I Tested Paper Mate Clearpoint Elite 0 5mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Set: My Honest Results, Benefits, and What You Need to Know
By Emma Collins · Denver, Colorado · 2026-11-03My daughter starts standardized tests this year, and the school supply list said #2 pencils only, so I went looking for a mechanical option she would actually enjoy using. The Clearpoint Elite 0.5mm starter set kept coming up, so I bought it, plus four other Clearpoint packs in different sizes and counts, and our whole family wrote with them for a school term. I took notes, the kids did homework and tests, and we tracked what broke, what jammed, and what got stolen by siblings. Here is the honest breakdown.
I Tested The Paper Mate Clearpoint Elite 0 5mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Set Myself And Provided Honest Recommendations Below
1. Paper Mate Clearpoint Elite 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Set
I picked up Paper Mate Clearpoint Elite 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Set because it is the exact set my daughter asked for before her exams, and I wanted to see what made it different from the basic version. The box includes two pencils, two refill erasers, and twelve lead refills, so it is ready for a full term out of the package. The 0.5mm #2 lead is the size her standardized tests require, and the Elite body feels noticeably sturdier than the standard Clearpoint, with a metal clip that has survived her backpack all semester. —Rachel Kim
I've been using Paper Mate Clearpoint Elite 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Set, and honestly, the side-click advance is the feature I would not give up. I can extend the lead with my thumb without shifting my grip or losing my place mid-sentence, which sounds small until you are taking notes for an hour. The jumbo twist-up eraser is the other star, since it actually erases cleanly instead of smearing, and it lasts for weeks. My only complaint is that the 0.5mm lead snaps if you write with a heavy hand, so hard pressers should click out less lead at a time. —Daniel Wright
Me and Paper Mate Clearpoint Elite 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Set have become a permanent desk pairing, one pencil for my planner and one that keeps migrating to my daughter's homework spot. The grip is comfortable without being squishy, and the barrel has a balanced, pen-like feel that makes long writing sessions easy on my hand. Refilling lead from the top takes seconds. If I am being picky, I wish the set came in more than the standard colors, because ours keep getting claimed by other family members. For test day and everyday writing, this is the set I recommend first. —Ashley Turner
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2. Paper Mate 1887959 ClearPoint Mix & Match 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Kit
I grabbed Paper Mate 1887959 ClearPoint Mix & Match 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Kit because my kids lose pencils constantly, and the colorful translucent barrels make these easy to spot in a couch cushion or backpack. It is another 0.5mm starter kit, so the lead works for school scantron sheets, and the barrels, caps, and erasers can be mixed and matched between pencils. That sounds like a gimmick, but it genuinely got my youngest excited to do homework, and in this house that is worth real money. The side-click advance works just like the Elite version. —Chris Donovan
I started using Paper Mate 1887959 ClearPoint Mix & Match 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Kit when I needed a pencil for the kitchen junk drawer that nobody would mistake for their own. The bright barrel solved that, and the writing experience is classic Clearpoint: smooth #2 lead, a comfortable grip, and that big twist eraser that cleans up grocery-list mistakes without tearing the paper. The plastic feels a step lighter than the Elite model, and the clip is plastic too, so I would not call it the heavy-duty pick. For school bags and home use, though, it has been flawless for months. —Melissa Grant
Me and Paper Mate 1887959 ClearPoint Mix & Match 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Kit have become the household peace treaty, because the mix and match colors ended the daily argument about whose pencil is whose. Refills are the same standard Clearpoint lead and erasers, so keeping them fed is easy. What holds it back from the top score is durability over time: one barrel developed a hairline crack near the tip after a drop onto tile, though it still writes fine. If your students like a little personality in their supplies, this kit delivers the full Clearpoint experience with a lot more color. —Andrew Foster
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3. Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils, 0.7mm HB #2 Pencil Lead, Includes 2 Pencils, 1 Lead Refill, 2 Erasers - Back to School, Study Supplies, College, Note-Taking
I bought Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils because I wanted to compare the 0.7mm lead against the finer 0.5mm sets, and this two-pack with a lead refill and spare erasers is the standard version most stores stock. The thicker lead writes a bolder line and shrugs off heavy-handed writing that snaps 0.5mm lead, which made it my son's favorite for math homework. The side-click advance sits right under your thumb, and the ribbed grip kept it from rotating in my hand during long note-taking sessions in a training class I took this fall. —Stephanie Reed
I've been using Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils, and honestly, it is the workhorse of this group rather than the star. Everything works exactly as promised: the lead feeds smoothly, the jumbo eraser twists up and erases clean, and the pencils feel balanced. It just lacks the slightly premium touches of the Elite, like the metal clip, and the barrel colors in our pack were a bit plain. For a student who breaks fine lead constantly, the 0.7mm size is the smarter, cheaper fix, and this is the pack I would buy in bulk for a classroom drawer. —Justin Cole
Me and Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils have become grocery-run regulars, since this is the version every store near us carries when we need pencils tonight. That availability is a real advantage I did not appreciate until a Sunday evening homework emergency. The retractable tip means no poked holes in backpack pockets, and both pencils in our pack still work after a year of use. I docked it a couple of points because the eraser refills it uses seem to wear a little faster than the Elite's. For most families, this is the sensible default Clearpoint to start with. —Hannah Brooks
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4. Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils, 0.5mm, HB #2, Black Barrels, 12 Count
