Freak369's Full Review: Pentel AL15A Champ Mechanical Pencil
At this years ComiCon I had the chance to meet up with some friends from Los Angeles that run a small independent comic studio. If you thought that I was a pen and pencil junkie, these guys put me to shame. Lucky for me they get tons of full sized products as samples from salespeople; they are the same things that you or I would purchase at a store but are given as perks hoping that the art team will fall in love with them and start using them on a regular basis. The guys really raved about this automatic pencil and asked me if I ever used it, when I said no they started digging through their numerous art boxes and pulled out several packs of pencils from the Pentel family, one of which was the Pentel Champ. When I first checked it out, it looked like almost all the other refillable automatic pencils – eraser, plastic pocket clip, comfort grip … but what sets this apart from the other is the way it writes and how I’ve yet to have a piece of lead snap when writing with it.
Pentel Champ
The Champ might look like your average, ordinary, run of the mill pencil – until you break open the pack and start using it. The first thing you might notice is the rubber comfort grip that allows you to write for extended periods of time with extreme ease. The lead that comes with the pencil is above average but it’s the metal sleeve that extends out of the tip that provides the real support for the lead. So far I haven’t had any snaps or breaks in the lead and when I handed a few of these to the boys they said the same thing. You don’t get any refill pieces of lead with the Champ but the provided lead lasts about 15 pages of hand written text. The pencil I’ve been using is still going strong but the one my oldest son has been using died during one of his fevered creative writing sessions. 15 page of written material is a little more than what you would get from an average piece of lead so as far as that is concerned the Champ is at the top of his game.
Lead
This version of the Pentel Champ comes with 0.5 mm # 2 lead. The lead is fairly strong and won’t break even when pressing hard, this is partly due to the metal sleeve that extends out of the end of the pen. This helps to take some of the pressure off the tip of the lead and reduce the amount of snaps and breaks. You can purchase refill leads in various sizes [0.5, 0.7 etc] but it’s best to stick with the type of lead that you received when you first purchased your automatic pencil. The Champ is also available in the 0.7 mm lead size [# 2] as well as an assortment of barrel colors.
Champ Starter Kit
This is your best value – for about $1.19 you get a Pentel Champ automatic pencil and a 12 pack of lead. This is something that you usually come across when the ‘back to school’ sales start and is a great value. If purchased separately the pen runs anywhere from .99 cents to $1.29 and the lead about a dollar – so when you purchase this co-pack you stand to save some change. The refill lead [12 pieces] that comes with the Champ Starter Kit is #2 and the same size as the pen.
Price
You can pick up this automatic pencil for about .99 cents to $1.29 depending on where you shop. Your best bet is to try and find the above mentioned Champ Starter Kit since it will save you some money as well as give you a lot of lead. If you don’t care for the pencil, the lead can always be used in other 0.5 mm pencils. For the price, this is a great pencil and the rubber grip puts it above other refillable automatic writers. If you really like this product you can purchase it in the multi packs or by the dozen, the price drops about .15 cents per pencil and is great for large families, stocking up on school supplies or for small offices. After getting the free ones from my friends I decided to pick up some more for the boys to have for their upcoming summer science camp. I picked them up in the bulk pack at Office Depot and haven't regretted it in the least. I have no doubt they'll make good use of these and since they are refillable it will save some cash inthe long run.
Warranty
While some may snicker at a warranty for an automatic pencil, I think that it’s a great concept that other pen and pencil manufacturers should think about adopting. Pentel offers you a lifetime warranty on the Champ. If at any time it proves to be defective, simply return it to the address printed on the back of the package and you will receive a replacement. This warranty covers defects in materials as well as workmanship – meaning the actual construction of the pencil. This doesn’t cover any type of misuse, using the wrong sized lead or accidents.
The Bottom Line
So far this has been a great pencil to use for general writing, sketching and small designs. My boys liked the pencil but still cling to their all time favorite, the Pentel Forte Automatic Pencil. For about a dollar you can pick up this easy to use pencil that is acceptable for school work, note taking, writing and sketching. If you are a pencil lover chances are you will have already come across the Champ but if you haven’t, I highly suggest that you give it a try.
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