Pilot Custom 823

[jimg]

I have a number of Pilot pens, vintage and modern, and they all have very smooth nibs.

 

My Custom 823, bought in September 2006, is a favourite due to its smooth writing (Japanese medium nib), great ink capacity and great balance.

 

My Custom came with a special bottle of black Pilot ink which includes a plastic insert allowing efficient filling with the plunger system. This item operates very well but the Pilot black ink that came in the bottle was awful. Even after a good shake it had the consistency of black dust suspended in fluid and left grains on the page.

 

Needless to say I have ceased to use it, thoroughly flushed the pen, and am delighted with my dependable Waterman's blue/black.

 

As this is my only experience with Pilot ink other than via cartridges I am loathe to damn their bottled product out of hand. Does anyone else have experience with the Pilot black?

Edited January 29, 2007 by jimg

[ProfMike]

Pilot nibs are without a doubt the best Quality control nibs I have ever experience. Pen to pen variablity is very small.

 

The convertor is great except that like a sac, this will expell material from the pen back into the ink bottle. I had a pilot with SITB and contaminated a bottle before I realized it.

 

Great review!

Regarding the nib consistency is it applicable to all models or just the 823? Do they tend to be wet or dry writers? Maybe it's time to add a Pilot to my collection...

Fortunately, I've had experience with several varieties of Pilot pens. On the "cheap" end, the Namiki (Pilot) Knight has a fantastic Japanese medium nib. Extremely smooth with great flow OOTB. I got a red one from World-Lux (typical disclaimer) for $25 a couple months ago...

 

I have two Vanishing Points (Blue Carbonesque and Décimo Japan Pink) with fine nibs (western XF) and they're also great writers. The line is quite fine, but the nibs are smooth, delightful writers. They're fantastic for grading papers or writing notes in the margins of books.

 

I also have a Custom 823 with a Japanese fine nib. At first, I found the flow a bit dry and regretted the decision to order a fine nib... Then I brought the pen to the Philly pen show a few weeks ago. Roger Cromwell from Penopoly pens adjusted the feed for a better flow and I'm now... :)9

 

The Custom 823 is now a silky smooth writer with ideal flow. The nib is quite fine, but I love it because of my small handwriting.

 

If you haven't tried a Pilot/Namiki pen, my suggestion is to head out right now and find one :ltcapd: Although I adore all my pens (if I don't like them, they get sold/returned very quickly), my Pilots have been great performers from the very beginning. I'm sure you'd enjoy one

 

All the best,

Mike

 

PS - Pilot pens tend to flow smoothly, but certainly aren't overly generous - forgot to mention that earlier

[ProfMike]

My Custom came with a special bottle of black Pilot ink which includes a plastic insert allowing efficient filling with the plunger system. This item operates very well but the Pilot black ink that came in the bottle was awful. Even after a good shake it had the consistency of black dust suspended in fluid and  left grains on the page.

 

Needless to say I have ceased to use it, thoroughly flushed the pen, and am delighted with my dependable Waterman's blue/black.

 

As this is my only experience with Pilot ink other than via cartridges I am loath to damn their bottled product out of hand. Does anyone else have experience with the Pilot black?

My Pilot Custom 823 came all by itself... No ink at all. I wasn't sure what to use since I had heard that Pilot pens were fairly picky and preferred their own ink. Anyway, I've since been corrected, but that's another post The only Pilot ink I had was in cartridges, so I tried (what I thought) was the next best thing - Sailor grey. The flow was a bit dry, but was adjusted at the Philly pen show and I couldn't be happier now!

 

I've got Aurora black in it now, and it's amazing All the Pilot ink I've used in cartridges has been completely trouble-free and has affirmed my confidence in the brand as a whole.

 

The only time I've found visual funk in my ink was with Private Reserve. When I first got involved with fountain pens about two years ago, I decided to try PR Black Cherry and Flannel Grey. They sat in a drawer for a couple months after their first use and developed an absolutely revolting snot-like (I'm sorry, but that's what it looked like ) case of STIB. They went straight into the trash and I've been a little hesitant to try those inks since.

