I've just turned 17, and today marks the 1 year anniversary of me getting into fountain pens. They being so much joy to my life, and make writing notes at school such a pleasurable, ritualistic process. I've been wanting to try a gold nibbed pen for a while and I've definitely had my eye on the Pilot Custom 74 along with some other similar pens. Thanks for this review, it brings a little more clarity to the sometimes confusing world of gold nibbed pens.
This, in a fine nib, is one of my all time favorite pens, hands down. I love burgundy, too -- and even write with burgundy or wine color ink. This pen would be well loved in my collection.
It's great to see that you're revisiting pens you weren't initially fond of. Often times I find myself liking pens only after a while. Great review, thanks!
Great review as always and very good to hear that you changed your mind concerning how often you used the Pilot 74 in the past and that it is worth a second chance in your rotation. I tried this model in a store in Germany about a year ago and it is very high on my list for beautiful pens to buy. I would love for my Pilot 74 to be this amazing Merlot version. Thanks, David!
I dont have any custom pens, I've actually been debating what gold nib pen I should buy as my first one. So many nice pens out there, its such a hard decision!
I like the review, one of my favorite pens. Greetings from Turkey. Thanks for the giveaway! If I win, I will be my first Pilot pen. Good luck everybody :)
Hi David, thanks for another thorough and honest review. Been following your channel for almost 2 years, and can understand your remark about the acquisition bug during my fountain pen journey. I’m a Sailor fan, and completely missed the chance to buy a Pilot Custom whilst visiting Tokyo last December. :-( Have been sniffing around for a Pilot Custom 823 (for its cool vacuum-fill system), or a 743 with an FA nib. So far I have not pulled the trigger yet, but hopefully some time this year. Looking forward to your Pilot Custom lineup video! Cheers from Amsterdam.
I totally agree that the Custom 74 is a great pen and I still remember the moment I used it and felt the “upgrade” to the next level of FPs...yet there is one material flaw I feel that this pen has which is related to the posting ability; my clear demonstrator now has around 8 hairline cracks in the cap just above the metal band and one or two are discoloured. I assume that it has come from normal posting and spoils an otherwise excellent pen. My Platinum #3776’s material seems sturdier so I’m happy to post with that, but in order to stop any further cracking, I now don’t post my Custom 74. It seems the clear plastic in the cap is just too thin at places and these stress fractures seem to appear. Anyway, thanks for the continued quality reviews on RUclips, David.
Thanks David for another excellent review. I have the Pilot Heritage 912 with the FA nib which is flexible but I found that the feed didn't keep up with the flex until I fixed it with a knife which greatly improved the ink flow and fixed the railroading. I found you need to work the FA nib carefully to run it in and make it perform but carefully so as not to spring it. I bought the FA nib to STOP myself from pressing down too hard and when it flexed it signaled to me to lighten up. It's a big fault I've had until this pen was purchased... a fault of mine from earlier days when the forms that were used at work were triple or sextuple self carbonating forms and you had to really press on them for the copy...horrible things.
im ngl, i have a custom 74, custom 92, custom 912, and custom 823, lamy 2k, vanishing point, all in fine. Tbh its really just a matter of personal preference, as for me, my favorite pens are the 74 and 92 bc i love the way they write and feel. I would highly reccomend trying and 823 before buying one bc while it does write amazingly well, it may not be the best for many people (including me)
@@RyRyPig hmm, worst comes to worst u can get it from a retailer that allows returns and simply return the pen if you do not like it. Also, maybe there are pen shows around your area or maybe some pen meetups. Sadly in my area there is only 1 pen show per year but for toronto that may be different
Thanks for another great review! I just got a Pilot Falcon a few weeks back, but it’s a bit too scratchy for me to write with every day. Thankfully, I like drawing in addition to writing, so I still get a lot of use out of the unique semi-flex nib! I’ve been eyeing the 74 for some time now as a pen for everyday use!
3:20 I think the cap band is a single metal ring with indented line and holes that allow very thin ring of resin of the same single mold injecting process. I think that's much added complexity to the manufacture, difficult to do right because you have to add meticulous step to polish that middle thin resin ring, not to mention the risk of resin material failing and fatigue. If I look closely to my Platinum 3776 Century, the ring in the middle is rather rough, which I think is my proof to that theory also I think Sailor noticed their clones and start to do the 'double' ring on their pens that were single ring on the mouth of the cap.
