Pilot Custom 823 Collection Fountain Pens Reviews

This was my first gold-nibbed pen and my first non cartridge/converter pen. Wow... The writing action is so silky smooth and feels amazing! The filling is also great and I love how easily it is to load up with ink. Even my grandfather, who has a few vintage pens, talked about how gorgeous this pen was. I'm very happy with this pen!

My favorite pen. Beautiful and a smooth nib that makes writing comfortable. Beautifully made. It is always in my hand.

Just a warning up front, I love everything about this pen. If I seem to gush that is the reason, plain and simple. The design and weight of the pen is perfect for my use. I have a place for it on my desk but that place is often empty as I absentmindedly turn this pen in my hand like a worry stone. It has enough heft to let you know it is there without being heavy at all. I can write for extended periods with no hand fatigue, which brings me to my next point.

This is a vacuum filler. The only vacuum filler that I own. The mechanism is elegantly simple and ink capacity is awesome. I write a lot when working and the one gripe that I have about fountain pens in general (though I love everything else about them) is ink capacity. I often find myself having to switch pens mid-day because a pen has run dry. I don't don't carry ink supplies in my bag, so when a pen goes dry I am done with it until I get home. I have used this for a week on one fill and it is still around half full. (There are videos on YouTube with tips for filling vacuum fillers to maximum capacity. You will definitely want to watch one.) You will also want to read the instructions that come with the pen. There is a seal that separates the ink reservoir from the feed (great for flying) and if you don't follow instructions you will be in for a little frustration as the pen will appear to run dry. This is a feature, not a design oversight. This is welcome feature to me since I do fly regularly.

Finally, what can I say about the nib? It is 14K gold and is amazing. I bought the fine point and it is incredibly smooth without the "buttery" feel that some pens have. There is just a hint of feedback without the toothiness of most fine points. All of these things in one pen make for a great writing experience.

Thanks, Pen Chalet, for a great pen at a great price!