I’ll never forget the first mechanical pencil I tried to use.
It was a gnarly mustard-yellow, and I had to twist the conical tip to advance the lead. The pencil felt flimsy, and the lead would constantly snap—if it didn’t jam in the barrel first. Middle school was frustrating enough; having a pencil that refused to write in the middle of a fill-in-the-ovals test didn’t help.
I thought I was using the pencil wrong, but other mechanical pencils—whether they had the classic push top or a button on the side—were just as miserable to use. I gave up and went back to pencil sharpening.
So when I took on Wirecutter’s mechanical pencils guide last year, I was, let’s say, curious but not optimistic (don’t tell my editor). Imagine my surprise when I used the Blick Premier—it was love at first write.
The Blick Premier is everything the cheap mechanical pencils I’d tried before were not: lovely to look at, exquisite to hold, satisfying to write with, and reliable. It’s the pencil that changed my mind about mechanical pencils.
Top pick
This metal pencil is a pleasure to use thanks to its smooth grip section and satisfying, solid knock.
It’s exceptionally elegant and comfortable to write with
For me, the Blick Premier is the Goldilocks of mechanical pencils, especially because of its design.
The all-aluminum body looks more expensive than its under-$10 price tag suggests. It’s classier than cheap plastic pencils but also not as industrial-looking as the pricier all-metal pencils typically used by engineers and architects, such as the rOtring 600. Don’t get me wrong: I think the rOtring 600 is handsome in its rugged way too, and you can find even fancier mechanical pencils out there, but the Blick Premier has an everyday elegance.
Most important, this pencil feels great in my hand. Many cheap plastic mechanical pencils appear easily breakable (some have cracked on me!) and are too thin to hold comfortably, while drafting pencils can feel like hefty weapons and a workout for your hand. The Blick Premier just feels like a well-crafted, solid pen that I might’ve splurged on. I can write with it all day. (Note that if you have hand or wrist sensitivity, a plastic mechanical pencil might be better for you; some people might also find a metal pencil heavier than they’re used to.)
Part of that feel is due to its heft and its weight distribution. The pencil’s center of gravity is slightly below the midpoint, which makes writing with it smooth and comfortable—I don’t have to use too much pressure to put down strokes, and I feel like I have more control with this instrument in comparison with lighter pencils.
The other part of the comfort equation lies in the pencil’s grip. The anti-slip knurling is subtly grippy, with a smoother part toward the top of the pencil and a slightly rougher section toward the tip. I’m not a fan of rough knurled grips that feel like nail files, and cushioned grips can get annoyingly dirty, so the Blick Premier’s barely-there, smooth grip feels just right to me.
Aesthetics and comfort are subjective, of course, but in both testing with panelists for our mechanical pencils guide and handing out pencil samples to Wirecutter staff during our recent company gathering, the verdict was clear: This pencil is a winner. One tester called the knurling “phenomenal.” Many others remarked on how “pretty” it is.
The Blick Premier is available in the two most popular mechanical pencil lead sizes, 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm. As with other mechanical pencils, you can fill it with any type of lead hardness, from hard (H) to soft (B) options. Lest you forget which lead you’ve inserted (it happens), the pencil has a handy indicator at the top that you can rotate when you switch leads. It’s just another little detail that adds to the premium feel.
It works like a retractable pen
If you’ve used typical mechanical pencils before, this might throw you off: When you click the top of the Blick Premier, it retracts the lead sleeve (the thin metal cylinder that holds the lead at the tip of the pencil), rather than advancing the lead. Click again to extend the tip back. In other words, it behaves just like a retractable pen.
Besides being intuitive to use (once you’re accustomed to writing with a pen-like pencil), this design makes the Blick Premier more portable than non-retractable mechanical pencils—you’re not in danger of accidentally stabbing yourself when carrying it in your pocket or reaching for it in your bag.
To advance the lead, you double-click the top of the pencil. The genius in this “double-knock” design is that, unlike with other retractable mechanical pencils, you won’t accidentally advance the lead when you meant to retract the tip.
You won’t find the Blick Premier at Walmart or on Amazon
The only place to buy this mechanical pencil is Blick’s online and brick-and-mortar stores (or via its subsidiary Utrecht Art Supplies). I normally wouldn’t go out of my way to pick up a mechanical pencil at a store or pay a $10 shipping fee for an order under $49, but for this one I would make an excuse and treat myself to some other stationery or art supplies while I was at it. (Is there a more enchanting place than an art-supply store? I think not.)
I love the Blick Premier more than I thought I would. I reach for it regularly, especially when I’m writing in my paper planner (because plans change). Previously, I didn’t use pencils at all, resorting to crossing out things in ink, but now my plans are much neater. And I have the comfort of writing things down without committing to them, which is refreshing.
At just under $10, the Blick Premier costs less than other premium mechanical pencils, but it’s still something that I would lend to a friend only if I trusted them to return it. Well, actually, they should just get their own.
This article was edited by Ben Keough and Erica Ogg.
