Generation Changes to the Pentel S5x Series Pencil

General Mechanical Pencil Discussion
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Here is the last article I am writing for inclusion in the next version of the Pentel Pencil Identification Book. Along with the “Possible Release Order of Early Pentel Stick Pencils” and “Types and Generations of the Pentel Eleven”, this new article “Generational Changes to the S5x Series” will be included.

Generational Changes to the S55.pdf (1.0 MB)

Please let me know if you see any issues, typos or have more information.

I am going to try to have the next version of the book out before Christmas, when I am off work.

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Here is a gen 1 S55 with a gold top with a frosted body. I can send a better picture later if you want one.

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I also some that may be gen 2 but have the sharper grip like the gen 1 S5x pencils. These have the 4mm tip thread. In fact, without removing the tip it is not at all easy to tell gen 1 from gen 2 pencils.

We know that Pentel never threw anything away so there is likely some blurring of the generations.

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Yes, it surprised me that my Gen 2 pencils did not have the sharper grip.

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more pencils to collect …
Season 2 Al GIF by Sony Pictures Television

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I have a question for anyone who has purchased any of this style S5x pencil (printed text, not stamped into the body). What country did you get them from?

S50 (Gen 5)
S50 (Gen 5)1920×429 158 KB

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i got one off of taobao… not sure if that counts but leaving this here in case it does :slight_smile:

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Side note… not on topic….

I really like your Maple Leaf Flag!

@Thomas obviously hires good idea people to come up with these good ideas! :zany_face:

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The main thing I am wondering, is if the printed pencils were export and the stamped domestic.

Thus, what country were they purchased from.

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I got my S57 w/o seal from Amazon USA way back.
S55 with seal from eBay UK - UK seller
S59 w/o seal from a trade with @DarkwingDuck

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Screenshot_20260211_175843_Buyee
Screenshot_20260211_175843_Buyee1080×935 181 KB

Domestic in the photo is believed to date from the 1980s.

Considering that domestic from that time also feature stamped markings, it appears that domestic continued to use stamped logos

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After thinking about this, I believe there are only 5 generations, but Generation 5 is split into Domestic (still stamped - what I call Gen 6 in the article) and Export (screen printed).

What really determines if it is Gen 5 is if it has a plastic reservoir instead of a metal one.

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Does anyone have one like in the picture above with the stamped body and the square label?

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I do.. what do you want to know?

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Could you check the date codes on those?

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I got mine from a Chinese seller on Ebay. It came from a lot with a “0K” date code (November 2000). Some of the photographs they’ve posted:

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Yes, these would be what I have come to believe to be Gen 5 Export models.

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IMG_0463
IMG_04631920×3272 1.52 MB

There’s no date on the S55

It does say “3 D” stamped into it though

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Okay, so the S59 is a Gen 4 (metal reservoir) from December 12, 1980.

But the S55 is a Gen 5 Domestic from April of 1983, 1993 or 2003.

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IMG_1016
IMG_10161920×2560 1.53 MB

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Now that I think about it, the 3D is probably 1993 or 2003. I believe the early 80’s still used the yymmdd format.