Pilot Custom 823 feedback question

[BambinoFortunato]

Hey, folks. I just got a Pilot Custom 823 with a broad nib. It's wonderful, but a bit too inky. So, I'm returning it.

 

One thing that bugged me was the lack of feedback. Is this because it's a broad or are Pilot nibs generally glassy and lacking in feedback. Would a medium be more my speed maybe?

 

Thanks!

[arcfide]

IME, Pilot nibs in their normal grinds are the most "glassy" in their grind. I actually don't know if I would call them the smoothest, but they seem to have the most polished feel among the big 3 Japanese. With the wet, broad flow of the 823, that's only going to be even more pronounced. What feedback I have found in Pilot nibs is significantly less attenuated compared to Sailor nibs. I find the feedback on Sailor nibs the most attenuated, the Platinum nibs to have the most consistent feedback with the highest pitch in sound and frequency, and the Pilot nibs, if they have significant feedback, seem to give me a much more "bass" feedback, with less attenuation, wider sweet spots, and a wider periodic cycle in the feedback "noise". 

 

All that to say, if you want well tuned feedback in a broad nib, then Platinum might be more to your liking than Sailor or Pilot, methinks. My impression is that the Platinum nibs come by default with, on the whole, more controlled ink delivery and more reliable feedback while still having a pretty decent sweet spot. 

 

Of course, using a less lubricated ink might also help with the process. Have you tried a less lubricating ink, maybe that flows a little more dry? 

[piblondin]

I got the 823 in broad, and I wish it had no feedback. Want to trade?!

[cll]

I have all 3 Japanese brands and my usual go to is the M nibs.  The 823 M is what i would say is glassy smooth.  Some will adore it and some would prefer the Sailor feel and some the Platinum feel.  

 

I have come to enjoy all the nibs and the differences they have and the 823 is amongst my favoured ones.

I dont have a 823 in B nib though.

 

 

[BambinoFortunato]

UPDATE: After almost a week of great, wet yet almost feedback-less writing the 823 suddenly started getting very dry. It was writing like an extra fine unless I applied pressure. So, I studied a tutorial I found on YouTube and dismantled the entire pen. I cleaned every piece, applied some of that TWSBI lubricating grease to the threads and the piston mechanism and put it all back together. There was some sort of clear residue on the underside of the nib that I made sure to clean off. I’m guessing some sort of errant machine oil residue from the factory or some lubricating grease somehow worked it’s way down there. Anyway, it’s writing even better than before: broad, wet lines with actually more feedback than before.
 

I’d say it’s now tied with my Pelikan m200 fine as my favorite pen. between those too, I’d be hard pressed to pick one over the other. They’re both great in different ways. 

[arcfide]

Of course, my first thought reading the above was whether you were letting ink leave the barrel by unscrewing the back of the pen during writing, but if you've already seen tutorials on the 823 then you certainly already know about that. 

[BambinoFortunato]

17 hours ago, arcfide said:

Of course, my first thought reading the above was whether you were letting ink leave the barrel by unscrewing the back of the pen during writing, but if you've already seen tutorials on the 823 then you certainly already know about that. 

Yeah, I’ve got that bit. 
 

weird...I was using the bottle of Pilot blue ink that came with the pen all day and it was great. Then rinsed flushed it with water, then that ammonia pen flush stuff, then water again before filling it with Monteverde Fireopal. Fireopal is a very wet ink in my other pens but after about two hours with it in my 823 the pen started writing very dry again. I emptied it, flushed with water again and then filled with Pilot blue. Now it seems fine again. 
 

so weird because like I said Fireopal is great and very wet in my other pens. I was hoping the 823 wouldn’t be so temperamental. 

[arcfide]

27 minutes ago, BambinoFortunato said:

weird...I was using the bottle of Pilot blue ink that came with the pen all day and it was great. Then rinsed flushed it with water, then that ammonia pen flush stuff, then water again before filling it with Monteverde Fireopal. Fireopal is a very wet ink in my other pens but after about two hours with it in my 823 the pen started writing very dry again. I emptied it, flushed with water again and then filled with Pilot blue. Now it seems fine again. 
 

so weird because like I said Fireopal is great and very wet in my other pens. I was hoping the 823 wouldn’t be so temperamental. 

 

Is it a matter of flow or lubrication?