Help Identifying Japanese Pocket Pen (Plastic Murex/myu?)

[4lex]

I picked up 1975 Japanese pen on eBay for £38. It was sold as Elite but it was clear to me it is something else. It has a medium steel nib, is very light, matte black plastic. Feels solidly built, plastic feels cheap but on the other hand still like new after 43 years.

Does anyone knows more about this pen? Was it really sold as plastic Myu in Japan?

Here are the pictures, it is the pen on the top/right, next to two Pilot Elite pens.

Edited December 10, 2018 by vonManstein

[jekostas]

The model is called the Volex. It certainly has a nib similar to the Myu and was apparently part of the same family of pens. I've seen it variously described as the "black" or "plastic" Myu, but whether that description was contemporary on release or added afterwards I couldn't tell you.

[senzen]

Nice looking pen!

[4lex]

The model is called the Volex. It certainly has a nib similar to the Myu and was apparently part of the same family of pens. I've seen it variously described as the "black" or "plastic" Myu, but whether that description was contemporary on release or added afterwards I couldn't tell you.

Thanks, you are right, I have done a search and it is often described as Volex. I think thats how I will call it.

And £38 is not a bad price for mint Volex so Im happy for taking a bet on unknown pen.

Edited December 11, 2018 by vonManstein

[bass1193]

It's interesting too that the nib on the Volex looks like a predecessor of the nibs on the modern Falcon. Is it springy?

[4lex]

It's interesting too that the nib on the Volex looks like a predecessor of the nibs on the modern Falcon. Is it springy?

No, not at all. Its not as nice as Pilot Elite nib, its writes with medium wet line and has a bit of a drag. But the pen is lovely, very light and with very tight tolerances.

Edited December 11, 2018 by vonManstein

[AltecGreen]

It's interesting too that the nib on the Volex looks like a predecessor of the nibs on the modern Falcon. Is it springy?

The Falcon (aka Elabo) was around before the the Volex or the MYU family.

[bass1193]

The Falcon (aka Elabo) was around before the the Volex or the MYU family.

I was not aware of that thank you for the correction!

[4lex]

The Falcon (aka Elabo) was around before the the Volex or the MYU family.

What year was Elabo introduced ?

[ehemem]

The Falcon (aka Elabo) was around before the the Volex or the MYU family.

 

 

I think you may be confusing a falcon nib with an Elabo/Falcon pen. Not the same at all. The falcon nib was around before the Volex, but the Elabo wasn't around until the 1990s, IIRC...

[AltecGreen]

 

 

I think you may be confusing a falcon nib with an Elabo/Falcon pen. Not the same at all. The falcon nib was around before the Volex, but the Elabo wasn't around until the 1990s, IIRC...

Not the Falcon nib. Those are much earlier. I have examples of those types of nibs (with cutouts) from the 30's and 40's. I bought a Sailor at an exorbitant price in LA last year.

 

I have seen pictures of really old Elabos. Let me try to dig up documentation.

[4lex]

Not the Falcon nib. Those are much earlier. I have examples of those types of nibs (with cutouts) from the 30's and 40's. I bought a Sailor at an exorbitant price in LA last year.

 

I have seen pictures of really old Elabos. Let me try to dig up documentation.

I am pretty sure Volex is older model than Elabo. I have never seen Falcon nib older than the 80s.

[ehemem]

I am pretty sure Volex is older model than Elabo. I have never seen Falcon nib older than the 80s.

 

 

Actually, I think that AltecGreen is technically correct. Pilot had an earlier model which they named "Elabo", but it was only produced for a brief period of time, looked different, and I don't think that it had the same kind of nib that the current Elabo pen has, IIRC ...

 

Pilot just recycled the name just to confuse things...

 

Oh, and I use "falcon nib" for the nib with the cut-out sides so as not to confuse it with the Falcon pen's nib. I don't think that the falcon nib was a Pilot invention...

Edited December 15, 2018 by ehemem