Posts filed under Pilot

Pilot ILMILY Nuance Gel Pen Review

Very few things in my stationery life get me more excited than a gel ink pen with a fine line and a unique ink color. The Pilot ILMILY Nuance Gel Ink Pen combines those things perfectly, and packages them into a great barrel.

Review over, right? Not so fast.

As a fan of Pilot’s highly Instagramable ILMILY (I Love Me, I Love You,) product lineup, I somehow had missed the launch of the Nuance. It wasn’t until a friend included one in a care package of awesomeness to me that I tried one out, and I was immediately hooked.

That pen in question, the Nuance Black Yellow, made me giddy. As I alluded to up top, an 0.5 mm gel ink pen, and in a color as weird as Black Yellow, really gets me going. It wrote well, and the barrel was cool and comfortable. Immediately, I asked, “Are there more?”

Yes, Brad, there are more. Many more.

One of the fun ideas I’ve seen pen companies tackle over the past several years is the idea of “Black+” ink formulations. My all-time favorite is Uni-ball’s Signo DX in Lavender Black (0.38 mm please, and thank you.) Uni-ball expanded on that idea with their BLX formulation in other pen lineups, and brands like Pentel and Sakura dabble in a more limited capacity. These colors take the very business-like black ink formulation and add a hint of other colors to the mix.

Pilot took that “hint” of added color directly into the product name of this lineup. The colors are nuanced on the page, often requiring closer inspection to see the alternate shade come through. They are there, to be sure, but set your expectations accordingly.

In my writing samples, I made sure to mix in the Black ink of the Pilot G2 0.5 mm pen as a baseline. The Nuance lineup also has a Black-only ink pen, but I wasn’t compelled to purchase that one. I did purchase the remainder of the colors, minus Black Brown, which was simply an oversight on my part.

The beauty of these inks is that you can get away with using them in settings where Black ink is the expectation. You and I can have our little secret, ok? I think Black Red and Black Yellow have the most noticeable undertones, and therefore are my favorites. Black Green is the least interesting, and Black Blue and Black Violet land in the middle. Other brands do those combinations better.

It’s almost impossible to see through a computer screen, but the writing order is Pilot G2 Black, Nuance Black Blue, Black Violet, Black Red, Black Green, Black Yellow, and then back to the Black G2 down the page.

If you know what to expect going in to the ILMLIY Nuance series, you will be happy with the results. That is, if you want to pay over $4 per pen. That is at the top of the price range for a gel ink pen, but that is where Pilot has placed this premium brand. At that price I can’t recommend the entire set, but if you like them, pick out one or two of the more interesting colors. Or, pro tip, grab the refills for half the price and use them in Pilot G2 compatible pens. Taps forehead.

I’m glad the Pilot ILMILY series exists. Yes, it is premium priced, but it gives them a platform to experiment outside of their normal product lineups. I’m always for that.

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

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Posted on October 23, 2023 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Pilot, ILMILY, Gel, Pen Reviews.

Pilot Iro-Utsushi Dip Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)

One of the things we love about fountain pens is that they can hold a wee tank full of our favorite ink and continuously feed it to a smooth nib. Dip pens give a similar nib experience, but without the ink tank hooked up to it. Instead, you dip the nib into a bottle of ink before writing on the page. It sounds inconvenient--having to stop writing all the time to re-dip! And with some dip nibs, it can be an issue. Leave it to Pilot to make one that just rocks.

The Pilot Iro-Utsushi is a simple design. It's a hollow, lightweight plastic body with a plain metal nib at the end. That's it, that's the pen! Uncomplicated. No feed, no moving parts, just a writey stick. The body comes in several color options, this one is a smokey, clear grey. The body tapers steeply toward the end, and it has a fairly plain grip section. There are a few textured lines along the length of the grip to help with slipping, but they're so smooth I'm not sure they do much. The pen is so light, though, that it doesn't need a fancy grip section. Balance and control aren't issues.

