Just spreading some knowledge, works for me maybe can work for you? I had some 3/8” wide straws, so I’ve added them to my daily driver(s) pencil case. This not only helps with the non-retracting tipped MPs, but also keeps it from rubbing against other items in the case, essentially a scratch free solution for those precious tools.

Ive only learnt of this recently, so no reported downsides yet.

When the UNI M3-552 does Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.

It's just a very same tool, but the Gundam and the Japanese text have a charming effect on this pencil. Besides, the blue color is, well my lacking of vocabulary, very Gundam. It also goes well with the mechanical keyboard Varmilo RGBY ᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ. With this, my Bandai Namco pencils group has unintentionally increased its number, together with the Nocfree metal and Sindbat.

Performance wise, nothing special about this pencil 😅 fixed sleeve, a bit slippery grip, brass clutch... Not something I carry everyday, but a nice piece in the lot.

(Title is a joke, this is a Rotring 600, nothing unique about it!)

Got one in gold since it was somehow cheaper than black or silver, and I like it since it looks closest to brass.

I had some fears that the finish would look cheap or tacky but that is fortunately not the case. It's a nice champagne gold with some sweet sheen in direct lighting. The red elements also look fairly stylish.

I stabbed it with Ain Stein 4B and it's so buttery smooth.

Model names and dates, as far as I can tell, L-R:

• Mitsubishi SE-1500 dual-pen (1980)

• Morison ‘etched grid’ sharp (1985)

• Pilot HMF-250SK 'pinstripe etched' 0.5mm (1977)

• Pilot Top Chuck HG-300SW-EF 0.5mm (1983)

• Pilot Automatic HAT-300S-S 0.5mm (1983-88)

• Pilot 2+1 BPKH-350SC multipen v1 (1977)

• Newman ‘etched drafter’ 0.3mm (1970s)

• Newman ‘etched executive’ 0.5mm (1970s)

• Zebra FX ‘pinstripe etched’ ballpoint (1980s)

• Platinum Riviere MSR-2500R 0.5mm (1980s)

• Platinum BelAge ‘oblong grid etched’ 0.5mm (1970s)

• Platinum MNS-2500 ‘boxed stripe etched’ 0.5mm (1977)

• OTO ‘etched lattice’ slide pipe 0.5mm (1980s)

• Mitsubishi Jaguar M5-2500 ‘blank etched lattice’ 0.5mm (1980s)

• Mitsubishi Exceed ‘etched half-check’ rollerball (1980s)

• Sakura Create Sharp ‘pinstripe etched’ 0.5mm (1970s)

'Etching' is mostly a lost art today. Back in the 1970s through the 1980s, Pilot, Platinum and Mitsubishi were leaders in using photo-resistive acid etching to chemically subtract metal material in very precise geometric patterns, after which the grooves and trenches were often filled in with black paint for visual contrast.

This style of finishing allowed for designs that stood out from simpler machined spiral grooves or lattice grid hybrids that combined a widely-spaced spiral groove with longitudinal stripes. The perceived prestige allowed for premium pricing at ¥1000–¥3000. Some of the most recognizable mechanical pencils are the Pilot 'Holder' double-knocks that used etched pattern steel grips attached to black plastic uppers. I left them out as this selection is focused on all-metal designs.

While the most common patterns amongst the brands are 'pinstripes', some makers were more imaginative. I particularly admire Platinum for their variations that boxed up the stripes, or going geometric with an oblong grid. Pilot also excelled with 'window grid' etching and color variations in their pinstripe models.

Uh oh - nobody tell my wife.

This baby's coming with me everywhere!

Model & Make: Uni Shift Pipe Lock Black 0.5mm

Features: Pipe Lock System, Metal Knurled Grip, Fidget-ble, Clean Aesthetics, Moderately Priced

Release Date: 2008 (1st Wave); 2010-2011 (2nd Wave)

Pricing (MSRP): $6.90 | ¥1,000 | £5.20 | R35.70 (as of 05/21/26) *Note: Inflation not applied

Rating: 🅰

Have been daily driving this since this morning, I wanted say that I'm very positively surprised! Not just because it's one of the lesser expensive mech pens in my latest stationery haul, but rather it's one of the most everyday carry-able mech pens in my entire collection.

