Pentel Function .357 PC1001 3C Mechanical Pencil

Pentel Function .357 PC1001 3C Mechanical Pencil

Well this is another one from my “Japanese Sampler”, another one I have never seen before. It’s a multi-pen, but the tips are 0.3mm, 0.5mm and 0.7mm pencil. The tip selector system is a basic set of three slider buttons. 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 are printed on the top of the end cap of the pencil, by the slider in question.

So, up at the top of the pencil there are the three black slider buttons, and you simply slide one down and the relevant pencil tip is propelled out ready for use. Down on the clear section of the body in the middle of the pencil, a black printed dotted line extends down from the slider and is labelled as “0.7 sharp”, “0.5 sharp” or “0.3 sharp” as appropriate. In a thoughtful touch, the width of the printed lines also varies, so the “0.7 sharp” printed line is much wider than the “0.3 sharp line. Sharp is of course the Japanese term for mechanical pencil. Once the chosen tip is extended out, you “click” the slider button down to operate the ratchet lead advance mechanism. To retract the tip back inside the pencil body you partially slide one of the other two slider buttons down and this triggers the spring loaded retraction mechanism.

The grip is slightly contoured, but its rather smooth and slippery feeling. It’s quite a lightweight pencil overall.

I’m not sure of the price of this pencil, but being a lightweight plastic Pentel it obviously won’t bust the bank, and would be an awful lot cheaper than something like a Rotring Trio or a Platinum multi pencil.

Now if only they could get a fourth pencil inside there, the 357+20?