Anatomy of a Mechanical Pencil Review

Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 July 2010 21:27 Written by Atticus Tuesday, 06 July 2010 20:48

To date I have only reviewed one mechanical pencil here at The Leaky Pen.  The one pencil I have reviewed, the Rotring Quattro, is in truth actually a Multipen.  This lack of mechanical pencil reviews is strange considering I consider myself to be not only a fan of pencil cases but also a mechanical pencil nut.  Add to the equation the fact that I have well over 20 mechanical pencils (I suppose this isn't much but give me time) and you can see how I have dropped the ball here.

I plan on remedying the situation but I can't churn out just any old reviews.  I need a plan.  I need structure.  I need consistency.

So, below is a list of the points I have come up with that could be worth considering in a Mechanical Pencil review.  It goes without saying that not all ideas have to be covered.  These are just suggested talking points.

• Preconceptions
• Reputation of brand or product
• Appearance
• Style
• Feel
• Weight & Heft
• Features
• Special features
• Benefits
• Pictures (packet & unboxing, different perspectives, scale, pencil dismantled, sample markings on paper)
• Flaws & drawbacks
• Lead types & sizes
• Buying experience
• Writing/Drawing experience
• Supplier
• Summary of main points
• Price range
• A rating

Have I missed anything out?

New Menu Links

Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 July 2010 15:08 Written by Atticus Saturday, 03 July 2010 17:54

I am going to add a couple of new menu links to the Leaky Pen menu.  They are going to be links to key articles.  Key articles will be blog posts we continually update or are feature like in format.  You know, articles that have more depth in comparison to regular reviews or updates.

The first three links are going to be Pencil Case Reviews, Pen and Pencil Storage Solutions and The World of Mechanical Pencils.