The Pentel Tradio is a fountain pen that completes the set of Tradio pens which includes a rollerball and “Pulaman” which Pentel calls a fountain pen but is actually more of a felt-tipped marker. The Tradio fountain pen uses a short, steel nib and a large plastic feed. It’s a good looking pen but it’s entirely plastic.
The Tradio is a fine fountain pen but at $15 it finds itself in a highly competitive price category and alongside great fountain pens like the Pilot Metropolitan and Lamy Safari. Like all the other pens in this class, outside of Chinese fountain pens, it’s a cartridge converter with a snap-on cap and a steel nib.
Pentel’s steel nib is rather interesting. It’s short and stocky with an unusual look to it. The nib has a clear sweet spot and writes well in that spot but struggles otherwise. The Medium is quite wet, more like a Japanese broad and puts down a thick stream of ink. Pentel’s ink is vibrantly colors, but rather slow to dry.
One major perk of this pen — likely a result of Pentel not being a major fountain pen brand — is that the Tradio FP uses a standard international cartridge. It will accept both international short and long cartridges from any manufacturer.
Pentel Tradio Fountain Pen Information
| Street Price | Check Price |
| Manufacturer | Pentel |
| Pen Type | Fountain Pen | Cartridge/Converter |
| Rating | |
| Barrel Color | Yellow, Red, Light Blue, Light Green, Black, White |
| Barrel Material | Plastic |
| Body Diameter (mm) | 14.0 mm |
| Grip Color | Black |
| Grip Material | Plastic |
| Grip Diameter (mm) | 10.6 mm |
| Country of Origin | Japan |
| MSRP | $15 |
| Still Sold | Yes |
| Similar To | |
| Refills | |
| Capped? Retractable? | Capped - Snap On |
| Clip? | Plastic |
| Length Capped / Retracted (cm) | 14.2 |
| Length Posted (cm) | 15.8 cm |
| Length Uncapped (cm) | 12.9 cm |
| Weight (g) | 14 grams |
| Refillable | Yes |
| Ink Color Shipped | Blue |
| Nib Material | Steel |
| Nib Color | Silver |
| Nib Sizes | Medium Nib |