Sakai's #10

The size 3 nib we saw on the previous text makes that pen a strange creature with no clear counterpart in the general catalog of Pilot.

On the contrary, the size 10 pen uses a more standard –and contemporary- Pilot nib. In fact, we can see a close relative in the form of the Pilot 65, the commemorative pen Pilot launched in 1983.

As we can see on the following picture, their nibs and feeds are identical to he manufacturing date, September of 1983.

These are the dimensions of these two pens:

	.Pilot 65.	.Sakai's 10.
Length closed (mm)	140	146
Length open (mm)	126	124
Length posted (mm)	159	176
Diameter (mm)	13.5	15.0
Weight (g)	17.9	18.6

Lotus Saral Titanium – Pilot (thai) Black

Bruno Taut
March 19th, 2024
etiquetas: Sakai Eisuke, Pilot, plumín

Sakai's #3

On the previous text I spoke about a couple of Pilot prototypes made by Sakai Eisuke in the early 1980s. These pens are urushi-coated balance units with Japanese eyedropper filling system.

The bigger of them implements a well-known size 10 nib, and I will go back to it on another text. Today I want to speak about the other pen, that with a size 3 nib: about what it is and about what it is not.

And this size 3 nib is not a modern size 3 nib. This nib size, not very popular, is implemented in current models Grance, and in discontinued Legance 89s, Legno 89s and Stella 90s.

The obviously different size 3 nibs. The Sakai's pen on top; a Stella 90 on bottom.

On the contrary, this nib is much closer, but not identical, to those made in the 1920s and 1930s. Its engraving, actually, follows the pattern seen on Pilot pens from the early 1920s.

The nib on the right belongs to the 1980s Sakai Eisuke pen. The other three nibs belong to late 1920s Pilot pens.

Exceptional size 8 Pilot nib from early 1920s. It belongs to a hoshiawase pen. Photo courtesy of Mr. Syrigonakis.

Then, where does this prototype nib come from? Is it an old nib that came in handy for the occasion? A newly crafted unit for the pen, either by Pilot or by some friend of Mr. Sakai's?

Hard to say as there's hardly any information on these singular pens. And when there is nothing we still have the pen...

Opus 88 Koloro – Caran d'Ache Electric Orange

Bruno Taut
March 18th, 2024
etiquetas: Sakai Eisuke, Pilot, plumín

Soft or Marketing?

We know of the existence of Sailor nibs labeled as S –particularly in the 1990s- instead of as H, as is more common. The obvious understanding of these two letters were soft and hard, although there is hardly any difference in their flexibility.

S-M and H-M nibs. Soft and hard? Different alloys?

Some further investigation, including some input from Sailor personnel, pointed out that S and H merely indicated different gold alloys.

But is that all?

The following Sailor Profit pen implements one such S nib, and also sports an interesting sticker on the barrel: 軟, nan, soft. Therefore, not only the nib is S, but the pen was also “soft”.

軟, nan, soft.

The point here is that S could mean almost anything of being just a code for, say, a specific gold alloy. But adding the ideogram for soft implies something more. Was it a marketing operation of some sort associated to those labels and stickers?

S but not soft.

But clothes do not make the man and labels do not change the flexibility.

Opus 88 – Caran d'Ache Electric Orange

Bruno Taut
January 31st, 2024
etiquetas: plumin, Sailor

Signature (II)

So, Pilot created a new nib point for its size 10 implemented on the model Custom 742 (and potentially on the rhodium-trimmed Custom Heritage 912). But, only on that size? No, but this other Signature nib came as a limited edition.

Also in 2022, Pilot celebrated the 30th anniversary of its workhorse pen, the Custom 74. And for the occasion, the company released a special edition of the pen.

The boxed set includes three different pen barrels in three transparent colors, a bottle of ink of “Anniversary Blue”, a CON-70N converter, and a booklet summarizing the history of the Custom models since its inception in 1971.

There are some other details that make this pen –or these pens- special and different to the regular Custom 74. The cap ring is engraved with a specific text: “PILOT CUSTOM 74 30th ANNIVERSARY JAPAN”. The nib, rhodiated size 5, also displays an original design and script: some bay leaves –or so Pilot declares- framing the text “PILOT CUSTOM 14K-585”, plus the nib point.

