The Hidden Gem - Introduction and Unboxing of Pilot Elite 95S Blue Shareholder Limited Edition Pocket Fountain Pen

Dimensions 尺寸資料

Length capped 含蓋：12.0 cm
Length uncapped 不含蓋：10.5 cm
Length posted 套蓋：14.7 cm

Background of the Elite 95S

The Elite S pocket pen series originated in 1968. That year, Pilot encountered a financial crisis and was able to turn the crisis into an opportunity with the help of the Elite pocket pen (for more historical details, please click:按此). In 2013, on the occasion of Pilot's 95th anniversary, they reissued this significant pen model and named it the Elite 95S (also known as the E95S).

The Elite 95S was first released in Japan on June 25, 2013, with a price tag of 10,000 yen. Pilot set a sales target of 8,000 units for the first year. Perhaps due to its ideal sales performance, the Elite 95S has continued to be sold until today.

The design of the Elite 95S follows the second-generation Elite S pocket pen from 1974 and features an imitation inlaid nib design. It is available in black and burgundy versions. The Japanese version of the pen cap is engraved with the word "Elite," while the overseas version simply bears an "E" logo.

As for the blue Elite 95S, although its appearance is almost identical to the regular version of the Elite 95S, it has a very unique blue color. The key point is that it is an exclusive version strictly available only to shareholders within the company.

Pilot has a shareholder benefit system where if you hold a certain number of designated shares, you will receive a set of limited writing tools every year. In December 2014, Pilot presented a "Practical Writing Tool Set" to shareholders who held 100 to 499 shares. As for shareholders who owned 500 shares or more, they received the "Premium Writing Tool Set," which included a special edition Elite 95S in blue and a 15ml bottle of Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo ink.

According to online information, Pilot had only about 5,000 shareholders in 2014, and the number of shareholders eligible for the "Premium Writing Tool Set" should be even fewer. Therefore, the blue limited edition as a shareholder gift from that year is presumed to be quite rare.

You might be curious: How much money did one need to become a shareholder with 500 shares? According to the data in December 2014, the price per share of Pilot was approximately 3,000 yen. In other words, you would need at least 1.5 million yen, or if converted at the exchange rate of 6.5 at that time, roughly equivalent to 100,000 Hong Kong dollars (or 12,000 US dollars).

By the way, on June 30, 2015, Pilot implemented a stock split, dividing each share held by shareholders into two shares, and the shareholder benefit system also changed accordingly. The requirement to receive the "Practical Writing Tool Set" was modified to holding 100 to 999 shares. To qualify for the "Premium Writing Tool Set," one would need to hold 1,000 shares or more. As of my writing time (January 29, 2024), with Pilot's stock price estimated at around 4,000 yen per share, you would need approximately 4 million yen in funds to achieve that...

Blue Elite 95S and a 15mL bottle of Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo ink.

Unboxing of the pen

I was fortunate enough to acquire a set of the Elite 95S shareholder exclusive edition. Here is a brief unboxing description:

Appearance of the pen set. The box used by the pen set, in fact, is same as the box of Iroshizuku 15mL set.

Inside the box. The instructions of the pen, instructions of Iroshizuku ink and an ink cartridge were stored behind the gray foam.

The instructions of the pen. “株主優待品”, which mean “special produce for shareholders”, was printed on it.

Close-up of the nib. “1114” engraved on the nib mean that this pen was produced in November 2014.

A Con-20 converter was installed inside the pen.

Conclusion

Since I started collecting pocket pens, it had been quite some time since I last acquired an Elite 95S. After all, it is still in production and not considered a rare model, and the black and burgundy versions didn't particularly catch my eye. It wasn't until I came across the beautiful and collectible blue shareholder-exclusive edition that I finally made up my mind to get one. And during Christmas 2023, taking advantage of company benefits, I finally purchased the black and burgundy versions, completing my set.

During my online research, I noticed that many pen enthusiasts showed interest in the blue Elite 95S. I believe that if Pilot were to release the blue version for public sale, it would likely sell quite well. Unfortunately, the blue version is exclusively for shareholders (some pen enthusiasts humorously refer to it as the "Shareholder Blue"), making the chances of it being publicly available very slim. However, since Pilot has already introduced the blue Elite 95S, it makes one wonder if they will develop more colors or styles in the future. As a pocket pen enthusiast, I am certainly looking forward to it.

余維達 Wai Tat JERRY YU
2018/10/09 (2019/03/08 ; 2023/05/29; 2024.01.29 Updated)