Discontinued Pilot Markers: What’s Gone and Why
Why Pilot Markers With the Black & White Stripes are on the way out…
For graffiti writers, sticker artists, marker collectors, and hardware heads alike, the classic Pilot permanent markers with the black-and-white aluminum barrels are legendary. They write hard, lay down rich oil-based/solvent ink, and feel like tools built for real work — not cheap plastic freebies that many markers seem to be made of these days. But if you’ve tried to find them lately, you’ve hit the same wall: out of stock.
This isn’t a rumor & it isn’t some bullshit I came across on Facebook or Instagram. It’s the factual/actual, direct from two different distributors as well as Pilot Corp. (Japan). All five markers you care about, have been using for years, or decades in some situations, have officially been discontinued. Stocks are being depleted and once they’re gone, Pilot isn’t restocking them. That’s a big deal for the subculture that grew up using these tools long after office supply stores moved on.
So what’s going on?
1. A Little Background on Pilot
Pilot Corporation is one of the oldest stationery makers on Earth — started in Japan in 1918 and a worldwide brand ever since. They make everything from high-end fountain pens to everyday markers. Over the decades they’ve helped shape marker technology globally.
2. Old School Markers — What Made Them Special
The M-12F, M-10UF, M-10EF, SC-F, and SC-B weren’t gimmicks — they were solvent-based permanent markers with oil-rich ink that:
~Wrote hard and smooth on almost any surface (metal, glass, wood, concrete)
~Had strong opacity and permanence that graffiti and street artists love
~Held up outdoors better than many alcohol-based pen markers
~Classic design with aluminum barrels — instantly recognizable
These qualities come from the solvent chemistry inside the ink, not just the shape. That solvent heavy ink — often containing volatile organic compounds — is part of why these markers were so reliable, but also why they’re disappearing.
3. The Industry Is Shifting — Environmental & Safety Pressures
Marker chemistry has changed. The old solvent formulas used compounds like xylene and other VOCs because they:
~Evaporate quickly
~Carry pigment deep into porous surfaces
~Create long-lasting, permanent marks
But those same volatile organic compounds are increasingly restricted around the world for environmental and health reasons. VOC limits are stricter in Europe, parts of the U.S., and many Japanese manufacturing standards — and companies like Pilot are moving to lower-odor, xylene-free, “eco-friendly” inks in their permanent markers.
For example, current Pilot Super Color refill ink (which fits SC-F/SC-B) now uses xylene-free, low-odor, eco-friendly ink instead of the old solvent blend.
That tells you a lot: Pilot isn’t just selling off old stock. They are systematically shifting their marker lineup toward formulations that meet modern environmental expectations — less smelly, less hazardous, and easier to sell globally.
4. A Broader Market Trend — Not Just Pilot
It’s not just Pilot. Across the marker and paint marker world, companies are replacing solvent-heavy formulations with:
~Water-based systems
~Refillable designs
~Recycled or reduced-plastic bodies
~Lower VOC inks that comply with regulations
This isn’t hearsay or rumors — it’s market reality. Stricter environmental rules (like EU VOC limits) and corporate sustainability pledges mean solvent markers are increasingly a compliance headache.
In segments like paint markers, solvent formulas accounted for a large share of unit sales in the early 2020s, but a noticeable shift toward environmentally friendly alternatives is already underway.
5. What This Means for Artists & Collectors
So why are these specific markers — the ones graffiti culture gravitates toward — being discontinued?
Pilot is rationalizing product lines to focus on markers that meet global safety and environmental standards.
Solvent ink costs and regulatory burdens make old formulas less attractive to manufacture.
New permanent markers from Pilot and others are already xylene-free / eco-friendly, and likely outsell the old models enough to justify discontinuation.
For graffiti writers, this feels like losing a favorite tool — and it is. But it’s also part of a bigger shift in how markers are made and sold worldwide.
6. So What’s Still Worth Hunting?
If you’re holding one of these discontinued gems — M-12F, M-10UF, M-10EF, SC-F, SC-B — cherish it. They’re basically obsolete tech with a cult following now.
There have been quite a few solvent-based markers discontinued in 2025 from not only Pilot, but Zebra as well. At least 7 that I can think of off-hand are gone forever unless you can find some deadstock or have a line to a distributor overseas.
For new permanent markers, the landscape is more about:
~Eco-friendly, xylene-free inks that still have respectable performance
~Refillable systems to extend marker life
~Markers with labels that play nice with modern regulations
And if you want similar performance to the old markers, refilling them with compatible ink or buying old stock while it lasts is the closest you’re going to get.
Conclusion: A Marker Legacy That’s Ending — But Not Forgotten
Pilot’s classic solvent markers weren’t discontinued because they were bad — they were phased out because the world around them changed. Environmental standards, corporate sustainability goals, and new ink chemistries have all played a role in moving permanent markers away from old solvent systems into safer, greener alternatives.
In graffiti culture, those striped barrels will always be iconic — and now they’re relics in a world that’s slowly leaving solvent markers in the past.
The one thing that I’m preparing for, because “the writing is on the wall” (pun intended), is the discontinuation of the Jumbo Pilots. Our beloved SC-6600 Extra Broad most likely will follow the rest of the black & white-striped classics we’ve been using for god knows how long. I’m stockpiling them bitches like a doomsday prepper stocking their hidden underground bunker. I refuse to get caught without Jumbo Pilot.
One thing I quite didn’t understand, since Pilot discontinued these above-mentioned solvent-based markers, is why they discontinued the 8mm chisel tip Juice Paint marker. Those are the Pilot version of water-based Posca markers. The fine, medium and bold sizes are still available, but the 8mm chisel is gone for some reason.
I’ve seen a few with “Pilot Pintor” still available on a few European sites, but the distro I buy from in Japan told me they were discontinued when I sent my last order. Luckily I kept a few boxes.
With all that being said, if there are any collectors out there reading this post, I still have some of these discontinued gems posted on the website. And I haven’t stopped buying up whatever deadstock I could find. Most of the websites I find the deadstock on, whoever runs the website(s) don’t even know know they’ve been discontinued. Their loss & my gain I guess.
Anyway, the Pilot M-12F, M-10UF, M-10EF, SC-F and SC-B are still available at Illadel.Ink along with a gang of other classic Japanese imports.
