Would You Customize The Nib On A Pilot Custom 823?

[Green Ink]

I going to be getting a Pilot Custom 823. Wonderful reviews. I have a lot of respect for the Pilot Varsity and my Pilot Prera is kinda fabulous. Time for another Pilot.

 

I read reports on FPN about how wonderful the Custom 823's nib is. If I got it without customization I would get a Fine nib. But I enjoy cursive italic nibs and stubs very much. Both Richard Binder and John Mottishaw sell the pen. Just sayin'.

 

Question: would you get a nib customization on the 823? Would you be missing out on a truly great plain old fine nib if you did?

 

I'm curious about your opinions - both from those who have nib customizations on the 823 and those who don't.

 

What do you think?

Edited September 27, 2014 by Green Ink

[mirosc]

Which nib guarantees that you use the pen more often?

That's the way to go. No need to buy a pen just because you are told it has a great nib, but it's not your style. A customization doesn't degrade your pen, it still has a wonderful nib afterwards :-)

 

I didn't get a customization and have never missed it (M nib).

[mrwh1609]

Not only would I--I did, twice!

 

I bought two second-hand 823 pens with sweet nibs, one medium and one broad. I sent both to Michael Masuyama, and he ground them to be somewhere between stubs and CIs, both smooth and impressive in line variation. They are among my favorite writers--perfect, juicy flow, and a little springy. For some reason, they are among my italics that are not picky about paper.

 

But to the OP, I agree with Michael above: depends on what you'd be likely to use more or what would add some variety to your collection.

 

It's a wonderful choice to have, with only good options. Enjoy!

[Keyless Works]

Yes I definitely would. In retrospect I wish I had bought a broad or double broad Custom 845 so that I could have it turned into a formal italic. I am thinking that I will have my medium nib ground into a stub or an oblique at some point.

 

The standard nibs are great, nothing wrong with them at all but if you aren't excited by ball pointed nibs then customization is a good choice.

Edited September 27, 2014 by Keyless Works

[ajoffe]

At the LA pen show this year I bought a custom 823 and immediately had the broad nib ground to a cursive italic by Yukio Nagahara. It's a great pen and I don't regret the customization for a minute.

[WaskiSquirrel]

Buy the nib you will actually use. I happen to prefer using my Pilot Custom 823 with its standard fine point nib. I have one or two other pens that take care of the other types of nib for me. Had I purchased this pen with a different nib, I wouldn't use it as much.

 

If one of these other nibs makes you more likely to use the pen, then do it.

[Water Ouzel]

I've got two 823's. An amber with F nib, and a smoke with a M reground by Pendleton Brown as his BLS C/I.

 

Wouldn't trade either one for anything else, definitely worth getting the M done, the F is as close to perfect an F as makes no never mind.

[zaddick]

Yup. I'd regrind almost any nib unless it was a rare vintage nib. It's about making the pen ideal for you.

[The Good Captain]

I went straight for a wet Fine and as I got the 'amber' one, just use Cult Pens/Diamine Deep Dark Brown in it. Great combination.

[hari317]

"Would You Customize The Nib On A Pilot Custom 823?"

 

nope, the stock nib suits me just fine.

[TREBFPN]

I just purchased the clear "non color" Pilot 823 with an FA nib. I am unsure if the pen is defective but the FA nib tends to railroad quite often and then skip a little. Other FA Pilot 823 owners have commented on this skipping as well. If I were to buy another it would be the same but with the Fine nib. Aesthetic wise, the inner black cap in the 823 is a little obtrusive but I watched a video on dismantling the TWSBI VAC 700 fountain pen. That TWSBI VAC 700 pen is supposedly a copy/clone of the Pilot 823 and the video shows that the inner cap can be pulled out with the butt of another pen. It looks very pleasant in the clear transparent form with the nib showing inside the main cap. I wrote Pilot (I am pretty sure they will not help with the idea) and hope on getting an answer to finding a clear inner cap to replace the black one - - possibly, that will slow the ink drying. With some respect in comparing to an old Cross pen design there is really no need to have an inner cap on a fountain pen. I would purchase this "non color"/clear version again even with the extra cost. I figure if there is one pen to appreciate it is this one but without the FA nib. If you want a soft nib, the Pilot Heritage 91 seems to have better flex and flow; much better line variation without the constant railroading that the FA nib has on the Pilot 823. I would be very fine if I had bought a fine.

