Uni Hello Kitty Style Fit Multi Pen - Holder & Refill

It seems that every year, Uni Mitsubishi would release a limited collection and this time, it's Hello Kitty! Given that the Japanese yen is going weak at the moment, there is not a better time to make some impulse purchase!

I ended up with two of these Uni Style Fit multi-pens (each takes 5 refills) holders and 7 refills (should have gone with 10 since the limited edition one are actually 50 cents cheaper). From the packaging, these cases are made in China (not Japan, as listed by Stationery Art) and intended for Japanese market only (yet it still made it to Singapore and Hong Kong). 

 The two models I picked are Pink Hearts (an impulse buy that I ended up liking more) and Dot Ribbon (reminds me of a childhood picture as I had a similar overall and a matching cat). The prints adheres very well and the finish is hard (not scratch-prone at all) and displays some very fine metallic glimmer. Anyway, the cases themselves are very solid and well worth the $2.6 price tag.

 The grip section of the pens is clear so it let you see the color of the refill. It's somewhat thick but still comfortable enough to hold. The limited edition refill (Japan-made and $ 0.99 each), which are only available in 7 shades (Red, Orange, Lime Green, Sky Blue, Blue, Black and Pink) are adorned with the Hello Kitty heads (both in the refill and outer packaging) which is super adorable (and admittedly a bit too much when used with the busy print on the holders)!

As for the refills, all of them are stiff (tip) and smooth (the rolling action), some shades are a little drier than the other. I experience no skipping or pooling. The two stand out shades are the red (which has a nice cherry tinge to it) and orange (bright, bold and juicy). As for the 0.5mm mechanical pencil...I still haven't found out how to advance it mid-writing. Am I suppose to take the grip out then push the spring?

Verdict: Grab them while you can!

Lastly, here is a little meme-y shout out for Stationery Art (In Chinese we would call that "The Conscience of the Industry"  业界良心),  who has lowered prices on new Japanese products.

Say hello to 25-dollar Pilot Prera (unfortunately, all sold out at the moment)  and $1.95 on Pilot Petit...

The Mechanical Pencil Menagerie

I remember a few years back (from elementary school to high school), I was quite obsessed with mechanical pencils (there is something magical about the simplicity and efficiency of the clicking mechanism). It's no longer the star of my stash, thanks to my hands of salamander (pencil writing get smeared way too easily), forgetfulness (in my case, erasers disappear like hair ties and bobby pins) and the distraction by fountain pens. Anyway, I do have four of them so let's take them out for some sunbathing and blab about them for a bit! 

Pentel Graph Gear 500 Drafting Pencil 0.7mm - I found it on clearance at Target for $1.49 (down from 5) so I bought it on a whim (turns out that I actually need a pencil that very same day!)

 It has a tough metal sleep with a heavy ribbed and textured sleeve, which adds a nice bit of weight to the otherwise light pen. It's rather comfortable to hold and I think it looks quite attractive for the price. I use Pentel HB lead with it and serious have no clue what to say about the writing experience...

 Staedtler Mars Technico 2mm lead holder (regular retail at $9, I used a 50% off coupon in Michaels) - Heavier body and a more scratch-proof plastic. The 2H lead leaves a hard and faint line, which is great for drafting and pencil sketching. There is a detachable pointer at the back but it's not very user friendly as it takes several back and forth trips (the thing wouldn't sharpen unless the lead is advanced a few mm beforehand and the clicker doesn't advance the lead unless the pointer is attached to the back...)

Sakura 127 0.7mm (comes with the Pigma Sensei/Pigma Micron set) - Nothing special beside the black plastic scratches quite easily. It does get the job done and it hasn't fallen apart.

Tizo 天卓"Card-filler" pencils (1.5 Yuan in Chinese stationery store and online, which is around $0.25 US) - This flat lead-holder is specifically designed for speedy form-filling in one or two swipes. It's somewhat light weight but I have one that lasted me for years (beside the golden paint "Specifically for computerized exams" that get rubbed off over time). There are four shades available (black, blue, gray and brown) but I only saw two in that store I visited.

 The Tizo refill  is also readily available in Chinese stationery stores at 1.5 yuans for 6 leads (the same price as the pencil). The lid is not well-shut so I usually tape it over when I buy new ones.  Overall: Beside the Tizo one (which I highly recommend) , I don't have much to say about the rest...Now I just wish they come in prettier colors.

 Short writing sample of the four pencils (which already got smeared a bit when I touched the paper)