alt.hn

5/7/2026 at 12:09:47 PM

Casio S100X Japanese Lacquer Edition (JP Page Only)

 https://www.casio.com/jp/basic-calculators/premium/en-s100x-jc1-u/

by dr_kiszonka

5/10/2026 at 3:12:13 AM

This is gorgeous. I’m very afraid if I buy one it will trigger a wave of revulsion for normal everyday products and I’ll become one of these obsessive people who talk about fonts.

by JSR_FDED

5/10/2026 at 3:47:55 AM

Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh my God, it even has a watermark...

by a34729t

5/10/2026 at 11:20:14 AM

Let’s see Paul Allen’s calculator.

by herodoturtle

5/10/2026 at 7:11:30 AM

This happened to me with RPN calculators. One day I realized I had way more calculators than I knew what to do with. Original HP's, re-released HP's, SwissMicros, not to mention the accompanying documentation I printed out and had spiral-bound. This all started out because I wanted a FOSS calculator to do some math for another rabbit hole I was down. Next thing I knew, I was getting excited about the life you'd get out of silver oxide batteries.

by helterskelter

5/10/2026 at 5:42:25 PM

Yeah same. HP42s. I keep buying them in case they break. Think I have about 5 now. None of them have broken.

by cryo32

5/10/2026 at 6:53:28 AM

It's too late. You're now a moderator on /r/calculators.

by jayd16

5/10/2026 at 7:24:28 PM

Becoming aware of typography practices will drive you insane. The world is full of atrocities. Live in bliss. But still buy the calculator :)

by Mobius01

5/11/2026 at 1:25:58 PM

> Becoming aware of typography practices will drive you insane.

And try to use the em-dash properly these days!

by deruta

5/10/2026 at 2:49:40 PM

Same thing happened to me when i first considered buying a mechanical keyboard. After decades of not caring about keyboards, and laughing at those who did, i found myself considering a 500$ keyboard. But i pushed back from the computer. I eventually bought a 45$ mechanical "gaming" keyboard and am still perfectly happy with it four years later.

by sandworm101

5/10/2026 at 9:13:12 PM

Been through all that. I just use a shitty Cherry Stream TKL in the end. Costs virtually nothing, doesn't screw up the hands like the mechanical ones all do and doesn't make my partner want to kill me.

by cryo32

5/10/2026 at 3:49:57 PM

Ordinary choices are not between bread and cake.

Ordinary choices are between bread and nothing.

A $45 keyboard is rounding error on a $500 keyboard if you decide to buy one.

And buying and trying the cheap one is how a person gets direct experience to make a well informed decision.

by brudgers

5/10/2026 at 7:14:10 PM

"buy twice" is one of those live advices I heard and adhere to since.

It's basically the optimistic interpretation of "buy cheap, buy twice":

When I consider getting into something I buy cheap first, the idea being that that is enough to get a feel ...

... then you buy the second time and don't cheap out. But this purchase is more informed and you really get to appreciate it more because you know the step up from the cheap thing.

And sometimes... maybe even most of the time... the cheap thing is just enough.

by fho

5/11/2026 at 2:27:12 AM

As opposed to the old mechanics koan "Buy once cry once"

But sure, in general if you don't know what you are doing start cheap and treat it like a learning opportunity.

The real danger is in when you use shitty tools and think that because of that you are bad at something, so give up.

My personal story on this was when I hosed a laptop(don't disable usb when there are only usb devices) All the normal ways to fix it were not working so I went way out of my comfort zone and was going to try and reflash it the hard way with a chip programmer(It's already a brick I am not going to break it further) And I bought the cheapest sioc flashing kit I could find. and... nothing was working right, and because I have no idea what I am doing, does it just not work? do I have the wrong programmer? should I desolder the chip from the board? No clue. So it sat on the healing bench for a year. Then I stumbled on a forum thread complaining about cheap sioc clips, gathered my courage and bought a nice clip, tried again and it worked the first time. So on one level thanks Pomona electronics, your sioc clip was amazing, but the bigger lesson, I thought the task was just too unknowable and really I just had bad tools.

by somat

5/11/2026 at 8:02:42 PM

and think that because of that you are bad at something, so give up.

If you are learning a meaningfully new domain, you are bad at it.

If that causes you to give up, you are giving up on learning.

And in the case of your repair, the fact that the broken system sat on the bench for a year while you learned more meant that you did not give up.

Meaningful adult learning of new domains takes years. If something doesn't it either is not a new domain or the standard of performance is not an adult standard.

Finally, you could have bought the more expensive programmer first, but you might not have had the skill and knowledge and relevant experience to use it properly a year earlier...or to put it another way, you didn't have the direct experience to recognize the value of the post on which tool to use until after you had direct experience.

Buying tools twice or three or four times is just "the cost of doing business." You can't make an informed decision until you have experience.

by brudgers

5/10/2026 at 8:24:57 PM

Yes and buying the expensive item is not insurance against losing it, or breaking it, or it not being particularly useful. That’s before the possibility of buying the expensive version used…or the expensive item not being more robust.

