Pilot Knight

[lefty928]

My one came with a clear twist converter. Maybe you could buy one separately?

Thanks, I'll check on it. Did a Google search when I first bought the pen, which seemed to indicate the pen didn't take Pilot-Namiki converters, but looks like I lost hope too soon. I'll ask the nice folks at Pendemonium. Still love the pen.

[stephen82]

Thanks, I'll check on it. Did a Google search when I first bought the pen, which seemed to indicate the pen didn't take Pilot-Namiki converters, but looks like I lost hope too soon. I'll ask the nice folks at Pendemonium. Still love the pen.

 

Please let us know - I would like to get a twist converter for my pilot as well.

 

Thanks,

Steve

[lefty928]

Thanks, I'll check on it. Did a Google search when I first bought the pen, which seemed to indicate the pen didn't take Pilot-Namiki converters, but looks like I lost hope too soon. I'll ask the nice folks at Pendemonium. Still love the pen.

 

 

Please let us know - I would like to get a twist converter for my pilot as well.

 

Thanks,

Steve

 

Steve, good news about the converter. Here is Sam's reply: "Yes, the VP twist converter will fit in the Knight. Glad you mentioned this, I need to update that info on the site, thanks for the reminder."

[stephen82]

Thanks for the information. I'll definitely be getting one - may even order another Knight.

 

Thanks,

Steve

[obmike]

just to add to the discussion...

 

i bought a knight (M nib) off an ebay seller that sells knights all the time. $45 total. shipped a little slow for my liking, but i have the pen now so that thought is fading from memory.

 

crazy smooth nib. feels heavy - heavier than my m800 even. i don't know if it is, but seems that way. it seems way too thin for my liking. i'm going to give the pen to someone with smaller hands. i just wish i could keep the nib.

[Djehuty]

I have one as well. It has a very smooth nib, but it's an oddly slow writer, as if there's more resistance between nib and paper than with most of my other pens. I haven't quite decided yet whether or not I like that. But it is a very good pen for the money.

 

[Mudge]

I can't really justify getting this pen for myself, much as I like its simplicity and elegance. That particular niche in my arsenal is too well filled by my VP, and I'm not giving that up.

 

However, there's a 10-year-old boy I know whom nobody else would think to give a fountain pen. Or does this come under "corrupting the young"?

 

 

[donwinn]

http://p.office1000.com/vp2/65100PIL.jpg

 

I have to say - I was very impressed with the Pilot Knight! There is something about Japanese nibs that make me feel that they're on a different level to most western nibs of same priced pens.

 

Pricing

I got my Knight recently for $35 (new in box with papers, twist converter included). Great value for its price. I believe that the quality of Pilot Knights matches those of Steel-nibbed Parker Sonnets, which cost considerably more than $35.

 

 

I see Sonnets all over eBay for $25 and less -- least I have seen for a Pilot Knight is $40. You said it's a good value compared to the higher priced Sonnet -- is it a good value if the Sonnet is lower priced? I have never tried either, but I have some Vectors, Jotters & a Reflex from the Parker camp, but no Pilots.

Edited April 20, 2007 by donwinn

[Chris_PA]

"It's a smooth writing nib (but not too smooth ) that is firm and writes consistently. The wetness fits the description of "not to wet, not dry" pretty much perfectly! (For me, Parkers are too wet and Lamy's are too dry)"

 

You oughta try the Lamy 2000. Definitely wetter than other Lamys.

 

But thanks for a great review. I love the Japanese pens (have a VP and a Falcon) and was wondering about this Knight.

Edited April 21, 2007 by Chris_PA

[Maja]

just to add to the discussion...

 

i bought a knight (M nib) off an ebay seller that sells knights all the time. $45 total. shipped a little slow for my liking, but i have the pen now so that thought is fading from memory.

 

crazy smooth nib. feels heavy - heavier than my m800 even. i don't know if it is, but seems that way. it seems way too thin for my liking. i'm going to give the pen to someone with smaller hands. i just wish i could keep the nib.

You're right about the smoothness of the nib, obmike---it is so smooth...

 

[Blackhill]

Kissing,

 

Based on your review, I bought a Pilot Knight. If I were to write a review of it, it would end up being a word-for-word copy of your review. I concur with everything you've said about this pen. Thanks for the review. I will enjoy this pen.

 

Cheers,

Laura

[georges zaslavsky]

glad you enjoyed your pen I wish you a lot of happiness with it.

[kissing]

 

I have to say - I was very impressed with the Pilot Knight! There is something about Japanese nibs that make me feel that they're on a different level to most western nibs of same priced pens.

 

Pricing

I got my Knight recently for $35 (new in box with papers, twist converter included). Great value for its price. I believe that the quality of Pilot Knights matches those of Steel-nibbed Parker Sonnets, which cost considerably more than $35.

 

I see Sonnets all over eBay for $25 and less -- least I have seen for a Pilot Knight is $40. You said it's a good value compared to the higher priced Sonnet -- is it a good value if the Sonnet is lower priced? I have never tried either, but I have some Vectors, Jotters & a Reflex from the Parker camp, but no Pilots.

 

Sonnets on eBay for $25 and less are almost, definitely chinese fakes Please be careful of them

 

The Pilot Knight certainly feels better and more worth the money than the Vector, Jotter, and Reflex though.

