Posts filed under Pilot

Pilot Silvern Fountain Pen Review

When I think about having a pen that I can use all day, every day, I have a few boxes it needs to check:

— Goldilocks size: not too big, not too small

— Light, and balanced

— Comfortable grip section

— Great nib

— Cartridge/Converter filling system

The Pilot Silvern checks all of these boxes for me. It is also a stunner, which certainly helps its cause as the one pen that can do it all.

The Silvern came into existence around 1970, which, in my opinion, was Pilot’s heyday of design. Taking cues from the Pilot Elite, and later, the Pilot Custom, the Silvern blinged out those models with a Sterling Silver exterior barrel. It has been a staple of Pilot’s product lineup ever since, with the last several years seeing it used as a platform for unique design elements throughout the barrel.

My review pen is the Jaguar model, which features this cuddly beast on the prowl through the jungle. The level of detail shows off all its spots, as it sneaks through the palm leaves, trees, and bushes. It’s a fantastic scene laid out on the Sterling barrel, and something Pilot does well throughout the Silvern lineup.

The shape of the Silvern is torpedo-like, with slight tapers towards rounded ends. The grip section is black plastic, with a matching taper into what is one of Pilot’s knockout design elements in their inlaid 18K Gold nib. As great as the exterior barrel is, the entire pen comes together because of the nib. If they used a more traditional grip section and nib I don’t think the Silvern would pop off as much as it does.

I inked this pen with a Pilot Black ink cartridge, which is an easy match. That said, what ink color wouldn’t be a perfect match for the Silvern? My inclination is to keep it classic with Black or Blue Black, but bright colors like Green and Purple would look great, or even Brown and Yellow would complement the Jungle theme.

At the moment, the Silvern is available with Dragon and Turtle themed barrels, along with Jaguar. Additionally, there are two non-creature themes available, Ishidatami and Tsumigi, both classic Japanese patterns.

Cost-wise, they are expensive at $544, but relatively speaking, they are priced well. For a full-Sterling Silver exterior barrel and an 18K Gold nib, the Silvern brings a lot to the table compared to other pens in its price range. Add in fantastic designs and their limited nature (these are each an edition of 550.) And, if you are paying attention, they drop special editions outside of their normal lineup, such as this Pokemon model a few years ago.

Back to my checklist above, the Silvern has me covered. It doesn’t hurt that it is made by one of my favorite brands in Pilot. I’ve had one on my watch list for years, and it might be time to move it to the purchase list in 2025.

(Chatterly Luxuries loaned me this pen for purposes of this review.)

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Posted on December 9, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Pilot, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Pilot Iro-Utsushi Dip Pen Review

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

I've tried several different types of dip pens over the years, but none of them have really stuck with me. They're either too fiddly or messy, or they feel so different from a fountain pen that I prefer to just ink up a fountain over rather than use the dip pen. I was intrigued when I saw that Pilot offers an entry-level dip pen that uses a familiar nib, so I had to try it out.

The Pilot Iro-Utsushi dip pen is a relatively low cost dip pen that features one of Pilot's stainless steel nibs — the same nib you'll find on a Pilot Metropolitan, for example. My hopes weren't very high, because I assumed that even if the nib felt just like a Metropolitan or other Pilot pen, it would be too much hassle to use given the limited ink supply. The other dip pens I've used in the past have some sort of primitive system to store little pockets of ink in the nib, but this Pilot looks like an ordinary nib that you'll find attached to a feed and ink reservoir system. Well, I'm delighted to say that my assumptions were wrong.

Even though the nib on the Iro-Utsushi is the same nib you'll find on many of Pilot's entry-level fountain pens, it does a surprisingly good job of holding a good amount of ink. I've used dip pens in the past, and I'm used to much less ink supply and needing to dip much more frequently. Dipping the nib past the breather hole provides enough ink to write a couple sentences. If you dip a little further and submerge most of the nib shoulders into the ink, you can get a couple more sentences out of it. I was genuinely surprised that I could write for as long as I was able with each dip.

Another problem I've always had with dip pens is that the ink flow varies drastically with a fresh dip versus when the ink is almost gone. After dipping the pen, the ink just gushes and almost makes a mess, and the flow continues to decrease until the ink is gone. This isn't a problem with the Iro-Utsushi. The ink flow is consistent even after dipping the nib, and it remains consistent right up until it runs out of ink. You can start to see the ink flowing a little lighter, and that means there's only enough ink left for a couple of characters. Again, this surprised me in such a good way.

Regardless of the type of dip pen you're using, there's one constant: they are ridiculously easy to clean. The Iro-Utsushi is no exception. Run the inky nib under some water and wipe it dry. That's it! Within a few seconds, you're ready to try out another ink. This is a fantastic method for trying out several inks without committing to filling up a pen and the eventual cleaning that entails.

The fine nib on this unit is smooth flowing and makes a crisp line that is comparable to my other Pilot steel fine nibs. The barrel is made of thin plastic, and the only non-plastic part of the pen is the nib, which is wedged into the front of the pen with friction. It's actually fairly difficult to remove the nib, so I have no concerns about the nib accidentally falling off into a bottle of ink. Being so lightweight, it's also incredibly easy to control the movement of the pen, though I did find myself wishing it was just a bit thicker to provide a more comfortable grip.

