In November, Zebra released "Delgado," a mechanical pencil that does not break no matter how much force is put into it. I went to the stationery section and found that there were already many companies offering mechanical pencils with unbreakable leads.

Although I don't recall having much trouble with mechanical pencils that break, if the only weak point (?) of mechanical pencils has been overcome, it would be unbeatable. If you can overcome this weakness, you can say that it is an invincible item. I decided to buy a few of them and compare them to see how strong they are.


The secret of "unbreakable" is the same for all three companies.

The mechanical pencils I bought this time are Zebra's "Delguard" (450 yen, center image), Pentel's "orenz" (500 yen, top image), and Platinum Fountain Pen's "OLEeNU SHIELD" (500 yen, bottom image). OLEeNU SHIELD" (200 yen, bottom image) from Platinum Fountain Pens.


The "unbreakable" construction described on the packaging of each pen is unique to each of the three companies. How could such an idea be born in the small space of a pen nib? If the three companies collaborated, wouldn't a Nobel Prize be a dream? While suppressing the excitement in my heart, I will take a closer look at each pen one by one.

◆"Delgado" with its outstanding sense of being protected


DelGuard features an internal mechanism that guards the lead in accordance with various writing pressures and writing angles. When you apply force from above or at an angle with the lead 2 to 3 mm out, you can clearly see that the internal spring and the metal part at the tip are activated to protect the lead. I could feel that the force applied to write was absorbed like a cushion.


Incidentally, it was written that the pen may break if you knock more than four times, so I tried knocking five times, but there was no sign of breaking at all.


The writing feel is solid and stable, and it can fill in a large area quickly, so it would be suitable for mark sheets. However, the grip is the thickest and hardest of the three, so it may tire your hand if you write for a long time.


Au Laine Shield" is the most "comfortable" of the three.


Au Reine Shield has two parts that support the lead, the tip part and the lead ejector part, and four parts that fill the gap between the two parts. It seems that the structure is more complicated than it looks.



Of the three pens in this issue, the writing feel is the most comfortable and smooth, not unlike a regular mechanical pencil in a good way. The rubber grip is non-slip, so writing for a long time does not seem to be tiring.


By the way, when you run out of writing parts, you can conveniently press the nib tip against the paper once to release the lead. The metal part of the tip is stored away when not in use, which is also very reassuring. The pen is a cost-effective pen, including these small features.



T he "Orens" pen with a lead length of 0.2mm!
The last one is Orens. The most distinctive feature of this pen is its 0.2mm lead, which is thinner than a needle. The tip of the metal pipe is smooth so that it does not scratch the surface of the paper, and it is said to protect the lead by "writing without taking the lead out of the metal pipe".



As you continue to write, the tip of the pipe naturally slides down and becomes shorter as the lead decreases. When you find it hard to write, just knock once and it will return to the initial state.


The fine, delicate lines produced by the 0.2mm lead are, in my opinion, the best of all. It seems to be able to write fine characters in mathematical formulas and notebooks beautifully. However, perhaps due to my high writing pressure, the paper may occasionally scratch my pen, which is the only drawback.


Personally, I would like to use Au Laine Shield for writing and memorizing, Orens for taking neat notes, and Delgado for mark sheets and drawings. The lead generally did not break while I was using them, so I would be able to concentrate on my work. I feel that I have caught another glimpse of the excellence of Japanese stationery technology.

*All prices indicated are exclusive of tax.