The Uniball Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil.
As long as there have been office supplies, there have been pencils, and as long as there have been pencils, there have been people like myself who could not stand writing with them because of how quickly the points of them became dull. Leave it to Uni-ball to come up with a solution to this problem though, they have now brought their innovative Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil to the US. You might also notice in the picture above, that there are eight of the Kuru Toga shown, and curiously enough, the title for this post also mentions that there is not only a review of this fine mechanical pencil, but also a BIG giveaway…so to quickly answer what many of you might be thinking, yes…there will be a contest to win the Kuru Toga, and yes, there will be eight winners of this item that I consider to be the best pencil ever, so just read through to the end of this review to see why this pencil is so amazing, and how you can win one. There are also some questions you might have about the pencil and the technology that @Uniball_Pen_Gal was able to answer for us, so look for those towards the end of the review. If you are really impatient, then you can just go ahead and click on the Amazon.com link above and buy one…but for now, why not continue reading the review and find out why you NEED one of these pencils.
The Uniball Kuru Toga, an unassuming mechanical pencil that holds a fantastic surprise.
At first glance, this mechanical pencil looks pretty average, and nothing in particular really stands out other than a nice crisp and clean design. It has a nice sleek black body, a capped eraser, and a sturdy clip. When you take a closer look, you might notice that the grip section of this pencil is clear, and it seems to be showing off something under there. What you will find under the clear plastic section is the Uni-ball Kuru Toga Engine (KuruToga is Japanese for “Twist and Turn”) which twists and turns the pencil lead to provide an always sharp and evenly worn pencil lead point which results in the most consistent and finest line I’ve ever experienced when writing with a pencil.
A close up of the Kuru Toga Engine and the impact that it has on a mechanical pencil lead.
The above picture was supplied to me by the fine folks at Uni-ball (as well as the giveaway pencils) and it does a great job of showing the intricate machinery inside this pencil, and how it works. The best part of this picture is the close up of the ordinary pencil lead after writing with it compared to the Kuru Toga lead after writing with it. The only better way to really show the impact of this great technology is by showing a writing sample which I am always fond of doing. For this writing sample though, I decided I wanted more than just some text on a sheet of paper, so I decided to do a comparison with a crossword puzzle since I know many folks use pencils for this activity…not really office supply related, unless you are Stanley from The Officebut I feel as though this is a really good way to show the benefits of the worlds best mechanical pencil. 🙂
A crossword puzzle done with an ordinary mechanical pencil.
The above crossword puzzle from BestCrosswords.comwas filled out with an ordinary mechanical pencil. For purposes of this writing sample and test, Ill admit…I had the answers so technically I cheated. 🙂 I filled out the crossword going across from left to right, moving down the puzzle, basically the same pattern you would normally read and write in. I just felt that this gave the best visual of how the ordinary mechanical pencil point dulls as you write. In my opinion, the deterioration of the ordinary mechanical pencil becomes evident at about 15 across, which is very early on in the puzzle. The line starts to get a bit thicker, and you can really feel the drag of the pencil on the paper. Enough of that I thought…but I suffered through and finished the puzzle, and you can see that by the time you get to the last row, the fine point from this ordinary mechanical pencil was long gone. So lets move on…
The same crossword puzzle done with the Uniball Kuru Toga mechanical pencil.
This photo shows what happens when you do the same crossword puzzle with the Uni-ball Kuru Toga. From 1 across to 69 across you get a crisp clean, and most importantly a very fine line with the Kuru Toga. It is amazing to see that as you write with this pencil it is actually keeping up with you and giving the lead a slight twist to keep the dull point of the lead constantly turning away so you dont have to continually write with it and get a fat dull line. Basically the pencil takes over the work that most mechanical pencil users need to do on their own by continuing to reposition the pencil between their fingers to keep the sharp point of the lead in place as the point you are writing with.
Side by side comparison of the Kuru Toga (top) vs the ordinary mechanical pencil (bottom) after the same amount of writing.
