Very Dissatisfied With My Pilot Custom 74

[YonathanZ]

Hi everyone,

 

Being a student, it took some "courage" to convince myself to buy a C74 pen. I wanted something similar to my Medium Metropolitan and used Goulet's Nib Nook tool to compare the Fine C74 with the Medium Metro. They looked pretty similar.

When I got the pen I was extremely disappointed as it barely put out any ink and was difficult to write with.

Turns out the Fine C74 and Medium Metro aren't even remotely close in size, the C74 Fine feels two sizes below the Medium Metro.

I ended up flushing it twice (with some dish soap) and also started using Pilot's own black ink (not Iroshizuku). It got better, but it's still my least favorite pen (also got a Faber Castell Loom). I mean, I like the effortless line variation but I find myself applying force to get the amount of ink I want on the paper. It's also not nearly as smooth as the Metro, it almost feels like I got a different C74 than what everyone else has.

 

So I know you can take a medium nib to a nibmeister and have them make it write finer, but I guess the other way around isn't possible?

I've already posted the pen for sale in Classifieds but I doubt it'd sell without me losing a lot of what I paid for it... And needless to say, I can't afford yet another C74.

 

So please let me know if there's anything that can be done to improve my experience with this pen. Thank you.

Edited July 15, 2019 by YonathanZ

[DonM]

In my experience the Nib Nook tool is not very helpful since you don't have any frame of reference. I need to have it in front of me to actually tell the differences. Computer screens don't cut it.

 

Flossing the tines with a brass shim often improves ink flow. There are other recommended methods, but I don't recommend them for everyone, especially folks who probably don't want to take risks with their pens.

 

Lastly, I think you have discovered the inconsistencies of fountain pen nibs. Happens with every brand I have experience with and is just how things are. Some pens need adjustment in order to perform as one wants them to. A good nibmeister should be able to increase the flow, but they can't make it a larger size nib. And a Japanese fine is just that, very fine.

[FOUR X FOUR]

Yonathan, did you buy it, retail?

[Olya]

Nib nooks and writing comparisons can also be nigh on useless if they're not written on eg 5mm grid paper.

 

Pilot gold nibs notoriously have problems with too tight tines. Sounds like yours also has too tight tines.

[TheGreatRoe]

1. I would imagine that there's some tuning that can be done either by you (flossing, gently spreading) if you're comfortable. But if you look for a nibmeister, they can adjust/tune flow for less than you will lose by selling the pen used.

 

2. A nibmeister cannot make nib wider per se--that is to say taking a traditional, rounded M to a traditional, rounded B. But they can turn a rounded nib point into a stub which can functionally widen the nib to some degree. They don't actually widen it, but they grind the rounded tip so that a little more of the nib will contact the paper. It wouldn't be a huge difference but it can be done within limits.

 

3. How new is the pen, and who is the retailer? If the nib is "defective" they might swap it out for you, or help you swap it with Pilot.

[IndigoBOB]

Hi everyone,

 

Being a student, it took some "courage" to convince myself to buy a C74 pen. I wanted something similar to my Medium Metropolitan and used Goulet's Nib Nook tool to compare the Fine C74 with the Medium Metro. They looked pretty similar.

When I got the pen I was extremely disappointed as it barely put out any ink and was difficult to write with.

Turns out the Fine C74 and Medium Metro aren't even remotely close in size, the C74 Fine feels two sizes below the Medium Metro.

I ended up flushing it twice (with some dish soap) and also started using Pilot's own black ink (not Iroshizuku). It got better, but it's still my least favorite pen (also got a Faber Castell Loom). I mean, I like the effortless line variation but I find myself applying force to get the amount of ink I want on the paper. It's also not nearly as smooth as the Metro, it almost feels like I got a different C74 than what everyone else has.

 

So I know you can take a medium nib to a nibmeister and have them make it write finer, but I guess the other way around isn't possible?

I've already posted the pen for sale in Classifieds but I doubt it'd sell without me losing a lot of what I paid for it... And needless to say, I can't afford yet another C74.

 

So please let me know if there's anything that can be done to improve my experience with this pen. Thank you.

 

 

It sounds like an easy fix.

