If these pencils are as good as I hope they are, you could probably have yourself a nice little side hustle importing them
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Let’s see what you all think of them when they arrive. I’d be open to a side hustle.
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I’ve got the brass version and it’s a very good pencil, better made than rOtring’s 400/Esprit models. The clip is a little lacking. But otherwise, everything is nicely put together. I would never pay the going rate for those KOKUYO rebrands (TZ-PSP3 & TZ-PSP5). These are quite likely the same body/mechanicals by OHHIRA.
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Gentlemen, we‘re all paid up except for one. I have dropped him a message, but have yet to receive a reply. If you’re all good with it, I’d suggest we wait until Wednesday this week - if nothing has moved by then, we‘ll go ahead and order everyone else‘s (there is always the possibility of doing a second run later in the year).
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Just got mine in today. These are sweet!
Thank you again @Stu and @Knockologist for making this happen.
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Woohoo! Half of you should have gotten them today. 
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The quality is amazing!
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A quick review of the Manufactum Druckbleistift:
- Love the initial knock functionality—minimal overextension on the first knock, and the interior nose cone gets seated in a precise manner reminiscent of the OrenzAT.
- Knurling is quite good. The aluminum version is sharp; the brass is medium; and the coated brass (black) is somewhat muted.
- Aluminum—despite being comfortable, smudge-free, and handsome—is too lightweight for everyday use because it’s not well-balanced (too much weight toward the end cap).
- On balance, brass is the best due to the high grippability and the fact the interior nose cone is also brass (on the aluminum and black, the interior nose cone has the same plating as the lead sleeve).
Although the retraction feels too… viscous?—almost like it’s pushing through foam—the Manufactum Druckbleistift is still a phenomenal piece. (I prefer snappy retraction.)
I now consider it one of the finest pencils in production today, and it holds its own against any of the vaunted double-knocks of yore.
Also, a note: The black piece would be so much cooler if the end cap had the same powder coat as the barrel (like a black rOtring 600). I’d also like to see a powder coated interior nose cone to tie the piece together.
Finally, HUGE THANKS to @Stu and @Knockologist for managing the Knockology gang’s first group purchase!
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My dudes, you are well very welcome, and I’m very happy to read the favorable reviews! 
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Thanks for the thorough review, Chris.
Sad to hear the aluminum is very lightweight. I wonder if there’s much of a gap inside between the barrel and the body… as it might be possible to affix some metal tape inside to help balance it out.
I already have the brass, so I ordered the aluminum and a couple of the black. I am looking forward to someone doing a direct compare of the Manufactum Druckbleistift to the OHHIRA Fuji/Kokuyo cousins. The used market prices for those are just nuts, and I think this much lower priced completely new manufactured Manufactum version justifies ignoring those others. Of course, the OHHIRA Fuji/Kokuyo models are full double-knocks, requiring a full knock to retract instead of pushing a button. Button push is superior, because you’re not advancing lead as you retract.
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I got excited after reading @pearsonified’s review above and gave the Manufactum a try this morning. I swear I’m not saying this just to spite Chris, but “one of the finest pencils in production today, and it holds its own against any of the vaunted double-knocks of yore”?? I have to disagree - and quite strongly.
I have the aluminum version, so I won’t comment on how light it is and not well balanced etc. since the brass versions seem to be heavier and better balanced. The finish is quite nice and I like the sharp knurling. But mechanically it is quite lacking…
- This is by far the biggest one - the tip wobbles and rattles far more than any high quality double knock I own. I can feel and hear the rattle while writing.
- The entire tip protrudes out every time you knock. This makes it feel like the cheap mechanisms in multi-pens. You have to knock half way before it even starts the action, so it feels really mushy.
- The double knock itself is quite mushy. The retraction also feels mushy and lacks the snap of a good mechanism (Chris called this out as well).
Maybe I got a dud and their QA and manufacturing tolerances are not great. Would like to hear if others see the same issues, especially with the tip wobble.
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Hmm.
- The tip on my hardly moves at all.
- The tip moves slightly when knocking but the action starts immediately.
- The double-knock out on mine is snappy and has a nice click.
- The retraction does have a thump sound to it that I like. It’s a different sound. I like different.
Sounds like you might have gotten one out of spec.
I’m quite fond of mine, but I don’t rate pencils as harshly as most. I don’t believe all pencils should be the same. I enjoy the diversity—how some exhibit certain superior qualities while others aspects can be quirky. However, I’m not a fan of shaky tips, rattling, or tips that feel too soft.
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It would suck if there are indeed duds. I checked each and every one to make sure they knocked and retracted, but I didn’t write with any of them to check for tip wobble.
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Could be a difference between brass and aluminum.
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How did you do that
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Is that changed by using a kind of corrosive fluid that is often used to alter the appearance of metal, particularly for finished steel, like Perma Blue?
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Yikes…
OK, so yes, when you knock, there is a little tip movement forward. Similar to how a rOtring 800 operates, but in my experience there’s less travel. But tip wobble? That shouldn’t happen while writing. When I click on my brass example, the tip seats firmly in place. I can make it move a very tiny amount if I pinch the tip with my fingers and try to force it side-to-side. But again, no movement while writing.
Once deployed, if I rapidly seesaw the body by twitching between forefinger and thumb in the center, I will hear a little bit of rattle… but that’s not present under normal use.
Maybe you should disassemble it and reassemble, tightening everything up. See if that helps.
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Sweet baby Jesus, that looks amazing. It’s got tiny color aberrations that make it look like it’s extremely hot - kind of how the tip of the steam wand on my espresso machine looks immediately after use.
Great job.
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My original used brass example Druckbleistift has a very snappy retraction. You push a bit on that little orb button on the side until you release the mechanism and it snaps back with a resounding thump. Doesn’t feel soft/mushy to me.
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