The anniversary nib in Signature point.

Four points are available on this limited edition: F, FM, M and the new S, Signature. And the fact that this S point is now and exclusive to this model makes this option the most desirable among them.

S nibs on sizes 5 and 10. Note how the size 5 nib is not labeled as such.

This new S nib becomes the twelfth nib point available in the size 5 nib by Pilot. Whether this nib became part of the catalog or not remains to be seen, but one more nib option in an affordable workhorse like the Custom 74 would indeed be great.

The price of the Custom 74 30th Anniversary is JPY 28000, plus taxes, for any of the nib points.

Moonman A2 - Diamine Bilberry

Bruno Taut
July 18th, 2023
etiquetas: Pilot, plumín

Signature (I)

Last year, 2022, Pilot released a new nib point for the model Custom 742—the Signature. And by doing this, the number of points available in Pilot's size 10 nibs (::1::, ::2::) is 16.

The Signature point—a sort of smooth stubbish broad nib— is not particularly new. In Japan they existed in the 1960s and 1970s by the hand of Pilot and Platinum. On the picture we can see two of those together with the new Custom 742.

Now, do they draw a similar line? Or, in other words, are all Signature nibs alike? Not really, and the larger differences are between those made by Pilot—a smooth broad nib with a stubbish character on the 742, and a very round symmetric point on the Pilot E from 1968. On its side, the Platinum pocket pen, also from 1968, is more of a stub nib, with an overall width finer than that of the Custom 742. So it might be worth to reflect on those names and their definitions at some point.

Anyway, the Custom 742 with Signature nib adds even more value and appeal to the Pilot lineup of nibs, particularly to the size 10. 16 different points in a single pen model is not something any other company currently could brag about.

Pilot Custom 742 - Diamine Imperial Purple.

Bruno Taut
July 14th, 2023
etiquetas: Pilot, plumín, Platinum

New 3776 Nib

The Platinum Decade pen described on the previous entry implements, as we saw, a new nib. And this nib represents a new step in the evolution of the 3776 nib.

So this is a good time to revise that evolution of nibs and feeds along forty-something years of history.

Early models, (between 1978 and some time in the early 1980s) had very cylindrical nibs and ebonite feeds. The first year model had a feed with no fins at all. There were also music nibs with this geometry.

Nib and feed of a Platinum #3776 from 1978. Note the ebonite feed.

The feeds of these early models changed quickly. By the second year, they had implemented some fins.

Later on, the nib became flatter on the top area, but there were few, if any, changes on the ebonite feed. This detail changed at some point and from then on all Platinum feeds have been made of plastic.

Nib and feed from 1984. The nib is obviously flatter on top while the feed is still made of ebonite.

Nib and feed from 2002. The nib is apparently identical to the previous one (1984), but the feed is now made of plastic.

Nib and feed from a #3776 Century. Labeled as manufactured on November of 2011. Note the shorter nib and the very specific feed. Needless to say, it is made of plastic.

The #3776 Century was launched in 2011. On this newer edition, two-tine nibs (i. e., non music nibs) changed with respect to previous models. Now they are shorter than before, and the feed had been modified to anchor the nib on the right position.

On the left, a music nib of a #3776 Century, dated on 2012. On the right, a music nib of a #3776 of 2009. The feeds are identical. The nibs share the same basic geometry.

Music nib and feed of the Wagner 2015 pen. Note the absence of holes in the tail of the nib.

These changes, as I said, did not affect the three-tine music nibs. In some occasions, some gold was removed from the tail of the nib –that area hidden under the section-, but is also seems not to be always the case. The feeds of these music nibs are more cylindrical in shape and have no fixed position for the nib.

Two and three tine nibs dated in 2009 and 2010. They were interchangeable in their sections. I am well aware that the two tine nib is a Nakaya, but Nakaya implements #3776 nibs.

And in 2022, the model released to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 3776 Century sported the following nib:

It is slightly narrower and longer than the previous nib. The feed remains untouched.

Now, the question is whether this new nib will become the standard for all 3776 Century and associated products (::1::, ::2::). Time will tell.

