In A League Of Its Own : The Pilot Custom 823

[Kugelschreiber]

Thank you, tinkerteacher. I've been meaning to get an ultra-sonic cleaner for some time. I guess I now have a good enough reason to stop putting it off.

[Frank C]

Thank you, tinkerteacher. I've been meaning to get an ultra-sonic cleaner for some time. I guess I now have a good enough reason to stop putting it off.

 

I'm not sure if an ultrasonic cleaner will get it out. Water would have to get inside the cap to dissolve the ink, and then get out again. I'm not sure if there's enough flow. I do like my ultrasonic cleaner, but it can't fix everything.

[sannidh]

Thank you, tinkerteacher. I've been meaning to get an ultra-sonic cleaner for some time. I guess I now have a good enough reason to stop putting it off.

 

Guess a varsity saved an ultrasonic cleaner

 

I have several 823's and had the exact same problem. I read the thread and gave it a try.

My pencil eraser didn't work either so I used the end of a slightly larger pen, like the end of a Varsity for example.

Well, perhaps the pencil eraser didn't work because the 823 has the big #15 nib and so the liner is bigger... the thing you stick in need to grab the sides a little. So I stuck in the probe and then... it just pops out. No threads, no glue, it just slides out. Rinse with clear water and you have a beautiful easily cleaned clear cap showing that sweet nib. I yanked all 5 out of my other 823's the same day. The pen looks 100 times better!

 

 

Reference

[sannidh]

I was the one who recommended Sailor Do-You ink (part of their regular Jentle Four Seasons ink line) in another thread for removing internal staining in demonstrators. What ever, banned in the West, super-lubricating chemicals Sailor puts in Do-You does wondrous things for the cleaning out the internal components and freeing up any sticking mechanisms of fountain pens.

 

Unfortunately, in your case of staining between the inner and outer caps of the 823s cap, Do-You wouldn't be of help. You could try soaking the cap overnight in an ammonia and dish liquid solution, and hope the ammonia doesn't react with the 823s plastic or metal. But, I think your first inclination to use an ultra-sonic cleaner would have the best results.

 

Just for reference purpose : I came across one from platinum too. Ink Cleaning Kit. I will try to get one.

Edited July 10, 2015 by soniknitr

[sannidh]

 

Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate all the work you put into your pen reviews. I still haven't figured out how to post an avatar, much less a photo. One of these days . . . . I have a Pilot Bamboo and a Custom 74 with broad nibs. As you know, it is broad, but not too broad. I almost always use fine nibs at work, although lately, I have been taking a stub nib with me as well for signatures, in addition to the fines. Pen people like Richard Binder, draw a distinction between inks made by pen companies and those made by ink companies. People have tried to put my "ink rules" into print form, here is an example:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/245296-pen-and-ink-filling-rules-how-do-you-choose-ink-pen-combinations/

 

She didn't them exactly correct, but it was a start.

 

 

Thanks for the information. Their web site is very impressive and they sound like dedicated fountain pen people. I am glad to hear about their good service.

 

Thank you Frank. I think you should review of the bamboo first. If I were nearby, I would have borrowed the pen for a day or two, to review it . It's one of the exquisite ones from Pilot which I absolutely adore without even having a single piece in my possession.

 

I guess I do follow some of the ink rules without realizing them . Nice list.

[tinkerteacher]

Guess a varsity saved an ultrasonic [/url]

Sshh. He's trying to talk himself into buying an ultrasonic.

 

What kind of a FP enabler do you call yourself?

[sannidh]

Sshh. He's trying to talk himself into buying an ultrasonic.

 

What kind of a FP enabler do you call yourself?

Sorry. Eyes only, no words

[Frank C]

 

Thank you Frank. I think you should review of the bamboo first. If I were nearby, I would have borrowed the pen for a day or two, to review it . It's one of the exquisite ones from Pilot which I absolutely adore without even having a single piece in my possession.

 

I guess I do follow some of the ink rules without realizing them . Nice list.

 

I like the Bamboos, but they are really big pens. The metal ones are heavy, too. I have big hands and I usually like big pens, too, but I find the Bamboos to be too big for regular use. After they were discontinued, they sat around at stores for several years. I bought several when they got down to half price.

