Pilot - does Custom have a specific meaning, gold nib?

[vans4444]

I really like Pilot/Namiki pens and I am thinking of my next purchase. I was advised to look at the Custom 823 (but it is now mostly available in a transparent brown which is not to my liking).

 

I noticed that many Pilots have "Custom" in the name. Does it have any particular relevance or meaning?

 

Similarly, does the number that follows Custom have a relevance? With Pelikans, generally (but not always) the larger the number the bigger and more expensive the pen. Is it the same with Pilot?

Edited June 9, 2009 by vans4444

[stan]

I really like Pilot/Namiki pens and I am thinking of my next purchase. I was advised to look at the Custom 823 (but it is now mostly available in a transparent brown which is not to my liking).

 

I noticed that many Pilots have "Custom" in the name. Does it have any particular relevance or meaning?

 

Similarly, does the number that follows Custom have a relevance? With Pelikans, generally (but not always) the larger the number the bigger and more expensive the pen. Is it the same with Pilot?

 

 

I cannot provide a definitive history of the Pilot Custom nor explain whether they get bigger or better as the model number gets higher.

 

As the story goes Custom was used due to the ability to interchange nib types in the earliest models. This was not new as sections for the Pilot E and earlier Super models could be used on any other pen in the series. The earliest Customs did not have the big inlaid nib but, smaller nail types that featured Signature, Falcon, and Music nibs. The larger nibs came almost concurrently but very slightly later. It might have been thought one could purchase another section and nib type allowing one to 'customize' their pen.

 

I've never seen spare sections for sale so, my newest theory is that Custom was initially only a word used for the name. The Super was not super nor the Deluxe a great step above some comparable models. An analogy might be automobiles. How many models have used the term Super or Deluxe or Custom to describe them. Were they?

 

Regards.

[Neill78]

I really like Pilot/Namiki pens and I am thinking of my next purchase. I was advised to look at the Custom 823 (but it is now mostly available in a transparent brown which is not to my liking).

 

I noticed that many Pilots have "Custom" in the name. Does it have any particular relevance or meaning?

 

Similarly, does the number that follows Custom have a relevance? With Pelikans, generally (but not always) the larger the number the bigger and more expensive the pen. Is it the same with Pilot?

 

I think the number just denotes the physical size of the nib, and they get bigger as you go up the Custom "ladder." For example the Custom 74 takes #5 nibs, the next model takes #10, the 823 takes #15 (no idea if I've got those numbers correct.. I don't have my Pilot catalog with me).

 

I think the nibs also get more highly decorated as they get bigger, so the end result is greater expense. All nib styles are available (F, M, B, SF, Falcon, etc) regardless of the nib number or pen model, and the catalog makes no claims that the writing quality differs between the pens.

 

What you're paying for is a larger, more decorated pen with a larger (and hence more gold content), more decorated nib.

 

The "Custom" name doesn't seem to denote anything more than the model line, but maybe they called it that due to the great variety of nibs you can choose from when you buy it (compared to other models and other makers' pens). Unfortunately the nibs don't appear to be available separately, which would really make it "custom."

 

Neill

[Siv]

The "Custom" name doesn't seem to denote anything more than the model line, but maybe they called it that due to the great variety of nibs you can choose from when you buy it (compared to other models and other makers' pens).

I believe this is why they called it Custom - because there were so many varieties of nibs available (soft, hard, oblique etc) that you can get a pen off the shelf that writes like one that was made just for you - well that was the idea anyway...

[stan]

The "Custom" name doesn't seem to denote anything more than the model line, but maybe they called it that due to the great variety of nibs you can choose from when you buy it (compared to other models and other makers' pens).

I believe this is why they called it Custom - because there were so many varieties of nibs available (soft, hard, oblique etc) that you can get a pen off the shelf that writes like one that was made just for you - well that was the idea anyway...

 

 

The moniker Custom has been in use since 1972. At the time Pilot sold the then standard array of nibs: Signature, Script, Soft, Coarse, Falcon, Music. Think I'm missing one. They quickly introduced nibs that were EF, F, M, and B in both Japanese and Western sizes. The current array is very recent dating from the 1990s.

