Pilot Elite 95S Deep Red M

[hari317]

This review covers the Elite 95S(FES-1MM-DR-M). On the 95th anniversary of Pilot, they have reintroduced the long discontinued Elite long-short model.

 

The USP of this model is the short capped size of the pen which can easily fit in a small shirt pocket, the cap when posted makes the pen as long as a regular fountain pen thus the functionality and ergonomics is not compromised.

 

The 95S is available in two finishes, all black and one with deep red resin and a pearly steel cap. I went for the latter and this review will document this model. Troglokev in his excellent review has already covered the all black 95S.

 

The pen came in the standard Pilot box, sealed in the usual polyethene sleeve and tags etc. Pilot has wisely not attached any nib width stickers which can be difficult sometimes to remove cleanly.

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8707.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8709.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8710.jpg

 

Freed from captivity:

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8711.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8712.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8713.jpg

 

I purchased the pen from a different source this time, and this is the first time i have got this card, I believe this is a guarantee card? Any help on this will be appreciated:

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8714.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8715.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8716.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8718.jpg

 

The pen arrived this Monday. I quickly took some pictures. On Tuesday early morning, I had to fly to another city to attend a review meeting, I decided to take the new arrival along as the sole writing implement, the pen saw some intensive use on Tuesday and Wednesday, I have taken rest of the pics today:

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8724.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8725.jpg

 

Loaded with a Pilot black cartridge

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8726.jpg

 

The 95S features the really superb inset nib. Pilot is one of the few companies that have the expertise to offer such nibs and the 95S has been given this nib. The original pens had the thumbnail nibs and some had the inset nibs also as can be seen in this excellent blog post.

 

Comparing this pen to a 70's Silvern Crane:

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8731.jpg

 

Not a very small pen,

 

The nibs:

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8733.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8735.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8737.jpg

 

The Silvern's inset nib is quite large as compared to the 95S.

 

The feeders(the feeder is totally enclosed inside the shell on the silvern pens):

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8738.jpg

 

The clip is spring loaded, a very good job:

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8739.jpg

 

Vintage type PILOT marking on the clip

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8740.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8741.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8743.jpg

 

I fortunately can write comfortably with any size of pen and have a collection of pens in all sizes. The Elite compared to some well known small pens:

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8728.jpg

L-R:Elite, Pelikan M320 Ruby, MB Mozart, English Parker Lady, Omas Extra:

 

The small pens posted, can be revealing:

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8730.jpg

 

Comparing with the Pilot custom 74:

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8744.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8745.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8747.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/PilotElite95S/IMG_8749.jpg

 

The girth at the gripping point is very similar, I like the long smooth tapered section on the 95S, the threads are somewhat sharp on the 74 and come where I grip the pen, the 742 has a slightly longer section that helps me a lot. That is the reason I have many more 742s than the 74.

 

Writing:

The pen is a flawless writer, the moment I popped in the cartridge, I knew I could trust it to take it along as the single pen for the trip. Very smooth, even flow. The nib is soft, a very nice nib. The pen is very comfortable to be used when posted as you can see the pen is nearly full sized when posted.

 

Cost:

This is the best part. even though this is a 95th anniversary reissue, Pilot has priced this pen with a 14K solid gold nib at just 10,500JPY MSRP. I think this is unmatchable by any other company outside of Japan, this is what full in-house manufacturing and continued conservation of expertise can achieve. After 30% discount and including EMS shipping to India, I paid just around 83USD. Tremendous value. I bought this from a new pen vendor in Tokyo and I think they are going to get some good custom from me in the coming days.

 

I highly recommended this pen, very happy with it. I think the 5000 pens production(read it somewhere that the 95S will be 5000 pieces) will be sold out very soon.

 

I hope you find this review and comparisons useful.

 

Cheers!

Hari

Edited July 22, 2013 by hari317

[DanF]

Great pictures! It looks fairly stout in girth compared to the other pens. I'm puzzled because the review of the black one gave the impression it was a slim pen. Can you compare it to something like a Pilot 74 or larger (diameter at the section)? I'm not much interested in anything smaller in diameter than a 74 (.39" according to Nibs.com's chart). I know it would be hard to measure this, as the section tapers and people grip pens in different places, but maybe a general "feel" comparison would be helpful. Thanks,

 

Dan

[hari317]

  On 7/22/2013 at 6:05 AM, DanF said:

Great pictures! It looks fairly stout in girth compared to the other pens. I'm puzzled because the review of the black one gave the impression it was a slim pen. Can you compare it to something like a Pilot 74 or larger (diameter at the section)? I'm not much interested in anything smaller in diameter than a 74 (.39" according to Nibs.com's chart). I know it would be hard to measure this, as the section tapers and people grip pens in different places, but maybe a general "feel" comparison would be helpful. Thanks,

 

Dan

Thanks! Yes, I can do that today evening. I feel the diameter is nearly same as the 74 at the gripping point.

