Pilot Custom 823

[TreadwayJohnA]

So, the Pilot Custom 823... After lurking around a few online pen stores and watching a dozen or so reviews I am serious contemplating putting this on my, "But honey, if I don't buy that I'm going to die!" list. Does anyone own or have any experience with one? What are your thoughts, how well does it perform? Also, is it really worth the $$, or would a man be just as well off to opt for the much more affordable TWSBI Vac 700R?

 

[Vacumatic]

I have a Pilot 823 and a TWSBI eco, so almost qualified to answer, I paid $280 for the Pilot and $28 for the Twsbi. Both pens work very well and do everything that is asked. They fill and write and work. The Pilot looks a lot better than the twsbi but I like the twsbi too, its modern and fresh. I also have two Montblanc 149s, one is new (and still unused) and cost me $650, the other had been filled once and cost me $250.

All do their job, all work well, all look great. the new 149 is not expected to work 170 times better than my $5 Jinhao 159.

I have no idea.

Other than if you bought the Twsbi then you would still want the Pilot, but if you bought the Pilot would you still want the Twsbi - maybe not.

I have come to the conclusion that buying expensive pens is comparable to buying expensive jewelry, spend more for a bigger sparkle and buy with your eyes and heart and not your brain, otherwise we would all be writing with $7 Parker ballpoints.

Forget them both and buy a Parker 51, its one of the few pens that will be worth more in 5 years time.

 

[TreadwayJohnA]

Forget them both and buy a Parker 51.

I have a 51 Aerometric and It is my favorite, most reliable, and most treasured pen (all those years of wear have done amazing things to the nib, it's a dream!) It would be the only pen I owned, if it were a Vacumatic. I haven't been able to find one in decent condition at a reasonable price, everyone seems to think there are diamonds hidden somewhere inside the piston fill mechanism or something. I have a 14K SF Namiki Falcon that I have been using as my daily back-up, and though it writes as smooth as a stick of butter, it has a laughable ink capacity and it writes much too wet for my taste. I've actually been contemplating listing it in B/S/T in hopes of trading it for something with a much larger capacity. Anyway, back to the 823... I like the 823, but I don't care for the price. Though, you brought up a good point. If I get a Vac 700 subconsciously I will find it inferior and still want the 823.

 

[kcore]

The 823 is my Grail pen. I find the looks so so but the filling mechanism is really nice and the big nib looks really good on it not to mention all the praise it gets from other pen reviews. I keep seeing other pens I want to buy but just think to myself I would rather put that money towards the 823.

 

[nemo]

I've avoided it because of the valve you need to open at the blind cap when writing -- a little too fiddly for me. I just want to take off the cap, post it, and write. I have a Custom 74, it's good that way.

I think I'd contemplate the Pilot Custom Heritage 743 because of its better nib options, I don't mind the cartridge system.

 

[Komboloi]

I've avoided it because of the valve you need to open at the blind cap when writing -- a little too fiddly for me. I just want to take off the cap, post it, and write.

This is simply incorrect. The pen writes just fine without opening a valve at the blind cap. Like many (most?) vacuum fillers, if you want to write for an extended session, you just back the valve off a bit. It's not a problem. It seems less "fiddly" than pulling a piece of paper out of the desk. #firstworldproblems

823 vs. TWSBI Vac 700R? The Pilot looks and feels like the more expensive pen. I love the way it looks, feels, and writes. The nib feel is quite different (again, advantage Pilot 823), but they both write really well for me and have been super dependable. And the 700R feels really solidly built to me. As @Vacumatic points out above, the question whether one item that cost X times more is X times better is often a question -- pens, cars, razors, restaurants, whatever.

 

[nemo]

This is simply incorrect. The pen writes just fine without opening a valve at the blind cap. Like many (most?) vacuum fillers, if you want to write for an extended session, you just back the valve off a bit. It's not a problem. It seems less "fiddly" than pulling a piece of paper out of the desk.

