Zebra Co., Ltd.
Cumulative sales of the series exceeded 50 million units! A new 5-function pen is now available in the “Blen” series that offers a stress-free writing experience. “Bren 4+S” will be released on February 29th with a seamless design and compact size that makes it easy to carry with 5 functions.
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Zebra Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo / President and CEO: Taro Ishikawa) will release the 5-function pen “Blen 4+S”, which controls the vibrations that occur when writing and does not shake, nationwide from February 29, 2024 (Thursday). It will be sold at stationery stores.
The Blen series is a new ballpoint pen that uses a unique mechanism called the Blen System to control the vibrations (shaking) that occur when the pen tip comes into contact with paper when writing, thereby creating a stress-free writing experience. Since its release in 2018, its writing comfort and seamless design have won the support of many users, and cumulative sales of the series have exceeded 50 million units. (Zebra shipment record as of November 2023)
The “Blen 4+S” to be released this time is a 5-function type that is popular among working adults and includes a 4-color ballpoint pen + mechanical pencil in one. An increasing number of people are managing multiple things in their lives, such as work, hobbies, family, and other pursuits. Since there are 5 functions, you can color code them and write them all in one book.
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/6581/208/resize/d6581-208-5b9bff3a4c3d3311e7d3-0.jpg&s3=6581-208-c89e643c374a3811bec39e914ba10079-3900×3466.jpg] “Blen 4+S” Price: 1,100 yen (1,000 yen excluding tax) Multi-functional pen Ballpoint pen: Emulsion ink black, red, blue, green Ball diameter: 0.5mm/0.7mm Mechanical pencil core diameter: 0.5mm
Shaft color: Total 8 colors (details below) Replacement lead: SNC-0.5/0.7 lead (green ink is newly released)
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/6581/208/resize/d6581-208-a7058809d39432d5d12e-1.jpg&s3=6581-208-a50e99fa86816488f67ec1cc7b778909-1500×1125.jpg]
[Image 3: https://prtimes.jp/i/6581/208/resize/d6581-208-38a9b44a04964c504553-9.jpg&s3=6581-208-c58cb858f28341bcdc07055ecd60701e-1500×1125.jpg] ■Features of the newly released “Blen 4+S”
1. The 5-function pen is also equipped with a Blen system that prevents writing vibrations.
1. Noise-free design Eliminating gaps between each part prevents the pen tip from shaking.
2. Low center of gravity: The metal lower shaft lowers the center of gravity to prevent blurring when writing.
3. Direct Touch – Holds the core at the tip of the body to prevent the pen tip from wobbling.
2. Even a 5-function pen is compact and easy to grip.
It is more compact than conventional products with the same
functionality, making it easy to hold even for people with small hands.
3. First in the series with binder clip and eraser
Equipped with a movable binder clip and eraser that can easily hold even thick paper, increasing portability.
design
In collaboration with Nendo, the design office led by Oki Sato, we have created a body design that provides a stress-free writing experience. In line with the internal design that has a low center of gravity, the exterior has a shape that makes it easy to grip and reduces fatigue even when used for long periods of time. A seamless design with no seams.
[Image 4: https://prtimes.jp/i/6581/208/resize/d6581-208-bc707f1997dde6a9f2e8-12.jpg&s3=6581-208-17287957182ea0c4a983e207899618d3-1164×1824.jpg] ■“Bren 4+S” design commitment
The exterior of the “Bren” series has an oval shape when viewed from above, and features an overall slim and seamless design. However, in order to fit all five functions into one product, the number of parts increased, making the structure more complex, and creating a thick and rugged body design, which was a major problem. In order to achieve the Bren-like design that is supported by many users, we took
approximately four years to create the “Bren 4+S” by carefully designing each item.
▽Focused points
・The 5 functions follow Bren’s unique characteristics, such as the circular shape where it is gripped and the oval shape where it can be seen from above, creating a sense of the Blen series.
– The thickness of the shaft has been made as thin as possible for a compact design.
・The binder clip is shaped so that the base slips into the shaft when opened, and the eraser cap is shaped to fit the knock part of a ballpoint pen, creating a seamless design.
