Cool Lamy Safari Alternative! The $25 Pentel Tradio is a rare, delightfully quirky & pleasant pen

What's strange about this pen? Despite saying "Japan" on the cap, it is indeed Made in France - and that's just the start.
While I wouldn't call this an objectively great value at $30, it is a fun, quirky, pleasant pen that is a very nice writer to boot. A solid Pilot Metropolitan, Twsbi Eco, Lamy Safari alternative if you're seeking something a bit different from the pack

[@paulwyand6204]

They make a plastic nibbed version as well. Pentel has had a French division since the early 90's and manufacture pens there.

[@buck-pucker]

I buy a lot of Chinese pens, warts and all, around the $20-40 price range. They scratch the itch for novelty (and sometimes something far more expensive). Nice to see that there still are some nice forgotten pens in the low end with household branding (and QC)

[@josephchan7942]

Thanks for your review! I bought a couple of them in the UK for less than £10 each. I love them. They write very well and your review is spot on. Thank you for your recommendation!

[@cb7560]

Thanks for a very interesting video. Three things going for it, which may appeal to some people: it writes a "western" medium line, has a more forgiving grip section than the very prescriptive one on the Safari and accepts international cartridges. Also, Pentel would not sully its brand reputation with a substandard pen. I would buy one. As far as fountain pens go, it is inexpensive.

[@paulmchugh1430]

Tis pen is fascinating. It is not distributed by the top three Japanese manufacturers. I don't think I have seen a Pentel fountain pen, or imprinted as Pentel. It is well worth further investigation. Does it come in any other size than a medium? The nib reminds me of a Schmidt nib. I wonder if it can be swapped. Thanks for the review.

[@kungnarkcharoen3255]

When I was in Thailand, wandering through the department store, I picked up a stub nib version of this pen. I believe it is a 2.1mm nib, but I am travelling at the moment, so I do not have the pen with me to verify. If I remember correctly, they have 3 stub versions, with 2.1 being the largest. It is supposed to be used for calligraphy. This pen is the largest stub nib I own, and it is quite fun in that aspect.

[@cb7560]

I also meant to add that I've seen a calligraphy nib version of this online - 1.4mm nib from memory.

[@user-gl5ld9vm7i]

Unique, strange, and delightfully quirky.

[@middleclassmotoring]

Never heard of this pen before. I see it’s $20 on Amazon…..tempted to try it….this channel is dangerous for my wallet!

[@seattlepenclub]

Cool! $20 is less than I paid. Seems prices vary a bit. When I bought mine 3 weeks ago, the black one was more expensive. Now it seems to be priced lower than the white one