The Mighty Falcons

[kb1321]

I understand that the Pilot and Namiki are the same company, but why is the Pilot priced higher than the Namiki version?

 

Can someone tell me which one is better and why the pilot costs more? I noticed some previous posts talk about comparisons in weight and size, I just want an educated decision if its worth to pay an extra 100 dollars or not? Do they write and feel similar? same flex?

 

 

I wrote with the Pilot version and was impressed! In this situation do you get what you pay for?

 

Thank you!

[physicsgirl]

The Pilot version is metal, so the materials are a bit more than the resin in the Namiki version. The nibs of the Pilot (Metal) pens are coated, so that they match the furniture (trim) of the metal body.

[AltecGreen]

I understand that the Pilot and Namiki are the same company, but why is the Pilot priced higher than the Namiki version?

 

Can someone tell me which one is better and why the pilot costs more? I noticed some previous posts talk about comparisons in weight and size, I just want an educated decision if its worth to pay an extra 100 dollars or not? Do they write and feel similar? same flex?

 

 

I wrote with the Pilot version and was impressed! In this situation do you get what you pay for?

 

Thank you!

 

 

Pilot is the name of the company. Namiki is just a marketing name used in some markets for some of Pilot's pens. Namiki is the family name of the founder of Pilot (Ryosuke Namiki) and was the original name of the company until 1938. Today, the Namiki name is used for the maki-e pens only in Japan while all the other pens are under the Pilot name. In the USA, the fine pens are marketed under the Namiki name although Pilot USA seems to like to confuse people by referring to some pens by the Pilot name and some by the Namiki name.

 

 

In terms of the Falcon, the pen is called the Elabo in Japan. The resin version is the older version which was replaced in 2009 by the newer metal version. In Japan, the resin version is no longer listed as a product on the Pilot website although it appears to still be an official product in the US. The nib is the same on both pens. The body is larger/longer on the metal version. The big advantage of the new version is that the size increase allows it to use the CON-70 converter while the older resin version can only use the Con-20 or Con-50 converter.

 

The resin pen was introduced a while ago and at that time, it was marketed as a Namiki pen. The new version was brought over last year and is marketed under the Pilot name. I don't think the Japanese MSRP was that different between the resin version and the metal version. However, the exchange rate differences between the time the resin version was imported into the US and when the metal version was released is significant (~40-50%). So the metal version ends up being significantly more expensive.

[JAPeN]

 

In terms of the Falcon, the pen is called the Elabo in Japan.

 

Like the confusion with the Falcon nibs of Pilot and Namiki it seems that the naming is further complicated by reusing the name 'Elabo'.

The Pilot Elabo was a resin pen that preceded the Namiki Falcon (hooded nib), with a snap cap and slightly shorter and thinner diameter. It only came in black with Gold trim and the nib is not inter-changable with the Namiki Falcon (a pensmith attempted it for me but confirmed the fact). It also had an urushi feed and the section was metal and not the plastic found on the Namiki Falcon.

 

I don't collect them any more but Ive had a number of the original Elabos as well as the three colours (Black, Burgundy, Blue) of the resin Falcons.

Edited January 8, 2011 by JAPeN