I bought my PhD Mechanical Pencil years ago when I found it on sale in a clearance bin. I rarely buy pens or pencils, especially since most of them disappear after a while into the land of lost writing implements.

The PHD’s Stylish Appearance

When I bought this pencil, the only one available was a black barreled pencil, but it is also available in a range of other colors.

The PhD is a fancy-looking pencil, and I have often had it mistaken for a pen. Lots of people notice this, and want to try it out as well. I think either the PHD pen or pencil would make a nice gift for someone starting a new job or going off to school. It’s fancy and classy, and while it’s expensive for a pencil, it’s not one of the ones you’ll find locked in a glass case in stores. If I loose this pencil, I’ll be devastated, but not as devastated as I would be if it cost me more than $20!

The PhD Mechanical Pencil

The first thing I noticed that was appealing was the large barrel size and the rubberized grip. The grip is nicely shaped, and becomes triangular in shape as you move toward the pencil tip.

The point in which the pencil led is held retracts into the silver tip. As soon as you press the top of the pencil, the point comes out, and you can choose how much lead you wish by pressing the top. The point goes back into the tip of the pencil by pressing the top while pushing on the tip.

Writing with the PhD

The major difference between the PhD Mechanical Pencil and any other refillable pencil is the feel of the barrel. I really like the rubber grip and the way it is shaped. It is extremely comfortable and easy to grip. This pencil is actually endorsed by the American Physical Therapy Association.

Because of the soft grip and the non-slip surface, this pencil allows for precision writing and a nice experience. I normally don’t use pencils a whole lot, but when I do, I make sure it is with this one.

My suggestion is to use this pencil or a PhD pen for times when you anticipate writing a lot. (PhD pens have the exact same design). I remember those long written essay exams, and wish I had these writing implements back then.

Refills

There are refills for both the lead as well as the eraser top. The eraser twists up so that as you use the eraser you just twist the top for more. This pencil is also available in a 0.7mm lead size.

It is very simple to refill the pencil, either by screwing it apart or pulling out the eraser.

Dislikes?

Although this is by far my favorite pencil, there are a few imperfections to this product. The first is that there is writing on the middle of the pencil, which says both “PHD™” and the size of the lead. Both of these markings have just about completely rubbed or scraped off with wear and tear. This isn’t a big deal, although when I ran out of lead, I wasn’t positive what size lead I needed because I had forgotten the size. I want to scratch off the few white bits of letters that are left, because it makes it look “scruffy”.

The next thing, which doesn’t bother me, is that the rubberized grip tends to be somewhat of a dirt magnet. It tends to collect little bits of dust and dirt crumbs. This is easily remedied by brushing it off, but things really stick to that rubber!

Price & Where to Find

This is a pricey pencil. I bought mine on clearance a long time ago, thinking I would never buy any more. However I recently added a ballpoint PHD pen to my collection, and saw both the pens and pencils between $6-7.00. I bought the pen because I had gotten some really great coupon for an office store. Along the same lines, I’ll wait until I come upon another deal to treat myself to more PHD items.

The eraser refills come in packs of two for about $1.10, and a pack of lead refills can usually be found for under a dollar.

Online coupons are very easy to come by for office superstores. If you do a simple search, you can find tons of coupon codes, which might be an extra incentive for buying a PHD pen or pencil.

Websites

Papermate: http://www.papermate.com

My Review of the PhD Retractable Ballpoint Pen: http://www.epinions.com/content_93924920964

Overall

This is my favorite pencil, and I try my best to watch it like a hawk so that it doesn’t get lost or so people don’t wander away with it. If I were going to design a pencil that was both very functional as well as classy, this would be it.

I’m inclined to think that Papermate makes a nice profit off this pencil, but that’s ok. I take care of my things and I have even surprised myself by managing to keep track of this pencil for years. If you’re looking for a “special” pencil, treat yourself with the pricey (but not too pricey!) PhD Mechanical Pencil.



Recommended: Yes