I think this last sample from the crossword puzzle shows the best contrast between the Uniball Kuru Toga and an ordinary mechanical pencil. Each letter above in the upper half of the image is significantly thinner and more crisp when written with the Kuru Toga pencil as compared to the ordinary pencil. I think that the Kuru Toga Engine probably turned the lead a bit once I finished writing the letter “E” above. I typically write the letter “E” by starting off with an “L” and then making the short middle dash and finally the top line of the letter, so upon close examination of the picture above, I think the pencil turned the lead right after I made the top line of the “E” and the beginning of the “S” reflects the new sharp point of the lead hitting the paper. The only thing that the bottom picture shows is why I have always hated using a pencil…until of course I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Kuru Toga. Now that you can see the results of the Kuru Toga mechanical pencil as compared to an ordinary mechanical pencil, you can see why I’ve completely changed my tune when it comes to writing with a pencil. The Kuru Toga changed writing with a pencil from a chore, to a pleasant experience that I now look forward to. As I said before, this pencil is currently available here on Amazon.com and it comes with two extra erasers, and Uni-ball’s .5mm Diamond Infused lead that resits breakage. With all of the technology and uniqueness of this pen, its easy to forget about the standard things I usually look at when reviewing a pen, or pencil. I can say that this pencil is very comfortable to write with, and the grip section is pretty comfortable although I usually prefer a grip that is rubber coated as compared to just straight plastic, however there are some ridges on this grip that help to keep the pen from slipping. It also has a thin rubber coated ring towards the bottom section of the grip, which is a tiny bit low for my taste, but it certainly is not a deal breaker on such a great pencil, and one that I would consider the best mechanical pencil you can buy. Head on over here to see the rest of our pencil reviews if you aren’t convinced this is the right one for you though.
There are some questions that I mentioned earlier that I had, and that you probably have about the Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil, so here is what I was able to find out from @Uniball_Pen_Gal:
-Will the Kuru Toga come in sizes other than a .5mm? Currently the 0.5mm will be the only size offered due to the complexity of the engine inside the KuruToga that allows the lead to rotate while writing. The gear inside the engine becomes larger as the diameter of the lead increases causing the need for more force to rotate the lead. Ultimately this results in a less enjoyable writing experience for the consumer. Uni-ball is currently working a solution to this issue – stay tuned, a point 0.7mm is in the works.
-Will the Kuru Toga be available in colors other than black? For now only the black barrel color will be available however; that does not rule out launching more colors in the future if the need is there.
-Will the technology be deployed to other lines of pencils, such as a more high end version that is made of some type of metal or alloy? This is the first mechanical pencil that has launched under the Uni-Ball brand name and we have every intention to launch more in the future. Uni-ball continues to innovate the writing instrument category, developing new technologies to solve consumer frustrations. I am not currently aware of a high-end version of the Kuru Toga becoming available.
-Besides Amazon.com, where else can I get the Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil? It will be made available at @OfficeDepot the week of 6/15. Now…for the contest. Ill keep it simple, post a comment on this thread, and you are entered for the contest, only one entry per person. You have one week to leave a comment on this thread, so that means you have until Mon. May 18th at 11:59 PM Eastern. On Tue. May 19th I will post the winners selected by Random.org, the post listing the winners will also give you instructions for claiming your prize. There will be no reminders to check back here or to claim your prize because these pencils are so fantastic, I want to ensure that they will go to folks who really want them. GOOD LUCK! One last thing, I know that not everyone who reads my blog is a Twitter user, but if you are, you should make sure to follow @Uniball_Pen_Gal on there since she is the one who was good enough to make this fantastic giveaway possible for all of you office supply geeks (and me) out there.
Hy, maybe THIS time I have a little bit more luck.
sign me up!
as someone who uses mechanical pencils all the time for charting my knitting, this would be awesome!
I have seen this on JetPens!!! Looks awesome. Would love to try!!!
I would LOVE one of these pencils. Thanks for the contest!
what a great way to start off monday… 😀 thanks for the review and giveaway hun 🙂
great blog!
You’re right: sounds like I do need one of these pencils!
Yes please!
I have been looking for these locally but no luck. Thanks again for a great giveaway! Nr
I’d love to send one of these to my crossword-loving mom. Happy Mother’s Day!
This pencil looks really awesome. Now, can they come up with a solution to make it so the graphite doesn’t smear if you rub a page of writing against another? My notebooks always end up with grayish clouds of graphite on every page.
Awesome review, I have been looking for a new mech pencil to keep our baseball book at our games. Another top notch Uni-Ball product!
Awesome looking pencil, sign me up!
An absolute must-have. Must have!
