Pilot Custom 74

[Inkanthropist]

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/3569/pilotcap8iy.jpg

 

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8629/pilot3ny.jpg

 

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/9276/pilotnib1sy.jpg

 

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/5112/pilotconverter2dv.jpg

 

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/4457/pilotcomparison13um.jpg

 

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6836/pilotcomparison25uo.jpg

 

First impressions

 

This is the first Pilot pen that I’ve owned, so I can’t compare it to other models. I bought it on a recent trip to Ghent, Belgium, from a truly wonderful pen shop called Timmermans. I could have spent thousands of euros in there, but I came away with just this. I’ve been curious about Pilot as a brand for a while, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to invest in one of their pens. I also tried out the Bamboo model in the shop, but the more simple styling of the Custom 74 won me over.

 

Appearance and finish

 

Plain and simple (and I don’t mean that in a negative sense). There’s something decidedly safe and familiar about the Custom 74, I feel. I can’t see any problems with the finish, and it hasn’t picked up any scratches in the month or two that I’ve owned it.

 

Design/size/weight

 

This is a pretty long pen. I’ve pictured it alongside a Visconti Van Gogh midi and a Pelikan M200 for comparison. Capped, it’s roughly 143mm in length; when posted, it’s approximately 157mm. It’s not heavy, though: holding it in one hand and the Van Gogh in the other, I’d say that the latter is a fraction heavier. (I don’t have a scales with which I can be more precise, I’m afraid.)

 

Nib design and performance

 

While there’s nothing technically wrong with the nib (Broad), it doesn’t really have a great deal of character, and it’s pretty firm. Perhaps that’s a bit unfair, though, as standard nibs can often be a faceless, in my opinion. Flow is very good.

 

Filling system

 

Cartridge or converter (Pilot proprietary). This is where my complaint comes, and not simply because I dislike proprietary filling systems. The converter supplied with the pen – a picture is posted above – strikes me as being somewhat impractical. I don’t know if there’s a name for this type of converter, and I’ve never come across one quite like it before. To fill the pen, you have to pump the black button, but this doesn’t always result in ink being drawn in. And there’s a curious (well, to me) piece of rubber on a tube inside the converter, which makes cleaning the converter quite difficult, as the whole thing tends to rattle around and hold onto drops of ink. For someone who doesn’t change colours, this probably wouldn’t be a problem; I, however, switch shades all the time. Yes, I could stick to Pilot cartridges, which work perfectly well, but I’m not too fond of their colours.

 

Cost and value

 

I paid 133 euros for the pen, which translates to something like £90 (or US$170). This seems pretty fair for a reliable, stylish pen that’s been shipped to Europe from the other side of the world.

 

Neil

[KCat]

very nice, Neil.

 

Other than VPs and a Falcon my "collection" is woefully loe on Japanese pens. They always look so elegant to me. This one is no exception.

 

Pilot/Namiki converters - all around a pain in the neck. I use cartridges, but fill them with the ink colors I want. Though Pilot makes some very nice colors for their Parallel pens (the only way I've found them here in the US) their blue is zzzzz for me. But you've hit on my only gripe with Pilot pens. Fortunately, it's a minor gripe because the rest of the pen is worth that minor irritation.

[Goodwhiskers]

Thanks for the review. That's one good pen!

 

I like having a moving surface-tension-breaker inside a converter -- it prevents some problems related to ink flow.

 

Cleaning a color out is a matter of filling the converter partially, closing the end with my thumb, shaking it, dumping it, and repeating a few times, followed by putting in a thin-twisted bit of tissue paper to wick the remaining liquid out. I have to be careful not to get any tissue paper stuck inside

[Inkanthropist]

Thanks, KCat -- I'm glad I'm not the only one to find the Pilot filling system a bit annoying. But at least I now know what the object inside the converter is, and what it's for! Thanks for the explanation and the cleaning tip, Goodwhiskers.

 

Neil

[DrPJM1]

Nice review!

 

I have a Pilot Custom 74 with a music nib and an aerometric converter instead of the one you pictured. The pen is quite light for its size and the nib is springy allowing nice line variation. You may be able to order a different converter if you dislike yours that much.

[southpaw]

Excellent pics. Nice review.

 

Personally, I think Pilot's converter is the best out there. IME, it fills easily as long as the nib is fully immersed. The little rubber ball actually is there to prevent ink bridging, a problem that plagues many converters and causes the pen to momentarily suffer ink starvation. As to changing colors, I didn't have much of a problem, but it could easily vary with different inks.

 

I really like the pen/color combination.

[JRodriguez]

Nice pictures. I like the look of that pen, though I can sympathize with your convertor issues. I generally stay away from convertor pens, though not always; and when I don't, I generally wish they had a different system. I haven't had good luck with convertors, in that they often end up starving, as Southpaw described. But the parkers I've had, which have a little ball inside, never have, and I imagine this is just like the rubber peice in yours. The annoying thing about these little pieces inside, however, is that they suction against the opening sometimes when trying to clean them out. Ok, I'll stop whining now . Thanks for the review.

