A list of mechanical pencils featuring a sliding sleeve and the force needed to slide the sleeve.
| Force | Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 0.01 N | Pentel Orenz 0.2 | Also available in 0.3 Peanuts version |
| 0.05 N | Staedtler Microfix 0.5 | Not in production anymore Was available from 1977 - 1988 |
| 0.05 N | Kuru Toga Pipe Slide | Review |
| 0.10 N | Pentel Orenz 0.5 | Review |
| 0.15 N | Pentel Orenz 0.3 | Review |
| 0.2 N | Pilot Super Grip 0.5 | |
| 0.5 N | M&G m9 | Has a cone, not a sleeve Review |
| 0.65 N | Pilot Color Eno 0.7 | Made for coloured leads Review |
| 0.8 N | D&S点石 DS-508 | Has a cone, not a sleeve Review |
| 0.85 N | Cara d'Ache 844 | Only available in 0.7 |
| 1.2 N | Rotring rapid PRO 0.5 | Also available in 0.7 and 2mm Review How to modify the sleeve |
I got a Staedtler Microfix 0.5 when I started in 1st grade as a 6-year old way back in 1982. That mechanical pencil followed me all the way until I finished my PhD in 2006. The clip broke off, and the eraser is worn out – otherwise it still works perfectly well. An amazing writing tool! Given the many years of use it now carries a certain sentimental value. I’ve always been surprised by how people can stand to use a mechanical pencil without a sliding sleeve. Therefore I’m even more surprised to see that the selection is so limited. Thanks for compiling this list.
Thank you for your comment and for sharing your experience with the Microfix. Staedtler Japan has rereleased some older mechanical pencils. I hope the Microfix will also be rereleased one day.