Charles, please excuse me for stating what I like in a pen and don't like about the Pilot. I am correct in saying it will run out of ink if it isn't opened, and that is something I will avoid. I will be giving fewer and fewer pieces of my knowledge here in the Nib, I'm afraid.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

It appears that here was a bit of confusion in the matter of semantics in the last few posts.

Charles, from what I understand and have experienced, the pen will only write temporarily before the value needs to be opened. If the valve needs to be opened in order for the pen to provide a consistent flow, then until the valve is opened, it's merely functioning as a dip pen. Doug is correct. The man knows his stuff.


John, to answer your question, I have a Vac 700 and a Pilot Custom Heritage 92, which is a piston filler that's slightly smaller and lighter than the 823, but it has the same nib (except for the color).

My CH 92 has a medium nib, and is one of my favorite pens. It's classy enough for a business or formal pen, but since it's a demonstrator, it's still fun and slightly flashy. The nib is smooth and has just enough softness to it that it's easy to write with at a meeting or taking notes with, but will also handle some line variation and have some flair when you push it a bit. I don't recommend trying to get some line variation until you're familiar with how easily one can spring a nib.

My Vac 700 is a fun pen, but I don't hold it in the same regards as my CH 92. Mine is a transparent blue demonstrator with a 1.5 stub nib. It originally came with a broad nib, but I decided to go with the 1.5 stub because it had such a large in capacity that I figured the best way to use it would be with a nib that could lay down lots of ink. Both nibs provide a smooth writing experience. It's a nice pen, but the shape and design are not entirely as I would prefer. The body drops into the threads, then the section, far more dramatically than what I'm comfortable to.

My vote would be for the 823.

 

[Komboloi]

Hey guys, I'm sorry, but the statement that a valve on the 823 needs to be opened when writing is incorrect. Three days ago I used my 823 to write a longish note in a birthday card, plus the addresses on the envelope, without doing any fiddling.

I think maybe what @nemo meant to say is that extended writing requires one to crack the valve. But I wouldn't tell someone asking for info about the 823 that one has to open a valve to write with it. That's just incorrect. This isn't an opinion about pens; this is just factual information about how they work. The OP asked a legit question and received incorrect info. That's all.

 

[Jut]

 

[Radium]

Guys, I initially just wanted to write down how it is recommended done for the pen tail plug in the Pilot Custom 823 pen but since I don`t own one I feel this video will explain it well for everyone then. This is the best video I know of explaining the working on this Pilot custom 823 pen. The point of explanation starts at 2:42 and at 3:06 it says once you unscrew the tail plug just leave it unscrewed unless you are dealing with extreme air pressures such as air travelling or car travelling temperature changes. It says the chances of a leakage is very low so just leave it open but they do say screw back it too. So do what works for you.
Pilot Custom 823 -Tokyo Pen Shop Quill-

 

[jar_]

If you like the idea of the 823's filling system then sure, go for it. It's certainly not anywhere near as expensive as a new driver or putter or cell phone or tablet or ...

I don't like the 823 filling system and so I have the 845, 743, 742, 74, 912 & 91.

 

[rockviper]

Thanks, @Jut, that pretty much sums it open. It's just like the Vac700; when the blind cap valve is closed you have a small amount of ink available for use before you need to open it up to restore flow. I have to say that the Pilot looks way better than the TWSBI, which I found awkward in my hand.

 

[Slivovitz]

More of my modern pens are Pilots than any other brand, including most of my favorites. So I've certainly considered the 823. I'll consider the questions on the filling system to have been adequately dealt with above. There is one other factor, though, which along with the price has dissuaded me from buying one, the size. I find my Custom Heritage 92 and Custom Heritage 91 to be close to ideal size, both the overall dimensions of the pens, and the size of the nibs. The 823 is noticeably larger than this. Some people like large pens; I find them clumsy. Or if you like, I feel clumsier when handling them. Either way, that's not a reason for someone else not to get this pen, just a point to consider.

