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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 เม.ย. 2015
- The Pilot Custom 823, thanks to Paul at Akkerman in The Hague!
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I think as an Japanese pen, when it comes to an fine to medium nib, it was designed to be not too wet in order to do everyday writing in Asian characters. My first language is Chinese, and I was introduced to fountain pen when I was in elementary school. I have to say that pilot wetness is just perfect for Asian characters. One thing you will notice in Asian characters is that you need to write a bunch of short strokes in a very small area. That is why a finer nib and dryer pen, when compared to western nibs and pens, is more appreciated by Japanese fountain pen brands.
This one is pretty much at the top of my acquisition list. I really want to give this one a try.
its an incredibly good pen. at least my M nib
I couldn’t agree more
Wonderful review. Great insights. I thank you for taking the time to do this.
Thank you for the balanced review. This is a "grail" pen for me, and I'm glad you reviewed it first-- $289 is a lot in the USA, but 599 euro? Wow! On an unrelated note, your writing sample at the end was calligraphic--have you visited the Gutenberg museum in Mainz, Germany? Ironically, they have scores of wonderful Bibles handwritten by monks. These are works of art and a definite labor of love to those who created them.
I'll have to visit that museum!
This is my favorite pen! My daily writer... I've had it for a couple of years and I love it.
In order to fill it to max capacity, I've had to use the Visconti travel pot and
It's easier than the trick to fill it that I've seen or tried. Thanks for the review!
I enjoyed your review by the way, I am now happily subscribed.
I'm sure you're aware of the technique, but I've found that drawing pen flush through the feed and filling the barrel, then expelling it seems to do wonders for pens that seemed to have issues with the feed keeping up. For instance, this has enabled my ahab to keep up with heavy flexing without railroading. I own the 823 and love it. For me one of the great appeals is just how well made it feels, even compared to my other pilot customs. Always a highlight to see a new review from you Stephen, thanks!
Thanks for the video, always interesting as usual ! Surprising to hear the 823 can skip : I have three of them and never experience such issue...
With regards to the three stars on the cap, this is an indication of the nib size : three stars for #15 nibs, two stars for #10 nibs and 1 star for #5 nibs.
Interesting. I had no idea that there was such a disparity between European and US pricing on these pens. 599 euros would definitely give me pause. I ordered mine direct from Japan for around 200 USD. My 823 has the normal M nib, and I would say it's on the wet side, which makes me wonder if your pen is just an aberration (though a sample size of 2 pens is certainly not exhaustive by any means). I'm sure many people who watch your reviews already own the pen in question and are hoping to have their opinions on it confirmed by you. I'm no different, but even though you DIDN'T share my opinion on the pen (in my review I was perhaps a bit giddy over it), your review was still well worth a watch. Thanks for going to all the time and effort required to continue posting these reviews!
Cheers,
Bradley
Thanks for your positive comment, I appreciate it.
Hi . I bought that before 6-7 months and I used daily. I used it with Pelikan blue-black ink and it was a little bit dry. But when I used it with Pelikan edelstein saphir was really nice wet. With clairefontain is a little bit dry . Now I used Rex paper ( 80g made in Germany cheap and very good paper ) the pen write wet .. Im not a pen professional:) that was just my opinion... Questions. Did u ever tried Peter Heinrich tobacco ?
@sbrebrown what soft nib pen would you recommend??
Michael 101 Waterman 94
@sbrebrown is Pilot custom 823 with SM nib a special edition for EU market? I can't find it anywhere else.
Japan Pricing: Retail? Actual:$208
United States pricing: Retail: $360. Actual sales prices $288
European pricing: $640
insane!!!!
I was searching on some European online pen stores, Japanese pens are all really expensive. No idea why? But on the bright side, European pen lovers can get pretty decent prices on European brands like Pelikan, Diamine and Rhodia.
