Ultra (IV)

Kabutogi Ginjirô (兜木銀次郎) is no alien to these Chronicles. His presence in the pen industry in Japan seemed to be more of a reliable supporting actor than playing a leading role. His nibs were either inconspicuous, almost anonymous, or passed as copies of some other designs.

The following inlaid nib belongs to the second category:

The pen carries no name other that a very generic “Super De Luxe” imprinted on the cap lip. But it certainly follows the style of the Pilot Super Ultra 500 of Shigeki Chiba, and does it beautifully. This time, contrary to most non-Pilot Ultra models, the nib is truly inlaid and extends itself along the section and fully around it.

The imprint on the nib read "Steady / K14 / JIS logo / 4622". 4622 is the JIS registry number of Kabutogi's pen operation Seilon.

It is engraved with one of the pen brands associated to Kabutogi –Steady— together with the JIS registry number 4622. This belonged, as well, to Kabutogi Ginjirô, but in connection to another pen brand: Seilon.

The pen uses Platinum-proprietary cartridges which were a de-facto standard in Japan by the late 1950s and 1960s (see the Chronicle on Mitaka). Platinum, may we remember, had been the first Japanese company to produce ink cartridges.

Some units of this pen were manufactured for the department store Daimaru.

These are the dimensions of this pen:
Length capped: 145 mm
Length open: 131 mm
Length posted: 164 mm
Diameter: 11 mm
Weight (dry): 13.7 g

My thanks to Mr. Furuya.

Platinum 3776 (1978 model) – Platinum Blue-black

Bruno Taut
Machida, May 17th, 2013
etiquetas: Steady, Seilon, nibmeister Kabutogi Ginjirô, Platinum, Pilot, marca desconocida, plumín

More Center

Japanese pens are a lot more than maki-e and urushi, and a lot more than Pilot, Platinum and Sailor. Hundreds of pen operations struggled in the domestic market during the post-war years. Then, two political decisions changed the landscape—the first was the implementation of the Japan Industrial Standards (JIS). Although it was not obligatory for the brands to adopt those norms, the JIS mark became visible on the nibs of the major companies. That mark ensured that the nib material was as declared, thus preventing the easy fraud of passing as solid gold those nibs that were just gold plated.

The model 61 by Center.

The second measure was the liberalization of the Japanese market to foreign–made pens in 1964. And according to Lambrou and Sunami (Fountain Pens of Japan. 2012. ISBN: 978-0-9571230-0), several hundreds of million of Chinese-made pens were sold in Japan on the following years, which seem like an awful lot of pens given the population of Japan: between 90 and 100 million people along the 1960s.

In any event, this foreign competition drove many Japanese pen operations out of the business and focused their activity in other products. That was the case, for instance, of the Sanwa Kôgyô Co. Ltd., owner of the brand Center. The company, based in Nara, is still active and on its website it mentions year 1964 and the endpoint to its pen production, started in 1932, due to the liberalization of the Japanese pen market.

Therefore, the model Center 61 was certainly produced before that year of 1964.

Sailor white pocket pen, 14 K gold nib – Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown

谷村あいる & Bruno Taut
March-April, 2013
etiquetas: Japón, mercado, Center

Bokujû (墨汁)

This is an interesting ink. A puzzling one.

The label does say this ink is for fountain pens, but should it not be clear enough, there is also an obvious figure of a fountain pen. A Pilot, of course. The metal ring attached to the string is a common feature among old Japanese inkwells, but I confess my ignorance about its purpose.

We, pen aficionados, are very aware of the dangers of using inks not specifically designed for fountain pens. India ink, for instance, contains shellac –a bioadhesive that would easily clog the ink feed of any fountain pen.

In East Asia the basic reference of ink is different. Sumi ink (墨) is traditionally made of vegetable soot and animal glue. It is presented in the form of sticks, and to make the actual ink these sticks have to be ground against a stone (suzuri, 硯) in combination with water. The ink, now called bokujû (墨汁), is formed by the suspension of the powder removed from the ink stick in the water. This is the ink used in traditional calligraphy, shodô (書道) in Japanese, whose basic instrument is the brush instead of the stylus.

The inscription on the lid reads Special ink Pilot 特製墨汁パイロット. On the center, the company logo.

Nothing can I say about whether the use of this ink was a long time goal of Japanese pen companies. As of today, Platinum’s Carbon ink and Sailor’s Kiwa-guro simulate the idea of bokujû—particles in suspension in water. Pilot´s approach is just limited to the name of one the inks of the Iroshizuku line: Take-sumi (竹炭), although in this case, sumi is written as 炭, meaning coal, instead of 墨, ink. Both ideograms can be read in the same way—sumi (すみ).

Then, what about this old inkwell? The label clearly (well, sort of) says it contained bokujû—that is, the already prepared ink after grinding the ink stick—and that it is for fountain pens. On the back, the manufacturer, Namiki Seisakusho, explains that only after developing some procedures, which involved filtration, it was safe to use bokujû in fountain pens.

