28 April 2019

Pilot's Small Inset Nibs

The Pilot Elite 95s was marketed on the year 95 of the Pilot era—that is, in 2013.

This pen, apparently quite successful, recuperated the design of the pocket pens on the 1960s and 1970s in Japan. But it went further on reviving the very interesting inset nibs of the 1970s, which at the time of release in 2013 was limited to a steel variation on a desk pen. So, with the Elite 95s, the inset nib recovered some of its past glory through the 14K gold of its composition.


Pilot's desk pen DPN-200.

However, in the 1970s, these inset nibs were made of 18 K gold in two different compositions—yellow gold and white gold, and the yellow variation was also rhodiated.


From left to right, three Elite 95s in all three colors, the cross-hatch Elite (1978), black Elite (1977), non-Elite Sterling silver pocket pen (1975).



Six nibs and four possibilities. The three nibs on the right belong to the Elite 95s--14 k gold. The nibs of the left, from top to bottom: 18 K gold, 18 K gold rhodiated, 18 K white gold.

These older pens were always on demand among pen aficionados, and the existence of the modern Elite 95s made that appeal even bigger.

(As a final note, I should add that the larger inset nib of the Silvern series has been continuously on production since the late 1960s. Just to prevent misreadings of my words.)


Platinum 3776 Century Chartres Blue – Rohrer & Klingner Blu Mare

Bruno Taut
Nakano, April 28th 2019
etiquetas: plumín, Pilot, mercado

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bruno, what are your thoughts on how the modern nibs compare with the old ones? My sense is the new ones are a little drier and without as much character.

Love your blog, by the way!

Bruno Taut said...

Thanks, Anonymous, for passing by and commenting.

I do not have that experience. In fact, I find them quite similar. But this might depend on each individual nib.

Cheers,

BT

David W. said...

Hello Bruno,
Is the Silvern a different nib than the Elite series? If so was the full sized Custom line with an inset nib the same as the pocket pens, or the Silvern?

Bruno Taut said...

David W.,

The Silvern series nibs are bigger than those in the Custom and in the Elite. Same shape, but scaled up.

BT

David W said...

...the sterling Buddhist scripture was built on a Custom section, not a Silvern right?

and thanks for the encyclopedic knowledge of Pilot!!

Bruno Taut said...

David W,

The Buddhist scriptures Custom pen has a small inset nib.

BT

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