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lovely collection ..... Awesome .

I looked at your video to confirm whether my pen's color was off or not. Apparently, this charcoal pen looks like a dark brown.

wow , you have lovely writing .....

Pilot 743 other than black is very rare. Where you got it from, is it Japan-only edition?

It's completely ugly a defective nub in a such price pen!😢 Don’t you agree 😮? I would like to buy one but this possibility is very discouraging 🎉 I haven't a nibmaster to contact 😮

I just got into Pilot Metro & Kakuno and I love them. I wish the purple and Sepia came in 12 cnt like the blue. Thanks for these reviews

Another good video, thanks. I have the metal version (sometimes called Elabo, I think), in SF. It's a wonderful writer, and feels very premium as well.

Pelikan nibs are in general too thick for their grade. So if I need a pen which is able to draw thin and crisp lines, the choice is Pilot

My first fountain pen was something I asked as a birthday present, it was a Pilot Metropolitan in Fine nib (I did my research and it was approximately .05 which was my go-to for gel pens). I'm a writer and prefer writing drafts on paper first so I surmised it will be worth the money spent. I more I used it daily, The more I got curious as to what the other fountain pens had to offer. I wanted a Medium nib so I ordered a cheap Jinhao X750. However, I was also curious as to what experience the gold nib has to offer. And so, I saved up my allowance and some of my income from a crochet business I have and now, 2.5 years later, I got the Pilot Decimo Fine nib (I heard Pilot had smoother nibs and I knew that was my preference. I also have small hands). Definitely did not regret the purchase (bought it as a birthday gift for myself as well as an advanced graduation gift).

It’s not acceptable that a 640€ pen (that’s how much it does cost in Italy where I live) has quality control issues. It’s not acceptable that a 640€ pen lacks a basic feature as a way to see the ink level. I don’t get what they’re thinking in Pelikan… I can’t buy one of these without trying it first. And even there, the missing ink windows is a huge deal breaker.

thank you for sharing i order four of these notebooks from goulepen

TBH, you can get a Medium nib Pilot Metro... If you love it a lot, just advance to Pilot Custom 823 Fine/Medium directly and you can pretty much stop your search then and there... If you want different nib sizes, just buy one Lamy safari and tons of nibs And, dont forget, an Iroshizuku ink will always elevate your writing, so, inks are important...

Good review. Thank you. I swap nibs with a full reservoir all the time. Nothing to worry about.

I like everything about the pilot 823 but I read that it might crack, so now I'm leaning more towards the 743. Thoughts?

Good Lord, man! Your writing is freaking PERFECT!! 😮❤

Good common sense approach. I have a few decent pens (all I need actually) and am more interested in using the tools have rather than collecting more (same as I am with watches and cameras). And sometimes it's not the pen for the job... Many times the best is a pencil (0.7 HB preferably) or or the 'Space pen' which lives in my car through summer heat and freezing winter.. always ready to go.

Thanks for this, very helpful for a new hobbyist

For everyday writing a soft nib is by far much better tha a flex one.

Waterman and Montblanc shoe ftw

Also could you do a review in the platinum plaisir? Or has that already been done here.

That is a great pen! Metal Falcon is my favorite... Oh, who am I kidding, I'm a Pilot fan boy...

Red with fine nib, absolute grail. I accidentally discovered I was getting one for Christmas.

Great pen. I’ve had the Red for years.

Beautiful pen. I have this model, but a vintage version. Sometimes, mine will not initially start. I'm not sure if it's because of the "flexy" nib. The nib doesn't fully touch the feed. What do you think?

Pelikan nibs are threaded and swap out securely and easily. My Pilot 823 nib comes out easily enough but uses a friction fit. I prefer the Pelikan threading.

This was helpful! I have small handwriting, but I get annoyed with EF nibs. I've never been able to make sense of this, but I think you're right: I'm a perfectionist, so I like a thicker line width to hide imperfections. And I really love ink colors, so a larger nib shows off the ink better. The widest I've tried so far is a M nib, but since my writing is quite small, I'm not sure I could go up to a B. Maybe some day I'll get to try one out in person before I buy it and that will help me decide.

The purpose of handwriting is surely legibility, which means the ink ought to be darker to be easier on the eyes.

I vary more the inkcolour than the nibsize. Currently I have 4 pens inked in Diamine oxblood, Faber-Castell hazelnut, Diamine sherwood green and Lamy Crystal benitoite (blue-black). All of them are extrafine nibs, but two are "ex"-broads, which I put an reverse architect grind on. (As a result of the grind, on the "right" side, these two are more like extra-extra fine) So if I'm in the mood for more line variation I just turn my pen around and write on the reverse side. I really like the look of cursive written with an architect, it's a distinct variation to the usual stub and italic nibs. The red is my favorite at the moment, as it's in the Lamy 2000 EF. If you hit the famous sweetspot of that nib, it behaves slightly "architect-ish", especially on the fine and extrafine. My handwriting is tiny, a capital C is about 4mm in height. So, even with hairlines minor mistakes are not too visible.

