Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pen Review

The Pilot Custom 823 is a pen that inspires, and for good reason. The amber colored barrel with brown end caps and gold furniture is striking, and noticeable from a distance. The vacuum filling system seemingly holds an entire bottle of ink, making it perfect for writers, even Neil Himself. The 14 karat gold nib is flawless and glides across the page, as you would expect from Pilot.

This is a grail pen for many. Deservedly so.

In the few weeks I spent with the 823 I can see why so many people love this pen. It has a feel unlike any other Pilot I own. The barrel is slightly longer and larger, and the added weight of the filling mechanism gives it that just right feel. Put it in your hand and start writing and it is magical.

Vacuum filling sytems are not that common so my experience is limited, but the way the 823 fills is incredible. Pull the plunger out, dip the nib up to the section in the ink bottle, and push the plunger back in until it snaps down. In one shot, the barrel was at least 3/4 full. It was so cool and impressive that I emptied the ink back into the bottle and plunged it again. Same result as the first time. So much ink!

Generally speaking, you cannot go wrong with a gold nib from any of the Japanese big three - Pilot, Platinum, or Sailor - but Pilot nibs are my personal favorite. I’ve never had an issue out of the box, and that was the case with the fine 14k gold nib in the 823. From the moment it touches the page it is good to go with clean, smooth lines. I used Pilot Blue Black ink exclusively with this pen and it was an excellent choice.

Looking at pictures of the pen online I somehow overlooked the fact that the end caps were brown, not black like I thought. They match the pen perfectly, and actually made a big impression on me and my perception of the pens looks.

And that is the kicker for me with the Pilot Custom 823. Aesthetically, there is no arguing its beauty. But it’s not for me. I was actually hoping to fall in love with it while it was on loan to me, and while it is an elite writer, I never bonded with it visually. For the price, around $288 which includes a gift box and a bottle of Pilot Blue ink, I need to bond with a pen.

Even though it isn’t for me, I think the 823 could be the one for a lot of fountain pen users. And by the one, I mean that this pen could conceivably be the only fountain pen you own. It does everything well, with no flaws, and no downside. It’s expensive, sure, but if you aren’t like me and NEED a ton of pens, then I’m not sure there is a better choice on the market.

(Goldspot Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

L to R: Pilot Custom 92, Custom 91, Custom 912, Custom 823

L to R: Pilot Custom 92, Custom 91, Custom 912, Custom 823

Platinum 3776 Century with Music Nib: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Platinum 3776 Century music nib is a 14K nib with three tines instead of the usual two. Music nibs were originally created for composing music, so the nib creates the fat part of the notes and turned vertically, the stems. See this article on Richard's Pens for an in-depth discussion. Music nibs can also be used for general writing, offering a wide line with some variation.

The four big Japanese companies that make music nibs are Nakaya, Sailor, Pilot, and Platinum. Sailor's music nibs are unusual in that they only have two tines, so some do not consider them authentic music nibs. Nakaya and Platinum's music nibs are almost identical except for branding. If you want to try a music nib, but don't want to pay a premium price, Platinum is the way to go. Pilot also offers a relatively inexpensive music nib on its custom 912 model.

Nakaya Music Nib

The pen I'm reviewing is the plain black Platinum 3776, but now you can get Platinum's music nib on the fancier 3776 Century models in Chartres Blue or Bourgogne. The black pen itself is unremarkable–it is made of plain plastic with gold trim.

The larger band around the cap is engraved "Platinum Made in Japan 3776."

The pen is a cartridge/converter filler. The converter works well, but holds only 0.5 ml of ink, and the music nib puts out a lot of ink.

The nib is, of course, the heart of this pen. It is engraved with the usual 3776 design. The gorgeous fat nib and two tines are what make it stand out.

Unlike other, finer Platinum nibs, the music nib has no spring to it at all, and it definitely has no flex. But, it writes an exceptionally smooth, fat line.

Various Platinum Nibs

There's not much of a difference when you compare writing with the Platinum music nib and Nakaya's music nib.

Platinum Music Nib

But, I had John Mottishaw add flex to my Nakaya music nib, and you can see the extra line variation when I apply pressure to the Nakaya nib. That added flex also makes the Nakaya nib write more softly than the Platinum. Still, the Nakaya doesn't come close to the flex of a vintage music nib (oh, for a Waterman music nib!)

Nakaya Music Nib with Flex

You can purchase the plain black Platinum 3776 with a music nib at Pen Heaven (UK) for $193.23.

Pros

• The Platinum black 3776 Century with a music nib is reasonably priced.
• The 18K nib is essentially the same nib as the much more expensive Nakaya music nib.
• The music nib writes a smooth, broad line with good variation.