I’m glad that it’s not just me that’s fascinated by all this stuff. People think I’m crazy when I say that I could spend hours in an office supply store…
I have been considering one of these for a while because it finally solves the main issue surrounding why I don’t like using pencils. Looking forward to giving this a shot.
Toga! Toga! Toga!
Very interesting…this may get me back to using a pencil.
It looks like something I would try. I am open to writing with lots of different things. I’ll mark my calendar for another trip to Office Depot in June.
It has to be me, it has to be me…. And now on to amazon…
I have been wanting one of these. I really would like to see how they perform for art and sketching. I’m also keeping my fingers crossed for the release of the larger 0.7mm size. Thank you for the fantastic giveaway!!!
I enjoy all of the reviews you put up. It’s like going to the office store but being able to stay at my desk. Thanks!
Your review has me very interested in these pencils (if I don’t win one here I may just have to go buy one). I’m not much of a pencil person, but every so often I feel the need (yes need) to write with one. Right now I have only one mechanical pencil I will use, it’s a Ticonderoga I found at an office supply store years ago that has a mechanism that cushions the lead so that it doesn’t break as often as regular mechanical pencils. I love it, but I’d be up a creek if I lost it; I’ve yet to see one in a store again. Thanks for the contest!
This is my comment, this pencil looks pretty sweet.
I love .5 pencils, and the idea of one that self-sharpens ? wow. Please pick me. Please, oh randomness selector!
Maybe this time – these pencils look cool!
*Takes off sunglasses* YEEEAAAAHHHHH!!!
Trying to win again
Even if I don’t win, I’m convinced to go buy one – those look like the best pencils in the history of pencils.
Very cool! I hate it when mechanical pencils go “dull” after you’ve used them a bit! Thanks for the giveaway! 🙂
Can’t wait to try the Kuru Toga – maybe I’ll fall in love with pencil writing again.
I’ve always wanted to try one of these! Thanks for putting this up (:
Very interesting tech for a pencil! I’ll toss my hat in the ring for the chance to take one for a spin.
Perfect! I can’t stand less-than-sharp pencils either.
yay another contest! sign me up.
That pencil is sweet!! Hope I win!!
I’ll give it a shot. I am usually not a big fan of mechanical pencils, but I will always be open-minded.
Wow! These are awesome, I’ve always hated the fact that the pencil would get dull on one side and I had to rotate the pencil to keep getting a sharp point. Just curious, but what keeps the mechanism turning as you write? Is it sort of like a wind up clock?
Ooh… Nice. I’d love to win that!
Wow, these look amazing.
hmm. I might use a pencil again. Also my next office order might be from Office Depot instead of Staples.
Good giveaway!
I got my hands on one of these a few weeks ago, and I have to agree that it is a great pencil. I get a nice, sharp line with no dulling as I write. One thing I didn’t realize until I got the Kuru Toga is that I would rotate my mechanical pencils in my hand to keep the point sharp. I tend to catch myself doing this with the KT, and only remember I’m doing it because the pencil is supposed to do the rotating for you. I’m not sure if any other KT users have noticed this, but I can feel the lead twisting in the pencil. Nothing bad, I just feel a little “bump” inside the barrel. It doesn’t interrupt the line or anything like that.
Cool! Would love one of these..
Gotta love this pencil!
(Fun fact: Kuru is a degenerative neurological disease causing spongiform encephalopathies, kinda like madcow)
Awesome, glad to hear the Kuru Toga is to the US now. I have one coming from .hk, let’s see how I like it and I probably will buy a backup. Thanks for being involved in the world of office supplies.
Cool pencil and great Blog!!!
Thank you for the generous giveaway!
Man, I need a good pencil. This is awesome, thanks!
I really, really want this pencil. Really. Great giveaway!!
Love it. Maybe this time?!
I love the Kuru Toga!
Thanks and keep on!
So, here is my comment. Would REALLY like one of those.
and here is my.
I want one!
Big-time drool!!!
oh em gee, those pencils are so cool-y?
