I'm fairly to new to this hobby--7 months now. And my nicest FP to date was a clear Pilot Custom 823 Demonstrator. When I got it (new) back in February, it was only after a fair amount of research, to determine if this was the demonstrator I really wanted. For the 2 months I got to use it, I loved it. Then I made the (clearly apparent now) mistake of trying to rinse out the Waterman Purple ink it contained. I had some concerns about it staining the barrel. These fears were later determined to be unfounded. Anyway, as I was rinsing it out, I remembered being advised to use a small amount of denatured alcohol, diluted in the water. I don't know if this contributed to what happened next or not. As I was rinsing, and (very gingerly, mind you) tapping the excess water out of the cap, it just fell apart on me. Upon closer examination, I also discovered a significant crack in the barrel, just above the section. Plus there is condensation in the cap and barrel, that has remained, after this (seemingly) tragic rinsing attempt. To make this long story somewhat shorter, Pilot USA, their parent company, and the Japanese dealer it was originally purchased from, Ujuku--none have them have been of any help whatsoever in fixing this pen. At least they've been consistent though. All three have basically quoted me a price of $285 to repair/replace the pen, considerably more than I originally paid for it.
My only recourse seems to be to seek parts to rebuild this pen. The nib is still in pristine shape. If you have spare parts or suggestions, please let me know. It may be that I'll just have to put this nib put on another pen body altogether. That alternative would not be unpalatable. I'm just trying to salvage something useful from this disappointing and frustrating experience. Sorry for this long-winded diatribe, but I'm sure many of you can sympathize with my plight.