Capless Posh

By now, the Pilot family of Capless pens is well known. The three variations –Capless, Décimo, Fermo— have already been described on these Chronicles and we all are aware of the array of limited editions Pilot periodically releases trying to cash the success of the model. These limited editions are based on the regular Capless model and, a lot less often, on the slimmer Décimo, leaving the Fermo behind in this more restricted market. Or maybe not…

In 2014, luxury brand Hermès joined efforts with designer Marc Newson and Pilot to create a unique and exclusive pen: the Hermes Nautilus.

This Hermes/Pilot pen does indeed look brilliant and original, but deep inside it is just a Pilot Fermo. As such, the pen is operated by twisting the tail over the section. And further rotation unscrews both halves opening the pen. Inside, the very familiar rhodiated, 18 K gold nib common to all modern Pilot Capless models. Identical nib save for a small detail—it is engraved with an H, together with the usual dating codes of Pilot. In particular, this nib was manufactured at the Hiratsuka plant on May of 2014.

The Nautilus, made of aluminum and steel, is available in four colors: grey, blue, black and red. These are the dimensions:

Length closed: 145 mm
Length open: 154 mm
Diameter (or maximum width): 14 mm
Weight: 43.9 g (dry, empty cartridge)

All in all, an overweight and overpriced Fermo. Retail price of USD 1670 (according to the Hermès USA website) makes it a factor 10 more expensive than the regular Fermo (JPY 20000)—with the same nib!

Exclusivity has a price.


NOTE added on March 2018: The Hermes Nautilus comes with 6 different nib points: EF, F, FM, M, B, and Stub. The FM nib is the only example of this point in a rhodiated nib. The price of this pen in Japan is JPY 150000, plus tax.


My thanks to Mr. Sunami.


More information:
Hermes USA website (active on December 2015).
Ken KESSLER. Hermès Nautilus: so much more than a pen. The Telegraph. July 8, 2014.

Parker 51 demi, vacumatic – Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue

Bruno Taut
Madrid, December 3rd, 2015
etiquetas: Pilot, Capless, mercado

Singing Bird

The Birdie was an inexpensive fountain pen made by Pilot in the 1980s.

In a nutshell, it is an all metal pen, stainless steel, with a plastic gripping section and a steel nib. Its filling system is by Pilot cartridges and it also admits the use of the CON-20 bladder-type converter.

The stainless steel nib in point F. It was manufactured on May of 1981.

The main characteristic of this pen is its very small size—thin and short. And simple too: the cap friction fits both the section (closing the pen), and the barrel (posting it). The later configuration is very nicely designed—the barrel becomes thinner to allow for a smooth fit a clean look.

These are the dimensions of the Pilot Birdie (1981):

Length closed: 110 mm
Length open: 105 mm
Length posted: 129 mm
Diameter: 9 mm
Weight: 12.9 g (dry, with converter)

The stainless steel nib is not particularly interesting. It is just functional and efficient, boring until we discovered there was a three-tined music nib, untipped, implemented on the Pilot Birdie.

On top, the cap posted on the barrel. Note the alignment between both pieces. On bottom, the music nib, the section, and the single spare Pilot cartridge. On this pen, made in April 1982, the clip is marked with the model name: Birdie.

And then, the boring and efficient Pilot Birdie became a very exciting pen.

The untipped three-tined music nib.

As can be seen on the pictures of this text, there were several variations along the history of this model. The dimensions stated on this text correspond to the model issued in 1981. The model with the music nib was made in 1982 and its ends are not flat.

My thanks to Mr. Niikura.

Sailor pocket pen, 21 K – Daiso Black cartridge

Bruno Taut
Madrid, November 28th, 2015
etiquetas: Pilot, plumín, plumín musical

Madrid Pen Show 2015

I wonder whether it is worth to write about yet another pen show. In a sense, all of them are one and the same: people gathering around fountain pens. But I attended the 2015 Madrid Pen Show (November 13th to 15th, 2015) and I feel compelled to speak about it.

Photo courtesy of Foro de Estilográficas member Antolín.

The Madrid Pen Show is currently the biggest event of this kind in Europe—70 tables, 62 traders from 13 different countries, and over 1200 visitors in the two and a half days of the event.

The following video by Mr. José Riofrío truly captures the pleasant atmosphere of the event. The commercial side is a given to any such show; the social part is also there, but is often limited to the local community of stylophiles. The Madrid Pen Show is, in this regard, the meeting event of most of the Spanish pen community, regularly connected through the Spanish pen fora, mostly the Foro de Estilográficas and Relojes Especiales – Grafos. Some of the members of this community can be seen at the dinner party, which by now is an integral part of the celebration.

The pixelated figure (min 3:05 and 3:12) corresponds to Mr. Tom Westerich, who after greeting the camera decided he was too important to appear on the video and filed a complaint before YouTube. This is, therefore, the "Westerich-correct" version.

A lot has been said and written on how to proceed in events like this, but I am afraid that even the most seasoned collector becomes overwhelmed by the sheer amount and variety of pens. It always becomes difficult to decide how to spend the always limited resources.

But if asked, I would advice in the following terms:

I. Keep focus on what you want. This might be either a model, a brand, a category of some sort, etc. Your eyes and your brain will quickly filter the signal from the noise.

II. But do not close your eyes totally to those pens not fitting your primary interest. A pen show is a magnificent opportunity to see and to touch extraordinary pens, which takes me to point III.

III. Ask, touch, try,… and ask again. Take the chance to learn about your beloved objects.

IV. Explore the show before buying, but also consider that some pens might be rare finds. Sometimes, what is left behind might be gone forever.

V. Assume you will not see every single pen in the show. There are just too many, and that is why rule I becomes even more important.

Enjoy the pen show near you, even if overwhelmed.

Special thanks to Mr. José Riofrío and to Antolín.

Parker 51 demi, vacumatic – Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue

Bruno Taut
Madrid, November 17th, 2015
Edited on December 16th, 2015 due to privacy complaints of Mr. Tom Westerich.
etiquetas: Madrid, mercado, estilofilia, evento