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Pilot Knight


kissing

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http://p.office1000.com/vp2/65100PIL.jpg

 

I have to say - I was very impressed with the Pilot Knight! There is something about Japanese nibs that make me feel that they're on a different level to most western nibs of same priced pens.

 

Pricing

I got my Knight recently for $35 (new in box with papers, twist converter included). Great value for its price. I believe that the quality of Pilot Knights matches those of Steel-nibbed Parker Sonnets, which cost considerably more than $35.

 

Body

The barrel and cap material is metallic matte, so it's a durable, tough-built pen. The design is very contemporary and comes in Black, Navy blue, Burgundy and Silver. The one I got is a nice Burgundy, and I think its quite pretty :wub: (most of my other pens are dull black or grey matte <_<)

 

The clip is spring loaded and is a 'one-piece' bar shaped chunk of metal. Looks durable, and is aesthetically sophisticated. Pilot sure did put a nice effort into design - even in an inexpensive pen like this.

 

The cap makes a hearty sounding "click" as it shuts securely, and removing the cap is with ease. It's actually quite ambiguous because when you snap the cap shut, you feel that its a very firm fit - but the cap comes off with little effort.

 

The grip section is quite short compared to most other pens, so if you like big, long grips on pens, the Knight may take a little getting used to. Since the grip section is short - the nib isn't poking as deeply into the cap as other pens. This means that there is less risk of that awkward collision between cap and nib that you might accidently do in the opening ceremony. This sure is a good characteristic for me, because I feel my heart lose a beat whenever I rush to open a pen, and I scrape the nib across the cap (usually no damage, but my heart aches :( ).

 

As it is a metal pen, there is a bit of bulk to the pen, but I wouldn't consider the Knight as a heavy pen. To me, it is well balanced. I don't think the pen was designed to be used posted, as the cap doesn't stick on securely at the back. You wouldn't want to post it anyway - heavily unbalanced to write.

 

Nib

Appearances aside, this economic beauty wields a lovely Japanese "M" nib (meaning it writes like a Western Fine). This is what I meant in the title as "just write"! The elusive ideal thickness and wetness between a Fine and a Medium I had been searching for is this very nib! The Pilot Knight has hooked me onto Japanese fountain pens, as its shown me beyond the modern Parker's jungle of "Fines" that write like double broads :doh:

 

It's a smooth writing nib (but not too smooth :) ) that is firm and writes consistently. The wetness fits the description of "not to wet, not dry" pretty much perfectly! (For me, Parkers are too wet and Lamy's are too dry)

 

 

 

 

I definitely recommend this pen if you're looking for a reliable, high-quality everyday writer. I think the Pilot Knight is also a nice moderately-priced gift idea, especially for someone who has just gotten into FPs, or you would like to introduce FPs to. It's a guaranteed "good start" IMO ;)

 

I give it a proud 8.5/10 :lol:

 

 

 

Comparison of Pilot Knight M with typical Western M (Sonnet)

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Since the grip section is short - the nib isn't poking as deeply into the cap as other pens. This means that there is less risk of that awkward collision between cap and nib that you might accidently do in the opening ceremony.

:lol:

I've never seen a name given to that particular event before...so thank you for that! :lol:

 

 

I have a maroon Pilot Knight with a "M" (writes like a Fine) nib, too and I agree with all the points you made except one: I use my Knight posted and haven't had problems with the cap falling off (so far :unsure: ). I tend to hold fountain pens a bit higher up the section than some other users, so the back end of a posted Knight is not particularly unbalanced for me.

 

Keep up the excellent reviews! :)

 

(edited to add "never" to first sentence)

Edited by Maja
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Kissing,

 

I had been wondering about the Pilot Knight a few days ago and here you go and do a review. Thank you for doing such a detailed review.

 

You mentioned that the Knight has a bit of heft. How does the weight compare with the Parker Sonnet? Is it a bit heavier or is it about the same? I like the weight and balance of the Sonnet. I guess I'd be using the Knight unposted though if the cap does not secure well.