I like to write with fountain pens which are something in-between f and m. The problem what I have is when I buy Japanese pens thru the internet sometimes they are not finer as they should be. I.e. I bought a sailor pro gear and a vanishing point in m, expecting the nibs to write like a European F. Both nibs write as broad as my Lamy safari in m. 😕

A Platinum Preppy gives you 2-in-1 nib option for their 0.5 M nib, by having a decent reverse writing UEF nib. I discovered it when a wet flowing ink put down too thick of a line for my needs and decided to try out some reverse writing with mine, and it worked well past two pages of writing for me.

My handwriting looks best with a fine nib but I prefer the smoothness of a medium. I wanted to like broad nibs but that line is just too thick for me.

There's the "different strokes(literally) for different folks" way of looking at it, but there's also the "different tools for different jobs" perspective. Some people really just want to use what they like and they will make it work no matter what, others will prefer to use whatever works best for the specific task at hand. Whenever I'm carrying my pen case I always carry at least one each of a needlepoint, a medium and a triple broad nib so I always have what I need. If I don't have access to my pen case, I carry only a pocket pen with a fine-medium nib because that seems to be the most effective all-rounder. I've found that most people tend to start off choosing a nib width that works well for the ruling width they typically use, then they pick a ruling width for the nib width that they enjoy most, and then they realise that they can't always control the ruling width they get to use, so they either end up carrying a variety of nibs or ask a nibmeister to put a reverse grind on their nib so it can do both at the same time.

I find my writing difficult to read with a medium or broader nib. One of my favourites is the Falcon SF. I also like Pilot's PO nibs for journals and other places I write small. A vintage EF flex is another pen I have the best results with

1. You’ve got a beautiful handwriting. 2. Could you please confirm if Japanese “Medium” equivalent European “Fine”? Thank you.

Nice!

Thank you for your experiences and recommendations. Since I use the nibs for writing and drawing myself, I have found that the quality of the nib, the ink flow of the pen holder and the type of paper are crucial. Nibs that are too hard and stiff and a rough type of paper are not suitable for this. I also do not use wide nibs. My impression is that it has become increasingly difficult to get good quality pen holders at a reasonable price.

I like writing with extra fine but I can see that the broad shows off the colour better and looks nicer to me 😊

I have just gone through this process. I got some different nib sizes in cheaper pens. I found the broader nibs made my writing look better, but I deemed it synthetic and went with fine and extra fine so that I can really work on it. I do still love the broads for "fancy inks". Thank you!

So now i know, thats why i find my writings they look better if i use broad nib.❤

great information thanks for sharing

What's your take on flex nibs ? And how long have you writing in the Palmer's style ? Thx in advance !

Hello and thank you so much for your explanation! I am learning Palmer method as a beginner, so Fine nibs would be recommended, I took from your very informative video. So beautiful your Palmer's writing! I am especially looking to buy a Pilot 743, would you recommendate a Fine, Soft-Fine, Medium-Fine or FA (semi-flex Falcon) nib for the pen for 1) Palmer cursive and 2) everyday handwriting on Rhodia or the New Tomoe River (sometimes more than 1 hours of writing a day)? My handwriting is normal sized I guess (confined between the 7 or 8 mm ruled paper it usually fits well). I refer to note-taking, journalling, long writing sessions (not just testing inks). Thank you and regards from Germany!

Interesting pen and a good review. Quick question: Can you use a converter in it? Thanks.

This is that one kind of pen were you don’t want or need it but have to get it anyways.

The difference in the line width may be due to the feed. If more ink is delivered to the tip, the line will be wider. Fountain pens are like snowflakes. . .no 2 are exactly the same. This is why retail stores and pen shows are still popular for high end (overpriced) fountain pens because one can try before they buy.

What sort of tripod/arm are you using for overhead shots?

I just can't stand the Safari. Reminds me of my school times. 🙃

I agree with all of your aesthetic criticisms of the Lamy Safari design. But what transcends conventional beauty, in the eyes of the Lamy design team, is that they have combined robust construction, manufacturing efficiency, ergonomic comfort, and design components that function flawlessly. All for zero money. Any solution that satisfies all these incompatible parameters must necessarily be beautiful. In the context of industrial design.

Lamy sells gold replacement nibs that will fit the Safari, Al Star, Studio and Aion, and perhaps others. One can also buy replacement nibs for the 2000 and the Imperium. These are offered by a few online retailers.

A few thought … are both those nibs black? That’s a real pet-hate for me - silver coloured or gold (if it’s a gold nib) is my narrow-minded rule. As you point out, the F nib on the Studio looks much finer than the F nib on the Safari. Shame if it’s pot-luck! I think I like the form factor of the Studio even more than the 2000 though, which I’m sure puts me in the minority - the 2000, when capped, looks like a cheap 1980s felt tip, and I can’t get past that; MoMA approval or not! Anyway, great review so thanks for sharing! 👍👍