Matching (IV)

The controversy is always there: Is that pen original or a copy of another? Which company did father that idea? Well, this time the story is well known and well documented.

In April 1970 Parker released the very unique T1—nib and section were made out of the same piece of titanium. It was the perfect streamlined pen. But titanium was difficult to work with and the whole production process was very expensive. The T1 was phased out in 1971, after only 104000 units produced. Few of those are said to write satisfactorily. Its rarity, nonetheless, has made this pen highly valued among collectors.

Pilot Myu-701.

In 1971, Pilot, in Japan, released an all steel pocket pen with a similar nib—the Pilot Myu-701. This time, the pen worked very well and remained in production for about ten years. It is arguably the most successful pocket pen, that very Japanese invention from the late sixties.

Pilot MuRex (top), and Parker 50 (bottom).

A full sized evolution of the Myu-701, by the name of MuRex (or MR) was marketed in 1977. The nib has a very different design, showing somehow a less clean profile. The section, on its side, has a rugged area to provide a better grip. A later model (1978) of the MuRex had the decorative elements in red instead of black, and some changes in the clip, while it kept nib and section untouched.

Parker 50 "Falcon" (top), and Pilot Myu with black stripes (bottom).

Parker, by chance or by plan, created in 1978 the Parker 50, nicknamed as “Falcon”. In a sense, it was a new attempt to create the T1, but in steel, following the teachings of Pilot. This model showed a big improvement over the titanium predecessor—it actually wrote and was a lot less fragile.

Parker 50 "Falcon".

There is a newcomer to this story. In 2008, Pilot decided to commemorate its 90th anniversary with by recreating the 1970’s Myu under the name of M90. Although the M90 is not an exact copy of the old Myu, it certainly preserves the streamlined spirit of the design.

Pilot Myu-701 (top), and Pilot M90 (bottom).

Writing-wise, in my personal experience, Pilot’s Myu, MuRex and M90 win hands down over the Parker 50.

My thanks to Kinno-san.

(Parker 50 “Falcon” – Pilot Iroshizuku Sho-ro)

Bruno Taut
(In exile, December 11th, 2010)
[labels: Parker, Pilot]