When I say the Uni Shift Pipe Lock is "carry-able", I'm not referring just only it's relatively lightweight body, but more so of it's lead sleeve nib protection system. The Pipe Lock system allows for stress-free carrying as a bent/broken lead sleeve is significantly less prone to happen. The Pipe Lock system is analogous to the ones found in upper-end pens, where twisting the body reveals and retracts the tip. However, the Pipe Lock system on the Uni Shift is a bit more complicated that could be described in a 3 step process:

1.) Twist the plastic body counterclockwise (to the right) and the metal knurled grip clock (to the left) simultaneously.

2.) Push the plastic body down till it reaches a couple of millimeters away from the grip.

3.) Finally rotate the metal knurled grip a bit more to lock it in place (there is a satisfying click).

NOTE: the instructions on the sticker were not clear at all!

This process is quite unintuitive at first; however, upon continual usage, it does become quite easy to adapt to. It does make a nice built-in fidget toy; but beware, you will definitely get annoyed looks in the classroom! Upon testing this mechanism, only 3 out of 20 attempts resulted in a temporary jam (85% success rate). Another potential downside on having the Pipe Lock system is that after extended lead sleeve nib, the initial knock is quite coarse, feeling like I have broken something (exactly the type of feeling I got when adjusting the Regulator mechanism in the Staedtler 925 85 REG). These subjectively minor nitpicks could be easily overlooked by it's relatively inexpensive price tag (in comparison to other mech pens with similar features and 2026's Basket of Goods).

Some other things to note is that due to the plastic body and the full-on metal knurled grip, the center of gravity is quite low. This would be much faster writing strokes as there would be lesser force needed to be applied upon writing as the gravitational force would tremendously help out here. This is definitely a great pencil for timed assessments and long-writing sessions. But do note, that the eraser is petite (it's smaller than the one found on the Pilot Birdie in surface area lol). At this point, why bother implementing an eraser? Take a look at the Nocfree Metal...

But all things aside, the Uni Shift Pipe Lock is an amazing pencil and is definitely worthy of consideration for one's everyday carry.

I wish Uni didn't kick it to the curb as sadly it has been retired since 2024 😢. RIP Uni Shift 2008-2024 🫡.

As always, Thank You so much for reading my review, and I hope that you enjoyed it! 🫶

**Please Note: This is just a personalized review solely based on my own experience and is subject to my own thoughts and standing on the mech pen. YMMV.**

✎◾️

New additions freshly arrived from Japan.

Pentel Orenz Nero 0.2

Graphgear 500 0.3 (Muji Edition)

Graphgear 1000 Pro (Muji Edition)

Its made by Škoda (czech car manufacturer) but i cant seem to find anything abt it online.

I was checking out a local stationery shop in my town and, by chance, found this little beauty sitting all by itself on display—the last one in the store. I didn't think twice and added it to my collection. It's not rare at all, pretty simple, but it was totally worth the find.

Bunch of stuff from amazon just came in

This will get a get more love from this sub once it gets a bit more widely distributed. I was just in "collecting" mode and was curious about the material (mostly the look).

Turn out the ergonomic is the most exceptional thing about it. Very balance, weighty but not heavy. The material adds a little bit of interesting touch in terms of heat dissipation (you first touch it’s cool, then it warms toward your hand temperature). That’s interesting because its weight gives it a place among the metal ones, but this make it more pleasant to use, especially in colder setting. For context, this come from someone who likes (metal) rotring 600, steadtler 925 as well as the wooden s30. Never knew I would *need* a “rock” pencil.

It’s something that I would like to use day in and day out. I didnt get that feeling for a while now, despite been keeping to amass my pencil count to near 3 digits.

In short, if you have a chance flying into JP (currently only released there), get it. Too interesting AND usable for anyone to regret.

P.S.: Very recently a fellow in this sub puts a thread w very detailed pictures
w disassembling and such (look it up!). Just adding some personal notes here for future seekers of this beauty.

—

Caveats:
- Very hard to photograph. Probably a video works better as the shiny parts are rather subtle. Great for an understated piece to use at work/in public. IYKYK kinda thing.
- Probably different feel in visual for each color. You can see in the picture the front is Sea Blue, while Stone Black is more subtle in texture (does show in bright/day light).
- Early owners did complain about potential un-continuity of texture between 2 parts of the sections. I dont notice much, but it depends on each pens I think. Do keep this in mind to manage expectation if you get it online (or just fly to JP…and choose it in person, I did not).
- Most of the owners just got it (it got released in March), so a bit early to tell how durable it is. But given the clutch is brass and the feel of each components, I hope this one can go a long time.

