[Pen/Pencil Review] The Spoke Pencil – In Green

This week’s pen review is going to be a little bit different. It’s a pencil, so there’s no writing sample – because let’s face it, why? This mechanical pencil was a Christmas gift from my husband through a Kickstarter project so there’s going to be a few unusual bits. The pencil comes from Spoke Pencils.

So, these mechanical pencils are machined aluminum with anodized satin colors – mine is (shockingly) green. The pencil is 5.75” long. The website says a 4mm fixed sleeve – I assume this is the interior barrel that holds the lead. The point and cap are chrome colored probably stainless steel. The aluminum body is hexagonal with cuts that let you see the black interior barrel – so you have a color contrast. It’s tapered for a finger grip. It’s pretty well balanced – good weight without being “hefty”.

These come in the standard sizes – 0.5, 0.7. 0.9mm – ours are 0.5mm. It has an eraser under the cap which also closes the lead tube. It comes with several leads in a typical HB, but it’s decent lead. It doesn’t seem to break easily.

The only issue I might have is that I tend to choke “down” which puts my fingers below where they want the grip to be, so I feel a bit of digging, but if you can hold it where they want you to, it’s pretty comfortable. And, honestly? DARNED COOL LOOKING. And apparently they have stands? I don’t’ know if they come with, but hey ,that’s something to keep in mind. But, they’re “artisan” pencils. They are not cheap.

The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – It’s a mechanical pencil. The mechanism advances smoothly. The cap is secure but easy to manipulate to get to the eraser. It’s easy to refill. Everything you want in a pencil.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – I’m going to knock this a bit because there are angles and the grip is so high. There’s nothing soft and squishy about the pencil – it’s all metal. They have made an attempt at ergonomics, but it is what it is.
3. Material – 1 This is high-quality anodized aluminum. It’s sturdy but light. The point and cap seem solid and bright. It does seem to be top notch materials.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s very “engineered” looking. It’s sharp, it’s well-designed. It’s pretty while being utilitarian. Someone put a lot of thought and work into this design to make it “new” when there’s not a lot you can do with a pencil. They get credit for that.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – They Are. Not. Cheap. I got this one for a gift, so bear with me here. Jimmy was an early supporter – so I have no idea what HE paid – which probably isn’t what’s on the site. The website sells these for $59 – if they’re available. I’m only knocking a half point off because they’re artisan. This is not something you can get in a store. They’re art work. Oh, and they have stands. If the stands come with them in price, then you do have a piece of functional desk art.

I give it 4 out of 5 Bronze Pencils

Tags: mechanical pencil, Pencil, Pencil Review, Spoke Design, Spoke Pencils