It’s hard to tell which part is most implausible: the years-long queue, the nitrocellulose, the true sepia ink, or the fact that one of the world’s largest companies made room for him.

Those of us who had years to accumulate our gold nibs should be careful not to develop the posture of boomer homeowners: mistaking timing for virtue, and confusing “I bought early” with “I earned it.”

As the anecdote goes, the scene takes place inside Pilot’s headquarters in Tokyo. A meeting of executives. A new Capless model being introduced.