I think I started too late for my PA5 chase? The prices have gone over 4000 JPY a piece when I used to hesitate at 2500 (lol)… and so I’d always put off the black model in favor of the colorful ones. But the one that always seemed to get away was the light blue model, which tends to suffer from visible sun damage and yellowing.
I guess I’m just going to stop and be grateful for the two clones from SAINTOGRAPH that I found in a dusty Singapore stationery shop several years ago. Just like the PA5, the metal grip feels just a bit chintzy and lacks the cutout for the lead hardness display on the later Graphlet 500, and the tip is the same half metal embedded in plastic.
Even stranger? The text markings seem to be using the official Pentel fonts (check out the ‘0.5’ for example). And lastly, the clips have ‘Pentel Japan’ stamped on them.
So what was the deal? I’ve known SAINTOGRAPH as a math instruments brand from my student days in the 1980s, but it was only in the last 7-8 years when I found the model 707 that I discovered that they also made mechanical pencils. Online searches come up empty… If anyone knows more, please share! 
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Well, here’s what Chat GPT turned up:
SAINTOGRAPH is a house brand of Popular Sports Trading Company, a Singapore stationery, art-materials and sporting-goods wholesaler:
“Since 1977, Popular Sports Trading Co is a leading importer and wholesaler of a wide range of stationery, Chinese calligraphy writing materials, art and craft supplies, technical-drawing instruments, musical and sporting items etc in Singapore with our house brands SAINTOGRAPH, HANDIBERG & MIKATONE.”
Since the PA5 dates to 1981(?), and the Graphlet took over in 1982, perhaps Pentel re-labeled and sold off the remaining PA5 stock to SAINTOGRAPH?
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Do they? @DarkwingDuck’s Saintograph has “Pencil” on the band of the clip, not “Pentel”. I can’t see beyond the “n” in your photo.
I have never heard of these nor the other one that Allen has in his photo. But, once I acquired all 6 PA5’s, I stopped looking.
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I also see the clip is ever so slightly different on the two non-Pentels (but the same for both). They are folded slightly differently on the end, and also where it comes off the band.
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My Saintograph came from @drifand . This one does not say Pentel on it.
……I still need a crimson PA5, it’s yet to show up at all for me.
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I wish but that looks like the magenta one to me
I’ve never seen one in person but I imagine it matches the non repro
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You are probably looking for the second from the left.
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Unfortunately, we don’t have an official list of colors. The only catalog I have that has this is the 1982 US catalog, and it only lists the Black.
I designated these as (L to R)
A Black / B Red / C Navy Blue / D Green / S Sky Blue / V Purple-Violet
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I call them
Black/crimson/Navy blue/turquoise/baby blue/Magenta
Potayto Potahto
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