[donwinn]

I really like Pilot/Namiki pens and I am thinking of my next purchase. I was advised to look at the Custom 823 (but it is now mostly available in a transparent brown which is not to my liking).

 

I noticed that many Pilots have "Custom" in the name. Does it have any particular relevance or meaning?

 

Similarly, does the number that follows Custom have a relevance? With Pelikans, generally (but not always) the larger the number the bigger and more expensive the pen. Is it the same with Pilot?

 

I think the number just denotes the physical size of the nib, and they get bigger as you go up the Custom "ladder." For example the Custom 74 takes #5 nibs, the next model takes #10, the 823 takes #15 (no idea if I've got those numbers correct.. I don't have my Pilot catalog with me).

 

I think the nibs also get more highly decorated as they get bigger, so the end result is greater expense. All nib styles are available (F, M, B, SF, Falcon, etc) regardless of the nib number or pen model, and the catalog makes no claims that the writing quality differs between the pens.

 

In actual fact, the FA nib is unfortunately not available in the #5 size. I am uncertain if there are other exceptions to availability across different series. I do know the Custom 742 has the #10 nib and the Custom 743 has the #15 nib, but defer to those more familiar with the varieties to elucidate further.

 

What you're paying for is a larger, more decorated pen with a larger (and hence more gold content), more decorated nib.

 

The "Custom" name doesn't seem to denote anything more than the model line, but maybe they called it that due to the great variety of nibs you can choose from when you buy it (compared to other models and other makers' pens). Unfortunately the nibs don't appear to be available separately, which would really make it "custom."

 

Neill

 

I agree 100 percent with the sadness of not having nibs available separately.

 

Donnie

 

[Neill78]

In actual fact, the FA nib is unfortunately not available in the #5 size. I am uncertain if there are other exceptions to availability across different series. I do know the Custom 742 has the #10 nib and the Custom 743 has the #15 nib, but defer to those more familiar with the varieties to elucidate further.

 

I tried a Custom 74 with the FA nib at the pen store in Nagoya Station's Takashimaya department store. But you're right, I haven't seen any other stores offering it with an FA nib. Maybe the clerk just gave me a different pen to try for fun?? I wasn't really paying attention to anything but how they wrote.

 

Neill

[nemesiz]

The moniker Custom has been in use since 1972. At the time Pilot sold the then standard array of nibs: Signature, Script, Soft, Coarse, Falcon, Music. Think I'm missing one. They quickly introduced nibs that were EF, F, M, and B in both Japanese and Western sizes. The current array is very recent dating

 

The current custom nibs also include Posting (PO), Stub (ST), Waverly(WA), and sizes Soft Fine Medium(SFM) and Double Broad(BB) but whether these were sold in the early Seventies I won't hazard a guess. Although posting nibs were available and used by various manufacturers before the seventies.

[vans4444]

OK, I think I understand. The number indicates nib size. In very broad terms, bigger numbers = bigger nib. I know bigger nibs look good, but do they affect the writing experience in some way?

 

I looked on eBay (because I don't have a Pilot brochure) and noticed as already indicated that the numbers are not linked to the size of the pen. The sizes mentioned in the adverts vary a little between sellers and some diameters might be the cap instead of the barrel, but seem to indicate the following, length followed by diameter. The nib sizes are taken from eBay or replies to this thread.

 

74 146 x 11 nib 5

742 146 x 15.7 nib 10

743 147 x 15.9 nib 15

823 149 x 13 nib 15

845 147 x 15.9 nib 15

98 122 x 13.3

 

 

Is this the full current Custom range? Does anyone have the nib size of the 845? I assume it is a 15.

 

Thanks for all your replies

 

Edited to add the size of the 845 nib

Edited June 10, 2009 by vans4444

[MYU]

The moniker Custom has been in use since 1972. At the time Pilot sold the then standard array of nibs: Signature, Script, Soft, Coarse, Falcon, Music. Think I'm missing one. They quickly introduced nibs that were EF, F, M, and B in both Japanese and Western sizes. The current array is very recent dating from the 1990s.

