Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd. (President: Junichi Fukushima, Headquarters: Kita-ku, Tokyo) will sequentially release three new “Field Gear Colors” for its 0.7mm pressurized ballpoint pen, AirPress (770 JPY/700 JPY excluding tax), at stationery stores and stationery sections nationwide starting May 28th.
The new colors are beige, blue-gray, and khaki. This brings the total number of colors to six, including the currently available full black, clear, and yellow.
AirPress is a pioneering ballpoint pen featuring a pressurized function that compresses air using the force of the click mechanism, applying pressure to a standard ballpoint pen refill to improve ink flow. Launched in 2008 it has enjoyed strong sales since 2020, driven by the outdoor lifestyle boom, and is now being strengthened with additional new colors.
AirPress was designed to withstand uses that ordinary ballpoint pens typically discourage, such as writing while standing (where writing pressure and angle fluctuate drastically), writing upwards (where ink may backflow and cause interruptions) (see example in the photo above), and writing on damp paper. This product is intended for various uses, including recording scores in traditional sports, field surveys, fishing catches and recording and communicating about outdoor activities such as camping, mountain climbing, castle tours, and barbecues. The body design features a robust 13.7mm diameter thick barrel that provides a non-slip grip even with gloves on, and a movable wire clip for secure attachment to pockets, etc.
AirPress features a built-in pressurize mechanism to enhance ink flow
Each click creates compressed air, pressurizing the ink in the refill. The mechanism works as follows: 1. The ballpoint pen refill is fixed in the pressurizing chamber unit. 2. Each click causes a piston (red part) to slide, pushing air into the pressurizing chamber (white part). 3. Compressed air at approximately 1.5 atmospheres (atmospheric pressure plus approximately 0.5 atmospheres) is applied to the refill. 4. Ink flow is enhanced.
This ensures sufficient ink supply even during fast writing, upward writing, and writing on damp paper, resulting in clear writing with less skipping. Releasing the click releases the pressure, returning the pen to normal. The pen is equipped with a black, 0.7mm standard ballpoint pen refill.
(Note) Under normal 1.0 atmospheric pressure the ink in oil-based ballpoint pens flows to the pen tip by gravity and transferred to the paper via the ball. When the pen tip is held upwards, gravity pulls the ink away from the ball, which can cause the ink to skip or air to enter the pen tip, potentially leading to poor writing. Additionally, writing too quickly can cause the ink supply to be unable to keep up, resulting in faded or smudged writing.
Thick body for consistent writing pressure, short for easy clicking
This pen features a thick body with a diameter of 13.7 mm, approximately 30% thicker than a typical office pen (standard 10 mm). The increased contact surface with the hand and fingers allows for consistent writing pressure resulting in clear lines and easy writing on pressure-sensitive paper. At 122 mm in length it’s about 20% shorter than a standard office ballpoint pen (around 150 mm), allowing for quick clicking and making it suitable for writing and quick notetaking in confined or crowded spaces.
The body has a two-layer structure with a hard resin surface coated with soft resin (elastomer), making it less slippery even with sweaty hands and allowing for writing while wearing gloves.
left：AirPress、right：a typical office pen
Features a movable metal wire clip that securely fastens
The wire clip measures 37 mm in length and 12 mm in width. Its consistent clamping force ensures a secure clip on both thin and thick materials. Opens up to 23mm and can attach to almost all clothing pockets, belts, notebooks, books, documents, clipboards, and more. The clipping point is positioned at the balance point of the clip’s weight, making it less likely to fall off even during vigorous movement. The clamping force does not weaken even with repeated opening and closing.
The tough ballpoint pen AirPress
Write while standing/upward
Write fast
Write on damp paper
AirPress retractable ballpoint pen now comes in 6 colors, with 3 new colors added.
Clear, full black, khaki, beige, blue-gray, and yellow.
The packaging has been renewed.
| Product name | Product number | color | Suggested retail price | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AirPress | BC-APN22 BC-APN42 BC-APN62 |
beige blue-gray khaki |
770 JPY （700 JPY excluding tax） |
May 28, 2026 |
*Total length 122mm, diameter 13.7mm (maximum), maximum diameter including clip and strap hole 20.1mm. Weight 15g.
*Dedicated ballpoint pen refill (part number BR-SF)
AirPress refills are 58mm in length. 0.7mm ball. Stainless steel tip. Writing distance is approximately 500 meters. Ink color is black. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price is 66 JPY per pen (60 JPY excluding tax).
