Pilot Justus 95 (M)

[A Smug Dill]

In the image, I’ve added comparisons with a Leonardo Furore EF, a Sailor H-MF and a ‘40s De La Rue with accountant’s nib (that’s a real needle).

Thanks for producing the writing sample and putting up the photo of it.

 

 

No reflection on your handwriting, but if the Leonardo Furore EF nib is unmodified from factory condition, and in the absence of scale (as in 5mm dot grid or 7mm ruled lines, etc. as guide marks) with only the Sailor 14K gold H-MF nib as a frame of reference, that's a good reason (at least for me) to conclude that Leonardo nibs just aren't fit for purpose with regard to the stated nib width grade; and, if that is the finest or narrowest nib Leonardo can 'produce' (yes, I know the nibs aren't produced in-house, but are at least supposed to be inspected and tuned) and would offer to customers, then it's good-for-nothing in my book and all the supposed value of Leonardo pens are in the pen bodies only, and the nibs require either after-market customisation or outright replacement. Whereas I can appreciate a (Extra) Fine nib — such as on your modified Pilot Justus 95 — that can produce broader lines on demand but the default (when written with little or no hand pressure) is to leave lines that are a third or narrower in width compared to the Leonardo Furore EF nib shown.

[TheDutchGuy]

My Leonardo nibs are unmodified and yes, they produce fairly thick lines. But I use wet inks in them and that accounts for quite a bit of the line width. You can shave at least 25% off with a careful choice of ink, such as kiwaguro.

[A Smug Dill]

Just ordered myself a Pilot Justus 95 Fine-nibbed rhodium trim model. This is the second time your pen reviews has led me to buy a pen, haha! I hope this one turns out to have a much better nib than on the Leonardo Momento Zero.

[TheDutchGuy]

With the staggering number of top-quality pens that you already own, I somewhat doubt that the Justus will really add something. Personally I’ve got 20-odd quality pens and the Justus sailed to the top of my list, perhaps together with the Visconti HS Lava Steel. It surpassed my beloved Leonardos. However I did shape and tune the nib of the Justus to my liking and thankfully it turned out exactly as I had hoped it would.

[A Smug Dill]

It'll add variety and first-hand experience, at the very least. It's impossible to know what someone with my values, habits and preferences would think of such a pen without using one (beyond dipping the nib and writing a sentence or two in a bricks-and-mortar pen shop, even if such a thing is possible in my locality), or how it compares with the Pilot Elabo or Namiki Falcon. Your detailed write-up added to the appeal and intrigue of finding out for myself.

 

I know I hated the FA nib on the Pilot Custom Heritage 912, and I wished it didn't cost me $200 to find out, but there was really no practical alternative. I hope the nib on Justus will not be as floppy as that even on the Soft setting, and not create bead- or bean-shaped strokes where line variation that looks like an elongated triangle or the blade of a scimitar is intended, but at least the tension control would go some way to remedy that should it be as 'soft' as the FA nib.

 

Ideally it'll also add a data point of user opinion; diversity in what is sought or favoured — in exchange of consumer spending or otherwise — enriches the user/hobbyist community, so that 'we' aren't just a small, closed-off club or clique of like-minded individuals seeking confirmation or reinforcement for oft-expressed views on a shared interest.

Edited August 10, 2019 by A Smug Dill

[TheDutchGuy]

I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it!

 

Took me a little while to get used to the pen. Initially it was a bit of a headscratcher. Many review state that there’s not much difference between the H and the S setting and that was my initial impression too. But after a while... big difference. Pen feels differently, responds differently and not just in softness. Mine becomes a _lot_ wetter in the S setting. The range of line widths I can get out of this thing is very satisfying, but the range of wetness (and with that, colour!) is just as satisfying. It can show off an ink from barely-on-paper to gushing. Last but not least, I tend to favour different pens on different days. I can love a pen, and then one morning it’s like... nope, not this pen, not today. And then the next day it’ll be fine. The Justus copes wonderfully with my mood swings.

