# Casio S100X Japanese Lacquer Edition

16 Hacker News commenters recommended Casio S100X Japanese Lacquer Edition and 7 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 1 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for its handcrafted lacquer look and premium feel as a keepsake, though critics say it is an average calculator for the price.

## Why people recommend it

- Handcrafted look and craftsmanship (3 comments): "The attraction here is surely celebrating the craftsmanship and the story / history behind the product" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48081638)) "the video showed a man working on it who cared" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48083475)) "this is something unique handcrafted." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48081815))
- Looks nice, a keeper for life (2 comments): "I saw it and I thought this looks really nice and I could buy one and have it for life" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48086267)) "This looks awesome! I would buy it instantly, if it would be a scientific calculator, ideally with RPN." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48082097))
- Unique and premium, unlike the status quo (2 comments): "That is what Apple needs, a Lacquer edition iProduct" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48086157)) "it exists in a different level than the status quo" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48084554))
- Calculator itself is pretty nice (2 comments): "the calculator is pretty nice too" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48080746)) "But still buy the calculator :)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48086979))

## What people warn about

- Not better than regular calculators (3 comments): "Utility-wise for the cost, it's not outstanding compared to regular calculators." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48081451)) "technically there is nothing special here, just the physical appearance/build" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48083290)) "they don't need a very average calculator in a premium case" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48082434))
- Lacquer finish looks tacky or lackluster (3 comments): "it still looks rather tacky to me, mostly because of its lacquered finish" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48084944)) "the deep lacquer luster a bit lackluster" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48083070)) "Is it me or it just doesn't look that amazing?" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48085424))
- Lacks scientific functions and RPN (2 comments): "This looks awesome! I would buy it instantly, if it would be a scientific calculator, ideally with RPN." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48082097)) "It isn't going to cut it if your working outside of that domain." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48083494))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [HP 15C](https://hackerapproved.com/p/hp-15c-calculator.md): 24 recommend
- [Casio calculator](https://hackerapproved.com/p/casio-calculator.md): 14 recommend
- [SwissMicros DM42n](https://hackerapproved.com/p/swissmicros-dm42n.md): 13 recommend
- [SwissMicros R47 RPN calculator](https://hackerapproved.com/p/r47-rpn-calculator.md): 11 recommend
- [HP 42S calculator](https://hackerapproved.com/p/hp-42s-calculator.md): 8 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Casio+S100X+Japanese+Lacquer+Edition+calculator&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Official site](https://www.casio.com/us/)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Casio S100X Japanese Lacquer Edition", https://hackerapproved.com/p/casio-s100x-japanese-lacquer-edition/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).