Please tell me about my full-length 1970 Pilot Elite

[PithyProlix]

I just received this pen yesterday - I am nothing like an experienced collector and I have only found two like it on the Internet, one on a sales site (antikcart.com) and another in this interesting Facebook post from Pilot on the Elite lineage* (but that one has a 'rough' finish - not sure what that finish is called).

 

The first picture shows it lying on top of a full-length 1985 Elite, which, except for the barrel ring, is pretty much a differently proportioned version of the Elite pocket pen design that started in 1974. The 1970 full-length Elite is not simply a redecorated and differently proportioned version of the Elite pocket pen of its era but is a significantly different design (I will list the similarities and differences and make some comparison photos if requested to).

 

I am curious if anyone knowledgeable on this Elite version can share information about it, please.  

 

*This post from Pilot seems to indicate that Pilot considers the 'E' pens - the E-200 and E-300 (are there others?) - to be Elite model pens. I hadn't thought that before but, clearly, the section/nib design remains similar to the later 'Elite' logoed pens, at least the ones I have. And perhaps the 'E' stands for 'Elite'?

 

 

 

 

(please excuse the reflection of my finger!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 6, 2021 by PithyProlix
Rewrote because I messed up with the date code on the other full-length Elite in the first picture. It is actually from 1985, not from 1968, as I thought in the first version of this post..

[liubrian]

I also have one of the 1970s full length Elites that you have photographed here, but don't have anything to add other than that.

 

The "E" in E-200 etc does stand for Elite.  As always, see the poster gallery: https://www.pilot.co.jp/100th/en/gallery/

 

If you scroll to the 1962 ad for Elites (the one just prior to the 1962 ad for the Pilot 57), the katakana 'エリート'  is just about visible on top of the big E.

[PithyProlix]

31 minutes ago, liubrian said:

The "E" in E-200 etc does stand for Elite.  As always, see the poster gallery: https://www.pilot.co.jp/100th/en/gallery/

 

If you scroll to the 1962 ad for Elites (the one just prior to the 1962 ad for the Pilot 57), the katakana 'エリート'  is just about visible on top of the big E.

 

Very good - thank you. I wasn't aware of the poster gallery - very cool. 

 

(My E-300 is a favorite and I suspect my recently acquired E-200 will be too.) 

[awa54]

This is one of the Elite variants I have yet to own. They appear to be a transitional model, with a section (and likely cap retention) design that seems to be the same as the Custom series, but the nib design from the earlier Super, E and V series.

Not owning one, I'm not certain if this model shares parts with the 1970s Super reissue (which I do have two examples of), but it would make sense if they did.

 

Theres also an inlay nibbed Elite that I believe was concurrent (or overlapped production) with this design, it had rounded cap and barrel ends and a variant of the large inlay nib that would wind up in the custom pens.

 

Both of these are on my short list of pilot models I want to acquire.

[PithyProlix]

10 minutes ago, awa54 said:

They appear to be a transitional model, with a section (and likely cap retention) design that seems to be the same as the Custom series, but the nib design from the earlier Super, E and V series.

 

Unlike all my other Elites, this one has a snap cap.

 

12 minutes ago, awa54 said:

Not owning one, I'm not certain if this model shares parts with the 1970s Super reissue (which I do have two examples of), but it would make sense if they did.

 

I don't own the Super reissue so I wouldn't know.

 

17 minutes ago, awa54 said:

Theres also an inlay nibbed Elite that I believe was concurrent (or overlapped production) with this design, it had rounded cap and barrel ends and a variant of the large inlay nib that would wind up in the custom pens.

 

If you follow the Facebook link in my original post you will see three full-length Elites with rounded ends. I'd love to have one myself.

 

18 minutes ago, awa54 said:

 

Both of these are on my short list of pilot models I want to acquire.

 

I recommend it. Though both my full-length Elites are great pens, this earlier one is more attractive (mostly, I think, because the later one has more of a cylindrical shape - i.e. close to equal diameter from top to bottom - which doesn't look as refined as the earlier) and somehow this one feels more solid in the hand. It's difficult to compare nibs because this one has a Script and the later one an F.

 

Thanks for the info!

[liubrian]

On 12/8/2021 at 8:58 PM, awa54 said:

They appear to be a transitional model, with a section (and likely cap retention) design that seems to be the same as the Custom series, but the nib design from the earlier Super, E and V series.

Not owning one, I'm not certain if this model shares parts with the 1970s Super reissue (which I do have two examples of), but it would make sense if they did.

 

 

I have this long Elite, the reissue Super and the stainless striped Custom.  The sections are not identical, but can be interchanged between the three pens.

[awa54]

...well that was quick. I caved and made an offer on one of these, fitted with a posting nib. The pen is one I had seen before on "that auction site", but had previously taken a pass, as the cap band has wear to the high points (is it a metal band on a resin cap, or just gold plating on an all aluminum cap like many other Pilot pens?). However an exhaustive search turned up nothing better until the price more than doubled, so it's on the way!

[PithyProlix]

4 minutes ago, awa54 said:

...well that was quick. I caved and made an offer on one of these, fitted with a posting nib. The pen is one I had seen before on "that auction site", but had previously taken a pass, as the cap band has wear to the high points (is it a metal band on a resin cap, or just gold plating on an all aluminum cap like many other Pilot pens?). However an exhaustive search turned up nothing better until the price more than doubled, so it's on the way!

 

Sculptured metal band - one of the features that makes it quite nice. It you look carefully at my pictures you can see how it curves under the Elite logo.

[awa54]

My pen arrived, has been inked and written through most of the work day today.

 

The short-tined posting nib is firm, smooth and a bit dry with a Pilot black cartridge loaded. A nice crisp writer that can go *very* small with the right handwriting.

I have an "E" (probably a Super 200, or it's equivalent) that has the same pattern nib, though it's 14k. **actually I have two 14k short tine posting nib E pens, one is a 1968 with the same font as this nib, the other has no date stamp on the barrel, but the nib is stamped with the old style Pilot logo, neither pen has a model number imprint**

 

The cap band and clip both have high-point "brassing" (though the metal under the gold plating is aluminum), but this will be a user, so no harm there.  The spring plate inside the cap which grips the section was also somewhat bent, this was easily fixed and now the cap clicks shut nicely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[awa54]

Just as an addendum to this topic, the nibs and feeds in this series of Elite pens are much more like 1970s and 80s Pilot designs, in that there is no sponge in the feed (which is an all plastic feed much like the one in a pocket Elite) and the nib is held on to the feed with channels/ears the same way most Platinum pens with inset (not inlaid) nibs are.

 

Also, the Custom reissue seems to use a mishmash of old stock nibs from the "E" & Super era, which are sandwiched between a new design of feed (not recycled/NOS parts there) and the section, like all of the late 1950s through mid 1960s "fingernail" nib pens. My pet theory here is that Pilot found a cache of these nibs in some corner of the factory and rather than melt them, made up a new platform to use them in a nostalgic/tribute oriented pen.