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The Pilot Knight was so pretty and wrote so well. I used to own one, but it was too heavy for me, so I sold it off.

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/606/letterji9.png
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Thanks for the review, kissing! I have been curious about this pen for a long time.

Isn't sanity really a one-trick pony, anyway? I mean, all you get is one trick, rational thinking! But when you're good and crazy . . . ooh hoo hoo hoo! . . . the sky's the limit!

--The Tick

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Nice review Kissing! Thanks for the effort. Enjoy your new found prize!

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8, NKJV)
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You mentioned that the Knight has a bit of heft. How does the weight compare with the Parker Sonnet? Is it a bit heavier or is it about the same? I like the weight and balance of the Sonnet. I guess I'd be using the Knight unposted though if the cap does not secure well.

Thank you everyone :)

 

It's a pleasure doing reviews. (filling up the gaps :lol:)

 

 

The weight of the Pilot Knight is a bit heavier than my Stainless steel matte Sonnet. It's not a big difference, but definitely noticeable.

 

The cap can be posted, but for me, it's quite difficult to write with it posted while holding onto the grip. You'd have to hold the barrel while writing if you want to post (I just tried this, and its actually quite OK)

 

If you get a Knight - I hope you enjoy it ;)

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Thank you for the great review of the Pilot Knight. I too, have contemplated buying this pen and I think you got an excellent price. The ones I've looked at in Office Depot are about $45. I did not want to take a chance on spending that much money for a pen when I had not read any reviews on it. Now I can contemplate it a bit more!

 

The quote/poem you wrote is interesting, what is it from?

Oh, and I could tell a difference in the nib size between the Sonnet and the Knight.

"'I will not say, "do not weep", for not all tears are an evil."

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Thanks for the great review, Kissing! I love the Pilot Knight! In fact, I consider it to be one of the best deals out there (if not the best). I have a red Knight boxed and waiting for me for Christmas, and I plan to get a lot of use out of it.

 

Enjoy!

"I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to hate them, but to understand them."

- Baruch Spinoza

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The Pilot Knight is a great looking pen, and writes very well. I agree with what has been said about writing with it unposted. It feels heavy and unbalanced to me if it is posted, and for me, it feels too small in my hand unposted. A great pen; just not for me.

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This looks like a nice and cheap pen I could bring to the university without fear of losing it.

Anyone know a good place to get this pen from, in Europe?

Edited by Keldun
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This looks like a nice and cheap pen I could bring to the university without fear of losing it.

Anyone know a good place to get this pen from, in Europe?

I got mine from online (pendemonium.com)

 

It's also available at swisherpens.com too I think.

 

As the Japanese don't really market their pens much to the Western world directly, I think it may be hard to find it in a normal pen store :unsure:

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Excellent review, Kissing! I love my Knight and reading your review reminded me that I haven't been using it much (due to the color of the ink it was loaded with). With a flush and different ink, it's back in rotation! Found mine at an Office Depot, but I did have to rummage through the poor sad messy shelf to find the lone (silver) fountain pen among the ballpoints. I was worried it would be too heavy for me, but that hasn't been the case. I post the cap and have no problems with the balance. The squeeze converter works quite well, but I would prefer one where I could see the ink level.

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Are Japanese brand FP's comparable with German FP or American FP brands. Would it be similar to comparing somehting like Japanese car versus German or American cars?

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Are Japanese brand FP's comparable with German FP or American FP brands.

If you're talking about nibs - Japanese nibs run a bit finer. A Japanese M nib matches about a Western F nib.

 

If you're talking about quality, absolutely! In fact, Japanese pens may even have more attention to quality on their pens than the Western brands ;) They have high quality control standards. Their pens of various models are popular among members here and are quite advanced.

 

I do not know much about cars, so I can't really make a comment about that comparison :doh: :)

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Ah, only just seen this review from a link in another post.

 

Anyway...

 

Excellent review. Thank you.

 

I'd not heard of, or seen this pen before. Looks very nice, and sounds like excellent value. I think I may have to try one if I can find an EU source.

 

- Mark

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