The Best Lead Guard Mechanical Pencils

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The Best Lead Guard Mechanical Pencils

August 22, 2017 - Posted by Kristin to Guides, Pencils, Mechanical Pencils

As convenient as mechanical pencils are, they have one consistent, frustrating flaw: broken leads that jolt writers from their thoughts and mar their handwriting. Some people use harder and thicker leads to cope, but anyone who prefers thinner lead sizes, soft lead grades, or colored leads is taking a risk.

Pencil manufacturers have entered the breach with pencils engineered to reinforce and cushion delicate leads. This allows them to stand up to rough writing styles without fracturing. Keep reading to learn how lead guard mechanical pencils work, discover how they stack up against each other, and see our recommendations for specific uses.

TOP CHOICE

Zebra DelGuard Mechanical Pencils

The Zebra DelGuard is an outstanding all-purpose lead guard pencil.

The Zebra DelGuard's dynamic lead sleeve lets you write with exposed lead.

The Zebra DelGuard uses a highly-engineered dual system to protect lead from both vertical and sideways pressure. A spring in the barrel allows the lead to retreat into the pencil tip if it faces too much top-down force. A second spring in the tip of the pencil extends a pipe when it senses too much lateral stress. These combined mechanisms let the DelGuard protect anyone’s lead, no matter how they hold their pencil.

The DelGuard does an excellent job of preventing breakage under normal writing conditions. Other lead guard pencils that use sliding lead sleeves do better under high-stress conditions, but only if you consistently write with the end of the pipe touching the paper. If you prefer the sensation of writing with an extended lead or tend to advance your lead absentmindedly, the DelGuard is your best option.

The Zebra DelGuard comes in three lead sizes, three body styles, and several colors. This includes occasional limited edition varieties. The standard DelGuard is made of lightweight plastic and has a clear grip to let you see the springs inside. The Type-Lx and Type-ER have a more high-end look, with either metal or rubber grips. The Type-ER features a quick-use eraser that extends and locks in place when the pencil is flipped upside down.

Table of Contents

HOW LEAD GUARD PENCILS WORK

All lead guard mechanical pencils currently use one or a combination of three protective features to reduce lead breakage: sliding sleeves, dynamic sleeves, and cushioning springs.

Sliding Sleeve

Sliding lead sleeves retract as you wear the lead down.

Sliding sleeves encase the lead and move back into the pencil as they touch the paper. This allows you to write with the barest minimum of graphite while the pipe reinforces the lead along its full length. Rounded tips prevent the sleeves from scratching the paper, but you may feel some feedback.

Some pencils are made with sliding sleeves because they let you wait longer before advancing the lead. We only considered pencils that made explicit lead-guarding claims for this comparison, but all sliding sleeve pencils should protect lead that isn’t advanced beyond the end of the pipe. Sliding sleeves can be retracted so that their sharp ends don’t poke through pockets.

Dynamic Sleeve

Dynamic lead sleeves extend automatically when they feel too much pressure.

The Zebra DelGuard is currently the only pencil to feature a dynamic lead sleeve. Instead of the pipe gradually moving back as you write, it automatically extends when the lead experiences heavy sideways pressure. This means that you won’t feel feedback from the pipe touching the paper and don’t have to be as careful about how much lead you extend. On the other hand, you don’t get to wait as long before advancing the lead.

Spring Cushion

$Cushioning springs let leads retreat into the pencil to avoid fracturing.$

Cushioning springs let leads retreat into the pencil to avoid fracturing.

Certain lead protecting pencils use springs to soften the force inflicted on their leads. These allow leads to retract into the pencil when they experience too much vertical stress. Some pencil users feel that this movement causes an unpleasant “soft” or “mushy” sensation, while others barely notice it. The Zebra DelGuard uses spring mechanisms.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Our top pick for an all-purpose lead guarding mechanical pencil is the Zebra DelGuard. If you’d like more options, check out our recommendations for specific applications below.

For Studying

Uni Kuru Toga Advance & Pipe Slide Mechanical Pencils

The Uni Kuru Toga Advance & Pipe Slide rotate lead automatically.

The Uni Kuru Toga Advance & Pipe Slide have sliding lead sleeves.

The Uni Kuru Toga Advance and Pipe Slide are the only Kuru Toga mechanical pencils to include sliding lead sleeves. These sheathe the lead and reinforce it on all sides so that it does not break as you write. It is important that you do not overextend the lead. If you do, the lead sleeves will not protect it.

