Pilot Custom Heritage 92 Review

[maverick777]

I've been a lurker on Fountain Pen Network for awhile and thought I'd post my first review on the Pilot Custom Heritage 92 which I received this week and also compare them to my other pens. I'd been reading about fountain pens for years and always wanted to get one but cost was somewhat a deterrent and I really didn't have a use for them to justify the cost. I have too many other expensive hobbies.

 

What changed was I started journaling on a regular basis last year and decided 6 months ago to dabble in fountain pens now that I have a use for them. I've always had a fascination with writing instruments so naturally fountain pens became a really good hobby to tinker around.

 

So why did I get a Pilot Custom Heritage 92 and why did I get 3 of them? I got the PCH92 because I wanted a piston filler that was a full size pen and I wanted a pen I could use posted. I looked at and still want a Pelikan M600, but it's just a little too pricey right now for me to justify buying it. I got 3 PCH92's because I got a really good deal on 2 of them. The orange one was $51 shipped and the smoke one was $100 shipped. The blue one was the one I wanted the most and I ordered it at the normal eBay price of $130 shipped from Japan. All 3 pens came in the mail this week. Once I saw them in person, I fell in love with all 3 colors. I'm surprised I like the orange one as much as I do since I usually don't like anything orange.

 

I did end up swapping the nib of the smoke and the orange one due to the ink choices I went with for each of them. I'll cover why below.

 

Construction:

The PCH92 is clearly better quality than the TWSBI pens in person. The piston mechanism is more smooth and it gives you a more definite stopping point when you've depressed the piston all the way down. I feel like the TWSBI pens have more play and doesn't give you clear feedback once the piston is all the way down. The TWSBI mechanism also feels more fragile as I'm twisting. I don't have any really high end pens to compare the PCH92 to but I'm very happy with them. I think they're equally as good as my Lamy 2000.

 

5/5

 

Size And Weight:

I write with the PCH 92 posted and it feels very well balanced. To me I'd say it's balanced near the middle of the pen. It's feels lighter than my Lamy 2000 which is also evenly balanced. It feels about the same as the TWSBI 580 unposted. It's definitely a little heftier compared to a Lamy Safari but not heavy by any means. Personally I feel the Lamy 2000 is about as heavy a pen as I'd use for a writing for long periods of time so the PCH 92 is a very good balance of size (both the length of the pen post and the girth of the barrel) and weight.

 

5/5

 

Ink Capacity:

The PCH92 holds a very good amount of ink. 1.2-1.3ML I think. Plenty for my journal writing. It may not be enough if you write for hours on end but I think it's more than adequate for most.

 

4.5/5 (only because there are pens that hold more)

 

Nib performance:

The FM writes incredible smooth and noticeably thicker than the F nib. The smoke black pen originally had a FM nib on it but I swapped it with the F nib on the orange. Why? FM is just a little too wet and thick for my small writing (with Iroshizuku Take-Sumi). Even on Rhodia paper I just didn't like the way the black ink looked. Swapping it to the F worked out great. FM on the orange pen with Diamine Oxblood is a good combination. Even with my small handwriting it still exhibits some shading and stands out with the slightly thicker lines. Same with the blue one which I inked with Iroshizuku Kon-Peki. Kon-Peki shades even better and looks amazing. I would describe the FM nib as buttery smooth. Equally as smooth as my Lamy 2000 in EF which writes more like a Japanese FM. The F nib writes very smooth as well but has the slightest hint of feedback on Rhodia paper. It makes a slightly more audible scratchy sound as you write with it although the feel is not actually scratchy. Both these nibs are slightly more soft than my steel TWSBI nibs. I wouldn't classify them as actually soft nibs so much as they have noticeable give compared to my steel nibs.

 

I'm very happy with how all 3 nibs write out of the box. Ink flow with Iroshizuku ink is wet. And like I said, it was a little too wet for my taste with Iroshizuku Take-Sumi with a FM nib.

 

5/5 for the FM

4.5/5 for the F

 

Overall Impressions:

These pens retail for $220 in the US. At that price point I'd say they're still good for the writing experience. It's a well constructed demonstrator and significantly more affordable than something comparable from Sailor. At the normal $130 eBay price, these pens are a great value. They have great 14k nibs and they're piston fillers. It's hard to ask for much more in this price range.

