---
title: "Pilot Falcon: Soft 14k Nib, Elabo Roots & Sizes"
canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-falcon/"
description: "Pilot Falcon fountain pen explained: the soft 14k beak-shaped nib in SEF, SF and SM, 136 mm capped and 19 g, the Japanese Elabo it's based on, filling, origin."
category: "Pens"
type: "Fountain pen"
published: 2026-10-21
updated: 2026-10-21
author: "Ellis Penhale"
publisher: "Stationery Times"
sources: 7
products:
  - name: "Pilot Falcon Fountain Pen (Black, rhodium trim)"
    brand: "Pilot"
    brand_origin: "Japan"
    made_in: "Japan"
    material: "Resin body and cap, rhodium-plated trim, rhodium-plated 14k gold nib"
    released: "1978-03"
    price_band: "$$$$ (over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)"
    manufacturer: "Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America"
    model: "Falcon (Elabo in Japan)"
    sku: "PN60740"
    url: "https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100000193"
---

# Pilot Falcon: Soft 14k Nib, Elabo Roots & Sizes

> The Pilot Falcon is a resin fountain pen with a soft, beak-shaped 14k gold nib that gives line variation under light pressure. Goulet Pens lists it at 136 mm (5.4 in) capped and 19.0 g. In Japan Pilot sells it as the Elabo, first launched in March 1978, and it fills from Pilot cartridges or a converter.

- URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-falcon/
- Category: Pens
- Author: Ellis Penhale
- Published: 2026-10-21
- Updated: 2026-10-21

![Side view of a black Pilot Falcon fountain pen with rhodium trim and the cap posted, drawn to scale: 150 mm (5.9 in) long, with an inset of the beak-shaped soft 14k nib in SEF, SF and SM](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/pilot-falcon-16x9.png)

*The Falcon in Black/Rhodium, posted, to scale at Goulet Pens' 150 mm.* Original drawing (SVG): https://stationerytimes.com/images/pilot-falcon-cover.svg. Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

## Product facts

| Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot Falcon Fountain Pen (Black, rhodium trim) | Pilot (by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America) | Japan | Japan | Resin body and cap, rhodium-plated trim, rhodium-plated 14k gold nib | 1978-03 | $$$$: over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) |

- Made in (Pilot Falcon Fountain Pen (Black, rhodium trim)): Japan. Digitec's Swiss listing for the Pilot Falcon gives Japan as the country of origin; we saw this in a search result because the page blocked our reader on October 21, 2026. Pilot's Japanese catalog and Goulet Pens' listing don't print a country of manufacture. Source: https://www.digitec.ch/en/s1/product/pilot-falcon-m-black-1x-pens-23715538

## Key takeaways

- Goulet Pens lists the resin Falcon at 136 mm (5.4 in) capped, 123 mm (4.8 in) with the cap off and 150 mm (5.9 in) posted, at 19.0 g.
- Its rhodium-plated 14k gold nib comes in Soft Extra Fine, Soft Fine and Soft Medium in the US; Pilot's Japanese catalog adds Soft Broad.
- Pilot's Japanese site says the Elabo, the Falcon's Japanese name, took 6 years to develop with Japan's fountain pen shop association and launched in March 1978.
- Pilot's Japan catalog lists today's Elabo FE25SR in brass at 139 mm and 33 g, for ¥47,300 (about US$299) with tax.
- It takes proprietary Pilot cartridges or a converter; Goulet says a CON-40 comes in the box and lists 1.10 ml with a cartridge.

## What is the Pilot Falcon?

**The Falcon is Pilot's soft-nib fountain pen: a slim resin pen whose 14k gold nib bends a little under pressure, so the line gets wider on downstrokes.** Its nib narrows from wide shoulders to a long point, and Pilot's Japanese site says that beak-like shape is why the pen is sold abroad as the Falcon. In Japan it is called the Elabo.

It is one of the most reviewed gold-nib pens at Goulet Pens, with 116 customer reviews on the Black/Rhodium listing in October 2026. Goulet files it under its favorite entry-level gold-nib pens and its soft-nib pens.

