Penac TLG-203 0.3 mm automatic mechanical pencil Drafting

The eraser feels a lot smaller than it looks in the picture, and the pencil doesn't come with any extra lead or replacement eraser, which should be expected for any other mechanical pencil. It has no weight to it, and the frame is just hollow plastic. Feels very cheap, and not very pleasant to write with.

Penac as an OE makes wonderful mechanical pencils. They are often re-branded (Staedtler, Aristo and others) but I prefer to purchase the real thing. Not just because they are uncommon, but also because the re-branded versions typically use duller, ugly colors, whereas the Penac originals are deep, rich, glossy and have a beautiful, albeit subtle, metallic sparkle to them.In terms of usage, these pencils are uncompromising in quality, using metal parts (cone, tip, spring clip, etc.) and offer an excellent twist-up eraser. I don't personally use it, because I find a dedicated polymer eraser works 10x better than any built-in, but in a pinch, these work great and are nice to have. So much more convenient that having to remove a cap or some such, and obviously longer lasting since they twist down into the pencil body (approx. 2" total eraser length).Writing quality is excellent, everything feels sturdy and well balanced, with no wobble or looseness in the tip. The grip is well made, tacky enough to give you the friction for a good grip, but without widening the pencil and ruining its slim, beautiful lines. Few things feel as good in the hand as a properly sized pencil with a nice grip. Additionally, everything is clearly built to tight tolerances, and you can feel that when you write with this, even on the .3mm version like this particular model. I don't typically use .3mm pencils, owing to the fact that cheap ones are not stable enough to write briskly, but this is one of the few that I don't hesitate to pick up.This particular model, unlike the .5mm (TLG-205) offers a fixed rather than a retractable tip. I don't plan to carry it in a pocket, so it's of no consequence to me, but pointing it out for anyone that assumes they all TLG-20x would be the same, keep this in mind.All told, I am about as happy as I could be with a 3.mm mechanical pencil. This one ticks all the boxes for me, and does not leave me wanting for anything else. Simple, elegant, high quality and properly functioning. What else can you ask from a pencil?