 

I've had plenty of pilot nibs dry OOTB, not all of them, but sometimes they come with the tines too tight which will cause them to write dry, feel dry, and require pressure to write with.

 

If you look under a loupe and the tines appear tight: Remove the nib and take a single brass sheet (like the one you get from Goulet pens and other pen stores), place it in between the tines and leave it over a few hours and let that open the tines just enough not to be too wide. If that doesn't work, leave the single brass sheet in over night. That should do the trick.

 

using 2 brass sheets may spread the tines too wide and that is not fun to try to fix, and it will never feel the same again.

 

If the tines are alright to start with or after the spreading them, I advise to use a bulb syringe and flush out the the feed with distilled water and a drop of detergent thoroughly. Then flush again with distilled water only and thoroughly (or the cleanest water you can find). Sometimes residues from manufacturing end up in the feed and you need to flush a new pen out thoroughly.

[Honeybadgers]

I have no idea where the notion that a custom 74 F and metro M are the same size comes from. It's a fairly common statement, but nothing could be further from the truth. If you write with a super heavy hand, MAYBE, since the 14k is a tad softer, but on the whole, all my pilot 14k nibs are the same F/EF/M as the steel ones.

 

You likely want to make the F wetter, but even at its wettest, it won't be near the metro M. So if you can live with a finer, but wetter line, the 74 with either flossed tines or do the "press the nib flat down on a hard surface" trick. Otherwise, if you bought it from goulet, they'll cover the pen for 90 days, so you can return it if it's within three months,

[YonathanZ]

I've heard the notion that gold nibs are wetter than steel ones on pretty much every platform (here, in YouTube videos, etc...), and not just in general but specifically in regard to Pilot. Also, check this out, from Goulet's Nib Nook:

 

I zoomed in so you can see how thicker the Fine Custom 74 looks compared with the Medium Metro. Either I got a really "tight" nib or this comparison tool is misleading.

 

I am OK with a slightly finer line than the Metro, but as it is, the difference is too much.

 

I've located a local nibmeister who should be able to help, just need to find the time to go see him.

 

Also, the seller I got it from does not accept returns for "I don't like the pen" reasons.

Edited July 16, 2019 by YonathanZ

[YonathanZ]

Shot a video comparing Faber Castell Loom (M), Pilot Metropolitan (M), Platinum Preppy (EF, 0.2mm) and the Custom 74 (F). Please have a look at the lines of the 74 and let me know what you think of it.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IoAGmE16X4&feature=youtu.be

[TSherbs]

Something seems wrong with the nib

[TheGreatRoe]

 

Also, the seller I got it from does not accept returns for "I don't like the pen" reasons.

 

Seeing the video, I'd call it closer to defective than "I don't like the pen."

[Honeybadgers]

I've heard the notion that gold nibs are wetter than steel ones on pretty much every platform (here, in YouTube videos, etc...), and not just in general but specifically in regard to Pilot. Also, check this out, from Goulet's Nib Nook:

 

I zoomed in so you can see how thicker the Fine Custom 74 looks compared with the Medium Metro. Either I got a really "tight" nib or this comparison tool is misleading.

 

I am OK with a slightly finer line than the Metro, but as it is, the difference is too much.

 

I've located a local nibmeister who should be able to help, just need to find the time to go see him.

 

Also, the seller I got it from does not accept returns for "I don't like the pen" reasons.

 

 

The nib nook is a general guideline, but not 100%. It depends on paper, ink, pressure, and the specific pen. All pens come a little wetter or drier than their peers.

 

As it is, now you know. See if you can find someone with a custom 74 M or FM that wants to trade. I'd trade, but both of my 74's are F and SF because I hate medium nibs. But just assume that pilot 14k will be a bit wetter, but not wider. wetness does not directly equate to line width. I have some juicy as hell needlepoints.

 

assuming the pen itself isn't wrong (who'd you buy it from? you could make a fair argument that it doesn't write properly if it's as dry as you say, unless it's JETpens, who will screw you over royally if you have the audacity to return even a defective product.)

 

Based on the video, you have a pen with tines that are too tight. it shouldn't skip like that. Fixing that should help quite a bit. But you could easily return it to the seller based on that. I see it skipping when the others are not. properly tuned pens should never skip.

