Yes, I fully agree – the Kuru Toga engine is essentially the ultimate journaling pencil mechanism. I’m having to train myself not to autonomically rotate the pencil when holding a KT. The Dive looks and feels so different, that helps with the change in manner of use.
2 Likes
I think the Metal should be $15-20. The finish is excellent and the mechanism precision is very high. But I think the Roulette is overpriced and there is nothing too special about the Metal. The prices are overly inflated because of good marketing hype.
I would also say that the C1 and L2 from Tombow are royally riding the enthusiast wave and both of them should be less than $30. In Japan, the C1 retails for $42, which is still too inflated.
3 Likes
Saw some nutty C1 listings for 7-8000 JPY… Biggest caveat for C1: possibility of a color mismatch between the upper and lower halves. Tombow needs to address this on a flagship model.
2 Likes
Yes, I saw your post about the color mismatch on the blue C1. A serious manufacturing oversight.
8000? I have seen people asking the equivalent of 13000 (outside Japan). So much hype.
I accept that it has a cool design, but it is not a revolutionary pencil from a technical perspective. Consequently, we can expect to see rip-offs of the design. So easy to copy the idea and make even better looking pencils. The form of the C1 body is painfully dull.
I just got my Metal pencils from the $20 sale last week. So far I like writing with it a little more than the Advanced Upgrade, which is the other one I have in my rotation (heh), but like others here a consistently sharp point isn’t always what I want. Integral curves just don’t look as good. 
4 Likes
Just got mine too and I have to say the fit and finish on them is fantastic!
4 Likes
The texture of the barrel is something like a kinesthetic ASMR. I love just running my fingers over it.
6 Likes
How would you describe the improved writing experience? Is it partially due to the KT engine, or more about the body design and feel?
I was very tempted to pick one up during that sale but ended up missing it. I’m hoping there’s another one in the upcoming holiday season.
2 Likes
Partly it’s the feel of the body, but the point is also more rigid so it feels less sloppy. Perhaps the shock absorbency of the Advanced keeps from breaking lead as often, but I don’t really run into that problem much except with .03 and .02 lead.
I already disassembled one of the newly acquired Metal pencils and I’m impressed that the KT engine continues to shrink and get more modularized. Compared to the original engine, it’s like a tiny capsule now.
1 Like
This is fascinating! I’m guessing this miniaturization also means you can’t transplant this newer engine into an older body. For instance, if you really like the Roulette with its knurled grip…
1 Like