Does "PILOT" manufacture it's own nibs ?

[Patrick L]

Does Pilot manufacture it's own nibs ?

[Siv]

Yes. They even have their own Iridium mine in Hokkaido

[Patrick L]

Yes. They even have their own Iridium mine in Hokkaido

 

Thank you very much for your reply.

[AltecGreen]

Here's is a link to a video showing Pilot's manufacturing process.

 

http://sc-smn.jst.go.jp/8/bangumi.asp?i_series_code=F980601&i_renban_code=021

 

 

 

 

The Japanese big three (Pilot, Platinum, Sailor) all make their own nibs.

[Patrick L]

Here's is a link to a video showing Pilot's manufacturing process.

 

http://sc-smn.jst.go.jp/8/bangumi.asp?i_series_code=F980601&i_renban_code=021

 

 

 

 

The Japanese big three (Pilot, Platinum, Sailor) all make their own nibs.

 

Thanks for all these infos ! I heard that the Japanese nibs are wonderful, even better than European nibs ?

[JohnCruzNg]

Here's is a link to a video showing Pilot's manufacturing process.

 

http://sc-smn.jst.go.jp/8/bangumi.asp?i_series_code=F980601&i_renban_code=021

 

 

 

 

The Japanese big three (Pilot, Platinum, Sailor) all make their own nibs.

Nice find.

[AltecGreen]

Thank rokurinpapa. He was the one who found the video.

[professionaldilettante]

Intersting that Pilot would have it's own iridium mines, but I guess that is expected from a top notch company.

[gyasko]

 

 

Thanks for all these infos ! I heard that the Japanese nibs are wonderful, even better than European nibs ?

 

I think so.

[alkman]

An iridium mine...now that's vertical integration :roflmho:

[Tumbleweedtoo]

What a great video! Thanks! Wish they had an English translation, but all the steps seem pretty clearly pictured.

 

All the best,

T

[AltecGreen]

What a great video! Thanks! Wish they had an English translation, but all the steps seem pretty clearly pictured.

 

All the best,

T

 

 

I should have posted the link to the original thread.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=118141&st=0

 

 

There is an English translation of the Japanese text later in the thread.

[kamakura-pens]

Interest in Iridium was one of the leading reasons for the development of the Pilot pen company. Ryousuke Namiki learned of this metal while using ruling pens in his Acadamey days. When the oportunity arose in 1917, Namiki convinced his wealthy friend Wada, to invest with him to buy the newly found iridium deposits in Hokaido and make ruling pens. Shortly after they dropped the ruling pens and began making fountain pens.

 

I am not sure if Pilot still owns the "mine." Basically this mine was a river bed in Hokkaido. Pilot had "miners" sift through the sands and extract all the iridium. There are several photos of these miners in the early "Pilot Times" in house journals, and the 1950's Pilot Post Cards show microscopic photos demonstrating that Pilot's iridium was far smoother than the iridium used by American pens. In the Pilot Times they claimed that they had found enough iridium to last them 250 years. That was about 60 years ago.

 

Most modern pens do not use real iridium in their tips. Iridium has a fantastically high melting point, so platinum alloys are typically used instead. They are not as hard as iridium, but they seem hard enough for normal daily use, and the alloy is much cheaper and far easier to melt and cut. I do not know if Pilot is still using their own original iridium reserves or not. The Pilot people I have talked with won't say anything about this off or on the record. My guess is that if they still use their own iridium, it would only be in their top of the line maki-e pens, and the rest of the pens use the typical alloys.

 

I have some of the Pilot Times issues in my personal collection. I'll make some scans of the photos of the Pilot Iridium "Mine" later.

 

Stay Well.

[AltecGreen]

In the video, Pilot said they were using a 50/50 mixture of iridium and osmium.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Pilot is using iridium. I did a price check of the noble metals and the Pt group metals and iridium is 1/3 the cost of platinum per gram. Osmium is about the same price as iridium.

[solitaire]

A truly wonderful film. I saw it at the Pilot showrooms in Tokyo and this is a rather longer version.

Thank you to all concerned.

 

Solitaire

[soloworx]

I thought Siv was pulling my leg about Pilot having its own iridium mine; that is, until Ron Dutcher provided some corroboration in a latter post.

[stan]

The following are my thoughts regarding whether Pilot owned their own iridium mine. They, of course, have made their own nibs for many many years. Tonight I sent a note to an associate with Pilot in Tokyo and hope he replies shortly.

 

I've followed this topic with some levity since first introduced and have not opened my mouth. Let's dissect this story some.

