Uni Kuru Toga

Uni Kuru Toga FAQ

What makes the Kuro Toga different?

There’s a tiny mechanism inside that rotates the lead as you write or draw with it, avoiding the lead wearing down in a ‘chisel’ shape.

Why is that useful?

A couple of reasons - firstly, the lead stays sharper, because that chisel shape makes a broader line - the finer point can keep your notes smaller and neater, not getting thicker as you write. Secondly, the sharp point of the chisel shape can dig into the paper, breaking the lead.

But I can rotate the pencil in my hand as I go, I don’t need the pencil to do that for me.

OK, well, that’s not really a question. But yes, you can. But why not let the pencil do it?

Is this a problem anyone actually needs solving?

Maybe not needs, but it is genuinely useful. Many artists who use mechanical pencils get in the habit of rotating them as they draw, for exactly the same reasons, but the Kuru Toga can deal with it for you.

Does it work with English or other Western writing?

We've found it to be fine, and newer versions of the Kuru Toga rotate the lead more than the first version did. But it's true that Japanese writing uses a lot more short strokes than Western cursive writing does, so it would rotate a lot faster with Japanese writing.

Does the up-down movement of the lead get annoying?

We’ve never found it so, but it’s possible it would bother some people. The rotation is powered by a very small amount of movement of the lead - as you press the lead against the paper, it pushes up against a very light spring, which pushes it down again when you release. In practice, most people don’t find it noticeable at all, and those who do usually just feel it as a little bit of gentle cushioning - a lot of mechanical pencils made for writing have cushioned lead anyway, just because it feels nicer and helps reduce lead breakage.

Does the complex mechanism make them less reliable?

In theory, maybe, but we haven’t seen it in practice. The mechanism isn’t as complex as you might think, honestly, it’s just two plastic discs with offset angled ‘teeth’ on them, and a little spring. Mechanical pencils are generally very reliable, and we don’t see any more problems with the Kuru Toga range than any others.

Do Kuro Toga pencils need special lead?

Nope, any lead of the right size should work just fine. Uni make very good leads themselves, and you can’t go wrong with Pentel AIN Stein lead. Softer leads wear down faster, so you might find the rotating is less effective with them, but we've found the Kuru Toga mechanism perfectly fine with 2B lead, for example, but your experience may vary.