I felt the same way about my blue 74, mainly because I find the Con 70 to be a bit of a pen to fill and more so to clean. I have the Custom Heritage 92 and I do enjoy that one quite a lot. It has the same 14k nib and the piston. The 74 is very pretty in Red and would now be my color selection even though I am a blue nut. My 845 is by far my favorite. Thanks for the very good work David.. we are all learning on the FP journey! Best to you! Frank from Boulder, Colorado
Thank you for the review! I watch all your videos and am always very happy with your thorough research and cool writing samples. They helped inform my decision to buy a Pilot Custom 823 from Japan, my first and only grail pen, but I was unlucky as it came with serious issues with upward strokes and ink flow (as you had as well with your 823 from your review on it). The pen is sitting unused and I’m very sorry for that. Unfortunately, here in Hungary there is no nibmeister to help me fix it and i wouldn’t risk tuning it myself and destroy it. Returning the pen to Japan proved a nightmare as well so I hope one day I get to fix it somehow, while a save up for another pen in the future. I’m happy to know that the Pilot 74 is a nice pen :). Maybe I can afford one next year. Looking forward to your upcoming reviews!
Thanks for the great review. I own quite a few pilot pens but this is one I skipped over. You’ve made me wonder if this is one I should add to the collection.
I have only recently discovered your channel. I really enjoy how you walk around each pen and present your review compactly and in a way that’s accessible to new fountain pen users like me. I have been looking at Japanese manufactured pens including the Custom 74. This beautiful Pilot would be my first Japanese pen. Thanks very much for your reviews and to Pen Chalet.
Thank you for the nice review! Came to your channel after hearing you on the Pen Addict podcast. This is the first video of yours that I saw, but I am sure it won't be the last :)
I like that Pilot released a teal Custom 74 recently. That rekindled some interest in the line for me. Every time I see your cubes stacked in the background I wonder if you have a similar collection of those. I have a shelf of about 70 mostly budget 3x3s in my living room. Strange sometimes the things you find yourself collecting, but I love having so many hobbies and passions. Thanks for another video.
Love all the details that you provide on all of your Videos, and your demonstration style, too! Keep doing such amazing work! I have one of these Pilot Custom 74. A big thanks to you.
I used to work at my university on a project basically for free (doing it as a preparation for bachelor's thesis) and at one point the guys I was working for had enough money to share some with me and so I got my first of the two $500 payments (for two and a half years of work). Most of it went straight to Tokyo Pen Shop Quill and I've been waiting for a couple of month for the Custom 823 Smoke with FA nib to get back in stock. Polite guys at the store were keeping me updated on what's going on so kudos to them. Once the pen arrived to my country, brave and honored customs service decided they deserve a piece of this pie too so almost $70 went that way. But when I finally extracted it from captivity, I was over the moon about it. After some time though I noticed that flow was a bit too dry for me so I decided to order an aftermarket nib from flexiblenib. I went for a red ebonite two-slot one because why the hell not, I've dumped too much money into this pen to stop now. It arrived unnoticed by the customs vultures and there was another period of happiness for me which was extended to infinity by me cutting the ink channel in the new feed a bit wider with a knife. So at this point I am fairly confident saying that I have the most unique Custom 823 in my country and maybe in the entire Europe. And probably the most expensive one too ($300 pen and shipping + ~$70 customs + $53.50 nib and shipping = ~$423.50).
David, the Pilot FA nibs are some of my favourite, & as you assert, they are smooth, with that degree of feedback that lets you know you're writing with it. The Custom 74 is one of the only models I have yet to acquire - so perhaps this is where opportunity knocks - "The day that you decide to do it is your lucky day" (Japanese proverb)..... Excellent, concise overview of a really standout pen - thank you :)
Thanks for explaining the numbering system again for those of us who haven't seen it the first time. How many pounds are in the pilot series? It seems like an overwhelming number to me.
Thank you for the detailed review which helps me to decide whether I should get a Custom 74 or Custom Heritage 91 or 912. I actually like all the colors offered.
I really like the Custom 74 for the cartridge converter. I am not a fan of vacuum fillers because whenever I used my Twsbi vac mini, I got ink ALL OVER my hands! So any vacuum filling pen is kinda outta the question. Cartridge converts are also easier to change inks in, which I do quite often.
