Vintage Japanese Pen Model Guides

[Chinchy]

Does anyone have any info on this Pilot pen?  It's an ebonite eyedropper, that has a steel Shinever nib.  I can't tell if the cap band is missing, or if it's supposed to look like that, but there is a very small "RK" that's on the cap band portion.

 

Any help is much appreciated!

 

[IlikeInksandIcannotlie]

You might want to check out Bruno Taut's blog, it might help. I'm no expert here( more of a beginner) so I will not comment.

[stan]

7 hours ago, Chinchy said:

Does anyone have any info on this Pilot pen?  It's an ebonite eyedropper, that has a steel Shinever nib.  I can't tell if the cap band is missing, or if it's supposed to look like that, but there is a very small "RK" that's on the cap band portion.

 

Any help is much appreciated!

 

Early 1950s pen. After 1952. Likely before 1957 as that was about when Pilot moved away from eyedroppers. Enlarging your photos the pen does appear to have a cap band. What you are reading might be what is leftover of R14K or similar, meaning the gold coating on the band has worn away.

[Chinchy]

3 hours ago, stan said:

Early 1950s pen. After 1952. Likely before 1957 as that was about when Pilot moved away from eyedroppers. Enlarging your photos the pen does appear to have a cap band. What you are reading might be what is leftover of R14K or similar, meaning the gold coating on the band has worn away.

 

Wow thanks Stan!  Always impressed with your knowledge.  One more question:  This and another large ebonite eyedropper (not Pilot) both have very flat footed nibs, with very sharp nib apex point.  In essence it almost looks like an architect style nib.  Do you know if that is a feature of the pens from that age, or if that is just the effect of a very well-worn pen?

[stan]

This my best guess without seeing the nib. \

 

I believe most Japanese writers hold their pens at a slightly steeper (more perpendicular to the paper) that Western writers. Asian characters require a different writing style with complex characters requiring many strokes in a compact area. The nib helps facilitate clarity of writing. Again, my guess.

[Chinchy]

Ah!  Sorry, I forgot to include the photo of the nib. Hopefully this shows it.

 

 

[stan]

Seems pretty standard nibs. Please explain.

[Chinchy]

15 hours ago, stan said:

Seems pretty standard nibs. Please explain.

 

Sure!  THe nibs on most of the other pens have a rounded ball of tipping.  These two eyedroppers have a very flat foot, that results in a very angular look to the nib.  I suppose the same thing could happen to a rounded ball of tipping that got worn down with a lot of use, however, even the left/right sides look very straight. 

 

So what I mean is that I expect that if you start with a rounded tip, as you write with it and gets flattened, you'd be left with a flattened cross-section of the original tipping material, which would still be somewhat rounded on the edges.  However, these tips are more of a... triangular rectangle, in cross section. So that makes me wonder what the original tipping shape would have been.

 

Ultimately the reason why I'm asking this question, is to wonder whether I should try to send this to a nibmeister to try and round out the edges, or whether it's already in a form that is closer to original.  Hopefully that makes sense.

 

Thanks!

[stan]

What you have is original or pretty close to what it was seventy years ago. Someone can grind the nib and retip it as you require.

[liubrian]

On 7/27/2021 at 3:12 AM, Chinchy said:

Does anyone have any info on this Pilot pen?  It's an ebonite eyedropper, that has a steel Shinever nib.  I can't tell if the cap band is missing, or if it's supposed to look like that, but there is a very small "RK" that's on the cap band portion.

 

Any help is much appreciated!

 

 

It doesn't look like a Pilot to me.  I have never seen a Pilot eyedropper section that tapered like that (they should be flared), or such a small nib on a large body.  Pilot ball clips should be signed "PILOT", and there should also be a Pilot marking on the barrel.  I would expect a JIS-marked Shinever nib on a postwar R type pen, such as these: http://blog.livedoor.jp/nekopen23/archives/26409841.html.  If I recall correctly, ball-clipped balance-type Pilots disappeared after World War II and didn't come back until the modern Custom era.

[Chinchy]

42 minutes ago, liubrian said:

 

It doesn't look like a Pilot to me.  I have never seen a Pilot eyedropper section that tapered like that (they should be flared), or such a small nib on a large body.  Pilot ball clips should be signed "PILOT", and there should also be a Pilot marking on the barrel.  I would expect a JIS-marked Shinever nib on a postwar R type pen, such as these: http://blog.livedoor.jp/nekopen23/archives/26409841.html.  If I recall correctly, ball-clipped balance-type Pilots disappeared after World War II and didn't come back until the modern Custom era.

 

Yeah you have a point. I was curious about the lack of Pilot branding on the barrel too.  It's possible it could be a franken pen?  I'm not sure, but was just going off of the Pilot branding on the nib.  Maybe someone transplanted the nib into another pen?  I'm not too knowledgeable about 50's Pilots...

[IlikeInksandIcannotlie]

@stan, do vintage Pilot fine nibs have an architect nib characteristic? I just received my Deluxe today, and its fine nib is broader on the side stroke. Also, is it normal to have ink seep through the nib sides on rubbing the sides? Can the nib and feed be disassembled?

 

[stan]

Sorry. Don't have an answer for you. Never checked into that and no longer have any Pilot pens to make that generalization.