Recommend My Next Smooth Japanese Pen - Minimal Feedback!

[kvz]

I have a Pilot Decimo Fine nib, and I love it.

 

I am looking for another Japanese pen, whether Sailor, Pilot, or Platinum with a fine, gold nib that is very smooth with minimal feedback (no feedback would be perfect).

 

I am open to all the filling mechanisms such as c/c, piston etc but no eyedropper fills please.

Plastic/Metal/Resin I don't mind, but must not be easily scratched

Must look decent aesthetically

I would prefer a black or blue pen, and have been researching on:

 

Platinum 3776 Century

Pilot Custom

 

Price: 100-200 (will most likely be buying on ebay, new) also, no vintage pen recommendations please.

Looking for pen that will write well straight out of the box as it is too much hassle sending it to a

 

Please recommend me your smoothest pen, any pen that can fit my criteria!

 

Thanks,

Kev

[DBQMary]

I purchased a Sailor 1911M from nibs.com and am very pleased with the pen. It comes in a wide variety of nib sizes and nibs.com actually tunes the new pen before sending it out. I have one with fine nib and another with XF nib. An XF nib can be scratchy but mine is very smooth which is why I ordered from them since they tune before sending out.

 

The cost was within your guidelines.

 

Good luck with your search.

[JLS1]

I purchased a Sailor 1911M from nibs.com and am very pleased with the pen. It comes in a wide variety of nib sizes and nibs.com actually tunes the new pen before sending it out. I have one with fine nib and another with XF nib. An XF nib can be scratchy but mine is very smooth which is why I ordered from them since they tune before sending out.

 

The cost was within your guidelines.

 

Good luck with your search.

 

+1 for the above advice. If you want a glass-smooth nib, having a nibmeister (Mike Masuyama or John Mottishaw) look at/tweak the nib is a good idea. With that said, I bought a Platinum Yakusugi 3776 and a Sailor Sapporo w/very smooth nibs out-of-the-box. Mind you, this was after a Sailor Tagayasan that had a terrible nib...but 2 out of 3 ain't bad!

[parnesh]

Good advise re getting the pen from nib misters. However, being in oz means you'll fork out anywhere from 20-50 dollars for shipping from the US. Instead you can get something from Japan for a lot cheaper and get it adjusted locally if required.

 

How about a Pilot 823 for US$215 Shipped.

 

http://www.stationeryart.com/pilot-pilot-namiki-custom-fountain-demonstrator-black-p-422.html

 

No afil, just satisfied customer. PS, the nib is springy...

[rogerb]

Pilot Custom would be hard to beat, IMO .... I have a butter-smooth 845, and believe the 823 has a similar.nib.

[kvz]

Good advise re getting the pen from nib misters. However, being in oz means you'll fork out anywhere from 20-50 dollars for shipping from the US. Instead you can get something from Japan for a lot cheaper and get it adjusted locally if required.

 

How about a Pilot 823 for US$215 Shipped.

 

http://www.stationeryart.com/pilot-pilot-namiki-custom-fountain-demonstrator-black-p-422.html

 

No afil, just satisfied customer. PS, the nib is springy...

 

 

Pilot Custom would be hard to beat, IMO .... I have a butter-smooth 845, and believe the 823 has a similar.nib.

hmmm.. how does the custom 823 and the 92/91 compare?

Cheers Kev

[kvz]

I purchased a Sailor 1911M from nibs.com and am very pleased with the pen. It comes in a wide variety of nib sizes and nibs.com actually tunes the new pen before sending it out. I have one with fine nib and another with XF nib. An XF nib can be scratchy but mine is very smooth which is why I ordered from them since they tune before sending out.

 

The cost was within your guidelines.

 

Good luck with your search.

 

 

 

+1 for the above advice. If you want a glass-smooth nib, having a nibmeister (Mike Masuyama or John Mottishaw) look at/tweak the nib is a good idea. With that said, I bought a Platinum Yakusugi 3776 and a Sailor Sapporo w/very smooth nibs out-of-the-box. Mind you, this was after a Sailor Tagayasan that had a terrible nib...but 2 out of 3 ain't bad!

Thanks for the advice! The nibmeisters offer great service, but I can get the pens from Japanese ebay sellers for around 60% of the US RRP (I bought my Decimo for $140 US shipped and the nib was great)

 

I will have a look at the pens you mentioned. What is the difference between the 1911 and Sapporo? Are those the two main pen series for Sailor? I don't really know much about Sailor so thanks for your input!

