Review: Pilot Sporty (aka RS-150)

[merzig]

From the Tokyo Printing Museum:

In the 1960s, Japan moved from an era of postwar reconstruction into one of high economic growth. It was during this decade that the foundations of the Japanese economy of today were put into place. Economic growth brought a flood of commodities and information in daily life. Eager to make themselves visible and distinct, companies began to rely heavily on graphic design to create their own brand images.

 

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Introduction

These vintage Pilot pens date to the early 1960s. Called the Pilot Sporty (imprinted with catalog number RS-150), they are modern-looking pens with a unique design. They were originally sold at a low- to mid-range price point (¥1500 sticker price), lower than the better-known Pilot pens of that decade.

 

 

First Impressions

9/10

As its name implies, this vintage pen is a sporty, lightweight little thing. No doubt the 1964 Tokyo Olympics was a big moment in Japan, and everyone was preoccupied by ideas about "sport." The body is plastic with a thin steel ring which mates (a very long) section to the body. The unusually long cap has a matching plastic portion at the tip, the rest is a thin matte aluminum.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3510/3724397940_fca7c84ce5_o.jpg

 

http://www.kamakurapens.com/FPN/PilotSporty15KP.jpg

Original Pilot Sporty ad. Linked from Kamakura Pens.

 

 

Appearance & Design

8/10

Understated but sprightly. As with other vintage Pilots, it's very much in keeping with the design of other Japanese consumer products of that era.

 

According to Ron Dutcher's post at Lion & Pen, these pens were available in black, teal, cerise and orange. These two are teal and cerise. Clearly the same hands were at work designing these pens as the early Pilot Capless models from 1964 and 1965. Almost identical materials and general proportions were chosen.

 

Not only do the Capless and Sporty share materials and design ethic, they also share some weaknesses. Many of the early Capless models have a reputation for a delicate finish on aluminum components. The Sporty is plagued by the same problem. I generally store my inked pens vertically, knocking around together in a single container. After about three weeks I already have a couple of minor scratches and dents.

 

The design of the thick metal clip is unusual. There is no spring mechanism. Instead, pushing the small rectangular button moves clip. It's really nice for someone who carries a pen in their shirt pocket; just push the button to cleanly insert the clip over the pocket cuff. No force necessary. One note about color: both in the ad and in my photos, the clip appears to be very yellow. In person, it's a metallic off-white, much less yellow than it appears.

 

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Clip opens by pressing the rectangular button

 

 

Weight & Dimensions

1-10/10

While this is a full-sized pen, it has an unusually long cap. In fact the cap itself is only ~5mm shorter than the cap of my stainless Pilot Elite pocket pen. Presumably it needs the extra length to accommodate the push-button clip mechanism.

 

Length capped: 130mm

Length posted: 139mm

Length of cap alone: 73mm

Length of pen without cap: 101mm

Pen Diameter (at thickest point): 11mm

 

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with Pilot Murex for comparison

 

 

Nib & Performance

10/10

These pens have 14K flighter-style nibs. The size is unmarked, which leads me to believe they were available in only one size, Japanese fine. These nibs are extremely nice. Very smooth with some surprising spring. The line variation possible with these pens is very satisfying. It doesn't nearly qualify as a "flexy" nib but you can certainly do some fun things with it.

 

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Gold nibs look tarnished, but they're in fine condition. Just some strange reflections.

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2514/3724139278_844dc2d97e_o.jpg

Sporty writing sample. Subtle but satisfying springy nib.

 

 

Filling System

5/10

This pen takes only Pilot double-spare cartridges or the Pilot CON-W converter. There is a metal sleeve in the body of the pen that will clip to the second (spare) cartridge. Unfortunately the cartridges are now out of production, and the CON-W converter is hard to find. For this the pen gets very low marks in this category. Had the carts or converters been easier to find, the special cartridge sleeve and capability to fit two cartridges would have been big plusses in my book.

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2478/3723699538_b5dc26a000_o.jpg

Double-spare cartridges, CON-W converter w/ box, and pens

 

 

Cost & Value

7/10

I bought these pens off ebay, each NOS for under $30. I was lucky the seller included a pack of cartridges for free and the opportunity to buy a CON-W converter; it might have been very difficult to find a way to use the pen had those options not been offered. The pens themselves are nice; $30 is a good value if you can find a way to fill it.

 

 

Conclusion

Final score [52]: 8.5/10

Pros: Great 14K nib, interesting clip, good value.

Cons: Very hard to find DS cartridges or converters. Very delicate aluminum cap.

 

Despite the low final score on these pens, I have to say I really love them. They remind me of all the reasons I converted to fountain pens in the first place. They're fun, a pleasure to write with, and were obviously designed with care. If you're prepared to treat these pens gently and can source a CON-W converter, these pens will be a fun addition to your collection.

Edited July 15, 2009 by merzig