## Where does the Falcon come from?

**Pilot's Japanese site says the Elabo was developed with the Japan Fountain Pen Specialty Store Association (JFA), which proposed it in 1972, and went on sale in JFA shops in March 1978.** The brief was a pen that writes Japanese well, with the stops, hooks and sweeps of brush lettering.

Pilot says research, nib development and product design took 6 years. Testers chose the final nib blind from 10 prototypes. The second version in 1991 got a slightly larger nib and a rounder resin body with a screw cap, the third in 2009 a metal body, and a 2011 model went back to a lighter resin body.

## Pilot Falcon specs

| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Maker | Pilot Corporation, Japan |
| Body and cap | Resin, screw cap (2 turns) |
| Nib | 14k gold, rhodium-plated, soft |
| Nib sizes (US) | Soft Extra Fine, Soft Fine, Soft Medium |
| Filling | Pilot cartridge or converter (CON-40 included, per Goulet) |
| Capacity | 1.10 ml with a cartridge; Goulet lists 0.87 ml with a converter |
| Length capped | 136 mm (5.4 in) |
| Length cap off | 123 mm (4.8 in), with an 18.4 mm visible nib |
| Length posted | 150 mm (5.9 in) |
| Cap | 64 mm (2.5 in) |
| Diameter | 12 mm body, 14 mm cap (16.8 mm with clip), 10.0 mm grip |
| Weight | 19.0 g (10 g body, 9 g cap) |
| Made in | Japan (Digitec) |

All sizes and weights are from Goulet Pens' Black/Rhodium listing. Goulet's 0.87 ml converter figure is high for a CON-40, which Unsharpen puts at about 0.4 ml, so treat it as a maximum. Goldspot's Black/Gold listing says a CON-50 comes in the box, an older Pilot converter.

![Pilot Falcon to scale: 136 mm capped, 123 mm with the cap off, 150 mm posted; 64 mm cap, 19.0 g](https://stationerytimes.com/images/pilot-falcon-lengths.svg)

*The cap posts firmly and adds 14 mm.*

## How soft is the Falcon's nib?

**Soft enough to give clear line variation with a little extra pressure, but Pilot doesn't sell it as a flex nib.** Goulet says you can write with it every day without flexing, and that the finer sizes show the most line variation.

Pilot's Japanese site says the nib has a flexible part backed by a stiffer structure, and that the feed was redesigned so ink keeps up when the tines spread. Goulet describes the Soft Extra Fine as quite toothy, the Soft Fine as smoother and good for everyday writing, and the Soft Medium as smooth with less variation.

Japanese sizing writes finer than European, so a Falcon SF is narrower than a European F, per Goulet.


## Is the US Falcon the same as the Japanese Elabo?

**Same nib and design, but not the same body: Pilot's Japan catalog lists the current Elabo FE25SR in painted brass, while the Falcon most US shops sell is resin.**

| | Pilot Falcon (resin, US) | Pilot Elabo FE25SR (Japan) |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Resin | Brass, pearl paint |
| Length | 136 mm capped (Goulet) | 139 mm (Pilot) |
| Diameter | 14 mm cap (Goulet) | 14 mm max (Pilot) |
| Weight | 19.0 g (Goulet) | 33 g (Pilot) |
| Nibs | SEF, SF, SM | SEF, SF, SM, SB |
| Converter in box | CON-40 (Goulet) | CON-70N (Pilot) |
| Price | $$$$ band | ¥47,300 (about US$299) with tax |

Pilot's Japanese catalog lists the Elabo in black, red, light blue and brown. US shops also sell a metal-bodied version, the Metal Falcon, which Goulet says is noticeably heavier than the 19 g resin model and Goldspot lists with a CON-70 converter.

