This is a black hard rubber Pilot safety ink shut off eyedropper fountain pen c. 1939-1943. The 5 ¼ inch long pen fills by unscrewing the nib section and dropping ink into the barrel using an eyedropper. To operate the pen the user slightly unscrews the knurled knob at the end of the barrel to pull back the ink stopper rod from the feed to allow ink flow. These pens require seals at the end of the barrel to prevent leaking. It has a very long tine number 3 steel nib stamped BEST over IN THE WORLD over PILOT over MADE IN JAPAN. Note the V-shaped breather hole in the nib. The R-type clip, stamped PILOT on the face, is the earlier more elaborate one that can be seen in ads up to 1943 and was replaced with a plainer clip during the war. The barrel is stamped PILOT over THE PILOT PEN MFG. CO. LTD. over MADE IN JAPAN. The life preserver symbol in the center of the imprint is stamped N for Namiki. The company changed its name to the Pilot Fountain Pen Company Ltd. in 1938. #pencollecting #fountainpen #pilot #blackhardrubber #ebonite #pilotjapan #eyedropper #penhero https://www.instagram.com/p/B_OA2-XjsiT/?igshid=1tziwqzsu94rs