I got the fine, but it was more like an extra fine. It wasn't so pleasant to write with, so I smoothed it with micromesh and mylar into a very nice fine point. If I were to buy another one, I would get the medium, even though there seems to be quite a jump in size.
I am waiting for this pen. I went for a smoke demonstrator and medium nib. This one might stay in its own pen case. I’m trying not to spend much money on pen cases but as I get into higher end pens I’m starting to consider different pen cases. I’m surprised your nib is scratchy, Pilot fine nibs are super smooth (at least in steel) I recently got a C74 with a SF and that one has a bit more feedback.
I have and adore this pen. It writes as smooth as silk. The only things I don’t care for is that it’s kind of heavy, and that it’s going to be intimidating to take it apart to clean it. So that I can put that task off for at least a little while, I am only using the Pilot Blue ink that came with. But I do love it, it’s my favorite of all my pens.
So, to summarise, an absolutely fantastic pen that doesn't write very well. And, um, it's not cheap. After reading the experiences of the other pen-owners below I'm not touching this one. My two Platinum 3776 Century EFs are still by a long shot the best pens / nibs my wife and I have ever owned. They are significantly cheaper than the 823 custom and haven't missed a beat since they arrived. Our Platinum EF nibs were silky smooth out of the box and are a joy to use.
I was just browsing through a student section of a shop and there were pens on display so i was trying them. There was this ONLINE brand 15 euro pen that wrote so good that i bought it. Now the issue is that i don't think these expensive pens could better that in terms of writing and even if they do they won't by big margin.
I just got the same exact pen. Its scratchy. Is yours getting better after five months? Also, can you recommend a paper for this F nib? I tried it on Rhodia Dotpad. It was horrible. The lines were way too thin. The paper is like waxed and the lines were finer than it should be because paper does not absolve any ink or something.
As far as the nib, you gotta give it a look under a loop. With mine, the tines are aligned, but at the top corner of the tip there is a pointy part and catches causing the scratching it seems. Give yours a look first, it might just be a slight misalignment and can be easily tweaked if you are comfortable doing that adjustment (if its needed). For the paper, it is a wet writer for a fine, and should make a fine line. Rhodia, Clairefontain, etc are made for fountain pens, to handle the wet ink and allow it more time to dry so it doesnt bleed through and/or feather. The width you are seeing is correct on that paper, the trade off is extended drying time. If you use low end paper, the line width will be wider but because of over saturation of the ink on the paper. A decent mix between the two I found is Muji Paper. Not all of them but some of their paper is very good for price/performance. I did a review about their paper for reference. Here: th-cam.com/video/pwlH_MP74Q8/w-d-xo.html
One thing that definitely detracts from the 823 is that if you disassemble it you are invalidating its warranty and risking cracks. Something that makes cleaning and maintaining the seals a huge issue. You also cannot ink it with an eye dropper for the same reason, meaning bottles that are running low are going to be an issue. As demonstrated here
I got mine the other day in F and I must say I am in exactly the same position as you. Not sure what to do as the store won't accept returns, so I think I'm going to have to try and sell it secondhand or something and buy a medium. Very disappointing to spend 10x the price of a metropolitan and a nib that's not nearly as good.
I’m in the same boat. I am surprised my Metro fine is so much smoother. Luckily I got mine on Amazon so returning it and getting a few metros or explorers or both and spend tons less. So disappointed.
@@RodneyClang Yep! I paid Pilot 115 AUD to get them to swap the nib over, took about 3 months and I feel like it's definitely bit of a ripoff (seeing as how I sent in a flawless nib) but the medium does write a whole lot better than the fine.
I have this exact pen and it’s quite scratchy too although mine struggles to have ink flow. Think I might need to take apart and give good clean as it stops flowing after a paragraph or 2.
Are you leaving the rear cap unscrewed a bit to ensure ink can flow into the section of the pen? The plunger shuts off ink flow into the pen when its fully closed
I have just got a pilot 823 with a medium nib. I am finding it way too wet, making blobs of lower case letters. Actually an unpleasant writing experience. I will try to return it, or just put it a drawer and forget about an expensive mistake.
Hi Doodlebud, I just subscribed and I have a question,.I have two of these pens in amber, but on one of the pens, it seems the cap liner shows up more, as there is a thicker darker "line" near the bottom. Is it possible that some cap liners just show up more than others? I was trying to see your cap liner, but it was a little hard to see. I'm not a big fan of cap liners when you can see them, which is one of the reasons I haven't purchased the clear pilot prera. Wondering your thoughts
Great ... until the Wingsung 699 section develops micro-cracks. Which it did very quickly in both of mine. And believe me it is then both unusable and unrepairable.
![ฮักเทื่อสุดท้าย - บอย ศิริชัย [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-1PoPoQ-B-k/mqdefault.jpg)
I got the fine, but it was more like an extra fine. It wasn't so pleasant to write with, so I smoothed it with micromesh and mylar into a very nice fine point. If I were to buy another one, I would get the medium, even though there seems to be quite a jump in size.
Update: After experiencing hard start issues, I decided to send it to Mike Masuyama for tuning.
“I’m done” ... funny! Thanks for keeping this real! Makes it much more fun to watch.
Glad you enjoyed it
I am waiting for this pen. I went for a smoke demonstrator and medium nib. This one might stay in its own pen case. I’m trying not to spend much money on pen cases but as I get into higher end pens I’m starting to consider different pen cases. I’m surprised your nib is scratchy, Pilot fine nibs are super smooth (at least in steel) I recently got a C74 with a SF and that one has a bit more feedback.
Have it. Love it. Matter of fact, it's in my rotation this month. Using Akkerman "Bekakt Haags"... seem to work well together!
I've yet to get my hands on a bottle of Akkerman ink. Love those bottles!
