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Planning On Getting A Pilot Pen (Expensive)


TheAkwardNinja

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Okay so I've decided on no soft nibs. This narrows it down to the vanishing point, stargazer, and the customs.

-Ave María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum. Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstrae. Amen.-

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Is there a pen shop somewhere near you so that you can pop in and try some of the pens you want? This would probably be your best bet and should help you make your decision. All of your "remaining" pens are going to be a good pen, you just need to determine which is the best fit for you :)

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If you can find a pen shop in the state of Idaho, I applaud you.

-Ave María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum. Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstrae. Amen.-

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If you can find a pen shop in the state of Idaho, I applaud you.

Idaho Boise
  • Collection Connection

    1603 N. 13th Street; Boise, Idaho 83702

    Tel: (208) 343-6221.

 

Don't know how much of a store it is or what they carry, but it came up as a hit on this website:

 

http://www.marcuslink.com/pens/stores1b.html

 

 

No affiliation.

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I truly applaud you friend.

-Ave María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum. Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstrae. Amen.-

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Ha, don't applaud me yet, they might not carry Pilot :yikes:

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I can't vouch for that store in Idaho, but I know that the stores listed on that site for my state (I've been to them all, as well as some not listed) are A+ stores with great selection of ink, pens and paper. I hope the same is true for you :D

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Let's hope they have it then.

-Ave María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum. Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstrae. Amen.-

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If you do not want soft nibs and want to buy a very nice Pilot pen, a 823 or custom 74 are very nice pens...

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I would definitely consider the Justus 95--the adjustable nib is a unique feature that's fun to play with, but it's a dependable nib if you don't have time for such nonsense (in a college classroom, for example). I have never experienced a single skip, leap, or jump. Pilot Justus 95 in one word: decadent. In another: sleek.

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pilot makes great pens which resemble the great pens from all over the globe. if you have the budget for it, consider the makie designs in the namiki range of pilot. i think this form of artistry in pen manufacture is an aspect of japanese pens no one else matches. images (and prices) can be simple to breathtaking, but you would be the owner of a pen that would stand out, even in a crowd of fountain pens. good luck in your search.

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"Okay so I've decided on no soft nibs. This narrows it down to the vanishing point, stargazer, and the customs."

 

Skip the Stargazer and vanishing point this go-round - nice, but gimmicky pens IMHO. Avoid any Vanishing Point with a matte or painted finish. I've seen my share of complaints about the finish chipping, flaking, and/or scratching off. Remember, the Vanishing Point has a tiny nib and puts a big honking clip under your fingers smack-dab in the center of the section.

 

If you insist on no soft nibs, I still argue the Custom 743 is the way to go. The 743 takes a wide range of Pilot nibs.

 

It would seem the Custom 823 would be a viable option over the 743 once you move away from the likes of the soft FA nib, which isn't available on the 823. But keep in-mind, the 823 is a vacuum filler, and does not disassemble easily. So not only is it difficult to clean and maintain over a C/C filler, you have to keep the vac filler knob unscrewed to allow pressure to equalize for any extended writing periods.

 

If you must have a vac-filler in your collection, spend your time (and money) on a vintage Parker Vacumatic or Sheaffer's (with a Triumph medium nib, not fine). Not the Custom 823 or the (Gawd Forbid) hugely out of balance when posted TWSBI VAC 700 nightmare.

 

BTW, those who complain about the feed hitting the paper with the Pilot resin and metal Falcon pens are right. I found it infuriating too! Oddly enough, many Platinum Brand nibs suffer from this same design problem.

 

[Edit: Sorry I meant to say Pilot 743 not 74 - corrected.]

Edited by Drone
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You did not say what is your budget, and what you look for in a pen. So here's my ramble.

 

What I like about Pilot, more than the other 2 Japanese pen makers, are their diverse range of designs, nibs and price. They have very modern pens, and they also have very traditional ones that would not look out of place at a business meeting. In Japan, they also have a VERY wide variety of nibs for very different applications. i LOVE the fact that they even make a nib to be used specifically in the post office for writing very small on poorer quality paper. I think it's called the PO nib and it has a slight downward curve to it. But you have to remember at the end of the day, Pilot makes pens and nibs for their own market. Kanji based writing is quite different than writing in alphabets. So the pens Pilot USA brings over are a much smaller selection of pens their marketing people think acceptable us Americans.