Anyway, I so hope I get one. Pencils made me hate math, but maybe these beautiful pencils will improve my attraction to math…
I think I’ll buy one from Amazon if I don’t win the giveaway. :D:D:D
Hopefully my convincing the parents skills are up to snuff. ^^
Here in Japan, they currently sell these pencils in a 0.3 mm lead size version. The spinny bit is yellow instead of orange. But I’ve been using a 0.5 mm Kuru Toga for about 6 months now and it’s an amazing mechanical pencil! I’ve NEVER had the lead break on me from writing – and I’m known as one who pushes way too hard when I write. They’re also currently sold in multiple colors: black, silver, blue, green, orange, and pink.
They have a solid color body style Kuru Toga with a little window to see the spiny mechanism here now (instead of the transparent bottom portion) and I’ve been meaning to give it a try to see if there are any improvements.
Very cool, thanks for the contest!! 😉
eh, I usually avoid mechanical pencils. Maybe this will be the one that makes me not mind writing with one.
I’m in the market for a Rotring Tikky, but this one might work better for me….
I have not used a mechanical pencil in years–maybe this is what I need to get me started again!
This looks like a great pencil. Thanks for the chance to win one!
Cool! I hope I win!
Wow – that is a fancypants pencil! 🙂
I hope I win! 😀
For a math teacher, a reliable sharp pencil would be a miracle.
pick me!!!!!!!!
That’s an interesting pencil. I may get one anyways even if I don’t win.
i’m sold. lemme have it!
here, bueller… bueller…
Oh, what the hell. I’m in too, as long as you don’t mind shipping overseas.
Hoping this is a lucky entry. Sounds like a fun pencil.
wtf this is awesomee! I hope I can win one!
These are a great inovation in pencil technology. Count me in!
Name in the hat!
This may officially launch me into being a pencil fan. It will definitely raise the standards for pencil use. Pencil me in!
Looks fantastic! Sign me up. Thanks!
Hi! This looks great! I hope I win since it seems to be hard to get one in my country.
Great site btw!
has anyone disassembled this completely? Renderings are nice, but it would be good to know what makes this tick….
I saw these pencils on Jetpens and fell in love! Getting one without having to pay the shipping seems great.
Please enter me in this giveaway! That is a really awesome mechanical pencil!
Thanks!
I’m looking forward to trying one of these.
Looks like a great pencil!
Thanks! If the Pen Addict recommends, I know it’s good.
Thanks again!
I’d love to try out that mechanical pencil!
Pencils rock!
Looks like a great giveaway!
I want in on this contest.
[I} would put one of those to good use!
Hope I get lucky this time.
This is like my pencil dream come true!!
I’d give it a good home! Send one my way!
very nice … love mechanical pencils 😀
I definately need to get my hands on one of these engineering marvels. I love mechanical pencils…an old school engineer who still enjoys sharpening an HB pencil from time to time and putting that warm pencil lead to paper…
Cool…I hereby wish myself luck.
Cool beans, I would like to try itif lady luck smiles upom me 🙂
I would love to try this out since I play Kakuro a lot and those boxes are just so incredibly small.
Found your site through a link on The Pen Addict. Looks like a great pencil. Thanks for the contest.
kuru toga!!!
please enter me
Wow! It’s no suprise to me that Uniball came up with a self sharpening micanical pencil. There’s a reason why they have been around for so long and why they are #1. Thanks for the giveaway.
I’d love to win this. I’ve been needing a new mechanical pencil for a while now.
I have given up on pencils to do crosswords. They are so blurry I can’t read my own writing! These look great! Thanks! I hope I remember to come and check the winner! LOL
I love mechanical pencils and would love a chance to win this state of the art one!! Thanks
bleatham(at)gmail.com
That is one great looking (and performing) pencil!
wahaha new site to be glued to!
This looks awesome.. count me in! Thanks
I want one. Count me in!
I am in….
OMG!!!! NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE!! TOTALLY WANT IT!! 😀
Free Uniball Kuru Toga?!
I want!
Very innovative!
Uni-Ball products rock! If they make a mechanical pencil, it has to be great!
These pencils really look good
Very cool. This is kid of like the Parker Jotter T-ball mechanism, which turns the ballpoint with every click. I’m surprised Parker didn’t come up with this sort of mechanism for their mechanical pencils.
Cool pencil. I definitely use lots and lots of pencils…
Definitely would like to try
Crazy pencil, can’t wait to pick one up
I hope I get this. I’m a poor student in terrible need of a better mechanical pencil. My notes — so ugly 🙁
PS: Your blog = awesome. Though it does make avoiding the office supplies aisle and not blowing what little money I have that much more difficult.
