@alain4s Your handwriting looks amazing! The clean, sharp lines are just so satisfying to look at, I had to say it again.
For me, the best thing about the Kuru Toga mechanism is how it keeps the line width consistent. I really agree with what @Leonov mentioned earlier. When it comes to everyday drawing and writing Asian scripts with lots of short strokes, Kuru Toga works really well. Uni comes from an Asian background, so this design approach makes a lot of sense. The whole idea is to use a mechanical solution to prevent uneven line thickness. But for people who enjoy the natural chisel edge that forms on the lead, and like controlling that edge while writing, it can definitely feel a bit frustrating since it goes in the opposite direction.
When writing continuously, like longer drafting lines, cursive English, or even flowing Chinese cursive with mixed stroke lengths, I noticed quite a while ago that Kuru Toga loses its advantage. In some cases it actually makes line variation feel worse, and the control becomes less precise. This feeling is even more noticeable when writing in a small or tight space. For users who are used to that chisel edge on the tip, the mechanism can become distracting. And honestly, if this happens while dealing with annoying work stuff, it can get a bit frustrating.
Recently I had my 11-year-old kids, who are used to Kuru Toga, try thicker leads like 1.3 and 2.0. Their reactions were very honest. Lots of complaints and not much love for it, which is totally normal and honestly pretty cute when they are figuring out what works for them. While they do enjoy this hobby with me, I don’t think their love for Kuru Toga is really about the mechanism itself. It feels more like they enjoy the visible movement and variety of the mechanism, something that makes long and repetitive schoolwork in the Asian education system a bit more fun. I think this might also apply to some Kuru Toga fans in general.
Kuru Toga has already done pretty well in the market. This discussion wasn’t as intense as I expected, but it felt very real and honest. I used to spend a lot of time in more one-sided communities, so the atmosphere here feels much more comfortable. I really love forums like this where different opinions are welcome. It’s a bit chaotic in a good way, free and full of different perspectives, which is awesome.
In the end, I’ve always believed this: There is no perfect tool in the world, but there is definitely a tool that fits you best.
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