Pilot Custom 742, S nib – Diamine Imperial Purple

Bruno Taut
June 1st, 2023
etiquetas: Platinum, plumín, plumín musical

Decade

One of the most interesting pens released in 2022 was the Platinum Decade, made to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the model 3776 Century. And it is interesting because it somehow departs from the very trite trick of rehashing a well known model by simply changing the color.

The Platinum Decade in the box.

For this pen Platinum changed two elements with the result of a more attractive pen:

The first is the overall shape and style—gathered ma-non-tanto. Like the first edition 3776 of 1978, but not too much. The gathered style, let us remember, remains in the Platinum catalog to this day after a numerous adaptation to the successive changes in the model.

A collection of 3776 models, plus the Platinum Glamour.

Platinum Decade (bottom) and 1978 Platinum 3776 (top).

The result, the Decade pen, recalls the old model while also being new.

The second detail that makes this pen different is the nib. As can be seen on the picture, Platinum took the effort of designing a new geometry for the nib instead of simply implementing the old Century unit.

The two nibs, side by side. The Platinum Decade on the left, a regular 3776 Century on the right.

This is a lot more than what Platinum has been doing in the last years—endless variations of the 3776 Century by changing colors and textures, all of them with the same nib.

So Platinum now deserves some recognition.

Parker 51, burgundy – Sailor Tomikei Blue

Bruno Taut
May 31st, 2023
etiquetas: Platinum, plumín, mercado

New Izumo (II)

As we saw yesterday, Platinum has announced a new Izumo series of pens with a relatively new nib—a #3776 made of 18 K gold.

It could be argued that Platinum had paid attention to a typical complain—the President nib looks small on the Izumo pen. But how do President and #3776 nibs compare? Is the #3776 unit going to correct that perception?

The fact is that the #3776 is just slightly bigger than the President, as the following table shows:

	. President . 18 K Au	.#3776. . 14 K Au .
Total length (mm)	25.5	29.1
Exposed length (mm)	20.9	21.8
Width (mm)	8.1	8.6
Weight (g)	0.6	0.7

And a similar effect can be seen when comparing a #3776 Century and a President pen side by side. These two pens are very similar in dimensions.

President (top) and #3776 Century (bottom).

Izumo Akatamenuri (top) and President (bottom).

On the Izumo, the problem is the actual girth of the pen, significantly larger than that of the regular President:

	Izumo .Akatamenuri.	.President.	#3776 .Century.
Length closed (mm)	155	143	140
Length open (mm)	134	122	120
Max. diameter (cap) (mm)	17.5	16.0	15.3
Barrel Diameter (mm)	15.7	13.4	13.3

So, will the #3776 nib correct the perception of a small nib attached to a big pen? Only marginally, I'm afraid.

The actual problem of Platinum is the lack of a big nib, a nib comparable to the Sailor super big (King of Pen) or to the Pilot size 30 (Custom Urushi). And that is a serious handicap if you wanted to design and produce a big pen.

Pilot Custom 74, Yamada Seisakusho – Diamine Teal

Bruno Taut
Yokohama, April 26th, 2023
etiquetas: plumín, mercado, Platinum

New Izumo (I)

Platinum has just announced a new release of the well-known Izumo series of pens.

The name of this new variations is Iro Urushi, colored lacquer, and is composed by two models –Aitetsu Iro, a bluish green pen; and Budô Nezu, brown with greyish tones.

Platinum Izumo Iro Urushi Aitetsu Iro.

Budô Nezu Izumo. Note the silver trim on both pens.

But what might be more relevant to this new pens is the implementation of a different nib with an additional nib point. Traditionally, Izumo pens sport President nibs of 18 K gold with points F, M and B. The exception are the models made of weaved bamboo –the Yokoajiro and the Gozame with catalog references PBA–120000Y, and PBA-120000G, whose nibs are of the #3776 type.

The new nib. Or not so new. And for the first time, there will be Izumo pens with BB points.

And these #3776 nibs, rhodiated and made of 18 K Au, will also be used on the new Iro Urushi Izumo pens with the options of F, M, B and BB points.

Two questions remain open: will these #3776 nibs be implemented on the existing spindle-shape Izumo pens? How much will these Iro Urushi pens cost?

