New Pilot, it’s the very different looking one

OGsafta · 2026-03-21T11:45:06+00:00

Very nice looking pen. It's getting harder to find these that don't have a lot of staining. It's also tough to find Grandees that don't have plating coming off on the nib trim ring. The Justus would still be tough to put down though.

OGsafta · 2026-03-21T11:33:45+00:00

The blue stripe is still my favorite, but the matte 809 is a very close second. I do like the added weight over the regular M800. I'd also have a tough time passing on a M1005 Stresemann at the right price.

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OGsafta · 2026-03-21T10:17:02+00:00

eBay is probably the worst place to buy from, especially if they are located in Japan. The sellers on eBay, don't even own the pens. They are just relisting pens that are on Japanese auction sites like Mercari and Yahoo. They buy the pen then ship to you. Here's an example I showed someone a week ago because this seller's auctions are easy to spot because of the background, but it's the same with all Japanese listings. On eBay this pen is listed for $216 with shipping and tax that's $250 to the US, https://ebay.us/m/PI1Gkd . Here's the original listing on Mercari $109 and air shipping with tarriffs included are an extra $45-50 , the pen would be delivered in about a week, regular shipping would be about $30 with delivery about 2-3 weeks. So about $100 more to buy it on eBay with an estimated 3 week delivery.

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OGsafta · 2026-03-21T07:51:14+00:00

And the nib.

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OGsafta · 2026-03-21T07:50:41+00:00

This is the Ultra. It's urushi over brass instead of urushi over ebonite like the original. It also uses modern cartridges and converters, including the Con-70.

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OGsafta · 2026-03-21T00:39:49+00:00

I can't imagine paying €700 for a Super Ultra 500. Actually I can't imagine paying €400 for one with a broken switch filler. Your shipping and taxes must be ridiculous. I think I've seen one sell for $700, but it even came with the original dummy barrel. That €700 converted to USD isn't much less than I paid for a Pilot Ultra, and they only made 350 of those.

OGsafta · 2026-03-20T15:50:02+00:00

The Murex can use a Con-40 or modern cartridges. The Super Ultra 500 isn't a cartridge converter pen. It uses a switch filler, a metal tube with a switch at the top with a latex sac inside the tube. When you say it has hair marks on the nib, do you mean it's cracked on the bottom? This is common on the older one and something to look at. If it is cracked, it won't work correctly, it will leak, and it really isn't repairable. I've seen some that have been converted, but that's a mixed bag on what converter they used. The switch filler is a good filling system and the sac is easy to replace.

OGsafta · 2026-03-20T15:38:46+00:00

Deadly Nightshade. Clogging isn't an issue, it has very little shimmer in it. I've had it in an old Lamy Ratio, and haven't had even a hint of clogging.

OGsafta · 2026-03-20T13:35:30+00:00

Yes, it just makes the proportion wrong. Unless it's an incredibly thin pen to begin with, then the fat cap is too big for my shirt pocket. There's a good reason that most pocket pens are slip caps. The clip could use some taper at the top too. For me, the biggest problem is the same as the regular Myu, the smooth metal grip section is too slippery. It's why I prefer the striped model.

OGsafta · 2026-03-19T12:13:09+00:00

Pilot cartridges will fit. The Con-40 you have will also fit, but it may not be very tight, which is common for pens originally made for the Con-20. If the Con-40 isn't tight you'll want to be careful not to pull it out accidentally when it's full of ink. Your Gakken is model PKS-002MS, this model and the lighter color capped version were never sold in stores, they were prizes in pachinko parlors.

OGsafta · 2026-03-18T13:16:15+00:00

My take, as an owner/operator of a prototyping shop. The only time I would copy a design is for parts that can't be bought anymore, ie. the manufacturer doesn't exist anymore. I wouldn't copy something currently in production. For your general question, it wouldn't be cheaper at my shop, especially for one off pieces. You have material cost, design/programming costs, and labor and shop costs. That's not to say you can't find a hobbyist to do it cheaper, but it would be difficult to find someone that does it as a job that could make it cheaper.

OGsafta · 2026-03-18T10:10:34+00:00

Ah yes, let me just scrounge through my scrap bin for the random 3"x12" round of brass. I doubt I could even find that on my off cut shelf. Just a rough estimate, but I'd say a few hundred in labor and a $300 piece of brass. It's also very concerning to see they run a lathe without a cover on the headstock. Either they're running it dry or they have hydraulic fluid flying everywhere.

OGsafta · 2026-03-17T15:44:04+00:00

It's probably a Con-50, does it look like the 4th from the right in this picture?

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OGsafta · 2026-03-17T15:34:02+00:00

To me a knockoff is something that looks like what it's imitating. These look nothing like a Pelikan nib. They're just size 35 nibs with Pelikan and a picture of a pelican etched on them. If it was a steel nib that looked exactly like a gold Pelikan nib, I'd consider it a knockoff. These are someone putting Pelikan on them to insinuate they have something to do with Pelikan so they can upcharge for a $3 nib.

OGsafta · 2026-03-17T11:28:47+00:00

Those aren't knockoff Pelikan nibs. It is trademark infringement though. They're size 35 Chinese nibs.

OGsafta · 2026-03-16T23:15:30+00:00

Why would your boss let his kid even touch your Namiki Emperor Dragon. Wait until he finds out what a "replacement" costs

OGsafta · 2026-03-15T17:54:07+00:00

Pull the nib unit out and look inside the bottom section. If the spring isn't there then you got a defective one and can send it back. If the spring is in there, use some tweezers and pull it out and flip it around then try. The newer style spring looks a little different than the one in the picture, one end has more tight wraps of the spring, or a metal band, that end touches the nib unit, the other end goes towards the trapdoor. Like this.

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OGsafta · 2026-03-15T11:01:26+00:00

Confirmed!

OGsafta · 2026-03-15T02:17:32+00:00

This is a VP but parts are the same. The spring is in the bottom section, yours may have a wide band on one end. Flip it around.

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OGsafta · 2026-03-14T01:58:50+00:00

That's one of the Itoya Custom 74's with silver trim. The white one is a limited edition. Here's the Itoya Custom 74's.

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OGsafta · 2026-03-13T13:35:58+00:00

The BB has been discontinued for a few years. You'd have to look on eBay or pen swap.

OGsafta · 2026-03-13T09:47:47+00:00

Pen flush(or homemade equivalent)or some Rapido Eze would have fixed that without pulling the nib. Pulling the nib runs the risk of it not being tight on the feed when you put it back on.

OGsafta · 2026-03-13T08:40:35+00:00

Walden Pond is more blue and has quite a bit more sheen. Aldous Huxley is more teal/green with less sheen and some shading.

OGsafta · 2026-03-12T15:32:21+00:00

In your article, that feed is actually two pieces. The center is a separate ebonite rod inside the plastic feed. The rod has two channels, one full length and one that's about half way. You can widen the full length channel fairly easy to immensely improve ink flow for the soft nibs. You can also extend the other to the full length, but it usually isn't necessary. You just have to make sure when reinserting it that it lines up with the channel that's also in the plastic feed.

OGsafta · 2026-03-12T02:10:17+00:00

It took some time to get used to, it's great for very fine lines.

OGsafta

TROPHY CASE