Like other Kuru Togas, the Advance and Pipe Slide feature a rotating engine that turns their leads automatically to keep them sharp. This lets students concentrate on their homework without constantly turning and re-gripping their pencils to keep a point. The Pipe Slide is made of lightweight plastic, features a clear grip section, and comes in 0.5 mm. The Advance is similar but has upgraded metal parts and a sleeker look.

For Precision

Pentel Orenz Mechanical Pencils

The Pentel Orenz can use 0.2 mm lead.

The Pentel Orenz is a good choice for detailed equations.

If you love fine lines and tiny tips on your writing instruments, the Pentel Orenz is for you. Some other mechanical pencils also come in a 0.3 mm size, but none can match the Orenz’s 0.2 mm lead. This size is perfect for engineers and mathematicians making intricate diagrams, artists drawing fine details, and anyone who wants to fit the most information into the smallest space.

The 0.2 mm lead is delicate, but the Orenz’s sliding sleeve protects it completely if you do not extend it beyond the sleeve. The sleeve will slide back just enough to allow you to write. This adds rigidity along its entire length so that even heavy-handed writers will not break the lead. The Pentel Orenz is available with a light plastic grip, a heavier metal grip, or an ergonomic rubber grip.

TEST RESULTS

We conducted our tests with either unextended lead or 1 mm of lead exposed.

We performed two tests to determine how well each lead guard pencil actually protects leads: a writing test and a stress test. Some conditions applied to both tests:

We used 2B Pentel Ain Stein Lead in 0.5 mm and 0.3 mm.
The control mechanical pencil had a fixed sleeve and no lead-guarding features.
We began with 1 mm of exposed lead if the pencil had no sliding sleeve.
We began with minimal exposed lead if the pencil had a sliding sleeve.

Writing Test: We copied a 271-word text at speed to simulate rapid note-taking conditions. This took approximately 10 minutes each time. We made no attempt to regulate our writing pressure or how often we advanced the lead. The results show how many times the lead broke during this test. Your results may vary based on your personal writing style.

Stress Test: We drew a series of X’s, beginning with light pressure and increasing the force we used until the lead broke or we had drawn 10 X’s. Because we did this by hand, each test was slightly different from the others. We controlled for variations by repeating the process 10 times for each pencil and averaging the results. The numbers in the table indicate how many X’s we were able to draw before the lead broke. 10 represents a perfect score.

Pencils with sliding lead sleeves are designed to be used with the lead unextended so that the pipe touches the paper as you write. To see how important this is, we also tried these pencils with their leads extended 1 mm.

Name	Writing Test (# of Breaks)	Stress Test - Ext. (# of Xs)	Stress Test - Unext. (# of Xs)
0.5 mm Test
Control	2	6.58	N/A*
Ohto Conception	0	8.53	10
Uni Kuru Toga Advance & Pipe Slide	0	6.63	10
Zebra DelGuard	0	8.73	N/A*
0.3 mm Test
Name	Writing Test (# of Breaks)	Stress Test - Ext. (# of Xs)	Stress Test - Unext. (# of Xs)
Control	8	1.57	N/A*
Ohto Conception	1	2.07	10
Pentel Orenz	0	1.81	10
Zebra DelGuard	1	7.8	N/A*

*Pencils without sliding sleeves cannot be used with unextended lead. See the “Stress Test - Ext. 1 mm” column for these pencils’ results.

COMPARE THESE PENCILS

Do you want to see what these lead guard pencils have to offer, side by side? Use our Comparison Tool to view their specifications.

HOW WE APPROACH RESEARCH & TESTING

Our writers draw on their personal expertise, consult our in-house subject matter experts, and do extensive research to make our guides as accurate and comprehensive as possible. We then test every finding that makes it through the research stage. Only the techniques and tools whose performance we personally confirm make it into our guides as recommendations.

BREAK IT OFF

We hope this comparison has given you the information you need to never hear the fateful “snap” of broken lead again. Find the perfect lead for your pencil to guard in our Mechanical Pencil Lead Comparison and check out our Guide to Mechanical Pencils to learn more about mechanical pencils in general.

Name	Lead Sizes	Body/Grip Material	Notable Features
Ohto Conception	0.3 mm, 0.5 mm	Metal/Metal	Sliding lead sleeve, drafting & lead guard modes, adjustable lead extension
Pentel Orenz	0.2 mm, 0.3 mm	Plastic/Plastic, Plastic/Rubber, Plastic/Metal	Sliding lead sleeve, extra-fine lead
Uni Kuru Toga Advance & Pipe Slide	0.5 mm	Plastic/Plastic	Sliding lead sleeve, automatic rotation
Zebra DelGuard	0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm	Plastic/Plastic, Plastic/Rubber, Plastic/Metal	Dynamic lead sleeve, cushioning spring