 

Drone, I don't quite agree with your statements about the VPs. I have the Decimo and the Fermo, and I find them to be beautifully made, and highly reliable workhorses. Quite in expensive too. Don't even bother getting the Fermo here because I would not pay the $100 premium Pilot USA wants for the same pen in Japan.Their nibs, though small, are quite springy and are very comfortable to use for very long periods. I particularly like my Decimo that's in metallic grey with a medium nib. The thinner size, lower profile clip in combination with the very smooth medium nib makes it a very versatile user. It's so easy to take it out and be ready to write, and write for long periods if necessary. Their design makes them seem less involved and people around you will probably not even know it's a fountain pen. I have this thing with pens with retractable nibs and have quite a few, from Montblancs, to Stipulas, Lamys and a few others. I find the Pilots to be most trouble free and easy to use, with the exception of the MBs. But those are priced in a different ball park all together.

 

As for the 823 having an FA nib, well you can order one from Japan. I have just the pen in a completely transparent body, that's also unique to the Japanese market. I find it to be a very easy and friendly to use pen. It's also the most flexy of my Pilots, between the 742 with the No.10 FA nib and the Elabo, which is the Japanese Falcon. It's probably the most wet noodle pen you can get today straight from the factory. Again people have commented about the feed not being able to keep up. Remember this is designed to write Kanji, which does not require constant flexing and high throughput of ink. If you want this particular 823 with the FA nib, here is the link.

 

http://www.japanshop-quill.com/pilot-custom823.htm

 

I purchase it from them and they are great people to buy from. Full Japanese retail though. But you get a great product that's quite unique. If you don't like the FA nib, you can also get the waverly nib, which I believe is designed for ultra smooth writing.

 

AND of course ultimate Pilot:) The Custom 845. http://www.japanshop-quill.com/pilot-custom845.php. Very expensive. Very beautiful in a very conservative flat top black or unique to this shop scarlet urushi body with the FA nib. Quite lovely no???

 

At the end of the day, between importing a more unique pen from Engeika, Tokyo Quill or buying one of the official imports through a retailer like Goulet, you'd be spoilt for choice, with the vast inventory Pilot puts out. I am sure you'd enjoy whatever Pilot you choose, because they are all superb pens.

Edited by gerigo
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A word hasn't been said about the Custom Heritage 91. It is likely available only from Japan, but it is worth it. Exquisite nib with a lot of choices, classic design and reasonable price compared to C. H. 912 (which has piston filling system). I bought mine from pisuke2005, who I can recommend as an alternative to purchasing from engeika.

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I live in northern Utah, so depending on what part of Idaho you are from, we may be pretty close together. If so, you are welcome to come take a test drive at my place. I have a pretty extensive Pilot fountain pen collection, some with soft nibs, some with regular nibs, in both steel and gold. I have a the following models (in various nib sizes): 78G, Prera, Cavalier, Knight, Metropolitan/Cocoon, Stargazer, Custom 74, Custom Heritage 91 and Custom Heritage 912. I'm also waiting on 2 Vanishing Points to get back from the nibmeister.

 

I would also echo what has been said about Taizo at Engeika. I have purchased from him before, and had good experiences each time. There are several other eBay sellers (pisuke 2005 comes to mind), that I have purchased from with success as well. I purchased my Cocoon as a FP/BP/Pencil set from a seller on Rakuten, so I could get a fine point Metropolitan, which is now available in the US, and had good luck there as well.

Edited by mtnbiker62
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Can you give me links from these Japanese retailers?

-Ave María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum. Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstrae. Amen.-

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Oh I'm starting to go back to the vanishing point. It looks so cool!!

-Ave María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum. Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstrae. Amen.-

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But I keep hearing this stuff about how the VP will have chipping paint.

-Ave María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum. Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstrae. Amen.-

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