Pilot Custom 742 Fa

[GClef]

Pens with flexible nibs tend to picky on inks. You may need to experiment with different blands, or send the nib to a nibmeister for adjustment (along with a sample of ink that you want to use).

I'm convinced it's not the nib, but the material the feed and channel tube are made of, which looks and feels like plastic. I don't know what material other manufacturers use, but they seem to transfer the ink from the resevoir to the nib more efficiently than these apparently proprietary Pilots when using a flex nib.

I also have a Namiki Falcon with a soft fine that will skip at times with Waterman blue-black , but not as bad as the more flexible FA nibs. I'm gonna guess there's hardly any issues with the the stiffer nibs.

[Lloyd]

After Mike-it-Work worked his magic on my 743 FA (made it into a non-railroading XXXF semiflex), only the Sailor Kiwaguro ink railroaded regardless of speed. All the other inks I've used run great.

[shl]

just got my 743 FA and it is an awesome writer. I'm using Iroshizuku kon-peki and no railroadng problems so far when flexing

Edited June 20, 2011 by shl

[GClef]

just got my 743 FA and it is an awesome writer. I'm using Iroshizuku kon-peki and no railroadng problems so far when flexing

Do you have any other flex nibs? That's all I'm collecting right now, and there isn't a nicer modern nib with some flex. It feels like butter to me...when it's working right. Other times, I just wanna fling it. Tempermental, that's how I would describe it.

[shl]

just got my 743 FA and it is an awesome writer. I'm using Iroshizuku kon-peki and no railroadng problems so far when flexing

Do you have any other flex nibs? That's all I'm collecting right now, and there isn't a nicer modern nib with some flex. It feels like butter to me...when it's working right. Other times, I just wanna fling it. Tempermental, that's how I would describe it.

 

this is my first flex nib. I've only used it for an hour or so but it writes really well and flexing it is really fun. I hear the 742 FA nib is more flexible though so there might be a difference.

[GClef]

just got my 743 FA and it is an awesome writer. I'm using Iroshizuku kon-peki and no railroadng problems so far when flexing

Do you have any other flex nibs? That's all I'm collecting right now, and there isn't a nicer modern nib with some flex. It feels like butter to me...when it's working right. Other times, I just wanna fling it. Tempermental, that's how I would describe it.

 

this is my first flex nib. I've only used it for an hour or so but it writes really well and flexing it is really fun. I hear the 742 FA nib is more flexible though so there might be a difference.

I had the 743 with an FA15, and to me, it's just as soft. The FA15 is supposed to be bigger tho. I wouldn't be able to tell.

Can you post a sample?

Edited June 20, 2011 by GClef

[shl]

sorry about the picture quality, best I could do

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/804/snapshote.jpg/

 

after playing around with it for a while, I have noticed that it does railroad when I write very fast

[Lloyd]

shl, ALL flex pens, I repeat, ALL flex pens will eventually railroad when the ink demand is too great for the pen's flow.

[Readymade]

Pilot just doesn't modify their regular feeds to adequately supply ink to a flexy nib doing Copperplate or something. So railroading is a common complaint with the FA nibs.

 

I imagine more Japanese don't complain because you don't flex the nib much while writing kanji.

[GClef]

Such a shame, because it really it really is a beautiful nib to look at and wonderful to use.

[watch_art]

Part of the reason I traded mine off was the nib. I couldn't stand looking at it. So plain when compared to their other nibs. And it was sort of too skinny looking, too. I dunno. I just didn't like looking at it.

[GClef]

Part of the reason I traded mine off was the nib. I couldn't stand looking at it. So plain when compared to their other nibs. And it was sort of too skinny looking, too. I dunno. I just didn't like looking at it.

No way!

It was because of YOU I got the Pilot Custom instead of the Namiki Falcon.

[watch_art]

:embarrassed_smile: sorry. I've got a Falcon, now though, and like it much better. But thinking about selling it. Gimme a PM if your interested.

[GClef]

:embarrassed_smile: sorry. I've got a Falcon, now though, and like it much better. But thinking about selling it. Gimme a PM if your interested.

No way! I got one too! Got the soft fine.

Only thing is, it's a bit toothy, even after Binder smoothed it in Long Island.

I'm thinkin I'd maybe try the soft medium to see if it's smoother. And I'd get the metal Falcon for the weight.

[elena]

I have several FA nibs, and have been using them for years. We have 5 in our home; each acquired through different sources. I choose inks for their shading properties and favor Iroshizuku Yama Budo and Mont Blanc's Violet.

 

I always have an FA inked, and it writes better over time. Don't give up.

 

p.s. I've always used the con70 convertor in it. Not my favorite, but it does the trick. Whatever works.

Edited June 27, 2011 by elena

[troglokev]

The Custom 912 that I reviewed has the same nib, and has had a steady diet of Iroshizuku Asa Gao.

 

The Pilot inks are among the best-flowing inks available, and I think that's the key. The nib was designed for them. I haven't had any great problems with the Asa Gao. There are limits to the feed's ability to keep ink up to the nib at extremes of flex, but I can certainly get as much variation as I want or need.

 

Mine is still fairly new, so I look forward to the improvement with time that elena speaks of.

[laser8]

As others have written, and by my own experience, using Pilot ink (I use Iroshizuku) deals with the issue of railroading. Of course, unless you write fast and demand enormous quantities of ink delivered to the nib.

[shl]

I have now tried Kon-Peki, Waterman Florida Blue, and basic Pilot black ink.

 

This pen had a LOT of railroading issues with Florida blue.

 

but it's almost impossible to railroad with the pilot black ink. The only downside is that the ink is not as lubricating so the nib is a little scratchier. I think Iroshizuku inks are the best ink for this nib.

[GClef]

iroshizuku is the only ink thin enough to work with the plastic like feed and channel.

I must be crazy because I keep this pen inked and EVERY day I'll bust it out, and tinker with it thinkin that "This time it'll work."

I learned something this morning. I found that the ink will continue to flow for the most part--until I lift the nib off the paper, then it'll more often than not, stop writing.

I doodled & flexed for 3 lines, continuosly--nib on paper.

[hari317]

 

I learned something this morning. I found that the ink will continue to flow for the most part--until I lift the nib off the paper, then it'll more often than not, stop writing.

I doodled & flexed for 3 lines, continuosly--nib on paper.

 

I get a feeling that your nib is "sprung". With the pen dry: devoid of any ink or water, inspect the nib slit, are the tips touching each other at the very end of the nib? They should be touching. How much is the gap between the nib and feed i.e. space between underside of nib and top side of feed, they should be in contact.