Pilot Falcon- Everyday Carry?

[cveilleux]

Hey everybody!

 

I am looking into getting my first "next level" fountain pen, and by this, I mean breaking into the 100 dollar+ price range. I want something I will be able to use everyday in school for note taking and various other tasks on both Clairefontaine paper as well as less than ideal quality paper. I like the nib width of my Metropolitan- it's thin enough to perform well on cheap paper, yet very manageable to take notes for extended periods of time with, which is why I am looking into the soft fine Falcon. I am hoping the nib will be about the same width, yet smoother than my Metropolitan with the ability to give some neat variation when I want it so I can show off a bit . My question is- is the Falcon a viable everyday carry pen? I also think the nib just looks so intriguing!

 

I have also looked into the Vanishing Point, but fear the clip will interfere with my natural grip and make writing uncomfortable.

I would try both out in a store, but living in rural Maine with Bromfield being the closest pen store at about 31/2 hours away, my trips down to the city are few and far in between.

I am also very open to other suggestions of pens! Thanks very much!

Edited August 21, 2015 by cveilleux

[FountainPenCowgirl]

I have three in my purse right now. They're among my very favorite pens, despite not gravitating toward Pilot generally. Two are SFs, one (I think) and SM, which I find a tad wide (and I generally like broader nibs). Really nice line variation with the SF, decent ink capacity, holding up nicely despite not being babied.

[KBeezie]

It can be if you have a light hand, the feeds are really wet, so if you either have poor paper or are heavy handed it can be a bit too much wetness.

 

http://i.imgur.com/2UxejnS.jpg

 

I currently own a Metal Falcon with a Soft Extra-Fine. Also as a heads up, because I'm spoiled by the ease of flex on some vintage nibs, I don't push my Falcon nib (or most modern "flex" nibs) nearly as hard as some people do.

 

Mead 5-Star with X-Feather : http://i.imgur.com/YgNAnSB.jpg

Rhodia with Tsuki-yo: http://i.imgur.com/xMbPLQv.jpg

On Environotes Sugarcane with Tsuki-yo : http://i.imgur.com/APCrEj7.jpg

On Mead 5-star with Tsuki-yo : http://i.imgur.com/Az5KRdj.jpg

On Moleskine Cashier with Tsuki-yo: http://i.imgur.com/cNGlzes.jpg

On Environotes Sugarcane with X-Feather : http://i.imgur.com/7g72Zwn.jpg

On Rhodia with Diamine Hope Pink http://i.imgur.com/ZitRbF9.jpg

 

Environotes resists feathering/bleeding the most, followed by Rhodia, followed by Mead 5-Star and Moleskine.

 

Older write samples with a Soft Fine I had on a Resin Falcon before I traded it off (which is before I had a slightly lighter hand, also the 'fine' seems to be wetter somehow): Tsuki-yo on Rhodia http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/falcon/write_tsuki-yo.jpg

Blue Steel on Mead 5-Star http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/falcon/write_mead.jpg

Blue Steel on Rhodia http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/falcon/write.jpg

Blue Steel on Moleskine http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/falcon/write_moleskine.jpg

Pilot Blue on Rhodia http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/falcon/pilot_blue_rhodia.jpg

 

 

The SEF is going to have a bit more feedback than the SF so if you don't like scritchy/scratch feel especially if you have a heavier hand, it may not be practical, but I find it negligible when I write with a light hand.

 

SEF is going to give more appearance of more line variation due to the smaller starting width, even if it doesn't go wider than SF/etc.

 

If you cannot control the paper you write with, and don't want to limit your selection of inks to feather-resistant inks, you might not find it to be a good everyday pen.

Edited August 21, 2015 by KBeezie

[discopig]

I have two metal Falcons here (SEF, SM) and I usually always carry one of them with me along with a few other pens. I find the Falcon nibs really fun to doodle with and the SM nib is just amazing for long writing sessions. If you plan on using it on bad paper, stick to SEF and a well behaved ink like waterman black or noodler's black. The Falcons are some of my favorite modern pens, both for EDC and home use. I can't get enough of mine, despite having tried a sizeable amount of different pens.