[shrujaya]

Good lovely tempting photos...and a great looking pen...I love the pen...when I read your description and saw the photos, I felt 'this is my kind of pen'... it is different in its own way...I am glad that it passed the intensive hari use test...hope you have many more happy writing times with the pen...

 

Regards,

 

Jai

[Abhik]

Enjoy your new Pilot! Good photos as usual!

[troglokev]

Nice review, Hari. Good to see that yours finally arrived.

 

Dan, slim is a relative term. That MB Mozart is like writing with a toothpick, for me. I find the Elite to be nice in the hand: a little slimmer than a Custom 94, and a lot slimmer than my usual writer, a MB 149. The Elite was designed as a practical writing instrument rather than a status symbol, and it is sized accordingly.

 

I do agree with Hari that the nib is superb. Mine was also, straight out of the box.

 

And, yes, the price is very right (as was that of the M90, five years ago).

Edited July 22, 2013 by troglokev

[hari317]

  On 7/22/2013 at 7:06 AM, shrujaya said:

Good lovely tempting photos...and a great looking pen...I love the pen...when I read your description and saw the photos, I felt 'this is my kind of pen'... it is different in its own way...I am glad that it passed the intensive hari use test...hope you have many more happy writing times with the pen...

 

Regards,

 

Jai

Thanks Jai. I also thought of you when I got the pen. You put your pens to more intensive use than me. I hope your example of the 95S is able to displace your trusty 146

[hari317]

  On 7/22/2013 at 6:05 AM, DanF said:

I know it would be hard to measure this, as the section tapers and people grip pens in different places, but maybe a general "feel" comparison would be helpful. Thanks,

 

Dan

I have updated the review with pics with the 74. Hope this helps.

[hari317]

  On 7/22/2013 at 8:16 AM, Abhik said:

Enjoy your new Pilot! Good photos as usual!

Thanks Abhik

[hari317]

  On 7/22/2013 at 1:17 PM, troglokev said:

Nice review, Hari. Good to see that yours finally arrived.

 

Dan, slim is a relative term. That MB Mozart is like writing with a toothpick, for me. I find the Elite to be nice in the hand: a little slimmer than a Custom 94, and a lot slimmer than my usual writer, a MB 149. The Elite was designed as a practical writing instrument rather than a status symbol, and it is sized accordingly.

 

I do agree with Hari that the nib is superb. Mine was also, straight out of the box.

 

And, yes, the price is very right (as was that of the M90, five years ago).

Thanks Kev. I had to look around a bit since the deep red pen is still not available on ebay. Finally I found a supplier selling at 30% off retail willing to ship to India. Yes the Elite does its job very well as a writing instrument, so does the 149 I like both and several others.

[hari317]

... double post.

Edited July 22, 2013 by hari317

[georges zaslavsky]

congrats on a very nice writer Too bad, it is a little bit short in size for me

[de_pen_dent]

Nice, Hari - a bit too small for me, but that nib really is a beauty, isnt it? I have a Pilot Custom Sterling and really dig that inlaid nib.

[hari317]

  On 7/22/2013 at 6:08 PM, georges zaslavsky said:

congrats on a very nice writer Too bad, it is a little bit short in size for me

 

 

  On 7/22/2013 at 6:43 PM, de_pen_dent said:

Nice, Hari - a bit too small for me, but that nib really is a beauty, isnt it? I have a Pilot Custom Sterling and really dig that inlaid nib.

Thanks for the comments Georges, DPD. The whole point of the pen is its short size when capped, and when the cap is posted, the pen is nearly as big as a custom 74 and a silvern as can be seen from the pics, so I think the design goals for the pocketable pen have been met. HTH.

 

Hari

Edited July 23, 2013 by hari317

[de_pen_dent]

Does it come or take a converter, do you know, Hari?

[hari317]

  On 7/23/2013 at 7:48 AM, de_pen_dent said:

Does it come or take a converter, do you know, Hari?

It did not come with a converter. However it will take a con20 and should take a CON50 also I guess. I can check once I run out this cartridge.

 

Details here.

[DanF]

Hari --- Thanks for posting the additional pics, I think the girth should be sufficient for me. It might be too short for a Con 50, as the Con 50 needs room for the twist mechanism, which is not a factor for the Con 20. I'll be looking out for a red one on EBay, haven't seen one yet on EBay, Engeika's or any of the Rakuten stores.

 

Dan

[de_pen_dent]

Yeah, it says that it takes the CON-20 "cartridge" (I assume they mean converter). Cool - possibly something to keep an eye on.

[hari317]

  On 7/23/2013 at 4:49 PM, de_pen_dent said:

Yeah, it says that it takes the CON-20 "cartridge" (I assume they mean converter). Cool - possibly something to keep an eye on.

 

Actually it is the google translate that says that, FWIW:

 

"I can also be used CON-20 ※ ink cartridge.

 

I take that special symbol to mean a comma.

[pelman]

great review Hari. Wonderful pics as usual and very useful comparisons.

 

Have you had a chance to write with the older MYU pens? If so, in your experience do you sense a writing difference?

 

I have a MYU and a Murex and this looks like a great pen to carry on that tradition.