I have to say, I like it with the wabi-sabi. Nice patina of usage. Looks so good!
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THIS is how I thought the brass version would be. The original finish was sooooo shiny!
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I have a brass one next to my desk, and I take it out and scribble with it from time to time but lately I’ve been kind of obsessed with automatics. (Since the start of the year I’ve been using a TK-matic L recently acquired on the amazingly cheap. I just love this thing.)
It’s very slowly acquiring trace amounts of a patina, but I don’t use it enough to have anything to show off yet. I’m looking forward to it, though!
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It’s a gorgeous pencil. I don’t know what was the original MSRP… but I’d venture it was at least 20% more than the plastic bodied version. Faber Castell really hit a home run with that design. The alphamatic is also a wonderful pencil. What was your score venue for getting one on the cheap? Was it on eBay? I’ve seen some deals come up from time to time there. But lately it’s pretty rare. Someone paid $300 USD for a mint in box 9725L.
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I remember reading somewhere that the plastic TK was 5000 yen at MSRP and the L version was 7000 yen.
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I know that the green TK-matic was sold in the USA. I’d seen it in a display case of an art supplies store. I cannot remember the price, but I remember that next to the rOtring 600 it was MUCH more expensive. At least 3 times more costly. It remained inside a locked clear plastic swivel display case. I was about 17 at the time (I was still in high school) and had requested of the sales person to see the TK-matic. He was probably in his 40’s or 50’s and he gave me a very serious look as he reluctantly took it out and slid over a test pad of paper. I drew a few shapes with it, then some lettering. “Shall I ring it up?” he asked rather coldly (expecting I wasn’t going to buy it). I remember telling him that I’ll think about it upon which he took it back, cleaned it off and locked it up in the case again. So yeah, he sized me up and knew I probably wasn’t going to buy it myself. Maybe he figured I’d be pleading with my parents who might later buy it for me. 
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