Pilot Custom 823 Isn't Writing Very Well

[Duane Pandorf]

I have removed the smaller rubber gasket on the plunger so I don't have to worry about having to always unscrew the mechanism. I also travel more than half the year on the airlines and in the cockpit. Haven't had any leaking issues with the pen configured this way.

[PenandDesign]

Thanks for your replies, everyone. The pen writes a bit better, but it might just be the angle I hold it back. It still just straight up stops writing sometimes.

[Godrat]

Hi guys,

same problem here... PenandDesing - did you find a solution?

 

I just bought a (2 months old) black custom 823 with a medium nib (in Germany, where no one sells this pen - and the seller claims it did write perfectly fine, which I doubt) and am experiencing the exact same issue: the pen writes fine for some time, then all of a sudden it is skipping lines, sometimes to a very high degree (end cap opened in differing positions). This appears to be different on different papers, and, as silly as it may sound, it seems like the pen does not write well where I touched the paper before (maybe it gets greasy?? - though I am a normally clean person and no other of my 7 pens has a problem like that...). I flushed the pen with normal water, put its nib in an ultrasonic cleaner, then loaded Pelikan Edelstein Sapphire ink. After skipping occured, I repeated ultasonic cleaning, then flushed it with water and a tiny bit of detergent, then it wrote better, but, after some time, again skipped in an inacceptable frequency... I'll change ink tomorrow again, I guess...

 

As it is writing perfectly fine sometimes, I think I can exclude the following factors as at least the single cause of skipping as they would most likely cause permanent issues (but it might cause skipping in combination with other factors, such as bad hand positioning or bad paper): The tines are probably not too close.The nib seems to be good as well (judging by the looks it has no "baby bottom" or how it s called in english) - I could upload some macro pictures of the nib if anyone with more clue than me d be so kind as to look at them. Also it probably is not the ink (Pelikan Edelstein Sapphire) - although I wonder if you think this is a specifically thick or viscous ink or the like so that maybe a wetter ink (pre owner used iroshizuku ink) would perform better under bad circumstances (bad paper, bad handpositioning, etc.). Should not be hand positioning (alone) neither, as the angles when it skips differ and other people experience the skipping problem as well.

Another idea I had is that the problem may be caused by forgetting to open the end cap so the feed runs dry and has some air trapped inside which then restricts the ink flow for a long time even after having opened the cap...

 

Drives me crazy having such a perfectly smooth writing pen that just isn't reliable...

 

Cheers,

Felix

Edited July 24, 2017 by Godrat

[PenandDesign]

Hey Felix,

 

Sorry to hear that you're experiencing the same problem! I have not found any solution. For reference, I was using Montblanc grey, followed by Montblanc blue. However, I wonder if the issue is that the pen cannot accommodate my writing style. I lent it to someone in my family, who was able to write with it rather well, although there was still the occasional hard start. When he observed me struggle to write, he noticed that - perhaps because I am left-handed - I write with a slightly idiosyncratic (I believe the German word is eigenwillig ) style that might impede ink flow. Maybe this is because of the angle at which the pen has to be held because of the large nib? In any case, I don't know what to do! I also have a black 823 in medium.

 

For reference, I sometimes hold the nib up in front of a light to ensure that there is ink in between the tines. When there is, then I can be assured that the issue isn't due to forgetting to open the end cap.

 

I hope you're able to find a fix for the problem - please let me know if you do. I feel a bit better knowing that I'm not the only one with this issue. Despite the small sample size, I wonder if this issue is due to the design of the nib and pen, rather than my own writing style.

 

Regards,

Pen&Design

[Lam1]

Sorry that you are facing these problems.

 

I also had similar problems with mine at the beginning and it was solved by pulling the blind cap until it completely disengages from the threads. If it was even a little bit engaged, it would sometimes write but then completely dry up, after which I had to shake the pen a bit to write again (and usually it made a complete mess). That is, some ink would be able to go to the feed if the pen was shaken, but not under normal use (that is why it usually worked at first when I arrived at work or home and after a little while it stopped).

