Pilot 78G: Short first review

[Federalist Pens]

I have a red medium, currently filled with PR Burgundy (Grades).

This is a favorite among daily users!

[JustinL]

My favorite non-fountain pen to use is the Pilot G-2 gel pen with 0.7mm tip. Does the 78g fountain feel similar?

 

Not really. I've used G2s with 0.7mm tips, and they're good pens (of their type). But ultimately the 78G feels like a fountain pen, while the G2 feels like a gel ink rollerball pen.

 

If so, which nib would be comparable to 0.7mm?

My 78G may be abnormally fine, but it actually seems to write a little finer a line than a G2 0.7mm. No, this isn't hyperbole.

 

Tell you what - I happen to have a G2 in 0.5mm, right here on my desk. It's finer than the G2 0.7mm. I also have my 78G inked up and on my desk. What say I dash off a few sentences with each, scan the result, and post it here? (It's a rhetorical question. I'm gonna do it right now.)

 

http://www.time4email.com/fountain_pens/CCI11052009_00000.jpg

 

Looks to me like my 78G measures up pretty well against a 0.5mm Pilot G2.

 

Oh yeah, the black text is from the G2. The green is from the 78G. Paper is 90g Clairefontaine. Ink is Bexley Harmony Green.

 

(I've added a few more writing samples, including those from a couple of my finer-nibbed fountain pens. And yeah, the Pelikan M200 is filled with Omas Roma Blue 2000, not Aurora Black.)

--

Michael

 

 

Wow, thanks for the all the info and for testing out the different pens for me. So, your 78G is the "fine" nib? And does it feel more smooth than the G2?

 

Thanks.

[DAYoung]

My Pilot 78G (teal, fine nib) showed up a couple of days back, but it wasn't until a couple of hours ago that I inked it up. (Bexley Harmony Green ink - I've still got about half a bottle of the stuff left.)

 

Good lord! This thing writes the finest line of any fountain pen I own. I mean, none of the other pens even come close. For years now, my everyday, utility, "go to" pen has been my Pelikan M200 w/extra fine nib. Well, that Pelikan is like a broad paintbrush, compared to this 78G.

 

I'm not complaining, really. I guess it'll be good to have one pen in my lineup with a sufficiently fine nib that I can write a sentence or two on a grain of rice.

--

Michael

 

I was just sent one of these. I've been using it to tattoo my pet amoeba.

 

I'll still use the M215 for everyday writing, but the 78G is very impressive.

[12345Michael54321]

So, your 78G is the "fine" nib? And does it feel more smooth than the G2?

Yes, it's the fine nib version.

 

My 78G feels more like a fountain pen than does the G2. It's not so much a question of smoothness, as it is a matter of two different qualities - fountain pen feel vs. gel ink rollerball feel. I suppose you could say the G2 feels smoother but requires more pressure (and is therefore more tiring), but that's like saying my Staedtler Mars Lumograph pencil feels smoother than my Waterman Phileas fountain pen - it pretends (mistakenly, in my opinion) that a direct comparison of relative smoothness between two fundamentally different sorts of writing instruments is particularly meaningful.

 

Ultimately, if you want to write with a fountain pen, the 78G will be enormously more to your liking than will the Pilot G2. If you want to write with a rollerball, the G2 will be vastly superior to the 78G. If you can't make up your mind which you prefer - fountain pen or gel rollerball - "smoothness" is probably not the most valid criterion upon which to base a decision. Again, in my opinion.

 

Please forgive me if I'm sounding unresponsive or argumentative about this. That's not my intention, and perhaps I simply fail to fully understand what it is you're trying to figure out.

--

Michael

[Tumbleweedtoo]

After reading this review and the subsequent postings, I ordered my Pilot 78G from an ebay seller. It has not arrived yet. However, in the process of ordering the pen through an ebay seller, I noticed that the best prices I saw for the 78G were for pens shipped from China. One seller even said that he could not ship the 78G from China to Japan. With one of my favorite USA pen companies now outsourcing all of their pen manufacturing to China, it makes me wonder if Pilot is having the 78G made in China; and if so, how many other Japanese pens may be made in China by Pilot and other Japanese companies. Anyone know. :-) If the pens write as well as these posts indicate, I have no concern where the pen is made, just wondering if some Japanese companies are doing what some American companies are doing with regard to pen manufacturing.

