Kanreki

The Japanese word “kanreki” refers to the celebration of the 60th birthday. For the occasion, the birthday guy wears a red outfit composed by a cap and a vest –the “chanchanko”— typically used by babies to represent the rebirth and the beginning of a new life.

In the world of fountain pens, though, “kanreki” primarily refers to the Sailor Kanreki, In the Winter of 2007-08, Sailor marketed a Professional Gear pen in several hues of red to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Kawaguchi Akihiro, the Pen Doctor. Mr. Kawaguchi, in fact, participated in the design of this pen.

And years later, in 2023, the rival company Pilot celebrated another kanreki—that of the Capless model, originally released in 1963.

Again, a red pen –only one tone of red— with black trim and black nib. This time, though, it was a limited edition of 2023 numbered units.

It is quite obvious the cultural appeal of the term kanreki, and despite its very local nature —or maybe because of it!— both Sailor and Pilot have used it for their products. Should we wait for a Platinum Kanreki as well?

Kanreki.

Anyway, now in 2024 we have two pens from two different brands with the same model name. Confusing? Maybe, but you should never underestimate the inabilities of Japanese companies to name their products.

Pilot pocket Sterling Silver – Pilot Black

Bruno Taut
February 2024
Etiquetas: Pilot, Sailor, Capless, mercado

Gold 60th

Meanwhile...

Pilot continues with the old policy of rehashing the well-known Capless through yearly special editions or, less often, exclusive/original models made for a particular customer. Nagasawa, Isetan, Mitsukoshi had their own Capless pens at one point or another.

And by the end of 2022, Pilot went one step further—Pilot collaborated with the company JMA Management Center to produce a Capless model to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the release of the Noritsu Techo Gold planner in 1962.

The Pilot Gold 60th for Nolty. Note the decoration on the pen body.

This anniversary pen is named Gold 60th. It is a black matte Capless decorated with a golden double central ring. The engraving on it reads “Limited Edition XXX/365 NOLTY GOLD 60th”. The XXX refers to the pen number in the 365-unit limited run. Nolty is the commercial brand of the Nortisu Techo planners and other office supplies.

The package includes a small Nolty notebook.

The nib is a standard Pilot Capless unit in 18 K gold and golden trim. And there is only one point available—EF.

The EF nib, dated September 2022.

The distribution of this pen was very reduced. I could only see it in the Nolty website and in Itoya. The price was not cheap—JPY 33000, plus taxes, which is more than twice the price of a regular Capless with a similar nib.

Is there any point in making this pen? For one, it was a big success—it sold out quickly. And we also know that rarities like this preserve their value over time.

Sailot Profit Sr, Naginata Togi nib – Sailor Blue-black

Bruno Taut
June 30th, 2023
labels: Pilot, Capless

Moonman Again

Some months ago I analyzed the Moonman A1, the capless pen made by the Chinese company. The main conclusion in that text was that the Chinese copy was a good product for a very good price. But did it offer anything new with respect to the Pilot original? The answer, suggested by a commentator, was the existence of a clipless variation of the model.

Moonman, apparently, had paid close attention to what some enthusiasts had said in the Net: the clip in the Capless was a nuisance to many.

Following that strategy it was only normal for Moonman to try to replicate the popular and missed Pilot Capless FCN-500R (and variations)--the faceted model in the market between 1984 and 1998. And that attempt is the Moonman A2. But, how faithful is the replica?

The faceted Moonman A2.

Just a quick inspection of the A2 shows some clear differences with the Pilot model:

– The Moonman A2 is bigger than the Pilot FCN, as can be seen on the following  table:

	.Pilot Capless FCN.	.Moonman A2.	.Moonman A1.
Length closed (mm)	132	141	142
Length open (mm)	133	139	139
Max diameter (mm)	11.8	12.2	12.9
Weight, dry (g)	17.6	20.8	33.7
Ink deposit (ml)	0.9 (cart) 0.5 (CON-40)	0.9 (cart) 0.4 (conv)	0.9 (cart) 0.4 (conv)

Pilot Capless FCN-500R (front) and Moonman A2 (back).

