Left Hook Pens

Somebody told me that you had a ballpoint, that looked like a pencil, that I had in February of last year.

It’s not confidential, it’s got potential, a-rushin’ in rushin’ arooOuund.

For real though, the Sakura Retrico Ballpoint looks a lot like a Pentel P205 mechanical pencil. They both have similarly geometrically ribbed grip sections, and they both have similarly tactile click mechanisms. The P205 is longer though, the grip section has more of a taper, the entire body is faceted, and the clip is different. That’s it for the P205, you’ll see her again soon.

The Sakura Retrico is a simple ballpoint with a retro aesthetic and a 0.4mm needle tip. I got mine in maroon, but it’s available in other colors like navy and forest green. This pen has silver accents, with a robust folded stainless steel clip. As mentioned before, the click mechanism on the Retrico feels very nice to use, and it sounds good. The aluminum clicker in combination with the clip backweight the pen though, which might feel awkward if you write at a low angle. While most pens with a click mechanism have a loose knocker when the tip is out, it isn’t usually bothersome because the knocker is usually plastic, but the Retrico has an aluminum knocker and it can be a little annoying with it sliding around if you happen to rotate your hand back.

The refill for the Retrico performs in between an Ohto needlepoint ballpoint, and a Uniball Jetstream Edge. In other words, this refill writes a more precise line than the Ohto, but not as crisply or smoothly as a Jetstream or an Acroball. The Retrico writes a light line under its own weight, and takes medium pressure to write a decently dark line. The below photo compares different ballpoints and how they write at light and medium pressure on a Doane Paper memo pad:

Overall, I like the Sakura Retrico. My experience with Japanese oil-based ballpoints is limited, but this one is quite satisfying to write with. I’ve come to really appreciate pens that can both write small and legibly with minimal pressure, and while the Retrico has the lightest line on my test page, the line is still consistent and precise. The tip has yet to feel blobby and pasty like some ballpoints can (lookin’ at you Ohto needlepoint), so we’ll see how the ink holds up over time.

I purchased this pen from St. Louis Art Supply for $5.95 USD, but they’re also available at Tokyo Pen Shop. The Retrico is also available as a mechanical pencil in bright and pastel colors from Tokyo Pen Shop in 0.3 and 0.5mm leads.