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Aurora 88 Or Pilot Custom 823


GatzBcn

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Hello, fountain pen fellows!

 

I am about to buy a new fountain pen, but I can't decide between Aurora 88 or Pilot Custom 823. I know there is an important difference in the price (Aurora's price almost doubles the price of the Pilot), but besides that which one do you think is a better option in terms of writing experience, that is, which fountain pen do you think writes better.

 

Regards,

 

Anna J. Bach

You are welcome to visit my blog: http://gatzbcn.blogspot.com/ and that is my shop: https://www.gatzbcn.com/shop

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I'm really not a fan of Aurora pens.

 

Pilot Custom 823 is known to be GREAT value even at its price. Bigger than a m800, size 15 nib, great piston mechanism, known Pilot consistency. What is there not to like?

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I vote 823!!!!!

 

Just be aware that the Pilot nibs, while super awesome and usually well tuned right of the box, run much narrower than Western nibs.

 

My Pilot Medium nib writes the same line width as my Visconti EF nib. :o

(Same ink, same paper)

Todd :happycloud9:

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Also, Some have said the pilot broad nib writes like a western fine, referring to the broad on the 823. Not all Pilot broads are like that

Edited by 2brothers

Todd :happycloud9:

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I love Aurora nibs for their feedback and heavier feel. Pilots are more slippery smooth and to my taste lack character. If you're talking about the piston filler 88, I'd much prefer the Aurora. It's one of the classic fountain pens and has a long and acclaimed heritage.

 

Aurora is also the rare Western brand that makes a beautifully writing, true extra fine nib, as good as any I've tried.

Edited by Blade Runner
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I don't know the Aurora.

 

But, I will say that my 823 is amazing. The filling mechanism is just plain cool. It writes consistently. It has a great size, a great weight, a nice balance, and is just the right size. It was an expensive pen, but I love it.

Proud resident of the least visited state in the nation!

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Go with the Aurora 88, preferably the large model, you won't regret it. It is buttery smooth, perfectly balanced and exudes class and quality.

 

I just finished a two hour journal writing session with mine and I wanted to keep on writing but had run out of things to say.

j1020

 

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The Aurora nib has significant feedback (mine is a broad) without being rough on paper. I like this quirkiness of the Aurora, but the brilliant smoothness of Pilot nibs may be preferable to others.

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I've both but my preference would go to the Aurora 88. The 'large' piston-filler is a treat to use and I love the EF nib on mine - perfect straight out of the box. Like Pelikans, the nib just unscrews from the front, should any silicone be needed for the piston. Mine hasn't yet but it's sometimes good to get the nib out for a thorough flush out.

Both great pens though - no complaints at all.

The Good Captain

"Meddler's 'Salamander' - almost as good as the real thing!"

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Both Vintage Aurora 88 and Pilot Custom 823 together cost less than modern Aurora. And the vintage 88 has tons more style than its modern counterparts, in my humblest of opinions natch.

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Aurora is the narrowest western nib....designed to have feedback.

The 88 is the Aurora piston P-51. There was a time right after the War, when almost all pen companies had a P-51. It was and is a very successful 'clone', in it's still made.

 

It's a pen that is missing in my collection....where as I'd not even think of getting a Pilot....in which, I'd have to get an M (western F) or a B (western M). :rolleyes: (I have 4-5 true vintage western EF's that I seldom use....what good is a nib that writes in spider webs or baby spider webs. Nibs that are not good for shading inks.)

 

I'd be getting the Aurora in it's narrow nibbed M or B also......I got so many F nibs....and am lacking in good true M nibs. :) So would be most interested in the skinny B from Aurora.

 

You got a lot of spare cash, look at the Aurora Verdi.....I really dithered on that pen, before taking a MB Woolf instead.

Edited by Bo Bo Olson

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Both Vintage Aurora 88 and Pilot Custom 823 together cost less than modern Aurora. And the vintage 88 has tons more style than its modern counterparts, in my humblest of opinions natch.

 

The vintage 88 is great, provided you spend some time fine-tuning it; there's lots of information on that here at FPN and elsewhere. The 823 is a joy, a good, trouble-free pen. Why not get both instead of the modern 88 (a good pen, btw, but rather expensive).

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My Pilot is a custom maple with what seems to be a slightly unconventional by Pilot's standards, more flexible and softer than most, but still largely similar to the general experience you would get with any of them. My feedback is that it's a great writer but only following a good degree of nib tuning, and it's still very picky with inks. Writes on the narrow side and it's definitely a dry writer, even after tweaking the nib. It does have a really nice line variation, though, something that makes it similar to a vintage or late-1950s nib. I really like it but, as said, it wasn't perfect out of the box and I can't use all inks with it. On a further positive note, it's probably the sturdiest nib I've ever had: once I was washing it using a bulb syringe, I pressed too hard and the syringe literally shot the nib against the bottom of the sink. It smashed really violently against a hard surface. Not just dropped: smashed. Any other nib would have bent, broken, or at lest severely misaligned. This nib remained unscathed: it still writes 100% as it did before, no change whatsoever.

