“Is this a real Pentel? It looks like a knock off of the GraphGear 1000.” etc etc
The GG800 is one of those export only Pentel models that becomes a kind of curiosity to purists. I think it shares a kind of exclusivity like the Graph Rock, the PG620 and maybe some more recent made in India designs that I’ve spotted in local stationery stores.
My own fascination was in the GG800’s shared lineage with the JDM version P365, which only came in 0.5mm. I’d picked up a white P365 just to compare it with the GG1000, and truthfully, I liked the sureness of the properly protruding nubs of the P365 to the wishywashy nature of the GG1000.
I then spotted a black GG800 online and got one just for the heck of it. The visual similarities of the grip to the 1000 are obvious and I think that is why Pentel thought it would make a great intermediate model between the basic 500 and deluxe 1000. More on that later.
My favorite thing about the GG800 is that Pentel didn’t chicken out like with the P365. They actually produced a proper set of drafting widths and even color coded them (for better or worse). All of them have Stein style mechanisms, and are easily removed for cleaning and maintenance. I think my fav has to be the 0.9 in yellow.
Ok, back to the grips. Now that we have the PG350 Metal / GraphGear 300 in the mix, here’s my take on them:
GG300 - My least favored grip. It’s just cheap feeling and gets slippery too easily in a warm environment. Not really an improvement on the Stein series.
GG500 - They got this one right. The knurling feels sure. I don’t even mind the uselessness of the too narrow hex barrel.
GG800 - Surprisingly good. The nubs stick out more than the 1000 and make for a good hand feel. The wider grip actually helps with relieving muscle stress.
GG1000 - Meh. The nubs can’t decide whether to be useful or not. And the knurling is too soft compared to the 500. I wish Pentel would update THIS one while also improving the overall balance of the 1000’s double knock mechanism.