On top of that, the canon of fine objects includes careful use and high maintenance…I know a guy who took offense at the suggestion he could drive his 911s in the rain.

And of course, you can buy a $45 keyboard twice and have a backup or one for your other computer, etc. Likewise, you can replace a $45 keyboard at 7pm on Tuesday at your local Walmart.

by brudgers

5/10/2026 at 10:33:27 PM

> I’ll become one of these obsessive people who talk about fonts.

It's called "having a style", and there's nothing wrong with it.

by wiseowise

5/10/2026 at 5:12:29 PM

>I’ll become one of these obsessive people who talk about fonts.

NOT ME, NOT ME.

by eahm

5/10/2026 at 6:07:23 AM

Reading this webpage, and then the other comments here, taught me something important about myself: I am a Philistine. I don't think I would notice any difference between this and a glossy plastic calculator costing $5. I actually assumed that this piece was for people who collect calculators, but it seems like it has broader appeal based on the other comments?

by fwipsy

5/10/2026 at 9:43:02 AM

That is because you have to see it in real life. I have never seen this calculator myself, but I have been to a lacquerware company called Hanoia in Vietnam. They als do lacquerware for Hermes. First thing you will notice is that the colours are super rich. If you see a yellow tea box, then it has the deepest and richest yellow you have ever seen. It is like going from a 2010 LCD to a 2026 OLED screen.

by enaaem

5/10/2026 at 10:10:51 AM

>It is like going from a 2010 LCD to a 2026 OLED screen.

Revealing. I'll bet plenty still can't tell the difference (or don't care). I'm one. I've always used low-end laptops, mobiles, clothes, vehicles, anything else you can think of. I care that it functions (so I buy good brands and new) but everything else except price is a very secondary. When I read things like "rich, vivid colors" in a description of a screen, for example, or "clear, deep bass" for some earbuds, my eyes glaze over. Whatever. Does it work and will it last?, is what I want to know. I also don't care about (or even really notice) the taste of tap water. Water is water. All this must be related and I can't be the only one.

by bluebarbet

5/10/2026 at 5:57:04 PM

People vary in their ability to differentiate colors and sounds.

I’d be curious how you’d do on a hue test: https://www.xrite.com/hue-test

For me, each colored square is plainly, obviously different, and it is immediately obvious how they need to be sorted. But I also know people I’ve shown the test to who thought it was a trick - “there’s only 3 or 4 distinct colors, so how am I supposed to sort the same-colored squares?”

If one’s perception is particularly lossy, it makes sense that lower fidelity displays and audio will likely be indistinguishable from higher fidelity ones.

by cstrahan

5/10/2026 at 6:25:04 PM

I'm a bit like the parent poster and I scored 0 on your test.

It's not like I can't tell the difference if I see hi- and low-fidelity products next to each other. It's just that I don't care enough to pay the price premium, and I don't mind using low-end equipment. I also feel less apprehension about losing or damaging it.

by Narishma

5/10/2026 at 7:20:37 PM

That was fun, thanks! I scored a perfect 0 but I admit that I had to stare quite hard. Some of the purple squares were not "plainly, obviously different".

But the real issue here is surely simpler. To me, when I buy a screen (or whatever), I know in advance that (A) I will not be comparing it daily with another screen, and (B) it will be - easily - good enough for my purposes.

You might say I'm depending on other, more perfectionist, consumers to do the quality control. Fair enough.

by bluebarbet

5/10/2026 at 11:02:44 AM

You're not the only one. There are millions of people out there who have no appreciation for art, craft, skill, quality, or finesse.

They're very base people who go through life seeing only price tags, and tallying worth only in dollar figures. They act like life is a video game and money is the score.

It's a shallow life, devoid of the appreciation of all the wonderful things available, and in my estimation, barely living. It's just existing as a robot does.

Why spend vacation in Fiji when there are sunsets in Fresno, too?

by reaperducer

5/10/2026 at 11:16:19 AM

This is needlessly judgmental and draws false equivalences between expression, impression, and consumerism.

by thomascountz

5/10/2026 at 11:45:23 AM

I do think the mention of consumerism is apt. In my own encounters with those that seem to take pride in their inability to distinguish certain nuances, it does come off as a mental block borne of not wanting to feel like they are missing out on expensive things.

I think it cuts both ways though — there are those who will exaggerate or outright fabricate subtle differences in order to justify their expensive purchases, and also those that will deny real differences because they think everyone is just doing the first thing.

by dml2135

5/10/2026 at 12:35:35 PM

One can also look at distinguishing what is important to what is unimportant to a particular person. Personally, I look towards functionality over aesthetics. That isn't to say that I will completely disregard aesthetics, but I have certainly gone with those black bricks called ThinkPads over MacBooks in the past.