Could it be import taxes to Europe? I wouldn’t be surprised
@@matthewe293 No matter how high the import taxes are, they wouldn't double the price
In Europe it’s like 300€ that’s not 600$
Eu pricing isnt 640, i got one for 310 from a official pen store yesterday
I must say that I have never had trouble with my 823 skipping or running dry. Mine has a Fine nib, and I usually use Pilot's Iroshizuku kon-peki (blue). I go back between this pen and a Sailor King of Pen, depending on the material l'm working on. I also own a Pilot 845, but I prefer the weight and ergonomics of the less expensive 823, especially it's ink capacity. I own at least a dozen much more expensive pens, and I keep coming back to this 823 as a daily user. I'm not a big fan of having to open the valve in order to let ink into the reserve chamber, but the nib is wet and the best Fine nib I own.
nice pen, lots of great Pilot deals currently.. have my eye on a lesser h92 but thank you...
again thank you for the great review
My 823 ran wet when I first got it. I use cheaper paper at work so I ended up adjusting the nib to make it run a little dry. It does become slightly hard to start now if I stop writing for 10 seconds or so on good paper but have no problems now on cheap stuff.
I've a Custom 91 with the soft medium on the way and from your demonstration of the nib, I expect to like it. Engeika is definitely the way to buy Pilot pens for a reasonable price - even for U.S. buyers. Did your 823 require nib tuning? Thanks, Stephen.
Thanks for sharing this. Especially your experience with the skipping and the inadequate ink flow. Your experience sounds familiar to mine. I have a Pilot Custom Heritage 912 with the same nib type ( but FM version and size 10) and I had similar issues. The nib used to be very dry and scratchy. The line it laid down was pale because of the bad flow. Sometimes it could even pierce the paper. I had to tune a lot to make it usable including opening up the tines and completely regrinding it. Its good to know that the 823 has similar tendencies. I think I am not going to buy it.
I think that everybody interested in fountain pens appreciates your thoughtful review of this pen. Your review provides much food for thought, given that most of the other reviews of this pen which I have seen have been positive, to say the least. Thank you again for your careful and well-presented discussion of the Custom 823!
Thank you kindly. I may just have gotten a lemon, given others' excitement, but I think the US-European price difference is also a big factor here.
I think that characterizing your pen as a lemon is also interesting and generous in the face of the widespread impression that the Japanese pen firms have such rigorous quality control that lemons just don't make it out to the public.
Hi Stephen
How does the soft medium nib on the pilot custom 823 compare to the regular medium nib in terms of flex ? Which do u prefer ?
Thank you
Nice, even-handed reportage as usual. I agree that your negatives are serious issues. ..deal-breaker enough to question this pen. Nice flex performance.
hi
i unscrewed the grip section of my pilot custom 823 . Will it cause cracking of the barrel ?
Can you do a disassembly line video of the pilot custom 823 ?
Thank you
Florida Blue - the most gorgeous blue around. Unfortunately not very resistant over time. I've found notes I took about 15 years ago with this ink, and they have started to fade. But that shade of blue is just beautiful.
By the way, aren't you doing inks review any more?
Hi Stephen
Will a custom 823 soft fine nib give more flex than a custom 74 soft fine nib ?
Thank you
I have a Pilot 74 with a 14K 585 nib in soft fine
It is an extremely wet nib, so much so that it is almost too wet to use the flex
But when writing with no pressure the soft acts as suspension and writes super smooth
Engeika is also the way to buy
Any suggestions to make it less wet?
Strange, I'm not only surprised at the massive price difference, but also that the particular 823 in your video has a soft medium nib. I was under the impression that the 823 was only available in Fine through Broad, although some Japanese dealers will swap in specialty nibs if requested.
I had the same problem, I own pilot pens from size 5 , 10 and 15. This pen skips and dries out. I was given a replacement for the same issues to repeat itself. I love Pilot pens this 823 didn't perform as I would have hoped for. I was told to change inks if all things are equal no such issues can be sighted on other pilot pens. I would prefer a piston filler like the custom 92 for the size 15 nib. The custom 92 is a tremendous pen spotting a gold nib for the price.
