Pilot 845 Nib Swap ?

[kaisede]

Hi everyone,

 

Does the 823 nib fit the 845 ? Recently I purchased the 845, lovely pen by the way, and now I am thinking about getting an 823 and have John M add flex to it. I want to know if I am able to swap the nib on those two pens.

 

 

[Mulrich]

I think the nibs are the same sizes but I'm not sure if the 845 nib can be removed from the section.

[Gasquolet]

To my knowledge all the #15 Pilot nibs share the same feed and section mortise design so all nibs are in theory interchangeable. I have swapped 14k nibs on the 823 and have had the 18k nib out of an 845 and it removes in precisely the same way: a friction fit, possible by hand. The nibs also key onto the feed so its next to impossible to get alignment wrong if you're careful.

 

I haven't actually fitted an 823 nib to the 845 but there are a few suppliers in Japan that will match an 845 to the nib of your choice from the 743 catalogue (same nib as the 823, just more variations).

[kaisede]

To my knowledge all the #15 Pilot nibs share the same feed and section mortise design so all nibs are in theory interchangeable. I have swapped 14k nibs on the 823 and have had the 18k nib out of an 845 and it removes in precisely the same way: a friction fit, possible by hand. The nibs also key onto the feed so its next to impossible to get alignment wrong if you're careful.

 

I haven't actually fitted an 823 nib to the 845 but there are a few suppliers in Japan that will match an 845 to the nib of your choice from the 743 catalogue (same nib as the 823, just more variations).

Hi Gasquolet,

 

Thank you for the information. Do you by any chance know if the 743 grip section is the same as 845? You are right about misaligning the nib, there is always a chance of that happening, especially if I change it every so often.

 

Now I am thinking it might be better to purchase the 743 if the grip (nib unit) will fit the body of the 845. So no pulling the nibs out.

[kaisede]

I think the nibs are the same sizes but I'm not sure if the 845 nib can be removed from the section.

Hi Mulrich,

 

Thanks, that is what I could tell after searching and reading some of the reviews here in FPN. But just not sure about the feed.

[Gasquolet]

In the interests of satisfying curiosity and because my 845 was out of ink and needed a clean anyway I took it and my 743 apart and can verify:

The section of the 845 is identical to the 743 in every way I could see and measure, they are interchangeable on the pen barrels.

The feeds appear to be identical and the nibs, with their original feeds, swap happily between 845 and 743 sections. Neither is more difficult to remove than the other.

Be aware that there is a small plastic seal like a profiled o-ring that fits on the back of the feed. This could either be left in the section or removed with the feed when it is pulled so if you were swapping back and forth it could be lost or you could end up with none/ two of them on the pen.

 

I would say you may be on the right track with the idea of swapping sections as I suspect if nibs and feeds are constantly pulled then there is a chance slop and misalignment could result after time.

 

The only thing to bear in mind is that is can be easier to find an 823 at a good price than a 743. I suspect this is because of the relative popularity of the models. I was lucky with mine and found an excellent discounted price from a seller on Rakuten by chance.

 

(for reference my pens are dated 2007 and 2014 for the 845 and 743 respectively)

[kaisede]

In the interests of satisfying curiosity and because my 845 was out of ink and needed a clean anyway I took it and my 743 apart and can verify:

The section of the 845 is identical to the 743 in every way I could see and measure, they are interchangeable on the pen barrels.

The feeds appear to be identical and the nibs, with their original feeds, swap happily between 845 and 743 sections. Neither is more difficult to remove than the other.

Be aware that there is a small plastic seal like a profiled o-ring that fits on the back of the feed. This could either be left in the section or removed with the feed when it is pulled so if you were swapping back and forth it could be lost or you could end up with none/ two of them on the pen.

 

I would say you may be on the right track with the idea of swapping sections as I suspect if nibs and feeds are constantly pulled then there is a chance slop and misalignment could result after time.

 

The only thing to bear in mind is that is can be easier to find an 823 at a good price than a 743. I suspect this is because of the relative popularity of the models. I was lucky with mine and found an excellent discounted price from a seller on Rakuten by chance.

 

(for reference my pens are dated 2007 and 2014 for the 845 and 743 respectively)

Thank you so much !! I am in USA and far as I know Pilot don't sale the 743 here. I think I am going to order the 743 from Amazon.

 

On side note, the Pilot/Namiki bug bit me hard this month. Normally I buy MB but this year... only 1 MB and 3 Pilot/Namiki pens.

They are Pilot 95s, Namiki Emperor Vermilion and custom 845. All beautiful and writes well out of the box. Something that MB can improve on.

[Gasquolet]

Glad it was useful. I have found Pilot and even more so, Platinum for that matter have excellent consistency out of the box. I have only one MB, it's very nice but I don't feel the need for more.

 

The 845 is really excellent. Almost too subtle for its performance. No wonder it is often overlooked.

 

Emperor Vermilion... hmmmm.

[nekomuffchu]

The sections on the Pilot 743 and 845 are 100% interchangeable, they can simply be screwed out and swapped. The nibs and feeds from the 823 and 845 aren't always compatible, for example, the 823 FA nib and feed can't be swapped with the 845.

