Review: Uni-ball Alpha Gel 0.3 Mechanical Pencil

Just a quickie mini-review! Got this mechanical pencil recently, and wanted to throw up a few pics!

(Click on any photo to enlarge.)

I have lots of 0.5mm mechanical pencils, but I found myself yearning for something with a thinner line. However, I'm not too crazy about the grip in drafting mechanical pencils--they're probably great for the purpose for which they were intended, but I just want to write!

I tend to grip the heck out of writing utensils (I've tried to stop, but I can't!), so a rubber grip is much appreciated. I purchased this pencil from JetPens.com, since I "had" to meet the $25 minimum for free shipping! ;-)

After a brief trial, I love this mechanical pencil so far! The gel grip is very squishy, yet firm enough to give some pleasant feedback. I normally use Sensa mechanical pencils, which have wonderfully squishy grips, but the narrowest lead they use is 0.5mm (and they're discontinued).


Taken with a flash--I liked the resultant eerie glow:



I was worried that I would break the lead instantaneously while writing, since the lead is so thin, but so far this hasn't been a problem! I'll try and post an update in the future, but so far the lead feels firm, yet with enough "give" so it doesn't break. I've been writing really quickly with it, and haven't poked through the paper or broken the lead yet!

Writing sample on a Markings by C.R. Gibson pocket-sized journal, with 0.55cm line spacing:


Even though this mechanical pencil was a little pricey for a "regular" plastic mechanical pencil ($12), it seems lightweight but sturdy enough to last a while. It's a great alternative to my precious Sensa mechanical pencils, which are extremely difficult to replace! :-O