Pilot Custom 823 Nib Size Advice

[dzg]

Folks I am ordering a Pilot Custom 823 but after reading all the review on the forum am unsure which nib size I should get.

 

My standard preference is a Sailor Pro Gear 21kt M nib - writes the perfect line width for me.

 

Some reviews have mentioned the 823 nib writes narrower than other Japanese pens, in this case should I go for the B nib? If anyone owns both the Custom 823 M nib and the Sailor ProGear 21kt M nib I'd appreciate your advice.

 

Thanks.

[dds51968]

Folks I am ordering a Pilot Custom 823 but after reading all the review on the forum am unsure which nib size I should get.

 

My standard preference is a Sailor Pro Gear 21kt M nib - writes the perfect line width for me.

 

Some reviews have mentioned the 823 nib writes narrower than other Japanese pens, in this case should I go for the B nib? If anyone owns both the Custom 823 M nib and the Sailor ProGear 21kt M nib I'd appreciate your advice.

 

Thanks.

 

I have a this in a medium, I generally prefer western mediums, which it definitely is not. I find this medium to be at the finest side of my medium tastes. It is an excellent writer and flows very well, I sometimes wish I had a broad but I find an attraction to the scalpel like feel of this nib. (scalpel as in a very precise, controlled feel, not a bad thing at all)

 

Good Luck

 

David

[pkoko]

My Sailor 1911 21 K fine nib is a hair finer than my pilot custom 823 fine. So I would guess medium will suit you fine but that is my guess.

[Zenas]

I generally prefer F nibs, but my 823 has a M nib although it is finer than most western M nibs it was not nearly as fine as western F nib, therefore, I wish I would have gotten a F nib instead...hope that gives you some idea that the M nib was a M nib even if it is slight bit smaller than the conventional western M nib.

[dzg]

Thanks for the replies folks. I have a Namiki Falcon SM nib on order, the cheapest 823 I could find was $220 so I'll look around for a used one and hopefully I can pick it up for a good discount.

If anyones selling one in mint condition (and only used blue ink) let me know!

[Rabidferret]

A word to the wise regarding the Custom 823's nib - Pilot will not exchange the nib for you if you have inked the pen.

 

I inked up a fine-nibbed Custom 823 given to me for Christmas and it is much too fine for my tastes - it is probably what most people would call an extra-fine. I'm currently wondering what to do with the pen.

 

- Jon

[bigboy]

A word to the wise regarding the Custom 823's nib - Pilot will not exchange the nib for you if you have inked the pen.

 

I inked up a fine-nibbed Custom 823 given to me for Christmas and it is much too fine for my tastes - it is probably what most people would call an extra-fine. I'm currently wondering what to do with the pen.

 

- Jon

 

Sell the pen or trade it. The Japan fine nibs are very sharp IMHO.

 

There is also a MF nib, which is closer to western fine nibs, IMHO.

[DwarvenChef]

A word to the wise regarding the Custom 823's nib - Pilot will not exchange the nib for you if you have inked the pen.

 

I inked up a fine-nibbed Custom 823 given to me for Christmas and it is much too fine for my tastes - it is probably what most people would call an extra-fine. I'm currently wondering what to do with the pen.

 

- Jon

I have the custom 74 F nib and it took a few pages for me to get used to it. Now I don't have any problems with it, I would prefer the M nib but I'm now ok with Pilots F nibs.

[revbyrd1]

dzg,

 

I ordered an 823 several months ago, and my preference is the MF-nib on pilots. It writes wonderfully and gives you a good variation between the Fine an Medium lines.

 

I might be a bit late to the discussion, and I am after looking back over the postings.

 

Might I ask where you found an 823 listed for $220 new?

 

Peace,

 

Kenny Byrd

[PatientType]

I have one 823 in medium and one in broad. Both write beautifully. I find the broad my favorite of the two.

[PatientType]

http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae87/patienttype2/NibComparison823800360.jpg

 

OK. This is isn't a Pilot 823 medium nib compared to a Pilot 823 broad nib. But it does show the medium nib compared to other fine nibs. Pretty close... The broad nib, in my naked eye view, looks very much like my Pelikan M800 medium nib which is fairly wet and wide for a medium.

[saskia_madding]

Just bumping this thread to say thanks for all the responses. I really appreciated the M nib writing sample too.

 

I tend towards Western medium nibs and am starting to try out a few broads and stubs as well, but I think it's important to have variety in nibs, not just the same width over and over. So I took a chance and got a M in smoke. Here's hoping it's not too thin!

[Betweenthelines]

Hi sorry to necropost but I found it difficult to find photos comparing the fine vs medium nib custom 823 and this is the first result in google. So here are some photos for people in the future. Both nibs were excellent, and for the record 823 nibs run BROADER than other Japanese nibs. The 823 Fine was slightly broader than my Custom 92 fine (which is adjusted to write wet), and the 823 Medium is the broadest Japanese medium I've used.

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/ik8NV8Z.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/HIYJlJD.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/cZ2HrKE.jpg

 

 

As you can see there's quite a difference. The medium is slightly broader than my Pelikan EF nib,I would say it is in between a typical western fine and western medium.. and currently my broadest standard nib. But I love it. The fine nib needed to be adjusted for increased flow but the medium nib flows nicely out of the box. The medium is obviously smoother being much broader.

 

I sold the fine to buy this medium and I'm over the moon. A year ago I would have balked at having a nib this broad. But now, I'm kind of sick of the thin, wirey, feedbacky lines of Japanese fines. Except for my Custom 92 that Mike M. worked on. That thing is an anomaly!

 

Both sizes are excellent though no matter your preferences. This pen is just primo.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Betweenthelines

[Dr.Grace]

Hmm... the 823 M nib I have writes like a western F or maybe FM. It's not as broad as my Custom 74 M nibs. Seems like there's some variability.

[rutherfordr]

The different size of the line depends on the ink, no?

[Dr.Grace]

Maybe a little, but I'm comparing the same inks used in both 74 and 823. My 823 M is definitely finer than a western M, but my two 74 Ms are quite like western Ms, and my 74 B is similar to a Western B.

[Betweenthelines]

Hmm... the 823 M nib I have writes like a western F or maybe FM. It's not as broad as my Custom 74 M nibs. Seems like there's some variability.

Hm well I'm comparing them to my experience of Custom 92 VPs and metros.. yeah maybe there is some variability.. I would agree with you though that a western f / m is the best description of this 823 medium.. I've never had a pilot medium come out as broad as a western medium

 

Edit: I should also say I have way more experience with Pilot's fines than mediums

Edited July 19, 2016 by Betweenthelines

[ShortRound131]

Hope this isn't an odd question, how does the 823's Medium compare to say a Metropolitan's Medium?

[nekomuffchu]

The 823 WA nib writes like a fine-medium nib. The nib is incredibly smooth, especially on the push stroke.

[Betweenthelines]

Hope this isn't an odd question, how does the 823's Medium compare to say a Metropolitan's Medium?

 

Well it's a much bigger nib and 14K, so it is a lot less rigid with some nice spring to it. It also arrived writing a little wetter than metro medium but I think that's kind of a gamble with pilot nibs - if anything the metros are usually tuned wetter than the 14K nibbed pens. Both are equally smooth.