@@Doodlebud Yup! The bottles are very cool, and very functional, too!
I have and adore this pen. It writes as smooth as silk. The only things I don’t care for is that it’s kind of heavy, and that it’s going to be intimidating to take it apart to clean it. So that I can put that task off for at least a little while, I am only using the Pilot Blue ink that came with. But I do love it, it’s my favorite of all my pens.
What nib do you have?
@@Lumpy_Peter the fine. I still haven’t officially taken it apart to clean it….but I did flush it out and put a different ink in it.
@@geslinam9703 I think I would prefer Fine over Medium due to how small I write, but the reports och F being very scratchy turn me off.
@@Lumpy_Peter I don’t find it to be scratchy at all.
@@geslinam9703 Thank you very much, Geslina.
So, to summarise, an absolutely fantastic pen that doesn't write very well. And, um, it's not cheap.
After reading the experiences of the other pen-owners below I'm not touching this one. My two Platinum 3776 Century EFs are still by a long shot the best pens / nibs my wife and I have ever owned. They are significantly cheaper than the 823 custom and haven't missed a beat since they arrived. Our Platinum EF nibs were silky smooth out of the box and are a joy to use.
I was just browsing through a student section of a shop and there were pens on display so i was trying them.
There was this ONLINE brand 15 euro pen that wrote so good that i bought it. Now the issue is that i don't think these expensive pens could better that in terms of writing and even if they do they won't by big margin.
Not just you, mine is exactly the same with the scratchy-ness... And like you, maybe I should have went with the medium.
Was it any better?
Wish I went with medium too. It feels like a needle catching
Same here... Should have gone with the Medium one😢
I just got the same exact pen. Its scratchy. Is yours getting better after five months? Also, can you recommend a paper for this F nib? I tried it on Rhodia Dotpad. It was horrible. The lines were way too thin. The paper is like waxed and the lines were finer than it should be because paper does not absolve any ink or something.
As far as the nib, you gotta give it a look under a loop. With mine, the tines are aligned, but at the top corner of the tip there is a pointy part and catches causing the scratching it seems. Give yours a look first, it might just be a slight misalignment and can be easily tweaked if you are comfortable doing that adjustment (if its needed).
For the paper, it is a wet writer for a fine, and should make a fine line. Rhodia, Clairefontain, etc are made for fountain pens, to handle the wet ink and allow it more time to dry so it doesnt bleed through and/or feather. The width you are seeing is correct on that paper, the trade off is extended drying time. If you use low end paper, the line width will be wider but because of over saturation of the ink on the paper. A decent mix between the two I found is Muji Paper. Not all of them but some of their paper is very good for price/performance. I did a review about their paper for reference.
Here: th-cam.com/video/pwlH_MP74Q8/w-d-xo.html
One thing that definitely detracts from the 823 is that if you disassemble it you are invalidating its warranty and risking cracks. Something that makes cleaning and maintaining the seals a huge issue. You also cannot ink it with an eye dropper for the same reason, meaning bottles that are running low are going to be an issue. As demonstrated here
I got mine the other day in F and I must say I am in exactly the same position as you. Not sure what to do as the store won't accept returns, so I think I'm going to have to try and sell it secondhand or something and buy a medium. Very disappointing to spend 10x the price of a metropolitan and a nib that's not nearly as good.
I’m in the same boat. I am surprised my Metro fine is so much smoother. Luckily I got mine on Amazon so returning it and getting a few metros or explorers or both and spend tons less. So disappointed.
@@RodneyClang Yep! I paid Pilot 115 AUD to get them to swap the nib over, took about 3 months and I feel like it's definitely bit of a ripoff (seeing as how I sent in a flawless nib) but the medium does write a whole lot better than the fine.
When people talk about grinding their pens... Would it not be possible to simply write on something like 5000 grit corundum whetstone?
I have this exact pen and it’s quite scratchy too although mine struggles to have ink flow. Think I might need to take apart and give good clean as it stops flowing after a paragraph or 2.
Are you leaving the rear cap unscrewed a bit to ensure ink can flow into the section of the pen? The plunger shuts off ink flow into the pen when its fully closed
I have just got a pilot 823 with a medium nib. I am finding it way too wet, making blobs of lower case letters.
Actually an unpleasant writing experience.
I will try to return it, or just put it a drawer and forget about an expensive mistake.
I find mine too wet for a fine as well. Personal preference thing I guess.
@@Doodlebud this really helps thanks
Hi Doodlebud, I just subscribed and I have a question,.I have two of these pens in amber, but on one of the pens, it seems the cap liner shows up more, as there is a thicker darker "line" near the bottom. Is it possible that some cap liners just show up more than others? I was trying to see your cap liner, but it was a little hard to see. I'm not a big fan of cap liners when you can see them, which is one of the reasons I haven't purchased the clear pilot prera. Wondering your thoughts
Mine isn’t scratchy at all
Does does the fine compare to the fine on The custom 74 ?
I dont have the 74 so not sure on that one
I just inked my Wingsung 699 for the first time today, I liked it. I imagine that the Pilot 823 would be so much better.
Which pen is the WS?
@@Doodlebud Wingsung 699.
I haven't tried the 699 yet, but sounds like it's a great pen. The 823 ain't cheap, but is a very reliable pen & very enjoyable
Great ... until the Wingsung 699 section develops micro-cracks. Which it did very quickly in both of mine. And believe me it is then both unusable and unrepairable.
I wish they made more colors.. I know the new blue one sold out immediately! PILOT, pay attentions, we want other colors. Amber and smoke is BORING….
Yeah, it would be nice if they gave it a modern twist. Oh man that's an old video of mine! I need to update the thumbnail at least LOL
It´s a clear NO to the Pilot 823:
The construction isn´t what I expect. Look at your hands.