I just picked up this interesting new pen. Yes, another pen post. The pen is new to me, but older than me. Here it is:
This is the Pilot Short S-150 SS, produced between 1966 and 1969. The particular example I have was made in 1967. The model name is actually quite logical once you break it down. “Pilot Short” is the product line. The “S” in S-150 stands for Short — as opposed to “B” for a related version with rounded ends. The “150” refers to the original price of ¥1500, and “SS” stands for Steel cap and Single cartridge. All in all, a surprisingly sensible naming scheme.
The nib is 18k gold. That probably sounds more impressive than it really is (there isn’t much gold there) but it does give the nib a lovely bounce. This is the older style of softness. Modern fountain pen nibs tend to be made stiffer because many users press down harder, and manufacturers want to avoid sprung nibs. This one is different. It is deliberately soft and will deform if you push it. That makes it more fragile, yes, but also far more pleasant to write with than most modern nibs.
Pocket pens were extremely popular in Japan at the time, and Pilot designed this one to be genuinely portable while still being comfortable for longer writing sessions. The cap is slightly longer than you’d expect and is meant to be posted, immediately adding length. On top of that, the section pulls out of the barrel, extending the pen even further. This is the “telescopic” feature that gives the pen its nickname.
Here is the pen capped and pocketable, with the cap posted, and with the cap posted and the section fully extended:
The design is attractive in a restrained, almost Spartan way. This model is essentially the ancestor of what would later become Pilot’s Elite line. If you know fountain pens, you know the Elite: sleek, elegant, almost sword-like. This one isn’t quite there yet, but it’s fascinating to see where that design language began.
It writes beautifully. Pilot pens have a reputation for good reason, and this one is no exception. The nib is soft enough to offer some line variation, though that isn’t really how I plan to use it. What I enjoy is the gentle feel, the softness alone makes writing noticeably more comfortable.
My one real complaint is the girth. The pen is quite thin, closer to a pencil than a modern fountain pen. That isn’t bad, but it’s certainly less comfortable than something like the Pilot Custom 823 I wrote about yesterday.
All in all, a great pen, and not bad at all for something that’s nearly sixty years old.
| David is an American teacher and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Bluesky. |
