Mitsubishi introduces sharp innovation in mechanical pencils

Leave it to Japanese designers to bring superb engineering and creativity to even the most everyday products. This time it's mechanical pencils.

One of the most annoying problems encountered by pencil users is stroke bloat. One minute you're writing or sketching with the most delightfully precise lines, the next minute every stroke looks fat and dull. It's because the tip of your pencil flattens as you write.

One of the most attractive features of mechanical pencils is that they're less prone to stroke bloat than their wooden counterparts. But they're not immune.

Until now.

The Kuru Toga pencil from Mitsubishi employs a set of mini gears than click a notch after every stroke. With each click, they grip and turn the graphite core a tiny bit. So the writing tip never flattens. Genius.

Apparently they're selling like crazy. If you can find one, they go for around ¥450. But you may be out of luck if you're living outside Japan. I could find no mention of them on Mitsubishi's international website.

To watch a short animated video that shows how the Kurutoga works, go here and click on the blue button at the center of the page.