Sun-Star Toppel S Review: A Mechanical Pencil with an Unusual Twist

Introduction

Sun-Star Stationery keeps proving that a low price does not have to mean a recycled idea. Its newest mechanical pencil, the Toppel S, sells for a very modest 395 yen including tax, yet it introduces a mechanism you will not find anywhere else. That combination of experimentation and affordability is what makes this release worth a close look.

Sold bare at the store rather than in a box, the pencil immediately feels light in the hand. It launched in July 2023 as a mechanical pencil with a new lock mechanism, and the company leaned on existing multi-function pen parts to keep development costs down. For buyers, that means a genuinely new mechanism at a 300-yen-class price.

What Is the Toppel S?

The name comes from the knock mechanism itself, called the Toppel mechanism. Instead of pressing the top of the barrel with your thumb, you flick a notch near the grip with two fingers to extend the lead. It is a refreshingly different motion, and because your thumb does not need to travel back along the barrel, the action happens at a close, intuitive distance.

Color options are broad for such an affordable pencil: black, navy, red, white, blue, beige, mint, and violet. Only a 0.5mm lead is offered. In practice, though, the flick motion is harder to execute than it sounds. Supporting the barrel with the thumb while pulling with just the index and middle fingers requires more force than expected, and the barrel tends to slip, so your thumb ends up gripping hard to keep it steady. It is an interesting idea that needs refinement rather than a replacement for the classic knock.

Design and Build

Three different resins (ABS, AS, and PC) are used across the parts. The barrel carries only the product name, with no other printing, which keeps the look clean. The clip sits very close to the barrel with a minimal gap and feels slightly stiff, and it does not get in the way while writing.

The front metal section is resin, and there is no eraser under the cap because the Toppel mechanism occupies the grip area. Lead is loaded by unscrewing the front section and inserting leads directly into the tank. Two points worth noting: since this is a multi-function pen sharp mechanism, it accepts a maximum of two leads, and the lead capacity limit explains some of the writing quirks covered below.

The full length is 148mm with a 10mm barrel diameter and a weight of just 11g. The groove for the knocking mechanism sits right where your fingers land, but in practice it is not distracting and arguably improves grip by reducing slip.

Writing Experience

Writing itself is comfortable. The weight distribution feels natural for a pencil this light, the clip stays out of the way, and the grooved grip adds a touch of texture under the fingers.

The most serious issue is that the lead occasionally rotates under pressure. There is no mechanism that should cause this, yet when pressing on an angled lead tip, it can suddenly turn, forcing you to write with the flattened side of the lead. It happens fairly often, most likely because the multi-function pen sharp mechanism has a weaker chuck than a dedicated mechanical pencil. For a tool where the writing tip is the whole point, this is the biggest drawback of an otherwise well-priced experiment.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The strengths are easy to list: a genuinely new and fun knock mechanism, a light and easy-to-handle body, a wide color lineup, and an accessible price of 395 yen including tax.

The trade-offs are just as clear. The flick action is stiff and tiring over long sessions, the barrel can slip while you operate it, and the rotating lead issue undermines writing precision. The mechanism also has clear room to grow, which is either an invitation to wait or a reason to buy early and enjoy the novelty, depending on how you look at it.

Buying Advice

If you enjoy trying unusual mechanisms and stationery that breaks convention, the Toppel S is an easy, low-risk pick at this price. Its sense of play is exactly what the brand is known for, and the mechanism feels like a first draft of something that could improve over future generations.

If your priority is a refined, dependable writing experience for serious note-taking or drafting, the rotating-lead issue is a real reason to hesitate. A pencil whose tip changes behavior under writing pressure is hard to recommend as a primary tool.

Toppel S vs Graph Gear 1000

For context, a long-standing favorite comparison pencil, the Pentel Graph Gear 1000, sits in a completely different price class, so this is not a fair head-to-head on paper. In actual use, however, the Graph Gear 1000 wins comfortably: the chuck holds the lead firmly, the knock feels solid, and the overall execution is more mature.

That said, the Toppel S delivered the fun of trying something new, which is its own kind of value. The flick mechanism only recently arrived, and there is real room for it to evolve.

Conclusion

The Sun-Star Toppel S is a charming, very affordable experiment rather than a polished workhorse. At 395 yen including tax, it offers a novel flick-to-knock mechanism, a light 11g body, and a rich color range, with the rotating lead and stiff knock action as its main compromises. If a playful, unusual pencil at a low price sounds appealing, it is worth a try, and future versions of this mechanism look genuinely promising.