Pilot Elite (Full Size) Review

November 18, 2013

Hi everyone,

This is a review of the vintage pilot elite (full size). I got it through ebay as NOS and it was pretty cheap since it has a steel gold plated nib and it is made of plastic... And very cheap plastic if you want my opinion... But i was attracted by the look of it and it would complete my collection of elite since I already own the small (Big cap) one.

The look : It is actually the best part of this pen in my opinion. It is very subjective of course, everybody won't agree on that but I think it is a very nice pen, black and gold, pretty sharp edges but still a little bit rounded. The golden ELITE word under the cap. Very cool, very stylish, wont go unnoticed !

The nib : I got my Elite with a fine nib ( japanese ) wich would be considered as Extra fine. The nib is nice, gold plated stainless steel but It is very scratchy... It is more than just "feedback" from a very fine nib. So this pen is not my favorite for its writing, I don't use it on a daily basis because of that.

The feed : Nothing to say about that... Just good, good ink flow, not too wet not too dry : very reliable, starts up every time and keep going through the pages.

Weight and balance : It is a very light pen... it weights about 14g with the converter and ink but it is well balanced, pleasant and comfortable to write with. If you like lighter pens you will appreciate it.

Conclusion : It is a good, reliable pen... but it is not very exciting to write with it, the scratchiness of the nib is quite a big issue. I would recommend this pen for a "collector" looking for those types of pen but not as a daily writer.. unless you like very fine and scratchy nibs Despite all this, it is a interesting pen that I got through ebay for very litte money, I still think it is a good buy !

*** English is not my first language so please understand if I made some mistakes ! Your comments are very welcomed !

November 18, 2013

Interesting, the pen looks wonderful so it is a shame the nib is scratchy, but like you say it is cheap.

Also, if you had not mentioned English is not your first language, I would never have known!

November 18, 2013

Hi,

I have one of these exactly like the one you have. It's a very lightweight pen, and is one of my favorite ef steel nibs. Mine came with the hoop converter they give out with the Metropolitan in the states. It might be worth checking alignment on the nib of your pen. The body of the pen is entirely lightweight plastic, which I think is quite nice since I prefer lightweight plastic pens. The cap is metal and the clip is solid metal with a spring inside the cap. There is actually a metal "jewel" inset in the end of the barrel.

Here is mine, next to a Sailor.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5492/9457506559_e935e4b1e1_b.jpg

Dillon

Edited November 18, 2013 by Dillo

November 18, 2013

Interesting, the pen looks wonderful so it is a shame the nib is scratchy, but like you say it is cheap.

Also, if you had not mentioned English is not your first language, I would never have known!

Thanks a lot ! and I am happy to see your comment about my English !

November 18, 2013

Hi,

I have one of these exactly like the one you have. It's a very lightweight pen, and is one of my favorite ef steel nibs. Mine came with the hoop converter they give out with the Metropolitan in the states. It might be worth checking alignment on the nib of your pen. The body of the pen is entirely lightweight plastic, which I think is quite nice since I prefer lightweight plastic pens. The cap is metal and the clip is solid metal with a spring inside the cap. There is actually a metal "jewel" inset in the end of the barrel.

Here is mine, next to a Sailor.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5492/9457506559_e935e4b1e1_b.jpg

Dillon

This is interesting ! I am happy you are enjoying your's ! And im gonna work on the nib a little bit : you give me hope about this pen ! but is the nib removable or it is glued ? because it seems to be very hard to remove.

thanks !

November 19, 2013

Hi,

The nib is clipped around the feed. You need special tools to remove the feed though. To remove it, one unscrews something that holds the feed in, and the feed come out the back of the grip section. One can then slide the nib off the feed. That said, some minor adjustments are possible without taking out the nib, and those are what I think you should try. Use a loupe since it's an extra-fine. It's also likely that all you need is a little alignment of the tines.

Dillon

Edited November 19, 2013 by Dillo

November 19, 2013

Hi,

The nib is clipped around the feed. You need special tools to remove the feed though. To remove it, one unscrews something that holds the feed in, and the feed come out the back of the grip section. One can then slide the nib off the feed. That said, some minor adjustments are possible without taking out the nib, and those are what I think you should try. Use a loupe since it's an extra-fine. It's also likely that all you need is a little alignment of the tines.

Dillon

Thanks for your advices !