Vintage Pilot Help Please

[AL01]

Hello all,

I have this Pilot lever filler I am curious about. Can someone tell me the model and approximate age of this pen? The nib is badly bent. I had a nibmeister look at it in Atlanta and he recommend a replacement and felt it was beyond repair. Does anyone have a source for a replacement nib. Even bent, this one is very flexy.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Hiya!

 

There is a thread, and the dude who runs the thread knows someone in Europe who can retip stainless steel nibs.

 

I think you should give him a try: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/331395-free-restoration-service/page-7

 

Personally, I think you should try to save your nib, for these early Pilot pens are quite rare.

[liubrian]

Looks like a solid wartime pen. I don't remember when they switched from the N imprint to the P imprint on the pens, but that should be early 50s (pre-53, which is when the 53R came out).

 

The change from N to P was in 1938.

 

Another hint for dating these Pilots is the clip design - they got much simpler as the war continued. Here are some photos: https://ameblo.jp/kamisama-samasama/entry-12314111529.html

 

I've also heard that the nib inscription changed from "Best in the World" to "Best Quality" after the war, which is consistent with pens I've seen but I don't have a particular date for that.

[Seiryuu]

 

The change from N to P was in 1938.

 

Another hint for dating these Pilots is the clip design - they got much simpler as the war continued. Here are some photos: https://ameblo.jp/kamisama-samasama/entry-12314111529.html

 

I've also heard that the nib inscription changed from "Best in the World" to "Best Quality" after the war, which is consistent with pens I've seen but I don't have a particular date for that.

That's super cool, thanks for the link

[JulieParadise]

Do not give up that nib, though. I have been able to bend two modern Pilot Capless nibs back that seemed beyond repair. Sure, a wound will remain, but both do write normally again. You might give that a try as there is not much to lose at this point anyway. Be careful and stick to wooden thingies like the wooden ice cream grip instead of metal pliers and such as the risk to destroy and scratch something is bigger the harder the material is.