Parker 51 burgundy – Tomikei Blue (Sailor)

Bruno Taut
Yokohama, April 26th, 2023
etiquetas: plumín, maki-e, mercado, Platinum

Chinese Naginata

After speaking about a naginata-like nib made in Germany, it might be worth to mention the Chinese versions of such a nib.

After all, it is only natural that Chinese companies created their own nibs specialized in writing Chinese ideograms. And that is the declared purpose of the Naginata Togi nib by nibmeister Nobuyoshi Nagahara.

One such example is the "Long Knife" (長刀) nib made by Hongdian, and implemented, among other pens, on the N6 model. But the N6 is such an interesting pen that the variable stroke nib is almost a secondary detail.

The "Long Knife" (長刀) nib by Hongdian. Note the similarities with the Naginata Togi (長刀研ぎ): the first two ideograms are the same.
The Hongdian nib is engraved with 刀F.

The N6 has the rare virtue of clicking the boxes of the requirements of many a pen aficionado:

A self-filling mechanism--a piston. An ebonite feed with a generous yet controlled ink flow. And ink window. A decent ink capacity (about 1.4 ml). An attractive matte-black look (one of the versions). And a variable nib.

The Hongdian N6 in matte black, with a ¨Long Knife" variable nib.

It could have been a gold nib, but then the price of the pen --about EUR 35-- would have been a lot higher. And the performance of this unit is very nice--smooth and very resistant to drying up when not in use. It indeed writes on contact.

However, there are two weak points in this unit. First is the lack of options--only EF, F, and variable F. Therefore this might not be your pen should you be looking for a broad point.

The second is the very limited line variation offered by this nib point. There is some, as can be seen on the picture, but is not much. Of course it is a variable F, but given this performance some might consider purchasing the lower-priced EF or F points.

Written sample of the "Long Knife" nib. There is some line variation by changing the angle between pen and paper, but not an extreme one. The paper square is 5x5 mm^2.

The pen as whole is a bit heavy --32 grams-- but it is well balanced if unposted: center of gravity at 66 mm from the nib end; at 90 mm when posted.

These are the dimensions of the pen:

Length closed: 137 mm
Length open: 123 mm
Length posted: 152 mm
Diameter: 15.0
Weight: 32 g (without cap, 20 g); inked
Ink deposit: ca. 1.4 ml

All in all, this pen is an excellent alternative to almost any other pen unless you wanted the ease of use and the cleanliness of a cartridge-converter or a broad nib. But this one costs only about EUR 35.

The main obstacle for the popularization of this and other Chinese pens is the distribution, limited to online channels. However, this also is changing as there are several of those mechanisms competing with each other. And Western and Japanese brands should pay a closer look to what is coming from China.


My thanks to "el abuelo Tobías".

Hongdian N6 – Montblanc Black

Bruno Taut
November 25th, 2022
etiquetas: China, mercado, Hongdian, plumín

The Lamy Naginata?

Not much new can be said about the Lamy Safari—a 1980 design by Wolfgang Fabian endlessly reissued and copied. And Lamy regularly uses it for yearly limited editions and regional variations.

In 2022, Lamy has released the Lamy Kanji in East Asia. But this edition, developed by Lamy Hong Kong, is more more than just a variation of colors, as is the case of those special editions above mentioned. On this occasion, Lamy came with an original nib—the Kanji nib.

Interestingly enough, the explanations on the specifics of the nib come in Chinese, English and Thai.

The variations with respect to the regular Safari nib –the Z50 nib- are easy to spot: longer and narrower tines, and a specific nib point akin to a fine architect.

The selling argument is that this nib is more suitable for writing Chinese ideograms... Well, just like Sailor claimed re the Nagahara's Naginata.

The Kanji nib offers some line variation on the angle between pen and paper. Not extreme, but noticeable.

So, is this the Lamy version of the Sailor Naginata Togi nib?

The price of the Safari Kanji is JPY 6000, plus taxes, which is 50% more expensive than a regular, non-Kanji, Safari.

Lamy Safari Kanji – Franklin Christoph Urushi Red.


Bruno Taut
November 3rd, 2022
etiquetas: Lamy, plumín, mercado