Koh I Noor Rapidomatic Drawing Pencil Lead Holder, 0.3mm Lead Diameter (CHA5633BC) Category: Leads, Holders & Pointers

by Chartpak

Product Features

• Sold as: Each

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 2.7 ounces
• ASIN: B000KI8HU2
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,203,738 in Home & Kitchen (See Top 100 in Home & Kitchen)

Product Description

Item #: CHA5633BC. Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatic® Drawing Pencil Lead Holder
Diamond-cut finger grip, lead degree indicator and color-coded barrel. For use with straightedges and most scribers. Pocket clip, eraser.
.3mm Lead Diameter
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars They're made in _China_, now. =(, August 23, 2007

By 

Kelvin Kakugawa - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I also have one of the old school Koh-I-Noor mechanical pencils that were made in Japan. However, when I bought a couple replacements (that's how much I love the Japanese models), I discovered that they are now made in _China_!!! The difference in quality is palpable. The knurled grip is a bit rougher. The plastic housing is bigger, but it's walls are thinner. All of the metal parts (the clip, the knurled grip, the top) are all made out of thinner metal. The worst part is that the mechanism for holding lead is not as well made which makes it noticeably less stable while in use. I originally wanted to use the replacements in less secure places. e.g. at school. However, I threw both of them away, because I could not stand using them. Now, I just pray that I don't lose my original.

The only bright spot is that a German company, Levenger, makes a model that is better manufactured than the old Japanese ones. It's all metal and the knurled parts are finer. However, since it's all metal, it is more than twice as heavy as the Japanese ones. (If I lose my original, I suppose I'll have to adjust to the heavier German version.) If you look hard, you can find a place that imports them.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Japanese version was much better!, April 16, 2007

By 

Kelly Goforth (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I purchased a set of KOH-I-NOOR Rapidomatic pencils back in 1990 when I was an engineering major in college. I absolutely love those pencils and have proudly used them all these years... That is until last week when someone decided they liked my 0.5mm enough to walk off with it. I was worried I would not be able to replace it since it's been more than 17 years since I purchased them. To my delight, I found that they were still available and, from what I could tell, had not changed in design. I ordered my replacement and eagerly awaited it's arrival.

Upon receiving it in the mail, I felt like little Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" when his Little Orphan Annie decoder pin arrived. However, after removing the pencil from it's packaging to inspect it, I found that it was not the same pencil at all. From a distance, it appears to be the same, but the interior components are completely different and substandard to the version I purchased 17 years ago. Ah, and then the kicker of 'em all -- the packaging said "Made in China"... CHINA!!! The original set I purchased was made in Japan and had the word "Japan" on the side of the pocket clip.

I was so disappointed I can't even tell ya! ...Again, I felt like Ralphie when he found out the super secret message decoded by his new decoder pin was just a "crummy commercial". I promptly located a local drafting supply shop, drove down and asked them about it. They said the company was bought out several years ago and the design and manufacturing were drastically altered. Chalk one more piece of mechanical art lost in the name of high volume, low cost production. What a bummer!

This new version works, but it's not nearly the same quality as the previous version. I give it 3 stars for that reason. I would pay a pretty penny to replace my original.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars From Japan To China, August 23, 2008

By 

One Lone Man (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Koh I Noor Rapidomatic Drawing Pencil Lead Holder, 0.3mm Lead Diameter (CHA5633BC) Category: Leads, Holders & Pointers (Kitchen)

After reading the previous 2 reviews I checked out my 3 working and 1 destroyed pencils. 2 were made in Japan and 2 were made in China. That explains a lot! The 2 made in China are indeed inferior in manufacturer. The interior diameter of the sleeve of the 2 from China is so much larger that the diameter of the lead that I can actually feel the lead "wobble" inside the sleeve if I extend the lead 1/8" and put my finger on the end of the lead and wiggle my finger! The 2 from Japan do not have this problem. In fact if I do the same with the Japanese pencils the lead bends and there is no "wobble".

Recently I tried swapping the knurled ends from an old (Japanese) model to a newer (Chinese) model, and vice versa, without knowing that there was a difference. The result was a disaster! I almost ruined the end of the Japanese pencil when the end of the mechanism from the Chinese model got stuck in it! The Chinese pencil mechanism was destroyed so I lost the use of the pencil. The treads inside the older knurled end are different from the newer model so the older knurled end destroyed the threads on the newer barrel. Fortunately I was able to salvage the older Japanese pencil. This happens to be the one I use in my computer room to take notes with.

Unfortunately if you buy a Kon-I-Noor 0.3mm pencil you'll have to settle for the Chinese version. On second thought... don't buy one.

I have an entire set of Koh-I-Noor pencils in all for lead sizes, all purchased years ago and all "made in Japan".