I was browsing around Staples today, as I just love a good meander around office supply shops, and saw a Staedtler lead-holder with some leads and an eraser for a decent price. I put down my $10 and decided to give it a shot as I've been meaning to get a hold of a 2mm lead holder for a while, and the Staedtler 780, from what I'd read, is sorta the industry standard. Arriving back home, I opened 'er up and started the test-drive.
This is the cheapest piece-of-crap pencil I've ever laid hands on. Honestly, it looks like something you'd buy at a 99¢ store. Where the end of the plastic barrel meets the grip/collar, things are not flush and the edge is sharp -- the farthest thing from comfortable; and the metal grip/collar is textured such that it's actually more slippery than it would be if they'd left it smooth. The push-button cap, which functions as a sharpener when removed, is so tightly fitted to the barrel that I have to remove it with my teeth. As though this weren't insult enough, the lead that Staedtler has included in the package is lousy, inconsistent, and scratchy.
While I'm still a bit grumpy that I dropped ten perfectly good dollars on this turd, it does hold lead, and that's all it really needs to do; but it's a little like paying five bucks for a shot of decent scotch and having it served to you in a Dixie cup. This set should retail for $4.99, not $9.99. The good news is that after a few wraps of electricians' tape, the pencil provides a more-or-less a comfortable drawing experience.
