Pilot The Shaker

Another awesome pencil from Pilot. I called in the order after I saw it in an online catalog from a local art supply store. It took about a week before they called me about it and I picked it up that weekend. The lady at the store asked about why it was called the Shaker as I was paying for it. She smiled in disbelief when I answered that it was because the lead can be advanced by shaking the pencil besides clicking.



The pencil has a smooth black plastic finish with orange accents and a grip diameter slightly bigger than the body. It has a pointed conical tip with a sliding sleeve that makes it pocket safe. Speaking about pockets, this has a soft, flexible wide metal pocket clip making it easier to slide into a shirt pocket sleeve.



I liked how the ribbed plastic grip is more than an inch long which makes for effective gripping when writing. Its stylish and has a great look to it. However I do prefer rubber grips over plastic since I have a heavy hand and I find it more comfortable.

I noticed how far the grip is from the tip. At more than an inch away from the bottom end of the grip, the balance, angle and control isn’t as good when writing. The farther away my fingers are from the tip, the less control I had in my writing and I’ve broken quite a few leads when I wrote. The picture on the left is a comparison with an Alvin Grippy.



The cap can be removed to reveal a small white rubber eraser which covers the lead compartment. I like how the cap has a wide top which felt very comfortable when clicking.




Clicking and shaking are the ways for the lead to advance. Shaking was quite effective in advancing the lead and I didn’t have any issues while I was using it.

Use for – Drafting.
Like it? – For drafting, yes but for general writing, no. The grip was a bit far from the tip which felt out of balance.
Design suggestion – Move grip closer to tip and redesign the grip to be more comfortable.