Is it "posting" by any chance? I vaguely remember seeing a nib with that designation.

 

 

Someone else had also told me that "Custom" was because of the nib selection. It wasn't that separate nib units could be purchased... it's that the same pen could be selected with a wide variety of nibs not readily available with other pen brands. A "custom" selection of nib type. Another told me that at the time, the Pilot dealers had the skill to customize the nibs as well. Nothing dramatic, like changing a medium nib to a stub, but to adjust the nib according to the writer's wishes.

 

Anyway, it's interesting to speculate but clearly the use of the model name is now more a marketing link to a long running name, nothing to do with the original intent. Incidentally, one or more of the GM brands back in the 70's offered a "custom" model, whereby you could select from a choice of several engines for the same model car. And so "custom" was part of the name.

[MYU]

Does anyone have the nib size of the 845? I assume it is a 15.

Yes. The 743, 823 and 845 all offer a #15 nib, except that the 845 nib is two-tone (silver/gold).

Edited June 10, 2009 by MYU

[penelope namiki]

Forgive my not looking through all the posts to see if this has been added, but there's a custom 823 in transparent black that is SUBLIME. Was just using mine, with GREAT pleasure. It's a dark pen, there's nowhere near the transparency of the brown, and that makes it subtler than subtle -- you suddenly see a bit of murky light coming through it when you uncap it, or from the corner of your eye as your ink supply (and a generous chamber it is) starts running . I LOVE it. Obviously, writes like a dream, too. Not in the U.S. market, findable on ebay. BUT there seems to be a regular black one, so look for the word 'transparent.' And please don't let my nom de FPN make you think I'm related to, or work for, anybody in the parent company. Or the pen business, for that matter. Or that I'm Japanese. Or a woman.

 

I really like Pilot/Namiki pens and I am thinking of my next purchase. I was advised to look at the Custom 823 (but it is now mostly available in a transparent brown which is not to my liking).

 

I noticed that many Pilots have "Custom" in the name. Does it have any particular relevance or meaning?

 

Similarly, does the number that follows Custom have a relevance? With Pelikans, generally (but not always) the larger the number the bigger and more expensive the pen. Is it the same with Pilot?

 

[rokurinpapa]

I think the number means the dominical year and the value(list price) of the pen, for example Custom 743 means that it was developped in 1974 and is worth about 30,000 yen(about $300). Custom74 is worth 10,000yen and in this case 1 is omitted.

[Shamouti]

This topic probably leads to a more interesting question. If there are currently three apparent sizes for the nibs, then does anyone have a list of all the numbered sizes Pilot makes for their fountain pens?

 

Shamouti

[rokurinpapa]

This topic probably leads to a more interesting question. If there are currently three apparent sizes for the nibs, then does anyone have a list of all the numbered sizes Pilot makes for their fountain pens?

 

Shamouti

 

So far as I know, there are 6 sizes of gold nib apart from Silvern's inlaid nib, VP's nib and Dx-Urushi pen nib and so on in Pilot present pen.

N0.50: Namiki Emperor collection, Urushi collection(large size),Chinkin collection(large size).

No.20: Namiki Yukari Royale collection,Urushi collection(midium size),Chinkin collection(midium size)

No.15: Pilot Custom845,823,743

No.10:Namiki Yukari collection,Nippon Art collection,Pilot Makie pen,Custom 742,Custom Maple,Bamboo

No.5: Namiki Nippon Art collection(Ukiyo-e),Pilot Makie pen(moderate Hira-Makie),Custom74,Legance

No.3: Pilot Custom98,Quattro,Grance,Legance89s,Legno89s,Stella90s

[rokurinpapa]

I think the number means the dominical year and the value(list price) of the pen, for example Custom 743 means that it was developped in 1974 and is worth about 30,000 yen(about $300). Custom74 is worth 10,000yen and in this case 1 is omitted.

 

Sorry I made a mistake in writing. The number is not the dominical year but the number of years from the foundation of Pilot(1918). Custom74 means 1992.

 

rokurinpapa

Edited July 1, 2009 by rokurinpapa