A Ball-point Pen in a Pencil Casing.

The Japanese firm of OHTO has been making writing instruments since 1929. In the course of its history it's made a point of bringing out unusual innovations – like Japan's first-ever ball-point pen in 1949. It looked like a pencil: its body, with the typical steel ball-point, was cased in yellow-coated cedar-wood cut in the classic hexagonal shape. The tip was not retractable and came with an aluminium protective cap. This classic writing instrument is light as a feather, runs easily and has a fine tip making it highly suitable for tables, graphs and close work in general, in addition of course to ordinary writing. The Auto Pencil we offer here is a faithful re-make of its historic ancestor and – we freely admit – does not fit into the modern world of 're-fill cartridges'. We find it a fascinating link in the evolutionary chain from pencil to ball-point. It comes in a double-pack: one to write with, one for your collection!