– The original Pilot FCN implements a very clean solution for the clip—it is made out of the same piece that conforms the nose of the pen. On the contrary, the A2's clip is closer in design to that of the regular Capless and of the Moonman A1: a separate part attached to the nose.

This is no small detail as the FCN's clip is often regarded as less intrusive and more comfortable than that of the current Capless model.

The clips. Pilot's on front, Moonman's on back.

– The previous table also shows that the A2 is slimmer and lighter than the A1. Moonman accomplished this removing the internal metallic thread in the A2. But this results in a metal-to-plastic thread in the A2—a weak point shared with the Pilot FCN. In fact, it is not uncommon to see cracks on the area of the plastic thread in the Pilot model.

Moonman S2. Metalic thread on the left, plastic thread on the right.

In any event, the parts of the A1 and A2 are fully interchangeable as these two models share their threads and internal dimensions. This is not the case with the equivalent Pilot models (the old FCN, and the current FC).

Moonman Frankenpens. But they work!

Therefore, the conclusion is that the A2 is little else than a A1 in different costume. Sure there are some changes –the shape of the clip, the absence of metallic thread in the upper body--, but the basic structure and internal dimensions are common to both models.

Then, is the Moonman A2 a copy –or a fair substitution-- of the Pilot FCN of 1984? in my opinion, less so than the A1 with respect to the current Pilot Capless FC.

Capless FCN (burgundy) and Moonman S2 (blue).

Capless FC (front) and Moonman A1 (back).

Other than this, A1 and A2 models use the same nib unit made of steel with only one nib point—a smooth nominal EF. And this unit is perfectly compatible with those made by Pilot.

Moonman A2 - Diamine Bilberry

Bruno Taut
June 28th, 2023
etiquetas: Moonman, Pilot, capless

Brazilian Capless (III)

The following ad appeared June 1968 in the Brazilian magazine Realidade:

Realidade. June 1968.

We see two different Capless models on it. On top, a C-300GW made in Brazil like the one described on a previous Chronicle. And right under it, a long RW unit.

Just like the pen shown on the following picture—a RW Capless marketed in Brazil:

Capless C-100RW.

It is made in Japan and its manufacturing dates are June 1st 1967 (HF01) for the body and June of 1967 for the nib. A converter is included, and in fact it is of the type we saw attached to the model C-3000GW made in Brazil.

Steel nib made June 1967.

So all looks fine, right? Well, not really.

As we have also seen on these pages, the RW pens could implement both steel and gold nibs, And the external difference was on the clip: a golden clip was associated to gold nibs, and silver clips to steel nibs. And this pen has a steel nib and a golden clip.

I am well aware that replacing the nib in a Capless pen is a trivial matter. However, the manufacturing dates of nib and body match perfectly –June of 1967-, and a second RW unit also marketed in Brazil had this same association of clip and nib.

Therefore I think there are grounds to consider that the RW Capless sent to Brazil were somehow special in the combination of clip and nib. And this is a question our Brazilian friends could answer.


My thanks to TM.

Sailor Profit Sr, 18 K HB nib – Sailor Blue

Bruno Taut
April 27th 2023
etiquetas: Pilot, Capless, Brasil

Brazilian Capless (II)

NOTE (April 23rd, 2023): I have added a couple of sentences and a picture of the instruction sheet to show the lack of mention to ink cartridges re how to ink the Brazilian Capless.


There is nothing like reading the pen.

Some months ago I published a text on the very obscure Pilot Capless made in Brazil. Now I have on such pen in my hands and can look further into the details.

The Brazilian Capless. A revolutionary pen, apparently.

A direct comparison between these two pens shows some subtle differences:

Brazilian on top (teal), Japanese on bottom (red).

– The Brazilian pen implements a steel nib, and both nib and body are labeled as products of the “Industria Brasileira” (imprints “IND. BRAS.” and “IND. BRASILEIRA).