 

Every Pilot ink I've tried has been perfectly satisfactory. Maybe the bottle you received was a one-in-a-million fluke...

 

It'll be interesting to see if anyone else has had a similar experience.

 

All the best,

Mike

[southpaw]

My Pilot Custom 823 in smoke gray has a delightfully smooth medium nib. As to wetness, that varies based on how much I open the Japanese-style ED stopper. It can go from dry to nice and juicy, which is generally how I use it. The 823 comes in two different boxes, one a presentation box with a bottle of ink and one with just the pen. Mine came with the ink, and I requested Pilot Blue. IMHO, this is one of the best blue inks out there and is neglected. It's great stuff!

[RyanL27]

Sorry for bringing this post back from the dead, but I wanted to provide an update:

 

I unfortunately had to let go of my original 823 because of budgetary restrictions last summer. However, another 823 arrived in my mailbox today, and I must say that I'm wondering how I've made it the past 9 months without one. I went down to a Medium nib on this 823, and it's a perfectly smooth, wet and consistent writer. I just love the way this nib feels on either good or bad paper. It doesn't even consider hesitating when the nib touches down.

 

Everything about this pen screams quality - even looking at the nib gives a sense that it's fashioned with more care than others. I promptly loaded it with Diamine Sapphire, and I've been writing all day...so sweet. Between this and my new Emotica, I'm set to be pen-happy for a long, long time.

 

Anyway, these are becoming a bit more common around here and Pentrace, so if you're interested, I'd fully recommend grabbing one if you get the chance.

[rroossinck]

Argh...if only they made them with silver trim...

[gylyf]

Argh...if only they made them with silver trim...

 

If you're willing to pay for it, replating is always an option. Daniel K. did just that for me a while ago and I couldn't be happier with the result. Best,

David

[JulioPB]

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:blue'>Pilot Custom 823</span></span>

 

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i137/RYANL27/17b6ea7b.jpg

 

I was first attracted to this pen after reading the review of it in Stylophiles magzine (available here). The reviewer said the pen was a superb writer with rather conservative looks and a unique, high-capacity filling system...so needless to say, I was interested. I posted a couple of questions about the pen here and on Pentrace and received some very positive comments about the pen and an offer from a Pentracer to sell me his broad nibbed 823 since he had a fine nibbed version as well and preferred that one. I went ahead and purchased his pen, and it arrived this afternoon. I've since given it a full workout, and here are the results.

 

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:blue'>Appearance/Finnish 5/5 </span></span>

 

The pen arrived in a large, heavy cardboard box. Inside was the pen and a 70ml bottle of Pilot black ink, both sitting in a nice fabric bed. My initial impression was one of delight. The 823 is certainly a quality pen, and this is evident upon first picking it up and feeling how well the cap screws onto the barrel - smooth without the least bit resistance. The engraved cap band reads CUSTOM 823***PIILOT MADE IN JAPAN***, which wraps around the entire circumference. The clip is plain with a ball end and PILOT subtly engraved at the top. The color is a dark translucent grey, which displays the vacuum filling system and once filled, the ink level inside the barrel.

 

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i137/RYANL27/IMG_0014-1.jpg

 

 

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:blue'>Size/Weight/Comfort 5/5 </span></span>

 

I was surprised by both the 823's size and weight. It's roughly 1/4 inch longer than my Pelikan m800 and seems as heavy, if not a touch heavier, than the m800. However, the pen does not feel overweight whatsoever. I prefer the feel and size of this pen unposted, and unlike many pens, it's plenty long to be entirely comfortable without the extra length from a posted cap. Posted, the 823 feels a touch heavy and long for my liking, which if fine because I prefer to leave the cap on the desk anyway - no scuff marks that way.

 

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i137/RYANL27/be15be8d.jpg

Pilot 823, Pelikan m800, Bexley America the Beautiful

 

This pen handles superbly, and it deserves an absolute best rating in this department. It's surely my new favorite in terms of feel in the hand and beats even my Bexley America the Beautiful here, which I earlier gave a perfect 5/5 rating.