Was just wondering about taking a lot of important lecture notes with typical nonpermanent fountain pen ink- good idea?
Main too went dry too; do u try to solve this problem?
Wow, at that price I certainly can see why one would be hesitant to pick one up. I have encountered the same issue you have on this model, and I am currently experimenting at trying to eliminate it. I will note that with extremely lubricated inks (Noodler's 54th, Kung Te-Cheng, Sailor Shigure, Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-Same) I have had few to no issues, but some of the more conservative inks like Montblanc Toffee brown have given me trouble to where after writing a paragraph or two, it starts to skip and hard start and ultimately run dry.
I have removed the rubber o-ring that seals the chamber in an attempt to improve flow into the feed, and doing simply that wasn't enough. My next thought is to add just a small amount of dish washing detergent to see if I can't break up the surface tension a little.
So glad to find this review. I'm looking to get one for my Baystate Blue ink and the soft medium nib also appeals as I have a pilot 92 (91) with a soft medium nib and it's my favorite writer. Thankfully the DC pen show is this weekend...
Expect serious staining if you use this pen and Baystate Blue.
+sbrebrown that's the plan. I want this pen exclusively for Baystate. I've been using it in a pilot pen since I got it and I'm ready to pull the trigger on using it in something more expensive that can hold a large amount of it since my favorite ink to write with.
+Ravena James Got the pen. Decided against using Baystate Blue in it (for now) currently it is home to Private Reserve Tanzanite. I do have a solution for the feed drying out that you mention in this video. Mr. Nibsmith of Fpgeeks recommended getting rid of the mini gasket that blocks the ink and make it necessary to pull the plunger out a bit in order to prime the pump. Tried it and I've not had one skip or dry moment with it. Part of that of course can be attributed to the Tanzanite, but I think this helped as well.
+Ravena James Enjoy the pen!
Hi
Do problems like burping present on eye droppers exist on vacuum fillers and piston fillers ?
Thank you
I have one with Fine nib, this is a fantastic pen, I write with it everyday. Thank you for this review!
孙上了 By the way, it is a Pilot No.15 nib. Pilot has No.3, 5, 10 and 15 nibs. I am not sure what would be the European equivalent nib sizes.
孙上了 Btw again, try Iroshizuku inks or other Pilot inks. At the beginning I had the same issue with Pelikan 4001 blue black, but after switching to Iroshizuku Take-Sumi, the problem was gone. Now it writes nice and wet.
For the Euro price (600), and the equivalent USD $693, I would not buy this pen. For that kind of money I would opt for a Mont Blanc 146. Thankfully, in the US we only pay $288 (E 249). I have a broad nib, and I've never had an issue with skipping, hard starts, and definitely never running dry. It sounds like you may have somehow gotten a hold of a one off bad nib. Either that the style of nib is not the best for this pen. I haven't seen any reviews with this same style of nib, so maybe that's why this is the only negative review I've read. Keep up the good work, because people need to see how different nibs perform.
Another great review. As always they are definitely appreciated and I have been hoping for an 823 review, and it is here!
The 823 is my go to daily writer. I always have a variety of fountain pens inked up, switching, changing on my mood, but the 823 is always in use. I'm bummed you didn't have a great writing experience with yours (I want everyone to love the 823, darn it). But that's how it goes sometimes. One person's great daily writer, is another person's head scratcher.
Once again, you're appreciated. Have a great weekend and week.
I hate when pens behave at the wrong times. Would have been better if we could see it skipping and running dry like you talked about, but I really appreciate the honest review. Having experienced similar issues with the Vac 700 (running dry after longer periods of writing), I understand the frustration. At least the Vac is $65, for the price you paid (_especially_ in Euros), that kind of experience would probably kill my enthusiasm for Pilot.
P stands for Plunger....