UNI “Kuru Toga” Mechanical Pencils for free?
Maybe i get lucky and get one of these… 😉
Wow! What a great giveaway. Sign me up please.
What a wonderful review! This would be wonderful for me! I do lots of crafting of all sorts and get so annoyed with the pencils I currently use. Thanks for all the great info and the chance to win! Great blog!
Hot dog!
I would LOVE to win one of those!! Super excited they are being released in the US now.
This is like an answered prayer. What a pencil!
whee!
These pencils are amazing!
I find it interesting that Uniball states that the .3mm would be too difficult to make at this point in time, when you can buy the Japanese kurutogas in .3 no problem. :/
[OSG:] – I think the answer to the question from Uniball is that LARGER sizes would be difficult to make because the the Kuru Toga Engine needs to be bigger and stronger, they did not mention a smaller size. I think that they tend to stay away from anything below a .5mm for the US market, and imply that they are working on a .7mm version.
Looks like a sweet pencil to do my Sudoku with. [crosses fingers….and toes]
Pencil me in!
Add one to my collection
Monday is my birthday. I hope I win!
Yay! I’d love to win such a cool pencil!
I saw these things at a trade show two weeks ago, they freaking rock.
Well, another day, another giveaway comment.
Twice have tried to leave a thoughtful comment and lost my comment both times. 🙁 Just consider me entered.
I’m feeling lucky today. And yes, this is a great product.
If I had the Kuru Toga AND it was received via this giveaway then damnit, I will be a happy, happy man.
Great review! I’d been wondering why all the excitement about these pencils – you demonstrated it well!
Great pencil, not into the ‘bling’ thing but I’ll gladly sport the diamond infused lead if I am chosen.
I’d love to win one.
Love your site 🙂
Great site! I’d love to give one of these pencils a try!
Great blog! It’s good to know I’m not the only person obsessed with office supplies.
Hello,
Thanks for telling me about this pencil. I’ll be sure to check it out in stores soon.
i have moved to full fountain pen for some time now. but reading your post made me want to dig back into my stuff and find my pencils and use them again! 🙂 cheers!
Wow, how innovative! Count me in.
Soo excited to try out this pencil! *crosses fingers*
This is an amazing pencil. What a great review. Thank you for making these available as a giveaway!
Please let me picked, Please let me picked, Please let me picked, Please let me picked, Please let me picked, Please let me picked, Please let me picked,
Just trying my luck. You never know…
These look nice. I’d like to try one.
I’d love to try one of these.
Wow, what a cool pencil. Thanks for the giveaway.
I’ve always wanted this pencil. Thanks for the giveaway.
That pencil looks pretty cool!
This looks like a great pencil. Sometimes when I write with a mechanical pencil, constantly turning it to maintain the sharpest point, the clip causes major discomfort in my hand ( I have neuropathy and the clip just seems to hit on those nerves). I’d love to try this pencil out. Winning one would make my day. My right hand would thank you, thank you, thank you!
Cool giveaway. I’d love to try these!
I’ve been looking at getting this pencil for a few months.
Awesome.. count me in on the giveaway..
Count me in, I could use another, especially seeing as it comes with some nano-dia lead!
very cool – woud love to give it a shot
Please please please!
Cool pencil. Note to self: Office Depot week of June 15. I would love to win one but I think Cranky deserves one for best response…. “Toga Toga Toga”… hehe. Good one.
Oh, yes. Please, please.
Loooove it! 🙂
I just found your website through Impulsive Buy, and I love it! There are so many innovations in mechanical pencils!
Good luck for all!!
Thanks, OSG, for the contest.
this looks like a ballin pencil
Cool! By which I mean I also saw this on Cool Tools!
Not available here, so highly coveted by pencil afficionados.
Good review, pencil sounds really interesting.
Pick me, pick me, pick me……
I saw these in Hong Kong but was hesitant to buy one (I’m one of those people who constantly have to move the mech pencil around so as to keep using the ‘sharp’ side). Your review was very informative and the pics were great help! 🙂
Awesome, I thought I had a favorite pencil before I saw this review. Very ingenious these Uniball people.
Great looking pencil.
Interesting pencil. Count me in! 😀
This will come in handy with work.
This is an awesome item,as a student.I must have one.