You are right about it cutting both ways though. I remember laptop shopping with a colleague in the past. They were trying to replace a barely functional laptop that they purchased because of its "design" with something they could get work done on. Unfortunately, they refused to acknowledge that functionality is an element of design. The whole experience was one of frustration.

This calculator appears to fit into a similar category. I'm sure it is a perfectly fine calculator, functionally speaking, if you are performing basic financial calculations. It isn't going to cut it if your working outside of that domain. When you consider that a calculator that is a tenth (or even a hundredth) of the price is going to offer a similar experience, I'm not even sure I would regard the nuances in its design a good thing. Yes, it says something about it's owner. I'm just not sure it says the right thing.

by II2II

5/10/2026 at 4:58:40 PM

Yeah, frankly I'd have more money and be happier when watching a lot of movies if I couldn't tell the difference between OLED black levels and projector/LCD ones.

I didn't ask for it and I don't want it, hah.

I feel no need to convince others that they should try to find the difference.

I'm happy that, say, cheap wine doesn't give me the same mental-twitch.

by majormajor

5/10/2026 at 12:36:48 PM

Somewhat convincing analysis.

But I should add (contrary to the rebuttal my provocative take attracted) that I am in fact very finely tuned to esthetics. As a photographer I'm obsessed with getting everything right (composition, light, texture, color, details) and routinely delete everything that doesn't make the cut.

It just seems obvious to me that in consumer products, most of the differences are pretty small in substantive terms. Big economic interests are at stake in amplifying them, and conjuring up demand through marketing, and generally manipulating us.

by bluebarbet

5/10/2026 at 1:05:20 PM

The example I had in mind was actually audio equipment. Like, clearly the high end stuff gets into diminishing returns to a point somewhere between absurdity and mysticism. But I’ve also had a friend that was completely convinced that vinyl sounds the same as spotify, and that anyone who thought otherwise was just a pretentious poseur.

by dml2135

5/10/2026 at 5:00:42 PM

> But I’ve also had a friend that was completely convinced that vinyl sounds the same as spotify, and that anyone who thought otherwise was just a pretentious poseur.

This is a great example because the ambiguity could go either way (e.g. spotify lossless FLAC vs vinyl will set off picky people on each side).

Sometimes different is just different, and each will be better to some.

by majormajor

5/10/2026 at 1:26:50 PM

Years ago I looked into this when ripping some CDs, because the question has of course been tested under controlled conditions. From memory, the general finding is that most people are incapable of distinguishing audio quality over 128kbps, and even self-declared audiophiles have trouble at 256. So I picked 192.

by bluebarbet

5/10/2026 at 12:52:59 PM

Valuing fancy material possessions is not much different than valuing the money itself

by awakeasleep

5/10/2026 at 11:53:48 AM

I have almost exactly the opposite reaction. By not caring so much about the minute details of physical things, or having the very best croissants or whatever, frees you up to enjoy anything or focus on interactions with people, ideas, anything else.

by etrautmann

5/10/2026 at 12:20:15 PM

There’s a difference between caring about something and being able to appreciate it. You can do the latter without the former.

by throwup238

5/10/2026 at 2:16:27 PM

Being able to enjoy/tolerate a cup of coffee from my cheap machine at home saves me €2 and 30 minutes of my day. I’m happy that I am not a connoisseur.

by retired

5/10/2026 at 11:29:36 AM

And what’s wrong with that? You’re rarely or never disappointed while enjoying most things. I’d say it results in a life well lived rather than nitpicking every single little detail.

by ornornor

5/10/2026 at 1:24:41 PM

And that blissful ignorance is the upside! But I would say it is a life not well lived; a life without contemplation, with appreciation of only that which is superficial and accessible.

by esafak

5/10/2026 at 7:29:37 PM

We're beginning to go round in circles here, but I'll just rhetorically ask: does contemplation and appreciation of, say, art or poetry or nature, count in order to "live a life well", or must it be only consumer goods?

by bluebarbet

5/10/2026 at 2:38:04 PM

FWIW, I had the same opinion on tap water until I moved to a different area of my region and only after moving and researching did I learn my previous area had some of the highest water quality in my nation. The new area has converted me to filtered water.

by Computer0

5/10/2026 at 6:08:18 PM

> I also don't care about (or even really notice) the taste of tap water

Me neither until I moved to west Texas.

by BigTTYGothGF

5/11/2026 at 12:04:01 AM

Yeah, try the water in most of Arizona, where it's so hard you could cut diamond with it. Only half-joking. You'll get an appreciation for places where you can't really taste what's in the water.

by Firehawke

5/11/2026 at 1:01:35 AM

It may taste funny but it also slowly turns your shower door into privacy glass so it's not all bad.

by onlypassingthru

5/10/2026 at 2:11:35 PM

Water is water but tap water is not tap water.

by solumunus

5/10/2026 at 2:07:58 PM

I have used both screens recently and I only notice the difference when I'm thinking about it. (Or when there's not enough space to fit everything I want to see.)

by fwipsy

5/10/2026 at 11:27:53 AM

Well then consider yourself lucky and don’t try to fix what isn’t broken!

