--- title: "LACONIC Solid Write: The Award-Winning Clipless Pencil" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/laconic-solid-write/" description: "LACONIC Solid Write explained: the clipless 0.5 mm metal pencil that won the Bungu-ya-san Taishō 2026, 149 mm and 23 g, hex anti-roll ring, made in Japan." category: "Pencils" type: "Mechanical pencil" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-22 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 6 products: - name: "LACONIC Solid Write 0.5 mm mechanical pencil (SW-01)" brand: "LACONIC" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Japan" material: "Metal body with rubber coating; metal hexagonal ring" price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "LACONIC Co., Ltd. (株式会社LACONIC), Japan" model: "SW-01" url: "https://laconic-generalstore.jp/?pid=186096415" --- # LACONIC Solid Write: The Award-Winning Clipless Pencil > The LACONIC Solid Write (SW-01) is a clipless 0.5 mm mechanical pencil from the Japanese planner maker LACONIC: a 149 mm, 23 g metal body with a matte rubber coating and a hexagonal ring that stops it rolling. It won a Good Design Award in 2025 and the Bungu-ya-san Taishō 2026 grand prize, and costs ¥3,960 (about US$25) in Japan. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/laconic-solid-write/ - Category: Pencils - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-22 ![Black LACONIC Solid Write 0.5 mm mechanical pencil drawn to scale at 149 mm, with an inset of its hexagonal anti-roll ring](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/laconic-solid-write-16x9.png) *The Solid Write, 149 mm long (drawn at 1 mm = 5 px).* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | LACONIC Solid Write 0.5 mm mechanical pencil (SW-01) | LACONIC (by LACONIC Co., Ltd. (株式会社LACONIC), Japan) | Japan | Japan | Metal body with rubber coating; metal hexagonal ring | – | $$$: $20–75 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (LACONIC Solid Write 0.5 mm mechanical pencil (SW-01)): Japan. LACONIC's own store lists 生産国 日本 (country of production: Japan), and its award notices say 製造：日本. Source: https://laconic-generalstore.jp/?pid=186096415 ## Key takeaways - LACONIC lists the Solid Write at 149 mm (5.9 in) long, 9 mm across and 23 g, in metal, made in Japan. - It costs ¥3,960 (about US$25) in Japan, or ¥6,930 (about US$44) with a leather pen sheath. - It won a 2025 Good Design Award (announced October 16, 2025) and the Bungu-ya-san Taishō 2026 grand prize (February 2026). - There is no clip: a hexagonal metal ring near the grip keeps it from rolling off a desk. - On October 22, 2026, its Amazon.com import listing had 56 ratings and ranked No. 582 in Mechanical Pencils. ## What is the LACONIC Solid Write? **It is a clipless 0.5 mm metal mechanical pencil from LACONIC, a Japanese planner and stationery brand, and the grand-prize winner of the Bungu-ya-san Taishō 2026.** LACONIC sells it at ¥3,960 (about US$25), or ¥6,930 (about US$44) with a cowhide pen sheath. LACONIC says the name means what it was built for: "Solid" for a sure feel in the hand, "Write" for a design focused only on writing. The body is round, coated in matte rubber, with no clip. ## LACONIC Solid Write specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | LACONIC, Japan | | Model | SW-01 | | Lead | 0.5 mm, HB included | | Length × diameter | 149 mm × 9 mm (5.9 × 0.35 in) | | Weight | 23 g | | Material | Metal, rubber-coated | | Made in | Japan | | Japanese price | ¥3,960 (about US$25) | All figures are from LACONIC's store page and award notices. LACONIC doesn't publish a release date; it won the 2025 Good Design Award announced on October 16, 2025. ## Why did it win the Bungu-ya-san Taishō 2026? **Shop staff from 13 Japanese retailers picked it as the best stationery of the year, praising its balance and grip.** Fusosha announced the award on February 14, 2026, and Hands set up displays of the winners in its stores; see our [Bungu-ya-san Taishō 2026 winners](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/bungu-ya-san-taisho-2026-winners/) for the full list. The Good Design Award jury in 2025 said it combined a drafting pencil's function with "the beauty of subtraction," and praised the matte finish, the hold and the stability. ZenPop's review calls it refined and pleasant but restrained rather than revolutionary. ## Who is LACONIC? **LACONIC is a Japanese stationery brand known mainly for planners and paper goods, not pens.