 

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:blue'>Nib and Writing Performance 5/5 </span></span>

 

This nib is a broad #15, which is Pilot's largest nib, according to what I've read at least. As many know, a Japanese medium writes a finer line than it's grading indicates by American standards. Notably, this broad writes even significantly finer than my Pilot Vanishing Point Broad, with the 823's nib writing most similarly to my Pelikan m800 fine nib. That said, this nib is smooth! It is unquestionably the best out of the box nib I've ever used. It's so far perfectly reliable, with excellent, somewhat wet flow and no tooth at all. The nib is firm but not without expressiveness - perfect for day-to-day writing and note taking.

 

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i137/RYANL27/6c4052c1.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i137/RYANL27/4ab2a2f0.jpg

 

If you're looking for one of the best writers out there in pendom and don't want a customized (Binderized) stub/italic, look no further and order the Custom 823. You can't possibly be disappointed with this as a writing machine.

 

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:blue'>Filling System 5/5 </span></span>

 

This is where the 823 reveals itself as wholly unique among modern pendom. It fills via a vacuum plunger system. That is, to fill the pen, you unscrew the blind cap and pull it out, extending a metal rod out the back of the pen and retracting a piston inside the pen barrel. Then, immerse the nib in ink and swiftly push the blind cap/rod/plunger back down into the pen. Because the back of the pen is fitted with an airtight seal, pushing the plunger down creates a vacuum as it seals against the walls and descends down the pen barrel. When the plunger reaches the bottom of its descent, it arrives at a larger section inside the barrel, which releases the vacuous seal and thereby sucks ink into the pen from the immersed nib.

 

It's really an efficient system, and it holds a considerable abundance of ink. Without any piston mechanism inside the pen, the entire barrel is left for ink capacity, and I imagine it will take some serious work to write this first fill out of the pen. Also, the plunger acts as a stopper valve for the pen much like a Danitrio eyedropper. When the blind cap is screwed down, the plunger cuts ink flow off from the nib, which allows for easy plane travel and is a nice all-around feature. Just a slight turn of the blind cap brings flow back to the nib, which immediately starts writing with a smooth, wet line of ink.

 

If you've ever come into contact with a vintage Sheaffer Vacuum-filling pen, you already know the downside to such a filling system; eventually the seals wear out and the airtight vacuum fails. However, as mentioned in Stylophiles, the modern materials used in the 823 will likely resist such failure much better than did the packing units of old. However, this remains my one reservation regarding the 823 as I'd like this one to last a good, long time. When the seal does fail, ink will likely leak out the back of the pen, which could make a mess of a nice shirt. I'm thinking of adding just a bit of silicone grease to the blind cap threads as a precautionary measure in case the seal ever does begin to leak. That way, I would at least not get ink all over myself.

 

Even with this reservation regarding the longevity of the vacuum filler, I give the 823 5/5 because it works flawlessly now, holding a whole lot of ink, and I can't be sure I'll ever have a single problem with it.

 

 

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:blue'>Conclusion</span></span>

 

This is an awesome pen, and I'm so glad I sprung for the somewhat high cost. The pen is large, subtly attractive and a fabulous writer. On top of that, it has huge ink capacity and is unique for its filling system and the fact that it's not yet available directly in the States. It's also air-travel friendly with the valve shutoff. All in all, this is one of my top three pens and certainly my favorite with an uncustomized nib. I highly recommend you consider it if you're in the market for a quality, smooth daily tool.

 

Hi Ryan:

 

It is a beautiful pen. It seems Japanesses are manufacturing some of the finest fountain pens all around.

 

By the way, may you please tell me brand and color of the inks in yur writing samplers,

 

Thanks,

Julio

 

 

[orion]

Thanks for the great review.

 

Does anyone know how to fully fill the ink reservoir of this pen? Try as I might, I can only fill 3/4 of the ink reservoir. Is this an expected behavior of the vacuum plunger filling system? It seems a waste not to be able to fully utilize the huge ink capacity of this pen.

[burmeseboyz]

Thanks for the great review.

