Venvstas Designer 8 2Mm Lead Holder - Hooooooooly Heck.

[Honeybadgers]

I think I may have finally found my perfect pencil. I kind of wish it had a clip, but I don't know how one could be incorporated without ruining the look of this piece of art.

 

Yes, it's expensive. 99 euros. But it does honestly feel like a very premium product. The linear carbon feels very unique, smooth but tactile and not slippery in my oily hands. I can also attest that it's very durable. My wife forgot to turn out the pockets of my jeans when she did the wash a few weeks ago and my Carbon-T got washed and run through the dryer. The carbon weathered a bit, but in a very pleasant looking way. So durability likely ain't going to be a concern. The barrel and clutch mechanism are held into the body with a small grub screw.

 

Fit and finish are superb. I have a very early carbon T, made in Paris, and it's definitely a little bit rougher in spots. This is pretty much perfect. All the cuts are clean and crisp and beautiful.

 

The design is really, really special. One thing I love about Venvstas' design language is that their pens/pencils all look like a prop you'd see in a sci fi film. I hate "sci fi" themed pens like cross's townsend with a body chiseled to look like wookee fur. That's stupid. This straight up looks like it'd be at home on the desk of some aristocrat in a cyberpunk dystopia. The choice to do small cutouts to show off the brass lead sleeve, the way they placed the brand logo, the choice of font for "MADE IN ITALY", the way that the clutch retracts completely into the body when it isn't holding the lead so it has a perfectly flush face, the fact that it fits a Staedler rotary lead pointer, perfect.

 

If I had ONE gripe, I'd have wished they designed a small lead pointer or eraser into the tail, and maybe I would have had the tail end be flat and not tapered, because it can rotate when you press down on it, making it slightly misaligned with the angle on the barrel. I really don't notice when it's off unless I'm looking FOR it, but it's just a design choice more than a gripe. Same goes for a clip. Maybe a brass slip-over clip? But despite how obsessive I am that things have clips, I honestly think I don't mind it at all on this. It's long enough (about 1.5cm longer than a rotring 600 including the 600's lead sleeve) that it seems to stay upright in my pocket. It doesn't quite swallow an entire uni 2mm lead, I had to nip off about 8mm.

 

The mechanism is very smooth and efficient, never binding on the lead. It keeps the lead far enough back when retracted that it won't stick out with a long point and snap off (a problem I've had with other holders) The lead it came with was kinda (bleep) though, reminded me of Koh-i-noor's junky, gritty lead. Some nice and smooth uni 2H solved that problem immediately though.

 

Overall, yes. Just yes. Everything about this pencil is yes. Is it pricey? Also yes. But it does a damn good job making a case for its cost, and is so completely and utterly unique that there's simply nothing else on earth to compare it to.

 

 

Edited May 27, 2020 by Honeybadgers

[DrDebG]

Ah - how I love organic chemistry and biochemistry!

 

Oh, and the lead holder is really nice as well!

[Honeybadgers]

I'm building a mechanism portfolio for the remainder of my biochemistry classes - Title with a pelikan 400NN BB italic with 4001 black, sketch it out with a pencil, draw over with an XXXF PO nib in 4001 black and a needlepoint spencerian pilot metal falcon for the electron pushing and notes, erase the pencil. It's slow, but I like the results.

[flatline]

I'd love a chance to try one of those. The price is a bit beyond my whimsical purchase threshold...