Pentel Mechanical Pencil Orenz 0.2mm (Khaki) XPP502-D2

TL;DR: The .2 Orenz is the best pencil for this size lead, but it is still outclassed by the .3 Graphgear 1000 if you like versatile detailing pencils! As a comic artist who works on paper, I value thin pencils VERY highly. I'm happy to say this .2 little pencil is a lot stronger than you'd think. If you know how to use thin lead pencils, you won't have many problems with breaking lead. It also comes with a small wire in the eraser for unjamming the tip! HOWEVER-- The Pentel Orenz .2 pencil has the unfortunate fate that I daily drive a .3 from Pentel's GraphGear 1000 series of pencils. The size difference in lead isn't THAT noticeable between a .2 and .3, in my opinion, so they're in direct competition for me. The lead support system in this Orenz .2 pencil is a metal barrel that slides back into the pencil as you draw. .3 pencils used to be made this way too, and I HATE it. This mechanism doesn't just break lead, it SPLINTERS IT. And splintered lead is what causes jamming. It's painfully easy to bump the metal protector barrel with your paper or your sleeve and not notice the lead has been exposed-- and then it snaps. In comparison, GraphGear 500 and 1000 series pencils have a stationary barrel to support the lead at the tip. The 1000 series even has spring loaded retraction like a pen, to protect the pencil tip and lead when not in use. (500 series can't be retracted, but they are heccin strong tips anyways) Why is a stationary barrel better? Because this allows you to tilt the pencil and create an ultra thin point on your lead. This alone will allow a well made .3 pencil to out-tiny a .2 with a sliding barrel. The .2 Orenz is definitely not a good sketching pencil, it is a detailing pencil! You won't be making any fluid motions with it without gouging your paper on sharp lead, or just breaking the lead. Get this .2 pencil if you want a specialized detailing pencil! If you want something more versatile, get a .3 GraphGear 500 or 1000!

I like to write notes in books that i am reading. and have used other brands in the past. I needed misplaced my other pencil and purchased this. I was concerned that the lead work break easily when writing, and i was wrong. It writes great, is the right size for me and it's comfortable to hold in my hand. I highly recommend it!

This pencil is a must for any artist who likes precision in their portrait drawings! With the right lead installed, all lines come out crisp and precise. I would say this is 33% better than a 3 mm pencil!

It writes very smoothly...however, the one I received had an issue with the retractable lead-protection barrel. When I received the pencil, the protection barrel was already sticking out, and was "loose" - meaning that it was effortlessly sliding back into the main barrel and out again when I moved the package. Upon opening it, I had momentary trouble with it, as it was still loose, but then all of a sudden, for no reason, it started working just fine. Then, the lead caught on the paper I was writing on three times, and partially tore through the paper on one of the three times. That was really disappointing. Those issue aside, this pencil is a nice, fine line, and for those of you who love to write super-small in the margins of a notebook (like I do), this pencil is SO much better for that than even a 0.5 lead pencil! (I would have given it five stars if not for the issues I stated above.) Again, it writes very smoothly, and aside from the two glitches I mentioned above, I would recommend this pencil to anyone who loves writing/drawing with fine lines. The curved edges on the end of the retractable lead-protective barrel make this a super-smooth, enjoyable experience!

This pencil is a comfortable length and weight for long writing sessions. It is sturdier than the Kuru Toga and lighter and more comfortable than the Pentel GraphGear 1000. Also, my lead rarely breaks when I write, due to the clever tip design.

I'm a big fan of this 0.2mm pencil, but I imagine that's just because of the thinness and I'd equally like any other pencil of the same diameter. That being said, this ain't a bad pencil. My ONLY issue is that if you press too hard, the lead breaks inside the sheath, and that causes a double-feed problem. I always press too hard, so this happens maybe three times per week (under heavy use; I am an engineering student). EASY FIX: So, all you gotta do is break down the pencil, then the tiny piece in the tip is where 2–3 pieces of lead are jammed. Shove something 0.2mm down the barrel (tip to tail), and they fall out, pencil works again, no problem. EXTRA HARDCORE PROTIP: I was using another piece of lead for my "something 0.2mm" to shove down the barrel, and that was frustrating because they'd break super easy. I was getting ready to write a bad review on this guy and buy a spool of 36gauge wire to wrap around the clip so I'd always have something available to fix it. HOWEVER!! I /just/ realized, there's a wire stuck underneath the eraser that is exactly what I needed—it's like they designed it like that ::mind blown:: Buy the pencil, I have no complaints.

This pencil is terrible. The clip always falls off and never attached to a notebook, it would just pop off then extremely difficult to get back on. I kept it off cause it didn't work anyway. It has Chinese picture instructions which left me unclear. Now a month after light use the lead slips right out the tip. It's broken and I treated this pencil very gently. Too late to return. I should have returned it after the first moment I opened it and was aggravated by it's difficultly of use and pieces popping off. Very disappointed.

The best pencil for college! I only get one side of a note card for some exams so I needed to write small and this helps me do exactly that! They have a slight tendency to get clogged up but its an easy fix. This was the best purchase I've made so far during my college career!