The nib can be either fine or medium. The one I tested is a fine nib. If you've written with a Pilot Metropolitan pen, the writing experience is similar. Which is to say, it's good. The nib is smooth and has perfect ink control. It's not too wet, but never feels dry. It isn't flexible at all, but it creates a nice, consistent line.

The most noticeable feature of this dip pen is that it writes for aaaaages on a single dip. I got 70 words on a single dip--about a third of a page. Two dips per page? That's hardly an interruption at all. And I could scribble vigorously across more than an entire line of a page before a single dip ran out. Despite holding a useful amount of ink, the nib never dripped. There was no mess, no fuss--just a pleasant writing experience.

The only issue I had with the pen at all is that I wish it had a roll stop of some kind. Because it has no real cap, just a rubber sleeve covering the nib, it tends to roll around whenever it is set down. Other than that, this is a great dip pen. It is currently priced at $11, which is a little higher than I thought it would be. The Pilot Varsity is only $3.20, and it has ink in it! It's a fair price compared to fancier dip pens, though, and it would be perfect for ink testing. Or just writing anything--the dipping is rare enough that it doesn't slow things down. It feels old-timey. Like I'm writing some kind of love letter or a constitution, not a grocery list. I dig it.

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

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Posted on October 19, 2023 by Sarah Read and filed under Pilot, Dip Nib, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Ranking 15 Pilot Fountain Pen Nibs

I had the pleasure of testing all 15 of Pilot’s #10-sized 14K gold fountain pen nibs recently, and wanted to share my thoughts on them as a group.

For starters, I am thrilled that Pilot made these nibs available in the US market, via the Custom Heritage 912 lineup. The basics were always available here - Fine, Medium, Broad, etc. - but the specialty nibs - Coarse, Stub, Posting, and so on - were traditionally only available in the Japanese market. That changed a couple of years ago, and Pilot fans, such as myself, rejoiced.

When thinking about reviewing these, I had several thoughts. Should I do one review per nib? Should I group them in use-case batches? What about videos? Pictures? It was a lot to consider! My friend Mike Matteson at Inkdependence review this entire set a few months ago, so be sure to check out his great videos on these nibs.

For me, I decided on something different, and specific: How would I rank these nibs for my own use? Do I worry this is too specific for a broader product review? A little. In the end I think it is going to work out, as I’ll be able to discuss my specific preferences, and the pros and cons that go along with those preferences. Nibs that don’t work for me may be perfect for you, and I hope to be able to explain that throughout this list. They are all good nibs, Brad!

A few notes before we begin:

I write in a block print style, never cursive or script. I prefer fine lines, or wide lines with an edge that benefit my writing style. Needless to say, those nibs will be near the top of my list.
Pilot requested that I only dip test these nibs. I don’t believe that is the best way to give you the most accurate commentary on nib performance. That said, Pilot’s nibs and feeds are so good that I am able to get good results from only dipping the nib.
All nibs are tested on Maruman Spiral Note Basic A4 Dot Grid paper, and with Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi ink.
Once I dip the nib, I wipe the bulk of the ink off on the bottle edge, then write several lines on scrap paper to even out the flow before testing the line.
The lyrics used are from the start of ODB’s verse on “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’” by the Wu-Tang Clan.
Wu-Tang is for the kids.
If you have any questions if a certain nib is for you, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment, or get in touch.
Thank you Pilot USA for loaning me these nibs!

On to my rankings:

15) Coarse

Someone has to finish last, and for me it is the Coarse. It is a marker tip, so if you are looking for that type of line, then take a look at this one. There is no line variation, just a bold, round, line. I will say that given the size and shape of nib tipping, the Coarse is a perfect platform for big and interesting nib grinds.

*The Pilot Coarse Nib, perfect for big nib grinds.*

14) Broad Broad

Similar to the Coarse, but with a little more ink application on the page. The Coarse nib seems to spread the ink thinner on the page, while the BB just unloads it.

