Vintage Pilot Myu: should I keep it or sell it?

[PithyProlix]

I found a minty 1974 Pilot Myu, F nib, a few months ago - no sticker or box - that looks like it has never been inked. I put it aside just in case I might want to sell in the future.

 

I am a user and (with the exception of a minty vintage Pilot maki-e pen that I will never ink) not a collector. I love Japanese pocket pens - I already have 4 very nice vintage Pilot Elite pocket pens (EF, F, SF, & Script nibs) as well as quite a few Platinum & Sailor pocket pens, as well as a couple other vintage Japanese brands. The 'cool' factor of the Myu is certainly very high but I'm wondering, from a writing perspective, if it different enough that I should keep it to use.

What do you think: if you were in my shoes would you sell it or use it? (Genuine question - I am not trying to drum up interest to sell it here.)

For those of you who have written with a Myu did you find anything 'special' about it, particularly in comparison to other Japanese pocket pens?

[awa54]

My Medium Myu is a fantastic writer, I wouldn't get rid of it unless I was in dire need.

 

...however.

 

The cap to barrel fit is not all that secure compared to pocket pen designs that have stronger gripping spring fingers inside the cap. I assume this is intentional and that the softer interface is meant to prevent the section from getting burnished by the spring and ruining the radial brushed finish. This adds up to a pen that's not as solid in hand as a normal pocket pen is when posted.

 

Just something to consider, as a dedicated user.

 

If it was me, I'd still keep it

[stan]

10 hours ago, awa54 said:

My Medium Myu is a fantastic writer, I wouldn't get rid of it unless I was in dire need.

 

...however.

 

The cap to barrel fit is not all that secure compared to pocket pen designs that have stronger gripping spring fingers inside the cap. I assume this is intentional and that the softer interface is meant to prevent the section from getting burnished by the spring and ruining the radial brushed finish. This adds up to a pen that's not as solid in hand as a normal pocket pen is when posted.

 

Just something to consider, as a dedicated user.

 

If it was me, I'd still keep it

 

If you don't need the money, keep it. They are increasingly difficult to locate in decent condition.

[mizgeorge]

Keep it!

 

I used to have a small collection of Myu and Murex pens, and they were stolen. I hope the thief enjoyed them as much as I used to, but I doubt it. 

 

I think the Myu is one of the single most beautiful pens ever made. Not necessarily the nicest to write with, but Concorde wasn't that comfortable to fly in either...

[PithyProlix]

16 hours ago, awa54 said:

My Medium Myu is a fantastic writer, I wouldn't get rid of it unless I was in dire need.

 

...however.

 

The cap to barrel fit is not all that secure compared to pocket pen designs that have stronger gripping spring fingers inside the cap. I assume this is intentional and that the softer interface is meant to prevent the section from getting burnished by the spring and ruining the radial brushed finish. This adds up to a pen that's not as solid in hand as a normal pocket pen is when posted.

 

Just something to consider, as a dedicated user.

 

If it was me, I'd still keep it

 

That is great information - while I rarely post with other pens, it's essential with pocket pens. Mine seems to post quite well if not as firmly as, say, my Elites - but no real issue there.

 

My short test 'dry' writing with it suggests that the nib will be very smooth, perhaps even smoother than I generally like. Still, until I've inked it up and used it for a while, it's very difficult to tell if it is a pen I would reach for very often.
 

5 hours ago, stan said:

 

If you don't need the money, keep it. They are increasingly difficult to locate in decent condition.

If I sold it I'd probably use the funds to buy a restored wet noodle Waterman or the like since I don't have a pen with a really flexible nib and I'd really like to have one. And I've gone over my pen-buying budget because I keep finding great deals on nice pens ...

It's the first Myu I've seen pop up here in Thailand since I've lived here - I was very lucky to snap up this one before other collectors here did. (I've seen a couple Murexes but at what would be considered premium prices for here.) So, yeah, it's very unlikely I would find another one, especially because I only buy underpriced pens.
 

4 hours ago, mizgeorge said:

Keep it!

 

I used to have a small collection of Myu and Murex pens, and they were stolen. I hope the thief enjoyed them as much as I used to, but I doubt it. 

 

I think the Myu is one of the single most beautiful pens ever made. Not necessarily the nicest to write with, but Concorde wasn't that comfortable to fly in either...

OMG - MAJOR BUMMER!!! Sorry for your loss.

I agree with you on the looks of the pen. My favorite pens for appearance are all minimalistic designs and this one sits in the very front of my pen rack, for sure. 

 

---
Thanks for the input, @awa54 , @stan , and @mizgeorge - certainly helpful and appreciated.

Something a good friend said to me a few years back has always stuck with me: "Everything I have is always for sale, even the things I want to keep the most. I will sell anything if someone offers enough money." As of now, I'm leaning towards putting it on eBay with a high reserve. If it sells, good. If it doesn't, I keep it - still good.

[awa54]

I'm not a "flipper" by nature, so offers would have to be over the top to convince me to sell any pen in my collection ...at least any that I enjoy writing with.

 

That said, objectively a flexy vintage Waterman is more common and less expensive (at least here in the USA) than a Myu or Murex.

