If you use Paper on the iPad and have been looking at FiftyThree's Pencil stylus, the big question is simple: does it feel like a useful drawing tool, or is it just a nice-looking accessory?
I had just received the Pencil when I recorded this first look, so this was more about the hardware, setup, feel, and first impressions than a long-term drawing review.
Quick Answer
The FiftyThree Pencil makes a strong first impression. The graphite aluminum version feels solid in the hand, the packaging is clean, and the design is very simple: no visible buttons, replaceable tip and eraser, Bluetooth pairing through the tip, and USB charging built into the body.
My early takeaway was that Pencil feels more durable and natural than some disc-style styluses I have used, though I still missed having physical shortcut buttons for things like undo and redo.
What Comes In The Box
The Pencil arrived in a cylindrical package with FiftyThree branding and a clear focus on Paper, the company's iPad drawing app. The box itself had a polished look, with the Pencil shown on the outside and a simple message about being made for Paper.
Inside, the Pencil slides out cleanly, and the package includes a small instruction booklet plus replacement parts. One side of the cardboard insert holds an extra tip and an extra eraser, while the other side is empty.
That matters because stylus tips wear down over time, especially if you sketch frequently. Having a spare tip and eraser in the box is a practical inclusion rather than an afterthought.
- FiftyThree Pencil stylus
- Instruction booklet
- Extra stylus tip
- Extra rubber eraser
Charging And Pairing
The setup instructions are straightforward: charge the Pencil, install or open the latest version of Paper, turn on Bluetooth, and pair it with the app.
There are no visible buttons on the body, which made me wonder at first how pairing would work. The answer is that the tip acts as the pairing control. According to the instructions, you press and hold the tip for three seconds to pair it.
Charging is built directly into the Pencil. You pull the tip section straight out, and the USB connector is right there on the end. That means there is no separate cable or tiny charging adapter to keep track of, which I appreciate.
- Pairing happens through Bluetooth
- The tip is pressed and held for pairing
- The USB charger is built into the stylus body
- No external charging cable is required for the Pencil itself
Design And Feel
The version I looked at was the graphite model. It appears to be aluminum, with visible lines in the finish and a silver FiftyThree logo that catches the light nicely.
I was a little worried the aluminum version might feel too light, but it actually felt good in the hand. FiftyThree also offered a wood version, and from what I understood at the time, the wood model had a magnetic strip that could attach to an iPad Smart Cover or Smart Case.
The Pencil uses a carpenter-pencil style shape instead of a round pen shape. I was not sure I would like that design, but it felt comfortable. I have larger hands, so that may vary from person to person, but my first impression was positive.
- Graphite aluminum finish feels solid
- Carpenter-pencil shape is comfortable in larger hands
- The design is simpler than many Bluetooth styluses
- The wood version may have an advantage if you want magnetic attachment
Replaceable Tip And Eraser
The replaceable tip design is very simple. After pulling the front section out, the tip can be removed and replaced with a twist-lock style connection. It only appears to lock in one proper direction, which helps avoid confusion.
The eraser end is also simple. It is basically a rubber cap that fits over the back of the Pencil. The replacement eraser included in the box is just a separate rubber piece.
I liked how easy the parts were to access. With styluses, small tips and caps can sometimes feel fragile or awkward, but the Pencil's parts felt intentionally easy to swap.
How It Compares With Other Styluses
Before trying the FiftyThree Pencil, I had used other iPad styluses, including the Wacom Bamboo and Adonit models. The Bamboo was one of the first styluses I really liked, and the Adonit styluses had their own advantages.
The Adonit disc-style tips can be very precise because you can see exactly where the stylus touches the screen. Some models also include Bluetooth and palm rejection, and I liked being able to assign physical buttons to undo and redo.
That is one thing I missed on the FiftyThree Pencil right away. The simplicity is nice, but shortcut buttons can be genuinely useful when sketching. If I make a mark I do not like, being able to tap undo from the stylus is convenient.
On the other hand, the disc-style tips always made me a little nervous. I worried about dropping the stylus or damaging the disc. The FiftyThree Pencil feels more solid and less delicate by comparison.
Who It Makes Sense For
I am not an artist, so my use case is not elaborate illustration. I tend to use a stylus for sketching ideas, roughing out a logo or design concept, or getting something down on the iPad before finishing the real work on a computer.
For that kind of use, comfort and simplicity matter a lot. I do like a fine tip, and I still needed more time to judge how the Pencil performs while actually drawing, but the hardware itself made a good first impression.
I had also tried using an iPad for handwritten notes, but it never fully stuck for me. For meetings or longer note-taking, I usually prefer recording and taking notes when I can. So for me, Pencil is more of a sketching tool than a notebook replacement.
Key Takeaways
- The FiftyThree Pencil is designed specifically to work with Paper on the iPad.
- It pairs over Bluetooth, and the tip itself is used for pairing.
- Charging is handled through a built-in USB connector hidden under the front section.
- The box includes replacement tip and eraser pieces.
- The graphite aluminum model feels solid and comfortable, especially compared with more delicate disc-style styluses.
- The biggest feature I missed from other styluses was a physical shortcut button for undo or redo.
Watch the Video
The video above above for the full first look, including the unboxing, replaceable tip and eraser, charging connector, and my hands-on comparison with other iPad styluses I had been using.
