removable pocket clips the pocket clip tends to rotate into the web of my hand making writing uncomfortable.

Another feature of the Super Promecha that I like very much is the lead length adjustment feature. With my other Ohto, an SP-503M, I have to be satisfied with the length of lead one click produces, or click it a second time and adjust the length of lead by hand. Two clicks produces too much lead and it breaks easily. But a single click's worth of lead is almost too little! I have a habit of pressing the push button on a pencil to produce more lead when the lead has worn down only about 1/4 to 1/3 the way. When I do this with the SP-503M I get too much lead again. With the PM-1505P I can adjust the lead length from0.2mm a click to 2mm a click. I have mine set to produce a fraction more than 0.2mm a click. It takes 3 to 4 clicks to produce enought lead for me to write with. This way when I press the push button while writing I get only about an extra 1/4 or 1/3 the lead I started with. To adjust the lead length turn the wheel inside the window just above the grip. Turning it to the right shortens the lead length, turning it to the left lengthens the lead length.

The lead sleeve length adjustment on this pencil is an improvement on the previous design. On some earlier designs not only was the maximum length of the lead sleeve adjustable by a wheel in the tip of the pencil the lead sleeve was retractable as well. Someone at Promecha must have realized the redundancy in this for now the 2 adjustments are combined into a single adjustment, a much simpler design. The lead sleeve is actually of a fixed design being attached to the hidden inner workings of the pencil. The end cap, which on other pencils has the lead sleeve attached to it, serves as a housing for the fully enclosed fixed sleeve and clutch assembly. The end cap screws into the hollow grip sleeve and is held under tension by a spring inside the grip sleeve. To adjust the length of the lead sleeve, from 0mm to 4mm, simply turn the grip sleeve, which moves up and down along the bottom portion of the pencil. The spring provides enough tension to keep the grip and end cap in place. Other than to hide the lead sleeve for the purpose of carrying the pencil in the breast pocket I can't see much use for the adjusting lead sleeve length. I keep the lead sleeve set at the maximum 4mm length.

The PM-1505P is an attractive pencil being all silver with black lettering and accents. There are four black rubber or plastic rings spaced about 9.5mm apart just above the lead length adjustment area. Other than aesthetics I can see no reason for them. As an aesthetic accent they look nice though. The grip sleeve is finely knurled and non-biting yet it offers a very good gripping surface. All the knurled nuts are coarsely cut so they provide good gripping surfaces as well. On top of the push button is a black sticker with silver lettering indicating the lead size. The lead grade indications are black against a silver background. On in all a very attractive pencil indeed.

The pencil is mostly made of metal. The only major plastic part that I can see is the lead reservoir and there is no real reason for this even being plastic. In some plastic bodied pencils I've found metal lead reservoirs. But it does not detract from the pencils performance. The exterior parts are made of brushed aluminum. The lead sleeve is made from bright stainless steel. The 3-jawed clutch assembly is all brass. Over all, even as complex as the Super Promecha is it is a very well designed and constructed pencil. I am very impressed with the design and over all quality of this amazing pencil.

The pencil writes as well as any high quality automatic pencil should write. There is no wobble of the lead in the lead sleeve, in fact the fit is so exact I half expect to see lead shavings every time I click out more lead. The over sized grip is surprisingly not too fat, for me at least and the finely cut diamond pattern on the grip is not only aesthetically pleasing to the eye but very comfortable to the fingers. Being bottom heavy the pencil rests comfortably in my hand and is easy to direct. The weight feels good, it's a solid feeling reminding you that you have something substantial in your hand, something of quality.

So if you can only afford one new automatic pencil this Christmas or if you want a pencil that's customizable to suit your writing style or if you just want an amazing pencil go to JetPens.com and buy yourself an Ohto Super Promecha PM-1505P today. You deserve it.

Many thanks to Jetpens for providing the pencil for this review.