The explanations to justify the uniqueness of the ink.

Was it? Hard to say. However, a more relevant question is whether this was a real carbon ink, a precedent of the modern nanopigmented inks made by Sailor and Platinum. Interestingly enough, Pilot does not produce any such ink right now.

This ink dates back from the 1920s, and chemical analysis are in order. But few people might really care.

My thanks to Mr. Yamada, who also wrote on this ink for his blog, including a couple of samples on paper.

Pilot Capless, stub nib (Shimizu Seisakusho) – Waterman Mysterious Blue

Bruno Taut
Yokohama, May 4th, 2013
etiquetas: tinta, Pilot, Sailor, Platinum, Japón, caligrafía, pincel

Super 1970s

The Pilot Super line of fountain pens is well known among the readers of these Chronicles. It was, let us remember, the family of pens that formed the core of the Pilot catalog in the late 1950s. The basic characteristics were a nail-shaped nib with a totally hidden feed and a sac-based filling system. More often than not, it was the hose system (some people call it quarter-switch filler). Later evolutions, already in the 1960, changed the shape of the cap and created the cartridge filling Super V series (Super 200V, for instance), overlapping the E series and followed, later, by the Elite models. It is interesting to note that the nail-type nib and the hidden feed scheme remained basically the same –save changes in sizes— until well into the 1980s.

A Pilot Super 300 from late 1950s (with maki-e seirei-nuri decoration) and a cartridge-converter Super from the early 1970s. Note the different design of the section.

In the early 1970s, Pilot launched a nostalgic reissue of the original Super model with a large nib. The basic modification in this newer pen was the use of ink cartridges and converters. The section was also re-designed –in line with some of the Elite models—and now the cap was perfectly aligned with the barrel when closed.

Two units of these Pilot Super pens made in the early 1970s. They implement very different nibs, as will be shown on other pictures.

The insides of one of the newer Pilot Super pens.

The wide golden ring of the cap, so characteristic of the original Super pens (although not all of the variations carried it) was now plated with 22 K gold. The engraving on the ring says 22 AKG, but nobody seemed to really know what it stood for. As for the nib, some inscriptions on them seemed to recreate an old Pilot logo –that with a stylized L underlining the O—and some others use a more modern script for the company name.

A script and a soft nib. Note the different geometry of both--the soft nib has longer and thinner tines. The imprinted logos are also different.

Several nib points were available including some unusual ones. Here I am showing a very stiff and quite fine script, and a semi-flexible one labeled as “soft”. This nib can provide a significant line variation while being quite soft—little pressure you had to apply to create that effect. Manifold nibs were also available on these modern Super pens.

Writing samples --excuse my poor hand-- with the previously shown nibs. The paper squares are 2 mm wide.

These are the measurements of these cartridge-converter Super pens:
Length closed: 136 mm
Length open: 121 mm
Length posted: 149 mm
Diameter: 12 mm
Weight: 21.2 g (dry)
Ink deposit: 0.9 ml (cartridge), 0.8 (CON-20), 0.6 ml (CON-50)

Both units shown in here were manufactured at the Tokyo plant in 1973.

Pilot Super (cartridge-converter), soft nib – Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown

Bruno Taut
Yokohama, April 8th, 2013
etiquetas: Pilot

First Piston by Sailor

After speaking about an old self-filler by Sailor, it might be time to speak about the origins of the new, contemporary, self-filling fountain pens of this company. Between the old bulb-fillers from the 1950s and the first Sailor Realo (2006), about 50 years of boring and clean and efficient cartridges and converters have passed.

Then, to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the company in 2006, Sailor marketed a big piston filler based on the King of Pen line in the Profit (1911 in some markets) style of balance pens. And this was the first piston ever made by Sailor.

500 units were made for Japan, and 100 more for overseas markets. Most of them were black, but there seems to have been a small number units in maroon, and an even smaller number with maki-e decoration for Singapore (as reported by A. Lambrou and M. Sunami; Fountain Pens of Japan. Andreas Lambrou Publishers 2012. ISBN: 978-0-9571230-0-2). Speaking for myself, I have only seen black units.

The inkwell shown on the picture is not the original one. It had the Sailor logo on the lid.

The package includes a pen pouch made of deerskin leather coated with urushi, a traditional craft from Yamanashi prefecture. But should we remember that is only an accessory.

The second element of interest in this pen, after the filling system, is the nib. It is a Naginata Togi in M partially rhodiated. This is exceptional because Naginata nibs come usually in the big size (in Sailor terms, opposed to medium and super big sizes), and this meant that Sailor made a special casting of this nib for the commemorative pen.

The cap is subtlely engraved: "REALO 2006 / (serial number)/500". This pen is one of the 500 units made for Japan. Those for overseas markets were numbered over 100.

