Does anyone have both an Opus88 Jazz and a Pilot Custom 823?

[bolaberlim]

Does anyone have both a Opus 88 Jazz and a Pilot Custom 823 ( or wing sung 699 I think they're the same size?...)?

I would like to see a side by side photo to check the size so I'd really appreciate help from the community. I want to buy something with a shutoff valve and the shape of these two appeals to me- one vac-fill the other eye dropper, very different price points, and I'm torn. HELP!

 

Thanks in advance 

[Karmachanic]

Goulet Pens kindly provides the dimensions of the 823 and Jazz on their site.

[bolaberlim]

7 minutes ago, Karmachanic said:

Goulet Pens kindly provides the dimensions of the 823 and Jazz on their site.

Thank you. I do have the dimensions but there's nothing like a good old fashioned visual comparison.

[DvdRiet]

I unfortunately don't have an Opus 88 but I do have the Pilot 823. It's the biggest pen in my collection, and by quite a big margin (lengthwise). I checked the Goulet specs to see if I had anything of a similar size to the Opus but it seems it is even larger, truly 'unapologetically oversized.' But not being a fan of oversized pens, most of my pens are average European/Western sizes like Waterman and Parker. 

 

Out of curiosity, I did a quick search for a review and I stumbled across these two reviews on The Pencil Case Blog. Although not exactly a side-by-side, unfortunately, it is interesting to see how both of them compare to the Montblanc 149 in both photos, which has a similar shape to the 823. You can see that the 823 is just a bit longer than the MB 149 but not as thick, so a slightly taller but thinner version, while the Jazz is just bigger all the way around.

 

REVIEW: OPUS 88 JAZZ DEMONSTRATOR FOUNTAIN PEN | The Pencilcase Blog | Fountain pen, Pencil, Ink and Paper reviews

MONTBLANC MEISTERSTUCK 149 FOUNTAIN PEN REVIEW | The Pencilcase Blog | Fountain pen, Pencil, Ink and Paper reviews

 

And for good measure, here's the review of the 823

PILOT CUSTOM 823 FOUNTAIN PEN REVIEW | The Pencilcase Blog | Fountain pen, Pencil, Ink and Paper reviews

 

Hope that helps!

 

Cheers,

Darla

 

[Chouffleur]

Might I suggest a workaround? Ask for pictures of the Opus 88 and the Pilot 823 each with a standard Parker 51 Aerometric.

 

It is, after all, the standard by which all others are judged. ;-)

 

With a bit of judicious zooming in two separate browser windows, voila!

 

Just a thought.

[MuddyWaters]

Go on Goulet pens and their pen plaza page. Both pens can be compared side by side. 

 

I've had both. They have a very different feel in the hand. The Jazz is definitely fatter in the hand. The section tapers too much. The nib is clearly not as pleasant to write with as the pilot #15 nib. However, it's better balanced in the hand. 

 

The 823 on the other hand is too thin for its length and is back heavy because it's vaccuum system is metallic. However the 823 has a lot of happy users and so if it agrees with you, I would think it's the more remarkable pen because of its nib.

 

Question: why do you need the shut off mechanism? What about a regular piston filler?

[DvdRiet]

2 hours ago, MuddyWaters said:

Go on Goulet pens and their pen plaza page. Both pens can be compared side by side. 

 

Hey, that's awesome! I wish I had heard about this thing before!! Might have saved me some surprises since I've only started buying fountain pens (beyond a couple ages ago for work) after the pandemic began and done everything online.  

[peroride]

Left to Right

• Platinum 3776
• Pilot 823
• Opus 88 Jazz
• Parker 51 Aerometric
• Pelikan M200
• TWSBI Diamond 580

[bolaberlim]

On 12/5/2021 at 10:34 AM, peroride said:

Left to Right

• Platinum 3776
• Pilot 823
• Opus 88 Jazz
• Parker 51 Aerometric
• Pelikan M200
• TWSBI Diamond 580

 

 

Outstanding! Thank you very much!

[bolaberlim]

On 11/27/2021 at 4:15 PM, MuddyWaters said:

Question: why do you need the shut off mechanism? What about a regular piston filler?

I could say that I want to avoid to have to deal with an ink leakage but I have to be 100% honest with myself I just want one because I think it's cool, I want to fiddle with the bloody thing.

[MuddyWaters]

59 minutes ago, bolaberlim said:

I could say that I want to avoid to have to deal with an ink leakage but I have to be 100% honest with myself I just want one because I think it's cool, I want to fiddle with the bloody thing.

 

Gets boring really fast, especially if you get bored of yours inks. 

[bolaberlim]

14 hours ago, MuddyWaters said:

 

Gets boring really fast, especially if you get bored of yours inks. 

 

I am about to find out.

[sirgilbert357]

Better to try it and know for sure than to never try and always wonder...

[A Smug Dill]

4 hours ago, sirgilbert357 said:

Better to try it and know for sure than to never try and always wonder...

 

I never wondered about the Pilot Custom 823, believe it or not.

 

I bought my first Wing Sung 699 more as a self-entertaining exercise, in response to certain of my fellow hobbyists decrying buying cheap Chinese ‘knock-offs’ instead of the ‘real deal’. If the Chinese manufacturers are making them (legitimately, by the laws of the relevant jurisdiction in the place of manufacture), then I'm happy to buy one on a lark. I now have four WS699 pens here… and just about never write with any of them.

 

Still not wondering if a genuine Pilot Custom 823 would serve me better, or make me like the filling mechanism or pen design better.

[Texas42]

On 11/27/2021 at 10:15 AM, MuddyWaters said:

Question: why do you need the shut off mechanism? What about a regular piston filler?

I fly a lot for work and keep hearing horror stories. I’ve been taking several and haven’t had any disasters yet. Keep them in a case in a Ziploc bag to be safe. Then clean them when I get to the hotel. Would love to hear others thoughts and experiences flying with fountain pens. 

[langere]

29 minutes ago, Texas42 said:

Would love to hear others thoughts and experiences flying with fountain pens. 

That is really another topic and discussed in many different threads.

 

Erick

[bolaberlim]

UPDATE: Received the Opus 88 Jazz yesterday. Size is just about perfect for my hand, it has less weight than I expected, overall it's very comfortable in the hand. I haven't inked it up yet, but I'll give it a flush today and then try it if I have time. This time of the year is very busy so not sure I'll have time to spare. 

First thoughts: Unscrewing the cap felt like I was unscrewing the section, the shut off valve screw feels very tight- I have to lube that up- the centre "piston" is plastic not sure if it will be very durable. That said, it's good looking and it feels good in the hand. It will come down to how it writes.

 

[A Smug Dill]

2 minutes ago, bolaberlim said:

I have to lube that up- the centre "piston" is plastic not sure if it will be very durable.

 

It should be more durable than the metal 'piston' rod in the Pali 013 (effectively the same as a Wing Sung 3013) vacuum-filler, which gets all corroded and shedding green bits into the ink inside the reservoir, from being bathed in (non iron-gall) ink for months on end. The plastic 'piston' rods in my several Opus 88 (Picnic and Koloro) pens never gave me any trouble like that. 

[bolaberlim]

11 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

It should be more durable than the metal 'piston' rod in the Pali 013 (effectively the same as a Wing Sung 3013) vacuum-filler, which gets all corroded and shedding green bits into the ink inside the reservoir, from being bathed in (non iron-gall) ink for months on end. The plastic 'piston' rods in my several Opus 88 (Picnic and Koloro) pens never gave me any trouble like that. 

Good to know!