Ode To The 74!

[Arkamas]

Had to do some work on a piece of micro mesh and a put a bit of pressure on to help ease the tines but it's writing like a dream.

Edited March 4, 2017 by Arkamas

[max dog]

 

After using my 74 for several months now, the soft nib seems to soften up more, and flexing it to get some minor line variation gets easier. The nib puts a consistently wet line and love how nicely it can bring out the shading character of an ink. The Custom 74 finds it's way into rotation often. I use the Con 50 for it's quick and easy cleaning as I like to change the ink often in this pen which is my fun pen to get some flair in my rather boring hand writing. Ink here is Private Reserve Arabian Rose.

[Bluey]

^

You've got nice handwriting actually. It has character and you can read it, what more do you want?

I think the Custom 74 has just the right amount of give/softness to give normal writing a little pizzazz. Also, as it's slightly on the dry side it does well with shading inks. Both taken together make it a more interesting writer.

 

In contrast, the falcon pen and falcon nib(FA) are both far too wet, so even the driest of inks fail to shade much.

Edited March 26, 2017 by Bluey

[max dog]

^

You've got nice handwriting actually. It has character and you can read it, what more do you want?

I think the Custom 74 has just the right amount of give/softness to give normal writing a little pizzazz. Also, as it's slightly on the dry side it does well with shading inks. Both taken together make it a more interesting writer.

 

In contrast, the falcon pen and falcon nib(FA) are both far too wet, so even the driest of inks fail to shade much.

Thanks Bluey. The pleasure of writing with fountain pens have certainly resulted in me writing more than I ever did with ballpoints, so I think my writing has improved just due to more practice compared to the chicken scratch writing I use to do with ballpoints.

 

The Custom 74 soft nib is certainly a gem. I am hesitant to get another more upscale Pilot like the 843 or the Justus 95 because the 74 has set such a high expectation for me, I am afraid I may just be in for disappointment with the higher end models. For now will just enjoy using the 74. Maybe the dark red 74 will be my next Pilot.

[Bluey]

That's right, and I agree with your thoughts about wanting to write more.

For me it's not only about the fountain pen as beautiful and cultural object - In fact, that's just the icing on the cake. For the most part, the fountain pen is a productivity tool - a tool to make writing enjoyable. I would not write a journal in a ballpoint because I wouldn't enjoy it half as much despite the health benefits of writing a journal. I simply can't emotionally connect to my writing through the ballpoint to the same extent as with a fountain pen.

 

The fountain pen enables one to write more neatly, not because it forced people to slow down, but because it encourages people to move more gracefully with their pen, in the same way that people will tend to move more gracefully when they're dressed nicely compared to when they're dressed like Homer Simpson in their underpants. They feel better in more glamorous clothes, and likewise people write more nicely with a fountain pen.

 

I agree, I think it's waste to spend all that extra money on a Justus or a 843. The nib won't give any new character that the Custom 74 and Falcon(I believe you have one of these too) doesn't. The nib on the 843 is merely a larger version of the 74.

[Arkamas]

I'm seriously enjoying my C74! With the nib tuned to the right smoothness and wetness and a CON-70 inside, it feels complete on a sort of personal level; and it satisfies that classic ringed cigar pen style I've always wanted. My Lucina has been great but it didn't quite meet the mark like the C74. Every little design characteristic is perfect from end to end.

[max dog]

I'm seriously enjoying my C74! With the nib tuned to the right smoothness and wetness and a CON-70 inside, it feels complete on a sort of personal level; and it satisfies that classic ringed cigar pen style I've always wanted. My Lucina has been great but it didn't quite meet the mark like the C74. Every little design characteristic is perfect from end to end.

Im glad your pen writes great now. I agree the 74 is perfect end to end. It feels refined with O rings on the cap and barrel threads that give a nice positive resistance when the threads lock. I also like the one and a half turns to twist on and off the cap for quick access. A very well designed pen.

[ManofKent]

This thread is making me impatient for the arrival of my C74 with music nib, although I suspect that the C74 will feel pretty much identical to my C91 (SF) in the hand

[ShortRound131]

Wondering if anyone cane help, deciding between a 74 in Broad or Double-Broad.

 

Only "wide" nib I have is a Vanishing Point in Medium.

I love the VP medium but want to try out something wider.

 

Would the 74 Broad be very much wider than the VP medium?

Should I jump to Double-Broad? Thank you.

[Dr.Grace]

I have a 74 in B, and it's essentially the same width as a western B. Definitely wider than the M nibs on my other 74s, but not a BB.

[max dog]

I have a 74 in B, and it's essentially the same width as a western B. Definitely wider than the M nibs on my other 74s, but not a BB.

Do the 74 B or BB nibs have any stubbish character?

[jar]

Do the 74 B or BB nibs have any stubbish character?

No.

[max dog]

I agree, I think it's waste to spend all that extra money on a Justus or a 843. The nib won't give any new character that the Custom 74 and Falcon(I believe you have one of these too) doesn't. The nib on the 843 is merely a larger version of the 74.

 

ink = MB Lavender Purple

[Bluey]

 

ink = MB Lavender Purple

It's like with Pelikans on the m400 to m800. Same nib, different size, different price.

[TSherbs]

That's a nice looking ink

[Bluey]

^

I think so too. Nice shading and rich colour.

[jar]

Here you can see some of the Pilot Custom nibs:

 

 

http://www.fototime.com/5DB0FC58E5B01EF/medium800.jpg

 

 

From the left is the 743 (the 823 uses the same nib and the 845 the 18K version of that nib), then the 742 and the 74 on the right.

[max dog]

Here you can see some of the Pilot Custom nibs:

 

 

 

 

http://www.fototime.com/5DB0FC58E5B01EF/medium800.jpg

 

From the left is the 743 (the 823 uses the same nib and the 845 the 18K version of that nib), then the 742 and the 74 on the right.

Thanks for the nib comparisn. They look nice with the engraving. Its great Pilot offers the same awesome nib type across upscale models models with different sizes and filling systems. Edited April 3, 2017 by max dog

[ManofKent]

Mine's arrived

 

[Arkamas]

If I were to get any other Custom series models they would be the CH92 and a black C823 for the sake of the various filler systems. Otherwise I agree acquiring any other Custom pen would be a bit pointless. I've been happy with my Lucina as well, which seems to precede the Custom series in a way.