Writing is a very unique and personal experience for each of us. We write for many different reasons. We write to take notes at work, to create lists to keep ourselves organized, a quick hello to a friend, adding pages to our manuscripts, or even writing our ideas for videos.
Regardless of the reason you are writing, the act of writing requires a couple of essential tools.
- A quality notebook and paper
- A trusted writing instrument
In the case of the notebook, I use a Boss Leather Co. THREEFOLD Organizer, but we’ll talk about that in the next review.
As for the writing instrument, I am currently using the Staedtler 771. Let’s talk about that.
I am really enjoying this pencil. In this video, I’ll go over my personal pros and cons, so maybe you can decide whether the Staedtler 771 is a good choice for you.
The first thing you need to know, is this pencil is THICK! And when I say thick, I mean in every way possible. First, it is a handful. It’s a big guy. However, the triangular body makes it super comfortable to write with. Also, it won’t roll off your desk when you sit it down! Second, the eraser is large and plentiful! This thing just keeps going! You don’t have to worry about it running out any time soon. Third, the lead is massive. A full 1.3mm. This is good and bad. I’ll get to that in a moment.
Let’s do some comparisons between my Zebra M-301 in .5, a BIC mechanical pencil in .5, and the Staedtler 771.
As you can see, the Zebra is able to write so much more finely and neatly than the Staedtler, but the lead strength leads to a lot of breakage.
I still prefer the thickness of the Staedtler. It’s perfect for heavy dark lines and writing, but you can still finesse it for finer work.
Also, with the ability to refill both the lead and eraser, this pencil should be good to go any time you need it.
Pros:
- Thick and Sturdy – This feels like a substantial pencil to hold and to use
- Lead thickness – I love the darker bolder lines and the fact that the lead NEVER breaks when I am using it.
- Refillable – I like keeping the same pencil hardware the entire time, just replacing the lead as needed
- YELLOW! I love the yellow color, just a personal preference
Cons:
- Thick – most folks won’t like the thick lead. Many prefer to write smaller and neater
- Size – It might be too big for some. I think you could stack 3 of the BICs in a triangle shape and it would be the same size
- The price – It is currently $6.90 on Amazon for one. Refills are $10.30 on Amazon, getting you 4 packs of 6 leads each, so 24 lead refills.
Is the Staedtler the right choice for everyone? I don’t think so. Many people will prefer the finer touch of something like the Zebra or a traditional lead pencil. But me? I feel like you are going to be seeing this pencil paired with my THREEFOLD Organizer for a long time.
Here are links to the pencil and refills!
Staedtler 771 – https://amzn.to/4hajhtA
Staedtler Mars micro carbon 1.3mm refills – https://amzn.to/3WiO9Qx
