I will recall the most “crack-able” model, Pentel PS1042/1045, which has a thin-walled metal barrel that is as crispy as my potato chips.
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I have 2 boxed Artline Shachihata pencils with instruction sheet (well, now 1 because I’ve sold the other off) and figured I’d post a copy of it for anyone who might have this pencil:
I got curious about what the Kanji words actually say, so I extracted the text, pasted it into a clean image file, and ran it through OCR. Here’s the result:
Artline Sharp Pencil
How to make a mechanical pencil
Extend the body completely, then press and bend the center of the body as shown in the picture to expose the lead. (To return the lead, lightly press the base and it will return to its original position.)
*Do not apply more force than necessary.
While bending the body, remove the lead.How to refill the mechanical pencil
As shown in the figure, turn and remove the front holder, then pull out the lead case cover
Refill with replacement leads (0.5 mm). (You can refill up to 5 leads.)
Shachihata Kogyo Co., Ltd. 2-12-10 Nagono, Nishi-ku, Nagoya 451
Well, I think we have our mystery solved. While “Artline” is the inscribed brand, the pencil was actually made by the Shachihata Kogyo company, hence the use of it in the name. So, not just a model name but a nod to the maker as well.
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I always had the impression that Artline was a brand owned by Shachihata… so if Shachihata has the industrial chops to make these body knocks, could they also be an OEM for Kokuyo?
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Thanks – I think that actually makes more sense. “Artline” as a Shachihata sub-brand. But it’s a bit strange… how “Shachihata” isn’t imprinted or engraved anywhere. Maybe it’s a marketing philosophy similar to what BMW did with MINI (the MINI doesn’t have a BMW logo outwardly displayed or any BMW labeling inside the vehicle).
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Here’s a different Shachihata Artline - now i’m confused 
Actually, I think this helps clear things up. They put Shachihata first, which is the maker, and Artline is the product line. Artline had many different models. The telescoping body-knock series didn’t seem to have a designated name, for some reason.
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My KOKUYO Mistral (only metal) collection, adjacent to some Artline Shachihata MPs. Note the one on the far left is not a MP, but instead a BP. It telescopes like the Artline, where full extension deploys the refill, and body contraction retracts it.
Sadly, I’m missing a few… namely the PS-4 with naked engraved grid and PS-3 with black etched lines. And I don’t have any of the plastic bodied ¥1000 or ¥700 models (just don’t care for their appearance). I did manage to get the PS-100 and PS-102 in duplicates with boxes, though.
My favorite? Probably the PS-100, simply for the clean, understated look and great mechanism. But the PS-102 is a close second. It’s “blingy” but there’s something kind of magical about how it glistens and works so smoothly.
I do not know anything about years of production, even when the Mistral was first released. Today, KOKUYO is a multi-domain international corporation whose focus is predominantly large office products such as furniture. From 1914 to 1961, it was known as “Kuroda Kokkodo” company. In 1961, it officially changed to Kokuyo Co, Ltd. And then later in 2011, Kokuyo acquired a majority ownership in Camlin Ltd. located in India, which is a stationery and writing instrument manufacturer. However, it appears Camlin produces paints, inks, papers, brushes, and such, but not mechanical pencils. So I believe all pencils have been made by Kokuyo Co. Ltd. Japan.
The “Cross Century” Mistral appears to have been a revival of the older discontinued Mistral, and was likely produced in the early 2000’s, then discontinued not that long ago (maybe 5~10 years?).
I don’t own one of these, but from what I’ve seen (video reviews), it appears to be well made and for $10~15 was a pretty serious bargain.
Curiously, the rOtring “Side Knock” (I take exception… should be “Body Knock”, but “Side” was probably chosen for marketing reasons), looks so much like the last model KOKUYO Mistral that I suspect rOtring outsourced the production to KOKUYO.
Given how the rOtring Side Knock is well made, I suspect so is the last Mistral. Still, it’s a bit on the thin side. There’s something more satisfying about the wider grip of vintage Mistral models.
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Never liked the PS 1s too much because of that cut on the clip… Too damn literal interpretation of “Mistral”. It’s just annoying: oh it’s about “wind” so I’m gonna cut the clip just a little bit… like the wind just passed through… how smart do I look in a 0 — 10 scale?
come on!
I like the PS 2 much better, normal clip, solid pencil with a nice heft.
Pure quality nevertheless in much of what Kokuyo did, except that “explaining” thing.
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For me, my obsession is finding ANY matching ballpoint and the PS-20 desk pencil. I was hoping the desk pen would also be a body knock but no, it’s just a longer tapered pen with a permanently exposed writing tip.
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I agree, there’s something quite nice about having matching writing instruments like that.
Weird and disappointing about the PS-20 ballpoint not functioning with a body-knock, and is just fixed. Btw, why do you think the PS-20 shot up so much on the used market? [LINK]
PS-20… just scarcity, I guess. And desirability. I’m thinking folks who are serious about completing the Mistral series might have left this one to last and don’t really hold back for that one last bid.
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I have a couple of mistrals as well as the rotring century-like model and I’m convinced that rotring outsourced to kokuyo, or both outsourced to some oem. The mechanisms are identical as best I can tell; I love disassembling mechanical pencils but I haven’t figured out how to take these apart at the joint. But parts like the lead reservoir cap are interchangeable.
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I think you’re probably right, after my having chatted with Dave (Dave’s Mechanical Pencils, @Kiwi-d) who had met a representative from Kotobuki Co. Ltd. Japan. They’ve made mechanical pencil mechanisms for most of the big writing instrument brands. So even Kokuyo may have outsourced the Mistral mechanisms, which is why the last Mistral release looks and feels identical to the rOtring Side-Knock.
By the way, did you know there’s a hidden eraser on it?
Incidentally, I’m away from home at the moment… and I’d forgotten to check on my rOtring Side-Knock. I had tried to twist the end cap, but it didn’t budge. But I failed to try again with some grip assist (rubber swatch).
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WOW - did not know that!
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I did, but only because I expected it after seeing that my PS-3 had one.
There is a variant without the eraser. Instead, there is a small LCD clock. I have been pondering pulling the trigger on this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/156223997612
I’m not sure but I think the battery resides in the cap, judging from the contacts on the edge of PCB (and because it doesn’t look like it’s meant to be extracted).
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“Fingerflick”?
Something else has to be going on there. I was recently running and dropped my pilot 2103… (terrified), I picked it up to find its knock better.
Has anyone HERE had their Pilot WKnock crack/break???
This series of Mistral was my introduction to body knocks. I ordered a silver pencil and a champagne gold pen through the now defunct pencils.co.jp store. Definitely one of my milestones towards seeking out vintage examples.
Kokuyo also released some gaudily colored versions through their sub-brand Orobianco. A real wasted opportunity.
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Hello! The body knock mechanism was invented by a Japanese company called KATO METAL, which also handles OEM production.
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Hi and welcome to Knockology! Can you share more about Kato Metal?
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