Pilot Elite 18k with Script nib - Please help identify its age

[Augustus Derleth]

Hello and greetings to all. I recently started re-using fountain pens after *ahem* 50 years and I'm truly excited. So far I've focused on Pilot and Parker pens and acquired this Pilot Elite on eBay. It has an 18k Script nib that's quite scratchy. The seller would not identify the era it was created and I am curious because the Elite logo is etched on the cap's gold ring, as opposed to above it. It's not a great writer as compared to a modern Pilot E95 that's phenomenal. Could you please help me identify it?

 

[AceNinja]

https://estilofilos.blogspot.com/2013/09/datation-of-japanese-pens-ii-pilot-nibs_7.html

this is a great website to id the age of the pen, or rather, the nib itself.

 

the date code of this Pilot elite nib type, most probably is hidden just inside the section, you need to remove the nib to view the date code, i think.

[Augustus Derleth]

Thank you AceNinja! Not sure if I will be pulling the pen's nib out but I appreciate your comment.

[bizhe]

Try this link on reddit, I can't find the original fb page:

(remove the space after "reddit")

www.reddit .com/r/fountainpens/comments/1c3wy5m/i_saw_this_image_on_the_pilots_facebook_page_it/

[awa54]

There may, or may not be a date code on the barrel of this pen, if there is you can find the table to decode it on the Estilofilos web site.

My examples are from the very late 1960s and early 1970s IIRC (at work now so can't check).

 

How did you clean this pen before using it? I've found that the Pilot feeds, which include a finned ink diffusor, often need a long soak, thorough flush and occasionally an ultrasonic cleaning (or complete disassembly) to function well after having been stored for years with dried ink in them. If the dried ink in the feed was sumi or red, that can sometimes cause irreparable damage

 

Your pen is one of the earlier "fingernail" type nib designs to use a nib that locks to the feed with side channels (which allows you to extract the feed and nib as one out the back of the section), older versions like the "E"/Super pens actually wedge the nib to the section with the feed vanes, which makes it hard to work on the nib or feed without risking damage to the pen.

[Armo]

I have a Pilot of that period, different model. Engraved into the barrel, just below the section it reads: PILOT E-200 GC 11 (in 3 lines), the nib reads 66 which confirms the date code. It is however very small and almost impossible to read with out a loupe or magnifing glass and good light. Look very carefully as you could very easily miss it.

 

After looking at the blog mentioned above I found this page to be more relevent and easier to follow https://estilofilos.blogspot.com/2013/09/datation-of-japanese-pens-iii-pilots.html

[PithyProlix]

On 8/16/2024 at 3:20 AM, awa54 said:

There may, or may not be a date code on the barrel of this pen, if there is you can find the table to decode it on the Estilofilos web site.

 

The two I have of this version of the Elite series have the date code on the barrel. "KC 02" = 1970/March/02 and "JL 15" = 1969/December/15, both made at the Hiratsuka plant. One has an 18k Script nib, the other an 18k Posting nib.

 

On 7/4/2024 at 3:10 AM, Augustus Derleth said:

It has an 18k Script nib that's quite scratchy.

 

Pilot's Script nibs are probably my favorite for long writing sessions, which is what they were designed to do, I think. I have a few and they are not scratchy - yours probably needs tuning.

 

I started a thread on this Elite version here: 

 

On 8/8/2024 at 1:23 PM, bizhe said:

Try this link on reddit, I can't find the original fb page:

(remove the space after "reddit")

www.reddit .com/r/fountainpens/comments/1c3wy5m/i_saw_this_image_on_the_pilots_facebook_page_it/

 

Here is the original post on Pilot's Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/PILOT.Corporation/posts/1056396161372751/

And here are hotlinked versions of the referenced images:

 

 

Note that there is a similar pen from 1970 but that pen has a 'rough' finish (I'm sure there must be a better word for it) and a nib similar to the E95.  (I came very close to getting one but someone beat me to it ...)

 

The Elite series is a fun one to collect - there are many different versions, the designs vary a lot, and there are also many types of nibs. EDIT: Plus they are great pens, to boot! This version is one of my favorite Elites.

[PithyProlix]

Oh, and here's another image - I don't think it is from Pilot - that shows this model starting in December 1969. Might not be accurate - don't know.

 

[PithyProlix]

And some last items of information on this model:

 

There were versions with the same design but with gold-plated and sterling caps, both fluted. I have one with a gold-plated cap, "KO 24" = 1970/March/24, Tokyo plant, and 18k Script nib.

 

Model numbers are likely this, but I'm not totally sure:

• resin cap: E-300BS
• gold-plate cap: E-350BS
• sterling cap: E-500GS
• rough lacquer finish: E-500BS

[awa54]

On 8/23/2024 at 10:18 AM, PithyProlix said:

And some last items of information on this model:

 

There were versions with the same design but with gold-plated and sterling caps, both fluted. I have one with a gold-plated cap, "KO 24" = 1970/March/24, Tokyo plant, and 18k Script nib.

 

Model numbers are likely this, but I'm not totally sure:

• resin cap: E-300BS
• gold-plate cap: E-350BS
• sterling cap: E-500GS
• rough lacquer finish: E-500BS

 

 

I have a gold plated cap frankenpen (the resin cap on one was trashed and the section on the GP cap pen was cracked), while it looks great, the cap seal is awful and it's unusable unless you write with it every day  

[Augustus Derleth]

Thank you all! Based on the information and Facebook image it's a 1970 model 🙂