Photo Credit: kensindo
1970s Pilot Custom Kaede Maple Fountain Pen
Buy It Now Price: $145.82 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)
Pros:
-This Japanese Pilot Custom maple fountain pen from the 1970s sports a solid 18 karat gold medium nib and a hand-finished, solid Kaede wood body.
-Pilot is one of Japan’s premiere pen companies. The origins of the firm can be traced back to 1918, when it was founded as the Namiki Manufacturing Company. It later changed its name to the Pilot Pen Company in 1938.
-The wood used in this pen is from the Painted Maple tree (scientific name: Acer Pictum, sub-species Acer Mono), which is known as the Itaya Kaede in Japan. This particular variety of maple tree is native to the temperate climates of East Asia and grows in Japan, Korea and China. Kaede maple wood is renowned for its hardness and toughness, which makes it perfect for high-end fountain pens.
-The medium-sized nib on this Pilot Custom maple fountain pen is made from solid 18 karat (.750 fine) gold. High-purity gold nibs, like this 18 karat Pilot nib, are considered an important mark of quality for vintage fountain pens.
-With its original Japanese ¥7,000 price tag still attached, this Pilot maple fountain pen is undoubtedly new-old-stock. That is great news for pen enthusiasts because it means that the pen is more or less pristine. In fact, it may not have even been inked, leaving the decision of whether to do so up to its new owner.
-Although it is difficult to tell from the photos, I believe the serial number on the pen’s nib indicates that it was manufactured in Pilot’s Hiratsuka factory in Kanagawa prefecture, just southwest of Tokyo.
-At mid 1970s yen-dollar exchange rates, the ¥7,000 original retail price for this pen was equivalent to a U.S. dollar price tag of around $25. This was a not insubstantial amount for the time. For example, $25 would have been enough to buy either a good pair of binoculars or a beginner’s acoustic guitar from the 1975 Sears Wishbook.
-As an added bonus, this vintage Pilot pen comes with its original leather-lined carrying case!
-Vintage Japanese pens from Pilot, Sailor and Platinum are substantially undervalued in today’s antique market. For those who are interested, I recently featured a stunning Platinum Amazonas PAM-8000 from 1973 in another spotlight post.
-Like most high-end Japanese pens, the fit and finish of this Pilot maple fountain pen is absolutely outstanding. No wonder pen lovers adore their Pilot pens.
-This fabulous 1970s masterpiece of the Japanese pen-maker’s art would make a great investment at a buy-it-now price of only $146.
Cons:
-Unfortunately, the seller does not include a photo that clearly shows the complete serial number on the pen’s nib. This serial number is an invaluable tool for the Pilot pen collector because it discloses the location, month and year of the nib’s manufacture. Despite this minor drawback, I feel quite certain that we are dealing with a genuine 1970s era Pilot Custom maple fountain pen.
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