I have to place this here, a terrific photo from @drifand that shows off a wide array of models in this type.
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I think I had all of them or very close to it (not sure about the first white one). Definitely the Platinum was the best, more compact one.
To the OP @Pdunc67, the Yasutomo NIJI Grip 500 had a later iteration with better plastics
There’s also a nice fully transparent version by OHTO (for their own OHTO Griper line). My favourite is still the old blue one — they get a really nice patina when the brightness of the plastic fades a bit. Or maybe the plastic isn’t always the same and it only occurs in the softer plastic ones:
I believe the colours/pigments in plastic don’t behave all the same way when exposed to daylight over the years and maybe the way they are exposed affects that too.
Edit: I now realise that the plastic on that pic I posted is different, it is a mute, matte, variation of the more shiny one (the shiny one is possibly older). Which means I sold the one I should have kept! Cr*p.
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Re: https://www.reddit.com/r/mechanicalpencils/s/kLSqdXMmZk
Hey - just a clarification- that’s not my post. Another Reddit user who happens to be a pencil collector got stuck with a nearly identical screen name. What are the chances?
Gary had DMd me about it earlier, and after reading the post I was completely confused.
I looked at the date, then the screen name (assumed it was mine) and read the post again, thinking “has my hobby spawned a second personality that is posting (rather well written) posts now, or maybe I’ve had a stroke and don’t remember posting this?!!? OMG”. 
Took me a few passes to realize what’s up.
Good luck guys. Sorry I couldn’t help
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That is hilarious.
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Holy Schnauzers
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I think I bougtht a bundle of six differently colored writolls . They were (are) brand new, and surprisingly well made. I believe I paid $20 for the bundle.
Edit: Sakura is a very hit or miss brand, but I’m always willing to risk a “miss” in pursuit of a possible “hit” by them.
That’s a really good score. SIX of them for just $20? If you have duplicates, sell on eBay or other venue and you basically make the remaining lot a free purchase.
The quality factor of this wide-mouth rubber grip ¥500~¥1000 pen or pencil design seems to vary a good bit across the brands. I’d heard Staedtler’s version was one of the least desirable due to materials and fitment deficiencies. The Sakura Writoll seems to be somewhere in the middle. My personal preference is the Platinum. It has a grooved hard plastic grip instead of a rubber grid covering and a steel collar at the front instead of translucent plastic. TOMBOW’s Protect is pretty good. It has a rather tight spring, compared to the OHTO Gripper that has hardly any resistance. I also like that the Protect is a double-knock, whereas the Gripper uses a clip press to retract (and it’s very sensitive, easy to accidentally tap it and retract). The Protect has a longer grip and is about 0.5" longer overall.
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While doing some image searching for mechanical pencil component diagrams, I happened upon a curious one… that right away I recognized as an OHTO Niji / Gripper mechanical pencil. I thought it might be fun to include it in this topic:
I was fascinated how the lead retainer is designed. They call it a “dispenser.”
Here’s the original link for more details: TeacherFreeman
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I have '90s double knock pencil made in Taiwan. I don’t know if this has anything to do with Yasutomo
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Nice! The blue rubberized grip is a novel thing.
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Yeah, that’s a pretty damned good deal all things considered. I believe they’re all used to a degree.
Yeah, if @Hammer_Jackson got nos, I’d take his deal over this after looking at it deeper. BUT…. Like you I prefer the Platinum solely because of the plastic grip. The Sunstar also has a plastic grip,
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