On its side, the Japanese Capless sports a 14 K gold nib marked with the JIS logo and imprint “MADE IN JAPAN”.

The Brazilian engraving is fainter than the Japanese. Note also the old Pilot logo --with the L underlining the O-- on the Brazilian nib.

– The central ring on these Capless are different. It is a groove on the Japanese pen, and is flat on the Brazilian unit.

The very different central ring. Brazilian on top, Japanese on bottom.

– Contrary to what I had said, the Brazilian pen does use a converter. It is a form of CON-W, as the nipple corresponds to a double-spare cartridge.

In this regards, both the Japanese and the Brazilian Capless are not different. However, the Japanese pen was not marketed with the converter attached.

The nib unit with the red tail corresponds to the Brazilian pen, with the converter attached. The Japanese unit shows a metallic sheath to cover the cartriges and provide the necessary length for the release mechanism to operate.

We could question then whether double-spare cartridges were actually marketed in Brazil or these pens –and others like later Capless and the model 77- relied solely on inkwells as ink supply. In fact, the instruction sheet of this Capless pen does not mention the use of cartridges at all.

Instruction shet of the Brazilian Capless written, obviously, in Portuguese. To fill the pen, it says, immerse the nib in the inkwell and pump ink into it. There is no mention to any type of cartridge to ink the pen.

All this is relevant because there exist the question of whether this Brazilian Capless was actually made in Brazil or merely assembled in Brazil out of parts sent out from Japan. An obvious third option would have been that the whole pen had been manufactured in Japan and sent to Brazil for the local market.

So far it is not possible to know which one of those possibilities was the right one. Only a peek onto the Brazilian records of Pilot do Brasil would give us a complete answer, but they seem to be off-limits now. In Japan, Pilot does not have records related to the foreign production.

But the details above described, especially those on the different central ring, do point out at a different manufacturing line for the Brazilian Capless.

Because in the absence of records there is nothing like reading the pen. Instruction sheets are also helpful.


My thanks to TM.

Parker 51 aerometric, burgundy – Tomikei Blue (Sailor)

Bruno Taut
April 20th 2023
etiquetas: Pilot, Capless, Brasil

Curidas' Second Chance

The Platinum Curidas (::1::, ::2::, ::3::) was launched in the early months of 2020. Its release was carefully planned and Platinum managed to raise some anxiety in the market. But the pen, after those initial months, did not live up to the expectations—frequent problems in the release mechanism and in the sealing lid did not help to make this pen a success.

The old Curidas.

And now, three years later, Platinum has announced the release of some new variations of the Curidas in the next weeks.

This new Curidas departs from the transparent look of the first models an adopts what looks like a rubbery sheath. The color options are limited to three –black, blue and red. The nib points are reduced to F and M, leaving EF for the original model.

The new Curidas.

The price of this newer version is higher—JPY 9000 vs JPY 7000, prices without taxes. However, the new package includes the converter and a 20 ml inkwell.

The new package includes the converter and a 20 ml inkwell.

But the important question now is whether Platinum has solved the problems present on the first model released in 2020.


NOTE (April 25th, 2023): This new release of the Platinum Curidas is called Curidas Depth. The package including the inkwell is a limited release.

Parker 50 'Falcon' — Sailor Yama-dori

Bruno Taut
February 5th, 2023
etiquetas: Platinum, capless

Moonman vs. Pilot

Over a year ago, Chinese pen maker Moonman released the model A1, also marketed as Majohn A1. In actual terms, this is a capless pen remarkably similar –being polite-- to the Pilot Capless. So, how do they compare? Or, more precisely, how does the A1 compare to the older original by Pilot?

Size-wise, their dimensions are very close. The Chinese capless is slightly longer and thinner, and is a couple of grams heavier.

Pilot vs. Moonman. A1 vs. Capless.

Externally, the main difference between them is the central ring—almost flat on the Moonman, two toroidal bands on the Pilot. In fact, this flat central ring in the Chinese pen explains its thinner girth.

