Search the Community

Hi everyone, I'm looking to get a CH912 as my new everyday use pen, but I'm taken aback by the sheer number of nib choices. I have a two main questions: - What is the FA nib like as a daily writer? Is it relatively smooth? I have heard of flow issues regarding this nib. I am not a tremendously fast writer, but regular skipping would be rather annoying. - How does the Wavily nib compare to the SM, or just the regular medium nib? Is it any smoother? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hello everyone. Can you help me? I have a Pilot 912 with a music nib. I am tempted to buy another with a stub nib. What is the difference between the Pilot #10 stub nib on the 912 and 742 and the #15 stub on the 743? Has anybody compared the two? I should be only too pleased to benefit from your experience. Thank you Adrian

Greeting to everyone. This is my first post since taking up the hobby of collecting and using fountain pens. Recently, I acquired a pen at a local pen club meeting from an attendee and am unable to put it into use. Then pen in question is a Pilot 912 Custom Heritage. It has an “SF” nib. I have tried several inks and am getting the same result every time. Upon filling the pen, it works excellent until about 10-15 words are written, then goes dry and dies at the first letters in words sometimes continuing a few letters then back to dry. Using more pressure I get “railroad lines” and more ink low issues. Today while cleaning after trying another type of ink, I pulled very softly on the nib and the nib and feed Slid out. I have no idea how the feeder piece should be aligned to the part with two visible “teeth”. Something I do notice is that it takes very little pressure to put the nib and feed piece back in. Also it seams it is so loose it may rotate when writing. Inks I have tested in the 912 include: Herbin Pearl noire, Diamine Syrah, Namiki Blue, and a few others. I just bought a new Pilot 743 and it is on the way. I really hope it is without issues. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!

So I did a search and didn't find info about one parameter I care about a lot: does this nib write wet, so ink comes out saturated, or does it write more dry, so inks look lighter? My preference depends on the ink, I like Tsuyu Kusa in a wet pen but Kon Peki and Verdigris in a dry pen. Second related question: does ink tend to come out consistently or does it shade?

After weeks of deliberation, I finally placed an order for a Pilot Custom Heritage 912 with a Posting nib, ordered from Engeika (no affiliation) also with some Iro Take-Sumi ink. This will be my first $100+ fountain pen. Does anyone have a 912 that they like/dislike? What might be your comments on it? I hope this will be a good pen; I'm quite excited!

Hello FPN! I just signed up but I have been lurking and reading all over and agonizing over nib choice as this is my first "step up" pen. I have decided on a Custom Heritage 912 (or maybe a 91 since I'm not getting the more esoteric WA, FA, SU, MS, but I like the larger nib) but as the title states, I can't decide between SF and SFM for a daily writer. I have Metros in F & M, a Safari in EF, and Preppy's in F & M. The Preppy F is too thin and dry for me, while the Preppy M is too bold and wet. The Safari is actually near to my ideal, which would be a bit thinner. Similarly, I like something a hair thicker than the Metro F. The Metro F I find gives a little too much feedback while the Metro M writes like a dream, has a great line on Rhodia but too thick on Moleskine, for example. I think a rigid steel FM would have been a good Goldilocks nib for me with in between line width and smoothness, but I've read and seen examples that soft and 14K nibs from Pilot are wetter so I am leaning towards soft fine at the moment. The Goulet nib nook (screenshot) examples of 14k fines and 912 soft fine seem almost like the Metro medium though... My only concern after line width is smoothness. Also, on another note, are the stars on the rhodium cap band only on the North American version? I probably will be getting my pen from j-subculture and the pictures of Japanese market pens show empty space where the stars would be (I prefer this). I also have noticed that it's "Custom Heritage 912" in Japan and simply "Custom 912" in America.

My search for a good needle-thin line continues. My favorite pen to write with so far is a Penmanship nib(EF by Pilot's standard)on a Metro and Prera. I got an elite 95S with a 14K EF nib once, thinking it'd be like a penmanship, but it was exactly like a Metro's Fine. Very disappointed. Then I found a 1960s vintage elite with 18K Posting nib, and it doesn't write very satisfactorily. Maybe that's because I am using Pilot Cartridges in it? But I just don't like it, it writes thin, hollow lines on sidestrokes and bold ones on downstrokes. And the line isn't what many say a PO line is (finer than EF) It makes for a very inconsistent writing experience. BUT now I've felt the difference between 14/18K and steel nibs. Now I want a 14K nib that writes as thin as a Penmanship. (Any suggestions there?) QUESTION: How is the PO nib on a Heritage 912? is it a hair-thin line that writes solid lines in every direction(that's what I want)? And how does it compare to the EF nib on the same pen, a Heritage 912? I'm assuming the finer line will be on a PO nib. Thanks if you've gotten this far, and I'm planning to get a Heritage 912, but am very conflicted over which nib. Thanks again for your help!

Hello. I am currently struggling between two choices. My budget would allow me to purchase one of these two pens: Pelikan M405 (blue stripes with rhodium trims) or Pilot Heritage 912 (FA nib). For the moment I own three Pilots already: Justus 95 (FM nib), Custom 823 (F nib) and a matte black VP (F nib) (with two Platinum 3776 and three Lamy). I’ve never seen nor tried a Pelikan before, so I’m very curious about it, which is the main reason why I’m considering the 405. From the photos the silver trim with blue stripes looks quite marvellous, although I don’t know whether it would be really as beautiful in my hands. The piston filler is another attraction as well, I've never had a piston filler pen. The 405’s size is a bit too small for my taste, and I am not ready to spend more on a 605 or 805. As for the nib, it is said the Pelikan nibs don’t always have the same behaviour, and that the quality varies from one another. I am accustomed to Japanese finer nibs, so I’m not sure whether I will like Pelikan’s nib. About the Pilot 912, I very much like to try the (semi-)flex FA nib (also found on 742 and 743). I’d like to write with a bit line variations and sometimes try some Copperplate (totally novice here). I have a Justus 95, but it’s an FM nib so the hairlines are not really fine enough, and it’s said the FA nib will offer a little more flex. I quite like the look of 912, especially the rhodium finish. (The reason why I would not consider a 742 (albeit the same price) is that I don’t really like the ‘gold/black’ decoration, and that it looks basically the same as my 823.) So 912 looks nice enough for me and its size is ideal. So what do you think? Same say that the Pelikans are not exciting enough. Shall I go and try a new brand and a new filling system (piston) for me, or should I stay in the camp of Pilot and go for the seemingly attractive FA nib? Both have pretty much the same price here in China, the 405 costing about 8 dollars more. Any idea or suggestion is welcomed! To sum up a bit: Pelikan M405: Pros: looks nice, piston filler, a new brand for me Cons: a bit too small, not sure about nibs Pilot 912: Pros: ideal size, looks nice too, FA nib for line variations Cons: yet another Pilot