カスタム823は、プランジャー式（＝P式） ☜quote from the description of the item from rakuten
Just checked now... 196 dollars from Japan + customs, which usually "catch" the parcel in Spain... still worth the price by all means, compared with Europe.
There is almost no pen that I would want more than a Pilot Custom 823 with an FA nib with Extra Fine grind and additional flex. But alas they don't offer the 823 with FA nib. Despite extensive experience with flex nibs, I sprung my resin Pilot Falcon SF only a few days after receiving it and I haven't had it fixed because I didn't have the money until really recently, so I haven't been able to use it for 6 years at least. I guess it's time to get it fixed now that I can!
you can get it on j-suubculture for around 200 euros shipped...
Hey Stephen, did you get a new camera? The picture quality seems to better than the usual video. Maybe it is because the sun is out.
Great review. I hear a lot of good things about this pen. Ultimately though, I do not like fussy pens when being used. This pen, despite it's clear attributes, just seems like a bit of a diva to me.
Hoi Stephen,
Wederom bedankt voor de leuke en informatieve review. Nu verder in het Engels.
I own a Pilot Custom 823 with a regular fine nib. The pen writes very well and is smooth. My pen never runs dry, but maybe I am just a very slow writer;).
I just ordered yesterday the same Pilot Custom 823 only in a different body color. Because I like the Pilot Custom 823 very very much. I order my Pilot pens in Japan, the prize is quite reasonable about (EUR 175,-). Unfortunate there is a (to) big gap in retail price between Japan and the Netherlands, because a normaly prefer to buy from Akkerman or La Couronne du Compte.
So far in Japan I only saw the nibs in regular F,M,B not in soft? When buying from Japan you get a plain simple Pilot box with no ink bottle.
Alvast een fijn weekend en de groeten aan Azizah.
Vr.Gr.
Martin
Ps. Zit er een review tav Tomoe River Paper in de pijplijn?
It skips because it picks inks, Iroshizuku is prefered. I love its dryness by the way, perfect for writing Chinese.
I'm not sure what the deal is with the flow in Pilot pens. I recently purchased two Pilot Custom 91s (F and EF) and a Pilot Custom Heritage 912 (WA) and all 3 required a flossing of the tines and repositioning of the nib before they would write well. Maybe this is normal -- but if so then the instructions should recommend it. In my case the pens worked great after, but I wonder how many Pilot owners give up in frustration?
Yes, I have two Custom 74' (F & M). Bought the medium first, awesome everything. I thought I would buy the fine, not so awesome. I need to work on it (nib). Maybe its a QA issue. Still cool pens.
5 minutes and you'll have it running great -- gently pull the nib & feed out. Floss the tines gently - most use brass shims - I use an index card, just carefully to make sure no fibers are left behind. The slightest widening of the tines will get your flow up and suddenly you'll have a nice smooth F!!!
Pilot QC is one of the best, if not the best. This pen is intentionally tuned this way as it is catered to Japanese writing characters, which are written entirely differently than Western language is written. It's pretty easy to adjust though
Hi .. Very nice review.. I bought this pen before 8 months from eBay and its coasted me with deliver to Germany about 200 euros. My opinion , that pen is great . My question is which kind of inks can I use with this pen ?
You should be able to use any kind of fountain pen ink with this pen.
I don't like piston filler or eyedropper pens.
I prefer cartridge /converter pens because I like to swap inks.
Jinhao Shark and Swan Pens are my favourites both with hooded and normal nibs.
Why. Because they write so well, they are cheap, colourful and they are FUN!
am I hearing extra scratching and noises in the background ?
Jinhao x450 looks very much alike this Pilot, only the converter its a standard one.
Which is better? The Pilot 832 or the Pelikan M800? I have both, and although the 823 is great, but the Pelikan is "perfecter". Perfecter?? Yes. Perfecter! (Sorry Dr. Brown...my English is Horribler)
That European price is frightening, I definitely wouldn't have purchased one if I wasn't able to buy it from Japan!
