High-quality hexagonal plastic barrel with round metal grip. The grip is grooved, tapered and flared at the tip end for a perfect precise feel.
The lead can be set to stiff or cushioned with the barrel twist setting.
The lead hardness indicator is in the tip and works well.
There is no top cap, but instead a twist-out extra-long replaceable eraser. I don’t normally use mechanical pencil erasers because they are usually poor quality and only suitable for small changes. But if you do use them, this is the pencil for you.
A minor flaw is the slight slackness in the barrel twist mechanism that controls the firmness.
Overall the TK-Fine Vario L is a delight to use and a thing of beauty. The stylish silvery grip, the soft-edged hexagonal shaft in standard Faber-Castell phthalo green and the distinctive uncapped top combine to make this an iconic pencil.
£13 from Cult Pens.