--- title: "Tactile Turn Pencil: Titanium Side-Bolt Pencil" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tactile-turn-pencil/" description: "Tactile Turn Pencil explained: all-metal side-bolt mechanical pencil, 5.38 in, titanium, copper, bronze or zirconium, 0.5 or 0.7 mm lead, US$119." category: "Pencils" type: "Mechanical pencil" published: 2026-11-03 updated: 2026-11-03 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 2 products: - name: "Tactile Turn Pencil (titanium, 0.5 mm)" brand: "Tactile Turn" brand_origin: "United States" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Titanium (also copper, bronze or zirconium), Schmidt DSM2007 mechanism" price_band: "$$$$ (over $75 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Tactile Turn, Dallas, Texas" model: "Pencil" url: "https://tactileturn.com/products/pencil" --- # Tactile Turn Pencil: Titanium Side-Bolt Pencil > The Tactile Turn Pencil is a slim, all-metal mechanical pencil from Dallas maker Tactile Turn. A bolt on the side advances and retracts the lead. It uses a Schmidt DSM2007 mechanism, takes 0.5 or 0.7 mm lead, is 5.38 in long and costs US$119 in titanium, copper, bronze or zirconium. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tactile-turn-pencil/ - Category: Pencils - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-11-03 - Updated: 2026-11-03 ![Slim titanium Tactile Turn Pencil with a side bolt, a dark clip and a black eraser](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/tactile-turn-pencil-illustration-16x9.png?v=d05e1360) *The Tactile Turn Pencil in titanium, drawn in the proportion of its listed 5.38 in by 0.365 in.* Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times. Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Tactile Turn Pencil (titanium, 0.5 mm) | Tactile Turn (by Tactile Turn, Dallas, Texas) | United States | Not stated | Titanium (also copper, bronze or zirconium), Schmidt DSM2007 mechanism | – | $$$$: over $75 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Tactile Turn Pencil (titanium, 0.5 mm)): Not stated. The Pencil's product page has no made-in line. Tactile Turn's story page says its pens are machined in Dallas and lists "USA manufacturing", read November 3, 2026. ## Key takeaways - Tactile Turn lists the Pencil at 5.38 in (about 137 mm) long and 0.365 in (about 9.3 mm) across. - A side bolt with a 6-32 thread pitch advances and retracts the lead; the mechanism is a Schmidt DSM2007. - It comes in titanium, copper, bronze and zirconium at the same US$119 price on November 3, 2026, in 0.5 or 0.7 mm. - Tactile Turn lists weights of 0.9 oz in titanium to 1.4 oz in copper in one spot and 1.0 to 1.7 oz in another, so we give both. - The first Tactile Turn pencils were made in 2018 and discontinued in 2020; this slimmer version replaced them. ## What is the Tactile Turn Pencil? **It's an all-metal mechanical pencil whose lead is advanced by a bolt on the side, not a push-button.** Tactile Turn, a Dallas company founded in 2012, says it made pencils in 2018 and discontinued them in 2020 because they needed an update. The current version has a slimmer body, the side bolt and replaceable friction-fit erasers. Tactile Turn also makes pens, such as the [bolt-action pen](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tactile-turn-bolt-action-pen/). ## Tactile Turn Pencil specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Tactile Turn, Dallas, Texas | | Length | 5.38 in fully assembled (about 137 mm) | | Diameter | 0.365 in (about 9.3 mm) | | Mechanism | Schmidt DSM2007; side bolt, 6-32 thread pitch | | Lead sizes | 0.5 mm or 0.7 mm, extra lead pack included | | Eraser | Friction fit, on the back; 2 extras included | | Clip | Slim body with side-click milled clip | | Weight (spec list) | Titanium 0.9 oz, copper 1.4 oz, bronze 1.2 oz, zirconium 1.2 oz | | Weight (material section) | Titanium 1.0 oz, copper 1.7 oz, bronze 1.5 oz, zirconium 1.5 oz | | US price | US$119 in every material on November 3, 2026 | The two weight lists on Tactile Turn's own page disagree, and we could not tell which is right, so both are shown. ## Which material should you choose? **Titanium is the one Tactile Turn recommends for a first purchase, and it is the lightest.** The maker describes titanium as tough, lightweight and extremely corrosion resistant, and as its best-selling material. Copper is naturally antimicrobial and will darken with a patina. Bronze machines well and polishes bright or patinas. Zirconium is dark grey, harder to machine and one of the most expensive materials Tactile Turn works with, though all four materials share the same US$119 price on the Pencil page. Left-handed and right-handed orientations are offered, and custom text can be added in four fonts. ## How does it compare with other metal pencils? **It's the only one here with a side bolt, and it is the lightest of the all-metal options.** The figures come from the makers and our guides. | | Tactile Turn Pencil | [Kaweco Special](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kaweco-special-mechanical-pencil/) | [rOtring 600](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/rotring-600/) | |---|---|---|---| | Length | 5.38 in (137 mm) | 14 cm (5.5 in) | 142 mm (5.6 in) | | Advance | Side bolt | Push-button | Push-button | | Body | Titanium, copper, bronze or zirconium | Aluminium or brass | Hexagonal metal | | Price band | $$$$ | $$$ | $$$ | ## How much does it cost? **It sits in our $$$$ band (over $75): US$119 on November 3, 2026.** A titanium Damascus bolt adds US$20 and a titanium Damascus clip US$99. The Pencil carries Tactile Turn's lifetime warranty. ## Where is the Tactile Turn Pencil made? **Tactile Turn is in Dallas, but the Pencil page itself doesn't say where it is made.** The company's story page says its pens are machined in Dallas, with 14 Swiss lathes, so we mark the Pencil's origin as not stated. For luxury pencils from other makers, see our [CEO writing collection](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/ceo-writing-collection/). ## Frequently asked questions ### How does the side bolt work? Tactile Turn says a bolt on the side of the body advances and retracts the lead. The bolt uses a 6-32 thread pitch, and the mechanism inside is a Schmidt DSM2007. ### Which lead sizes does it take? 0.5 mm or 0.7 mm. Tactile Turn says an extra pack of lead is included, and the page offers no price difference between the two sizes. ### Does the Tactile Turn Pencil have an eraser? Yes. It has a friction-fit eraser on the back, and Tactile Turn says two extra erasers are included. They are replaceable. ### Is Tactile Turn the same as the older pencils from 2018? No. Tactile Turn says it made pencils in 2018 and stopped in 2020 because they needed an update. The current version is slimmer and has the side bolt. ### What do the upgrades cost? On November 3, 2026 a titanium Damascus bolt was listed at an extra US$20 and a titanium Damascus clip at an extra US$99. Clip engraving was an extra US$10. ### Is there a warranty? Yes. The product page says everything Tactile Turn sells comes with a lifetime warranty and that it will make it right if something unexpected goes wrong. ### Where can I find the matching pen? Tactile Turn makes bolt-action pens in the same materials. See our guide to the Tactile Turn bolt-action pen for sizes and refills. ## Sources - [Tactile Turn: Pencil (US$119, materials, Schmidt DSM2007, 6-32 bolt, 5.38 in, 0.365 in, weights, lifetime warranty; read November 3, 2026)](https://tactileturn.com/products/pencil) - [Tactile Turn: Our Story (Dallas, founded 2012, machined in Dallas; read November 3, 2026)](https://tactileturn.com/pages/our-story)