In November 2022, STAEDTLER Japan released an interesting mechanical pencil named HEXAGONAL.
A mechanical pencil
earnestly crafted
by a pencil maker
The ultimate one piece
dedicated to "writing"
It is a mechanical pencil that looks distinctly pencil-like, with a straight, hexagonal body.
There were three variants on initial release: Clean Black, Silky Silver, and version-0.
The limited version-0, in a striking combination of blue, black, and white, resembles none other than STAEDTLER's iconic Mars Lumograph pencils, likely designed as an homage to its heritage and a tribute to the company's origin as a pencil maker.
On closer inspection though, it's obvious that despite the resemblance to Mars Lumograph, HEXAGONAL is not intended to be a wooden pencil lookalike.
First Impression
When picking colors, I usually go with black (preferably full black), white, or transparent. So it was a relief to see the Clean Black variant in HEXAGONAL's press release, but when I saw version-0, the relief was replaced by a craving. It was a love-at-first-sight kind of experience.
The pencil had an “instinctive” appeal that makes me want to reach out and pick it up (and I did, at a premium price...) I was curious why this particular variant had such a strong appeal.
At first I thought: "Well, it's simply beautiful, and it's limited," but that seemed too shallow. So I reflected some more on what I actually felt, and here are my observations:
- The Mars Lumograph color scheme, complete with the silver logo and letters, brought back memories of sketching with wooden pencils, and seemed to have resurrected a primal impulse to... wield sticks.
- The proportion, when compared to a Mars Lumograph pencil, appears shorter and wider, and my brain registers this subconsciously as being balanced and easy to grip.
- The different shades of blue on the hexagonal barrel provided visual cues to the quality of the material, with the matte surface showing a fine texture, the crisp shadows indicating a rigid material underneath, and the round edges suggesting a comfortable grip.
- Being the only black part of the pencil, it's hard not to look at the bulky push button that sits atop the strip of white "collar" at the end of the barrel. The color, position, and shape all made it look very pressable.
- The shiny clip suits up the pencil right under the white collar, giving HEXAGONAL a more professional and mechanical look. The cone and sleeve in matching silver completes an image of a sword waiting to be drawn.
These observations make promises of how good the mechanical pencil could be, but if it turned out to be mediocre or worse, they will become good excuses for the premium price I paid. Fortunately, there's more to HEXAGONAL than meets the eye. The actual pencil exceeded my expectations in many aspects.
Hands-on Experience
Even though I knew beforehand that HEXAGONAL has a metallic body, when I first picked it up I was still caught off guard by the cool rigid weight under the soft rubbery exterior. I was equally surprised by how velvety smooth the thin layer of matte rubber topcoat felt. It feels very much like the silicone phone cases instead of the usual rubber grips.
On the product page, they described the texture to feel like it "affixes to your hand", and I think it’s not too much of an exaggeration. I couldn't help but, for lack of a better word, caress the pencil each time I take it in my hand.
One downside is that the rubber topcoat wears off quite easily, especially if the pencil is carried around daily with other objects. I would recommend keeping it in a separate pen sleeve when not in use.
The hexagonal barrel feels natural in my tripod grip, and the slightly-below-midpoint center of gravity provides a good balance. The pencil rests nicely with a light grip when I'm not writing, and feels like part of my hand when I do.
When I write with the pencil, it feels almost like an extension of my fingers, with the tip acting as a continuation of my fingertip. I could control the strokes intuitively and even feel the paper's surface with the lead. I believe this is thanks to the hexagonal shape making good contact points with my hand, the rubbery topcoat providing a firm grip, and the sturdy metallic build being a good conductor of tactile feedback.
The fact that I tested HEXAGONAL on a loose leaf on a wooden table also helped. Every stroke of lead on paper (and the wood underneath) made a loud reverberating sound that amplified the tactile feedback.
There's even a term in Japanese describing this quality—コツコツ感, an onomatopoeia of the sound. And these pencils are often described as having a high 剛性, or rigidity. To my knowledge, these usages are relatively new, potentially indicating a rising trend in user preference for 書き味 (feel) over function. Of course, this is not to say that pencils in the past didn't have this quality, but rather, a new generation of stationery lovers are starting to realize how amazing it feels to write with something that gets straight to the point.
That's exactly what I felt when writing with HEXAGONAL. Don't get me wrong—I still love the convenience and mechanisms of my orenznero and KURU TOGA pencils, but HEXAGONAL reminded me of the simple joy of picking up a pencil and transforming ideas and thoughts in my head into words and sketches on paper.
Of course, with the simplicity comes the inevitable distraction when the extended lead is used up, which brings me back to the bulky black push button at the top of the pencil.
Probably made of ABS plastic, the surface of the hexagonal button felt rough but not uncomfortable to press. There's a lead grade window on one of the six sides, which is uncommon for a non-drafting mechanical pencil, but considering the design of the Mars Lumograph wooden pencils, it is only fitting to have it there. The pencils come preset to grade B, and can go from 2H to 3B. Pulling it off reveals a pink eraser that brings a smile to my face.
The lead grade indicator can only be adjusted when the button is taken off. But presumably we only need to adjust the indicator after filling the pencil with a different grade of lead. So before putting the button back on, grab the "neck" in one hand and the "head" in the other, and twist until the correct grade is shown.
Rotating the pieces doesn't take too much effort, but there'e also enough friction that the indicator does not rotate freely on its own. The button is very well made, it's almost impossible to see where the two parts separate. There's also a rubber o-ring installed at the base of the neck that prevents the button from rattling and assists the grip when adjusting the indicator. Just don't lose it, because the push button is not sold separately.
Conclusion
I want to finish off with the three selling points on the package:
- Stable Balance – the internal parts in the barrel are adjusted to achieve a stable balance for writing
- Luxurious Finish – the barrel has a rubber topcoat that fits in your hand and provides a comfortable hold
- Trustworthy Shape – the shape is modeled after STAEDTLER's iconic wooden pencils, with the corners rounded
My overall rating of STAEDTLER HEXAGONAL is 4.3 out of 5. And here is an infographic card with my 3F ratings.