[TheDutchGuy]

Just ordered myself a Pilot Justus 95 Fine-nibbed rhodium trim model.

Has your pen arrived yet?

[A Smug Dill]

Nope. Not even dispatched. Not even in stock yet, even though the order was fully paid for long ago. I'm sure you can guess from which retailer I ordered it.

 

That's OK, though. I'm still happy to buy from them, and just put in another order that I told them they can combine with the as-yet-unfulfilled order that contains the Pilot Justus 95, and save on their actually international shipping costs since they're offering me "free" shipping on both orders and a standing discount (with a multi-use discount code). In turn, I asked something of them with the most recent order and they're quite accommodating (and without applying additional charges that would still be reasonable).

[TheDutchGuy]

Sorry to hear about the long wait. But sometimes the anticipation is half the fun :-) .

[Tas]

Sorry to hear about the long wait. But sometimes the anticipation is half the fun :-) .

Ooo yes. I end up watching YouTube clips of the pen whilst its in transit. Sad perhaps but it passes the time. Good things come to those who wait and all that. . . .

 

(Go on. Watch that promotional clip from Pilot on the Justus one more time) 🤗

[Timotheus]

For quite a long time, I have considered buying the Justus; but in the end my doubts turned out to be stronger than my curiosity.

 

The Justus is certainly a very intriguing pen; perhaps even a pen without equals in its kind. But I wasn't sure I really wanted a pen with an adjustable nib. Moreover, from an aesthetic point of view I don't find the nib of the Justus very appealing. I vastly prefer the looks of a conventional quality nib.

 

That's why I ended up buying not the Justus, but another Japanese pearl: the recent Sailor 1911 Large Simply Black, which has almost exactly the same price.

 

So about the Justus unfortunately I have nothing to say. But the Sailor is a most excellent pen: an absolute joy to write with, and a joy for the eye too.

Edited September 5, 2019 by Timotheus

[A Smug Dill]

Well, I'm still waiting for the Pilot Justus 95 I ordered to even come into stock at the *ahem* well-known retailer who has an unfortunate reputation for selling stuff it doesn't have in stock and can't actually get within the time-frames its staff advises its customers. I was told four weeks ago that it was due in in two weeks -- presumably that's how long it takes for the distributor to send a unit upon this retailer ordering one from it after taking my order -- but so far I've heard nothing more.

 

As far as the pen and nib design aesthetic-wise, though, not that I'm expecting the nib to deliver anything like "vintage" flex, but I'd be chuffed to have something that looks akin to Frankenstein's monster but lends itself to imitating output with a more "vintage" or "flexy" look.

[TheDutchGuy]

Sorry to hear about your delivery misfortunes, Dill. Can’t you just cancel the order? Many stores stock the Justus, so it should not be that difficult. The Dutch B&M stores all know each other and are generally on friendly terms. I’ve even heard of cases where they helped each other out. If the store where you ordered it from (I won’t mention names) really wanted to help you, they could’ve obtained a Justus for you within days. Anyway, I hope yours will be delivered soon.

 

Whether or not you’ll like the pen is impossible to predict of course. A ) It is a totally unique pen and it’s not for everyone. B ) You are a very experienced FP user with a vast collection of top-drawer pens, you possess superb writing skills and you know exactly what you want from a pen. Combined, I am inclined to think that perhaps you might be disappointed with the Justus. But we’ll see.

[A Smug Dill]

Cant you just cancel the order?

 

Yes, of course.

 

Many stores stock the Justus, so it should not be that difficult. The Dutch B&M stores all know each other and are generally on friendly terms. Ive even heard of cases where they helped each other out. If the store where you ordered it from (I wont mention names) really wanted to help you, they couldve obtained a Justus for you within days.

 

Perhaps so. The price is good (after applying a 20% discount code) -- and strangely, this shop lists the rhodium-trim version (which I prefer anyway) at 10% less than the gold-trim version, and not as some sort of special promotion or clearance markdown -- and if I cancel the order, I don't think I'll be able to get it elsewhere for nearly the same low price, so it comes right down to whether I actually want the pen.

