A double dose of chunky clips! A vintage Tombow stainless steel ballpoint and a Newman with golden accents.
Based on the original refill, I believe the Tombow is from 1977. The clip block is, I believe, designed as an abstract ‘T’ and features black enamel paint filling in the negative space. Very solid feeling and the clicker feels perfectly fine after nearly 60 years. I’ve replaced the refill with a Zebra F0.7.
The Newman is a 1500 yen executive model, with a fine grid etching on the steel body. The golden (I hesitate to say gold-plated) accents are found on the cone and clip-block. When viewed from the top/back, the block reveals an elongated octagon profile.
In use, the mechanism feels fine, not harsh or mushy as some mechanisms do in older Newmans. There is also very little wobble. My last pic shows the inner profile of the block/button and you can see the machining used to give the plug a wider diameter near the top, thereby reducing clearance and wiggle room. Even the reservoir tube is machined with 2 flange rings that reduce internal wobble and act as a stopper for the button.
My wish now is to find out more about the Tombow, and maybe someday locate the accompanying MP. The Newman… will probably remain anonymous unless a miracle catalog surfaces.
What .mm is the Spalding? I’ve always avoided their pencils believing they had been cheaply made (given the quality of all other products I’ve experienced).
Have I been incorrect?
Also, are you able to compare it to another MP design that is comparable?
Thank you for sharing/responding. I love discovering new pencils.
Spalding and A.G. Spalding & Bros branded pens and pencils are made by Raymay / Reimei Fujii. The quality is good, definitely suited to executive level finishing. They have a particular design that has been produced in plastic, aluminum, brass and wood. I don’t expect these to rise in value, but I’m happy to have them in my collection.
I second that: on average, the feeling in the hand is nice, and the writing experience is pleasant. Their brass pencil, for instance, is quite substantial and heavy, and its rear cap is notoriously flimsy, but it is a cool desk piece. Quite the opposite, some of their aluminum MP’s are very light, stubby and fun, and work well as daily writers. They also made a black, short clutch holder for 3.2mm “large” lead cores with smooth, cylindrical body, which really echoes the Kaweco Sport leadholders.
We are obviously far from the levels of excellence achieved by other manufacturers and specific models discussed on this site, but I consider their basic sets worth a try.