[YonathanZ]

 

 

The nib nook is a general guideline, but not 100%. It depends on paper, ink, pressure, and the specific pen. All pens come a little wetter or drier than their peers.

 

As it is, now you know. See if you can find someone with a custom 74 M or FM that wants to trade. I'd trade, but both of my 74's are F and SF because I hate medium nibs. But just assume that pilot 14k will be a bit wetter, but not wider. wetness does not directly equate to line width. I have some juicy as hell needlepoints.

 

assuming the pen itself isn't wrong (who'd you buy it from? you could make a fair argument that it doesn't write properly if it's as dry as you say, unless it's JETpens, who will screw you over royally if you have the audacity to return even a defective product.)

 

Based on the video, you have a pen with tines that are too tight. it shouldn't skip like that. Fixing that should help quite a bit. But you could easily return it to the seller based on that. I see it skipping when the others are not. properly tuned pens should never skip.

 

 

I had recently stumbled upon a Goulet video where Brian explains that different people write the different samples for the Nib Nook tool, and that their writing pressure varies which is why the gold Pilots seem wider.

 

Anyhow, I've sent the video to the eBay seller and he asked that I return it for a refund, which I will. I'll go back and do some more research to decide what pen to order instead...

[Honeybadgers]

If you like the pilot steel M, get an M. If you want it a hair finer or write with a heavy hand (which I suspect you don't based on your video) get an FM.

 

If you want it soft, get the SFM, as gentle pressure will have it bouncing against an M, or if you want the M+, get the SM.

 

I personally adore the soft nibs, but some people really do not.

 

Either way, don't be put off. You got a dud, not representative of the custom 74. if you liked everything except how it wrote, just get another. QC failings in pilot pens are much more rare than basically any other brand on earth.

Edited July 17, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[penzel_washinkton]

That is definitely caused by tines at the tip being too tight.

Had experienced this in my Custom 91 and had it remedied by opening up the tines a little bit.

[YonathanZ]

Whats it like writing with a soft nib at a normal speed?

Does it require writing slower than normal? I love the line variation Im seeing on videos but wonder about its everyday practicality (Im a college student).

 

Thanks.

[JonSzanto]

Whats it like writing with a soft nib at a normal speed?

Does it require writing slower than normal? I love the line variation Im seeing on videos but wonder about its everyday practicality (Im a college student).

 

A couple of things about a soft nib:

• The are not made for line variation. Most nibs are 'soft' because they spring upward but the tines to not move away from each other. It is designed to give a 'bouncy' feel to the nib, but if one gets line width changes of anything more than a small amount, they are using too much pressure and will eventually spring the nib, often (in this case) causing it to be bent upward away from the feed and stopping the flow of ink.
• In general, most people concur that a stiff, smooth nib will be the 'fastest' way to put down words on paper. The move to stiff, "posting" nibs in the 1920s, away from flexible nibs, came as business (and society) started speeding up, and people needed to write faster and with less fuss. A soft or flexible nib will usually tend to make people write a little slower, for control if nothing else.

[TheDutchGuy]

^—Words of wisdom.

[Mongoosey]

Pilot Gold Soft nibs have an amazing feel to them.

 

But they do write wide for their size compared to Regular Pilot Gold nibs.

 

I find they are also more sensitive to your angle and pressure in preventing them from having an "edge" to them.

 

For regular notes I personally prefer a Regular Pilot Gold nib instead of a Soft Gold nib, especially since the Regular Pilot Gold nibs already have a little springiness to them, which I find requires less effort to control.

_____________________

 

But did you examine the tines of your pen with a loupe? That dryness isn't uncommon with Pilot Gold nibs, which often come with tines too tight OOTB.

[YonathanZ]

Thanks everyone, I have sent the Fine C74 back to the seller and ordered a clear demonstrator Medium C74, which I think would fit much better in a college environment, compared with the business-like black and gold C74.

 

Ive also got to play with my Medium Loom a bit and started to really appreciate the thick line it puts on the page. I wouldnt mind if the medium C74 were the same...

 

As for the tines, I did not check them because Im not interested in messing with a $100 pen.