 

I have several humble celluloid Waterman pens from the 1930s through the 50s, none of which cost more than $50 (though I did do the sac replacement myself on any that needed this, so add $20 to $40 to that price if they need work you can't do yourself), the issue is that bargain priced vintage pens can have problems that don't show in auction photos and not all vintage Waterman nibs are flexy, let alone wet noodles (though *many* are capable of at least F to BB flex).

 

If you shop for confirmed flex and clean, restored pens only, then the price gap narrows significantly, with a clean Myu selling on Ebay for $175 and up, or a ready to write, flexy, Waterman starting somewhere in the $125 range and climbing to well over $1000 for the most collectible models.

 

Searching the BST sections of pen forums that still have functioning marketplaces will probably yield more affordable, *confirmed flexy* Waterman pens at nice prices, as long as you don't mind them being basic vest pocket sized models.

[awa54]

...where I was going with that, is that you probably don't need to sell your Myu to afford a sweet Vintage Waterman flex pen.

[John223490]

On 11/7/2021 at 9:10 AM, PithyProlix said:

I found a minty 1974 Pilot Myu, F nib, a few months ago - no sticker or box - that looks like it has never been inked. I put it aside just in case I might want to sell in the future.

 

I am a user and (with the exception of a minty vintage Pilot maki-e pen that I will never ink) not a collector. I love Japanese pocket pens - I already have 4 very nice vintage Pilot Elite pocket pens (EF, F, SF, & Script nibs) as well as quite a few Platinum & Sailor pocket pens, as well as a couple other vintage Japanese brands. The 'cool' factor of the Myu is certainly very high but I'm wondering, from a writing perspective, if it different enough that I should keep it to use.

What do you think: if you were in my shoes would you sell it or use it? (Genuine question - I am not trying to drum up interest to sell it here.)

For those of you who have written with a Myu did you find anything 'special' about it, particularly in comparison to other Japanese pocket pens?

I have the pilot m90 (medium), striped myu and the normal myu (both fine nib). I have never used the normal myu because its in A1 condition but I would assume the writing experience it similar to the black stripe myu. The writing experience is not bad, but its a bit to the dry side. I feel that the sometimes the ink may vary in color (when writing some parts seems lighter than others, or it could be because I did not dry my pen properly and there is water in it). The grib itself will become slippery according to many myu owners, it experience something similar with the M90. 

[PithyProlix]

17 hours ago, awa54 said:

...where I was going with that, is that you probably don't need to sell your Myu to afford a sweet Vintage Waterman flex pen.

 

Gotcha. I will probably hold off on the decision for a while - I have some other pens I don't use that I can sell first to get money for a vintage flex. The problem is the temptation to ink up and use the Myu in the meantime!

I don't care about collectible - or even Waterman much, for that matter. I just want a reliable, nice writer, with a extra fine wet noodle nib, that is unlikely to develop problems. Normally I'm a bargain-only buyer (I paid the equivalent of about $15 USD for this Myu, for instance ...) but, for this, I plan to buy from a restorer with a good reputation. I already do basic repairs and maintenance, such as putting on new sacs.

 

EDIT: Meant to add that it is very, very difficult to find a wet noodle pen here unless you are willing to pay premium prices from collectors, hence a good part of my desire to buy one from a reliable source overseas.

Thanks much for the info - good to hear from the voice of experience.

[PithyProlix]

7 hours ago, John223490 said:

I have the pilot m90 (medium), striped myu and the normal myu (both fine nib). I have never used the normal myu because its in A1 condition but I would assume the writing experience it similar to the black stripe myu. The writing experience is not bad, but its a bit to the dry side. I feel that the sometimes the ink may vary in color (when writing some parts seems lighter than others, or it could be because I did not dry my pen properly and there is water in it). The grib itself will become slippery according to many myu owners, it experience something similar with the M90. 

 

Wow - I understand M90s are quite rare. 

 

I actually prefer my pens to be a little dry writing.

 

The metal grip is actually a concern - I'm glad you brought that up. I've never had or used a pen with a metal grip and it is usually quite hot & humid here - sometimes I have problems with a typical plastic grip, even.

 

Thanks for the perspective.

[awa54]

3 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

 

Wow - I understand M90s are quite rare. 

 

I actually prefer my pens to be a little dry writing.

 

The metal grip is actually a concern - I'm glad you brought that up. I've never had or used a pen with a metal grip and it is usually quite hot & humid here - sometimes I have problems with a typical plastic grip, even.

 

Thanks for the perspective.

 

On the other side of that coin, my medium point Myu is a rather juicy writer... even an incredibly consistent company like Pilot can have sample variation.

 

My situation is hardly tropical, but summers here frequently feature humidity levels above 60% and I've never felt that the Myu was slippery. However I tend to use a fairly light grip, that's high on the section (a grip style that the Myu accommodates very nicely).

 

In the end, you should follow your instinct, if you don't love the Myu and really have no interest in it as a historically significant pen, then you should pass it along to a new owner and replace it with something "better". I would however, recommend inking it and writing with it for a few days before making that descision, unless it's "new in box, with stickers" you won't be devaluing it by carefully inking it, writing for a week and then flushing it out ...plus, then you'll be able to show writing samples to prospective buyers if you end up selling it on