Pilot Soft Nibs

[thespyingdutchman]

I think it's great. The size is small-is while still being a full sized pen, the look is classic and understated as I like it, the grip is very comfortable, not too thick not too thin. Built quality is very good, as usually the case with Pilot. Is a perfectly made basic pen.

There was a video calling it the perfect fountain pen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkWl5qWzW2s

Which it is in a way, there is nothing flashy or special about it (well, the selection of nibs is impressive) but works perfectly for what it is.

I think it's great. The size is small-is while still being a full sized pen, the look is classic and understated as I like it, the grip is very comfortable, not too thick not too thin. Built quality is very good, as usually the case with Pilot. Is a perfectly made basic pen.

There was a video calling it the perfect fountain pen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkWl5qWzW2s

Which it is in a way, there is nothing flashy or special about it (well, the selection of nibs is impressive) but works perfectly for what it is.

Yeah, I saw that a couple days ago actually! Definitely helped selling the pen.

Like you said, it's nothing flashy, but most people seem to say that it just works.

[tijntje]

Hi Spyingdutchman,

 

I thought I'd chime in as a fellow Dutchman who had some of the same questions on Pilot soft vs regular nibs. I have a Pilot decimo with an F nib that I love for the nib, the perfect non feathering fast drying line, but it's not suitable for longer writing sessions for me, mainly because of the clip.

That and a Pilot 78g were my experiences with the brand until last week.

I read about Indian ebonite pens and FPR and their flex nibs. Ordered an FPR Jaipur with that flex nib and it writes really well, so much so that I also ordered the Triveni Jr. with a bigger #6 flex nib. That one I take with me to work, the Jaipur has a tendency to leak ink from its wet feed, so it stays at home. Then I started thinking about getting something soft and flexy from Pilot, the upscale version of the FPR experience, as it were. So I read about FA nibs, elabos and falcons. I decided upon the resin elabo SF, because I like ultra light pens and I love that decimo F nib. It arrived last week and it's great, really. Definitely on the finer side of fine, as expected, and certainly with some feedback as you would expect from that fine a nib. Its smooth, but you hear it when you write. An SM nib would have been just as nice, I suppose, and may be better for certain use cases like long writing sessions. With a light touch, it doesn't really write all that different from the decimo, which also has a bit of a springy feel to the nib.

 

Check out La Couronne Du Comte's website or shop in Tilburg, they have a few of the FPR pens if you would like to try the ebonite flex experience for 17 to 28 Euros. The Elabo I ordered from a Japanse Ebay seller, it arrived within 2 weeks and I was charged some 35 euros by Customs, on top of the 120 I paid for the pen + shipment. It's a bit early to tell, but there may be an Elabo SM or Pilot 92 SFM or SM in my future should I feel the need for a second upscale pen with a smoother wider line.

Edited April 15, 2018 by tijntje

[aurore]

Guys, how do you like 742/743 soft nibs comparing to 74 soft nibs? Can you feel any describable difference (beside a somewhat different writing angle considering the length of the nibs)?