Pilot Sterling Fountain Pen - Silvern Tsumugi
The Pilot Sterling fountain pen is handcrafted from genuine sterling silver. Each pen is engraved with an exquisite detailed design, a symbol chosen by Pilot to reflect an important facet of Japanese culture. “Tsumugi” has a pattern that is based on a piece of silk fabric.
This fountain pen features a rhodium-plated 18k gold inlaid nib. A CON-40 converter is included with each pen, but they will also accept Pilot proprietary ink cartridges.
The snap cap secures the pen when not in use and although it’s a bit heavy, it will post to make a nicely balanced pen when writing. The overall weight of a pen in the Sterling collection is around 34 grams, making it fairly comparable to the Pilot Metal Falcon. While tarnishing may be a concern given the material of the pen, the included polishing cloth will ensure easy, convenient cleaning of the pen body to keep away blemishes. The design on each pen will not hinder this cleaning either and allows for thorough, complete polishing.
- Condition
- New
- Brand
- Pilot
- Type
- Fountain Pens
- Color
- Silver/Grey
- Demonstrator
Whether or not the barrel of the pen is translucent, allowing you to see the ink and filling mechanism inside.
- No
- Body Material
- Sterling silver
- Cap Type
How the cap is opened/closed from the barrel of the pen. Some common options include Snap-Cap, Screw-Cap, Magnetic Cap, or Capless (no cap).
- Snap-cap
- Compatible inks & refills
Which ink this pen will accept. Choices include bottled ink and various styles of pre-filled ink cartridges.
- Bottled ink, Proprietary Pilot ink cartridges
- Filling Mechanism
How the pen fills with ink. Click here to watch our video tutorial on common filling mechanisms.
- Cartridge, Converter
- Grip Material
- Resin
- Nib Size
- Fine, Medium
- Nib Color
- Silver
- Nib Material
- 18k Gold
- Postable
Whether or not the cap fits securely onto the back of the barrel when open.
- Yes
- Retractable
Whether or not the nib/tip can retract into the body of the pen (usually for click or twist-open style pens).
- No
- Diameter - Body
- 12.7mm (0.50in)
- Diameter - Cap (without clip)
- 13.9mm (0.55in)
- Diameter - Cap (with clip)
- 18.8mm (0.74in)
- Diameter - Grip (mm)
Measured from the place most people choose to rest their fingers, which varies with each pen.
- 10.6mm
- Length - Body
The measurement from the back end of the barrel to the tip of the nib.
- 127mm (5.00in)
- Length - Cap
- 67mm (2.64in)
- Length - Nib
The measured length of the visible portion of the nib when it is installed in the pen, from grip to tip.
- 29.7mm (1.17in)
- Length - Overall (Closed)
- 142.1mm (5.59in)
- Length - Overall (Posted)
When the cap of the pen is posted onto the back of the pen body, this is the measurement of the entire pen including the nib.
- 151mm (5.94in)
- Weight - Body
If a converter is included with the pen, this weight is reflected in the total.
- 21g (0.74oz)
- Weight - Cap
- 16g (0.56oz)
- Weight - Overall (g)
- 37.0g
- Max Ink Capacity - Cartridge
The maximum volume of ink that can fit in the pen when using a cartridge.
- 1.20ml
- Max Ink Capacity - Converter
The maximum volume of ink that can fit in the pen when using a converter.
- 0.86ml
Customer Reviews
This is the third Sterling Silver Pilot Namiki pen I own (Lotus, Tiger & now Silk). This pen has a fine nib that is smooth as glass. Another stunning, quality pen! You can't go wrong with this brand! Beautiful to hold, awesomely beautiful to look at and a wonderfully smooth writer.
An exceptional pen, one of the few extravagant pens I've bought that I felt was worth the spend. Feels of substance, the texture is engaging, and the look of it is mesmerizing. Silver content is genuine -- you can actually smell the silver of the pen. Nib is among the smoothest I own, on par with the Mont Blanc Anniversary. The fine nib is for me the ideal size of a (F). It already has me thinking about the shoji screen style companion piece. There will be the temptation and tension of wanting it always with me but not wanting to lose it, so I keep it close.
It's been smooth and very enjoyable. I really love pilots work and they did really well here.
I have been purchasing different brands lately. I wanted to add more variety to my collection that was mostly Montblanc with a few exceptions. Many brands have been disappointing out of the box, but Pilot delivers perfectly tuned fountain pen every single time. I am very impressed with their QC process and I hope many other major brands follow suit. Montblanc has always been awesome right out of the box and most dependable. Now, Pilot adds to that at a fraction of the typical cost. This Sterling Silver fountain pen looks very nice with its retro look. I love it's firm nail shape gold nib. The nib is one of the smoothest ever. The cap click is reassuring and addictive. Very nice product and kudos to Pilot for their quality control. A beautiful yet such dependable pen.