 

My Aurora nibs have provided various experiences: my first Aurora had an 18kt white gold M nib that had to be sent four times to nibmeisters 'till I finally decided to replace it. The replacement was an F that was good, but I didn't like, too much feedback. I replaced it with a B nib - 14kt this time - and it's a massive pleasure to use it, it's my go-to pen for pretty much any occasion. In the meantime I got an aurora with an 18kt rose gold nib that is just perfect: not flexible, I admit, but nicely smooth in a way that provides amazing feedback on the paper. It's a pleasure to write with. My latest purchase arrived today, it's an Optima with a 14kt yellow gold M nib; toothy in a nice and pleasant way, but on the dry side. I'll probably work a bit on it to make it fit my preferences but it surely has a great potential.

 

In any case, both Aurora and Pilot nibs actually provide a good degree of feedback, with the Aurora providing a bit more. I'm growing more and more fond of nibs that are not buttery smooth so these all suit me fine.

 

If you want buttery smoothness, go for an OMAS or a MontBlanc.

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I'm really not a fan of Aurora pens.

 

Pilot Custom 823 is known to be GREAT value even at its price. Bigger than a m800, size 15 nib, great piston mechanism, known Pilot consistency. What is there not to like?

 

The blind cap. I don't like having to screw open the blind cap to write. That's honestly the only thing keeping me from buying one.

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The vintage 88 is great, provided you spend some time fine-tuning it; there's lots of information on that here at FPN and elsewhere. The 823 is a joy, a good, trouble-free pen. Why not get both instead of the modern 88 (a good pen, btw, but rather expensive).

 

In the beginning, I thought of buying the vintage Aurora 88, but I like more the design of the modern one and I prefer the screw on/off caps. Besides, since I already have two Parker 51 and I know the vintage Aurora 88 is similar, I'd rather try something new, but thank you for your comments, I appreciate them.

You are welcome to visit my blog: http://gatzbcn.blogspot.com/ and that is my shop: https://www.gatzbcn.com/shop

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My Pilot is a custom maple with what seems to be a slightly unconventional by Pilot's standards, more flexible and softer than most, but still largely similar to the general experience you would get with any of them. My feedback is that it's a great writer but only following a good degree of nib tuning, and it's still very picky with inks. Writes on the narrow side and it's definitely a dry writer, even after tweaking the nib. It does have a really nice line variation, though, something that makes it similar to a vintage or late-1950s nib. I really like it but, as said, it wasn't perfect out of the box and I can't use all inks with it. On a further positive note, it's probably the sturdiest nib I've ever had: once I was washing it using a bulb syringe, I pressed too hard and the syringe literally shot the nib against the bottom of the sink. It smashed really violently against a hard surface. Not just dropped: smashed. Any other nib would have bent, broken, or at lest severely misaligned. This nib remained unscathed: it still writes 100% as it did before, no change whatsoever.

 

My Aurora nibs have provided various experiences: my first Aurora had an 18kt white gold M nib that had to be sent four times to nibmeisters 'till I finally decided to replace it. The replacement was an F that was good, but I didn't like, too much feedback. I replaced it with a B nib - 14kt this time - and it's a massive pleasure to use it, it's my go-to pen for pretty much any occasion. In the meantime I got an aurora with an 18kt rose gold nib that is just perfect: not flexible, I admit, but nicely smooth in a way that provides amazing feedback on the paper. It's a pleasure to write with. My latest purchase arrived today, it's an Optima with a 14kt yellow gold M nib; toothy in a nice and pleasant way, but on the dry side. I'll probably work a bit on it to make it fit my preferences but it surely has a great potential.

 

In any case, both Aurora and Pilot nibs actually provide a good degree of feedback, with the Aurora providing a bit more. I'm growing more and more fond of nibs that are not buttery smooth so these all suit me fine.

 

If you want buttery smoothness, go for an OMAS or a MontBlanc.

 

Thank you very much for your comment. I was just looking for an opinion of this type, a comparison like this. Regarding the OMAS, I actually have the Milord New Style. It's a pen that I really like, but I have had some problems with the converter. The Paragon, which is the version in piston, is too big for me and I don't like the metal section and since I have heard very good comments on the Aurora it's that I didn't know for which pen decide.

Again, thanks for your comment, it was really helpful.

You are welcome to visit my blog: http://gatzbcn.blogspot.com/ and that is my shop: https://www.gatzbcn.com/shop

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