I have this for wine. I can tell an objectively disgusting wine but other than that I find most wines (I’m in Europe so it’s different) pretty decent. I’m working hard to keep it that way. I have friends who are almost always disappointed in their wine and have to pay a fortune for a bottle they’ll find decent. No thanks.

by ornornor

5/10/2026 at 11:54:47 AM

This is such an under appreciated point. I feel the same about wine but have ruined myself for coffee, bread, cheese, etc.

by etrautmann

5/10/2026 at 2:35:05 PM

[flagged]

by satvikpendem

5/10/2026 at 7:01:53 PM

We all have things we don't "get". It has an appeal to aforementioned calc collectors (and there are a surprising amount in CS/Econ) but also collectors of craft + tech.

I tend to think of myself as a realist, not a Philistine. I have Echizen laquer bowls I picked up in Japan and a headphone with Japanese cherry tree wood + Echizen, and while they're very beautiful to see in actual daylight, your PoV is not wrong either - from a functional PoV, they might as well be a more delicate plastic in terms of function.

Like any art that you might get, or something else you're obsessive about that other people don't give a rats ass about, it's all in the eye of the beholder.

by sevindob

5/10/2026 at 3:02:07 PM

> I don't think I would notice any difference

You may choose to reduce its meaning by not engaging or connecting with its story, but say you actually take the time to read through that page which bothers to talk about the tradition of the craft and even shows a picture of the artist, to still remain in that place is to deny it of any meaning behind all that was involved.

At that point, when you say something like that what others may hear is that you do not value the craftsmanship and artistry that accompany the product.

It’s okay not to like it and say it’s not for you, but to fail to recognize effort and deny craft is a bit rude, you don’t need to like it to be able to recognize it as something that exists in a different level than the status quo.

by hmokiguess

5/10/2026 at 3:07:21 PM

I think there is something beautifully functionalist to value things only at what they can do, and not based on any subjective valuation such as narrative or aesthetics.

I’m not that way, but I wouldn’t put someone down who is that way.

by bitmasher9

5/10/2026 at 3:19:58 PM

Oh don’t get me wrong I agree with what you said, I too feel the same way about this.

I mostly meant to say that sometimes it isn’t just about function (like this case), and then dismissing it by saying you don’t recognize the difference becomes alienation by choice.

by hmokiguess

5/10/2026 at 9:47:20 AM

Classic price anchoring. The very high end limited edition justifies the price of the "mere" $350 premium model.

Some people here will be rushing to buy the latter because the former is no longer available, even though they don't need a very average calculator in a premium case. (And if they did need a useful premium calculator, they'd buy an HP.)

by TheOtherHobbes

5/10/2026 at 10:01:35 AM

Is this not meant for some ceremonial gift-giving to superiors to ensure better career prospects or something?

by dude250711

5/10/2026 at 11:05:43 AM

I can see it being used in very high-end, high-touch retail environments.

When you spending $75,000 on a new suit, the tailor shouldn't be using a Dollar Store calculator.

by reaperducer

5/10/2026 at 2:39:40 PM

I have a calculator at my desk that consistently gives the wrong answer, somehow the fact that it is so shite gives it novelty.

by Computer0

5/10/2026 at 6:04:14 PM

I have a calculator at my desk that consistently gives the wrong answer

CalcGPT?

by reaperducer

5/10/2026 at 1:57:46 PM

So $76,100 for a suit and a calculator. Imagine how many lives could be changed if that cash were used to, say, install toilets in rural India.

by bluebarbet

5/10/2026 at 2:37:01 PM

Imagine donating all your money to charity too, do you do that? The thing about comparing spending is that there is always more one can spend, and there is always more one can give away.

by satvikpendem

5/10/2026 at 7:00:52 PM

Sure. And there is always a better way to spend seventy-six thousand dollars. I suggested what I consider to be a better way. If you think carefully about it, you might even agree.

by bluebarbet

5/11/2026 at 2:44:50 AM

The point is not everyone agrees with you, that's why one shouldn't try to dictate what others do with their money.

by satvikpendem

5/11/2026 at 9:51:02 AM

To be clear, I am claiming that it is objectively better to spend a vast amount of money on charity rather than on a suit. I am not "dictating" anything, I am stating an opinion.

by bluebarbet

5/12/2026 at 10:08:00 PM

Many people disagree with that opinion of yours stating that it's an objective fact.

by satvikpendem

5/10/2026 at 2:06:32 PM

I was also thinking this, but I think shaming people for spending money the way they want is counterproductive. Same as with veganism, claiming the moral high ground (even implicitly) can be very galling, even to people who would otherwise agree. I think it's cool if people want to spend their money to help others. If they want to spend it on a nice suit instead, it's not my cup of tea but there are much more harmful ways to spend it.

by fwipsy

5/10/2026 at 6:59:27 PM

The "shame" is all interpretation.

by bluebarbet

5/10/2026 at 5:24:26 PM

So $76,100 for a suit and a calculator. Imagine how many lives could be changed if that cash were used to, say, install toilets in rural India.

