Rotring Rapid Pro is one of the best out there. As an architect student i have tried almost every pencil avalable. people use endless amout of time finding the "perfect" pen, and have finally settled down with this, and with retractable lead sleeve its perfect for pocket carry! the 600 doese not have this feature. remeber to get it in black!, it is heavy but it gives great control
Three years ago I bought a 12pk of Rotring Tikky 3 0.5mm because they were very comfortable and light to use. I'm still on the first one. The reliability has been impressive considering the price: under $2/ea. I wouldn't pay more for a fixed-sleeve pencil because I would worry about bending the sleeve.
I recieved that kuru toga pencil today, and it is a disapointment. I tend to join my writing, and because of this the lead does not spin. I found that it works by the lead being pushed into the body of the pen, and out again causing to spin a little bit. When writing unjoined, the pencil works very well.
I have always been a strong believer in rotring. I own a side knock which is good for me, but this one seems perfect for me as its got a good weight.
My first college pencils were plastic, but I liked that they had retractable sleeves. Got the Niji Grip 500 as a sorta hs grad/going away to college gift from my sis, and then later found the Y & C Grip 350 (which I just figured was some relative of Niji...). Noticed later that that Yasutomo & Co. offering had clones/copycats from Sanford and Alvin (and felt like getting those for comparison - fyi - that thread has more discussion about mechanical pencils, if you're interested) and just noticed another one from Penol (the Double-Click shown there). IMO, I got spoiled with the retractable sleeve, but it wasn't a metal body... Then my first "big purchase" was in college, the old style black rotring 600 series Trio-pen, with its two (dinky) pen refills and a pencil. Again, liked that the pencil tip was retractable. Definitely a sturdier writing instrument. And, in terms of having a pencil in a multi-function instrument, there are a few out there as well. Another I like is the Lamy Accent Multi-pen. Now, if you wanted a basic but pretty sturdy pencil, then check out the metal ones from Wörther. The Faber-Castell e-motion pencils aren't bad either; it just depends on your preference... And there are also a few leadholders or clutch pencils to choose from (like those that JetPens stocks). Or, if you want a metal one where you can "customize" or fiddle with a few settings, then there's always the Ohto Super Promecha. Check out this vid to learn a little more. Well, just addin' my pair o' Zinc Linc's, which won't even get ya an ounce of unleaded gasoline...
Another plus for the Pentel Kerry....also used it throughout college...excellent customer service and warranty too....
Had a basic Pentel in college, but I rarely used it. And I was a math major! Thirty-dozen math classes and all in pen! (Probably a Uni-ball 0.5mm black or a Pilot Razor Point. It was a while ago.) Even today I rarely use a pencil. I hate eraser crumbles. Hate, hate, hate!! Better to just not make mistakes!
... And he does the New York Times Sunday crossword with a Sharpie! (I loved this post - it sounds like a Dos Equis Most Interesting Man in the World commercial.)
I've had occasion to handle the Pentel GraphGear, and it is a very nice pencil. I'm not crazy about the tip, though.