The Pilot Silvern Tsumugi has all the hallmark characteristics of a modern classic. It bears a familial resemblance to the Sheaffer Triumph from the 1940s and the Sheaffer PFM from the 1950s, with its graceful lines and a gorgeous inlaid nib. But it is also a terrific pen in its own right. The Tsumugi finish is visually stunning and a very successful implementation of a concept typically not associated with pens (tsumugi a silk-weaving technique). Sterling silver can be a tricky pen making material due to its weight, cost, and somewhat limited decorative potential, but, here, Pilot found a way to implement it extremely well, highlighting its beauty but without excessive, heavy-handed ornamentation.However, this pen is more than just a work of art, it is also a supremely functional writing instrument. The build quality and manufacturing precision are peerless in this price range. The nib is glorious. Mine came finished and tuned perfectly. It lays down a silky smooth, consistent line that never wavers, never hesitates. The pen has great ergonomics, too. I prefer to use it unposted, but it does post very well and feels well-balanced despite its substantial heft. The pen is filled with the convenient and reliable Pilot cartridge (or converter). The Pilot cartridge is one of the best ever made. It fits snugly and securely, it holds a fair amount of ink, and assures a steady and consistent ink-air interchange. The converter (CON-40) works well, but holds a very small mount of ink, so I simply refill the cartridge with an ink syringe. I've done it this way since the 1980s. If you prefer to use a converter, I suggest you try the Pineider Portable Travelling Inkwell, which will help you get a full fill every time. I hope Pilot continues making the Silvern series pens for a long time and makes them available in the US. If you're looking for a beautiful, distinctive pen with a great build quality and terrific writing performance under $1000, give the Silvern a chance. You won't be disappointed.
FAQs about Fountain Pens
How do I fill a fountain pen with ink?
It depends on the pen's filling mechanism, which you can find in the Technical Specs section above.
Here's a quick definition of the most common filling mechanisms:
- Cartridge - A small, disposable, sealed plastic reservoir that holds fountain pen ink. These come pre-filled with ink, and typically you just push to insert them into place and you'll be ready to write! Check out our quick guide here.
- Converter - A detachable and refillable ink reservoir that allows you to use bottled ink in a cartridge-accepting pen. Typically you will install the converter into the grip section, dip the nib/feed into the ink, and twist or pull the converter knob to draw ink into the converter. Here's a video for how to fill a cartridge/converter pen using a LAMY pen as an example.
- Eyedropper - A pen that utilizes the entire barrel as a reservoir for ink. Ink is directly filled into the barrel, allowing for a high ink capacity. Here's a video on how to do it!
- Piston - A type of filling system that uses a retracting plunger inside a sealed tube to draw ink into a pen. They are typically either twist or push-operated. These pens cannot accept cartridges or a converter, and only fill from bottled ink.
- Vacuum - A push-style piston that uses pressure to fill the large pen body with ink. They seal the ink chamber when closed, making it ideal for flying without risk of leaking. Check out our video on how to use a vac filler here.
Check out more info on these filling mechanisms including a video on how to fill each one on our blog.
How do I clean a fountain pen?
It depends on the filling mechanism, but it mostly comes down to flushing it out with water, and sometimes a little bit of Pen Flush if the ink is really stuck.
It's a bit easier to show than to tell, so we've put together a few quick videos showing you the process:
How often do I need to clean my fountain pen?
We recommend a good cleaning every 2 weeks, and any time you change ink colors.
Water will usually do the trick, but we recommend you use our Goulet Pen Flush if the ink has been left in the pen for a while and could have dried up, or when you’re switching ink colors.
My pen won’t write! What do I do?
First things first... make sure you have ink in the pen! Be sure that the ink cartridge or converter is seated properly in the pen, and that you aren't out of ink.
We always recommend you give your pen a good cleaning first, using our Goulet Pen Flush, or a drop of dish soap in some water. New pens often have some machining oil residue left in the feed, so a good cleaning often does the trick first.
If that still doesn't work, try priming the feed. This consists of either dipping your pen nib and feed in ink, or forcing ink from the converter down into the feed.
If it’s still not working after that, please reach out to us so we can help!
What's your return policy?
You can submit a return request within 30 days of your order date. You can read all our Return Policies here.
To initiate a return, please submit a request at the Return Portal. Our Customer Care team might reach out to you for more information.
Please note we are unable to accept a return of any Namiki or Sailor Bespoke fountain pen for any reason once it has been used with ink. Please thoroughly inspect and dry test the pen before use.