Hello guys, what do you think about my humble collection?

^(From the sea to stardom.)

• MODEL:

Tombow FUMI – model SH-FM11
0.5 mm (only available in 0.5 mm)    

• MATERIALS:

The FUMI is one of those mechpens defined by its materials. The body and the eraser cap are made of Nagori™, a composite material derived from seawater minerals, developed by Mitsui Chemicals. It’s hard to describe how it feels, but think of something between ceramic and a plastic resin, very cool to the touch. It has a matt finish, like non-polished resin, (very) slightly coarse. The pocket clip is stainless-steel and the cone tip is metal (tin?). Internally, though the lead tube is plastic, the FUMI has perhaps the most beautiful full-brass clutch that I have ever seen. And as expected, the spring is stainless-steel.

• ERASER:

Though I l-o-v-e Tombow’s erasers (in fact, I’m using a MONO zero ULTRAFINE right now), the erasers they supply for their mechpens are sad. Not that the rubber compound is bad - in my opinion it’s almost as good as the MONO zero that is right in front of me. The problem is that it’s ridiculously small 🤦‍♂️.

• MEASUREMENTS:

The FUMI measures 143 mm from tip to eraser cap, and has a fusiform body. Right below the pocket clip it has a diameter of 11.3 mm, that tapers to 11 mm around the middle of the body and then to just 7.5 mm right at the cone tip. Though I was expecting something much lighter, the FUMI weighs 19.6 g (!). It is slightly tip heavy, with the center of mass located at 66 mm from the tip.

• FEATURES:

As I said above, what the defines the FUMI is the use of Nagori. Other than that, it’s a general-purpose (dress?) mechpen with no mechanical feature.

• AESTHETICS:

Sober – that is the word for the FUMI. It is discreet and has a classy air to it, so I think it looks great. The writings on the body are engraved and not printed, which gives it a more refined look. The seam, between both parts of the body, is REALLY fine, you can almost miss that it has two parts. With all that, I think it’s safe to consider the FUMI as a dress mechpen. Tombow offers the FUMI in Stone Black (this one), Sea Blue, Shell White, and Sand Gray. In my eyes, Stone Black is THE color for it, especially because the others are not homogeneous, so there might be some contrast between the upper and lower parts of the body. Mine, however, looks almost as made of just one solid piece. According to Tombow, because of the manufacturing process, no two FUMI are identical, which in my mind is a plus.

• ERGONOMICS:

Fantastic! Not only the dimensions, weight and weight balance are great, but the Nagori material feels great in my hand. Interestingly, it feels cool to the touch, and after using it for a while it doesn’t warm up as what you see with plastic or even metal. For people with sweaty hands, I’m sure that is a plus. However, in terms of traction it’s not very grippy, so if your hands do get sweaty, maybe it will become slippery.

• MY THOUGHTS:

When I bought the FUMI, I wasn’t certain what to expect. Honestly, I bought it because it was something new from Tombow, so I got essentially for collection purposes. Nonetheless, to my surprise, I enjoyed using it much more than I expected. Though I usually favor drafting models, the FUMI would be a pencil I would look forward to using all day long. It just looks great, and more importantly, writes great. If I had to say something negative about it would be the puny eraser. Yet, many other models are guilty of that same fault, and besides, I always prefer to use a pen eraser, so for me at least it’s a non-issue. All that said, the FUMI rocks. If ever Tombow releases the FUMI in other calibers, it would be a must-buy for me. Yeah, I really liked it 🤩!

Never got the chance to cop the "skeleton" Kuru Toga advance from years back, but this transparent Lamy Safari + KT makes up for it, I think.

Testing some white leads, 0.9mm is the smallest I can find, from various branches for tailors. They (the leads) turn out super great for writing. It seems that sometime online reviews are not enough to judge: no waxy feeling, no brittle and no smudging.

The GG500 acts as a storage tank for the standard graphite leads from other pencils, I tried my best, it can store up to 8 leads at the same time.

Pentel P209 always get the job done.