uni-ball Kuru Toga 0.5mm - Self Sharpening Mechanical Pencil - Pink Barrel + 12 Free Leads and 5 Free Erasers

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Kuru Toga is a mechanical pencil line developed by the Uni Mitsubishi company. The special feature of this pencil is a particular mechanism (referred as "Kuru Toga Engine") which rotates the lead every time the tip is pressed and then released from the paper surface.

I’m a light writer and I use pencil for everything except things like forms and cheques. I usually go for B lead to get dark lines and less pressure.

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As many of you have post about problems, I’m not sure is it because of writing in different language. For example, English language can be written one word without lifting the pencil, while Japanese have to lift the pencil several times for one word. Therefore Japanese language may be rotated 10 times faster than English (Just my guessing).

The end result is I have a pencil I’m really, really happy with. It’s a plastic 0.5mm Kuru Toga running 0.5mm 2B [Uni Nano Dia Blended] lead. My only gripe is the eraser. It’s uselessly tiny. As a result, I now carry a dedicated clutch eraser (like a clutch pencil, but it dispenses eraser). The Kuru Toga has been a disappointment for me, as the lead is not rotating, eliminating the advantage of this pencil while the disadvantages of this pencil remain: Pressing hard to advance the lead gummed it up completely. The only solution was to retract the lead and start again.I’ve used quite a few Kuru Togas and own one of the 0.5mm versions, and I agree with the original poster that you need to use a certain amount of force to engage the mechanism, particularly if you hold the pencil at a fairly low angle. I prefer using softer lead and much less pressure, and get pretty inconsistent results most of the time, unless I change my writing style. Holding the pencil so the logo appears between my thumb and index finger, I can write a complete sentence without seeing the logo move at all. I happen to discover the Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencils recently and was intrigued by its ability to turn the pencil lead within. The highlight of this mechanical pencil is as you are writing, it can turn the lead so that you're always writing with a sharper point. That way, you won't have to use a blunt point anymore. It sounds too good to be true, but is it?

The Kuru Toga’s unique selling point is that its lead rotates which keeps the tip sharp when writing. When pressing the lead against the paper to write or when lifting it the gears of the “Kuru Toga Engine” revolve, rotating the lead slightly. All models except the "Pipe Slide", the "Advance" and the "Advance Metal" (also known as "Advance Metal Punching Grip”), rotate the lead approximately 9 degrees per stroke (40 strokes for a complete revolution). The Uni Kuru Toga is a fantastic mechanical pencil for writing. When it comes to drawing, the turning mechanism may or may not work that well. But even so, it's still a mechanical pencil and will work like one. Nothing much to complaint about. And it's not too expensive. Availability

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The turning mechanism works great for writing where there are plenty of strokes. When it comes to drawing, whether or not the pencil will turn will depend on how long your lines are. So if you draw a long line, that pencil lead will only get turned once. And in that case, it's actually no different from using any typical mechanical pencil. So the conclusion I’ve drawn is that it’s indeed a matter of pressure and perhaps angle when writing. I’m used to mechanical pencils and I generally never break leads. I hold the pencil at a roughly 40 degree angle, and usually rotate it myself every couple of words (something I had to consciously stop when trying the Kuru Toga). I’m not a fountain pen user, and generally use a mix of ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil at work. So with each stroke, the lead will turn, and you will get a sharper point to write with the next stroke.