I have a Custom 823 with a standard M nib. I've had no issues with hard starts or dryness at all, it's actually one of my wetter pens. I will admit that I don't have the extensive experience with pens that you have...
I wonder if others have experienced the pen skipping and running dry
I recently purchased a Pilot 823 with a fine nib and Pilot ink from Goulet Pens. I found the nib to be a bit scratchy and encounter it running dry after writing a page or two. Reviews by others rave about the smoothness of the nib, but I suspect they’re using medium or broad nibs-vastly different. Secondly, it runs dry even if the barrel is unscrewed as recommended, so it could be the feed isn’t delivering ink as quickly as it should for lengthy writing. The reviews rarely ever consider lengthy writing experiences. I have to set my pen aside for several minutes to recharge the feed. For a pen as expensive as this one, these are major disappointments. My Lamy Safari and TWSBI Eco perform much better at MUCH less cost.
Difference in tariff rates?
That is a very nice pen but I doubt that it`s better than a Hello Kitty pen. lol. thank you Stephen.
hey Mr. Brown, which one would u choose - sailor pro gear ( 21K gold, med nib ) or this pilot custom 823 , and y ? i am considering one of these two but indecisive at the moment, ur help is greatly appreciated. thanks .
tq mate !!!!
I'm not mr. Brown but own sailor pro gear II and multiple pilots. Sailors in general have specific feedback, bigger nibs like naginata togi are pretty stiff. Pilots usually very smooth, glide over surface, even F nibs. I recommend to try justus 95 , it can be set up inbetween F and EF and stay smoth. Falcon is another interesting option, a bit springy and wet.
The 823 I got in the USA in early 2022 writes beautifully, no skipping, no problems at all.
I know it's an older Video, but I got one of these and have to object in some points. I've got the standard medium nib, but I am used to write with a fine nib. I bought medium because everybody says that Japanese nibs are finer. Not true, at least for this pen. This pen has a similar nib size to my Lamy Nexx with medium nib and my Lamy Safari with a fine nib is much finer than the Pilot 823 Medium. Given the wetness of the nib of the 823, it's not optimal for me. But I have to say the Pilot 823 with a medium nib is super smooth and a wet writing pen. It's not a gusher, but has good ink flow. As a law student I write ±20 A4 pages per day, and since I bought it, it didn't skip or something. Yet, some inks work better than others. Diamine inks work better than Noodler's, because it tends to clog less. I think because of the filling system, this pen likes wetter inks. I will try Noodler's Borealis next, or maybe Iroshizuku.
If you are in a long writing session and you realize that it gets dryer, then you have ink clogging at the piston, because of surface tension. Just snap with your finger against the barrel till the ink flow is there, or prime the feed by pulling back the piston a bit and push some ink into the feed. It should have ink for the rest of the writing session, once the ink flow is there. This pen is perfect for people who write a lot, like students. I will use it in my law exams, where I have to write 25 pages in 5 hours on 5 days in a row. Yet I wish it had a finer nib. My only con' for this pen is the size, it could be a bit girthier.
PS: Get a Pineider Refiller. The vacuum system is so much fun then.
@Gerardo Perez I flush it with water till its almost clear. I do this after about 3 weeks. I also use a pen cleaning solution and flush with distilled water at the end. Look-up his cleaning video. You can easily disassemble the pen, again watch a video about it if you do it. I would also get silicon grease and a pineider travelling inkwell. Don't get me wrong a complete disassembly is normally not necessary, but you can unscrew the grip section if you want to put some silicon grease on piston with a toothpick. I did this, because the piston was not moving smooth enough. I highly recommend this pen. For a beginner it's a fun toy, but it has serious looks and it is a workhorse pen with so much ink. Have fun ✒
It's easy to clean. Yet, I wouldn't take off the Nib. But the vacuum system makes it easy to flush. For the rest, see the other comment. There are also disassembly videos you might want to check out.