[Image 5: https://prtimes.jp/i/6581/208/resize/d6581-208-fa6ab1c96a727159af1a-3.jpg&s3=6581-208-2d63c2d40c9283775b0e937a06e7553f-1500×1125.jpg] ▲Oval shape seen from above
[Image 6: https://prtimes.jp/i/6581/208/resize/d6581-208-5c5a81711fd6bf268e41-4.jpg&s3=6581-208-4f5f7533fe4b7aab14cbd90f89690c75-1500×750.jpg] ▲ Comparison of shaft thickness (left: our conventional product, right: new product)
[Image 7: https://prtimes.jp/i/6581/208/resize/d6581-208-186acdbbc64c0a8bbd9b-5.jpg&s3=6581-208-e54d21c2ff05ec561fdc4bf5eaeea7e2-1500×1000.jpg] ▲Binder clip and eraser cap
■Achieve a smooth writing experience even with 5 functions
Equipped with a 5-function Blen system that prevents writing vibrations, it suppresses writing vibrations and provides a
stress-free writing experience compared to our conventional products with the same function.
▽Vibration frequency investigation
“Blen 4+S” has been found to have lower vibration levels than conventional products in the frequency range that humans can feel with both ballpoint pens and sharpeners.
[Image 8: https://prtimes.jp/i/6581/208/resize/d6581-208-2d3cacfa75a05cb1d62d-6.jpg&s3=6581-208-3d7bff4fa67f0a74b98328a27fa625d4-1286×575.jpg]
[Image 9: https://prtimes.jp/i/6581/208/resize/d6581-208-df9fe004f390f9c1b582-10.jpg&s3=6581-208-dc08fad506d35a3b9978ff86f2f98dac-2000×1000.jpg] ■Design Office nendo (Representative: Oki Sato)
A design office established in 2002. Based in Tokyo and Milan, he handles a wide variety of designs including architecture, interiors, products, and graphics. He was selected as one of Newsweek magazine’s “100 Japanese People Respected by the World,” and has won numerous international design awards including Wallpaper magazine (UK) and ELLE DÉCOR magazine. His major works are in museum collections around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York (USA), the Center Pompidou (France), and the V&A (UK). Responsible for the design of the torch stand for TOKYO 2020. Clients range from domestic companies such as Shiseido, Nissin Foods, Cainz, and Marui Group to European brands such as Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Baccarat. In addition to working on the interior and exterior design of the new French high-speed railway TGV train scheduled to go into service this year, he will also serve as general producer/designer for the Japanese Government Pavilion at the Osaka/Kansai Expo scheduled to be held in 2025.
https://www.nendo.jp/
■About the Bren series
The single-color type “Blen” released in December 2018 is supported by many users for its writing comfort and stylish design.
We released the 3-color ballpoint pen “Blen 3C” in March 2020, and the 2-color ballpoint pen + mechanical pencil “Blen 2+S” in February 2021, achieving a stress-free writing experience even with multicolor and multifunctional pens. .
-evaluation-
・94% satisfaction rate for Bren users
(Web survey results for City’s promotion targets Source: City Living) ・Winner of the 2019 Good Design Award (Bren)
・Stationery Shop Grand Prize 2019 Ballpoint Pen Award 1st place (Blen) ・2019 Bun2 Grand Prize (Bren)
・Stationery Shop Award 2021 Multifunctional Pen Award 1st place (Blen 3C) ・2021 iF Design Award Winner (Bren)
・Cumulative sales of 50 million units in the series (as of November 2023, Zebra shipments)
[Image 10: https://prtimes.jp/i/6581/208/resize/d6581-208-447de4955099f580b25a-7.jpg&s3=6581-208-bdb98f3ef282c145e0445203b748a436-1994×1566.jpg] ■Why Bren became Zebra’s popular series
Ballpoint pens, which used to be often provided by companies, are no longer provided due to cost reductions, and individuals are now choosing pens that are really easy to use and have designs that they like. Furthermore, it is said that 82.2% of people feel that there are things that are causing stress to workers in an environment where there is a labor shortage and productivity improvements are
required*1. The stationery used every day at work needs to be something that can be used with as little stress as possible, and about 52% of working women place importance on the ability to write without stress when purchasing a ballpoint pen. Masu. (According to Zebra research). Against this background, Bren is becoming
increasingly popular.
*1 Source: From the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare website “Reiwa 4 Occupational Safety and Health Survey (Survey)”
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/r04-46-50b.html
■Shaft color name of “Blen 4+S” to be released this time
[Image 11: https://prtimes.jp/i/6581/208/resize/d6581-208-c44bf0ee68d12027863a-8.jpg&s3=6581-208-0e523cf3d52838164e48b69bd4e03ccf-1286×575.jpg] (From left in the photo) 0.5mm: black, powder blue, cocoa brown, greige, white 0.7mm: black, blue gray, mint green, shell pink, white More details about this release:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000208.000006581.html