Claudy Choco Pen Review: A Pencil Made from Ghanaian Cacao Shells

Introduction

The Claudy Choco Pen is a pencil with an unusual origin story. It looks like a standard hexagonal pencil, but the barrel is made by mixing resin with crushed cacao bean husks sourced from Ghana, giving it a deep burnt-brown color and a distinct, gritty texture that sets it apart from ordinary pencils.

Priced at 330 yen, it is sold through the brand’s official online shop and at a small number of Claudy storefronts. Beyond the writing experience, there is a social angle baked into the purchase itself, which makes this one of the more interesting budget stationery picks we have come across recently.

Who This Product Is For

The Choco Pen suits anyone who still uses a pencil regularly and wants something with more character than a generic yellow barrel. It is also a natural fit for buyers who like the idea of their purchase doing some good automatically, without having to think about it.

Because it is a straightforward HB pencil with no moving parts, it works well for students, note-takers, and people who sketch casually. If you mostly write with mechanical pencils, this is worth trying as a low-cost change of pace, especially since it is light and easy to handle for long sessions.

Packaging and First Impressions

The pencil arrives in a paper package, with an illustrated leaflet included. The packaging comes in three designs: an instant waterfall theme, a rope theme called “Threads of Ties,” and a “Cacao Maze” theme. The rope design carries its own symbolism, with tightly bound rope representing bonds and loose rope representing freedom, the idea being that human connections weave a richer future.

Claudy is a Tokyo-based brand that runs both an apparel business and an NPO. The NPO works in Ghana in West Africa, where it builds schools and factories that create local employment.

There is one quirk in the packaging worth knowing about: the box has space for two pencils, but only one is included. A note reading “for my buddy” is printed inside, because each purchase automatically sends a second pencil to children in Ghana who lack access to stationery. Buying one pencil effectively donates another.

Design and Build

The Choco Pen was planned by Claudy and developed with Mitsubishi Pencil. Ghana produces around 800,000 tonnes of cacao beans each year, and roughly 75% of that weight is shell. The discarded husks are typically left in piles by the roadside, and as they decompose they release methane that affects local health. With support from Mitsubishi Pencil, Claudy spent more than two years figuring out how to turn those shells into pencils.

The result is a deep burnt-brown barrel with a hexagonal profile and a surface texture that looks like crushed shell. It feels slightly rough in the hand, which translates into a surprisingly secure, non-slip grip. One downside: there is no cacao scent. The processing removes any smell, which is a small disappointment given the name.

The barrel is made by mixing resin with the crushed cacao shells and solidifying the blend, and it sharpens like a normal pencil. The pencil arrived pre-sharpened, and the sharpened section matches the barrel’s brown tone. The core is likely sourced from Mitsubishi Pencil. Looking at the rear end of the barrel, no core is visible, so the core does not run the full length.

Specs are as follows: total length 177mm, weight 7g, and shaft diameter 7.5mm. At 7g, it sits noticeably high in balance when new.

Everyday Writing Performance

On paper, the Choco Pen delivers a light, pleasant writing experience with a smooth, gliding feel. Because it is so light, it lacks the weight and balance height of a mechanical pencil, but there are none of the usual mechanical pencil annoyances either: nothing rattles, no clip digging in, no wobbling tip or knock cap.

That combination of low weight and secure grip makes it genuinely comfortable for extended writing sessions. It is a reminder that a well-made woodcase pencil is hard to beat for plain, stress-free writing.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Availability is the main frustration. Right now the Choco Pen is hard to find outside the official online shop and a limited number of physical stores, though the retail footprint should gradually expand.

The other complaints are about range rather than quality. It is sold as a single pencil rather than a set, which is inconvenient if you want to stock up and use them heavily. And the core is HB only; B or 2B options would be welcome, and a broader lineup may arrive if sales grow.

Buying Advice

At 330 yen, the Choco Pen is an easy impulse purchase, and the smartest way to think about it is as a genuinely stylish pencil that happens to include an automatic donation to Ghanaian schoolchildren, rather than a charity product you buy out of obligation.

If you like the look and want several, check the official online shop first, since in-person availability is still limited. Anyone hoping for softer grades than HB should wait to see whether the range expands.

Conclusion

The Claudy Choco Pen succeeds as both a pencil and a product with a purpose. The cacao-shell barrel gives it a distinctive texture and grip, the writing feel is smooth and light, and the buy-one-give-one mechanism means every purchase supports education and employment in Ghana. The limited availability and single HB grade are minor annoyances, but for the price this is one of the more charming pencils you can add to a desk.