Continuing this thread: Fuji Corona & Manufactum… by OHHIRA
I found this pen and pencil set on Mercari earlier this year. (Photos from listing).
I had a chance to unbox it this week. Here is the pencil:
The box by ‘Center’ is doubtful, in my opinion. The font and satin interior makes me think it is more than a couple decades old. So… I am not sure who this set was produced for, but I assume it was made by Ohhira.
The clip style may predate the TZ-PSP. The crimped metal anchor clips feel like a 70s-90s thing, with some hold-overs into the ‘00s. @drifand’s Ohhira set appears to have the same clip but differs in other respects.
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Nice catch! This color scheme almost feels Korean! I think Center may have been a simple in-house brand to make gift sets more presentable or appear to have some neutral / western branding.
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I can see that. The Hallmark style cases with ‘Center’ branding could have been produced decades earlier and used for any gift set model at random.
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Gorgeous set! I like how the BP and MP share the same colorway theme but have very different nosecones (often sets will be designed to try making the BP and MP look nearly identical). How’d you end up finding that? Was it just browsing serendipity or were you looking for certain criteria that happened to hit?
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Good question. I was looking for TZ-PSP and seller listed it as a comparable to ‘TZ-PSP’. Since the seller knew its pedigree, it was not cheap. But since it was an obscure version I hadn’t seen before and didn’t expect to see again, I thought it was worth it.
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Was it on Mercari?
While some great deals can still be periodically had on Mercari, I have to say that over the past 3~4 years there’s been a large uptick in sellers asking for premium prices on their vintage writing instruments. And they support each other… by adding likes.
So there’s not even a trace of a brand anywhere? Not like a label was worn off? It’s very curious. But your instincts were right – this is a colorway that looks very unusual and probably won’t be seen again for a very long time!
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Yes, Mercari. With persistence, I find some good deals, but this was not one of them. 
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I rarely overpay… but sometimes it happens simply because I’m just way too tired of waiting OR… it’s something I fear may not come back again for a very long while. The Mitsubishi Uni all steel 2mm holder was one. I paid over market, but since then.. I’ve only seen one other and while it closed lower, it was in rather used shape (black striped and paint faded).
Blah. That Uni is too hard to find. The one with uni on the cap, right?
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Yep, that’s the one. It was pretty findable for under ¥20,000 depending upon condition just a few years ago, with only a couple that went higher for mint with sticker. I think I paid ¥24,000 for mine (no sticker).
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I have looked pretty hard for it. No dice.
But I did pick up an all metal Lamy 2000 for $102.50 at auction. Felt pretty good about that.
All metal has been your mode for a long time, right? I recently have leaned that way but it is somewhat subconscious. They tend to be the more premium items anyway so I fancy them, but the advantages of durability, chemical resistance, UV resistance, heat resistance, etc. are all real benefits.
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Ah, the LAMY 2000 in brushed stainless. Only available in 0.7 mm I believe. I bought a brand new one from a LAMY USA site back when they had a closeout sale. I got it for about $60 shipped. Once I received it I was impressed so I went to order another and it was sold out. It’s really distinctive.
About all metal… I tend to prefer it, but not mandatory. It depends upon the model. I really don’t like the plastic bodied KOKUYO Mistral. Much better in all metal. But the aluminum ones feel a bit too light. I like the heavier stainless steel. You should get a KOKUYO PS-100. It’s the most luxurious minimalist mechanical pencil I’ve tried thus far. Just a super smooth mechanism, plus a body-knock to boot.
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When you are ready to unload a black or silver PS-100, let me know!
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