Ohto Super ProMecha Review: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Of all the pencils I have reviewed, the Ohto Super ProMecha takes the cake for being the most interesting. Keep in mind, “interesting” and “nicest to use” are not mutually exclusive. This pencil certainly has its quirks and a few clever tricks up its sleeve, but it is far from comfortable. It has a fully retractable lead sleeve, lead grade indicator, and a solid aluminum body, as well as a nice eraser.

With all that aside, let's get down to the nitty-gritty, no pun intended. The main feature of the ProMecha that sets it apart is the ability to change how much lead comes out when you click the button. This feature is very neat, and I found myself fidgeting with it while writing. There is a dial on the barrel that lengthens and shortens the travel between the bottom of the cap and the body to get this level of control. One issue I personally have is that the hole in the body that is used to access this dial is very sharp, and it rests right in between my thumb and pointer finger, leading to some discomfort. There are four rubber rings above this mechanism that are probably there to prevent this discomfort, but in my experience they don’t help all that much. Other than that, the mechanism is very useful.

My only other complaint with this pencil is that the knurled grip that is twisted to extend the lead sleeve gets stuck often. If I go more than a few days without using it, I have to use pliers to twist the mechanism and get it unstuck. I’m not sure if this is just an issue with my unit, but nonetheless it is frustrating. I have also read some reviews that say the window for the lead mechanism is a critical weak point, and many have dropped it and bent it in half. I have not had this issue, but I also have some of the least-clumsy fingers in the world. Either way, buyer beware.

All in all, this is a well-intended but flawed pencil. When I really want to use it, I ignore the pain and power through, and it is good to write with. My model is the 0.5 mm, and it comes in 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 mm. It is available on Amazon for around 20 dollars.

As always, thanks for reading!