There isn't a cap provided with the pen, except for a small section of silicone tubing that is on the nib while it's in the box. I've kept the little piece to use on the pen when not in use. It's not much, but it does offer some protection for the nib when it's stored away with other objects. I'd like to design a simple cap that I can 3D print — something that both protects the nib and also provides a flat edge to keep the pen from rolling around when it's on a flat surface. For now, the little section of tubing is at least protecting the nib!

The Pilot Iro-Utsushi dip pen is just $8 at Vanness. Compared to other dip pens, this is very competitive, and I'd argue that it's also the best first-time experience you can have with dip pens. Glass pens feel too different and it's not really fair to compare them with traditional metal nibs. Other dip pens that use metal nibs aren't really the same as fountain nibs either. They're either catering to calligraphy use or for artists — which means they don't work particularly well for general writing, nor do they offer a good comparison to the fountain pen nibs you're likely already accustomed to. For me, this is the best dip pen experience I've tried so far.

I know there are plenty of others that I haven't had an opportunity to try, but it's hard to beat the Iro-Utsushi on price. I picked the clear body, but it's also available in a light blue or gray (both translucent) plastic, or a light or dark wood nib holder (the wood versions are $20). You also have your pick of fine or medium nib. Regardless of barrel and nib choice, I highly recommend checking these out if you're even remotely interested in dip pens! The ability to quickly try out inks without the mess of cleaning out a pen is incredibly convenient.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on December 4, 2024 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Pilot, Dip Nib, Pen Reviews.

Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pen - A Fresh Look

There have been two main changes to the Pilot 823 fountain pen since my initial review in 2015. First, all three barrel colors are now more widely available. Second, there is a new nib option available. If I thought this was one of the best pens on the market back then, what do I think now? It’s even better, of course.

My initial hangup in acquiring an 823 for myself almost a decade ago was a superficial one: it was only available in the US market in Amber. While a fantastic color in its own right, Amber wasn’t the only color available in Pilot’s home market of Japan. Both Smoke and Clear were part of the lineup, but I would have to jump through international ordering hoops to get one. At the time, that wasn’t as easy as it is today.

*An old image of my Clear 823 I resurrected for this post.*

I did that dance when I bought my Clear 823 (back in the 2016/2017 timeframe,) and this pen has been a core part of my writing lineup ever since. Many others were in the same boat as me, waiting for their opportunity to easily order something other than Amber. That opportunity arrived in the last couple of years, as Pilot sent the Smoke barrel out first, followed later by Clear. Why not at the same time? Your guess is as good as mine, but at least they are here, and they are glorious.

Why is the Pilot 823 considered one of the best fountain pens on the market? It’s a feel thing. The size and structure of this pen is impressive. It’s big, but not overly heavy. The barrel is mostly plastic, but it has a density to it. The vacuum filling mechanism adds a few more grams to the overall weight, and keeps the pen balanced throughout the barrel when writing.

All of that is before we even get to the nib, which is a true standout.

Pilot’s nibs provide the best out of the box experience out of all of the major Japanese brands in my experience. They are always tuned and ready to write the moment you ink it up, no matter if the nib is Extra Fine or Double Broad, Steel or Gold. And in the case of my review pen, Signature.

*Signature Nib, left, Fine with a Cursive Italic grind, right.*

What’s a Signature nib? According to Pilot, the name of the nib dictates exactly what it is for. It is Broad on the down strokes, Medium on the cross strokes, and has rounded edges to give it a flowing feel. This is a big letter nib, and great for cursive writing, laying down a ton of ink, and yes, signatures.

*Slight line variation between vertical and horizontal strokes.*

Pilot has expanded their nib offerings in both the #10 size 14K nib, and #15 size 14K nib, which the 823 uses. They are not widely available for this pen yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see this expansion happen since they already exist in the market. The only Specialty nib for the 823 is the Signature, along with traditional Fine, Medium, and Broad nib.

Putting the Signature nib in the 823 makes a lot of sense due to its large ink capacity. The vacuum chamber holds 1.5 mm of ink, which you will need with a nib like this one. To get a full fill, you may need to engage the vacuum rod twice, while keeping the nib submerged in the ink bottle. I got about half of a fill with one snap, which is normal in my experience with my other 823’s. To get it closer to full I would run it twice.

The Pilot 823 is an elite fountain pen experience, and that also accounts for price. At $336 it is by no means cheap, but it is close to being a value compared to the competition. The build quality, the filling system, the nib, and the overall experience make it an easy recommendation from me.

As much praise as I give it, are there any downsides? Yes, I hate cleaning it. Push, pull, push, pull, push, pull …

It doesn’t take three hours, but it takes a lot of work to get it to run clean. And once I get the water clear, I leave the pen uncapped to let the inner barrel air dry. It’s such a great writer that the juice is worth the squeeze, but it is a lot of squeezing.

The other hangup are the colors available. While I’m a translucent pen fan, not everyone is, so the aesthetics of the pen may not work for some. There are no solid barrel options at this time, and given Pilot’s history with this pen, I’d be shocked to see it.

My hope for the future of the 823 is that one, the full nib lineup becomes as available as all three barrels, and two, more colors. While the former is likely, the latter is a pipe dream. Pilot has teased a few special editions of the 823 over the past few years, but the main lineup has been static for over a decade. Pilot does like their translucent plastic colors, so there is a chance, albeit a tiny one.

I think highly enough of the Pilot 823 that it would be in the conversation for my only and only pen, if it ever came down to that. To be clear, it will never come down to that, but I can’t think of many pens I rate higher.

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

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