PaperMate SharpWriter – Reliable, Inexpensive & Pretty Darn Durable
Written: Jul 17 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Smooth lead feed, sturdy eraser and almost indestructible.
Cons: Non refillable, but at this price, it's no big deal.
The Bottom Line: Looking for an inexpensive but comfortable automatic pencil? Check out the PaperMate SharpWriter!
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| Freak369's Full Review: GILLETTE CO. - PAPERMATE DIV. Paper Mate Sharpwrit... |
If there’s one thing that I hate about using pencils, it’s having to sharpen them and deal with the shavings. Thankfully I’ve gotten rid of most of the ‘old school’ pencils [except the Pokemon ones that keep mysteriously showing up] and replaced them with automatic pencils. They might cost a little more initially but if you purchase pencils that can be refilled, you will be saving money in the long run. Sadly, this particular pencil isn’t refillable but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are a complete wash. The PaperMate SharpWriter is an office staple; inexpensive, extremely durable and comfortable to use! For a while this was the “pencil of choice” and the only one that my boys would use, since then they’ve become snobs and moved on to the Pentel Forte Automatic Pencil. Even though I really don’t like to write in pencil, there are times when it’s a necessity and when I am forced to use a pencil, the PaperMate SharpWriter is usually the one that I grab first.
PaperMate SharpWriter
You’ve seen them, the standard yellow automatic pencil that sits on almost every desk. They mimic the older styled school pencils with their color, but that’s where the similarity ends. One of the nicest features of this pencil is that it features a circular lead advance design rather than the ‘clicking’ mode. To advance the lead, just twist the light brown tip. Since my two youngest love these pencils I try to buy them by the dozen to save a few dollars and only need to stock up on them about once a month. On average, one pencil lasts each of them about five days – this includes schoolwork, creative writing and anything else they get into. The real perk, I don’t have to hear the incessant clicking noise when they advance the lead then retract it, advance, retract, advance…. until they get it to just the right spot. With the twisting base, they can easily adjust it to just the right length.
The lead is pretty sturdy and will hold up against heavy-handed writers. Since you can adjust the lead with a simple turn of the base, you have a little more control over how much you release from the barrel. This also eliminates having the lead accidentally slip out if you press on the clicker and don’t let go quick enough – I lost many a piece of lead that way. These are great for students or people on the go that worry about losing refillable or expensive pencils. For the price, these are the best value for the money and will hold up to a good bit of use and abuse – just don’t step on them. If you do, you will almost certainly hear the distinctive sound of plastic crushing and breaking. The small plastic pocket clip on the side is pretty strong but not as long as others so it might slip out of place when clipped on a notebook or inside a backpack. I don’t think we’ve ever had one of the clips break and if you could see how rough the boys can be on pens and pencils, you’d know that says a lot for this product.
Cost
Since I purchase a great deal of these, I always try to get them by the dozen. Most office supply stores carry these for about $3.00 - $3.50 for the 12 packs. You can pick up the individual ones for about .59 cents and if you’ve never tried these before – that’s your best bet. If you don’t like the way they feel, write or hold up you won’t be stuck with eleven more of them. For me, buying them “in bulk” is the only option. If I opted to pick them up individually or in the smaller packs, it would end up costing me twice as much. For the price, this is a great pencil that will give you a smooth feed of lead, work without any problems and if you end up losing it, it’s easily replaced.
Things To Know
If the standard yellow isn’t your bag, these are also available in colored barrels as well as neon colors. They have all the same features as this pencil but come in a must more appealing hew of colors. These can be purchased in packs of three, five or by the dozen and they only cost a few pennies more than the yellow ones. Kids seem to go for the colored ones a little more than the basic yellow so keep your eyes peeled for these when the ‘back to school’ sales start. You can purchase refills for the eraser with the cost being about .79 cents for three. The eraser section will accommodate any standard eraser refill so purchasing a specific name brand or size shouldn’t be a factor. You can also remove the eraser and flip it around so you have a new tip to work with.
The lead that’s inside the PaperMate SharpWriter is listed as number 2, the most common pencil lead on the market. If your child is required to have number 2 pencils for school, you might want to check with the teacher or consult the school supply list to see if automatic pencils are allowed or if they are required to have standard pencils [the ones that require sharpening]. Several people mentioned that these were not allowed to be used during test where the answer sheets were tabulated by computers, if there’s any doubt about it, stick with a standard lead pencil.
The Bottom Line
Even though these can’t be refilled, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t a great pick. Since they are considered a disposable automatic writer, you can lose a few of them and not be too concerned about replacing them. These aren’t the strongest disposable pencils on the market and I’ve destroyed more than a few of them by accidentally stepping on them – but for about .22 cents a piece, I can deal with it. It isn’t going to fall apart on you or break easily but it won’t hold up to an excessive amount of “writing rage”. If you are looking for a high quality automatic pencil that writes like a champ but won’t cost an arm and a leg – check out the PaperMate SharpWriter in the standard yellow or cool and funky neon colors.
As always, thanks for the read!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
Related reviews…
Pentel Forte Automatic Pencil
Sanford Clickster Grip Mechanical Pencil
Pentel Clic Eraser
Bic Shake 'N Squeeze Correction Pen
Recommended:
Yes
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