 

My "ink rules" are mostly for fun, but I do tend to put a given manufacturer's ink in that manufacturer's pens and I also try to have a pen's ink match or contrast with a pen's color.

 

Sshh. He's trying to talk himself into buying an ultrasonic.

 

What kind of a FP enabler do you call yourself?

 

I find my ultrasonic cleaner to be very useful. But it has damaged a few pens, too. I "cleaned" the coating off a couple of Jin Hao 159s. I also removed some of the writing from a Platinum Century or two; it didn't get the Pigmented Blue ink out, though.

[Kugelschreiber]

Sshh. He's trying to talk himself into buying an ultrasonic.

 

What kind of a FP enabler do you call yourself?

 

 

I'll still get one, but the method from Soniknitr's link worked perfectly. I used the butt end of a Varsity to get it out and a smaller pen to shove it back in. As far as I can tell, it is in there good and tight; just like new, I hope.

 

A funny thing is that a certain well-known Japanese pen seller (who I happened to be exchanging emails with last night) assured me that it could not be removed. Maybe he is right in that Pilot wouldn't say you should do it.

[columela]

Excellent review and very informative. I liked the quality and composition of your pictures. Thank you for clarifying the meaning of the numbers in the nib, now I know the vintage of my 823.

 

Regards

[Betweenthelines]

Great review, thanks. My own 823 in fine arrived today from Japan. What a wonderful pen. It is the perfect fit when posted for my big hands. Fine nib arrived writing nice, but I would like it a bit wetter so I am in the process of adjusting the flow with brass shims. I think I'll be using this pen quite a bit.

[georgeb]

Why, oh why did Pilot make such an interesting fountain pen ... and then insist on selling it only with its most boring nibs.

 

Luckily for us, there are a handful of intrepid merchants who have rectified that situation.

 

IMG_2389.jpg

 

Pilot 823 with FA nib, a pefect marriage of ink supply, beefy body, and juicy wet flexy nib.

 

(please excuse the bad light, out of focus photo. kudos to the OP for his excellent photos)

Who are some of these intrepid merchants?

[Mags]

Good review, thanks for posting your assessment.

[tinkerteacher]

Who are some of these intrepid merchants?

http://www.japanshop-quill.com/pilot-custom823.htm

[sannidh]

Excellent review and very informative. I liked the quality and composition of your pictures. Thank you for clarifying the meaning of the numbers in the nib, now I know the vintage of my 823.

 

Regards

 

Thank you columela for your kind comments. I did learn the same from a Japanese seller

[sannidh]

Great review, thanks. My own 823 in fine arrived today from Japan. What a wonderful pen. It is the perfect fit when posted for my big hands. Fine nib arrived writing nice, but I would like it a bit wetter so I am in the process of adjusting the flow with brass shims. I think I'll be using this pen quite a bit.

 

Thank you so much. Wish you the best for your 823 . Btw, which one: Amber, Smoke or Clear?

[sannidh]

Good review, thanks for posting your assessment.

Thank you Mags

[Betweenthelines]

Thank you so much. Wish you the best for your 823 . Btw, which one: Amber, Smoke or Clear?

Amber. When I first laid eyes on it (in pictures) it didn't appeal to me - never been a fan of gold trim, and the amber resin was meh. But over time it grew on me, being that I love brown pens, and now that I have it in my hands I find it to be beautiful. With the flow tweaked a bit its now writing nice and consistent and the weight, balance, size, feel, big #15 nib... this pen is magnificent. I love it.

[hari317]

....and I guess Hari would have already inked his 823 again.

I wanted to. But a Blue Namiki Elabo Brass in SB intervened.

[sannidh]

Amber. When I first laid eyes on it (in pictures) it didn't appeal to me - never been a fan of gold trim, and the amber resin was meh. But over time it grew on me, being that I love brown pens, and now that I have it in my hands I find it to be beautiful. With the flow tweaked a bit its now writing nice and consistent and the weight, balance, size, feel, big #15 nib... this pen is magnificent. I love it.

 

Very aptly put Betweenthelines.

It does grow on you with time...Glad to hear about your nice flow. Congrats