Elon Musk could, quite literally, feed the world with his net worth. But he chooses not to. I'm not sure what your point is. I don't what it's like to own a $75,000 suit, but I do know the tailor.

If you want to walk your talk, sell the computer you're using right now and give the money to the poor. Then surf HN from the public library.

"Put up, or shut up" as they say.

by reaperducer

5/10/2026 at 6:58:31 PM

What a lot of assumptions this makes about my personal life and choices, which I need hardly point out you know nothing about.

by bluebarbet

5/10/2026 at 10:03:34 PM

[dead]

by rlxwearer

5/10/2026 at 4:14:46 AM

Why do I have an urge to buy this? I have no use for it. But damn did they sell it to me well.

by nickandbro

5/10/2026 at 6:16:16 AM

It's a vanity item, like a Rolex watch, and its existence is not for actual utility.

Utility-wise for the cost, it's not outstanding compared to regular calculators. If you spend enough time with S100X for the cost to be justified, then you are wealthy or you are spending way too much time at the calculator and should reconsider your workflow, e.g. using a spreadsheet or Python script instead, and those things are cheaper than this calculator.

Nothing wrong if anyone wants to buy it. But technically there is nothing special here, just the physical appearance/build.

by ArchD

5/10/2026 at 7:00:36 AM

>> like a Rolex watch

A Grand Seiko could be an apt comparison, this is hand finished rather than mass produced on a production line. Also, by a Japanese craftsperson using a prized skill (lacquer vs zaratsu).

>> vanity item

Who covets a calculator? The attraction here is surely celebrating the craftsmanship and the story / history behind the product and firm that produced it.

by CraigJPerry

5/10/2026 at 12:05:19 PM

aka Veblen good

by bookofjoe

5/10/2026 at 6:34:12 PM

[dead]

by rlxwearer

5/10/2026 at 7:33:15 AM

iphone is a vanity item. this is something unique handcrafted.

by retinaros

5/10/2026 at 2:16:03 PM

I'm an Android user but iPhones are good value. Most people use their phone a lot so it's worth paying extra for something capable, reliable, easy to use.

by fwipsy

5/10/2026 at 4:46:13 AM

About $1k on ebay https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Casio+s100x+lacquer

by WarOnPrivacy

5/10/2026 at 4:59:00 AM

Ugh, I hate scalpers!

by msie

5/10/2026 at 9:44:49 AM

I do not have negative feelings against resellers of luxury products. That is just supply and demand at work.

by retired

5/10/2026 at 12:36:00 PM

No, it’s not. One thing is to resell an item after you’ve used/enjoyed it and then maybe its value has increased. Much different is to buy an item to sell immediately and making a quick profit.

by edu

5/10/2026 at 1:14:15 PM

Buying something specifically to resell at a profit is called commerce. Walmart does it every day.

by retired

5/10/2026 at 5:06:24 PM

Japan loves the limited edition stuff. Was very sad when I wasn't able to get the Bocchi guitar because Yamaha decided to only make a few hundred of them, even though they could easily sell 10x as many.

by Blackthorn

5/10/2026 at 5:38:05 AM

My god, the keys: the keycaps are __double-shot__, have scissor switches, and 3-key rollover.

by nxobject

5/10/2026 at 7:13:30 PM

HP used to use double shot keycaps on calculators like the 41 and 48 and had amazing feel that lasted forever.

by NetMageSCW

5/10/2026 at 11:42:36 AM

Let's see Paul Allen's calculator.

by ai_slop_hater

5/10/2026 at 3:47:43 AM

Time to start a project to make a handcrafted lacquer face for some other calculators; I have a few HP-80 (https://www.hpmuseum.org/hp80.htm) to test the idea on ;)

by TruffleLabs

5/10/2026 at 4:28:37 AM

My father was a big HP calculator fan. I used to forget my TI calculator for class and he would lend it to me.