 

All the best,

Tumbleweedtoo

[JustinL]

I received my 78G from pokydady. Man, it's nice. I have yet to try an expensive pen but this one feels very nice, even on plain old lagal pads or scratch paper. I use the converter and Noodler's Bulletproof Black. I've had it several weeks. Great price and great pen.

[brainformat]

Hi all.

I've heard that 78g's nibs are replaceable. Is it true? Is it possible to buy a separate nibs?

Thanx a lot!

[sotto2]

Yes, I think the prevailing wisdom around here is that the 78G nibs, and at least the Pilot Prera nibs too, are swappable. I think I've heard about putting italic nibs from Plumix pens in those other two (or something similar). The guy with "watch" in his screen name will no doubt be along here any moment to chime in. Search for his posts on the matter.

 

Edit: The FPN member's name I referred to above is "watch_art".

Edited July 9, 2010 by sotto2

[DanDeM]

I read in another forum a few days ago that Pilot was discontinuing the 78G, and another FPNer corroborated the rumor. I don't know if that is fact, but it was enough to encourage me to run off and get two more of them. Can anyone confirm/deny?

 

Wonderful little pens.

[glennalvia]

Just got my 78G's in Black F, Teal M, Forest Green M. They're great pens, simple in design and write so well. One of the best pen purchases I've had!

[kahhoewan]

Hey to all Pilot 78G Broad owners.

 

Can the nib be written on its corner tip? Making a fine line?

[Black Rose]

I haven't tried that with mine, but I have made thin-ish lines with the tip of the nib flat on the paper at almost 90 degree angle.

 

I'll have to try that when I get home and see if it can be done.

[kahhoewan]

I haven't tried that with mine, but I have made thin-ish lines with the tip of the nib flat on the paper at almost 90 degree angle.

 

I'll have to try that when I get home and see if it can be done.

 

Thanks Black Rose, Let me know if it can be done.

Edited June 2, 2011 by kahhoewan

[kwpalzang]

I just found out about these. I see that pokydady is selling them for $9.99 including shipping. That price sounds good.

 

My favorite non-fountain pen to use is the Pilot G-2 gel pen with 0.7mm tip. Does the 78g fountain feel similar? If so, which nib would be comparable to 0.7mm?

 

Thanks.

 

Exactly. Pokydady seems to be selling them at the "real" price, so to speak. I mean, $50 for this pen?! Geez................

[fabrimedeiros]

Hey to all Pilot 78G Broad owners.

 

Can the nib be written on its corner tip? Making a fine line?

 

 

Not mine. I think no italic or stub nib (like Pilot78g B or BB) ≥ 0.7mm can be written on its corner tip. The nib slit must touch the paper when the nib is writing. However you can rotate your pen and wrist 90º, if you want.

[kahhoewan]

Thanks. Would be cool if it did. =T ahh well.

[Black Rose]

I haven't tried that with mine, but I have made thin-ish lines with the tip of the nib flat on the paper at almost 90 degree angle.

 

I'll have to try that when I get home and see if it can be done.

 

Thanks Black Rose, Let me know if it can be done.

I just tried it and it does not seem possible to lay down any ink at all using the corners.

 

If I hold the end of the nib flat at 90 degrees to the paper, I do get a line that's actually thinner than my 78G with a fine nib.

[JimB]

I just bought a second Pilot 78G from www.isellpens.com for only $17.99. So, it looks like I did quite well saving some money. I can't afford the prices on Norm's site. No affiliation with isellpens but just another satisfied customer.

I just bought one from Stationery Art for $7.45 (no affiliation, of course) - I didn't know it before ordering, but it seems to be a place in Hong Kong (?). They say it shipped, and to be patient. I hope it wasn't a ruse...

[ghazali]

I just bought one from Stationery Art for $7.45 (no affiliation, of course) - I didn't know it before ordering, but it seems to be a place in Hong Kong (?). They say it shipped, and to be patient. I hope it wasn't a ruse...

They're legit. I bought one from them and planning another purchase of the B nib.

[JimB]

I just bought one from Stationery Art for $7.45 (no affiliation, of course) - I didn't know it before ordering, but it seems to be a place in Hong Kong (?). They say it shipped, and to be patient. I hope it wasn't a ruse...

They're legit. I bought one from them and planning another purchase of the B nib.

Then maybe I'll order another. Or two....

 

Thanks for the reassurances.