 

a) Pilot Knight uses better materials. Durable matte steel body with heft - Probably one of my toughest pens. Vectors are either weak plastic, or plain steel. Jotters are thin steel or plastic. Reflex? - rubber and plastic

 

b ) The Pilot looks better, design wise.

 

c) Pilot has a higher quality nib. One that does not need to be sent back for replacement due to quality control (Parker nibs often need to go back for replacement upon purchase, unfortunately). Also, many members find that Vector/Jotter/Reflex nibs are too fat or too wet for writing. Pilots are fine, as japanese pens go.

 

 

I love my Vector and Jotter, but compared to the Pilot Knight, they are in a whole class lower in my opinion.

 

I hope you have positive experiences with Pilots if you ever use them in the future

 

 

ps: The Sonnet is my favourite pen. I like the Sonnet better than my Knight, but Sonnets do cost way more Despite the different feeling of nibs (Sonnets are soft nibs, Knights are a bit stiff) - Pilot provides an equal product on the quality level IMHO.

Edited May 12, 2007 by kissing

[kissing]

I have one as well. It has a very smooth nib, but it's an oddly slow writer, as if there's more resistance between nib and paper than with most of my other pens. I haven't quite decided yet whether or not I like that. But it is a very good pen for the money.

 

I think the performance of the Pilot Knight depends greatly on the ink. It writes slow, as you've described, when I use Quink Blue in it.

 

However, it writes ultra-smooth and rapid with Waterman ink (green). If you're not happy with the resistance, perhaps it's the ink? Just a possibility

[Rasputin]

Kissing,

 

Thanks for the review. Being new to the FPF as well as fountain pens in general, I was enjoying my Waterman Phineas until I decided to try the Pilot. Wow! Very smooth. It encouraged me to spend more of my money and order some new inks and another pen. I'm hoping this new interest of mine will not end up with membership in FP collectors anonymous (like my watch collecting did... ) Anyway, I'm enjoying my new pens (and writing again)...especially with the Pilot Knight. Now, if I can just get me some flexible nibs, several new ink colors, more moleskin..... ...anyway, thanks for enabling me

Edited May 12, 2007 by Rasputin

[Gepzo]

I picked one up, thanks to a $20 off $40 office depot coupon, and was pleasantly surprised. This was my smoothest pen, ever. I was using the blue pilot ink cart that came with it. It is a tad bit small, which I didn't expect from the pictures, I prefer to use it posted. I really like the clip, and the pen has great fit and finish.

 

Based on my happiness with the Knight, I looked at the Pilot Prera, which shares the same nib and feed. I found one on the marketplace, and bought it. The pen (Prera) arrived clean and ready to go. I loaded it up with some noodler's polar black, and the pen wrote excellently for a while. Butter smooth, and the usual Noodler's opaque black. After a few paragraphs, it started acting wonky. By wonky, I mean erratic ink flow, sometimes stop, sometimes go, start a stroke dry, and finish wet, really odd. I tore it down, cleaned it out, and tried it again, same ink, a little better performance, and then switched back to Pilot blue ink without a cleanup (resulting in a blue-black ink, which almost matches the slate color of the pen, which is an unintended bonus), and it went back to being super smooth, even flow, and a great pen, with the mix of Pilot blue and Noodler's black.

 

Now I'm on a quest to figure out which inks work with it, and which don't. Anyone else have issues with their Prera/Knight/78G? I think all take the same steel Pilot Super Quality nibs and feeds. When I am finished with my second ink cart of the Pilot blue in the Knight, I'm going to try it with Noodler's polar black, and see if the ink really makes a difference.

 

Gepzo

[pingjun]

Steve, good news about the converter. Here is Sam's reply: "Yes, the VP twist converter will fit in the Knight. Glad you mentioned this, I need to update that info on the site, thanks for the reminder."

 

Hi. Does this mean those VP twist type converter can be used as converter for Pilot Knight?

 

Out Of Topic. I notice that the squeeze type converter for both Pilot knight & Pilot Birdie is the same.

 

Does this mean VP twist type converter can also be used as converter for Pilot Birdie as well?

 

Pls advise. Thanks

[OboeJuan]

Oh, hello. I have Visconti Travelling Inkpot which will not work with my workhorse, currently smoothest, cheapest, loveliest pen, the Knight because you can't do a squeezy thing with the Visconti thingy (these are industry terms). Please tell me that I can combine these two lovely things... I shall be watching intently. Thanks.

 

K

[alexanderino]

Thank you for the spot-on review, kissing. Found a Knight on eBay [silver, medium nib] for a bargain price. The ball-point shipped with it, too. They arrived this afternoon, and I must say I’m delighted with both. The FP glides like fingertips on silk, but not to the point of losing control. A sublime experience. I cannot wait for the rest of my Pilot stash to land!

 

Highly recommended

Edited October 30, 2007 by alexanderino

[Pengrump]

Looks like Pam of Oscar Braun has a special on the Knight for $29.98 plus shipping. In her picture there's only the burgundy pen so I don't know if that's the only color she has left or what. Anyway, for anyone interested in the pen, there'sone source in the USA with a good price. (No affiliation with the store, just an enthusiastic customer.)