 

Does anyone know how to fully fill the ink reservoir of this pen? Try as I might, I can only fill 3/4 of the ink reservoir. Is this an expected behavior of the vacuum plunger filling system? It seems a waste not to be able to fully utilize the huge ink capacity of this pen.

 

You can't fill it all the way with the plunger. If you want, you can unscrew the section and fill it with an eye dropper. But that kinda defeats the coolness of the plunger filler.

[RyanL27]

Julio: the ink is either Waterman Blue-Black or Diamine Prussian Blue. They're pretty similar.

 

Orion: As burmeseboyz mentioned, the 823 is never going to fill completely full using the normal filling procedure. Mine always filled about 3/4, which is decidedly a ton of ink. I would guess that you could get a complete fill using the Visconti Inkpot, though, and I considered buying one when I had the 823. It allows you to fill the pen nib-up, thereby using gravity alongside the vacuum. I imagine that would provide the needed advantage to get a full pen.

[Tsujigiri]

I kind of doubt that the ink pot would help with the filling capacity. The air space is caused by air leaking through the seal in the back of the pen to fill the suction formed by pushing the plunger in, so there is no remedy for this other than an impossibly perfect seal. It shouldn't be too much of an issue, though, considering that a piston-filled pen uses half the pen body for the piston mechanism. This system is probably the largest capacity self-filling mechanism in existence, second in capacity only to the eyedropper.

[orion]

Thanks for the great review.

 

Does anyone know how to fully fill the ink reservoir of this pen? Try as I might, I can only fill 3/4 of the ink reservoir. Is this an expected behavior of the vacuum plunger filling system? It seems a waste not to be able to fully utilize the huge ink capacity of this pen.

 

You can't fill it all the way with the plunger. If you want, you can unscrew the section and fill it with an eye dropper. But that kinda defeats the coolness of the plunger filler.

 

Thanks. I have a problem with this pen. The ink stopped flowing after writing for a short while -- I suspect the ink is not flowing to the nib from the reservoir. I am aware I need to unscrew the knob at the end of the plunger and leave a 2mm gap to let the ink flow. I did that but the pen still stop writing after a while. I tried tapping the barrel to let some ink flow to the nib but that doesn't help as well. I thought it is the Noodler's ink I am using so I fill it with Pilot ink and the problem still exists.

 

I would like to continue using this very nice pen but I cannot use it at the current state. Can anyone please advise what should I do?

Edited January 29, 2009 by orion

[Tsujigiri]

Sometimes on mine the ink doesn't go to the feed and you can see a big air bubble separating the ink from where it's supposed to go. I just tap the pen or pull the plunger a little until ink goes down. Also, you really need to unscrew it all the way for it to work; I went for a while not unscrewing it to the amount that it needed and the nib dried up. Finally, once you do get the ink flowing, it will take a while for it to reach a dry nib, so be patient with that, maybe squirt a little ink to the front with the plunger. The pen should work once you get to it, it's just an unusual filling system. I had the same problems when I first got mine, but now it's über reliable.

[RajB]

Hi Tsujigiri

 

Thanks for a wonderful review. I bought my Custom 823 from Ito-ya last August. Its a fantastic shop, but in general, shopping in Tokyo is vastly more pleasurable an experience than shopping anywhere else. The service, attention to detail and obvious expertise of the staff in whichever type of shop one goes to, and the fact that the choice of items available is far better than in Europe, and infinitely better than in the States, means that its always my favourite place for shopping. iSetan Mens is THE best men's shop in the world. And the architecture of the stores is just wonderful. Be it the Tod's store, or Prada, or whatever.

 

Anyways, back to the pen: mine is fantastic, works exactly as it should, and lays down a consistent and beautifully wet line, every time. I write on useless, cheap and very dry paper, that my Pelikan M800 cannot actually cope with, but the Pilot and Sailors I have work brilliantly. I bought a Sailor 1911L with a Naginata Togi nib as well, also wonderful, and some of the fancy Sailor inks. I have no complaints about the Pilot ink; the bottle's design makes filling the 823 a cinch, and the ink comes out black and smooth. Pelikan black ink is far worse in my personal experience. In fact, I wonder if my Pelikan is a dud; its line is far thinner (M) and drier than the Sailor and the Pilot. Its very well made, but not as nice to use.

