Pilot Custom 74 or Sailor 1911m

[Nikhil]

The Japanese bug has bitten again. I already own one Pilot and one Sailor, a Knight and a Procolor and love them both. The Procolor took my Knight's place in my rotation. Now I have another open spot in my rotation and want to add a 14k gold nib in it and I am loving Japanese pens. Currently, my rotation holds a Sailor ProColor 500, an Aurora Style and a Lamy Safari/Waterford Marquis Claria. I have narrowed down my pen selections to the Pilot Custom 74 and the Sailor 1911m. On the website I am looking at, the Custom is considerably under its MSRP and costs less then the 1911m. The Sapparo was an option, but I do not like the design. Thanks for your help and input

Edited November 28, 2009 by Nikhil

[hari317]

I have the 1911m and am planning a 74 for a long while, just can't seem to get it at a reasonable price. Between the two I would go for the 74, due to the wider array of nibs available and also since it takes the Con70 converter.

 

Best,

Hari

[dashreeve]

I have 2 1911M's and a custom 74 demo. They are all great pens, pick the one you like the looks of best. I can't say I prefer one over the other, but I probably write more with the 1911's than I do the 74.

 

You can get them around $100 at pengallery or melpens. Be sure to add the con-70 if you go with the 74, or the con-50. When I got my 74 I think it was $92 at melpens.

[Dr.Grace]

My Custom 74 has a smoother nib than those on my two 1911Ms and, with the Con-70, holds a lot more ink.

[HenryLouis]

Custom 74 with an SF nib off of ebay!

[Flourish]

Both are truly fine pens. But to me the 1911 just appears to be more abuse friendly, in my hands and mind at least. I coddle, and cuddle, my 74, while I ardently mistreat my 1911M. Both are well built and can take nearly everything you can think to throw at them. But, while I wouldn't hesitate to stuff my 1911M into my PFD and take it rafting through class 3 to class 5 rapids I wouldn't even think about doing this to my 74.

[Nikhil]

I have 2 1911M's and a custom 74 demo. They are all great pens, pick the one you like the looks of best. I can't say I prefer one over the other, but I probably write more with the 1911's than I do the 74.

 

You can get them around $100 at pengallery or melpens. Be sure to add the con-70 if you go with the 74, or the con-50. When I got my 74 I think it was $92 at melpens.

 

Wait, I thought it came with the Con-70 from melpens. I was planning on buying from melpens and the price is 98

[Doug C]

Tough call, but if pressed (I own a Custom 74 demo, and a full size 1911 demo) I would have to go with the Sailor due to the more robust construction and a better nib. It is tough to beat any other firm nib out there (although the con-70 converter on the Pilot is pretty neat).

[donwinn]

I would go with the Pilot, because I prefer a nib with a little spring to it. I would get it with the SF nib. I have a 1911 full size, and I love the smoothness of the nib, but I also have a Pilot Custom 742 FA, and I realllly love the flex in it. I even have a Pilot demonstrater, which has a steel nib, but has some spring to it, and I like it a lot also.

 

Donnie

[dashreeve]

I have 2 1911M's and a custom 74 demo. They are all great pens, pick the one you like the looks of best. I can't say I prefer one over the other, but I probably write more with the 1911's than I do the 74.

 

You can get them around $100 at pengallery or melpens. Be sure to add the con-70 if you go with the 74, or the con-50. When I got my 74 I think it was $92 at melpens.

 

Wait, I thought it came with the Con-70 from melpens. I was planning on buying from melpens and the price is 98

 

I think that is the big difference between buying it in the US and from overseas. The US versions all seem to come with the con-70, but mine came with the con-50 from Melpens. It holds a small amount of ink so I ended up getting the con-70 with a later order from Melpens. To be fair, the US versions are pictured with the con-70 and the one on the Melpens site clearly has the con-50. The con-50 might be ok with a fine nib, I have a wet medium on mine so it just didn't hold enough ink for me.

[HenryLouis]

converters are cheap anyway; it shouldn't be a deciding factor from where you buy...

[mgutman]

For me, the Con-70 improved the pen balance on the Pilot.

[Neill78]

I've got a 1911, a Sapporo, and 2 Custom 74s (one FM and one F). Since I got my Custom 74s I haven't touched my Sailors. I find the nibs to be slightly smoother and the converters better quality with greater capacity (especially the CON-70, which is great). I also think The 74 is slightly better balanced. The only thing I regret is not getting the SF nib.

 

Plus the 74 is cheaper. In Japan you can get them for around $75; check Rakuten's site to compare prices on both pens before you buy.

 

But really they are both really nice pens and you can't go wrong with either one. I just find the Custom 74 to be better value.

[RonB]

I sold my 1911M but love my Pilot Custom 74 with a soft fine nib. I agree you should get the CON-70 converter, too.

[MYU]

The fact that the Custom 74 supports the CON-70 converter makes it an obvious winner, as the 1911 has a rather sorry ink supply. Although the 1911 nib is a beauty, the Custom 74 is no slouch. Better value, IMHO.

[Garageboy]

Is the soft nib avail in anything but fine? Also, is it avail on the USDM 74?

[HenryLouis]

i think theres a soft fine medium & a soft medium.

 

i don't think the speciality nibs are available on the us market.

[PatientType]

I've become enamored with the Pilot line up so I voted for the Custom 74. I've got an 823 and an MYU90 and I find I really enjoy both of these pens.

[blopplop]

Well, I figured I'd throw in my two cents since I've owned and written a lot with both pens.

 

The fact is, take your pick. Personally I like the P-74 because it's a little heftier than the 1911m--longer for sure. The larger size 1911 is closer in experience because it is virtually the same size as the P-74 in every aspect.

 

The Con-70 filler is a plus in terms of filling experience, but (I hate to be the dissenter here) it does not hold more ink than the Sailor CC. I'm basing this off experience rather than actual capacity, as both my pens had med nibs with equal flow and they ran out of the ink after the same amount of time writing. If there's a difference in filler capacity it's negligible.

 

Either way you go you'll enjoy the experience.

 

Dave

Edited December 5, 2009 by blopplop

[Bluefinntuna]

Where can you buy a Pilot 742 FA in the US?