These are the dimensions of these pens:

	.Moonman A1.	.Pilot Capless.
Length closed (mm)	142	141
Length open (mm)	139	137
Max diameter (mm)	12.9	13.2
Weight, dry (g)	33.7	30.0
Ink deposit (ml)	0.9 (cart) 0.4 (conv)	0.9 (cart) 0.5 (CON-40)

The flat central ring in the Moonman A1.

Regarding the nibs, the Moonman comes only with a silver-color, stainless steel unit in EF. The Pilot, let us remember, can implement both steel and 18 K gold nibs with up to six different points –from EF to B, plus a stub— and three different finishes —golden, silver, and black— depending on the specific model. However, the most interesting feature is that Moonman made its nib units entirely compatible with those by Pilot: cartridges and converters are interchangeable between brands, and Moonman nibs can be used in Pilot pens, and the other way around.

The Moonman nib.

And all that at a fraction of the cost of the Pilot Capless. About EUR 30 for the Moonman, and between EUR 80 and EUR 140 for the Pilot. (Japan prices. EUR 140 is approximately the price of the matte black model (FC-18SR-BM). There are more expensive variations in the Pilot catalog).

Then, the question is whether the Moonman A1 is a copy of the Pilot Capless. I think it is, and the fact that the brand Moonman was clearly written on the nib and on the body does not really change anything. After all, nothing truly original can we see on this Chinese pen.

Now, is Moonman legitimized to manufacture this pen? Moonman is not the first company doing so. In Japan, about 100 years ago, Nobuo Ito's Swan was copying UK's Swan pens under the protection of Japanese laws and courts. After all, every industrial revolution –save the British- was made copying other's products. And then the idea of fairness depends on the side of the border we stand on.

The problem, then, is a different one. The current technological environment is very different from that at the heyday of fountain pens. In other words, fountain pens are no longer the essential tool they once were, and their market is not so driven by the necessity as by the craving. Not by the regular user but by the aficionado. And the Moonman A1 does not offer anything the Pilot didn't several years before... save an excellent price.

Is that enough? Regardless of the answer, Pilot –and others– should pay close attention to whatever might come out of China.


NOTE (Dec 30th): An anonymous commenter pointed out a detail I had overseen--there is a clipless version of the Moonman A1, and that caters the claims of a number of users of the Pilot model. This shows the attention Moonman --and other Chinese makers-- pay to the Net and what users and aficionados say in there. I reckon this Chinese clipless capless variation does offer something new, as Platinum did with the removable clip on its Curidas, and it can be an argument for some older users of the Pilot to choose it.

Thanks, anonymous commenter.

Moonman A1 - Montblanc Burgundy Red

Bruno Taut
December 28th, 2022
etiquetas: Moonman, Pilot, capless, mercado

100th Anniversary (II)

A second private pen released by Pilot on its 100th anniversary was the following Capless:

The 100th anniversary Pilot Capless.

It is a regular Capless in blue with golden trim. The nib is made of 18 K gold, dated on February of 2019. And the only unusual feature is the inscription on the barrel around the central ring:

“100 th / ANNIVERSARY / SINCE 1918 “

The box, also in blue, is very interesting--all the logos of the company are subtly printed on it.

Pilot made for its shareholders in 2019. On these pages I have already described another shareholder pen in the form of the Elite 95sof Pilot in 2015.

Again, an affordable anniversary pen that was never for sale.

Mannenhitsu-no Yamada Susutake – Ishimarubun Gunkanjima Sunset Grey

Bruno Taut
September 7th, 2022
etiquetas: Pilot, mercado, Capless

The Green Grass

For some, the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) looks like paradise: “Japanese always keep the best products for themselves”, said a commenter on these same pages. But is that true?

Even if that was true, on-line trade does challenge that old structure of exclusive distributors associated to a well-defined location. Japanese pen companies might not like this idea, but there is not much they can do.

However, anchored as these companies are in this old model, they insist in marketing products just for certain markets. Then, in the same way as there are JDM pens and inks, there are Japanese products that are not distributed in Japan.