 

Another one of my favorite pens for EDC is the Pilot VP with EF nib. I sometimes use it instead of the Falcon for notes and especially for writing on really bad paper since it pretty much never feathers, even with bad inks.

Edited August 21, 2015 by discopig

[MarneM]

I love my Falcon (I have the resin version, with a SF nib). I can write quickly and easily with no line variation when I need to. Then, when I do want the line variation, I can slow it down a little and create beautiful writing. It's in my three-pen EDC pouch. :-)

[AG_ORD]

Aloha cveilleux,

 

To answer your question, the Falcon is a good, EDC pen. Like you, for jotting down things quickly, the SF nib leaves a good, thin line, appropriate for all types of paper quality. And as you surmised, when you want to, going slower and applying selective pressure on down strokes, imparts aesthetically pleasing writing. I have not tried the SEF nib, though I hear that is more toothy. The SF nib on my Namiki resin Falcon is fairly smooth.

 

The only draw back I find, it has a threaded cap. For quick deployment, I like my older, plastic faceted version VP, (the newer VP is nice, and more durable, I just find the clip is not as integrated with the barrel). For EDC, you can't beat the one click deployment.

 

A possible alternate would be the Pilot Elite 95S. This has a slip on cap for quick deployment, smooth 14K nib with a little bounce, and about the same price range as what you were considering. For all 3 pens, the only short coming is ink capacity, with the exception of the metal Falcon, which uses the CON70 convertor, (though it may push it out of your price range). The resin Falcon and newer VP use CON50 convertors; the Elite 95S uses an aerometric type.

 

BTW, Karl, you ALWAYS take fantastic, pen-porn type photos...just thought I would mention that, LOL!

 

Anyway, best of luck on your journey; you can't go wrong with any of your choices.

 

 

D

 

 

 

  On 8/21/2015 at 11:02 PM, cveilleux said:

Hey everybody!

 

...I want something I will be able to use everyday in school for note taking and various other tasks on both Clairefontaine paper as well as less than ideal quality paper. I like the nib width of my Metropolitan- it's thin enough to perform well on cheap paper, yet very manageable to take notes for extended periods of time with, which is why I am looking into the soft fine Falcon. I am hoping the nib will be about the same width, yet smoother than my Metropolitan with the ability to give some neat variation when I want it so I can show off a bit . My question is- is the Falcon a viable everyday carry pen? I also think the nib just looks so intriguing!

 

I have also looked into the Vanishing Point, but fear the clip will interfere with my natural grip and make writing uncomfortable.

I would try both out in a store, but living in rural Maine with Bromfield being the closest pen store at about 31/2 hours away, my trips down to the city are few and far in between.

I am also very open to other suggestions of pens! Thanks very much!

[Iollan]

  On 8/21/2015 at 11:27 PM, KBeezie said:

It can be if you have a light hand, the feeds are really wet, so if you either have poor paper or are heavy handed it can be a bit too much wetness.

 

 

If you cannot control the paper you write with, and don't want to limit your selection of inks to feather-resistant inks, you might not find it to be a good everyday pen.

 

Pretty much the above. Its a very nice pen for a EDC (on your own notebooks) but not exactly the friendliest to use on low quality paper. For that, sometime drier and stiffer might be more manageable.

[FeuBleu]

It seems too 'nice' to me for EDC, and I'd be concerned that the flex nib may be a touch wet for lower grade paper. To me an EDC item is pretty much bombproof, and my main EDC is my Kaweco Fireblue Liliput - small enough to live in any pocket, screw lid so it won't leak, and being crafted of steel it will likely outlast me.

 

The Falcon is my next 'middle class' planned purchase, but whilst it will certainly live in my leather stationery pouch and come to work and back with me, it won't be EDC in that it will not make the essentials list for every single day, living in my pocket / bag o' the day with my keys, phone, Field Notes, wallet, and mini multitool.

