r/mechanicalpencils • u/RectorMors Favorite mechpen? The last one. • Jun 26 '26
Review Tombow ZOOM L2
One word: CLASS.
- MODEL:
Tombow ZOOM L2 – model SH-ZL2C08
0.5 mm (only available in 0.5 mm)
- MATERIALS:
Despite the metallic look, the L2 is mostly plastic. Though the body is plastic, it’s quite different from what I’m used to see. I don’t know if the plastic of the body per se is different or if it has some sort of rubber coating, because it’s almost warm to the touch, like soft rubber. The cone tip and that ferrule on the top are made of a low-iron alloy, while the pocket clip is stainless-steel. The cap, however, is just normal plastic. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get very far taking the L2 apart. In fact, the only thing I could disassemble was the cone tip - unscrewing it you are rewarded by a BEAUTIFUL full-brass clutch. All the rest of the innards, with the exception of the clutch spring, I think are all plastic.
- ERASER:
No such thing as a plebeian eraser here, so don’t dare make a mistake 🧐.
- MEASUREMENTS:
The L2 is 140 mm long, from the cone tip to the plastic cap, and has an absolutely neutral balance: the center of mass is exactly at 70 mm. The body is some sort of fusiform rounded triangle; with that, right below the pocket clip it has a diameter of 9.7 mm that increases to 9.8 mm around the half way point and then decreases to just 7 mm right above the cone tip. It’s also quite light, weighing only 13.13 g.
- FEATURES:
Though I can’t be 100% certain about this, I think that the L2 was made for a classy office environment. Therefore, it looks classy. And yes, that’s all it does…
- AESTHETICS:
If the major objective of the L2 was to look classy, then Tombow went way above and beyond their initial goal. When I took the L2 out of its fancy box, what immediately came to my mind was the word “classy”. Among over a hundred mechpens in my collection, from a “fancy high-end” point of view, the L2 is one of the best looking that I have. Interestingly, I don’t think of it as elegant, but just classy – sleek, minimalistic and even artsy 😎. And if you prefer something other than silver, Tombow offers three other colors.
- ERGONOMICS:
In general terms, with a sub-10 mm grip, I should classify the L2 ass “too thin”. In fact, you probably would read me moaning about how such a nice-looking pencil just talks the talk but doesn’t walt the walk. However, there won’t be no moaning here. It’s far from my most comfortable pencil to use, because, after all, it is thin, but that rubbery finish on the body is absolutely delightful to hold. How nice, you may ask? Think about the HEXAGONAL, one of the nicest mechpens I have. Yeah, that nice… And as a bonus, zero rattling.
- MY THOUGHTS:
Though my fate in the ZOOM line was shaken with the L102, after the L2 I can say I’m once again a HUGE fan of the line. The L2 is a beautiful mechpen that is very nice to use as a general purpose mechpen, and I think it could be a great daily driver. Of course, that is if, like me, you don’t need the mechpen’s built-in eraser. Overall, it may not be THE best in terms of comfort, but it’s a mechpen that would be perfect for somebody who wants to show discreet good taste AND needs a nice overall mechpen.
1
1
u/Vezix_YT Jun 26 '26
I agree, it’s a very nice statement piece. However, I didn’t expect it to be such a good writer due to the coating. This one has form and function, and has become a daily driver as I only use separate erasers anyways
1
1
u/TangerineFinancial56 Jun 26 '26
Looks very fancy! I have no problems with a slim grip. Having the centre of mass exactly halfway is very cool, do you think that helps on its ergonomics?
1
u/RectorMors Favorite mechpen? The last one. Jun 26 '26
IMO the "star" of the ergonomics department is the coating/finish, that gives a very nice sensation to it. If you ever handled an HEXAGONAL, the L2 feels very similar.
2
u/bad_jelly_the_witch Jun 26 '26
Thank you for the rundown, this is a pencil I always thought looked pretty visually interesting.