Pen Vibe

Bringing you Pen and Pencil News, Reviews & Tutorials

  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Submit an Article
    • Pen Vibe Newsletter
  • Guides
  • Tutorials
  • News & Info
  • General Interest
  • Recommended Pens
  • Reviews

Uni-Ball – Kuru Toga

By Tony Bridges Leave a Comment | Last Updated April 5, 2020

The World’s First Self-Sharpening Pencil

The trouble with using a mechanical pencil is that the tip of the lead changes shape as you write, thickening from a fine point to a chisel edge. Words lose their crisp shape and lines get thicker, which is particularly problematic for engineers and others that need uniform lines. The Kuru Toga by Uni-ball is the first mechanical pencil to offer a solution.

Uni Kuru Toga

The Kuru Toga is designed to rotate the pencil’s lead by about 9 degrees each time it is pressed to paper. This wears the edges off the “chisel” as they try to form and instead rounds the lead into a cone shape, always presenting a sharpened writing point.

The way it works is that the .5mm lead is held by  a toothed two-piece clutch. When the lead is pressed against the paper, the top portion of the clutch disengages from the lower piece and is pushed up. When the lead is lifted from the paper, the clutch twists and re-engages the lower piece. As the clutch twists, the lead rotates.

You can see a brief cartoon of how the pencil works at the Uni/Mitsubishi Pencil website. It’s in Japanese, but you’ll still get the idea.

Reviewers have been uniformly positive about the Kuru Toga since it’s release last year. OfficeSupplyGeek wrote that the pencil produced “the finest line I’ve ever experienced when writing with a pencil.”

The always-brilliant Dave’s Mechanical Pencils blog shows some examples of writing done with the Kuru Toga that illustrate just how well it keeps its fine point, in most cases.

The Uni Kuru Toga is also now one of our Top 10 Drafting and Mechanical Pencils

One problem with the pencil seems to be the need to press down firmly and frequently lift the pencil off the paper when writing. For some users with a light touch who tend to write in uninterrupted lines, the lead may not rotate frequently enough, still resulting in chisel tips.

Still, the Kuru Toga is an improvement over traditional mechanical pencils, and it would be worth your while to give it a try. You may find that it’s the best £5 you ever spent on a pencil.

Filed Under: General Interest


Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choices.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Guides

  1. 3 Best Pens for Fast Handwriting
  2. Ballpoint Rollerball or Gel Pen?
  3. Best Pens For Exams
  4. Black or Blue Ink?
  5. Complete Guide to the Darkest Pencil Lead
  6. First Time Buyers Guide to Fountain Pens
  7. How to Choose a Pencil
  8. Complete Guide to Pilot G2 Pens
  9. Wooden Pencil Brands Ultimate Guide
  10. How to Write Faster & Neater

News & Info

  1. 10 Best Fountain Pen Cases
  2. 10 Best Pencils for Kindergartners
  3. 10 Best Pens for Children
  4. 10 Best Pens for Writing Outdoors
  5. 7 Best Pencils for Writing
  6. Can You Get Ink Poisoning from a Pen?
  7. Are Expensive Pens Worth it?
  8. Fountain Pens Better Than Ballpoints?
  9. Handwriting Vs Typing
  10. How Far Will A Ballpoint Write?

Recent Posts

  • The Complete Guide to Muji Pen & Pencil Refills
  • The Complete Guide to Cross Ballpoint Pens
  • The Complete Guide to Muji Pens & Pencils
  • The Complete Guide to Paper Mate Pencils
  • The Complete Guide to Ohto Pen Refills

Sign Up for the Latest News

loader

Info

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

More

  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Submit an Article

Copyright © 2022 Pen Vibe

Scroll Up