--- title: "Pentel Pulaman JM20: The 1979 Plastic-Point Pen" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-pulaman/" description: "Pentel Pulaman (JM20) explained: the 1979 plastic-point pen with a 0.4–0.7 mm line, 142 mm and 11 g, three Japan colors plus six 2019 colors, and US prices." category: "Pens" type: "Felt-tip pen" published: 2026-10-29 updated: 2026-10-29 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 5 products: - name: "Pentel Pulaman pen (JM20-AD), black ink" brand: "Pentel" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Polypropylene barrel and cap; POM (acetal) point, holder and color indicator; iron clip (Pentel, 2019)" released: "1979" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "ASTRUM Corporation (Tokyo), called Pentel Co., Ltd. until April 1, 2026; Pentel remains the brand" model: "Pulaman" mpn: "JM20-AD" gtin: "4902506350411" url: "https://www.pentel.co.jp/products/sign_pen/plaman/" --- # Pentel Pulaman JM20: The 1979 Plastic-Point Pen > The Pentel Pulaman (JM20, sold in Japan as the Plaman) is a disposable capped pen whose flexible plastic point writes like a soft fountain pen. Pentel gives a 0.4 to 0.7 mm line, 142 mm length and 11 g. It launched in 1979, won a Long Life Design Award in 2017 and lists at ¥242 (about US$1.50) in Japan. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-pulaman/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-29 - Updated: 2026-10-29 ![Pentel Pulaman JM20 drawn to scale at 142 mm with a shrimp-brown body, long metal clip and blue ink indicator, with an inset of the plastic point](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/pentel-pulaman-illustration-16x9.png?v=0824ddd9) *The JM20 at Pentel's 142 mm, drawn at 1 mm = 5 px; the body is drawn in a representative maroon tint.* Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times. 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) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pentel Pulaman pen (JM20-AD), black ink | Pentel (by ASTRUM Corporation (Tokyo), called Pentel Co., Ltd. until April 1, 2026; Pentel remains the brand) | Japan | Not stated | Polypropylene barrel and cap; POM (acetal) point, holder and color indicator; iron clip (Pentel, 2019) | 1979 | $: under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Pentel Pulaman pen (JM20-AD), black ink): Not stated. Pentel Japan's product page and its 2019 release give sizes, materials and prices but no country of manufacture, and Yoseka, bungu.store and The Journal Shop don't state one. Search snippets for two US shop listings (St. Louis Art Supply, Boston General Store) said Japan, but both pages returned 404 when we opened them on October 29, 2026, so we couldn't confirm it. ## Key takeaways - Pentel Japan gives a 0.4 to 0.7 mm line width and a ¥242 (about US$1.50) list price including tax for each JM20. - Pentel's 2019 release lists the body at 142 × 15 × 11 mm (5.6 in long) and 11 g, with a polypropylene barrel and cap and an iron clip. - Pentel launched it in 1979, and it won a Long Life Design Award in 2017 for a design unchanged since then. - Pentel Japan lists three inks (black, red, blue); six more colors came as a 40th-anniversary limited run on September 10, 2019. - It is a single-use pen: Pentel says it isn't refillable, unlike the Tradio Pulaman, which takes MLJ20 cartridges. ## What is the Pentel Pulaman? **It is Pentel's original plastic-point pen from 1979: a slim capped pen whose plastic point flexes like a soft fountain pen nib.** Pentel Japan sells it as the Plaman, model JM20, and describes a point that combines the ease of a pen with the feeling of a fountain pen. The body is a reddish brown that Pentel calls ebicha (shrimp brown), with a long metal clip and an ink-colored indicator at the end. It is the plain, disposable sibling of the refillable [Pentel Tradio Pulaman](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-tradio-pulaman/). ## Pentel Pulaman specs **Pentel publishes the line width, size, weight and materials, so most of the table comes straight from the maker.** The sizes are from Pentel's 2019 release; prices are tax-included list prices. | Spec | Pentel Pulaman (JM20) | |---|---| | Line width | 0.4 to 0.7 mm (Pentel Japan) | | Ink | Water-based dye (bungu.store); Yoseka says water-based | | Size | 142 × 15 × 11 mm (5.6 × 0.6 × 0.4 in), including the clip | | Weight | 11 g (Pentel); bungu.store lists 12 g | | Materials | Polypropylene barrel and cap; POM point, holder and indicator; iron clip | | Japan colors | Black (JM20-AD), red (JM20-BD), blue (JM20-CD) | | Refillable | No, single-use (Pentel Japan) | | Japanese list price | ¥242 (about US$1.50) | | First released | 1979 | ## How does the plastic point work? **A thin plastic rod carries the ink, and an arrowhead-shaped holder around it gives the point its spring.