I was never more unpopular at school than the day we had an exam and I was learning RPN on a calculator that beeped every time you hit the wrong key.

by jrumbut

5/10/2026 at 3:30:10 AM

Was hoping this was a lacquered F-91W, but the calculator is pretty nice too.

by devindotcom

5/10/2026 at 4:03:16 PM

If you are into Japanese lacquer x technology mashups, check out the 10th anniversary HHKB (happy hacking keyboard) by PFU Fujitsu[0]

[0]https://hhkb.io/models/HHKB_Professional_HG/

by seemaze

5/11/2026 at 3:33:10 AM

Wonderful. I wonder is there a plan for a 30th anniversary edition given that this December marks that point

by Tsiklon

5/11/2026 at 4:27:48 PM

thanks for linking to my page and reminding me how badly i need to do a round of updates -_-

by GuinansEyebrows

5/12/2026 at 3:24:33 AM

Thanks for sending me down the Topre rabbit hole!

by seemaze

5/12/2026 at 3:12:57 PM

my condolences :) just kidding. hope you found oneness with cup rubber.

by GuinansEyebrows

5/10/2026 at 3:57:47 AM

Only 650 units worldwide, according to The Verge.

by wtn

5/10/2026 at 4:09:25 AM

I tried to buy this, when it was released. It sold out instantly. I was sad.

by LeoPanthera

5/10/2026 at 8:14:46 PM

What is going on with Japanese lacquer at the moment? There's this. There's the MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Ukiyo-e Edition [1]. The V&A opened an exhibition on it last weekend [2]. The Times had a puff piece on it a few months ago [3]. Is urushi suddenly cool? If so, why? Did the Urushi Marketing Board decide to have a big push, pull some strings, and now it's everywhere? I'm not complaining at all, just mildly puzzled.

As it happens, i saw the exhibition at the V&A today. It's decent, but small. Has a bunch of artefacts, and then some videos of some of the artists working, which are interesting.

[1] https://www.msi.com/Business-Productivity/Prestige-13-AI-plu...

[2] https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/urushi-now-contemporary-ja...

[3] https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/luxury/article/the-ancie...

by twic

5/10/2026 at 8:35:58 PM

Urushi has been going through a revival in fountain pen and watches (dials) the last five years. There is also more and more amateurs having access to urushi and learning it as a hobby.

by notagoodidea

5/11/2026 at 3:33:33 AM

- if you stop using a calculator, you ll become good at math

- just like how you ll become good at coding if you stopped using an llm (for most of it atleast)

- i am not saying this to trigger anyone. i am speaking from personal experience

- 6 months ago i stopped using calculators to add, subtract, multiply and my abilities have sharpened slowly and steadily

- initially i had trouble adding / subtracting 3 digit numbers

- i have slowly come to the point where i can do 6 digit numbers now without a calculator and pretty fast

- obviously i wont be able to prove that here because people ll think i am using tools to paste the answer but if were to meet in real life like ever, you would be absolutely blown away by how fast i can math

- was at the bank the other day, the bank manager had a mini heart attack when i calculated the 8.5% interest rate on the 1st year precisely before he could use his calculator

- seriously give it a try. start with 2 digit numbers addition / subtraction for the next entire week and slowly up your game. it ll help you immensely

by vivzkestrel

5/10/2026 at 2:00:13 PM

Interesting translation:

>A spin metal finish is applied to the rounding and decimal selector levers, giving them a unique brilliance.

Naturally, they mean that the levers were faced off on a lathe, then maintaining that center, machined to size/shape --- nice touch given how the chrome plated plastic buttons on my PRS-505 e-book reader wore down after years of use.

by WillAdams

5/10/2026 at 7:57:58 PM

If I’m not mistaken it appears the regular S100X has these too. The only difference really seems to be the lacquer finish, and maybe the navy display.

by Infernal

5/10/2026 at 6:01:47 PM

Took me some time to search. This is a limited Edition and only 650 unit will be produce and sold worldwide. Pricing at 99,000 JPY, or about $630 USD

I saw it and I thought this looks really nice and I could buy one and have it for life. Was expecting to spend up to $300 for it already, but $630 and limited edition means I will probably never be able to have one.

Another question, does anyone know of a website where they publish news about these sort of products. Looking at home appliances, or basic every day products but are well built to be point of luxury.

by ksec

5/10/2026 at 7:56:08 PM

On top of that, they’re all sold out and the cheapest I can find any reseller is $1200+ USD

by Infernal

5/10/2026 at 6:15:33 PM

Tools and Toys, or Uncrate, might have started out like this but seem to be more platforms for “brand stories” and just fresh new luxury gadgets. If you start a blog like this to fill in the gap, I’ll follow!

by jkestner

5/11/2026 at 4:48:01 PM

Thank You for those site. I wish I have the time to start a blog like that.

If anything one of my dreams / idea is to actually open an online store and only sell these gadgets.

by ksec

5/10/2026 at 3:48:10 AM

This is amazing. If you've ever held a fountain pen with this finish you know.

by iancmceachern

5/10/2026 at 1:43:36 PM

Absolutely have zero use for it, 100% feel like i MUST have one

by Schlagbohrer

5/10/2026 at 4:43:08 AM

Knowing about Japanese Lacquer (aka Urushi) will change the way that you see the world. Urushi is the sap of a tree that is related to poison oak and posion ivy. You can learn to use it by wearing a biohazard suit or by suffering through until you develop an immunity to the urushiol. To call it "the itch" does not do it justice. You do not really know the full depths of being a human until you decide, with full knowledge of the consequences, to go down this road.