 

 

Speaking of which, I follow a few EDC type web pages and blogs, and isn't it funny how many knives and multitools people find it necessary to keep upon them everyday?! The EDC roundup on Carryology, for example, typically features a mean of say three knives / multitools per person, haha! All I need is a knife and a bottle opener, which perhaps says all too much about me.

 

I'm going to pare down further by purchasing the Epsilon Eko, a 'key' that features a bottle opener and a blunt blade edge - not sharp enough for hijacking, but enough to open parcels, which is 99% of my pocket blade use. Actually I might start a Massdrop wotsit for it! They're quite expensive otherwise and it seems a neat item...

 

Sorry, carry on...

Edited August 22, 2015 by FeuBleu

[Uncial]

I like it as a pen (I have the plastic body one) but I would never use it as an EDC. That's not so much a reflection of the pen as it is a judgement on the quality of papers I meet out in the wilds.

[Trebster]

Sure, go for it. Delighted you enjoy yours.

 

For me, the Pilot Falcon was the shortest-lived pen in my stable. Bought it at Joon when it was first introduced. May have lasted ... a week? Three weeks? If that. Spent most of its time here in search of a new owner, who was momentarily pleased. He also traded it off, if memory serves.

Edited August 22, 2015 by Morrighan

[FeuBleu]

  On 8/22/2015 at 11:40 AM, Morrighan said:

Sure, go for it. Delighted you enjoy yours.

 

For me, the Pilot Falcon was the shortest-lived pen in my stable. Bought it at Joon when it was first introduced. May have lasted ... a week? Three weeks? If that. Spent most of its time here in search of a new owner, who was momentarily pleased. He also traded it off, if memory serves.

 

Why was that? Why didn't it suit you?

[Trebster]

  On 8/22/2015 at 7:37 PM, FeuBleu said:

 

Why was that? Why didn't it suit you?

 

While I found the Falcon was well within the high quality execution I associate with Pilot, I felt shortchanged, all sizzle and no steak.

[KBeezie]

  On 8/23/2015 at 11:20 PM, Morrighan said:

While I found the Falcon was well within the high quality execution I associate with Pilot, I felt shortchanged, all sizzle and no steak.

IF you mean you expected a 'flex' pen and not a springy one (which is what I call it), then that's understandable, especially with the way people show it off.

[ac12]

Personally, I would not use that for an EDC pen, especially NOT in school.

I consider school a high risk environment for loss, damage or theft.

Also taking notes in school is not the place to be playing with a springy/flexy nib. Priority 1, get the notes down on paper, play with the nib later. If you cannot take notes FAST with a soft nib, forget the soft nib and just use a nail.

[Sergio 46]

My Falcon metal in SEF is maybe my preferred FP, among more than a dozen very good ones (Lamy 2K, Montblanc 149 and several from the 3 japanese- Platinum, Sailor, Pilot-, but I wouldn't call it an EDC.

Try to write some lines with the Vanishing Point (I have it in EF), because the clip for me is not a nuisance and it is really a pleasure to take notes with it!

[Betweenthelines]

I think they can make great EDC pens. The nibs are not soft enough to really be concerned about the flexibility being an issue. They are relatively stiff compared to a vintage semi-flex. I find "normal" writing not only easy, but a joy with my Falcon. The one hesitation, though, is that I agree with KBeezie in that they run wet. My falcon does not play well with cheap paper. Lots of feathering. YMMV.

[KBeezie]

  On 8/27/2015 at 6:03 AM, Betweenthelines said:

I think they can make great EDC pens. The nibs are not soft enough to really be concerned about the flexibility being an issue. They are relatively stiff compared to a vintage semi-flex. I find "normal" writing not only easy, but a joy with my Falcon. The one hesitation, though, is that I agree with KBeezie in that they run wet. My falcon does not play well with cheap paper. Lots of feathering. YMMV.

Can use something like R&K Salix or Scabiosa (or some dye-based feather resistant ink), but I'd only do so if you feel comfortable enough flushing the pen once a month or two, or pulling the nib and feed out when you go to flush it.

 

But yea, certainly not one to use when you don't have control of the paper, or don't want to limit your ink choices to something feather/bleed resistant.

