Mag 600 or pilot FA?

April 7

I was reading reviews of flexible pen. At first I convinced myself that mag600 was a very good option, but I didnt find a single review that lalcked to mention the massive flaws of various types. I dont care at all of the box of the pen, but I was more concerned for the user reports of weird nib quality in mag600 pen. At first I overlooked these reports thinking this is not a big deal, all these pen have 1 or 2 flaws and I dont care. But, given that the mag 600 costs 350 and I cannot find a single positive review of it I started to change my mind.

Do you think a worthy substitute for this pen could be the pilot FA nib equipped in the 912? I found reviews and comparisons on reddit where they showcase comparisons in flexibility. The 912 seems very similar to mag600 but nobody laments flaws or quality issues. Only problem is that maybe I will have to purchase a separate feed from FNF to make the pilot FA flex to the maximum. Pilot 912 also costs lots less, its around 200 bucks. The mag 600 is around 350, costs lots more.

I looked comparison online, I think mag 600 should be able to flex up to 2mm. The pilot will do 1.5mm. Mag 600 is all made of ebonite feed included, but is equipped with a typical converter so I would have to print the larger converter on my own. The Pilot 912 instead is shipped with a larger converter with a pump. The pilot needs an ebonite feed to fully use the nib capabilities but does also thinner lines compared to mag600.

Overall both should be good but I was wondering what is your opinion. If I had to go for 912 I could purchase it today. But for mag600 I have to save some money because im not rich. I would hate to save money and then get a defective product. So if you have advice before I do this decision, you will help me lots. Thanks.

April 7

I am also looking at both the Magna Carta 600 (can’t decide between the black or the stacked resin in blue or grey) and the Pilot FA nib, although in a Verdegris 743. The 600 can be eye dropper filled if you think you would run through a ton of ink. 1.4 mL long cartridges also fit. I was wondering what reviews are critical of this pen, because I haven’t read anything bad about it yet, and as you said, it’s a major purchase. Would you mind dropping a link?

Everyone that I have talked to has loved the FA nib, but I have heard more criticism about the 912 than the 743, mostly due to the feed, so since you know and are prepared for the extra cost, you’re all set in that regard. I tried the 743 at a pen show last year and it was very responsive, it’s not as flexible as my vintage nibs; but beautiful in its own right. I have the con-70 converter in my Namiki and it has been inked since early February and is still 1/3 full.

Whichever one you decide on, I think it will be a wonderful pen. If I don’t end up with the vintage pen that I want, I’ll probably buy one of the two next month.

April 7

Pilot FA nib flex comparison:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNjwsyc3M94

April 8

17 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

I am also looking at both the Magna Carta 600 (can’t decide between the black or the stacked resin in blue or grey) and the Pilot FA nib, although in a Verdegris 743. The 600 can be eye dropper filled if you think you would run through a ton of ink. 1.4 mL long cartridges also fit. I was wondering what reviews are critical of this pen, because I haven’t read anything bad about it yet, and as you said, it’s a major purchase. Would you mind dropping a link?

Everyone that I have talked to has loved the FA nib, but I have heard more criticism about the 912 than the 743, mostly due to the feed, so since you know and are prepared for the extra cost, you’re all set in that regard. I tried the 743 at a pen show last year and it was very responsive, it’s not as flexible as my vintage nibs; but beautiful in its own right. I have the con-70 converter in my Namiki and it has been inked since early February and is still 1/3 full.

Whichever one you decide on, I think it will be a wonderful pen. If I don’t end up with the vintage pen that I want, I’ll probably buy one of the two next month.

Hi. Heres one critical review: https://www.inkflexibilities.com/blog/magna-carta-mag-600-flex-fountain-pen-is-it-worth-the-hype

On youtube you find others. On reddit you find almost all discussions on mag 600 talking of these problems: weird v shaped tipping that prevents ink to flow all the way, hard starts. Nibs that appear to be defective, poor quality control.

I personally dont care of fit and finish. I dont care of the box of the pen. I dont care if the nib comes out default with scratches on it. I dont care if the pen is not glossy smooth finish. I dont care of many of the flaws hilighted by reviewers but I do care if they describe issues of the nib.

In any case. I made some surrogate purchases, metal nibs that cost less. But I think if you eyed a vintage flex pen that you think can work for you, I would purchase it no matter the cost. I will do the same. If I find a flex pen that works, I purchase it no matter if it costs a lot of money. Because for my personal experience, it is better to spend more for a very good product rather than buying more inexpensve ones that leave you unsatisfied. I had great hopes for this mag 600, I was even willing to save money for it. But now I am not so sure about it.

April 8

18 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

I am also looking at both the Magna Carta 600 I was wondering what reviews are critical of this pen, because I haven’t read anything bad about it yet, and as you said, it’s a major purchase.

I have a MC Sapphire Grand with a stub nib. It's ... unsatisfactory. I've seen offhand comments of MC nibs having issues. I've also seen comments from folks gushing about how deliciously their MC writes, regardless of which nib they have. Maybe there was poor QC at the factory for a single shipment or something.

I plan to get my eyeball+loupe on my stub nib this morning. Hopefully it's merely misaligned and I can fix it myself. If it looks sketchy I'll be reaching out to my vendor for advice.

April 8

4 minutes ago, SLinkster said:

I have a MC Sapphire Grand with a stub nib. It's ... unsatisfactory. I've seen offhand comments of MC nibs having issues. I've also seen comments from folks gushing about how deliciously their MC writes, regardless of which nib they have. Maybe there was poor QC at the factory for a single shipment or something.

