Magic Mirror on the wall,

[enricof]

I must point out a potential problem with the clear one:

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo288/enricofacchin/P1070612edit.jpg

 

Haven't figured how to fix it, yet.

 

After a few months, the amber is my favourite, followed buy the black.

[ClassicBlack]

My forum name says it all "ClassicBlack". I love that classic cigar shape large pen in black. It is classic sleek and powerful at the same time. When you add the "secret demonstrator" quality of the 823 it makes it an amazing pen. I love understated things, this pen fits perfect in my views. I also have to mention the writing quality of the pen makes it worth 2times what you pay for it. Now I am jealous of the the "Pen Macgyvers" who fit their 823 with special nibs. Next for my 823 is some Iroshizuku Kiri-same ink! When the money is free I am going to buy the Amber 823 in a fine nib but the Black will still be my favorite on the appearance level.

Edited January 25, 2010 by ClassicBlack

[mirko]

If only they would be available in Rhodium trim.....

[Highbinder]

If only they would be available in Rhodium trim.....

 

If they released one I'd cry for having just bought the gold trim version. So now I sort of half and half want them to release one

[Neill78]

I find most Pilot pens kind of boring to look at. I go to Japan at least once a year and I put off buying one until last year, when I picked up a black Custom 74 in Nagoya. In the Nagoya Station Matsuzakaya there is a small pen shop next to the bookstore, and the clerk caught me drooling. Of course most everything was out of my price range, but she insisted that I try a few even so.

The Pilots were so smooth and so nice to hold I couldn't help myself and bought one then and there. (Later I found the prices to be 3000 yen cheaper online and bought another one.) I kicked myself for not getting one sooner. I love my Pilots and they are always inked. Absolutely the best writers I've got. I have total respect for a company that puts so much effort into making things work as they should (albeit at the expense of looks). Even Lamy could learn a little about "Bauhaus" from Pilot if you ask me.

[enricof]

If only they would be available in Rhodium trim.....

 

If they released one I'd cry for having just bought the gold trim version. So now I sort of half and half want them to release one

 

In this case, I'd have to buy it and forget about modifying mine (yes, I'd keep both).

[Highbinder]

If only they would be available in Rhodium trim.....

 

If they released one I'd cry for having just bought the gold trim version. So now I sort of half and half want them to release one

 

In this case, I'd have to buy it and forget about modifying mine (yes, I'd keep both).

 

As I understand it it is the cap rings that are the problematic piece to remove for plating?

[rollerboy]

I voted black. I'm of the opinion demonstrators look nice when they're pristinely clean, but ink 'em up and they just look messy. The black, from the photos anyway, looks like it's opaque enough to not show the mess, but translucent enough to allow you to view the ink level against backlighting.

[rollerboy]

I voted black. I'm of the opinion demonstrators look nice when they're pristinely clean, but ink 'em up and they just look messy. The black, from the photos anyway, looks like it's opaque enough to not show the mess, but translucent enough to allow you to view the ink level against backlighting.

[Silvermink]

I like the clear 823, but I don't understand their decision to put a black inner cap in it.

[Siv]

As I understand it it is the cap rings that are the problematic piece to remove for plating?

By the looks of it, the cap ring is integrated to the cap. That means the ring is made of metal and put in the cap mould and the cap plastic moulded around the cap ring. I know montblanc do this with their pens. It'll make it impossible to remove the cap ring without destroying the cap.

 

Now there are people who can plate the ring without removing it from the cap BUT they'll only be able to plate the external visible surfaces and not those internal surfaces. So you'll have a plated cap ring which is silverish on the outside and gold on the edges which you can see since the cap is transparent!

[enricof]

As I understand it it is the cap rings that are the problematic piece to remove for plating?

By the looks of it, the cap ring is integrated to the cap. That means the ring is made of metal and put in the cap mould and the cap plastic moulded around the cap ring. I know montblanc do this with their pens. It'll make it impossible to remove the cap ring without destroying the cap.

 

Not really sure. If you look to the transparent cap close-up you'll see threads on the inner surface of the cap ring.

Cannot understand why, if the cap is molded around the ring

 

Now there are people who can plate the ring without removing it from the cap BUT they'll only be able to plate the external visible surfaces and not those internal surfaces. So you'll have a plated cap ring which is silverish on the outside and gold on the edges which you can see since the cap is transparent!

 

Yes, this solution could work for the black one but not for the clear.

[pen2paper]

love the daughters pic no mistaking who these sweethearts are:)

 

question..not that I'll ever afford one of these demonstrators..but I can wish can't I?

 

is the ink seeping always an issue? also on the black? which also, I cannot afford

 

 

[Siv]

Not really sure. If you look to the transparent cap close-up you'll see threads on the inner surface of the cap ring.

Cannot understand why, if the cap is molded around the ring

I don't have one to look at (you have it now!) but are the threads actually in the cap ring or are these threads in the plastic that screw onto the body?

 

Also, looking at the large cap ring, there seems to be something that connects it to the thinner cap ring above (the black looking bits). Now these look to me to be inside the plastic.

 

Have a look and let me know what you find!

[trent]

Does anyone have a handwriting sample from a B nib 823?

[enricof]

love the daughters pic no mistaking who these sweethearts are:)

 

question..not that I'll ever afford one of these demonstrators..but I can wish can't I?

 

is the ink seeping always an issue? also on the black? which also, I cannot afford

 

On the amber and black is not particularly disturbing, but you can see there's something there...

On the clear one it is more evident.

 

Will try to take some more pics.

 

Not really sure. If you look to the transparent cap close-up you'll see threads on the inner surface of the cap ring.

Cannot understand why, if the cap is molded around the ring

I don't have one to look at (you have it now!) but are the threads actually in the cap ring or are these threads in the plastic that screw onto the body?

 

Also, looking at the large cap ring, there seems to be something that connects it to the thinner cap ring above (the black looking bits). Now these look to me to be inside the plastic.

 

Have a look and let me know what you find!

 

The two rings are a simple piece, if you look carefully to this pic.

The vertical connections are simply painted black (outer side only).

 

Further investigation required.

[enricof]

Investigation results.

 

Unfortunately it looks like the cap is "molded around" the single-piece ring, so there are no way to remove it (a-la-MB) and therefore a clear rhodium 823 is not feasible (but a black one yes).

 

The threads I saw are on the plastic (to cap the pen, of course).

 

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo288/enricofacchin/SANY0009.jpg

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo288/enricofacchin/SANY0010.jpg

 

It is easier to see it on the amber cap, as the clear cap is very clear.

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo288/enricofacchin/SANY0008-1.jpg

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo288/enricofacchin/SANY0007.jpg

 

Since I was there, I took a couple more pics of the trapped ink.

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo288/enricofacchin/SANY0012.jpg

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo288/enricofacchin/SANY0013.jpg

 

On the black version, the issue is basically invisible (sorry for the poor photo)

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo288/enricofacchin/SANY0014.jpg

Edited March 12, 2010 by enricof

[ateebtk]

i voted amber.. b/c i just order mine from stationary art!! yayyy

 

ATK

[nicholasyeo]

The terror! Having ALL the colours?!

[Elandaria]

I know I'm 7 years late... but could you tell me: is the cap on the black one translucid like the amber one or is it completely opaque?

 

I'm looking forward to buy this pen.

 

Thanks!