Urushi is transformed by curing in a warm and humid environment to something that is food safe and not toxic - for example Japanese rice bowls. Then there are they myriad decorative techniques such as Rankaku - using quail egg shells for decoration.

I've recently seen the word "entanglement" in a completely different context. But Urushi entangles you in nature and your environment in way that is utterly breath taking. For example: https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/modern-masters-...

[edit for grammar and clarity]

by talkingtab

5/10/2026 at 8:19:43 PM

If anyone is curious and near South Kensington, there is now a little exhibition on urushi at the V&A [1], which includes a film of a guy who harvests his own sap, processes it into lacquer, and then makes things with it.

That video is not online AFAICT, but there is another one about another artist, which includes some footage of an urushi workshop preparing the stuff, and her using it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeult7lZtbg

[1] https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/urushi-now-contemporary-ja...

by twic

5/10/2026 at 5:25:22 AM

Epoxy resins are usually pretty toxic when uncured too.

by userbinator

5/10/2026 at 5:37:53 AM

You can also grow up exploring the woods in an area with a lot of poison oak like me and it just does not react on your skin.

by kayfox

5/10/2026 at 5:49:36 AM

A dermatologist friend told me there are people who react to poison ivy, and people who do not yet react to poison ivy. He explained to the effect that repeated exposure tends to sensitize people. Poison ivy/oak/etc. has no effect on them, then one day it does.

I grew up playing in woods thick with the stuff and never had a problem. Then I had a hell of a reaction to it in high school, and it’s been cruel to me since then.

by kstrauser

5/10/2026 at 4:47:03 AM

Do you work in marketing? Because I read your comment and I extracted nothing of value. Lacquer will change how I see the world? B please.

by halapro

5/10/2026 at 7:04:07 AM

Congratulations, you’ve encountered someone with passion. It lives in people all over the world, but Japanese craft has a particular gift for making it visible in every detail, every material, and every decision pushed to its absolute perfection. Toyotas quality, Grand Seikos polish and accuracy and Jiros sushi just to mention a few of the exported ones.

by bestham

5/10/2026 at 5:17:06 AM

That’s a bit uncharitable. It made perfect sense to me. I also learned something about Japanese lacquer.

by patch_cable

5/12/2026 at 1:35:49 PM

@halapro, thanks for your reply. No, marketing is the last thing I would do, but I understand how these days you might think that. I have had many experiences that dramatically change how I see the world. Maybe running a marathon is easier to understand. I did not run it because I am an athlete or good at it. It took me 4 hours and I thought I was going to fall down before the finish line!

That did change me profoundly. I saw the world not as something to watch but to be in. That I could suffer (and ouch did I suffer) and survive and do something that I had no idea I could do. So how I see myself changed as well, but the profound thing that changed was me<-->world. How I and world relate to each other.

I seek out things like this. Not for thrills but because of the transformation. Some times this does not work out well. I kick myself because in my quest of transformation I find that I can utterly and completely fail. But again, there is a transformation there. I can utterly and completely fail and go on.

This is not marketing, this is me urging you to attempt to do something that is important enough to you that if you do it, your relationship to life, the world and yourself will be changed in good ways.

by talkingtab

5/10/2026 at 5:32:21 AM

[flagged]

by anomaly_

5/10/2026 at 5:50:17 PM

That is what Apple needs, a Lacquer edition iProduct

by m3kw9

5/10/2026 at 6:59:02 AM

There's also a Hokusai range of calculators I saw at yodobashi camera Yokohama this spring. It was 60$,I didn't buy it but I kind of wish I did.

by PacificSpecific

5/10/2026 at 3:38:03 AM

About $600 apparently. The regular S100X is $350.

by openuntil3am

5/10/2026 at 9:07:30 AM

Where can you buy it for that price?

by simonebrunozzi

5/10/2026 at 12:16:13 PM

Nowhere at that price; as noted above, scores of them for sale on eBay from $1,100-$$2,000 + $300-$500 shipping

by bookofjoe

5/10/2026 at 8:36:37 AM

This looks awesome!

I would buy it instantly, if it would be a scientific calculator, ideally with RPN.

Oh and i would have used a LCD with amber on black.

by lagrange77

5/10/2026 at 5:55:09 AM

Looks like I need to plan for a weekend trip to Tokyo to get this and along with my annual pilgrimage to Akihabara

by jnaina

5/10/2026 at 12:27:43 PM

We're geeks so we call the electric town by its proper shortened name in Tokyo-slang: "Akiba". It's just Akiba. But I fear Akiba ain't what it used to be.

by TacticalCoder

5/10/2026 at 7:17:21 AM

You actually plan on returning from Akihabara?

by dyauspitr

5/10/2026 at 9:28:41 AM

Yeah, Akihabara is really hard to walk away from. Treasure troves at every corner, surprises down every staircase, and somehow always one more shop you "have to" check out before leaving.