 

Michael Masuyama ground my 845 from a broad to a Naginata Togi and it's sublime. I'm contemplating having a BB ground to an architect's point by Mr Masuyama.

Edited December 1, 2016 by nekomuffchu

[kaisede]

The sections on the Pilot 743 and 845 are 100% interchangeable, they can simply be screwed out and swapped. The nibs and feeds from the 823 and 845 aren't always compatible, for example, the 823 FA nib and feed can't be swapped with the 845.

 

Michael Masuyama ground my 845 from a broad to a Naginata Togi and it's sublime. I'm contemplating having a BB ground to an architect's point by Mr Masuyama.

 

 

Wow that would be nice. I have a wide range of nibs in my collection but never an architect nib. Something I will put down my list of wants. Mike does really good work. I was lucky enough to have one of my nib adjusted by him.

[kaisede]

Glad it was useful. I have found Pilot and even more so, Platinum for that matter have excellent consistency out of the box. I have only one MB, it's very nice but I don't feel the need for more.

 

The 845 is really excellent. Almost too subtle for its performance. No wonder it is often overlooked.

 

Emperor Vermilion... hmmmm.

I totally agree that 845 gets overlooked. When my sister got the pen for me from Taiwan, the shop asked if I was a pen collector because normal people would not buy an 845.

 

One thing about the Emperor, the nib is super long... so it took me about a week of none stop using to get used to. Now I been using my 2 new pens (Waterman Edson and 845) for a while I am not use to the long nibs again.

[Algester]

to me I would wait for good colored 845 to come out while the black is the standard it's kind of bland for me, so it's going to be the yearly special edition 845s from maruzen is what I wait on

it's a good pen if you don't mind it's inspired from the duofold

Edited December 1, 2016 by Algester

[kaisede]

to me I would wait for good colored 845 to come out while the black is the standard it's kind of bland for me, so it's going to be the yearly special edition 845s from maruzen is what I wait on

it's a good pen if you don't mind it's inspired from the duofold

 

I just google maruzen, i see what you are talking about. Those pens are beautiful !! I got the black because I like to use perment ink or Iron Gail ink. One time I was cleaning another pen and some of the ink water (IG ink) accidently got on to the Emperor Vermilion cap. It took me a good 10 to 15 min to get it off. I think it is better off for me to get the black one, now that doesn't mean i won't extend my collection later on... after all when the bug bits... it bits hard !!

 

Thanks for the information, now i know those pen exist.

[kaisede]

Glad it was useful. I have found Pilot and even more so, Platinum for that matter have excellent consistency out of the box. I have only one MB, it's very nice but I don't feel the need for more.

 

The 845 is really excellent. Almost too subtle for its performance. No wonder it is often overlooked.

 

Emperor Vermilion... hmmmm.

 

 

I have a Platinum 3776 Century. They do write really well out of the box. The only problem is that the nib is way to stiff for me. Normally I don't ink it up except when I travel. I find it a good travel pen due to its size and STIFF nib. Never know what kind of paper or condition I will be writing.

[Gasquolet]

It's interesting that you find the stiffness of the Platinum standard nib a downside. I have found the stiff but superbly tactile medium President nib in my Izumo is actually one of my favourite pens to write with.

It may sound trite but it's like a sports car compared with most soft nibbed pens, very precise and with the sort of feedback that only a stiff nib can provide. I think it's an acquired taste though as it took me a while to realise that I really liked using it and for which reasons.

 

On the other hand, another favourite writer is my 3776 with soft fine nib. Again, the feedback is important to the writing experience but the softness is well judged and quiet unlike the standard 3776 nibs.

 

To my knowledge the 823 isn't available from Pilot with the FA nib. The FA from my 743 fitted perfectly in the section of the 845 and the 845's 18k BB in the 743. Maybe something has changed in more recent pens?

[kaisede]

Hi Gasquolet,

I did not know that 3776 comes with a soft nib. Maybe I will check that out. As for the 823, (after googling) I see Tokyo Quill sales FA on 823. I think I am going to get the 743 and just swap section with the 845. It seems like the best bet not to pull out or push in the nibs.

[EdeIstein88]

@kaisede 3776 soft nib not that "soft" but compare to normal nib they have, this nib softer but dont give u a huge line variation

[Gasquolet]

Yes, sorry that was ambiguous: some sellers in Japan seem to be able to source some nibs, from the 743 catalogue it seems, to replace the standard options in the 832 and 845.

I think you're definitely going the right way with your plan to get a 743 and swap the section as you choose. You could keep both inked too as you won't have to swap the convertor either unless having the black one in the 845 is particularly important to you.

 

I don't really do flex but the softness of the 3776 nib, as Edelstein88 says, is not so much about line width as feel and flow. Mine feels quite different to the FA, and to be honest, I prefer it...

[kaisede]

Got it. I never really used a full flex pen before. My thinking when someone says soft I am thinking a long the line of Visconti or Pelican M 1000 nibs. Which is more of a bounce than flex.

[EdeIstein88]

@kaisede yes just bounce, i use my M1000 gently, the nib 18ct is very soft but u must becarefull not to sprung that nib