 

I will definitely be expanding my collection of Japanese pens; I have 2 Binderized VPs (Stub italics) and a Sailor Pro Gear in addition to the 1911 and 823. Love them all far more than the M800/Lamy 2000 range of European pens.

 

Thanks once again for the review, makes me want to plan my next trip to Tokyo.

 

Raj

[Highbinder]

Sorry to resurrect, but wowee, what a great pen!

 

Got two questions tho,

 

Does it come in just gold trim? I've only seen two colours, this 'black' transparent, and a 'brown' (smoked) transparent, both with gold trim. No silver trim I take it?

 

I don't own an ED or Pistol filler, so I'm curious to know, how risky is it in terms of leakage? Is there a larger section of threading between the nib and the barrel / blind cap and barrel to stop leaks? Is silicon grease a sufficient failsafe against leakages?

 

I've said it before but I have to say it again; I have to stop browsing FPN because my bank balance really cannot take it!

[tonybelding]

Does it come in just gold trim? I've only seen two colours, this 'black' transparent, and a 'brown' (smoked) transparent, both with gold trim. No silver trim I take it?

 

There is a true demonstrator in colorless clear, but it also has gold trim.

 

I like the looks of the brown one, myself.

 

 

I don't own an ED or Pistol filler, so I'm curious to know, how risky is it in terms of leakage?

 

I don't own one either (yet) but have owned about half a dozen restored plunger-filling Sheaffers from the 1930s and 1940s. None of them have sprung a leak. They fill fast and hold a lot of ink. Given Namiki's standards and the use of modern materials, I'd imagine the 823 should be as solid as any pen you could get.

 

The one thing to watch out for is drawing back the plunger when the pen has ink in it, you should take it slow. That's when you're putting maximum pressure on the rear packing seal.

 

Incidentally. . .

 

There is another modern pen using the plunger-filling system. It's the Stipula Suprema Nuda, which is also a clear demonstrator! It uses the "Torricielli Air Pump System", described by Stipula as "an engineering breakthrough in pen design". It looks just like the classic Onoto-and-Sheaffer plunger design to me. They are quite a bit pricier than the Custom 823.

 

I'm told a few Suprema Nuda pens were made with the titanium nib. Sounds like a good idea to me. It's too bad I missed out on those, but I probably would have balked at the price tag anyhow.

[ednerdtheonly]

 

The one thing to watch out for is drawing back the plunger when the pen has ink in it, you should take it slow. That's when you're putting maximum pressure on the rear packing seal.

 

Are you sure about that? When you're pulling back on the blind cap and extending the plunger rod, the plunger seal inside the pen is broken and no air is being compressed between it and the packing unit. True, if you were to pull the blind cap back too far on the upstroke, air and ink would have a hard time getting around the plunger seal. That said, I'd think that the highest strain is present when you're creating the vacuum, during downstroke of the filling process.

Edited December 19, 2009 by ednerdtheonly

[tonybelding]

When you are creating the vacuum, the maximum pressure differential you can create is 1 bar -- one atmosphere, about 15 PSI. When pulling out the plunger, the maximum pressure you can create is limited only by how hard and fast you pull. That's why I say take it slow, and give ink (which is not compressible, unlike air) time to seep back past the plunger.

Edited December 25, 2009 by tonybelding

[ednerdtheonly]

When you are creating the vacuum, the maximum pressure differential you can create is 1 bar -- one atmosphere, about 15 PSI. When pulling out the plunger, the maximum pressure you can create is limited only by how hard and fast you pull. That's why I say take it slow, and give ink (which is not compressible, unlike air) time to seep back past the plunger.

 

In my original post, I meant to write "if you pulled it out too fast" not "far."

 

You're right, the rear packing unit can potentially face far greater pressure on the upstroke than during the downstroke. I guess it all depends directly on however much force you're exerting during each motion. Not really that complicated a comparison now that I've thought more about it.

 

Back to the 823: great pen, every bit as good a filler and writer as the Sailor Realo, and perhaps even better due to more available writing angles.