Pilot Custom Urushi Red Review

[Mew]

Nice, when I bought mine prices on ebay for used were similar to new. It's a nice looking pen but the real catch is that marvelous nib. You gotta try it to see that. My favorite modern nib by far, including anything from Omas to Pelikan to sailor

Since there is supply shortage ATM, you can expect a used piece to fetch as much as a brand new one. I bought mine brand new, and paid very little for it, something beyond sumgai.

 

Nib is really nice. I prefer pilot nibs to any other nib, and this is only behind Namiki #50 nib.

[Fatalpotato]

Since there is supply shortage ATM, you can expect a used piece to fetch as much as a brand new one. I bought mine brand new, and paid very little for it, something beyond sumgai.

 

Nib is really nice. I prefer pilot nibs to any other nib, and this is only behind Namiki #50 nib.

I've never used a #50, which is a shame . I have another pilot in 912 fa, which is awesome and probably the best modern flexy nib Imho. This one is not as flexy for sure, but the huge feed helps keep the flow going much longer, which I enjoy a lot, when using in cursive writing. If the exchange rate hadn't plummeted, I was hoping to buy a #50 this winter, to finally have a namiki. But I guess I'll need to save a little more Edited July 9, 2018 by Fatalpotato

[Mew]

I've never used a #50, which is a shame . I have another pilot in 912 fa, which is awesome and probably the best modern flexy nib Imho. This one is not as flexy for sure, but the huge feed helps keep the flow going much longer, which I enjoy a lot, when using in cursive writing. If the exchange rate hadn't plummeted, I was hoping to buy a #50 this winter, to finally have a namiki. But I guess I'll need to save a little more

#50 isn't a flex nib, and neither is this #30. Some pictures on Instagram do amaze me as to how they get this sort of line variation. I don't push any of my nibs, flex or non-flex, neither do I actively look for line variation, so these I would use for what they are: standard every day writing nibs.

 

#50 is great. I probably won't get another #30, but I would definitely get another #50 at some point in future.

[penmaxwell919]

Great review and this is a fantastic writer! I might be putting the Custom Urushi up for sale. I'm on the fence because it is such a great writer, but I'm also eyeing a WE Agatha. Here's my current state of the pen.

 

https://imgur.com/a/FCbQ2mD

[Fatalpotato]

Great review and this is a fantastic writer! I might be putting the Custom Urushi up for sale. I'm on the fence because it is such a great writer, but I'm also eyeing a WE Agatha. Here's my current state of the pen.

 

https://imgur.com/a/FCbQ2mD

That's a ditto . Also a nice demo collection, I stopped buying demos after an opera crystal. This pen is so unique, I wouldn't let go of it for a MB, but I guess different strokes are for different folks. I'm pretty sure you can sell it for around $800+ if you're in the western hemisphere.

[penmaxwell919]

That's a ditto . Also a nice demo collection, I stopped buying demos after an opera crystal. This pen is so unique, I wouldn't let go of it for a MB, but I guess different strokes are for different folks. I'm pretty sure you can sell it for around $800+ if you're in the western hemisphere.

 

Yeah, 2 Visconti demos is enough for me. After I get all the #9 nib Writer's Edition and the Agatha then I'm going to start on the Conids.

[Mew]

I had a Conid, the monarch kingsize. It was a nice pen, great nib and a nice filling system. I thought it would be easy to clean, but I had to disassemble it after every fill to properly clean it. So I let it go.

True ingenious of that filling system is visible in the demo, and that's what their pens look best in. But I can't be bothered to be that careful with each and every single ink that I use. Do you also select relatively safer inks for your demos @penmaxwell?

[vinnied]

This one seems like a winner!

Will try to test it soon: curious to see if the dimensions fit me as I tend to prefer the thinner pens in general

[Mew]

Here's the black one with Vermillion Custom urushi and Urushi #50 Vermillion

 

http://i.imgur.com/6M5jrDi.jpg

[kjm]

I just ordered this pen from the Goulet Pen Company. Should have it next week. I already own the Black model and am very pleased with it.

[Precise]

I received my Pilot Custom Urushi M today. The workmanship is beautiful. But the nib needed tuning. I've done that, and the pen writes very well, but not as well as my tuned Bexley steel #6 nibs and other ordinary nibbed pens.

 

In this thread, I've written that my two KOP nibs are also very good, but not great.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/339952-big-nibs-small-nibs/

 

I love big pens and big nibs and I wanted my Pilot CU and KOPs to write great, but despite improving them a lot with careful tuning, they aren't quite great.

 

What about you other posters in this thread? Is your Pilot Custom Urushi your greatest writer?

 

Alan

Edited September 30, 2018 by Precise

[TheDutchGuy]

I seriously considered an Custom 845 Urushi yesterday at a pen show. But I passed. I could not try the pen at the booth, which catered mostly to serious collectors who don't write with their pens. I'm not buying a pen priced at €475 without trying it, especially not at a pen show from a trader that I'll probably never see again in my life. On top of that, my experiences with my Custom 823 F haven't been all that favourable. Having said that, that 845 Urushi sure felt great in the hand. It was a very appealing pen.

[Mulrich]

A shop I recently visited had the Custom Urushi and the Namiki emperor and royale in stock so I could compare them side by side (stupidly I forgot to take a picture). The custom urushis size fit nicely between the two Namiki models. My only real issue with the pen is I thought the cap looked a little too big/thick for the barrel.

I was more tempted by the two Namiki pens but the custom urushi was still a nice looking pen.

[Precise]

Regarding looks. I normally have a strong affection for red pens. But the treatment of the ends put me off, so I bought the all black. It looks classier to my eye. The finish is first rate.

 

Incidentally I normally have no interest in flex because I write relatively fast and view using flex more as drawing rather than writing. But I tried drawing my name with this pen and the flex was enough to make it look quite nice.

 

Alan

[Yohaanrods]

That's one heck of a pen!! Pilots quality is second to none at the price at which it delivers. And I love red pens