Raymay is a line of school products from Japan. Amongst wonders such as triple-pencil caps and what Google tells me is a “free babysitting service” but which seems more like a laser-etched nameplate, there is the Raymay Studymate. This is a plastic pencil extender with a built-in sharpener.
Instructions on the back make it very clear how to use the Studymate even if you can’t read Japanese.
The portion that threads onto the barrel secures the pencil so it doesn’t slip out during use. I tried it with a pathetic excuse for a pencil scrap.
It held!
Then I tried to sharpen the pencil and it crumbled. So on to the next victim.
The built-in sharpener makes an effective – though unexpected – counterweight.
The ribbed portion of the extender also felt good in the hand. I find myself reaching for the Studymate now when I need a pencil. I’m sure the Kuru Toga and the Lamy Scribble are pouting in their case.
I found the Raymay Studymate in the stationery section of Kinokuniya. For an impulse buy, it’s earned its keep.