Paper Mate 1868817 Mates 1.3mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Set,Assorted Colors

I have always hated mechanical pencils with led breaking constantly and other malfunctions. But these are fun and much less frustrating. I thought I'd be annoyed with the very thick led, but have found the written results don't look any different than using a traditional pencil. And the feel of the pencil while writing feels much like a traditional pencil as well. Yes, I have had the led break and it isn't perfect, but I'd say it's on equal footing with traditional pencils as far as issues with broken led and other frustrations go. Just like you sometimes come across a pencil where no matter how many times you take it to the sharpener the led cracks inside the pencil and the pencil ends up in the trash, sometimes a strip of led inside these mechanical pencils will shatter (if you drop it) and you have to throw out a strip of led. So, yes, the led can break, but that's the nature of led and of pencils. My kids like these too. We love the bright colors and the fact that you can replace the erasers, which is how most of our traditional pencils end up in trash. Kids use up erasers so quickly when they are young. So to sum up, these are on par with traditional pencils for led breakage, but surpass traditional pencils with the ease of use (no pencil sharpener!) and replaceable erasers.

I'm a wooden-pencil snob, and these are the only mechanical pencils I will use. I ran out of refill lead, and this starter set was a better value than buying the leads alone! These brightly-colored, thick pencils may look like they're meant for little kids---not true at all. The triangular shape and large diameter make these so comfortable in hand, everyone in my household really likes them.The 1.3mm lead size is perfect, no issues with having the point snap off even with some writing pressure. My only complaint with these pencils is that the erasers tend to get loose over time and fall out (and a standard eraser "top" won't fit over this size barrel properly); luckily they give a couple of extra erasers in this starter kit.

I got introduced to these pencils as an Amazon Vine reviewer. I was sent a 5 pack of these to try out and became a fan. I started using the in the classroom and then the students all started getting them, too. What is so great about these is that they are sturdy, come in fun colors, and the lead never breaks! I hate watching students fighting with that skinny lead in their generic lead pencils during class when they should be learning.This set is even better than what I got originally. It includes extra lead and two eraser tops. In my original review, I noted that one thing that would be challenging with these pencils is the erasers. The triangular shape of the eraser would make it almost impossible to replace with a topper eraser. Plus, when the eraser is gone, you cannot keep the lead from falling out of the top.

1.3mm leads give you a thick line (most pencils are 0.5 or 0.7mm thickness). I use these pencils when I have to read my writing from a distance, eg notes on sheet music. The pencils look cheap, but they work well and seem durable enough. Including the extra pack of leads is great since Amazon doesn't sell these leads in single packs (only 6-packs, which is too much for personal use). The extra erasers are handy, but I wish they gave us 5 for the 5 pencils instead of just 2.

I feel like a kid using those jumbo pencils in elementary school. I wish I had discovered these years ago. These are a great alternative to regular wood pencils when you're tired of constant sharpening, or the lead breaking on smaller (0.5, 0.7, 0.9mm) mechanical pencils. The thick 1.3mm lead is strong, doesn't break under normal use, and is just nicer to write with. Also great for general drawing/sketching and for marking cutting lines on wood for carpentry work. And these are so inexpensive that if you lose or break one, no big deal.The barrel is hard plastic (good thing - I don't like rubberized grips) and is thicker than regular pencils. It has a rounded-triangular cross section which I didn't like at first, but now that I'm used to it, I find it probably more comfortable than regular round or hexagonal pencils. These have a hefty, comfortable feel...it just feels nice in the hands.The only thing not to love (and the reason for 4 stars rather than 5) is the eraser: it doesn't fit very tightly, so it sometimes works its way out, and it's the cheap pink natural rubber kind which scuffs and smudges the paper rather than erasing cleanly. And it's small so it won't last long. Two extra erasers are included in this pack.Extra 1.3mm HB leads are also included. If you prefer softer leads, you can find 1.3mm leads in B and 2B hardness (Kokuyo Campus brand). Also, Kokuyo and Pentel make red-colored refill leads in this size.

I like the 1.3 mm lead. It is thick and does not flatten and write powdery lines like with a 0.7 mm lead. The lines end up a bit fat but not different compared to writing with a No. 2 pencil, which I believe uses 1.3 mm lead as well.Holding the triangular barrel is comfortable, but I may not be the best judge of that; maybe a student who writes all day long can better judge its comfort. For my purposes, using it for 30 minutes at a time, it is comfortable enough.The bright-colored barrel makes locating it easy in my dwelling of piled up stationery.I paid (I think) $1 - $1.50 less for this set than what I would have paid to get the lead alone. That said, I am glad I found this set.