[Dudley]

Very beautiful pen and pictures, and very insightful review about the pilot pens/converters. Im not much of a gold trim fan, but it looks pretty elegant on that blue pen.

[hyptul]

I have Pilot Custom 74 with soft fine nib. It has small ink flow problem. Pilot "L" (Laureat) and Pilot Tow are better writers. I paid four times more for Custom 74 than either of those two pens.

[RonB]

I also have the Pilot Custom 74 with a soft fine nib. It is one of my favorites due to the nib, and I haven't had any problems.

[Federalist Pens]

This converter with the 74's is the Con-70 model, from what I understand.

 

Usually I hear good things about these. I do not have this converter

(I do not have this pen). I have a VP with the Con-50 type(standard converter),

and a 78G with the squeeze type(Con-20).

 

It's funny how Pilot needs three different converter types for the current pen line it sells!

I know it's a matter of size with the pens as the Con-70 is too large for the models I have.

It's good to know that it's difficult to clean though! Thanks!

 

Frank

[PatientType]

Thank you for the review. I'd heard nothing but positives regarding the 74 until your review so its good to hear a more impartial assessment. It seems that the pen fills a good niche as a full-sized pen with good writing characteristics and a decent, good-writing nib.

 

The Pilot 74 is, I think, larger than my Platinum 3776 and compares more closely and competing more directly with the Platinum President which comes an with a good quality 18k nib.

 

I've seen new Pilot Custom 74s sell online for about $150 in the US and I've seen them sell on Ebay for as little as $85-$95. But, I've noticed that prices in Europe seem to be higher overall than are available in the US.

[nemesiz]

I've seen new Pilot Custom 74s sell online for about $150 in the US and I've seen them sell on Ebay for as little as $85-$95. But, I've noticed that prices in Europe seem to be higher overall than are available in the US.

 

Yes unfortunately the Custom 74 does have a premium price in Europe, when available. Then Europe and America are severely limited in their choice of selection with only the demonstrator version accompanied by a broad, medium and fine nib. The only consolation for the American market is the recent trend to heavily discount the Custom 74 pen with two on-line retailers selling the item for less a hundred dollars. This doesn't help myself as I'm deciding whether to purchase an Extra-Fine version in Burgundy, so it means importing the pen and probably being hit with rediculously high duties and postal charges. So unless someone has an extra-fine Custom 74 for sale in Britain at a reasonable price, I'll have to order the pen again from Ujuku.

 

Anyway thank you Neil for the review. If you have chance could you state the measurements of the grip section.

[HenryLouis]

I've seen new Pilot Custom 74s sell online for about $150 in the US and I've seen them sell on Ebay for as little as $85-$95. But, I've noticed that prices in Europe seem to be higher overall than are available in the US.

 

Yes unfortunately the Custom 74 does have a premium price in Europe, when available. Then Europe and America are severely limited in their choice of selection with only the demonstrator version accompanied by a broad, medium and fine nib. The only consolation for the American market is the recent trend to heavily discount the Custom 74 pen with two on-line retailers selling the item for less a hundred dollars. This doesn't help myself as I'm deciding whether to purchase an Extra-Fine version in Burgundy, so it means importing the pen and probably being hit with rediculously high duties and postal charges. So unless someone has an extra-fine Custom 74 for sale in Britain at a reasonable price, I'll have to order the pen again from Ujuku.

 

Anyway thank you Neil for the review. If you have chance could you state the measurements of the grip section.

 

I am thinking of getting a custom 74, from ujuku as well. Are they good people? The price is very good but the website is slightly hard to navigate.

[AKAGodSent]

I just got one from soundboy_jp on ebay for around $100.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=150364589065

 

Might want to contact him, see if he has anymore.

[tanesiir]

QUOTE The only consolation for the American market is the recent trend to heavily discount the Custom 74 pen with two on-line retailers selling the item for less a hundred dollars.

 

It's time to name the names.

[nemesiz]

It's time to name the names

 

Sorry didn't notice your reply. I found two American on-line retailers, who at the time were selling the Custom Pilot 74 Demonstrator for $99 Dollars. I mentioned both companies in a different post, unfortunately after a quick search and indexing my posts cannot find the details. From recollection the first company was Pen Gallery, but the pen is now unavailable. The second retailer is Melpens who is selling the fountain pen for $98, but the item is currently out of stock.

 

The other option is ordering the pen from Ujuku, a reputable Japanese retailer but that will cost including postage around $125, but that may exclude possible import duties.

Edited September 28, 2009 by nemesiz

[Brian]

Neil,

 

This is a good review. I am sorry you are having problems with the convertor. I like the blue color and have not seen one in the U.S. Maybe Pilot will start bringing in solid colors as a companion to the usual clear demonstrator.

 

 

 

 

[nemesiz]

Tanesiir

 

The two retailers stated as American, are in fact Malaysian - Pengallery and MelPens. So the pens would incur shipping and possible import duty charges.

 

Please accept my apologies for the error.

 

Shane

[johnnyies]

These are really hard to find in America.