[Zhooom]

  On 8/21/2015 at 11:02 PM, cveilleux said:

My question is- is the Falcon a viable everyday carry pen? I also think the nib just looks so intriguing!

 

 

My Pilot Falcon is my favorite EDC pen by far - just as good at jotting down notes as it is for expressive writing! Even now after discovering Vintage Flex pens, it's still one of my top 3 pens that I write with on an almost daily basis.

 

I own the SF Falcon, and personally I'd highly recommend it. Given the fine line width, it's extremely smooth - I think you'll find it smoother than a Metropolitan Fine -- at least mine is. For cheap paper, look at Noodler's X-Feather ink, although I admit I love using Pilot Iroshizuku kon-peki in mine.

 

Keep in mind the nib has to "break in" a little before you get much line variation. You don't want to push the pen too far too fast - so stay gentle with it. If you do the "figure 8's" like you see everywhere, be really careful on the downstroke, since it's very tempting to put too much pressure on it ... you will risk a spung nib. As you write with some pressure for line variation, go very gently until you discover the nib limits. The nib will loosen up over time and you'll feel it flex better. In fact, maybe I'll post some samples of when I first got it compared to now (it's only been about 6 months now I think).

 

One trick you can use if you want the most line variation is to prime the nib. Assuming you are using a CON-50, just turn it clockwise slowly until you see a little ink bubbling from the hole near the section (with the nib pointed straight up!), and then twist it back the other direction just a little so you don't get a blob of ink when you first write. This should get you a few lines of having far less railroading. If you do experiment with this however, do it after you learn the limits of the nib first. Practice this on some scrap paper first though, not on finished work!

 

At any rate, I love this pen. You might also want to consider a Pilot Custom Heritage 912 with a SF nib. You can't get them in the US normally, however especially if you are an Amazon Prime customer, that's a good place to look. Japanese sellers (including Amazon, interestingly enough) either ship direct from Japan, or, sometimes you can find them with Prime shipping as well, meaning they actually have them shipped over to the US already. My SM nib seems about as flexible as my Falcon SF nib, accounting for the base difference in tip size. It also uses the larger CON-70 adapter, which holds quite a bit of ink. These are running about $150'ish on Amazon at the moment. One important thing to keep in mind though is that you have no warranty on the pens coming over from Japan this way.

 

Honestly though, I think you are going the better route. The Custom 912 soft nibs (SF/SFM/SM) don't seem as resilient to me as the Falcon, although I definitely don't regret my recent purchase. I just wanted to mention it as an option since the Custom 912 is a very cool pen with tons of nib options.

 

Last route I'll mention though, that I'm sure others will, as that you can get a fairly nice Vintage flex pen for the same amount you'll pay for the Falcon. However, some people like new stuff better - and honestly what you get might be terrific, or might be a half-baked repair. You have to be willing to do some work on it yourself to get it working properly - one reason I tend towards the new pen option myself sometimes. I have several vintage flex pens myself now, yet I needed to work on all of them prior to use. Again, even though a Vintage flex is a whole different beast, there's something to be said about having a brand new fountain pen that's also under warranty!

 

Good luck, and post back with what you wind up with!

[chad.trent]

I just got a Falcon a couple days ago. I have not stopped carrying it since I got it. I'm still learning the pen so I'm not flexing it as much as I can. Honestly, most of my daily writing with it is without any flex. And it does just fine for that. I like it because it gives nice line variation when I sign my name on stuff like I have to do dozens of times a day. And when I get a chance to practice my writing, I have my pen with me.

 

Having only had it a couple days I can't talk about its durability. But I have several other Pilot pens that have been in constant rotation for the past two years and they haven't skipped a beat. I don't expect anything different from my Falcon.

Edited August 27, 2015 by chad.trent

[melodiousb]

I used my SF Falcon as my EDC for a while. I used the reverse of the nib for making small notes while editing stuff printed on copy paper, and wrote the normal way the rest of the time. I stopped carrying it regularly because it was a little too springy for me.