Pilot Custom 823 - Medium Nib

[ssaini]

 

I suspect it won't help... Given the size of the CON-40, if the pen section is "dry", you need half the converter piston travel just to fill the feed/section with ink, before it even gets to the converter.

 

My practice, for decades, is to withdraw the pen from the bottle before I've fully retracted the piston, turn the pen nib to the sky, retract the piston to get the ink from the section... THEN turn the piston out, to push the air through the feed/section -- when the ink stops bubbling and forms a small pool around the base of the nib, invert pen back into bottle, and retract the piston again. {and then lift the pen out and, unless I intend to write immediately, let out two or three drops of ink to provide a single air bubble in the converter -- to handle heat expansion of the ink}

Yes you are spot on. I have been doing the same with prera. I have actually requested con 50 converter From pilot. They have emailed me that they have posted the new converter but did not specify if the new one is con40 or 50. I'm keeping my fingers crossed bcos it will be a miracle if it's con 50 as they stopped manufacturing it years ago.

[MightyEighth]

 

I suspect it won't help... Given the size of the CON-40, if the pen section is "dry", you need half the converter piston travel just to fill the feed/section with ink, before it even gets to the converter.

 

My practice, for decades, is to withdraw the pen from the bottle before I've fully retracted the piston, turn the pen nib to the sky, retract the piston to get the ink from the section... THEN turn the piston out, to push the air through the feed/section -- when the ink stops bubbling and forms a small pool around the base of the nib, invert pen back into bottle, and retract the piston again. {and then lift the pen out and, unless I intend to write immediately, let out two or three drops of ink to provide a single air bubble in the converter -- to handle heat expansion of the ink}

 

I routinely fill my Con-40's with a syringe. Likewise, I clean them out with a syringe.

[biancitwo]

Surprising, I always thought that the Pelikan Souveran line would have a buttery smooth nib performance and some degree of nib flexibility.

Might want to reconsider buying one in the future, as gorgeous as it is.

All of my modern Pelikans have been very smooth. Except for Pelikan steel nibs and the gold M1000, none of Pelikan’s modern nibs are flexible, least of all the M800. I certainly would not write off such a wonderful brand because of one experience, especially over a lack of butter smoothness, which can easily be remedied, and the mistaken expectation of flexibility. I have had each of mine modified to cursive italic. They are fantastic. The vintage Pelikans have varying degrees of flexibility. They are superb, with no modification.

[minddance]

You don't buy a modern Pelikan to flex. Get the right tools for the job. Just like you don't buy a Sailor or Platinum or most Pilots to flex.

 

All my Pelikans are smooth - perfect glass smooth even. They glide and gloss over my rough grainy copier papers. Feedback is not what I would associate with Pelikans.

 

Pilot Custom nibs are another story. There is always this something in the nib when writing, you can call it feedback. you can say it is smooth, but I can't. Even the B nib in my previous Pilot Custom 92 wasn't smooth like most western B nibs, it was dry and feedbacky with very unrefined inner tines.

 

How void of feedback and noises from writing, exactly, is this medium nib in the 823?

Edited February 14, 2019 by minddance

[penzel_washinkton]

Please don't let my experience deter you from buying M800. May be I got a one with not properly tuned nib. But one thing I can say for certainty is that there is no match for pilot in terms of consistency and great out of the box experience.

 

Pilot nibs are second to none. But each individual is different with different taste and writing styles.

There is a reason why so many people rave about M800. No doubt looks are really good but my experience in writing is underwhelming.

 

One more thing I would like to point out about the difference in service of these 2 companies.

 

I bought pilot prera before custom 823 and after finishing the supplied cartridge when I used the con40 converter, I had issues filling it up fully. I could not get it past the half way fill mark. I emailed pilot Australia and without questions they are sending me a new converter.

 

I cannot say the same thing about Pelikan. First I emailed their Australia support and the email address was non existent. Then I emailed the pelikan head office (Germany) address and yet to hear anything. I am in touch with the authorised reseller from who I got the pelikan. In Australia, unfortunately you cannot send the pen back once you have used it, unless there is a manufacturing fault. This nib with lots of feed back and not smooth does not fall under manufacturing fault but under tuning. So I guess I have to live with it...

 

Ah no worries, I am still interested in taking the M800 although it won't be my first priority.

Other factors have been bothering my mind such as the line width it produces, even in their finer nibs.

[ssaini]

 

Ah no worries, I am still interested in taking the M800 although it won't be my first priority.

Other factors have been bothering my mind such as the line width it produces, even in their finer nibs.

 

Hope this helps.

[KellyMcJ]

Wow, a lot of activity on this thread that I missed (I've been away from the forums for a while). I'm still loving the heck out of my 823...in fact I have had it inked since I got it and I'm still just thrilled with it- I actually inked it up with the Pilot Blue ink it came with and that ink is spectacular in such a wet pen.

I don't change colors frequently (in fact I only did it that once) but I seem to recall it wasn't too difficult to flush the pen. I haven't tried to disassemble it and don't see a reason too.

At some point I'd love to get one with a WA nib, but that's definitely not on the top of the list of things to spend my money on...still on the list though!