I’m not sure how to call this pattern: reverse grid, dashed? Anyway, I’ve got these two Sharbos that I’d like to know more about.
Externally they’re very similar to the original SB-P/SB-S models, the only difference (besides the colour) being that the clip is flat (the original had a groove for the lacquer). It’s difficult to ascertain but I think there’s no etching/engraving/machining at all on the body, the laquer is just applied on the surface.
Internally they’re also very similar to the orignal, with some differences in the amount of brass vs steel in the pencil component.
The thread for the eraser cover is golden instead of silver and it has a rubber o-ring.
I don’t know whether these differences are meaningful or if it’s just that my pens happen to sample different generations.
They don’t appear on the Sharbo timeline so I don’t know when were they introduced and discontinued. I was able to gather the following information from auction pictures:
- They originally sold for ¥3,000.
- Besides blue and green, there’s at least white, black and red.
- The model numbers I could identify are: SB-S6 (black), SB-S8 (red) and SB-S9 (green), raising the possibility that other colours exist.
That’s all I know and I’d be glad to learn more if you happen to have any information.
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I’ve seen the blue listed as SB-S7. I have also seen a white version but don’t know the number. As a general description, I would call it ‘color lattice pattern’.
I got a blue one because it reminded me of the OHTO Piston SP-15 
I went searching and found this text-only blog entry. The owner was trying to list all known Sharbo categories / lines but I don’t know how accurate his info might be. He placed these colored lattice models in the 5000 yen tier… which seems a bit high, and he did not have the model numbers for them as well. He described it as:
SHARBO 長方形格子カラー蝕刻
値段、品番不明 グリーンを確認
However, I don’t think ‘蝕刻’ is correct as there is no etching, just screen printing.
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From this auction the price is clearly visible so you’re right, 5,000 is too high.
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For the model you mentioned, I haven’t seen a direct description about its name or release time yet. But I think it’s quite reasonable to assume that it has the same release year as those in the first picture, all in 1984.
Personaly I call it wide/narrow stripe paint (not etching+coloring, not urushi/lacquer).
The model number from label is either SB-Sx or Sx. And the sequence is like this: From S1 to S5, wide stripe, Black, Blue, Red, Green, White; S6 to S10, narrow stripe, Black, Blue, Red, Green, White.
For model S11 and later ones, they look like the second group on the left, with black background and colored(some with pearl finish) striped paint. All of them are 3000 yen each. I know about seven of them ,maybe there are ten of them in total.
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Thanks a lot, that’s all I wanted to know and then some.
Nice set you’ve got. I have the steel plain and grid (cisele) 1+1 Sharbo models, but never got around to pickup up this one. There was one with a partial grid that looked interesting, including a built-in clock, but I didn’t wake up in time to check on my “low” bid. Someone else won it. It has an ¥8,000 price tag.
https://aucfree.com/items/g1181470537
There’s another clock version… and someone was willing to pay over ¥20,000 for it! Mint in box with papers, yes… but I’d seen mint examples without box going for a lot less.
https://aucfree.com/items/b466669519
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Ah, I use that pic from Twitter only to illustrate.
From S1 to S10, I only have a moderate interest in them. The prints look rather cheap, the colors are overly saturated, and the combination with polished stainless steel just doesn’t look right to me. I think I’ll just pick one each from the wide/narrow stripe and add it into my collection, to represent this pattern. I still haven’t decided which color to choose yet.
But I did get this one, S14, looks much better and you can easily tell it is of good quality when touching it.
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If you can buy one lower than 4000 yen, I’d say that’s a nice deal, especially when you can confirm the clock works before bidding.
Oh no, This one worth…barely nothing, like below 1000 yen on Yahoo auction. It’s called 2C Watch, 5000 yen and there’re 8 styles in total. (the same as the quantity of Sharbo Watch, but with slightly different patterns) It has some subtle differences from Sharbo Watch, such as the clip, the joint between the upper and lower rods, and the pattern at the joint is painted rather than etched.
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Thanks. I assume that the clock usually works unless the battery cells leaked. Button cells are usually good about not doing that, but in warmer temps… likelihood increases.
I’d seen the 2C a number of times, but auction closing prices would vary a lot. If originally ¥5000, kind of surprising that they’d frequently sell around ¥1000. Comparatively, how is the quality compared to the watch Sharbo? I don’t know if the jump to ¥8000 stickered was just a price increase or if there was more quality or improved design.