by jnaina

5/10/2026 at 10:03:02 AM

This is almost certainly a Japanese product for Japanese people/companies who will give it to other Japanese people as a GIFT. Japan has a never-ending gifting protocol. People buy perfectly normal beer in a fancy box, to give it as a gift. It's a nice thing about Japan that is particularly Japanese, which is probably why many of you don't understand the purpose of this product. I bet if someone gave it to you spontaneously, you'd appreciate it!

by nihonde

5/10/2026 at 10:04:50 AM

Oh, also, "Made in Japan" is a huge deal for a lot of people in Japan.

by nihonde

5/10/2026 at 5:48:26 PM

For when you need 1+1=2 to be even more correct.

by m3kw9

5/10/2026 at 7:12:11 PM

Surprised the went with an only 95 year old lacquer company, in Japan I imagine you could find one much, much older.

by NetMageSCW

5/10/2026 at 3:16:54 AM

3-key rollover instead of n-key rollover?? Pass…

by aselimov3

5/10/2026 at 3:18:41 AM

How many 4-function calculators have n-key rollover? What would that even be used for? Are you touch typing on the calculator at 100 digits per minute?

by gwerbin

5/10/2026 at 3:22:25 AM

I feel like the parent comment was sarcasm

by yonatan8070

5/10/2026 at 10:52:13 AM

100 digits per minute is less than two per second, I feel like most people exceed that.

by stavros

5/10/2026 at 5:18:35 AM

I bet watching people use a calculator by poking at it with one finger drives you absolutely homicidal.

by drivingmenuts

5/10/2026 at 4:36:36 PM

So it's about $630 USD and sold out.

"Limited to 650 units worldwide (production units)."

by CapitalistCartr

5/10/2026 at 11:27:50 AM

I wonder if the hardware is old-school, or if they put a modern microcontroller in it?

by ipsin

5/10/2026 at 11:14:59 AM

This might be the only calculator ever where it would be a shame to type in 5318008.

by windowliker

5/10/2026 at 3:53:20 PM

The craft is obviously there, but it still looks rather tacky to me, mostly because of its lacquered finish, a look I generally can't stand. Or in American vernacular: "it just doesn't speak to me".

by spankibalt

5/10/2026 at 4:40:19 PM

Is it me or it just doesn't look that amazing?

by selfawareMammal

5/10/2026 at 4:56:35 PM

Different tastes I guess.

I personally appreciate Teenage Engineering design and also some of Braun designs. This calculator, hard pass for me.

by speedgoose

5/10/2026 at 9:06:55 AM

I don't understand how one would buy it. Any help?

by simonebrunozzi

5/10/2026 at 12:31:36 PM

Just bought this one from a Japanese eBay dealer with many very good reviews, so fingers crossed no scam:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/147282358614

Yes, you will pay more than the original price. But once every 30 years or so I don’t give a fuck, I want this because the video showed a man working on it who cared.

by ManuelKiessling

5/10/2026 at 9:46:28 AM

Only available in Japan, you will need a reseller or a forwarding company to purchase it. Already sold out.

by retired

5/10/2026 at 1:39:38 PM

Bragging rights? Feeling empty inside even though you're on top of the pyramid and trying to fill yourself with pricey objects?

by speed_spread

5/10/2026 at 11:34:38 AM

I found the deep lacquer luster a bit lackluster

by portly

5/10/2026 at 4:33:08 PM

We need this for Korg and Roland synths

by j-kent

5/10/2026 at 8:28:59 AM

Why is everyone on HN so fascinated with calculators? Was that your first real pc that you could program?

by sourcecodeplz

5/10/2026 at 9:48:03 AM

Unironically yes. Plenty of millennials I know learned how to program on their TI-83.

by retired

5/10/2026 at 10:06:49 AM

Not me! I didn't have a TI, I had a Casio calculator and wrote games on that during math class.

by Natsu

5/10/2026 at 11:11:05 AM

It's a reliable piece of equipment you can ask 2+2 and get 4 every time, unlike the modern LLM that will give you a story about why it's actually five.

by kotaKat

5/10/2026 at 8:46:49 PM

I wouldn't say it's a fascination, but a pocket calculator next to my computer is still quicker and easier for me than pulling up a calculator app. Also, it's preferable in the lab, machine shop, or my basement workshop.

I confess that I use a cheap solar Casio scientific for this purpose, not RPN. That dates back to when my RPN calculator was destroyed in the lab by accident, and I replaced it with something cheaper.

by analog31

5/10/2026 at 8:51:19 AM

buttons ? knobs ? we are fascinated by machines. It's curiosity about the inner workings of the machine and fascination by the mistery of the closed box. you can observe that in certain kids

by slim

5/10/2026 at 8:41:58 AM

It's not about the calculator. I don't even know how to use one beyond basics. Similiar like luxury watches. I can't even read the time. It's about the craftsmanship .

by siva7