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So I bought two flexible nib factory feeds for an FA-nibbed Custom 743 I got recently and the immediate thing I noticed is that, even after using considerable force to move the nib in, and making sure it was aligned exactly with the grooves cut into it, the nib sits about 1 mm further from the housing/grip than it did previously, and I'm not willing to use more force to insert it as I'm worried about cracking the grip. Is this a common issue with these feeds and will it be fine to continue using the pen as I normally would under these circumstances?

I am currently a college student and I love using fountain pens. They just make writing much more enjoyable for me. Currently my everyday pens are Pilot Custom 823(M), Pilot Falcon(SEF), and Lamy All-Star(EF). I have them inked with different colors which is great for me to take clear notes. I love, love, love using the 823 and it is the pen I that use the most. I have a medium-heavy hand and I really enjoy the springy but not-too-soft nature of the 823 nib since it allows me to take notes with very fast hand writing (it is also very smooth!). Harder bibs are not bad writing by any means, but they are certainly not my favorites: Lamy All Star, Pilot Kaküno (F, M). I have them in the pen box simply to have more colors and to use them once in a while to switch the feel a little bit. I am currently looking at Justus 95 and Custom 743 because the size and weight of them are very similar to the 823. I have tried the Justus 95 in store with dipping ink, and I find the hard setting very practical for taking notes on even cheaper paper while the soft setting gives more room to flex since it requires less pressure to spread the tines. I am aware that the 743 probably have a silightly bigger nib than the Justus 95 just like the 823 do, and has a lot more nib to choose from, such as SFM, SF, and of course the regular Fine nib. You might noticed that I am not considering the broader nibs since Japanese M is the broadest nib to be practical for everyday acdemic notes, and I already got it on my amazing 823. Im only considering F-FM. The F nib I tried on Justus 95 is close to what Im looking for. After the long explanation about my situation, let ask some specific questions I wish you could address. I will give a comment for each of the questions I ask to let you know what Im looking for specially. Also, please dont use price as a criteria. 1. Should I just get an 823 in F? (I kinda want to branch out a bit, I dont know whether it would be worth the investment to stay with the same model). 2. Does the nib options of 743 significantly better than the Justus 95? (Comparing the #15 SFM SF of the 743 to the Justus 95 F nib) 3. Is the 743 FA even worth me looking at? (I think it will be a fun nib, but Im concerned about its practiality for my every day use. I am also concerned about the railroading issue it potentially have) 4. I heard Sailor has great nibs. But I am concerting about the size/weight of 1911 L or pro gear L (I am not considering the King of Pen) and their ink capacity. With this in mind, should I shift my focus to Sailor? 5. What are some other pens with very similar size and weight has a springy (but not-too-soft) nib I should consider? (I care nothing about a flourished look, practicality is the most important thing. Its not that I dont enjoy a more colorful look, I just dont think it worth the money for me to just buying the look of the pen for my purpose) Thank you all and I hope to hear from you guys soon!!

I am fairly new in the fountain pen collection world but I have been using fountain pen since very young. Im currently a college student and Im looking for suggestions for my next pen. Heres a short list of the pens I uses quite often: 1. Pilot Kaküno M nib 2. Pilot Kaküno F nib 3. LAMY All-Star EF nib 4. Pilot Falcon M nib 5. Pilot Custom 823 M nib Here are some of the pens that I am interested in: 1. Pilot Custom 742 FA nib 2. Pilot Custom 743 FA nib 3. Pilot Justus 95 F nib 4. Sailor 1911 realo F or M nib 5. Sailor Profesional Gear realo F or M nib 6. Montblan 146 F or M nib Which one should I get first?

Both are listed with an FA nib, but the 743 is significantly more expensive from the same retailer (maybe $50-60 more). They look identical online, is there any actual difference in the pens?