Reviews

The Pentel Orenz Nero

Lead Size: 0.5

Price when I purchased: $23.45 USD

Lead Used: Uni Smudge-Proof

Disclaimer: This is all my opinion, and yours may vary from mine.

I recently had the pleasure of using the Pentel “Orenz Nero” (A Palindrome BTW) as my first mechanical pencil. The Nero is towards the expensive side of pencil, coming at around $25 USD from common sellers like JetPens and Amazon, which is a lot of money for a writing instrument, I bought out of curiosity to see if it would be a good first mechanical pencil.

Design:

The Orenz Nero boasts a matte black, sleek, modern design with a slim profile that sits comfortably in the hand. Pentel decided to go with a unique resin-metal blend construction that exudes the durability of metal without adding unnecessary weight using resin. The attention to detail is evident, and the pencil feels like a premium writing instrument. The lead sleeve pops out about a millimeter out of the tip even when fully retracted, but I think it adds to the look.

Mechanism:

What sets the Orenz Nero apart from other pencils is a unique sliding lead sleeve found in the Orenz family. This protects the lead by keeping it inside of a metal lead sleeve while you write. If you tend to hold you pencil at a lower angle, this may be a problem for you, as the metal can start scratching the paper. However, you can extend the lead beyond the sleeve and use it as a normal pencil. It also features an auto extending lead mechanism, which extends the lead using a spring inside the tip of the pencil. I personally had to adjust my writing angle a bit to avoid the scratching, but it should be fine.

Ergonomics/Comfort:

The grip Pentel went for looked sleek and doesnt' hurt your fingers too much. The bumps left enough just grip for you to hold the pencil while looking sleek and simple. The balance of the pencil felt perfect to me, the center of balance being near the end of the grip, which I liked for comfortability.

Miscellaneous:

The Nero comes in leads sizes 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5, which should be enough for the wider audience. Its 0.2 size is extremely hard to find in the market, which is a plus point for this pen. However, this pencil is only available in matte black, which I personally had no problem with, but might be an issue with some people who want more customizability in their pencil. The pencil comes with a small eraser in it that I would not recommend using, and the cap and eraser part pop out effortlessly to let you insert lead in the pencil. When shaken vigorously, there were no signs of the cap loosening and falling down. The knock click is pretty meh I guess. You also have to press a bit harder to retract the tip, as with all automatic mechanical pencils.

Performance:

The Nero did an pretty nice job in doing what it was supposed to be. Its auto-advancement system had no problem, and the sliding lead sleeve protected my lead very well. One drawback would be that the sleeve occasionally scratched the paper at lower angle, so you must adjust your angle accordingly. The grip and the overall sturdy material contributed to the comfort of the writing experience, and this is definitely a good pocketable pencil.

Conclusion:

The Orenz Nero’s groundbreaking mechanisms, like the intuitive auto-advancement feature and the protective sliding sleeve, along with the sturdy material, establish it as a great choice for users who want a seamless and controlled writing experience and want to give themselves a treat. I must say however, this is a completely different experience writing with than a normal mechanical pencil, because of its features. Overall, nice!

The Spoke Model 4 (Flare Grip): Worth the money?

Well, since I’ve heard a ton of praise for the Spoke brand, I decided to go ahead and purchase one. I didn’t like the matte look of the knurled grip on the Model 4, and I don’t like sharp knurling because it hurts my soft fingers, so I was considering the Spoke 6 for an amount of time until I discovered the Flare Grip on the Model 4. I then said goodbye to my old Orenz Nero (yes, I returned it, way too scratchy) and ordered the Spoke. After 5 days of waiting (felt more like a year) it finally arrived in the mail. 

This thing is a gem.

Let me start. I knew from the beginning that I would need to change my expectations for this pencil. I do like gimmicks, (which is why I got the Orenz Nero) but also respect a pencil meant to “finish the job”. As a student, the latter seemed more useful to me, as I use pencils a lot, and random gimmicks that sometimes barely function wouldn’t exactly help. Now this “review” I wanted to do more differently. Instead of it being one long paragraph, I wanted to have a short opinion of mine on the spoke, and then pros and cons. Here goes!

Pros:

Grip: Many people told me the flare grip was the least popular grip, but for me, the grip was PERFECT (I cannot emphasize how perfect it was) for my odd grip. The protruding part near the tip of the pencil on the grip helped me stay on the grip and not slide onto the tip. Because of this unique shape, I was able to stay in control of the pencil while still retaining comfort.

Design: Looks AMAZING. It follows a unique, sort of vintage style, with a nice modern twist to it. The metallic blue body looks amazing. Excellent!

The Knock: The knock is the BEST KNOCK I’VE EVER USED! The click sound is perfect, and it feels perfect. The lead also smoothly glides into the pencil when I retract it. Also, a perfect amount of lead is pushed out with each click. Sometimes I would have to mess around and push back in the lead to get my favorite size, but this Spoke just killed it. With one press, I get how much I need. I mean I am coming from Bic mechanical pencils and the disgusting Orenz Nero knock🤮but trust me, this knock is really good.

Balance: The center of mass is exactly in the place where the grip and body meet, which provides a comfortable experience with just the right amount of weight resting on your hand when you’re writing.

Cons:

Features: No special features or gimmicks. (This could be a pro depending on how you think about it, because it may last longer without fun gimmicks.)

Tip: Fixed tips can be a bit annoying for people used to retractable ones, and dropping it can “kill” the pencil because now that the tip is bent, it can’t be used. Can be switched out with another mechanism to revive it though.

Body: The body feels a bit hollow, (because it is!) but it isn’t too noticeable. The black parts of the body are actually holes that show the black internals, so dust may seep through and get inside.

Clip and Design: The Spoke doesn't have a pocket clip, which can be annoying to some people like me who may want to clip it to their pocket or a notebook.

Mini Review:

If you want a premium pencil without going to extreme prices, Spoke is your best bet. Of course, it doesn’t come with special gimmicks or features, but this isn't meant to. In short, it has all the main features of a mechanical pencil, and those features are the best they can be. The grip is amazingly comfortable, and the bump at the front of the grip helps with stability. The knock is amazing, and the overall design looks cool.

To sum it up, if you have the money to spare, and you want something straightforward and good, this is your best bet. Flare grip is very comfortable, design looks amazing, and mechanism is reliable and easily replaceable.

Leads

Mr Pen HB 480 leads;

- 10.99 $ CAD + shipping (free for prime)

Zebra Standard HB 0.7mm; 

- 2.03 $ CAD + shipping (free for prime)

Abibioen 2b;

- 19.99 $ CAD + shipping (free for prime)

**Prices do not include taxes **

Results of price comparison:

- Abibioen wins outside of import fees( if they apply) for comparison of 1000 leads,  SHP is second without import fees and first place if import fees apply for abibioen and zebra is last place in either scenario.

- For what i  actually got, zebra is the cheapest while ain stein was the most expensive.

Conclusion

While not any of these leads are utter garbage (unlike the studio/dollarama/staples leads i used to use as a kid) and are all usable, aside from price/number ratio, abi is the worst performer while the pentel SHP seems to be the jack of all trades even if it may not win all categories, and it ( as well as ain stein) will be my default lead from now on and i would recommend either of those foremost ( with mr pen being third), since I do not need more darkness than what HB provides, unless I find something better.