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Custom Heritage 912 - Nib Choices


fehefarx

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Okay, I only have the 912 with FA and I can tell you that based on my experience this nib is exceptionally smooth and has no flow issues when used in the normal way. It only railroads when users try to do things it is not designed to do - seems a bit silly to complain under those circumstances but there you are.

 

I wouldn't recommend the FA nib as a daily writer unless you are willing to take the time to get used to it. Then it is wonderful. :)

 

You could give us a clue to the size of your writing please.

 

Incidentally, I don't use mine generally at work, even though I am in an academic environment. However, I would consider one of the other nibs for this, and I am toying with the idea of a PO nib for fun!

Great to hear this. I'm getting an FA CH 912 in the mail soon, and I'm really excited to invest some time into getting used to how it writes.

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I guess no amount of warning can sway me from the challenge of using the FA nib as a daily writer for the next few months. I'm going to make an order soon off one of the Japanese dealers on eBay.

 

I'll be sure to report back on how it goes!

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I guess no amount of warning can sway me from the challenge of using the FA nib as a daily writer for the next few months. I'm going to make an order soon off one of the Japanese dealers on eBay.

 

I'll be sure to report back on how it goes!

 

You might find it less frustrating than you think. With no pressure, the FA nib behaved very well for me. No railroading, no skipping, just a very wet F/M-sized nib.

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You might find it less frustrating than you think. With no pressure, the FA nib behaved very well for me. No railroading, no skipping, just a very wet F/M-sized nib.

I sure hope so. My Falcon runs very very wet and I love it.

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  • 5 years later...

I was thinking of starting a new thread about various CH 912 nib choices but found this one which already has really good information.

 

I write in a journal and like to do so quickly, but my handwriting is not great, so I generally do better with finer nibs to slow me down and show the loops of the western cursive letters better.

 

I have been debating between a PO nib, F and EF nibs. I am not really into softness. The main attraction of the PO nib for me is that it curves down, as I handle my pens at a somewhat shallow angle. I don't care as much about what the writing looks like on the page as in maximizing writing comfort, and I wonder if the PO nib could provide this for me.

 

Any thoughts about this?

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I completely recommend you this nib. It writes well in any kind of paper and helps you to improve your writing. That’s my experience. A true UEF nib with an astonishing performance.

Roger

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Interesting replies; as someone who writes with a light hand and doesn't seek flexibility, I've been drooling after a 912 WA for a long time, didn't get it because I stumbled upon other nice pens in the meantime at more affordable prices. I have one 91 SFM, writing in (semi) cursive it's a great feeling of comfort, but it's also a bit unsettling, like there's less control (probably great for Kanji), and there's a lot of shading, which I happen not to care for. I don't think everyone / no one should write with any of these specialty nibs, but find the one that better matches one's writing.

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt."

 

B. Russell

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3 hours ago, senzen said:

I have one 91 SFM, writing in (semi) cursive it's a great feeling of comfort, but it's also a bit unsettling, like there's less control (probably great for Kanji),

 

I have one of those, and I don't find it ‘great’ or better for writing kanji (or hanzi) and kana than Pilot's or Sailor's regular gold nibs, in terms of producing the ‘right’ shape of strokes, although it's easily better than the FA nib for that.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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I actually have a sfm also in a custom 74, and would like to have a harder nib and finer line. I guess experience with the non-fa specialty nibs is somewhat limited. Anyway I will continue to check the thread for responses. 

 

Thanks rogerico for your response. I am happy to hear you are finding daily use for your 912 PO. 

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I finally pulled the trigger on ordering a 912 with PO nib. When I receive it in a few weeks I will try to come back to this thread and describe my experience.

 

I have two worries: sharpness of threads since the section is quite short, and the feel of the plastic. From using the Custom 74, I know Pilot threads are actually pretty smooth, so this shouldn't be too much of an issue, but we'll see if it causes discomfort and whether I can adjust my grip. Secondly, the C74's plastic feels like quality (more so than a standard 3776 I would say) but it is not the most grippy material. With the larger size of the 912, it might be an easier pen to handle than the C74 which has an uncomfortable shape to me.

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6 minutes ago, MuddyWaters said:

With the larger size of the 912, it might be an easier pen to handle than the C74 which has an uncomfortable shape to me.

 

I find the Pilot Custom Heritage 912 a very comfortable pen to hold and use, even though like you I don't like how the Custom 74 handles on account of its shape and girth. Actually I was very close to pulling the trigger myself on a CH912 with a PO nib, but in the end decided against it, because I'm not convinced it'll be as fine as the Platinum 14K gold (#3776) UEF nib or even a Sailor 14K gold (‘medium-sized’ and with the 1911 imprint) EF nib, and getting another pen with either of those two alternatives would be substantially cheaper.

 

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and experience after you've received and written with your new CH912.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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7 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

I find the Pilot Custom Heritage 912 a very comfortable pen to hold and use, even though like you I don't like how the Custom 74 handles on account of its shape and girth. Actually I was very close to pulling the trigger myself on a CH912 with a PO nib, but in the end decided against it, because I'm not convinced it'll be as fine as the Platinum 14K gold (#3776) UEF nib or even a Sailor 14K gold (‘medium-sized’ and with the 1911 imprint) EF nib, and getting another pen with either of those two alternatives would be substantially cheaper.