 

Anyway, I hope yours will be delivered soon.

 

Thanks. The shop is waiting for a whole bunch of other things, too, on three separate as-yet-unfulfilled orders of mine, and I've offered (or you could say instructed) the staff to combine shipment for all the orders -- even though the total spend exceeds the free international shipping threshold more than threefold -- and not to send me items in batches as they come in, as a matter of business courtesy. I know PostNL charges for delivery to Australia are exorbitant; I've seen the actual amount printed on the postage label, once, when I got tired of waiting and told them to send me a single bottle of ink the shop "owed" me, and it was about three times the price of that product! From that point on, I almost always decline when the staff there offers to fulfil my orders partially in batches at the shop's expense. Retail is a for-profit enterprise, and to maintain a good and mutually beneficial commercial relationship, I'm not going to allow -- much less push for -- courses of action that completely erodes the shop's profit margins when dealing with me, especially when it only benefits PostNL (if that) and no-one else. If the shop is prepared to sacrifice some of its profits in the name of fostering or preserving customer goodwill, I'll gladly accept a discount against my next order, thanks -- and I do get non-trivial discounts all year round, especially when I ask after specific products that catch my interest.

 

Of course, I don't ever order from this shop anything I want in a moderate hurry, either; in my experience, even if the items I ordered are all in stock and the parcel is collected by (or lodged with) PostNL the next business day, it still takes at least a week longer than shipping from the US, UK, Germany, Spain, Malaysia and Japan.

 

Anyway, for now I'm prepared to wait a while longer for the Pilot Justus 95, but if it's the last item that's holding up the order(s) from getting shipped, I'll cancel it.

 

Whether or not youll like the pen is impossible to predict of course. A ) It is a totally unique pen and its not for everyone.

 

Indeed, and that's why I'm intrigued and tempted to try it for myself, especially after reading about your experiences with yours.

 

B ) You are a very experienced FP user with a vast collection of top-drawer pens, you possess superb writing skills

 

Oh, I wish, and I thank you for your kind words! I can't even hold and write competently with a fountain pen using a "proper" grip, and I can't write ten words in a straight line without visible guide marks.

 

and you know exactly what you want from a pen. Combined, I am inclined to think that perhaps you might be disappointed with the Justus.

 

I presently have approximately 200 fountain pens, including multiples of some models, and yet none of them tick all of my boxes; so I've learnt not to look for perfection from a mere $300 or even $1000 spend.

 

But well see.

 

I hope so.

[TheDutchGuy]

Still no Justus, Dill? Or did you cancel it?

[MuddyWaters]

Your posts were really nice in this thread Dutch guy. I appreciate the pictures. You have nice handwriting and your diamine ink reminds me a bit of tsuki yo (iroshizuku).

[A Smug Dill]

Still no Justus, Dill? Or did you cancel it?

Surprisingly, I actually received it earlier this week, after a series of (yet more) bungles:

• After it was received into stock at LCdC early in November, I told them to hold off sending it until my other outstanding orders, including for a newly released Pelikan M200 Gold Marbled pen, have come in and send them altogether as a single shipment to save on their postage costs (even though I qualified for "free" shipping on all the orders individually and it would be no skin off my nose)... and four weeks later, the order with the Pelikan M200 was shipped without the Justus.
• I asked why, and was told that the unit it received (four weeks beforehand!) had a scratch on it and had to be returned to the Pilot distributor; and in spite of pushing for an answer, I never got any clarity as to when that discovery was made and reported, only that the distributor would be physically bringing one in to LCdC on the same day I was complaining, and that it would be dispatched the next day, i.e. one day after the Pelikan was sent in a separate shipment.
• LCdC has moved to using DHL for international shipping, which greatly reduced the transit time (by about two weeks) compared to using PostNL, ... but I discovered DHL's systems were mangling my delivery address (as given by Australia Post to me, so it had to be formally correct as spelt out and in that particular format), which had been used successfully many times with PostNL in the past, to the extent that it corrupted and lost part of the shop number of my local post office in the large shopping centre. That wouldn't have made the parcel undeliverable, because my Parcel Locker (i.e. Australia Post customer) number was intact and correct in the address, and Australia Post would have eventually figured it out and made me collect the parcel from one of the (other) post offices of its choosing in the CBD some days later, had I not intercepted that error.
• I gave that feedback to LCdC, and I was told they would be double-check my address when the next shipment (containing the Justus) was sent. When I got the shipping notification from DHL, I could see that this time my Parcel Locker number in the address was missing a digit, making that parcel completely undeliverable; and I wasn't given the opportunity by DHL to change to a different delivery address/option by self-service this time.

