Pilot Custom Sterling silver with cranes pattern

[Jimmy]

Here are some quickly done pictures and a review in pidgin-english of a 70's Pilot Custom Sterling silver with cranes pattern, quickly photographed for the fun beside some of my favourite translations of modern or classic japanese poetry books, some of the books which always stand in my travel bag. With the cranes taking flight etching, it's a pen I always want to carry in wanderings .

 

The first time I saw and took in hands the Namiki's (I don't recall if it was Pilot or Namiki labeled) modern version of the pen, I immediately fell in love with it, as I'm fond of cranes pattern in japanese painting, as I like japanese literature and photography and as Hokkaido in winter is part of my dreams . By a nice and funny coincidence, I found this earlier second hand version two hours later on the Marketplace forum and immediately bought it. One of the best decisions of my life about pens .

 

This Sterling is now one of my three favourite FPs. It comes with a very narrow, not flexible yellow 18K fine nib. I have almost always used standard M or broad (according to western standards) rounded nibs, as my writing is fast and naturally on the medium or rather large size side. To write with the Pilot's fine nib is one of the more pleasant writing experiences I have ever experimented : the pen produces without any effort, without skipping, a very nice small and ultra-precise writing, totally different of my usual writing, more sharp and 'geometric' than usual, without slowing down. Flow is very good. I filled it first with Florida blue, and never tried another ink contrary to my habits because this Waterman worked pretty well. Writing naturally so differently from my habits was a real discovery. I'll use more F or XF good nibs in future. The pen came with a pump converter (not sure of the english name here, the model where you pinch the sac between fingers).

 

The nib says 'TI076'. If I recall correctly what I read here and there, that should mean the pen has been made in 1976. Not sure, maybe anyone could confirm or invalidate. Stan advertised it as a 1969 series.

 

I love this pen. Its design, its shape, its weight, the cranes pattern. It is smooth in the hand. It is a rather small and thin pen, very slightly heavier because of silver than some of my bigger pens : 30.9 g capped, 18.3 g filled without cap (I never post my pens). It is 13.7 cm long capped, barrel only is 12.2 cm, 14.8 posted. Diameter of the section is 11.5 mm, while barrel is 12.5 mm. Cap's diameter is of course slightly larger. It has a thin golden ring between barrel and section. I like very much the plastic section's pointed shape with the nib mounted flush to the section, with no separate feed, feed and section being made in one part. This nib is slightly off-centered on the feed and should need to be set, but as the pen writes so well, I'll wait. I have small hands, I usually prefer bigger pens, but this smaller one is a pleasure to hold and to write with.

 

The pen is beautiful with the cranes etched on the barrel and on the cap. Of course we are more here on the industrial design side rather than on hand-made making. But the pen is reminiscent of japanese painting and history, at least as they are often seen by western eyes . A small complaint, the pattern is the same on the cap and on the barrel, it would look better with two different engravings. Another thing I don't like too much is the classic 70's style of the clip, I much prefer the modern version with a ball at the end of this clip. But this is an older pen... The cap has a slightly blueish large silver band at its base. This cap is not a threaded one. The last very minor complaint I have is that it is too easy to unscrew section and barrel.

 

This cranes pattern is no longer made in a modern version, the one I've seen in a shop was way too much expensive here in France (780 euros !!!, sold as a current avalaible model, not as a collection one). But some other original replica's patterns are always made and avalaible. Nikolaos posted some nice pictures of his vintage Winter tree pattern in the Pictures an pen photography forum : https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=34553

 

Maybe because it's new for me and because I use it since only one month or so, I really like this pen. It's beautiful, it has a nice feeling in hands, it's different from my other pens, it relies on things I like and it's one of my best writers. It's very nice with my taste for japanese litterature and things ! What else could I ask for ?

 

Please forgive my approximative english and mistaken words. As it is too much time consuming for the moment, pictures have been very quickly done without any control on lighting and highlights and almost no correction for publishing on the web. This is my first review, I hope it has been readable for most of you without pain .

 

I’m interested in japanese pens (I’m waiting for a Nakaya at the end of july). I've read, seen and tried many things about them, many beautiful things, I'm sometimes a bit disappointed by some too classical or 'german' designs. Please feel free to write here on FPN or to PM or email (preferred) me with links, sources or informations.

 

Edited : sorry, I made a mistake with the pictures. I post again hoping it will be fixed now.

 

Jimmy

Edited July 10, 2007 by Jimmy

[Dan Carmell]

Wonderful review, thank you! Very good photos and nice commentary. I agree with your perspective on the Custom sterling pens, they are lovely pens. And I like the way you contrast the precise nature of this nib with your usual medium and bold nibs. The Custom inlaid nibs are one of my very favorite nib designs.

 

Merci beaucoup!

 

Dan

[Jimmy]

Merci, Dan. I'm sorry for the terrible pictures (who will trust me now when I'll say I spent the last 35 years to take pictures ? ): I spent only 1/2 hour for taking and sending them. I forgot to manage profiles and first I made a mistake with dimensions ! I'll be much more careful and will be less hurry the next time

 

Jimmy

Edited July 8, 2007 by Jimmy

[Shelley]

Nice pen and lovely photos, looks too short for my tastes but still a beautiful pen, I am glad that you enjoy it!

[Nikolaos]

Nice review Jimmy, and i really like the composition in your photos. I love my Silvern as well. It is such a nice pen to use and to just look at

Thanks for the review

Nikolaos

 

[meanwhile]

I like the photographs - it makes me feel like I'm looking at the Silvern in its "natural environment".

 

Something I don't have a feel for is the size of the pen - is it the classic P51 size?

[Jimmy]

I never used a 51, so I can't compare. The better size comparison would be with a 15 years old Sheaffer (must be something like an Imperial according to my research, but not sure) : the pens have almost exactly the same size, the Pilot being having a very very slightly larger diameter. I like very much these rocket-like inlaid nibs.

 

I wanted to rely the pen with readings, photographs and wanderings, this is because I immediately liked this pen. The picture is one of my platinum prints on rag paper. Once again, so sorry about quality.

 

Jimmy

[Brian]

A nice review and what's interesting are the photographs that create the context for this pen. The inlaid nib, I think, is a Japanese copy of the early Sheaffers and is a sort of statement of flattery. Thanks.