Pilot 823 Demonstrator Fa Nib Still Available These Days?

[DavidHL]

I have read that the Pilot 823 Demonstrator FA had a limited production and the Tokyo Pen Shop Quill places the pen as unavailable without a specific date of new inventory.

 

Community, do you any news on its availability today?

 

 

[Bounce792]

The clear 823 Demonstrator appears to be at the end of its production run. Smoke and Amber seem to be continuing but the Clear appears to be scarcer. I don't know why that is but I have seen the eBay sellers start listing the Clear as a limited edition. So I take it to mean that Pilot has ended or will end the production run for them.

[Icywolfe]

The clear 823 Demonstrator appears to be at the end of its production run. Smoke and Amber seem to be continuing but the Clear appears to be scarcer. I don't know why that is but I have seen the eBay sellers start listing the Clear as a limited edition. So I take it to mean that Pilot has ended or will end the production run for them.

The Clear version has an issue with cracking.

[frogbaby]

The Clear version has an issue with cracking.

i have owned 3 of the clear and not seen this, can you point me to your source ?

[Bounce792]

A quick search has shown me one result. For a transparent black 823 dating to 2011. A second search shows a 2010 thread where, again, people make the claim without a source. One so boldly stated that searching "823 crack" on the forums will reveal a long list of complaints. I have done so and only two more old threads from 2008 and 2012. The latter pertains to a black 823 while the former isn't clear.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/148135-pilot-custom-823-design-flaw/page-2?hl=%26quot%3B823+crack%26quot%3B&do=findComment&comment=3473113

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/212863-plastic-on-the-pilot-pen/?hl=%26quot%3B823+crack%26quot%3B&do=findComment&comment=2224112

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/75109-823-crack-repair/?hl=%22823+crack%22

 

Helpfully, there is a list of other threads which do not show up in the search. The (limited) evidence points to this being a risk in all 823s rather than the Clear Demonstrator. As one user points out, the majority of the cracked 823s are from people who disassemble their pen.

 

Given that there hasn't been a complaint since those threads, I would venture that the problem is rare and has nothing to do with the production/availability of the Clear Demonstrator. It is not like the reputation some TWSBI pens have for cracking spectacularly.

[Icywolfe]

A quick search has shown me one result. For a transparent black 823 dating to 2011. A second search shows a 2010 thread where, again, people make the claim without a source. One so boldly stated that searching "823 crack" on the forums will reveal a long list of complaints. I have done so and only two more old threads from 2008 and 2012. The latter pertains to a black 823 while the former isn't clear.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/148135-pilot-custom-823-design-flaw/page-2?hl=%26quot%3B823+crack%26quot%3B&do=findComment&comment=3473113

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/212863-plastic-on-the-pilot-pen/?hl=%26quot%3B823+crack%26quot%3B&do=findComment&comment=2224112

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/75109-823-crack-repair/?hl=%22823+crack%22

 

Helpfully, there is a list of other threads which do not show up in the search. The (limited) evidence points to this being a risk in all 823s rather than the Clear Demonstrator. As one user points out, the majority of the cracked 823s are from people who disassemble their pen.

 

Given that there hasn't been a complaint since those threads, I would venture that the problem is rare and has nothing to do with the production/availability of the Clear Demonstrator. It is not like the reputation some TWSBI pens have for cracking spectacularly.

i have owned 3 of the clear and not seen this, can you point me to your source ?

It's part of the old formulation of the plastics for the clear type. But the rumor lives on.

 

The "fragile" clear plastic started with Pilot Crystal.

 

As said by Bounce it's both rare.

 

Edited May 3, 2017 by Icywolfe

[frogbaby]

right, my twsbi has never cracked nor any of my 823's and i take them apart routinely ...

 

great pens

[gerigo]

Cracking for any of these clear plastics is based on how tight you like to tighten your pens. If you're one of those that likes to over tighten your pens, then you're going to experience cracking.

 

I have actually talked about this with Dante Del Vecchio. I so happen to have an old Van Gogh with me, and told him how much I loved the pen design and it's rather clever cam locking cap. He said these pens had a very high rate of return because people over tightened the cap which caused cracking of the barrel.

[DavidHL]

The clear 823 Demonstrator appears to be at the end of its production run. Smoke and Amber seem to be continuing but the Clear appears to be scarcer. I don't know why that is but I have seen the eBay sellers start listing the Clear as a limited edition. So I take it to mean that Pilot has ended or will end the production run for them.

Thank you Bounce792!

[Dr.Grace]

Cracking for any of these clear plastics is based on how tight you like to tighten your pens. If you're one of those that likes to over tighten your pens, then you're going to experience cracking.

 

I have actually talked about this with Dante Del Vecchio. I so happen to have an old Van Gogh with me, and told him how much I loved the pen design and it's rather clever cam locking cap. He said these pens had a very high rate of return because people over tightened the cap which caused cracking of the barrel.

 

 

I'd add that when my amber 823's barrel cracked, I didn't sense that I was overtightening. My guess is that it is fairly easy to cause the barrel to crack upon reassembly, so I haven't disassembled my pen after getting it back from Pilot's service center years ago. It hasn't spontaneously developed cracks since then.