Pilot Telescoping LongShort

January 23, 2010

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/dcarmell/IMG_0367.jpg

These telescoping pens were a mini-fad within the larger wave of LongShort fountain pen models of the 1970s and 80s, I believe. Stan and others could likely tell much more and I'm pretty sure that Stan has had different versions of these from different manufacturers pass through his hands. But this is the first example I've owned and I'm enjoying it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/dcarmell/IMG_0368.jpg

Basically, when you pull off the cap, another inch of the section comes out of the stainless steel barrel. In the second photo, the cap is still firmly in place, but the section has been extended. Due to its age, you do have to grasp the cap somewhat firmly at the cap lip to make sure the section extends, but if it doesn't come out with the cap, it just takes light pressure to bring it out on its own.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/dcarmell/IMG_0369.jpg

I've compared it to 4 or 5 other LongShorts and it is the shortest of them all, capped, by at least a 1/4 inch. It is however, about a 1/4 inch taller than the Sailor Sapporo Mini, if that helps size it. The nib is a small, semi-hooded 14K Fine (Western XF, of course) that writes like you'd expect a Pilot of this era to write: fine, precisely, a little dry, very smooth for such a fine nib.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/dcarmell/IMG_0372.jpg

Posted, it's slightly longer than an Aurora Optima Mini (all comparisons in this sentence are to posted pens), the exact same size as a Parker 51 Demi or Parker 45, but only about an 1/8 of an inch longer than the new Pilot MY-90 and about an 1/8 of an inch shorter than a Pilot Elite. It posts very securely on that black plastic barrel end.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/dcarmell/IMG_0370.jpg

But all this focus on size is really besides the point. It's a neat little pen with a fun gadget factor. The clip is very sturdy and so it is eminently pocketable. I have a a real fondness for the Japanese metal pens of this era and this is a neat addition to my clutch of LongShorts.

Dan

January 24, 2010

Hey Dan,

It's nice to see one of my favorite pens get some love on FPN. I have had a pen just like yours in my front pocket every day for nearly 3 years. I love the styling, I find the nibs close to perfect (most of the ones I have are western XXF-XF, with a hint of flex) and they are extremely practical and durable. As you mentioned, they are shorter than the more well known long/short pens when capped but the same length when extended and posted. This is the king of the pocket pens.

Pilot made many variations of these pens ranging from a low-end aluminum and plastic model (which does not actually telescope) to a fancy gold / lacquer version which shared the cap design of the legendary Pilot Super Ultra 500. In between there is your pen and a slightly fatter one with a cross-hatched pattern engraved in the metal parts. Both came in a range of colors and trims. I have seen 5 different plastic colors but there are probably more. Most are stainless steel with a polished stainless clip but there are stainless pens with gold clips and fully gold-plated ones.

I think all the pens have 14kt nibs but I am not sure. I bought a few from Japan some years ago which were advertised as having alloy nibs. When I disassembled them I discovered they were all 14kt but the marking was hidden inside the pen. Most of my pens are marked '66 or '67 on the nib. I don't know exactly what the production range was but I believe they were sold from the mid to late 60's. Maybe Stan or Dr. Dutcher can fill in some details.

/Woody

An old picture of a few of the colors:

http://haywoody.smugmug.com/photos/771825475_9WCzo-L.jpg

Edited January 24, 2010 by haywoody

January 24, 2010

Thanks, Woody, that's much more than I knew about these pens! I really didn't know they went back as far as 66/67.

From the price stickers in your photo, can I take it that the model name was the "Short"?

Dan

January 24, 2010

Dan, thanks for this post. One of the earliest Gold nibbed Pilots that I used was the short which I bought for only about 3USD off a pen stall in Bombay! I still have that pen and my example has an ample amount of softness and pressure induced line variation. however the ends on my pen are rounded and not square. I love these pens.

January 24, 2010

Dan, I am quite sure they were officially known by the name Short. I forgot to look in the catalogs at Pilot Pen Station to confirm when I was there... next time.

Hari, I used the think the ones with the rounded ends were earlier models or just a variant that they sold at the same time. I have several of the rounded version and all the nibs are dated '68 so it looks like it was a design change and they are actually more recent. I have not seen any of the flat-ended pens with dates past '67.

I want to hear from somebody who has the Ultra 500 version of the pen...

/Woody

January 25, 2010

Dan, I am quite sure they were officially known by the name Short. I forgot to look in the catalogs at Pilot Pen Station to confirm when I was there... next time.

Hari, I used the think the ones with the rounded ends were earlier models or just a variant that they sold at the same time. I have several of the rounded version and all the nibs are dated '68 so it looks like it was a design change and they are actually more recent. I have not seen any of the flat-ended pens with dates past '67.

I want to hear from somebody who has the Ultra 500 version of the pen...

/Woody

Yes the official name for these was "Short", which I feel is a very poor choice. I like to call them Pilot Telescopes.

I had the Ultra 500 version of this pen, but I sold it a long time ago. This was back when I first got started into pens and I thought that since I found this one so easily, surely I would be able to find more... but I haven't. A few years back at the Tokyo Pen Show, I saw one of these Ultra 500 Telescoping pens in Red, but the Owners wasn't selling.

I looke dthrough my images, and I couldn't find any pictures of the Ultra Telescope. It is probably on my ancient laptop at the other house.

Here are a few more images of other Telescopes:

http://www.kamakurapens.com/PenImages/PilotTelescopeCoral.jpg

http://www.kamakurapens.com/PenImages/PilotTelescopeCoralA1.jpg

http://www.kamakurapens.com/PenImages/PilotTelescopeGold1.jpg

http://www.kamakurapens.com/PenImages/PilotTelescopingPenRed2.jpg

January 25, 2010

Hari, I used the think the ones with the rounded ends were earlier models or just a variant that they sold at the same time. I have several of the rounded version and all the nibs are dated '68 so it looks like it was a design change and they are actually more recent. I have not seen any of the flat-ended pens with dates past '67.

Woody, I just pulled my pen apart, yes indeed, the date code on the nib is H368, There is another code on the rounded plastic end of the pen: HW 28. Woody do only the rounded ended pens have the inlaid device on the nib hood?

Best,

Hari

January 25, 2010

Ron, thanks for the interesting info, as usual. I have a picture of the Ultra Telescope (great name) in the Nakazono book. Do you think it would be ok to scan it and repost here?

Hari, I have only seen the decorative inlay (zogan?) on the rounded pens and the larger ones with the cross-hatch pattern, as shown in Ron's picture above. I can't offer any help on the HW 28 code that you mentioned. These appear on many old Pilot pens and I don't think anybody has ever figured out what they mean.

Regards,

Woody

August 17, 2015

Hi

I just picked one of these up with a black flat end but and a 14k nib. On the black plastic end of the barrell it says "IN 22". Any idea of the model or year from this. There are no other clues on the pen or nib.

Thanks

Arb

August 17, 2015

check the nib's under side I think there's date marking there but that would mean a full disassembly as for model number they are shared across the line itself as a telescoping long short pen

April 8, 2019

Hi sorry for adding to this thread so late and the noob question, but how do you fill ink into your Pilot telescoping long short pen? I just acquired one and haven't been able to figure it out.

April 8, 2019

Hi sorry for adding to this thread so late and the noob question, but how do you fill ink into your Pilot telescoping long short pen? I just acquired one and haven't been able to figure it out.

You unscrew the section and use a Pilot cartridge or a Pilot Converter to fill ink.