Alas, I just had so much other messy stuff going on this week, including Australia Post losing a parcel that contained three new Lamy (including two gold-nibbed) pens but reporting it in its tracking system as "Delivered", that I didn't have time to test the Justus.

[Honeybadgers]

Surprisingly, I actually received it earlier this week, after a series of (yet more) bungles:

• After it was received into stock at LCdC early in November, I told them to hold off sending it until my other outstanding orders, including for a newly released Pelikan M200 Gold Marbled pen, have come in and send them altogether as a single shipment to save on their postage costs (even though I qualified for "free" shipping on all the orders individually and it would be no skin off my nose)... and four weeks later, the order with the Pelikan M200 was shipped without the Justus.
• I asked why, and was told that the unit it received (four weeks beforehand!) had a scratch on it and had to be returned to the Pilot distributor; and in spite of pushing for an answer, I never got any clarity as to when that discovery was made and reported, only that the distributor would be physically bringing one in to LCdC on the same day I was complaining, and that it would be dispatched the next day, i.e. one day after the Pelikan was sent in a separate shipment.
• LCdC has moved to using DHL for international shipping, which greatly reduced the transit time (by about two weeks) compared to using PostNL, ... but I discovered DHL's systems were mangling my delivery address (as given by Australia Post to me, so it had to be formally correct as spelt out and in that particular format), which had been used successfully many times with PostNL in the past, to the extent that it corrupted and lost part of the shop number of my local post office in the large shopping centre. That wouldn't have made the parcel undeliverable, because my Parcel Locker (i.e. Australia Post customer) number was intact and correct in the address, and Australia Post would have eventually figured it out and made me collect the parcel from one of the (other) post offices of its choosing in the CBD some days later, had I not intercepted that error.
• I gave that feedback to LCdC, and I was told they would be double-check my address when the next shipment (containing the Justus) was sent. When I got the shipping notification from DHL, I could see that this time my Parcel Locker number in the address was missing a digit, making that parcel completely undeliverable; and I wasn't given the opportunity by DHL to change to a different delivery address/option by self-service this time.

Alas, I just had so much other messy stuff going on this week, including Australia Post losing a parcel that contained three new Lamy (including two gold-nibbed) pens but reporting it in its tracking system as "Delivered", that I didn't have time to test the Justus.

 

 

just a heads up - if you were considering getting the FNF ebonite feed for the 743 and trying it in the justus, I can confirm, even with pretty excessive modification, it won't really fit. It's close but not close enough.

[A Smug Dill]

@Honeybadgers, thank you for the heads-up all the same, even though it never crossed my mind to replace the feed on the Pilot Justus — or any of my brand-name Japanese, Italian or German fountain pens — with third-party, after-market components.

[TheDutchGuy]

Your posts were really nice in this thread Dutch guy. I appreciate the pictures. You have nice handwriting and your diamine ink reminds me a bit of tsuki yo (iroshizuku).

 

 

Thank you!

 

My Justus still calls my name. I still want to pick it up and use it. A good sign. Rarely do I use the soft setting, because I adore the hard setting. As fas as modern pens go, it’s pretty damn good.