Such is the case of the following Capless “Black Stripes”:

Black Stripes.

But it can be found on-line. And whether this is better or worse, prettier of uglier than those regularly sold in Japan might be a matter of availability.

Assorted Capless, some made for non-Japanese markets.

After all, the grass is always greener on the other side of the border.

Nuart Antigua's Akatamenuri - Sailor Wagner ca 2010

Bruno Taut
September 1st, 2022
labels: Pilot, Capless, mercado

The Brazilian Icon

One could be forgiven for thinking that not much can be said about iconic pens. After all, being iconic means that they are well-known and documented, and people even write monographs about them!

The Pilot Capless/Namiki Vanishing Point does not yet have a monograph, but sure it is an iconic pen—one of the few Japanese icons in the world of pens. So, is it mostly all known about this family of pens?

I thought so, but reality is always surprising.

The first Pilot Capless –the C-600MW-- was marketed in 1963, and in the following years newer models were released in a trend that lasts until today. And all of them were made in Japan.

Or were they?

It looked like that until I saw a Capless made in Brazil.

Industria Brasileira.

Industria Brasileira.

We know Pilot created a manufacturing plant in Brazil in 1954. Inks and pens and other stationery products have been and are produced in there. Now, which pen models were made in Brazil? I described the model 77, and a commentator mentioned a model 88. And, what about the Capless?

In essence, this Brazilian model is equivalent to the C-300GW model made in Japan between 1964 and 1971, but there are some differences:

The Japanese C-300GW. Gold nib, cartridge/converter filling.

– The Brazilian nib is made of steel.

– The Brazilian filling system is built in the nib unit and cannot be detached from it. At least, not in a trivial way. Therefore, the use of cartridges is not an option on this pen.

These differences are consistent with path other Pilot pens followed when made in overseas plants—downgraded and simplified. Simplification in this case means not having to deal with the production and distribution of ink cartridges.

The Brazilian box.

As usual, this pen raises more questions than it answers:

– When was this pen made? Was it contemporary to the Japanese counterpart or was its production moved to Brazil once the Japanese pen had been discontinued?

– Was it fully made in Brazil or assembled from Japan-made parts?

– Where were this Brazilian Capless marketed?

Pilot Japan holds very few records about foreign production of pens.

And the quest for information continues.


My thanks to TM.

Mannenhitsu-no Yamada – Noodler's Apache Sunset

Bruno Taut
August 22nd, 2022
etiquetas: Pilot, Brasil, Capless

From Platinum to Lanbitou

Some time ago I made some comments about the current policy of Platinum focusing on the lower and middle ranges of the market. The recent models Procyon and Curidas, together with the well-known Preppy, do show that policy.

Platinum Curidas.

The problem is that Chinese pen companies are fighting hard for that market, and they do that with much better prices and the occasional shameless copy.

Lanbitou 3088.

The Lanbitou 3088 shows that last case very clearly. It is a blatant copy of the Platinum Curidas for a fraction of its price: about EUR 70 for the Platinum, and about EUR 5 for the Lanbitou. This, on top of the teething problems of the Curidas, are not good news for the Japanese brand.

Signed.

The weak slab in the PR China's production is the distribution of its products. This is based on online channels, but some brand are slowly opening other mechanisms. But in any event, online channels are here to stay, for both Chinese and non-Chinese products, and the business of these channels is only increasing.

Platinum of Lanbitou?

So, what is the future for Platinum and other traditional brands? I have predicted that low and middle priced pens –say up to about EUR 100-- will soon become Chinese. And should Western and Japanese brands survive, they are bound to offer products with a higher added value –exotic materials, lavish decoration, innovative nibs, ...--, and an impeccable quality control.

And all that is not what Platinum is doing now.


My thanks to my friend Antolín, whose pictures are greatly appreciated.

Parker Junior – Diamond Teal

Bruno Taut
July 29th, 2021
etiquetas: Platinum, Lanbitou, mercado, capless