[yogalarva]

I am unsure if the pen is defective but the FA nib tends to railroad quite often and then skip a little. Other FA Pilot 823 owners have commented on this skipping as well.

 

I haven't had the 823 but I do have the Vac 700 so here's my question to you - are you making sure to unscrew the back to allow ink to flow freely into the feed? I know with my Vac sometimes I have to pull the rod out ever so slightly to release the air bubble from the feed. Since the FA nib is flexible, it demands a lot of ink flow and if you are starving it of ink it will railroad.

[TREBFPN]

I have loosened the end to the fullest point, attempting to get the best air flow. I think the design of the FA nib might be too large in relation to the more common FA nib - - I am thinking there might be a sweet spot when it comes to the size of this particular hood design of nibs. I used Clairefontain paper and a new bottle of Namiki ink. I know it seems a little odd given that this pen nib is still selling on the market but I assume the keepers of this particular nib might have not had the advantage of using a Pilot Heritage "soft fine" or a Namiki/Pilot falcon nibbed pen. I really hope I am wrong because it would be a dream to have the flexabilty of an FA nib with such a high volume of ink. And again having read articles of past users who own this FA nibbed Pilot Custom 823 there seems to be this troubling concern. I failed to find these articles prior to my purchase and I am learning a little late why this particular nib can be a slight nuisance.

[proton007]

As much as I like Pilot's Custom series, their nib combinations confuse me, as I don't see any logical thinking behind their decisions.

 

For instance, the 823 holds the most ink in their lineup, yet they restrict the nib choices to F/M/B. The ink guzzler nibs (FA/BB/C/MS/SU) are offered only on the 742 and 743 which use a Con-70.

Further, the section and feed are the same for the 743 and 823.

Why Pilot, why??

[TREBFPN]

It has always puzzled me that Pilot does not offer all its pens to the USA market. Just a week ago Amazon started to carry their Pilot Heritage 91 for $96.00 and their Pilot Custom 74 for $90.00 on Prime. That took a few years. I'm always searching for their new pens that are not available in the U.S. market just to see what designs they have come up with. I received my Pilot Custom 823 from http://www.japanshop-quill.com because they seem to be the only ones who carry the clear (non color) version and plus - offer the FA and WA nib. I am not too sure if they are very kind on returns given defective pens but they seem very animate and happy to sell what they do offer. I am still waiting back from them to respond in regards to my funky pen nib. It has been about a week and my kind, clear and simple messages have not been answered. If you do buy from them I am sure their packaged pens will impress: I received an origami swan with my orders...I know it is very exciting but there is that nice touch. I appreciate the packaging of the Pilot pens from Japan (and Amazon) because they often come in a factory sealed plastic sleeve. I never have to think if the pen came from a display cabinet and it is always nice to know that you are the first one to ink the pen.

Edited September 29, 2014 by TREBFPN

[Algester]

if you ordered the FA nib your really in for a very rough ride especially when your really new to modern flex nibs as a there has been a lot of reports that the FA Falcon nib should have a different feed at best. b the feed can not keep up with western flex writing. c. your probably better of practicing chinese calligraphy with it as most likely this is Pilot's answer to Sailor's Fude nib. and no it is not a funky nib if you think b. is your culprit then your either stuck with writing slow as Dan has explained in his Custom 743 Falcon nib review or chuck the nib into a vintage flex pen as Leigh Reyes did. as you know Richard Binder has stated there is no such thing as a modern flex feed or at least in the lines that there is no such thing as a modern flex nib because there is no feed currently in the market that can actually handle western flex writing

[Green Ink]

Thank you all for your input. I am ordering the pen from nib.com with a .6mm cursive Italic. Right now.

[Green Ink]

My pen came today! John Mottishaw's .6mm cursive italic is so classy. It's so smooth and seems to write all by itself. I couldn't be happier!