Pilot Lucina

[tipstricks]

This is my first Pilot, bought for $43.25 at Ujuku Shop (Japan)

Appearance

Medium size: it’s 130mm long capped, 119mm uncapped, 147mm posted and 12mm diameter. Screwing cap, light weight (13 grams), it comes with a Pilot cartridge and an aerometric converter (con-20), all well packaged. I have choose the one in red colour (you can find also black, blue and yellow with F,M,B nib), it has gold plated fine nib and trims. I love fine nibs, and this is truly what I expected.

Nib/Performance

Smooth and very fine writing, excellent balancing with posted cap. Easy filling with the converter (normally I don’t use cartridges) and great flow.

Conclusion

High quality and not very expansive fountain pen, useful for daily writing. Filled with “Arabian Rose” Private Reserve ink, it’s now in my shirt pocket.

 

http://www.webalice.it/charlize/foto/Pilot%20Lucina%200.jpg

 

http://www.webalice.it/charlize/foto/Pilot%20Lucina%201.jpg

 

http://www.webalice.it/charlize/foto/Pilot%20Lucina%202.jpg

 

http://www.webalice.it/charlize/foto/Pilot%20Lucina%203.jpg

 

http://www.webalice.it/charlize/foto/Pilot%20Lucina%204.jpg

[bossy]

nice

Edited June 30, 2007 by bossy

[donwinn]

It sounds (and looks) like a wonderful pen. I wish Pilot would market more of their fountain pen lines here in the US, rather than mostly ball pens, roller balls and gel pens. I think (hope) they might be surprised at the number of sales they could garner. There was a thread somewhere about why the Japanese companies do not go for the US market, so I won't go any farther.

Donnie

[mr T.]

Very nice pen! Another Pilot fountain pen that in Europe only is available via parallel import or internet shops. Very difficult to get outside Japan and so another missed opportunity for Pilot Corporation

Edited June 27, 2007 by mr T.

[Cloud]

drools.... it look so cool in orange!!!!!!!

[garyc]

Did the $43.25 include shipping (I assume not, but I can't see on the Ujuku site how much it would be to Europe ...)?

 

If its not unreasonable I think I will get a yellow one as an alternative to the Prera not that Cyberpens no longer seem to sell them in the UK.

[Wizergig]

That is one nice looking pen, and you have me wanting one, even though I swore off buying any more for awhile. Thanks for the review, and the writting examples those are very encouraging, and helpful.

[MichaelD]

Thanks for the review. I have seen that pen on the Ujuku web site and wondered how it wrote.

Michael

[donwinn]

  garyc said:

Did the $43.25 include shipping (I assume not, but I can't see on the Ujuku site how much it would be to Europe ...)?

 

If its not unreasonable I think I will get a yellow one as an alternative to the Prera not that Cyberpens no longer seem to sell them in the UK.

Ditto on shipping charges. Their web site does not mention shipping. Cutepens.com quotes all their prices including shipping, but they are specific about no shipping charges.

 

Donnie

[tipstricks]

  garyc said:

Did the $43.25 include shipping (I assume not, but I can't see on the Ujuku site how much it would be to Europe ...)?

 

If its not unreasonable I think I will get a yellow one as an alternative to the Prera not that Cyberpens no longer seem to sell them in the UK.

 

I've seen shipping costs in the Paypal invoice they send to my email (for Europe are $15.00), also if you see on Ujuku Ebay Shop

shipping costs are the same: for Europe $15.00 and for USA/Canada/Asia $12.00.

 

I'm waiting for a grey Prera from Cyberpens (20 Gbp shipping included), few better price than Ujuku.

[donwinn]

  tipstricks said:

  garyc said:

Did the $43.25 include shipping (I assume not, but I can't see on the Ujuku site how much it would be to Europe ...)?

 

If its not unreasonable I think I will get a yellow one as an alternative to the Prera not that Cyberpens no longer seem to sell them in the UK.

 

I've seen shipping costs in the Paypal invoice they send to my email (for Europe are $15.00), also if you see on Ujuku Ebay Shop

shipping costs are the same: for Europe $15.00 and for USA/Canada/Asia $12.00.

 

I'm waiting for a grey Prera from Cyberpens (20 Gbp shipping included), few better price than Ujuku.

I saw elsewhere that Cyberpens quit carrying Pilot. I just checked their website, and found that to be true. jpens.com (not affiliated) has the Prera for $36 USD, free shipping in US, international starts at $1. at 20 Gbp, it would probably be very slightly less expensive from jpens for Europe, and $4 USD (2 Gbp) less for US. Jpens has the lowest price I have found. They do not carry the Lucina at this time, but I sent an email and asked if they were considering doing so, as several people on FPN were looking for a source other than Japan.

 

Donnie

[garyc]

Thanks for the info guys. I didn't know Ujuku had an eBay shop. That they call the pen the 'Plera' and run the colour after the name eg 'LucinaYellow' makes searching a bit difficult :ltcapd: Also the Lucina at $48.25 is $5 more expensive than their web site.

[RLTodd]

  donwinn said:

It sounds (and looks) like a wonderful pen. I wish Pilot would market more of their fountain pen lines here in the US, rather than mostly ball pens, roller balls and gel pens. I think (hope) they might be surprised at the number of sales they could garner. There was a thread somewhere about why the Japanese companies do not go for the US market, so I won't go any farther.

Donnie

 

Or, one of the American pen shops would at least start gray marketing them.

[garyc]

I decided in the end that I couldn't decide whether to get a Prera or a Lucina

 

I checked with Tadashi Yamada at Ujuku and the joint shipping for 2 pens was $16.50, so I ended up ordering both! Prera in ivory and Lucina in yellow.

 

I dashed off an email order to Tadashi and within an hour received a Paypal invoice. Considering it was midnight on a Sunday in Japan I think that's pretty impressive. Can't wait for them to arrive....

[garyc]

Pens arrived this morning, just a little over a week elapsed since ordering. The Lucina does not disappoint at all in terms of writing quality.

 

The nib is exceptionally fine, perhaps even more so than my VP, but with less line variation. I think the yellow colour tends to subdue the bling effect of the gold extras, though I'm not especially keen on the 'Lucina' in gold script on the black band.

 

I think I will be taking this on holiday as the spare cartridge will cover me for the period.

[girlieg33k]

The Pilot Lucina reminds me a bit of the Pilot Ecrino. I recently purchased 2 Ecrinos from WorldLux. They were on sale for $39 and they write exceptionally well. Also, speerbob (on eBay) has some NOS Pilot Platons. The Pilots with steel nibs (like the Cross Solo steel nib) outshines many of my more expensive pens with gold nibs.

[Rob G]

Picked up two of these on the 'Bay this week - a blue one and a black one. Total cost, including postage, was $71.00. Both are fine points and very smooth, even on crummy paper.

[diplomat]

It's strange I miss this review when it was released. I purchased my Lucina in Tokyo exactley one month after your nice review. And it's exactley your model (I would call it more orange than red though...). It's a small nice pen. I recall I payed some 5,000Y in a Maruzen store but without the converter you got.

 

Just a small note: it is funny how Japanese like italian sounding names for their products. Especially in the cars this is the standard (think of corolla, micra, almera...). Lucina means "small light".

 

Thanks for your review.

 

Andre

[holgalee]

How different is the Lucina nib from the Prera one?

[TMac]

I just received my Lucina that I won on the bay. Same pen as in the original review.

 

I really like my first impressions. I can see that this will easily become a daily writer.

 

The color is advertised as "deep red". I find it is closer to an orange than a deep red.

 

The review is very accurate.