April 24, 2024

Pens by Pilot

Pilot is in Japan and makes nice pens and ink.

Ingrid bought a Kakuno with an EF nib. It uses cartridges. A converter is available, but costs as much as the pen. AND, I see Kakuno sets with conveters for the same price as just a Kakuno, so that would be just the thing.

Paul bought a Pilot Custom 74. Black with gold hardware. A pretty fancy pen, he bought at a shop in Tokyo.

Steel nib pens

Kakuno - $15 for kids and beginners
Explorer - no kids smily face, flash colors
Metropolitan - metal body, pro look.
Prera - short "pocket pen"

Gold nib pens

Grance - snap cap 14K nib #3 (small/stiff) slender body
Custom 74 - $200, classic cigar shape nib #5, popular
Custom Heritage 92 - #5 nib, flat top, piston
Custom 912 - flat top, #10 nib, variety of nib styles
Custom 743 - $360, #15 nib, wonderful nib, cart/converter
Custom 823 - $384, very very popular, vacuum filler
E95S - vintage look, inlaid 14K nib
Falcon - flag top, unique nib shape gives flex (only soft nibs)
Justice - twist the pen to get hard/soft
Vanishing Point - $180 retractable nib, 18K, two sizes

Pilot Custom 74

I'm not sure what is custom about it. I just bought one after boycotting Pilot for some time. The boycott was because my son had a bad experience with the Pilot pen he bought. (It has problems. He bought it in Japan. He lives in Sweden. Pilot-Europe refuses to do anything to help him).

I bought my 74 used from an Ebay seller in Japan. I just put a CON-70N conveter on it and filled it with Diamine Oxblood. The CON-70N is different from every other converter I have ever used. It does not screw in and out, but it works as a plunger with a spring.

Feedback? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's Pen Info / tom@mmto.org