## How does the Falcon compare to the Pilot Custom 74?

**Both have Pilot 14k gold nibs; the Falcon's is soft and gives line variation, the [Pilot Custom 74](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-custom-74/)'s is firmer and its CON-70 holds more ink.**

| | Pilot Falcon | Pilot Custom 74 |
|---|---|---|
| Nib | 14k soft, rhodium | 14k gold, No. 5 |
| Capped | 136 mm | 143 mm |
| Weight | 19.0 g | 17.4 g (Pilot) |
| Converter | CON-40 | CON-70 |
| Price band | $$$$ | $$$$ |

Custom 74 figures come from its guide. If you want a steel-nib Pilot to learn on first, see the [Pilot Metropolitan](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-metropolitan/). For another Japanese gold nib with more feedback, compare the [Sailor Pro Gear Slim](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sailor-pro-gear-slim/).

## Where is the Pilot Falcon made?

**In Japan, according to Digitec's listing.** Pilot's Japanese catalog and US retailers don't print a country of manufacture.

## How much does a Pilot Falcon cost?

**The resin Falcon is in our $$$$ price band, over $75 per pen.** On October 21, 2026, Goulet Pens listed the Black/Rhodium Falcon at US$224 against a US$280 MSRP. A soft nib shows off ink shading well, so pair it with a shading ink like [Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-iroshizuku-kon-peki/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Pilot Falcon a flex pen?

It is a soft nib, not a true flex nib. Goulet Pens notes that Pilot doesn't advertise it as flex, though the nib spreads for thicker downstrokes when you press harder.

### What is the difference between the Pilot Falcon and the Elabo?

They are the same pen line under two names. Pilot's Japanese site says Elabo is the Japanese name and that it is sold abroad as the Falcon, after the beak-like nib. The Elabo on Pilot's current Japan catalog has a brass body; the Falcon most US shops sell is resin.

### What nib sizes does the Pilot Falcon come in?

Goulet Pens sells Soft Extra Fine (SEF), Soft Fine (SF) and Soft Medium (SM). Pilot's Japanese catalog also lists a Soft Broad (SB) for the Elabo.

### How much does the Pilot Falcon weigh?

Goulet Pens weighs the resin Falcon at 19.0 g, 10 g for the body and 9 g for the cap. Pilot's Japan catalog lists the brass Elabo FE25SR at 33 g.

### What converter fits the Pilot Falcon?

It takes Pilot's proprietary cartridges and converters. Goulet says the resin Falcon comes with a CON-40, while Pilot's Japanese catalog lists both the CON-40 and the CON-70N for the Elabo.

### Does the Pilot Falcon cap post?

Yes. Goulet says the screw cap pushes onto the back of the barrel and holds firmly, making the pen 150 mm (5.9 in) long.

### Where is the Pilot Falcon made?

In Japan, according to Digitec's listing. Pilot is a Japanese company, but its catalog and US retailer pages don't print a country of manufacture.

## Sources

- [エラボー FE25SR-BSF (Pilot Japan web catalog: brass body, 14k rhodium nib, SEF to SB, 139 mm, φ14 mm, 33 g, CON-40 or CON-70N, ¥47,300, JAN 4902505394164)](https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100000193)
- [「日本の文字をより美しく書く」ことをめざして開発された万年筆「エラボー」誕生物語 (Pilot Japan: March 1978 launch, 6-year development with the JFA, 1991, 2009 and 2011 models, Falcon name)](https://www.pilot.co.jp/media/story/018.html)
- [日本語のために開発された万年筆「エラボー」（1978年発売） (Pilot Japan: soft nib structure, sold abroad as the Falcon, third version 2009, about 34 g)](https://www.pilot.co.jp/media/knowledge/022.html)
- [Goulet Pens: Pilot Falcon, Black/Rhodium (dimensions, 19.0 g, capacities, CON-40 included, PN60740)](https://www.gouletpens.com/products/pilot-falcon-fountain-pen-black-rhodium)
- [Goldspot: Pilot Falcon, Black/Gold (14k soft nib, developed with Japan's pen shop owners, CON-50 listed)](https://www.goldspot.com/products/pilot-falcon-fountain-pen-in-black-gold-soft-flexible)
- [Digitec: Pilot Falcon M, black (country of origin Japan; search result)](https://www.digitec.ch/en/s1/product/pilot-falcon-m-black-1x-pens-23715538)
- [Unsharpen: Pilot CON-40 converter (0.4 ml)](https://unsharpen.com/refill/pilot-con-40-fountain-pen-converter/)