*Left to right: Broad, Broad Broad, Coarse.*

13) Soft Medium

There is a group of nibs with no true home in the list, starting with the Soft Medium. I think it is the worst of the “Soft” group, offering less line variation than the other options. That’s what you want with a nib like this, but it is too similar to the Medium.

12) Fine Medium

Ditto here, but with a little more line variation. I will say that even with the Soft designation, the speed at which I can write is great. This is a fun one, but there are better choices for my style.

11) Music

This traditional two slit, three tine Music nib setup is fantastic, I just prefer the Sutab (SU, aka Stub,) so much more that I knocked this one down the list a bit. It is much wider than the SU on both vertical and horizontal strokes. Think 1.5 mm vs. 1.1 mm. I prefer the narrower on both accounts.

10) Waverly

This was my first time with the Waverly nib, and I expected more from it. The idea is that it is great for writing at any angle, so if you hold the pen in a non-traditional manner, this nib could work well for you. For me, there was no benefit to it, although I wouldn’t mind spending more time with it to see what I could sort out.

9) Medium

An excellent stock writing experience. Japanese Medium nibs are the recommendation sweet spot for every day writing. I prefer finer lines, as seen below, but there is no arguing with this one.

8) Soft Fine

It’s fine, but not fine enough. This is a good example of expectations when choosing a nib. Japanese Fine nibs are very fine, and the Soft style makes lines wider due to the tines spreading further than on a standard nib. I’d rather have a standard Fine.

7) Soft Fine Medium

But the Soft Fine Medium is great! My expectation is that it would be wider, given “Medium” in the name, and it is. It is also finer than a stock Medium, and has more character on the page.

*Pilot Posting nib, left, and Extra Fine.*

6) Extra Fine

Why so low? It’s mostly the PO (Posting) nibs fault, but maybe more so that Pilot’s Fine nib is my favorite all day, every day writer. The Extra Fine is great, but I don’t see a place for it given my fondness of other nibs. Now, if those nibs didn’t exist, this one could top the rankings.

5) Broad

Surprise, surprise, surprise! Something happened to me when I tested this nib out, and no, it wasn’t an alien abduction. I want to be able to control my lines in wide nibs, and most nibs I’ve tested in this category have been too wide, too wet, too rounded, or all of the above. I thought I would easily prefer the Medium nib over this one, but it wasn’t that close. Again, the Medium makes for a great recommendation, but the Broad is more enjoyable.

4) Fine

My favorite pick up and write nib. Yes, the line is very narrow, but not too much. It remains legible for all types of writing, and the nib feels more stable and stronger than the Extra Fine.

3) SU

I’ve owned a Sutab nib previously, but didn’t get on with it that well. Testing this one out made me wonder if there was something wrong with mine, which I no longer own. With any stub-type nib, you want to see line variation. My old SU had very little, and I found it boring. This one has a wide range from thick to thin, and I think I’m going to need to buy a new one.

2) FA

This is the most fun Pilot nib. The flexible FA nib has more bounce than most other modern flex nib pens, while retaining a great standard writing line if you aren’t actively pushing the nib. It gives my standard block print writing a ton of character. I wouldn’t mind having this nib inked and in the rotation on a permanent basis.

1) PO

Do not buy this nib without trying it first. That’s how I acquired my Posting nib. I raved about the loaner I reviewed, a reader went out and bought one, instantly hated it, and sold it to me. 10 years on, I’m still in love. PO nib fans refer to this nib as nail-like, and that is accurate. The line is finer than the stock Extra Fine, while also being firmer due to its turned down tip. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pilot sells less of this nib than any other, but it is the one nib I own that I can’t live without.

That’s a wrap! My biggest takeaway from this experience is that Pilot makes amazing nibs. I already knew that, but it is nice to have that confirmation across the board. If you have a fountain pen writing need, Pilot as a nib for you. My thanks to Pilot North America for loaning me this set of pens for review.

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