Daniel I agree with you 100%. I got the M, and wish I had bought the F. I’ll try to give it some time to get used to it, but I may sell the M and purchase a F as replacement. Should have trusted my gut. I also use a Lamy Safari F and a TWSBI Eco F.
I'm really glad you did this review. The 823 was my first "nice" pen. I like it a lot, and love the filling mechanism. But, when I started using it, I almost returned it because it would run dry after writing a page or so.
I solved the problem. It was the ink. It would create enough surface tension that air bubbles did not rise up through the ink, so the feed was starved of ink. I switched inks and the pen has been problem free since. I've since noticed this same problem on some converter pens. My problem ink was Noodler's Black. Noodler's Heart of Darkness and Pilot's own Take-sumi work just fine as does the Pilot Black (amazing bottle, I agree).
I don't know Waterman inks well, but I wonder if you are experiencing a similar problem to mine?
Waterman inks are known for their excellent behaviour in all pens, so I don't think this was the problem.
You said you bought this model on Akkerman, interesting enough I don't find it listed on their website nor on any other European FP shop neither on Pilot's European site. Do you know where I can buy it online from an European retailer? I'm going to move to Portugal on September to study at Coimbra university so I need to have some idea of where to buy pens and brick and mortar stores are not really an option. I would also try to import stuff but I'm not sure if I can do that with an student visa...
Pedro .Persson You can try: La Couronne du Comte, Fontoplumo, AppelboomPennen, ThePenCompany.
I tried LC and AP, really nice webshops, but still no Custom 823... better check out the other. I also appreciate info and the discount codes. Now on the video your experience with the nib is the same, the soft and other "special" Pilot nibs appear to have a bit of quality control issues, I still have to try their regular ones, they might be better.
Great video as always - Thanks. Looking at the writing test it seemed to be on the wet side, rather than dry as you said.
And yes, the pricing in Europe is crazy high compared to the States and even the Ebay pricing from Japan is high, but considerably better than Europe... With the exception of a Swedish company.
That pricing sounds insane. In the US this pen is sold for around $270-$300. I have heard of people ordering from Japan for $50 less or so, but without warranty. I plan on buying this pen, but at European prices that makes no sense. I understand VAT, but there are no EU countries with 200% VAT rates.I think the UK is around 20-something (say 25%), so I get that price differential (our corporate taxes are higher), but over twice the price is insane.
Otherwise, another great review. Keep them coming.
+Garry Perkins It's not the VAT: Pilot simply sets super high European prices for their products. Same thing with the importer of Pelikan in Canada. A Pelikan M800 is $1000 here.
New guy question for the wise FP community.
Is this a medium nib that is considered soft or is this a labeled soft medium.
The reason, I cannot select soft medium in online shop I am trying to buy from. So I guess I am wondering if this is customised with a non-standard nib fromt eh 823 line up or the medium is actually advertised as medium but is considered soft medium.
Any help be wonderful.
Thanks in advance and great review BTW.
I am also wondering about this. I cannot find any listing of the 823 with a Soft nib option, they are all listed with F, M, and B now. This video is 5 years or do maybe Pilot's offering for the 823 changed since then. Did you have any luck finding out?
@@qafisiraj7955
Hi,
G’day. I didn’t get any replies.
I ended up buying a medium and it is NOT a soft medium. It is a great medium nib which is more fine than a fine Pelikan nib. It is smooth and a terrific FP overall but there is still a need for a more flexible nib in the collection. Hope this helps 👍😊
Try in Japan. They have 11 nib sizes in Japan, in the USA just 4
A much anticipated review, maybe you should have tried to adjust the nib so it wouldn't perform poorly. Nonetheless nice job :)
kuhataparunks I think when you pay *that* much for a pen, it's appropriate to show the nib as it is. A dirt cheap pen from China is a bit more forgiving if you have to adjust the nib to be able to review it with a straight face, a EUR 599 pen deserves to be reviewed as is.
I have one 823 with fine nib that I ordered on ebay from Japan. I have to say the nib is very very wet. Not sure what's going on here.
