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Thread: Help identifying "Vintage" Platinum and Pilot

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    Default Help identifying "Vintage" Platinum and Pilot

    Hello guys. I was browsing around the "ebay" of Brazil and noticed a couple discontinued Pilot and Platinum pens that the guy probably bought in Japan and brought back. However I'm having a hard time to find out more about these pen. Hopefully some expert can shed a light on these?

    The cream pen says its a Platinum pen, 14K gold plated. They are all less than 20 USD at the moment. The pen in the middle is also a Platinum.

    2020-01-24 11_13_33-Window.jpg

    2020-01-24 11_13_42-Window.jpg

    2020-01-24 11_13_56-Window.jpg

    Many thanks

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    Senior Member awa54's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help identifying "Vintage" Platinum and Pilot

    Both of the black pens look like 1990s or newer basic pens, they're likely to be excellent writing tools, but similar pens are available new for under $20 US the world 'round.

    The tan/cream Platinum looks like it's part of the BelAge family, probably similar time frame (80s-00s), I own several of these and a Riviere (slim version), all of the pens I've used or owned that feature this nib design have been excellent writers, steel or gold nibs.

    The BelAge and similar "vintage" models tend to go for $30 and up for used examples, the newer variant that uses the same nib design seems to start around $50.
    David-

    So many restoration projects...

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    Default Re: Help identifying "Vintage" Platinum and Pilot

    Thanks awa54. Looks like the Belage there is the one with a better deal...
    Last edited by MRusso; January 25th, 2020 at 11:09 AM.

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    Default Re: Help identifying "Vintage" Platinum and Pilot

    Yes, I'd buy another BelAge for $20 without hesitation!

    the PGB-3000 is a current Platinum with that nib (steel) and section style, but a round-ended body, they're all over Ebay for $50-60 US new.
    David-

    So many restoration projects...

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    Default Re: Help identifying "Vintage" Platinum and Pilot

    Looks like for a gold plated nib also,..it's indeed a bargain (around $20 with shipping) The only thing putting me off a bit is the cream color. I have a Jinhao x750, not a big fan. But I'll definitely consider...

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    Default Re: Help identifying "Vintage" Platinum and Pilot

    For around 30 or less, you can sometimes get the older (70s and 80s as opposed to 90s) Pilot Elites, or shorter Platinum PG### pens with a solid 14K gold nib. But usually from seller in Japan in auction style. The Steel nibbed Elites that Speerbob was selling quite a while back (not either of these) were gold plated selling for around 20 in an EF point, but it wasn't Japanese made but rather made in Korea.

    The ones you showed aren't bad, just saying if you aim around 20 to 30 from a Japanese seller, you can get lucky with a 14K to 18K solid nib and a decade or two older. The ones shown above are in my opinion bargain-ish (because at 20 they're an easier steal from your local non-japanese seller, but are actually a tad high direct from Japan considering what you could get instead).

    Comparison examples between a 70s Elite with an 18K nib Soft and the 80s-ish Elite made in Korea with a steel EF. The 18K one if I remember correctly cost me 36 or so shipped from Japan, the other about 20.







    Sailor also had a few shorter ones with 14K up to 21K nibs from the 60s-80s but I don't see them as often. Got this one for around 25 shipped with a 14K springy EF.



    Far as I can tell most of the short ones from Sailor, and Platinum are cartridge only. In Pilot's case you could use a con-20 (discontinued) or con-40, but not the con-50. the sailor and platinum usually required some hacking of an existing converter to make it fit.

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    Default Re: Help identifying "Vintage" Platinum and Pilot

    Very nice. I got curious and went to see some reviews, looks like a very soft and smooth nib. I think I'd like that. Plus the design uncapped... beautiful pen. I went to ebay, it would be about 50-55 USD shipped from current offers, if I don't get taxed on customs etc. Maybe keep looking ebay until some more close to $40 pops up...

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    Senior Member KBeezie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help identifying "Vintage" Platinum and Pilot

    Quote Originally Posted by MRusso View Post
    Very nice. I got curious and went to see some reviews, looks like a very soft and smooth nib. I think I'd like that. Plus the design uncapped... beautiful pen. I went to ebay, it would be about 50-55 USD shipped from current offers, if I don't get taxed on customs etc. Maybe keep looking ebay until some more close to $40 pops up...
    I found from the Japanese sellers, your best bet is to bid on the auction style to get it lower than 40-50 USD. You won't just find it like that popping up on Buy-it-Now format on eBay (but still typically cheaper than most local-to-you) And the cheaper Japan postal service (around $5 to 10) for me has usually been around 3~4 days shipping to the US. Much better than many other countries rate-to-shipping time I've seen (Their EMS rate isn't that much more for 1-2 days depending, customs is usually the hold up).

    Those pens uncapped hold better posted :


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    Default Re: Help identifying "Vintage" Platinum and Pilot

    your Elite pens are really beautiful. Look like new. I'm bidding on a Pilot Elite on ebay with max bid at $30.. let's see how it goes...

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    Default Re: Help identifying "Vintage" Platinum and Pilot

    Don't sell that Platinum BelAge nib short!

    The steel one I have is actually a softer writer than my Riviere (same design, smaller size and 14k white gold) and feels the same on paper as the 22k gold President I own (identical size nib, section and feed design).

    However you really can't go wrong with a "pocket" (short/long) pen from Pilot or Platinum... I've had less luck with Sailors from the 60s and 70s, they just seem to be a half step down in build quality compared to the other two manufacturers. Buying pens off Ebay from Japan does carry a bit of risk, though, as many will come to you with a load of dried ink in the feed, in my recent experience about half of those were seriously clogged with sumi or other carbon pigmented inks and needed disassembly of the feed to clean them sufficiently to be good writers... This isn't too hard if you make (or buy) the correct tool for removing the retaining ring that holds the feed into the section, but without that tool all you can do is soak or ultrasonic clean the whole section, which doesn't always work, most of the really gummed up feeds I've worked on needed the capillary slits flossed out to fully remove the carbon residue. 7mm brass tubing can be used to make a Pilot wrench, 6mm for Platinum or Sailor. You just need to file "ears" onto the end of the tubing that snugly engage the recesses in the lock ring.

    pilot plat tools.jpg
    David-

    So many restoration projects...

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