 

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and experience after you've received and written with your new CH912.

 

If the PO nib is not as fine as those platinum UEF or sailor EF nibs that would be okay with me of course; I think I would be slightly disappointed if it was THAT fine, but ultimately, I will judge this pen based on comfort primarily (fit in my hand, writing angle that the nib permits, amount of pressure needed to evoke a line on paper). I have been looking at getting a 912 so long due to its M600ish size, no frills design, relatively affordable price, lack of back-weighted filling system, but instead kept buying other pens that led to disappointment (eg. Cross Peerless = great nib on a hunk of metal with uncomfortable section and back-weighted body), that I thought it was time to give this pen a real try finally. I had also put off buying more Pilot pens because like others I don't find their nibs to ooze character, but I hope this PO nib is somewhat different and provides a nice comfort in writing. 

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Don’t worry about the grip section or the comfort. The 912 has a perfect size and shape for long sessions of writing, and the plastic is much better than the plastic of a 3776. You will love the nib: almost as fine as a UEF Platinum, but easy to write with on any kind of paper. It’s designed with this idea. Good decision!

Roger

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I got the CH 912 with PO nib today. I filled it with Pelikan Black in the Con-70.

 

  • The nib is finer than I expected it would be. The reputation as ultra extra fine seems appropriate (whether it is as fine as a 3776's UEF is another story).
  • Weirdly, it is scratchier when the nib is straight against the paper in perpendicular fashion. (I thought it would be the opposite.)
  • The nib gets smoother as the pen is held at a shallower angle. Unfortunately, I cannot hold it that shallowly.
  • Since the nib is so fine and can catch the paper, the balance of pressure is important to control. I find the Con-70 too back-weighted for me to handle the nib properly with the least amount of pressure possible. I guess I over-compensate with a bit too 1much downward pressure.
  • I will continue to practice with the pen as is, but if I cannot adapt, I will try in order:
    • 1) Con-40 with Pelikan Black, which remains a dry unlubricated ink, but my favourite ink, and then
    • 2) Pilot black ink cartrige, which has plenty of lubrication to it. If (2) is necessary, then I may have to resort to using Kiwaguro in this pen through the converter of choice.

It is not love at first sight with the PO nib, but the lines that are produced on paper are quite nice and flowy so I am willing to keep it for more trial and practice. The pen body seems to be of perfect shape and weight. I might buy a 3776 in fine next.

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43 minutes ago, MuddyWaters said:

The pen body seems to be of perfect shape and weight.

 

Yes, for a conservatively shaped (in spite of sporting flat ends, which I prefer) plain black resin pen, I find the pen body surprisingly good. I read somewhere that the Esterbrook adaptor will fit just right on the Pilot CH912's barrel, and allow you to use vintage Esterbrook nibs with it (and still screw the cap back on).

 

@ethernautrix has substantial experience with putting the Pilot #10 PO nib into different pens to better suit her writing/drawing needs, so she may be able to advise which other pen bodies will work, if you need to find an alternative that works just right for you.

 

On 2/17/2021 at 11:57 AM, A Smug Dill said:

[The Pilot #5 SFM nib,] in terms of producing the ‘right’ shape of strokes, although it's easily better than the FA nib for that.

 

Writing samples here:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/357478-what-pen-are-you-using-today-in-2021/?do=findComment&comment=4405574

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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This pen cost me about $300 Canadian when all customs and shipping were paid. It doesn't have an outstandingness that might be associated with this kind of price tag, but as I have said elsewhere, the pen body size (and nib size) is a big factor in the price ladder. Because the pen body of the 912 is so nicely proportioned, I don't regret spending this much and don't regret the avoidance of cheaper but less comfortable pens that would have led to further bleeding of money from my wallet. But I would so love to buy one or two more iterations of the 912 with different nibs, and probably will not for a while because of the factors I weigh above. I guess the alternative as was suggested is the Easterbrook adapter. Another is that I think I should re-try the platinum 3776, as it provides an interesting body size for a cheap price, and would allow comparison of nibs among equals (top three Japanese brands). 

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19 hours ago, MuddyWaters said:

But I would so love to buy one or two more iterations of the 912 with different nibs, and probably will not for a while because of the factors I weigh above.

 

I remember seeing CH912 nibs (of different types and widths) being sold pre-assembled with feed and gripping section (but no pen body) by EndlessPens. I'm not sure whether it is authorised by Pilot Corporation (of America, or its headquarters in Japan) to do so. For the asking price of such a nib, though, I think I can just about get a whole new CH912 from Japan-based eBay sellers.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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5 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

I remember seeing CH912 nibs (of different types and widths) being sold pre-assembled with feed and gripping section (but no pen body) by EndlessPens. I'm not sure whether it is authorised by Pilot Corporation (of America, or its headquarters in Japan) to do so. For the asking price of such a nib, though, I think I can just about get a whole new CH912 from Japan-based eBay sellers.

 

Oh wow, thanks for letting me know. I'll at least look at them once in a while to see if there is a sale.

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