Staedtler Mars Technico clutch pencil branding

Staedtler Mars Technico 780C clutch pencil review

18 August 2014 By ian

Staedtler Mars Technico clutch pencil review

The Staedtler Mars Technico 780C is a 2mm clutch pencil. It has a plastic body with metal clip, knock and grip.

Staedtler Mars Technico clutch pencil branding

All works as it should. The lead is held tightly, the clip is firm, there are no unfortunate rattles or wobbles. The knock includes a very functional lead pointer.

Staedtler Mars Technico clutch pencil pointer and knock

This pencil is comfortable to hold and feels substantial and solid without being overly heavy. The fact that the grip is metal helps give the impression of reliability and quality. The design is simple yet classic.

Staedtler Mars Technico clutch pencil on a table

As far as I can tell the Staedtler Mars Technico 780C is only available in blue. This is a shame as there’s no grade indicator so if you want to use this pencil with a range of different lead grades you’re going to have to resort to DIY labelling or suchlike. This, really, is the only fault I can find.

[Update 20/08/14: Martin pointed out in the comments that if you buy Staedtler’s replacement lead you get a replacement push button that’s colour-coded according to the lead grade. That negates the one and only fault I had with this pencil, making it pretty much perfect.]

Staedtler Mars Technico clutch pencil pointy end

The Staedtler Mars Technico 780C is a great clutch pencil. There is a slightly cheaper version (the 788C) which has a plastic knock and grip but I’d suggest it’s not worth the small saving you make. This pencil just feels lovely to use. It’s one of my favourites.

Staedtler Mars Technico clutch pencil handwritten review

Many thanks to Cult Pens for sponsoring this post. I’ve tried not to let their generosity influence my views. You can buy this pencil direct from Cult Pens here.