The final result is a pen with two elements many stylophiles love—an exciting nib and a non-trivial filling system—making this one of the most interesting commemorative pens ever made by Sailor. Should it have been more exotic with the looks, it would have been almost perfect. And that might be the case of those Sailor Realo with maki-e made for the Singaporean market. However, cheap might be not, and that in the case you found one.

The super big, in Sailor terms, nib made of 21 K gold. It is a Naginata Togi nib in M.

This first and original Realo is indeed big and could easily compete with classic oversized pens as the Montblanc 149 and the Pelikan M1000. These are their dimensions:

	.Sailor Realo 95.	.Montblanc 149.	.Pelikan M1000.
Length closed (mm)	153	148	146
Length open (mm)	130	132	135
Length posted (mm)	167	169	173
Barrel Diameter (mm)	16.0	15.0	14.5
Ink deposit (ml)	1.6	1.9	1.6
Weight, dry (g)	31.9	31.0	32.9

The original price of the Sailor Realo in Japan was JPY 80000, plus tax.

The wide cap ring carries the following inscription: "SAILOR JAPAN 95th ANNIVERSARY".

Detail of the decorative ring between the barrel and the culotte.

But this was a limited edition and only 600 units went into the market. Sailor, however, followed up in 2009 with a more affordable, and smaller, piston filler based on senior size of both the balance Profit/1911 and of the flat top Professional Gear models. The basic price of these smaller Realos is JPY 30000, plus tax, and that implies sticking to the usual triad of points—F, M and B. Upgrades to more complex nibs are available during Sailor sale events and at some Sailor Friendly Shops. They are not cheap.

The picture shows the original Realo from 2006, on top, and the regular model, not limited, from 2009, on bottom. The later is a much smaller pen, based on the senior size of the Profit/1911 or the Professional Gear series of pens.

Platinum 3776 (1978) – Platinum Blue-black

Bruno Taut
Shinjuku, April 17th, 2013
etiquetas: Sailor, plumín, Singapur, Montblanc, Pelikan

50 Years

On this year of 2013, the Pilot Capless, the most popular fountain pen made by Pilot, will become 50 years old. Or at least, the concept of such pen as understood by Pilot, for the Capless has not been just one model but a family of them, as we have already seen on these Chronicles. In any event, the first Capless (or Vanishing Point) was initially marketed by the end of 1963.

That first pen was an expensive luxury. It cost JPY 6000, which was the monthly income of many workers in Japan at the time. And what did Pilot give in return? Today’s pictures show the whole rather elaborated package of the first Pilot Capless.

First, a cardboard box.

And inside, the pen box, quite sturdy, and two packages of 12 double-spare cartridges.

When displayed at the Pen Trading event of the Pen Collectors of Japan this past weekend, many showed their admiration, and I wonder that admiration was just the product of these fifty years of history. It is true that modern Capless come is less fancy boxes (in Japan, at least), as it is also true that the modern version of it is a lot more affordable and less luxurious that they were in 1963.

Twelve double-spare cartridges fit in each box.

The short clip on the lower side of the section/body of the pen. The white dot on the side of the pen shows this was the second variation. The first model had it colored in gold. This particular unit was manufactured in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, in December of 1963.

The overengineered nib. Note the use of gold (14 K) to attach the nib to the steel cylinder.

Anyway, this was the way the pen was released in 1963, fifty years ago, thus starting the saga of Pilot/Namiki Capless/Vanishing Point (all combinations allowed). And knowing the mechanisms of marketing, it is safe to say that Pilot will celebrate this anniversary appropriately; that is, with a special, in some way, Capless pen. But nobody knows anything. No information has leaked out of Pilot’s offices and we can only speculate—or be patient.

On my side, I hope the 50th anniversary pen was not just another fancy colored Capless, and I look forward to seeing something more daring, more radical.

My thanks to Mr. Shiomi.

Pilot Super 100s in red – Pilot Blue-black

Bruno Taut
April 21st-22nd, 2013
etiquetas: Pilot, Capless, evento, mercado

No Risk

My admired Ira Glass –I am a die-hard fan of the Chicago Public Media show This American Life— once wrote that he had had a nightmare involving Howard Stern. The whole issue was how much harder Stern’s life in the waves was if compared to his own, Ira Glass’s, conducting his more serious, apparently, program.

I am nowhere close to Ira Glass. I only write, and poorly for that matter, about fountain pens, and that is easy. I do not challenge any restrictive law; I do not deal with religious matters… So, all is fine. But that is not the case for many. Writing about politics, about religion, or even about Science when it is about Evolution might trigger some bitter reactions that might not be limited to just hate-mail.

This is not about declaring here and now my adhesion to this or that cause. This is just to acknowledge and honor the work of those who actively defend the right of free speech and who suffer the consequences. And I thank them—for the right of free speech is not to be taken for granted. Neither offline or online.

Pilot Belage, steel nib – Wagner ink 2008

Bruno Taut
Shinjuku, April 17th, 2013
etiquetas: metabitácora