 

To me, it seems extremely unlikely for Pilot to own an iridium mine in Hokkaido, or anywhere else, in the 1920s. Iridium is found in Japan in northwest Hokkaido as alluvial deposits in river beds mixed with other similar metals and compounds. It's use for fountain pen nibs is minor. The following was taken from Precious Metal Investment, an online source.

 

1. It is mainly used is as a hardening agent in Platinum alloys.

2. Used in treating prostate and other cancers by high dose radiation therapy.

3. Used in the manufacture of crucibles, special containers and other apparatus resistant to intense heat.

4. Alloyed with Platinum to make heavy duty electrical contacts such as high performance technically advanced spark plugs for use in the automotive and aviation industries.

5. Very brittle and extremely difficult to machine but is available as sheet, wire, powder and sponge.

6. As a catalyst to produce acetic acid.

7. Iridium alloyed with Osmium is used to tip fountain pen nibs and in pivot bearings such as those found in compasses, surgical tools and other special equipment. There is an article by John Mottishaw somewhere online regarding the composition of nib tipping materials where this is confirmed.

 

It does not make sense for a company like Pilot to own their own iridium mine when the metal has many other uses. Likely, the mine was owned by a large mining concern of which Pilot owned some stock and thus received preferential pricing and delivery. Many Japanese companies were and remain parts of groups centered on a main bank and own stock in each others companies. For those who remember Boone Pickens attempt to buy Koito Mfg. Co. in the late 1980s, you might be familiar with the set-up. Koito was a supplier to Toyota. Even today, one can see who is associated with who by learning who is the main bank for a corporation. In the pre-war era, conglomerates known as zaibatsu controlled many major industries including mining as this was essential for industry. If my recollection serves me, Sumitomo owned large parts of the limited mining industry in Japan. There are exceptions, of course, but in my opinion, this seems the case.

 

Second is the issue of refining. Did Pilot have the facilities to take raw iridium and make tips for nibs? How did they deal with impurities? One does not take raw metal, do something to it, and apply it to a nib. It must be cleaned up and made suitable for this use.

 

Should Pilot have had such a privileged relationship, where and how did the many other makers get the iridium for their nibs? If one company had a monopoly on iridium, which may or not have been the case, was there another that processed the iridium? Did this company process iridium for Pilot?

 

When did this relationship with the mine or mining company end? During World War II, and probably earlier, all mining output was dedicated to the war effort. Iridium, it would seem, was in limited quantity and essential for industry. Apparently, it was available as there were pens made with iridium tips during the early years of the war. In my opinion, it was probably available in limited quantities on the open market and unlikely Pilot would have a mine dedicated to their exclusive use.

 

My guess is this was an advertising claim that stretched the truth, if there ever was any. We'll wait unitl I hear back from Pilot. The answer could be highly revealing and, without doubt, interesting.

Edited December 11, 2009 by stan

[kamakura-pens]

Hey Stan,

 

Just out of curriosity, who at Pilot are you speaking with? Enomoto-san? Ikeda-san? I think Ikeda-san is the only one at Penstation who speaks English. I first heard of the Pilot Iridium mine from Nikura-san. He invited my wife and me to visit his home a few years back and see his wonderful pen collection. Positiviely the nicest Pilot Pen collection I have ever seen. He is like me in that he loves the earliest Pilot Pens much more than the later maki-e pens. He always shows up at the Tokyo Pen Show in March.

 

Below are some of the images I promised. The first is a 1918 ad for the Namiki ruling pen. This was before Namiki started Pilot. The other image is from the 1926 November issue of Pilot Times that shows the Pilot Iridium "Mine" I have quite a few 1930's post cards that advertise Pilot's iridium. I'll post some of these later.

 

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

 

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

Edited December 11, 2009 by kamakura-pens

[kamakura-pens]

I nearly forgot about this, but I published an article about pens and iridium in the Pennant back in 2002. If you are interested in reading the article here is the link:

 

http://www.kamakurapens.com/IridiumKiss.html

[rokurinpapa]

According to the "Mannenhitsu chronicle"(2007 Ei Publishing),Mr.Namiki ,the founder of Pilot, was searching

iridium and his team striked a vein of ore in Hokkaido before the foundation. It seems to be fact that the stable

supply of superior iridium and osmium from Hokkaido supported the production of high quality pen point of Pilot.

The hardness and homogeneity of Pilot's pen point was best in the world from the data of experiment and

microphotographs(I do not know if it is now also best.) But it does not mean directly that Pilot

had the mine. At least Pilot does not have the mine now.I have heard that Pilot imports iridium and so on from

South Africa.

 

rokurinpapa

Edited December 11, 2009 by rokurinpapa