 

[Doc4]

Charles, from what I understand and have experienced, the pen will only write temporarily before the value needs to be opened. If the valve needs to be opened in order for the pen to provide a consistent flow, then until the valve is opened, it's merely functioning as a dip pen. Doug is correct. The man knows his stuff.

Agreed ... and that fiddly "turn the nob" thingy is why I don't own one.

John, to answer your question, I have a Vac 700 and a Pilot Custom Heritage 92, which is a piston filler that's slightly smaller and lighter than the 823, but it has the same nib (except for the color).

I have both those as well.

My Vac 700 is a fun pen, but I don't hold it in the same regards as my CH 92.

Ditto.

I think the CH 92 is a fantastic pen, and anyone willing to own a pen worth more than say $25 ought to invest in one.

 

[RichieRich3902]

I didn't read everything above and only leaving a short reply. I love my 823, it's an amber with a broad nib, that I'll probably have ground to a fine-medium italic when I can get my 149 fixed and rotate this one out.

I write a lot most days, like fill the best part if not a whole college ruled legal pad with notes and calculations kind of writing, I can roll through the better part of a full P51 Vac in a day or two. The 823 is a fine pen, you can write about a page before needing to open the valve, longer if you pause a lot, shorter if you're going to town.

Find on on the bay and give it a try. If you can hunt one down for about $200 you can always relist it if you don't like it.

 

[ailevin]

I have the Pilot 823 and it is a lovely pen. I use it mostly at home at a desk or occasionally if I am getting dressed up. The vacuum filling system and large ink capacity were part of the draw, though in the end I've decided that I prefer the plunger filling mechanism in the Pilot 92. The 823 has a larger nib than the 92 (the cartridge filling 74 has the same sized nib as the plunger filling 92). I prefer fine point in stock Pilot pens and of the box my 823 was one of the nicest if not the nicest writing F nib I've experienced. It has a more flex than the smaller Pilot gold nib, and marginal line variation, but that is really mostly increase in ink flow. The 823 is a little larger than I prefer, but I do not find it tiring when I am writing. I actually find it more difficult to fill and clean than my TWSBI Vac Mini. For this reason I have rarely changed ink in the 823 and with the large capacity I don't need to very often. I mostly use either Noodler's Heart of Darkness ink or Pilot (Namiki) black in this pen. I don't find unscrewing the end cap to be any kind of problem, and I like the ability to seal the ink chamber. The pen is expensive but I think it is reasonable value for all that it delivers. I would visit a pen shop or pen show and write with one before ordering.

If you are curious about vacuum filling and need large ink capacity, consider the TWSBI Vac Mini. I like the way it writes, it is not nearly as expensive (steel nib), it seems quite rugged, and it is the pen I reach for if I am going on an outdoors type trip; on any trip I often bring it as a back up. It has the same type of sealed end cap and I find the vacuum system much easier to manipulate than the 823. It is a much shorter pen when capped and I like that it is easy to tuck away in a small notebook or a pocket of most any size. When posted it feels and writes like a full size pen and is well balanced. I always thought the TWSBI 700 was big and clunky and it never appealed to me.

I think the 823 is the best Pilot pen that I have, but the 92 is my favorite Pilot pen, and the Decimo is my most used Pilot pen. I have the Decimo in my pocket more than any other pen, either in stock F or with a Binder cursive italic nib. Yeah it is cartridge only and ink supply is limited, but the click open/close one handed convenience is fantastic for quick notes. Also, the Decimo nibs have a wonderful feel. They are 18K rather than 14K and they are exceeding smooth and have a soft but not quite flexy feel, and stock nibs show no line variation. For me the 92 is the "just right" pen--decent ink supply, my favorite filling system, nice gold nib, light weight, good balance, simple utilitarian looks, and good value. It writes similarly to the 823, and though the nib has less flex it has a very good feel.


Alan