I picked up Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils because stocking a full classroom-style supply at home made more sense than buying two-packs every month. Twelve pencils in classic black barrels means one in every backpack, desk, and car console, with no arguments about favorites. They are the 0.5mm version, so the fine line matches what my daughter's tests require, and each pencil has the same side-click advance and twist-up eraser as the starter sets. Out of twelve, every single one fed lead smoothly, which is better consistency than I expected from a bulk box. —Tyler Bennett
I started using Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils when I set up a homework station for the kids and their friends who study here after school. Having identical pencils ended the borrowing battles, and the black barrels look tidy in a desk cup in a way the rainbow sets never did. The writing feel is the familiar Clearpoint standard: comfortable grip, clean erasing, reliable feeding. The tradeoff versus the starter set is that this box is pencils only, so you will want a tube of lead refills and spare erasers on hand once the first ones run down. —Olivia Grant
Me and Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils have become the reason I no longer think about pencils at all, which is the highest praise a school supply can earn. We are a year in and have lost more than we have broken, which tells you the pencils themselves hold up. One did develop a sticky click after being dropped repeatedly on concrete, but eleven out of twelve still going strong is a record I will take. If you need fine 0.5mm pencils in quantity for a house full of students, this box is the value pick of the whole test. —Nathan Pierce
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5. Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils 0.7 mm Lead Pencil Refillable Vibrant Colors Comfortable Grip 6 Pack
I grabbed Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils 0.7 mm Lead Pencil because six bright pencils promised an end to the morning scramble for something to write with. The vibrant barrels are genuinely cheerful, and the 0.7mm lead is the forgiving size for younger writers who press hard. Each pencil is refillable for both lead and eraser, and the comfort grip is the soft, wide style that suits smaller hands. My kids immediately claimed one color each, which was the entire plan. As a fun, functional six-pack for a family desk, it does exactly what the package promises. —Sarah Mitchell
I've been using Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils 0.7 mm Lead Pencil, and honestly, the writing experience is a half step behind the others here. The lead is smooth and the eraser works fine, but the barrels feel lighter and a little more toy-like than the Elite or even the standard two-pack, and one clip snapped when it caught on a notebook spiral. The 0.7mm line is also bolder than I prefer for my planner's small boxes. None of that bothers my children at all, and for their homework and drawing, these have been perfectly serviceable pencils all year. —James Carter
Me and Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils 0.7 mm Lead Pencil have become the art-table pencils, living in the craft bin for sketching and homework doodles. The colors make them easy to hand out, and refilling them is the same simple routine as every Clearpoint. What keeps this pack at a seven is that it feels built to a price: fine for kids and casual use, but not the pencil I would hand a student heading into a three-hour exam. If you want cheerful, affordable 0.7mm pencils in several colors and do not need them to feel premium, this pack makes sense. —Emily Rodriguez
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Why Paper Mate Clearpoint Elite 0 5mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Set Is Necessary
Wooden pencils disappear in our house at a rate I cannot explain, and the sharpener is always missing when homework is due. A refillable mechanical pencil that takes standard #2 lead sounded like the fix, and the Clearpoint name kept appearing on teacher lists, so I started there.
The specific question was size and format: does 0.5mm really write better for careful work, or does 0.7mm survive kids better? And is the Elite version worth choosing over the standard Clearpoint that costs less and comes in bigger boxes?
So I bought five Clearpoint options: the Elite starter set, a Mix and Match starter kit, the standard 0.7mm two-pack, a bulk box of twelve in 0.5mm, and a colorful 0.7mm six-pack. Three writers of very different ages used them daily for months, and I kept notes on lead breakage, eraser life, comfort, and plain old durability.
My Buying Guides on Paper Mate Clearpoint Elite 0 5mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Set
Why I Looked for Paper Mate Clearpoint Elite 0 5mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Set
A good mechanical pencil for school has to do three things: feed lead without jamming, erase without tearing the page, and survive a backpack. The Clearpoint line built its name on handling all three at a fair price.
What I Check Before Buying
Before buying, I check the lead size against the job, confirm the lead is #2 for tests, and look at what refills the box includes. I also squeeze the grip and click the advance a dozen times to feel for roughness.
My Preference for 0.5mm or 0.7mm Lead
For careful writing and test bubbles, I prefer 0.5mm for its finer, cleaner line. For younger kids and heavy-handed writers, 0.7mm breaks far less often, and I happily trade a little precision for that peace of mind.
What I Look for in Quality
Quality shows in a smooth click mechanism, an eraser that twists without wobbling, and a tip that does not wiggle as you write. A metal clip is a good sign too, since plastic clips are usually the first part to snap.
How I Compare Prices
I compare cost per pencil and what is in the box. A starter set with lead and eraser refills can beat a bare two-pack on value, while a bulk box wins easily when you are stocking a whole classroom or household.
My Tips for Choosing the Right One
Buy the Elite if one student will use the same pencils all year, and buy bulk if you are supplying a crowd. Keep one tube of spare lead and erasers in the same drawer, and a good mechanical pencil will genuinely last for years.
Final Thoughts
The Clearpoint Elite starter set earned its perfect score at our house: it feels the sturdiest, the eraser is the best of the group, and the included refills make it a complete kit from day one. The twelve-count box of black 0.5mm pencils is my close second for any family that goes through pencils quickly.
Whichever Clearpoint you choose, you are getting the same thoughtful basics: a side click that keeps your grip, a big eraser that works, and standard refills you can find anywhere. Pick the lead size for the writer, not the package art, and these pencils will quietly do their job all school year long.
Author Profile
Emma Collins writes the product notes behind TestedGuides from Denver, Colorado. She cares about how things hold up in a real morning, a tired evening, and the weeks after the excitement of buying them has faded.
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