Here we have a Pentel Tradio TRP55 mechanical pencil. Although this is not my favorite pencil in the world it still deserves a place in my collection.
As you know, I have a thing for side knock mechanical pencils and especially for the original Pentel Quicker Clicker. The Tradio TRP55 features the same internal and knock mechanism as the original Pentel Quicker Clicker and that is super cool. Although the overall quality of this model is not very impressive I can still appreciate it as a capped side knock in a fountain pen form factor.
The Pentel Tradio, as a mechanical pencil, was a limited-time offering from the European market and only came in 0.5mm. Although these are no longer in production you can still find them on auction sites but be prepared to pay a bit more than you’d expect. It’s hard to identify all of the colors that they came in but I’ve seen them in gold, yellow, green, purple, blue, silver, black, white, and red. (I will not be collecting all of the colors) The fountain pen version is still in production today and comes in a slew of colors and I’ve heard about a collector who has over 150 Tradios in his collection.
The body is an injection molded design with a soft-to-the-touch feel to it that unfortunately feels a bit cheap. The mold lines are also a bit of a disappointment and should be better. Although the cap features a sturdy pocket clip and a nifty clear window that visually exposes the tip, it also feels a bit cheap. Even though I am a bit disappointed in the overall quality I do have to acknowledge that Pentel never intended for this model to be a premier, high-quality pencil with a hefty price tag.
Once you remove the cap to expose the knock, grip, and nose cone you are presently surprised with a much more quality feel. The grip is smooth (which I like) and is made of a different plastic and has an interesting shape to it. The knock mechanism feels exactly like the original Pentel Quicker Clicker and is a joy to use.
The nose cone is metal and has a gorgeous elegant shape to it. With the knock mechanism being that of the original Pentel Quicker Clicker that means this nose cone will fit on any of the 0.5mm original Quicker Clickers. They may not sound like a big deal until you screw one on to a PD505. More about that in a future blog post. :)
When using the Pentel Tradio TRP55 I can never decide if I prefer it with or without the cap posted. I like it both ways.
To refill the lead you must unscrew the body and then remove the metal cap. When doing this for the first time you may expect to find a hidden eraser under the cap. Nope. Notta.
Although I appreciate the side knock mechanism in this pencil I really wish it had more of a Pentel Kerry quality to it.
Today I am going to take a bit of a detour from my main focus of side knock mechanical pencils.
Here is a vintage Platinum "Z" MoMA Design Collection mechanical pencil. These amazing works of art are regarded as one of the most collectible mechanical pencils.
The Platinum "Z" was first released in 1980 by the Platinum Pen Company. Both the
mechanical pencil and ball point pen versions were added to the
collection of the Museum of Modern Art, under the category of
Architecture and Design. (Design credit: Mitsuo Maki, Hosowo Tomohiro, Kikukawa Katsuyoshi)
In
1981 the Platinum "Z" was officially launched and won the prize by New
York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Platinum teamed up with the famous
fashion brand "Courreges" (Andre Courreges of France) for the stationary
category and now resides in the permanent collection and can be visited
today.
The
clip is spring loaded and nicely sits into the barrel in a flushed
position. This allows the clip to be unnoticeable to the touch while
writing. To release the clip you simply slide the clip up and it extends
out allowing for easy pocket carry. It's a very interesting design!
There is a nice engraved, stylized "Z" on top and the company name
"Platinum" on the barrel.
Both
the pen and mechanical pencil versions feature a twist-action
telescoping tip. When the tip is retracted, the bottom of the pencil has
a
hollow barrel appearance. When the tip is exposed, the barrel extends
open and produces a gap within the body. This gap allows you to advance
the lead when you press down on the top of the pencil. It's a very
clever design!
There
are 4 color variations of the Platinum "Z". Silver, dark gray, fluted
silver, and, as seen here, blue-gray with golden trim.
The
production cost for the Platinum "Z" was very high and therefore was
overpriced for most buyers. They soon followed up with a simplified
version with plastic parts called the "Bee Line"
This
is a wonderful addition to any mechanical pencil collection. The
rarity of these mechanical pencils oftentimes brings the prices up on
the resale market. Keep an eye on the market and try to grab one of
these at a good price.
This
is truly an oddball pencil. And the fact that it's a side knock makes
it even better. The Pentel Technica PD1055 is a boxy side knock
mechanical pencil that I actually know little about. I've heard that
it's a metal version of the Pentel Technica but I have not been able to
track down a plastic Technica. If this is truly a metal version of an
otherwise plastic pencil then this would be similar to the Pentel PD505
which is a metal version of the PD345 (commonly known as the Quicker
Clicker).
Although
this is a weird, bulky looking pencil, I must say that it is quite fun
to own. The thickness of the barrel is a bit too much for my hands but I
am happy to have a couple of these in my collection.
Looking
up and down the pencil I have no idea why it was designed this way.
There must be a story behind the quirkiness of the eraser top, the
strange use of a screw above the pocket clip, and the overall shape of
the barrel.
I can't decide if this pencil reminds me more of Robocop, a space shuttle, or Shamu the killer whale.
These
opaque colored PD345s came out in 1977. The solid colors hit the market
first with the transparent variations following soon after. The first
round of PD345s held 0.5 mm lead and were available in black, blue,
orange, yellow, green. Complete sets of these are not too hard to find
these days but are still very collectible and are a must have in your
Pentel collection, especially if you're into Quicker Clickers.
These were available in the United States but were not nearly as popular as the transparent color versions.
The solid colored PD345s sold through Pentel of
America were known as the Pentel Quicker Clicker whilst overseas they
were referred to as the Pentel Clic or simply "Clic". The more
collectible version of these are those with "Pentel Clic" imprinted on
the barrel.
Below is a page from the 1979 Pentel of America product catalog.
Welcome to the sideknocks blog. This blog is dedicated to my collection of mechanical pencils. My interest in mechanical pencils began as a kid in the 1980's with the discovery of the original Pentel Quicker Clicker. The original Quicker Clicker was a popular side knock mechanical pencil in the United States during the 80’s and 90’s. (Pentel still produces the Quicker Clicker to this day but it's not as good and is not a collectors item)
Although my original Pentel Quicker Clickers collection is the centerpiece of my collection, I also collect other vintage mechanical pencils, side knocks, oddballs, and modern delights which I'll showcase in the future.
Below are a couple of my vintage transparent green Pentel side knocks from the late 70’s. Both of these are 0.5 mm.
Below is the Pentel PD345 which is commonly known as the Quicker Clicker. These mechanical pencils came out in 1977 and quickly became one of the most popular mechanical pencils from the late 70’s all the way through the 90’s in the United States. The PD345 Quicker Clicker side knock features a metal pocket clip as opposed to the plastic clip on the PD335 Jet Clic.
Below is the Pentel PD335 which is identical to the PD345 minus the pocket clip. The PD335 also came out in 1977 but was not sold in America. It was known as the Jet Clic overseas. Although it won a Good Design award in 1979 it suffers from a design flaw that causes the plastic pocket clip to crack near the eraser as the eraser expands over age. When collecting the PD335 I suggest removing the eraser in order to protect the plastic from cracking.
Both the PD345 and PD335 came in a range of colors in both transparent and solid versions. I have most of them and will feature them in a future post.