** Pentel's 2019 release says ink reaches the tip through many tiny pores by capillary action, and that the rod is cut fine so it writes in every direction. Under pressure the tip splits slightly into two, so it still writes when the pen is held low. Pentel also made the upper and lower halves of the holder different lengths, so the point flexes differently depending on which way up you hold it. ![Schematic of the Pulaman point: a thin plastic rod between a longer upper and shorter lower plastic holder, line 0.4 to 0.7 mm](https://stationerytimes.com/images/pentel-pulaman-nib.svg?v=92f76135) *The point as Pentel describes it, drawn as a schematic, not to scale. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.* ## Why did Pentel make it? **To make fountain-pen-style writing cheap and easy for everyone.** Pentel says that around 1970 fountain pens were costly tools used by a few, so it developed a plastic fountain pen with a lower barrier. Pentel's page says the writing feel and design have stayed the same since the 1979 launch. That unchanged design won a Long Life Design Award in 2017, which bungu.store lists as part of the Good Design Award. ## What colors does it come in? **Three in Japan today, and nine at some overseas shops, because of a 2019 anniversary run.** Pentel Japan's product page lists black, red and blue only. For the 40th anniversary, Pentel shipped six limited ink colors from September 10, 2019: burgundy, blue black, olive green, dark gray, turquoise blue and sepia. Yoseka and The Journal Shop sell all nine, and Yoseka says the six became regular colors in March 2020. Yoseka's own stock codes mark those six as discontinued, so we treat them as old stock. ## How does it compare with the Tradio Pulaman? **The JM20 is the simple disposable pen; the Tradio is a dressier refillable body around a similar plastic point.** Both write 0.4 to 0.7 mm, per Pentel Japan. | | Pulaman JM20 | Tradio Pulaman TRJ50 | |---|---|---| | Refill | None, single-use | MLJ20 cartridge with point | | Length | 142 mm (Pentel) | 144 mm capped (JetPens) | | Weight | 11 g (Pentel) | 15 g (JetPens) | | Japanese list price | ¥242 (about US$1.50) | ¥605 (about US$3.80) | If you want a flexible point but a sharper, firmer brush feel for lettering, our [Pilot Fude-Makase](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-fude-makase/) guide covers a hard-tip brush pen at the same length. For a plain felt-tip with no flex, see the [Pentel Sign Pen](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-sign-pen/). ## Where is it made, and what does it cost? **Pentel doesn't say where the JM20 is made, and no retailer page we could open states it.** Search results showed two US shop listings that said Japan, but both pages had been taken down when we checked. On October 29, 2026, Yoseka listed it at US$3.50 in nine colors, and bungu.store at ¥550 (about US$3.50). We couldn't read JetPens or Amazon, which block our tools. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the Pentel Pulaman a fountain pen? Not a true one. Pentel calls it a plastic fountain pen, but the point is plastic and the water-based ink sits in a sealed body, so there is no metal nib, converter or bottle. ### Can you refill a Pulaman JM20? No. Pentel Japan's page says the JM20 is a single-use pen. For a refillable version, the Tradio Pulaman takes MLJ20 cartridges that carry a fresh point. ### Are the Pulaman's six extra colors still made? Pentel Japan now lists only black, red and blue. Yoseka says the six 2019 colors became regular in March 2020, but its own stock codes mark all six as discontinued, so expect them to sell out. ### Is the Pulaman good for drawing? Pentel says the line changes from thin to thick with the angle of the point, and its fan pages quote artists who sketch with it. We haven't tested it ourselves yet. ### What does Pulaman mean? Pentel's Japanese name is Plaman, and Pentel calls it a plastic fountain pen; Yoseka says Pula is short for plastic. Shops in English spell it Pulaman, and Yoseka notes it is also sold as the Stylo. ### How much does a Pulaman cost? Pentel Japan lists it at ¥242 (about US$1.50) including tax. In the US it sits in our $ band (under $5). ## Sources - [Pentel Japan (Japanese): Plaman product page (JM20-AD, -BD, -CD; line 0.4–0.7 mm; ¥242 with tax; JAN 4902506350411, 350428, 350435; single-use; 1979 launch; 2017 Long Life Design Award; read October 29, 2026)](https://www.pentel.co.jp/products/sign_pen/plaman/) - [Pentel Japan news (Japanese): Plaman 40th-anniversary limited ink colors, September 10, 2019 (six colors, PP/POM/iron, W15 × D11 × H142 mm, 11 g, point construction)](https://www.pentel.co.jp/news/20190910/) - [Yoseka Stationery: Pentel Pulaman Pen (nine colors, JM20 stock codes with six marked discontinued; read October 29, 2026)](https://yosekastationery.com/products/pentel-pulaman-pen) - [bungu.store: JM20 Pulaman Fountain Pen Marker / Pentel (142 × 15 × 12 mm, 12 g, PP/POM/iron, three colors, yen price)](https://bungu.store/products/jm20-tradio-pulaman-fountain-pen-marker-pentel) - [The Journal Shop: Pentel Pulaman Plastic Fountain Pen (nine colors including the 40th-anniversary set)](https://www.thejournalshop.com/products/pentel-pulaman-pen)