I plan to get my eyeball+loupe on my stub nib this morning. Hopefully it's merely misaligned and I can fix it myself. If it looks sketchy I'll be reaching out to my vendor for advice.

My plan was to wait some time and select a store that has fresh magna cartas and ask them if they imported them recently. I notice these comments on reddit always mention the same store. Probably the first batch of mag 600 had issues. It is a situation like with new smartphones, at the moment they are sold (in a showroom for example) they always have major problems but if you wait 1 or 2 months the issues get fixed. So I usually thank redditors who purchase these experimental things day one, so I gather intel and try to purchase the product when the brand fixed the issues.

From what I gathered, magna carta brand is willing to improve their quality. So I have some level of hope that they may fix the problems. The issues hilighted by reviewers are all fixable and none of them is critical. So, since this pen is expensive and magna carta wants to sell it as "luxury", I suppose at some point they will improve it.

April 8

For $360 I expect perfection....but I've never heard of that Magna Carta pen company until now.

I look for cheaper, old used...vintage, semi-vintage pens, so am not up to date.

If you buy some dip pens you get the tine spread you want with fast snapback.

Those who can write...not me, want fast snapback over how wide they can spread the tines.

I managed to luck into a lot of superflex nibs, before the new fashioned cheap superflex nibs with odd slits and shoulder grinds came on the market....having mine, I unfortunately paid no attention to the new ways to achieve superflex.

PS. Was just looking at a old Hunt # 56 dip pen nib and it had flex slits ground into it, so that is not new.

April 9

On 4/8/2024 at 6:05 AM, pkul said:

From what I gathered, magna carta brand is willing to improve their quality. So I have some level of hope that they may fix the problems. The issues hilighted by reviewers are all fixable and none of them is critical. So, since this pen is expensive and magna carta wants to sell it as "luxury", I suppose at some point they will improve it.

I emailed Magna Carta customer service. After a bit of spurious advice (hydrate the nib... Say what?) and some back and forth, MC is asking [vendor] to send me a new nib unit.

Some may be surprised to learn the stub nibs are titanium, per Hirem, the CSR who caught my email. If so then most of the cost of the Sapphire Grand with a stub is in the stub itself, I would think.

April 9

On 4/8/2024 at 3:26 AM, pkul said:

Hi. Heres one critical review: https://www.inkflexibilities.com/blog/magna-carta-mag-600-flex-fountain-pen-is-it-worth-the-hype

On youtube you find others. On reddit you find almost all discussions on mag 600 talking of these problems: weird v shaped tipping that prevents ink to flow all the way, hard starts. Nibs that appear to be defective, poor quality control.

I personally dont care of fit and finish. I dont care of the box of the pen. I dont care if the nib comes out default with scratches on it. I dont care if the pen is not glossy smooth finish. I dont care of many of the flaws hilighted by reviewers but I do care if they describe issues of the nib.

In any case. I made some surrogate purchases, metal nibs that cost less. But I think if you eyed a vintage flex pen that you think can work for you, I would purchase it no matter the cost. I will do the same. If I find a flex pen that works, I purchase it no matter if it costs a lot of money. Because for my personal experience, it is better to spend more for a very good product rather than buying more inexpensve ones that leave you unsatisfied. I had great hopes for this mag 600, I was even willing to save money for it. But now I am not so sure about it.

This pen sounded promising, but having read your link and searching for Reddit posts about it makes me think that it would be wise to wait at least a year for the quality control issues to get ironed out. There was one person who was promised a replacement nib unit by Magna Carta that was never delivered, stores that want you to pay return shipping on defective products, and other issues. I think for now, I will stick to vintage flex. There are really good bargains if you look around- I bought a Waterman 52 for $125, and a Todco BCHR eye dropper with a weak kneed wet noodle warranted nib for $20. If I buy new, it will probably end up being the 743 FA. Good luck, I hope you find a flex pen that works for you.

April 9

I would highly recommend the Pilot FA nibs. I have both sizes and they perform very well. Pilot is an old company with a long consistent history of expertise in making nibs. Though flexible nibs have never been as commonly produced in Japan as they once were by western pen makers, Pilot has always made very good ones and I think their nibs are the closest you can get the quality of vintage pens. Companies like Montblanc and Pelikan (not to mention Waterman, Parker, etc.) used to make superb flex nibs with many point sizes and grinds, but sadly, they abandoned that long ago. One exception would be Montblanc's recent "Calligraphy" 149, which sports a pretty good flex nib. Unsurprisingly, that pen was very expensive, and I think seriously flawed, in that the nib was made of 18k gold instead of 14k (and the plastic feed). It was really just another of their special editions, not a serious return to proper flex nib production. As for the Magna Carta 600, I haven't seen one in person. It may be an excellent writer, but I think Pilot is your best choice since they not only know how to make such nibs correctly but their overall quality level is extremely high, despite their reasonable price.

Another point is that if you get the Pilot with the FA nib and find the feed does not provide enough flow, you can order an ebonite feed made specifically for the pen from "flexiblenibs.com" -- I did that myself and was amazed at the quality of their feeds. However, Pilot feeds, though not made of ebonite, are really high quality.

A final point is that no modern nib will be as flexible and responsive as good vintage pens. If you want an extremely flexible nib, such as a "wet noodle", stick with vintage. However, extreme flex is not very practical and most people in the past preferred more moderate flex, which is usable in everyday writing. For that I think the Pilot FA is an excellent modern choice.

April 9

3 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

weak kneed wet noodle

That nib makes a wet noodle look like semi-flex. I have one on my pre-24 MB Safety pen......I really should learn how to draw letters..........said that about my first wet noodle.