My New Pilot Murex With Disassembled Picture

[KBeezie]

So this little guy showed up today along with about 5 units of Japanese candies/snacks from Japan. Exchanged it for one of my Sailor Pocket Pens that he just had to have. "Super Kawaii" I think he called it, with a little 'wabi sabi' (The Sailor as I advised a number of times had scratches on the cap and center band, 'wabi sabi' was his response to that).

As usual with stuff coming from Japan, shipping was freaky fast, and the packaging always seems to be neat and organized. I mean, mine going to him was nicely packed, but we don't seem to have those pre-sealed little baggies with styro peanuts and other packaging conveniences that makes the box all tidy and compartmentalized when opening. He did not have an original box hand (nor did I for the sailor), but came in a nice little blue "Kingdom Note" pen box. I'm still surprised that it's cheaper and faster to send EMS from Japan than it is for me to send Priority International from the US to Japan. According to tracking, both pens were in Chicago around the same time as one was arriving and the other was departing.

So here it is, a Pilot Long Murex, date code H1078 putting it at October 1978 in the Hiratsuka plant in the Kanagawa prefecture. Actually kind of glad I got the Long Murex instead of the M90 or 701. While the M90/701 looks cooler, they are also rarer and it made sense for him not to offer those up (can't blame him). Glad because the long murex was a little smaller than I anticipated, so wasn't going to be a larger pen as I originally envisioned from the naming. The grip on it is also nice, seems better for longer writing sessions than the pocket size version would have been.

The Myu/Murex was probably the first model of pens I was eyeing when I first got into fountain pens and was checking out the Japanese offerings.

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/murex/full.jpg

The nib is marked as a <F>, but it's probably slightly finer than the Pilot Elite Lady I have from after '85 with an 18K Fine nib. It's definitely finer than the Steel F on a Pilot Petit1, and finer than a Goulet (Jowo) EF for sure. It also appears to be finer than the Masuyama Needlepoint grind of a Franklin-Christoph EF nib I received today (or it simply could be dryer).

The nib is stainless steel, and as you can see it's pretty much integrated into the section. It's also pretty easy to disassemble, which I did because there appeared to be old ink in the feed/section/etc. The only thing I didn't remove was the plastic sleeve that coats the inside of the section (which is probably glued in, no sense in removing it when the USC can get the ink out of the grooves/threads/lip of it). I gave each piece an ultrasonic bath, got it all cleaned up before inking it. Got two different viewing angles of the disassembled added.

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/murex/disassembled.jpg

The converter there isn't the original one, but the one he was kind enough to provide me with one. I do have an original con-20 that came with my '71 Pilot Elite, which I'm using in the Murex now (I prefer syringe filling a Pilot cartridge when using the Short Elite). Pretty easy to fill, and cleaner to wipe down than the section of the Lamy 2000.

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/murex/disassembled2.jpg

I hope when the Sailor arrives, that it'll be everything he hoped it was, especially since neither of us can seem to find the exact same pen and design anywhere online. Seemed like a nice swap, he's a Sailor fan, I'm a Pilot Fan so... in fact seems the only Pilots I currently have are the mostly-older short ones (Two Pilot Elites [03/11/1970, 03/24/1971], One Pilot Elite Lady [post-'85]), Pilot Petit1 and now the '78 Murex. The only other Japanese pen I have is the Platinum PTL-10,000 w/ 18K Medium, and Technically the Taccia Momenta if you want to consider that Japanese (distributed/owned by Ito-ya). Used to have a Pilot Falcon [traded away], couple Pilot Metropolitans [traded away], couple Pilot 78s [traded away], and a Korean made Pilot Elite [lost in transit to Poland].

[ChrisN]

Congrats on your new pen! I like the clean lines the integrated nib gives.

[KBeezie]

Write sample with other pens compared.

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/murex/write2.jpg

[The Pantaloon Duck]

Love it!

[visvamitra]

Nice one.

[zanio]

Nice!

now I am curious to see the unusual design of the traded Sailor !!! ;-)

[KBeezie]

Nice!

now I am curious to see the unusual design of the traded Sailor !!! ;-)

Not so much unusual, just "Super Kawaii" (cute).

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/sailor_star/uncapped2.jpg

[zanio]

Thanks.

Great deal! Congratulations !

[JowBow]

The Sailor Pocket Pen came in today! It really is everything I hoped for. Great write up and amazing photography. Maybe you can do some disassembled pictures of the snacks haha. I'm glad we both got something we enjoy.

[KBeezie]

The Sailor Pocket Pen came in today! It really is everything I hoped for. Great write up and amazing photography. Maybe you can do some disassembled pictures of the snacks haha. I'm glad we both got something we enjoy.

Really ? USPS had me worried since tracking still shows it sitting in Chicago since the 14th, and JapanPost doesn't even show anything for the customs number.

 

Far as the Snacks... yea they met their demise already... all of them.

[KamenRitter]

i love the clean design, and it got me wondering if Pilot will ever come up with something like this again.

on a second glance, it looks kinda futuristic, isn't it?

 

oh, as for the USPS, i've had a package sent for me from Chicago. i've received the package last week, but it's still listed as still sitting in Chicago until today. Wondering if they'll ever going to update its status

Edited November 23, 2014 by KamenRitter

[KBeezie]

i love the clean design, and it got me wondering if Pilot will ever come up with something like this again.

on a second glance, it looks kinda futuristic, isn't it?

 

oh, as for the USPS, i've had a package sent for me from Chicago. i've received the package last week, but it's still listed as still sitting in Chicago until today. Wondering if they'll ever going to update its status

They did in roughly 2008 when they released the M90 as a 90th anniversary pen which pays homage to the original 701:

 

 

http://stutler.cc/pens/sales/images/m90.JPG

 

They only made 9,000 of them, hence why if you do see them pop up, they're sometimes as high as $550. (where as the original 1971 701 can be found a little cheaper).

[ragimundi]

Hello!
First of all I want to congratulate you for the excellent explanation / presentation about the pilot MUREX model.
But please, if possible, tell me how to remove the feed from FP MUREX's hood.
Should I remove it from the FP tip out of the hood or unlike the entrance of the hood (where it houses the refill / convert) to the FP tip?
Anyway, is it same way we do it in the PLATINUM Fountain Pen "BELAGE" model?
Please, if possible, let me know.
Thanks!
My best regards.

R. Lopes