 

Also, Montblanc inks are dry and none of my Pilots like dry ink. So, perhaps do the above and change the ink to see what happens.

 

Good luck.

[Chrissy]

Maybe it could just be as simple as trying Pilot ink?

 

My CH 92 fitted with a F nib always seems to write much dryer than my C 74 M nib.

[Godrat]

Hey guys,

 

thanks for the advices!

 

I've tried another, particularly wet (as far as I know) ink (Rohrer Klinger Verdura) but it still is skipping. But I was lucky and the seller finally accepted to take back the pen! Which is definitely what I ll do - guess it is just a flawed pen and other Custom 823s will write better. So I'll just wait and see if I can get another one somewhere :-) Because when it writes it is a superb pen!

Anyways, I think it is an absolute no-go for a pen of this price not to write perfectly, skipping is just inacceptable, so thats the standard the pen has to live up to... But out of the pens I have it unfortunately is not the only one with problems, I have two Montblancs that also don't write properly (with converters though - and I finally contacted customer service about that) - which is the reason why I'll never buy anything of this brand ever again. My old Pelikan M800 fine writes with everything on everything all the time - living up to the standard :-D

 

Best wishes

Felix

[J_MM]

My 823 really does not like Diamine Majestic Blue. It has flow issues all the time with this ink. Every other ink is just fine.

[InkedPages]

Hey All,

 

I recently acquired an 823 with a broad nib and had a similar flow problem. Dismayed, I turned to other FP Network and other threads noting similar issues advocated flushing as a solution. I didn't want to remove the blind cap at the end because I like the idea of a double reservoir mechanism.

 

So I turned to flushing, first with water then with dish soap, then water again. The theory behind this came from a user who suggested that the issue was one of excess silicone grease inside the pen intended to protect the components but which stymies the actual writing experience until cleaned out. My regimen for flushing it was:

 

7 times with cool water, turning the pen to make sure I was getting the water where it needed to be

7 times with a mixture of 1 mug of room temperature water and 5 drops dish soap, still turning

10 times with cool water to make sure I'd flushed it clear.

3-4 times in open air to try and get the water out (I really hope this wasn't bad for the mechanism, but I couldn't/can't see any harm and I was being impatient to start writing again).

 

I've since filled it again with the same ink (Iroshizuku Ku Jaku) and its writing beautifully. The pen that was promised. I hope a similar flushing regimen has similar effects for you, because I'm now as happy with the flow as I was with everything else about the pen.

[minddance]

In my experience, Pilot Pens can be very dry. Flow can be bad and nibs inconsistent.

 

I say this after countless dishwashing liquid flushing and ultrasonic cleaning.

 

Maybe the Japanese prefer a dry rollerball (and not a very good one at that) look, I don't know.

 

Or have I been getting too many lemons from the Japanese?

Edited October 31, 2017 by minddance

[Dr.Grace]

I don't know why Pilot tends to set their nibs up to be dry out of the box. Not all, but many are like that. But I have always found that the flow can be increased by widening the tines, which makes the flow quite consistent. With Pilot pens, flushing has never been necessary or even helpful, in my experience.

 

So I would recommend that everybody using Pilot pens, and indeed most fountain pens, should learn how to adjust their own nibs. It's really not that hard, although you have to be gentle and not overdo it.

[Docsol]

My Pilot 823 is a few weeks old from Goulet. I am having the same issue. It writes perfectly for about 800 words (I am doing NaNoWriMo) then it becomes difficult. I certainly have the end cap loosened. Using iroshizuku Yama guri. This is my third ink fill. The first was perfect. The next two skipped. I had to pull the plunger a bit then push back to get enough ink to continue. Yes this made a mess on my blotting paper. I will speak with goulet on Monday. They are wonderful and am sure they will replace it or tell me what I am doing wrong. When it works it is my best writer!

Edited November 11, 2017 by Docsol