The Pilot Ultra Super 500

[MYU]

FleaBay item: 290103174982

 

Ah... I wished I could have ponied up enough nerve to bid, but alas--I'm not quite at the $700 mark yet for a pen!

 

Has anyone seen one of these first hand? I think it's one of the most beautiful pens Pilot ever made. Kamakura Pens reported selling one for $1300, and I saw that DocNib had a similar designed Pilot Ultra for sale not long ago.

 

Here's what Kamakura Pens has to say about it:

QUOTE

In 1950, a young, promising Pilot designer named Shigeki Chiba came up with the idea for this pen. He loved the idea of a large inlaid nib. However the fabrication engineers told him it was impossible to tool the dies to make this pen. He fought hard for his design, whichin 1950 Japan, was a little unorthadox for the hamonious ideal workplace. The upper managers decided to have Chiba-san work in the factory for a few months to better understand the manufacturing process. At the time, Chiba-san felt he was being punished, but every day as he worked the presses, he started to understand how complicated his designs were. He went back and designed the much simpler Super shown to the right. The Pilot Super was a tremendously successful pen, and it was the pen that allowed Chiba-san to make a name for himself. So with the success with this pen, He had enough clout to win the go ahead with his original Ultra design. The pen won several engineering awards, but the design was simply too costly to make a profit, and Pilot lost money on every Ultra they sold.

http://www.kamakurapens.com/SiteImages/PilotUltra.jpg

[saintsimon]

 

it was not in vain, after all. Later they made still quite large inlaid nibs, like the current namiki Sterling Collection fps or the Cross Verve nibs.

Edited April 15, 2007 by saintsimon

[MYU]

Yes indeed, they did. You can definitely see the echo of the Pilot Ultra in the Pilot Custom and Namiki nibs.

 

Oh how I wish Pilot would do another limited edition version of the Ultra!

 

Edited May 8, 2007 by MYU

[bobioden]

What a beautiful pen. You know it is going to go high when the starting bid is $600. Looks like it ended at $682.

 

I still can't believe the Black Striped Capless went for $800.

 

Bob

[meanwhile]

1950... Does this mean that Sailor were the originators of the inlaid nib and not Sheaffer?

[stan]

The +$600 range is right on the money for a vintage model in this condition. Maybe slightly low. The 1990s reprise edition in box with ink and papers should go for slightly more.

 

Over $800 for a Black Stripe Capless was, at best, folly. As attributed to PT Barnum, another one is born each minute.

[MYU]

Hey Stan -- was the reprise edition of the Pilot Ultra the one that appeared with a full rolled gold cap (rather than the curved inlaid gold accent)?

 

Yep, that black stripe Capless auction was unprecedented. All it takes is 2 unknowing bidders to over inflate an auction price. It happened yet again with a MYU 500BS (black stripe). I guess due to the comparative lack of seller diversity on vintage Japanese pens, it's easy for it to appear like these pens are more scarce than they actually are (much to the delight of the few that are selling). What isn't right is when sellers make very exaggerated claims and implications on their auction details to goad buyers into placing such high bids. But then... as Stan paraphrased PT Barnum...

[stan]

A model of the original Ultra had the fully Rolled Gold cap. To my knowledge the only one I've seen is still owned by DocNib.

 

Frankly, I don't know what gets into people with these online auctions. they all act like it was the only pen ever available or ever made. There are others and one should step back once in awhile to assess the situation. But, then, $800 smackers might not be a lot to some people.

[georges zaslavsky]

Looks like a sheaffer PFM, very nice pen BTW

[korsten32]

Yes, I agree, this is one of the most beautiful pens ever made in Japan, IMHO!

 

Does anyone know its sizes? And is the 1990's version of it comparable (in size)?

 

thanks very much,

cheers,

Luca

[MYU]

Yes, I agree, this is one of the most beautiful pens ever made in Japan, IMHO!

Does anyone know its sizes? And is the 1990's version of it comparable (in size)?

Y'know, it's funny--the Internet seems strangely devoid of much information about this pen. Although Kamakura Pens documented some nice history behind the pen, there is little about the pen itself. I suspect it's about the same size as a Pilot Custom. Those come in measured at 5 1/4" (13.4cm).

 

DocNib -- if you're reading this, any chance we could convince you to do a review of the Pilot Ultra you have? It might even provoke a buyer out of the woods.