First impressions-Pilot 78G

[Sipurahava]

First off, I ordered from isellpens.com yesterday, and received my order today, (I think they might be only a hundred miles or so from me?)

 

Usual disclaimer: I don't have any affiliation with them, just a VERY satisfied customer.

 

Now, I'm obviously new to this, but I'll give all the basics I can think of to a pen that has already been reviewed.

 

http://www.hisnibs.com/Pilot78Ggroup_small.jpg

 

Size/Weight:

 

Smaller than a Lamy Safari, but not ridiculously so. A lightweight pen, you "know," it's in your hand, it's short, thin, and lightweight enough that if you have to use it for more than maybe an hour, you're going to probably get cramps, (I have small hands even.)

 

http://www.hisnibs.com/Pilot78GgroupHorizontal_small.jpg

 

Material:

 

An acrylic pen, so again, it's lightweight. Fairly durable, it doesn't look like it will scratch TOO easily, or break unless you purposefully try to do so. Certainly everyday use shouldn't be too hard on it.

The gold stripes and what not aren't actual gold, but for a very inexpensive pen, it seems like a trivial detail.

 

I think the nib is steel, it's stiff, but the nib itself is smooth, as much as my Safari if not more so.

 

http://www.hisnibs.com/Pilot78Gnibs_small.jpg

 

Filling System:

 

Basically a squeeze bar around a sac. You immerse the pen as you would with any other bottle-filler, then squeeze the sac by pressing on a metal bar to fill. Easy and clean.

 

Ink Capacity:

 

I would imagine it is a modest amount, but not so little that it should be inconvenient. You'll want to take ink with you if you're traveling for more than a day. (Wouldn't you anyway though?!)

 

Basic Writing:

 

The one gripe I have about this pen is about the most important factor, how well it writes. I have a M and B/stub.

 

They are very dry writers, using Aurora black. As I said, the nibs themselves just glide across the paper, I lightly tried when they weren't filled and there was no gripping or clawing, no bumps or anything. When inked the pens still glide, but for some reason they aren't putting out the ink.

 

This is NOT what appears to be standard, all I've heard is that they're wonderful writers.

I'm going to check the filling system and see if there are any defects, holes in the sac, improperly connected sac, etc. If there's still a problem I'll be at a loss.

 

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

 

 

Overall, if I can fix the ink problem, a great pen for a very low price. I'd recommend it for starters especially.

Edited November 21, 2008 by MYU

[Aysedasi]

The two broad nibbed (stub) 78Gs I've had are nice wet writers - straight out of the box.

[jimk]

for some reason they aren't putting out the ink.

 

Standard first thing to try - flush with a dilute solution of liquid dish detergent. You don't have to get all the detergent out afterwards - maybe one flush with clean water, then just reload ink. A tiny bit of detergent in the ink can help.

 

There might be some oil in the feed, and that will interfere with ink flow. The detergent will fix that.

 

[excarnate]

They are very dry writers, using Aurora black. As I said, the nibs themselves just glide across the paper, I lightly tried when they weren't filled and there was no gripping or clawing, no bumps or anything. When inked the pens still glide, but for some reason they aren't putting out the ink.

Well, first I have to echo that mine write great. They are "dry writers" but they put down the ink wonderfully.

 

Here is my scattering of ideas:

 

Regardless of how you hold the pen normally, try holding it with the gold nib absolutely straight up on top, and the pen at a 45° angle. Then draw a line slowing rotating it left and right. Same thing, only start at a low angle and work your way up to vertical instead of left and right. Mine have a pretty decent sized "sweet spot" and a decent sized area where they put out ink. I forget if they write upside down...probably do but that normally isn't guaranteed

 

Squirt your ink back into the bottle, then rinse the pen off, and in a sink with standing water, draw in water and squirt it out under water. The residual ink should be pretty obvious. And if it leaks from somewhere you should spot it! Clean the pen up (some people might suggest using a drop of liquid soap, make sure you rinse well afterwards of course!) and dry it up as best you can.

 

The converter is NOT permanent (I got half my 78G's from isellpens) so you may want to ensure it is firmly seated (careful with the wet hands, though!).

 

The rinsing of the pen is often said to help. That might be enough. If you are impatient like me and don't want to wait for the pen to dry, draw ink in and shoot out several times to mix any residual water into the ink instead of in the ink in the pen only.

 

The nib and what-is-it-called that the nib rests on will come out if you need to check it. I don't recommend it normally, but I have swapped a few nibs around and haven't had trouble.

 

I use Noodler's Nikita Red (perfect in the red pen). I have some clogging after a few weeks with the FPN brown but it worked great the first day. The Apache Sunset works great in my wife's B and I have Polar Black in my B which isn't 100% perfect but pretty close and not at all like what yours sounds like.

 

Except for the B's, I only have fine points.

[Sipurahava]

I emptied the ink out of the pen, not putting it in the bottle to make sure that no gunk from the pen, (if that was the problem,) would contaminate the bottle.

 

Then I filled and emptied five or six times in warm/room temp. water with two drops of dish soap, rinsed a couple of times in plain water by filling and emptying, and apparently there was stuff in the pen somewhere, because they write great now.

 

 

 

Thanks for the recommendations guys!