 

Kev

[parnesh]

 

 

hmmm.. how does the custom 823 and the 92/91 compare?

Cheers Kev

The 92 is a everyday, goto type pen and a fair bit smaller and lighter. The 823 is larger and heavier with a larger nib. I have used the 92 posted but I haven't tried with my 823. As larger pens go, the 823 is hard to beat.

 

Happy to provide some pics tomorrow if that would help.

[kvz]

The 92 is a everyday, goto type pen and a fair bit smaller and lighter. The 823 is larger and heavier with a larger nib. I have used the 92 posted but I haven't tried with my 823. As larger pens go, the 823 is hard to beat.

 

Happy to provide some pics tomorrow if that would help.

Yes please that would be great! I've had a TWSBI 580, and the nib was terrible, the piston system was good, but I'm scared what will happen if the piston jams up - I don't like taking the pen apart myself. So, I actually prefer c/c to piston (as long as I can use the CON-70 which as I have heard, is a great converter from Pilot!). Is the custom 91 the c/c and the 92 the piston filler or the other way around?

My friend also has a 823, and he says he loves the nib. Thanks parnesh!

 

Kev

[maverink]

pilot custom heritage 74, 742 and 91 are C/C fillers while 92 is a piston filler but i guess a sailor gold nib is super smooth with no feedback if thats what you are looking for.

[parnesh]

Here you are:

 

 

Capped L-R : Omas Art Deco CE, Pilot C92, L2K, Pilot 823, Pilot MR, TWSBI 580, Pilot VP, Pelikan m215

 

 

Uncapped:

 

 

Posted:

 

Writing Sample:

 

 

Edit: The paper is Rodhia 80 gsm from a Lined pad.

Edited May 3, 2014 by parnesh

[parnesh]

Yes please that would be great! I've had a TWSBI 580, and the nib was terrible, the piston system was good, but I'm scared what will happen if the piston jams up - I don't like taking the pen apart myself. So, I actually prefer c/c to piston (as long as I can use the CON-70 which as I have heard, is a great converter from Pilot!). Is the custom 91 the c/c and the 92 the piston filler or the other way around?

My friend also has a 823, and he says he loves the nib. Thanks parnesh!

 

Kev

 

If you intend to have a few piston fillers around, you will need to learn the basics on how to service them. For most of them, it is not too hard. Just have a little silicon grease handy (comes with TWSBI 580) and know how to get to the suction cup (I don't know the technical term).

 

On the L2K and pel m215 it is easy as unscrewing the section and using a toothpick to apply the grease. On the TWSBI, you need to remove the assembly unless you are very good with a toothpick. I haven't done the C92 yet so I don't know but I assume it is the same as L2K etc.

 

The C91 is the C/C and only comes in solid colors with silver trim. The C92 is the piston with 4 demos (smoke,orange, blue,clear) with silver trim. The 823 is a vacuum/plunger filler (like the TWSBI Vac 700).

 

Also note that for more than a few lines of writing, the blind cap on the Pilot 823 has to be loosened to allow ink flow as this has a ink flow shut-off valve for transportation/air travel.

[migo984]

Any of the Pilot Customs. I have several and they are all wonderful, and amazingly smooth straight out the box. My Sailors on the other hand have been nowhere near as good.

Here are the pens and the available nibs. The Sutab is really interesting and I love the gold SFM nib

 

http://kmpn.blogspot.in/2011/06/pilot-custom.html

[da vinci]

Those pilot customs look great.

 

I have a pilot 78G fine, and for the price I am extremely impressed with its performance. The nib is very smooth. If its higher priced relatives perform as well I would be happy!

[KBeezie]

The Pilot Metropolitan in Medium (Western Fine) has been very very smooth for me, but it may also be much less in body and such than what you're looking for. The two 78Gs I have are very similar in terms of smoothness (both the broad stub and medium), but the body is what I expected for $10.50 (USD).

 

... well those are the only two Japanese pens I have aside from a vintage Pilot Elite and a Platinum PTL-5000 (Which is sort of an extra fine with a 14K Gold nib, I wouldn't say it's scratchy, but it's not glassy-smooth either, has some spring to the nib as it can do a little bit of flexing)

[rudyhou]

from my experience, i find Sailor nibs tend to give feedback, more than Pilot/Namiki and Platinum/Nakaya. so you might want to avoid Sailor. i own Pilot, Namiki, Nakaya, and Sailor. from these four brands, Namiki seems to give the best nib performance, though it is from the same company as Pilot. but i do love my Nakaya as well. it gives the best balance of nib and pen design for my hand.