With import duties this pen was about 350 euro in total.
I can hear GourmetPens, testing some pens in the background. At some point, it sounds like she tried a ballpoint.
Finally!!
how come no reviews of ST Dupont pens?
Because I don't own any.
While I find the 823 to be an amusing pen I still am partial to the Falcon.
Would you say that a Pilot Soft nib cause you to write slower than a Pilot Regular Nib?
No, I haven't found that
@@sbrebrown Thank you for the clarification. I am about to buy my first proper fountain pen, but I am between Soft Fine, Soft Fine Medium and Soft Medium, and I do not know what to choose. Your video of the different sizes of nibs definitely help me. Thank you always.
sbrebrown A nice pen, but for me 599 euros is definately not worth paying.
You mentioned that the TWISBI wrench fits the Vacuum system, does that mean, that you can take it apart completely ? Does that affect warranty ?
With best regards,
Sherlock
Sherlock Smith Yes, you can take out the plunger. Usually, these kinds of maintenance do void warranties.
Not sure where you live but check out eBay where you can buy direct from Japan. I think this pen is around 250 USD there
suezotiger Thank you very much, I will do so ;-)
Cheers,
Sherlock
Sherlock Smith no problem, hope you find something nice :)
I found the pen even cheaper (I paid $205) on Amazon.
Writing sample 10:01
How do you like it now?
Dee Dee I returned it after the review, as I only had it on loan. I never bought one, so I suppose that says enough :-).
As you say, Stephen, amazing what a bit of shopping around reveals: 275 Euro after a cursory search. (I can only speculate at how much HM Revenue and Customs would add to that for UK customers, but recent experience suggests it would be a non-trivial amount). Anyway, assuming that you've been unlucky with the review sample, it does look like a nice enough pen ... the expense and/or hassle mean that it won't trouble Pelikan et al unduly though.
Martin Williams Thanks. I'm still mystified as to why an oblique pen holder valued at $100 attracted a charge of £33 (roughly - I can't recall the exact amount). This gives me pause! All the same, mustn't grumble too much since the holder in question was a freebie, and £33 is a pretty fair price for it.
Martin Williams Well, as you surmise it looks like they didn't trouble themselves to convert the $s into £s! The vendor in this case picked up the tab for the shipping too, so in effect it was a gift. As for Parcelforce, what can you say? £13 seems a bit thick for such a small, lightweight package. Anyway, I'm happy enough to chalk that one up to experience, but I've taken to making my own since then ...
Martin Williams We're just talking oblique dip pen holders in my case, for the time being anyway. (I got bitten very hard by the Spencerian bug a couple of years ago, and the options for holders in the UK are cheap and plasticky, import from the States, make your own, become a left-hander or do without). That said, watching the videos of the amazing Japanese guys making fountain pens suggests that there really isn't any excuse for not having a go eventually. Thanks for the tip about Pete: I'll follow that up ... got it: springhill-creations. :-)
Martin Williams I was interested, Martin. Thanks for the tip.
I think it is a copy of the Wing Sung 699👍
Another comment on disparity in price. In the US, the only options are F, M, and B, nibs. I have seen this video a few times given I am considering an 823. I did notice when you were doing the fast writing, the flow must have decreased, even if only a bit, because the blue was not as rich or bright during the second run. Great review as always and you captured something which is rare, people have often have conformation bias when is comes to pens/companies they love, which is fine. That said, if someone is just sticking their toes into the Pilot pool, reviews like this are critical. Thanks.
I got my 823 a few weeks ago and it runs wet. You got a lemon
Hooray, someone else who doesn't go cocka hoop over the 823!. US prices are around $280 us so much cheaper, but just not the drool inspiring instrument that so many seem to idolize.
Youstruck Gold I'm not saying it's a bad pen, but indeed, it didn't do that much for me
It's a wet writer. I think you may have got a lemon or maybe you got one of the pens that wasn't opened up before shipping. I had 2 of these, a medium and a fine. The medium was dry when I first got it. I played with the tines a little, and then it was sufficiently wet. The fine point I got directly from Japan, and it wrote very wet right out of the box.
