Maker: Pilot.
The 78G is an entry-level pen, made very simply and without great splashing out on materials. The bands on the cap are merely printed, and while there is gold involved in the point, it is merely plating– do not be mislead by eBay postings which make a great deal of “23K NIB!” which seem common.
That being said, don’t hesitate to try one of these pens out. They are generally of the best quality a really inexpensive pen can be, although slightly dry writing, and unlike a lot of purportedly inexpensive entry-level pens it can be carried in a business-casual shirt without attracting comment. One of the more obvious cost-avoiding measures appears in the broad-point models, which are entirely without tipping. This is not the case with fine and medium points, I find in other’s reports, and I’m actually pleased with it, as this point is more in the line of a stub or cursive italic which I greatly prefer to just a big fat line.
Production Run: I cannot say when they started (can you? Please let me know!); production ended sometime in 2011 or 2012.
Cost When New: $10.00 – $14.00.
Size: 13.4 cm long capped, 14.8 cm posted, 12.1 cm uncapped.
Point: Plated steel.
Body: Polystyrene.
Filler: Cartridge, capacity approx. 0.8 ml; comes with a CON-20 converter of 0.6 ml.
Pilot 78G – a good beginner’s pen
If you are relying on the preceding information to win a bet or impress a teacher, you should read the site’s scholarly caveat. Remember, this is the internet, and it’s full of bad information.