Repair For A Pilot Custom 823 Bought Secondhand?

[elenita]

Hello friends,

 

Back in May, I bought a used Pilot Custom 823 from a FPN member through the classifieds here, and fell in love with it. It's become one of my favorites and a pen that I use almost daily.

 

But a few days ago, it started leaking ink from the threads near the grip section. Dunno why. As far as I know, it hasn't been treated roughly or been dropped from a great height. I did unscrew the nib section from the pen once, in order to thoroughly clean it, but that was a month ago and I've used the pen without issue until now. The nib and grip section are definitely threaded in tightly.

 

Since I'm not the original owner. I obviously don't qualify under warranty. But should I reach out to Pilot USA anyway and see if they'll fix it? Or would I have better luck with a third-party repair specialist? What should I estimate budgeting to get this fixed?

 

I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who's had experience with Pilot repair division even if they bought the pen secondhand (assuming that's a viable option), or who's resolved a similar issue with their pens. I've got my fingers crossed that this won't require a small fortune, much less be parted from my pen for ages and ages...

 

Thanks so much for reading!

[Fabienne]

Mine skipped. I sent it back soon after I got it and they sent me a whole new one which works well. Good luck!

[blbjdtny]

It's Pilot's product, you don't have to be the original owner, reach out to them and ask them to repair it and I highly doubt they would put up any resistance on a pen that bears their name.

 

Best

[elenita]

Thanks for chiming in, Fabienne and blbjdtny!

 

Fabienne, how long did it take before you got your replacement pen from Pilot? I doubt they'll do the same for me, but I'd like to know how long their repair division usually takes.

Edited August 23, 2014 by elenita

[Dr.Grace]

Although Pilot made it easy to remove the Custom 823's nib unit, it's not actually a good thing to do, because the barrel is prone to developing cracks when the nib unit is tightened down. My 823 barrel cracked like this, and fortunately Pilot replaced it for a nominal fee.

 

So I would suggest looking carefully for hairline cracks, which could easily be responsible for leaks.

[elenita]

Thanks for your reply, Dr. Grace.

 

Although I can't see any hairline cracks in the transparent part of the barrel, I wouldn't be surprised if there was one in the section where the black threads are. That's where the ink seems to be leaking, at at rate.

 

I can't find an email address for Pilot customer service, but I'll probably give them a call during the workweek. Hopefully, they'll be as amenable to replacing my barrel, and charge me an equally nominal fee!

[Fabienne]

I don't remember how long it took. Good luck.

[Flounder]

Are the section to barrel threads supposed to be sealed (I'd imagine so, as it's a non BHR barrel filling pen)? Either the sealant was disturbed when you unscrewed the barrel, and it needs another application, or the leak is due to cracks (not unheard of on this board or Amazon). Difficult to spot microcracks can be made to reveal themselves with blutack or a paper towel.

[elenita]

Thank you, Flounder. It look me a while to find some blutack, but I do indeed see a leak.

 

I emailed Pilot USA's customer service approximately 24 hours ago, but no reply yet. We'll see how long it takes.

[Flounder]

As someone who has long admired the 823 (esp. as prices are coming down!), I'm sorry to hear that. So's I know what to look out for, where do the cracks form? Are they perpendicular to the threads?

[elenita]

My crack is essentially in the same place as the photo in this thread:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/196999-crack-in-pilot-custom-823/

 

It is still a great pen, and one I recommend despite this mishap. I'll miss it if we'll have to be parted for long.

[Dr.Grace]

I love my 823; it's one of my favorite pens. I think it's a reliable model as long as you don't disassemble it for cleaning. Or, if you insist on doing that, be extremely careful not to tighten too much.

[elenita]

After my pen is repaired, I intend to be much more careful during cleaning. It's amazing how much I miss writing with it!

 

For anyone interested (or just for future reference), Pilot sent a reply to my email this afternoon, approximately 48 hours after I first contacted them. I was asked for my address, so I can be directed to "the Namiki repair facility in [my] area."

 

Once I know how much the repair will cost me, and how long it's expected to take, I'll post again. Just in case someone ever has a similar issue or is curious.