WOW 500+ Euros(Europe), 260 Dollars (U.S), 200 Dollars (Japan). I do not understand these prices differences i believe if you buy it from Japanese sellers it would be less costly.
Here is my theory on the price disparity, this is speculation, but seems possible. The prices are higher in Europe, because there is a much greater fountain pen culture in everyday life, you have to travel. Almost no one in the US knows what a fountain pen is, many think they are knives.
Anyways, fountain pens are often made is "batches" to save on costs of production. This allows for a larger profit margin as each component can be purchased in large quanties. Then, you exhaust your supply of each component before making more of the model. This is why closeouts in the fountain pen world are so often very sudden.
Basically, to compensate for the lower interest, prices are lowered, and depending on the size of Pilot's "batches" (few models would be in high enough demand for constant production) might be hard to keep in stock in Europe. The easiest way to lower demand to a reasonable level is to raise prices. The same goes for raising demand, lower your prices EX) Noodler's Pens.
In Japan, the prices are lowest because there are no import/export fees, and greater competition demands it. Is the system fair? Well, maybe not, but there is some element of logic. If you made it through this book, congratulations!
It's also possible the Pilot brand is just not popular enough to be sold a lot here. Europe is the home of Montblanc, Pelikan, etc.
You got a bad copy of the pen Mr Brown. My 823 runs wet and never skips. It is the perfect writer for me. I got mine in medium
What? It didn't skip.
Very surprising indeed. My 823 is a regular M nib, my favorite out of all the pens I own, a *very* wet writer, and has never run dry on me. Both my Custom 74 and Custom Heritage 91 have 'soft' nibs and they haven't either...all I can guess is that the feed may not be adequate for the larger #15 sized nib on the 823 (as opposed to the #5 nib on the 74 and 91). People also have issues with the #15 size FA nibs from Pilot. But 599 Euros is a crazy price. One of the good things about the 823 is that you get a pen that is as good as anything offered by Pelikan or MB at a value price compared to them...but I guess that only applies to Japan and the US. Very unfortunate.
Great review as always. This pen is too dry.
A very considered review, Stephen. Personally, I don't see what all the raving is about. To me, it resembles a cheap, knockoff Mesiterstuck. It has been freely admitted that Japan (amongst other nations) have held MontBlanc in such high esteem, & for so long - making generic copies of the aforementioned 'snowflake' brand - praise indeed, since to mimic is the sincerest form of flattery. However, Onoto were the progenitors of the vacuum fill fountain pen - I have two 1930's models, & even those, on occasion, fall foul of the drying out/railroad scenario. I too, enquired after the price differential between the EU & the US. it appears that Pilot do not hold the European market in such high favour - it is as with the Pilot 'Vanishing Point' pen nibs - obtaining a broad, or oblique broad in this region of the world is nigh-on impossible; it is rationalsed, thus: Economics, plus (apparently) poor demand equates to rarefied supply, yet within the Americas, supply & demand go hand in hand. I've stopped concerning myself with Pilot's world view on who (they) choose to export to - but when they so do, the cost is vulgar, & therefore, unappealing to most. I'm not an enormous fan of vacuum-fillers, anyway - & your remarks in regard to the TWSBI, amongst other reviewers, bears this out. I do believe the Pilot company have, to a certain extent, become too big for their ink-filling capacity..... here endeth the lesson... ;D
823 is cost only 200 USD. But you can buy nice fountain pen, Gold nib 14k, high end build quality, huge ink capacity with a lot of skipping, scratchy, and above all the worst writing experience this what the Pilot 823 is stand for. 823 is FP not made for writing.
It still feels weird for me to see blue ink coming out of a brown pen. For me the ink need to match the colour of the pen. Unless the pen is black of a colourless demonstrator.