** Its news page is mostly diary launches, such as the 仕事計画 (work plan) diaries for 2026, and its LACONIC in Action series, which started with a diary in 2025. That is why the award surprised shop staff: Fusosha's head judge, Yoshinori Takagi, pointed out that LACONIC is not a pen maker. LACONIC's [In Action pen pouch](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/laconic-in-action-pen-pouch/) also won the pouch category of the same awards. LACONIC sells the pencil with an optional cowhide sheath and lists a repair service for it on its store. ## How does it compare with drafting pencils? **It is about as heavy as an all-metal drafting pencil but longer and clipless, with a soft rubber coat instead of knurling.** ![LACONIC Solid Write, rOtring 600 and Pentel Graph 1000 for Pro drawn to scale: 149, 142 and 145 mm; 23, 22 and 11 g](https://stationerytimes.com/images/laconic-solid-write-vs-drafting-pencils.svg) *The Solid Write beside two drafting pencils, lengths to scale.* | | Solid Write | [rOtring 600](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/rotring-600/) | [Pentel Graph 1000 for Pro](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-graph-1000-for-pro/) | |---|---|---|---| | Length | 149 mm | 142 mm | 145 mm | | Weight | 23 g | 22 g | 11 g | | Body | Rubber-coated metal, round | Metal, hexagonal | Plastic, metal tip | | Clip | None | Yes | Yes | Figures from LACONIC and our rOtring 600 and Graph 1000 for Pro guides. If you want a light, cheap pencil instead, the [Pilot AIRSTEP](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-airstep/) won't need many clicks; our [best mechanical pencils](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-mechanical-pencils/) compares more. The [KAYOU+ AIMVISION PRO](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kayou-aimvision/), the Bungu-ya-san 2026 mechanical-pencil winner, is a heavier brass drafting pencil at 26 g. ## Can you buy the Solid Write in the US? **Only as an import: Amazon.com has Japan-based sellers, and LACONIC's store ships abroad through ZenMarket.** On October 22, 2026, the Amazon.com listing had 56 ratings and ranked No. 582 in Mechanical Pencils. Import prices put it in our $$$ band ($20–75). LACONIC's own store showed it as restocking in December when we checked, a sign of demand after the award. ## Where is the Solid Write made? **In Japan, according to LACONIC's store page (生産国 日本) and its award notices.** LACONIC is a Japanese brand; the store doesn't name the factory. ## Frequently asked questions ### Why does the Solid Write have no clip? LACONIC left it off so nothing distracts from writing, and added a hexagonal metal ring instead to stop the round barrel rolling. The Good Design Award judges singled out the clipless, minimal form. ### How heavy is the LACONIC Solid Write? 23 g, per LACONIC, about the weight of an all-metal drafting pencil such as the rOtring 600 (22 g) and twice a plastic Graph 1000 for Pro (11 g). ### What lead does the Solid Write take? 0.5 mm lead; it ships with HB lead inside. LACONIC's store lists only the 0.5 mm model. ### Who makes the Solid Write? LACONIC, a Japanese stationery brand that also makes the 仕事計画 (work-planning) diaries. Fusosha's head judge noted that LACONIC is not a pen maker. ### Can I buy the LACONIC Solid Write in the US? Yes, through Japan-import sellers on Amazon.com, and LACONIC's online store ships abroad via the ZenMarket proxy. It was marked as restocking in December on LACONIC's store when we checked. ### Is the LACONIC Solid Write made in Japan? Yes. LACONIC's store lists the country of production as Japan. ## Sources - [LACONIC GENERAL STORE: Solid Write シャープペンシル 0.5mm SW-01 (¥3,960; 149 × 9 mm, 23 g, metal, made in Japan, HB lead; read October 22, 2026)](https://laconic-generalstore.jp/?pid=186096415) - [LACONIC news: Solid Write（ソリッドライト）が「2025年度グッドデザイン賞」を受賞 (October 16, 2025)](https://www.laconic.co.jp/cn4/news_2025_1016.html) - [LACONIC news: Solid Writeが「文房具屋さん大賞2026」大賞を受賞 (February 20, 2026)](https://www.laconic.co.jp/cn4/news_2026_0220.html) - [Fusosha: 文房具屋さん大賞 公式サイト (2026 winners)](https://www.fusosha.co.jp/special/bunbougu/) - [Amazon.com: Laconic Mechanical Pencil 0.5mm Solid Write SW-01 (Japan import; 56 ratings, No. 582 in Mechanical Pencils; read October 22, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F5B886DQ) - [ZenPop: LACONIC Solid Write Review](https://store.zenpop.jp/blogs/guide/laconic-solid-write-review)