 

5/5 overall

 

 

Packaging:

Nothing special

http://i.imgur.com/T4hkVJm.jpg

 

The Pens:

inside a Nockco Lookout

http://i.imgur.com/uOb3RYX.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/S3MJcT4.jpg

 

The nibs (F vs FM):

Top

http://i.imgur.com/COX4W35.jpg

 

Bottom

http://i.imgur.com/lPkgXvE.jpg

 

 

Writing samples:

http://i.imgur.com/tMHZOC9.jpg

 

Bonus:

Circle of Write. My collection after 6 months

http://i.imgur.com/hJ9dEHR.jpg

Edited October 31, 2014 by maverick777

[rutherfordr]

Nice! Thank you for the review -- Your pictures are excellent!

[Jenifermarie]

Nice review, Im playing with the idea of 92 being my next pen. Im going to start watching ebay like a hawk with deals like that floating around! I had been put off by the $200+ price tag but $100-150 seems more reasonable.

 

Have to admit your picture of them all in your Lookout makes me want three just to have identical pens in all the slots! I can only do that with my al stars. Think I will be in trouble at home if I buy 3 just for symmetry purposes though!

[maverick777]

Nice review, Im playing with the idea of 92 being my next pen. Im going to start watching ebay like a hawk with deals like that floating around! I had been put off by the $200+ price tag but $100-150 seems more reasonable.

 

Have to admit your picture of them all in your Lookout makes me want three just to have identical pens in all the slots! I can only do that with my al stars. Think I will be in trouble at home if I buy 3 just for symmetry purposes though!

 

Thanks! I actually got the 2 deals on Amazon from a Japanese retailer. I thought it was a price mistake and was certain they'd cancel my order, but they ended up shipping. They haven't listed anymore pens since that day, so I don't expect it to happen regularly. They only had one of each pens listed. I just happen to be looking on Amazon when I spotted these 2 pens that were priced well below the normal price. The rest of the Pilot pens the retailer had listed were in the normal range.

 

$130 on eBay is the regular price though and at the price I'd still say these pens are an amazing value.

Edited October 31, 2014 by maverick777

[siopaopei]

wow, thanks for the great review. the photos are very good. really vibrant and clear. Great job.

[Newjelan]

My favourite EDC pen. I have all 4 - they're brilliant

[kimmo]

Thank you for the great review! I've been thinking to buy the same pen for a long time.

[beboy]

Thanks for the review. I personally own the clear version of this pen with medium nib and this is a great and beautiful pen. The only reason why it is not one of my EDC pens is because of the screwing cap that takes forever to screw and unscrew. I wish it had the same cap mechanism as the Prera...

[Tas]

 

http://i.imgur.com/COX4W35.jpg

 

Cor . . .

 

 

[maverink]

i got mine from rakuten for 120 USD shipped after reading a review of the pen its a daily carry pistonfiller pen for me

[akafridi3]

Could you please post a picture of the orange ch92 body with the black ch92 cap? I'm sure it will look good!

[s_t_e_v_e]

Nice review and lovely pics! I have been eying the CH92 to complete my collection of Japanese brands. Good to know that the quality is better than the TWSBI, which is already great.

[tragique]

The CH92 has been on my wish list for a while, it seems like a great EDC pen. I only wish Pilot offered more nib choices for it.

[Sharookh]

I recently acquired this pen with the FA nib. This makes for a temperamental combination! Hard starts, railroading, etc.. I believe many users have the same issue. Could be a feed design, ink being used (doesn't match well with Private Reserve or for that matter Montblanc Royal Blue) although works fairly decently with Iroshizuku...... Maybe just a Pilot thing!!

 

Still - it's a lovely pen, wonderfully made. I'm hoping it settles down soon.

[Albert26]

Which is the white pen with the rose gold nib???? I NEED ONE OF THESE!!

 

Great review by the way. I have been considering a 92 for a while. I am particularly attracted to the orange one.

[Olya]

Which is the white pen with the rose gold nib???? I NEED ONE OF THESE!!

 

Great review by the way. I have been considering a 92 for a while. I am particularly attracted to the orange one.

 

Looks like a TWSBI to me!