Cons

• The pen itself is unremarkable. If I were to purchase a Platinum with a music nib, I would get the more colorful Chartres Blue or Bourgogne.
• The cartridge/converter system is fine, but because the music nib requires a lot of ink, expect to refill more often.
• The Platinum music nib is stiff and offers no flex or spring.

(This pen was provided for review at no charge by Pen Heaven.)

Massdrop Retro 51 Tornado Fountain Pen Custom Edition

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The Retro 51 Tornado fountain pen isn't new, but this Massdrop Custom Edition features a killer body design that you won't find anywhere else.

Look and feel

The Massdrop Custom Edition Retro 51 Tornado Fountain Pen has a striking aesthetic that I happen to find very attractive. I love the herringbone design. The pattern also gives the pen a textured feel, which is nice. Of course, it also includes the signature Retro 51 Tornado trademarks, like the knurled top, labeled band, and clip. This pen screams Retro 51 Tornado, but it's different enough that you won't mistake it for one — it's obviously a fountain pen.

The weight was surprising to me. When you look at the pen, it looks like a completely metal pen. When you pick it up, it weighs less than you'd expect. And, it feels like a third (or maybe even a half) of the weight is taken up in the cap alone. Once you remove the cap, the pen has a very pleasant weight for writing.

Posting this pen can be problematic. For one, it never really feels completely secure. When writing, it feels as though it might slip off at any moment. The other problem, for me at least, is that the pen is way too long for comfortable writing. If you insist on posting your pens, this one isn't for you. For me, I typically always prefer writing without posting, so it fits right in with my existing habits.

Along with the "Retro 51 Tornado" label on the cap band, there's also a three digit number from the limited Massdrop run. This makes the pen collectible as it was a limited edition and each pen was numbered. I'm not sure if Massdrop will ever run this pen again, so it's nice to know where this one stands in the full run.

The clip is very strong, but is designed with a dramatic slope at the end, which makes it easy to slip onto denim pockets, bag slots, and other thicker fabrics. Given the strength of the clip, I'm not worried about the pen slipping out under normal circumstances.

I'm not entirely satisfied with the grip on this pen, as it's made of a light-weight plastic and tends to get slippery when in use. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the grip needs to be metal, but I would say it could use a heavier-weight plastic. It just doesn't feel great, and it detracts a bit from the overall writing experience.

Another downside for me is the feel of the threads on the pen cap. I've noticed that it's incredibly easy to mis-thread the cap when closing the pen. I'm not sure why this is, but I've found it irritating on several occasions. Once you find the correct thread, it screws on very easily. It's just a matter of finding that thread over the other "wrong" threads. It's not the most intuitive thing.

The nib is a Schmidt nib, and it's one of the bigger ones. Given the size of the rest of the pen, the size of the nib fits perfectly. The pen is a cartridge/converter filler, but only a couple of cartridges are included with the pen. Another perk of the size of the pen is that you can fit two international short cartridges in the pen — one to use now, and another spare.

One of my favorite features of the pen, besides the pattern on the body, is the brushed "jewel" on the top of the pen cap. Like all Tornados, this one has a matching jewel, and I love the way it looks in relation to the high-contrast herringbone pattern on the body.

Writing performance

So how does this Schmidt nib do when writing? It does well in most senses.

The particular nib on my pen needed some adjustment before it was ready to go. One of the tines was misaligned, so that was an easy fix. Still, the nib can be a tad scratchy and the "sweet spot" is relatively small. This isn't a huge deal, and it's something I've come to expect with most fountain pens under the $150 range (that don't have "Pilot" in the name...). Despite the sometimes-scratchy nature of the nib, it's an excellent writer.

The flow from this nib is among the best I've used. There's never an issue with starting or skipping, no matter how long it's been stored. It doesn't matter how quickly you write, or how broad and elaborate your strokes are, this nib and feed can keep up with the demand.

It's a steel nib, so there's not much flex or shading, but it can flex a small amount with enough pressure. Even for a steel nib, it's very stiff. I would attribute this to the sheer size of the nib — that's a lot of steel.

It's a great writer despite the scratchy feel it sometimes exhibits. I've used several Schmidt nibs in the past, and this one doesn't disappoint.

Conclusion

The custom edition Retro 51 Tornado by Massdrop is a visually stunning pen made a respected brand — there's a lot to like. Given the nature of Massdrop, they might not go on sale again, but there's always the used market if you're so inclined. And, the ability to stow an extra cartridge in the body of the pen adds a cool factor to this pen that none of my other pens can claim. If you like herringbone patterns, this is a beautiful pen.

(Massdrop provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)