I don't see it on these sites. Commonly available in the US, is this the only Pilot pen hard to get in Japan?

• Pilot web site
• Old Ujuku web site
• Pen gallery

I can't speak to whether the same pens are sold elsewhere, but it's my understanding that Namiki is a US-only brand. There exist both Namiki and Pilot versions of the Bamboo so that doesn't really address whether there are Pilot Falcons out there.

Hi,

Namiki is used in Japan, but only for Maki-e pens.

Dillon

Falcon was called Elabo in Japan, and it was discontinued in the 90's, IIRC.

Edit: I guess the name came from "elaborate"

Used Elabos go pretty high on Yahoo Japan auctions. I have a pen-collecting friend in Tokyo who was going to buy a bunch of Falcons from Oscar Braun to resell in Japan. Kinda weird that a Japanese person has to buy a Japanese pen in the US because it is not available in Japan. I just confused myself typing that...

/Woody

Just as wierd that you can't buy parts for Japanese pens in Japan (where they are made) but you can buy them elsewhere (e.g. VP nib inserts...

Serves me right for listening to the guy at the counter at Maido when I was asking about Namiki Maki-e pens. He kept telling me, "No Namiki: Pilot. Namiki American. Pilot Japan."

There were two versions of Elabo. The older model had urushi-coated ebonite feed, and the newer one with plastic feed. The older ones' production cost was more than the retail price so they had to make modifications. Urushi-coated feed not only cost a lot but also it was prone to develop bubbles over the time. The bubbles did not affect the function of the feed and was just a cosmetic issues, but many people returned the pens for that. The older Elabo also had snap-on cap, not screw-on.

Elabo was produced only in black, but Falcon (the export model) used to came in dark blue, too. They are more thought after, I believe.

Unlike the Falcon, the Elabo also came in XF nib size. (I sooo want one)

There are a number of differences between the Namiki Falcon and the Pilot Elabo, and there were also Pilot stamped nibs on the Namiki Falcon model for a while.
I have a number of blacks(Custom Binder XXF, XF & F), blue (my favourite colour XF & F) and burgundy (F) in the Falcon and all but the XXF are mint as this one is my user-pen.

The Elabos are are also F and XF. The barrel is thinner and shorter (end cap is lower profile).
Bands on the Elabo are thinner and there is an additional ring where the press cap meets the body.
The Elabo nibs look a little 'rosier' than the Falcons, and I much prefer the Elabo nib.
It is serial number stamped and has a metal threaded feed assembly (falcon is plastic).
They also have Press caps and Urushi coated feeds and on close inspection the occasional bubble can be seen. Converter/cartridge is common between each but the nibs and/or sections are not interchangable between the Falcon and the Elabo.

Except for the Binder XXF, all pens were purchased by me from an estate as one lot and were boxed and still in Japanese store wrapping. Some times you just get lucky.

Thanks for the replies.

I looked in my treasure box recently and saw that I had a Sailor, a Platinum and a Nakaya but my only Pilots were steel nibs and an antique flex-nib pen that's too small for my hand. I felt this was a situation that needs a remedy. So which Pilot to choose.

The Bamboo doesn't appeal to me owing to the step where the cap meets the barrel. And the VP isn't my thing either, though I admire it a lot. The Custom series are appealing but the Falcon has a unique look, especially as far as the nib goes. Less MB and more Triumph. I like the clip on the Falcon better too. So I think it's going to get the nod.

Does the word "Elabo" mean anything or have a story? Or just a made up word like Tyvek or Kodak?

If there is one Pilot you should get it's the Custom 823. You should be able to get one for around $200 +shipping.

It has the no15 nib which is a great nib. It's also a vacuum filler which is not so common in the FP world.