The Custom 74 was my first fountain pen, purchased in person at a shop on a whim, and immediately fell in love with it. It was one of the older non-translucent finishes, a nice dark green. The only thing I regretted was buying it with a Fine point, which was good to write with but not fun. I now wish I had bought the SF nib instead (although I don't think the shop had one).
Hi David. Thanks for the review. I have been on a buying spree for a year with pens arriving almost every week. Pilot nibs are probably my favorite and the Custom 74 is next on my list.
Thanks for the great review David, for me I would love to own a Pilot custom 823 one day but currently it's fairly expensive for my taste and I was wondering if you could do a comparison between the entry level pens of the big three Japanese brands, Sailor, Pilot and Platinum. Like 3777 vs custom 74 vs 1911 type video
Beautiful color on this Pilot Custom 74! I always appreciate your reviews and find your changing backdrop intriguing as I always try my best to figure out the connection to your review! Thanks!
I was using my Custom 74 with Noodler's Liberty Elysium earlier, which felt too wet and now with MontBlanc Royal Blue, it feels a little bit on the drier side. Could you please recommend an ink slightly wetter then the MontBlanc for this pen, preferably blue or black.
I own a Pilot 823 so hadn't considered buying a Custom 74. My collection is small enough that one or two of each make is enough for now. But your review has prompted me to rethink that. Thanks for the insight.
I just dreamed about stealing a very similar pen to this a few days ago. It had a beautiful red ink that reassembled blood... But later my grandad gifted me a old pen with used by an ex-président (it's a dream after all) I'd love to see that dream being prophetic I m a big newbie into the FP world. My first pen was a pilot Vpen. That I keep refiling with a plastic tube and a syringe. It was a gift from my French teacher (my handwriting was awful and it improved a lot) a few months ago she gave me one of her old clogged pens (A Chipie drôlerie) and it's been a awesome journey. Looking forward to my next pen or Ink! Loved the video and other pens! (the Hawaiian blue was dazzling) Keep the awesome work!
Hi, I want to buy my first gold nib pen but i want to know how it compare with a steel nib like FC loom nib? Is it a significant difference in writing feeling? Thanks
Another great review. I am new to the hobby and have a few questions. Your top 10 of 2018 series addresses many of the pens I am interested in, but rather than narrowing down the options, it has reinforced my desire to buy them all. As you mentioned in this video, too fast if an acquisition rate is not wise. I have learned the hard way in other hobbies and would like to not repeat my mistakes. Allow me to give a bit of background so you know where I am coming from. I will share my pen collection to date and mention any standouts. 2 preppies, A pilot knight (smooth and thin for a medium ) Conklin deraflex ( not as fun as I hoped) TWSBI eco broad TWSBI go stub ( tied for favorite) Diplomat Magnum broad (also tied) I just received a jinhao to practice nib tuning ( and it needs it bad) My hope is to buy the tuning kit and a couple of nibs from Goulet for the Conklin and jinhao. I could that I Really like smooth nibs. A broad nib seems to help that as well as puts down enough ink to see the properties of the ink. However, I also found that for my planner and journal, a fine nib is needed. To that end, I have a fine pilot Prera t be delivered by Thursday, but I could really use another fine nib for this purpose. My dilemma is what to get next and how slow should I take it. Your reviews of the Faber Castell Loom reawakened my desire for that pen. The Reveiw of the BBS 308 was high praise as well, making me want a BBS. I plan to try a Gold nib soon and your top 10 next level pens spoke to me on multiple pens. I know I will eventually want a Diplomat Aero, and probably Several pilot offerings. My assumption was a pilot 74 and a vanishing point but after watching your reviews, I would like your opinion. I also need to decide if I should even bother with the Faber-Castel Loom and a BBS pen or save that money for my first intermediate level pen. I would greatly appreciate your recommendations. Thank you for your time along with your great and thorough reviews. I am glad I found your channel. In Good Faith, Michael
I love Pilot pens across the board, but I've definitely been wanting to try the Pilot Custom 74! If I had my way I'd get it in teal but beggars can't be choosers, right?
Thanks for th review, David. I don't have any Cistom or Custom Heritage pens yet, but I like the the 74 now. Looking forward to reviews of other pens in this set.
The custom 74 was my first gold nib pen about 10 years ago and the clip broke the final off clipping it into the pocket of a leather vest. The pen was usable still after that with no clip, but it never got much use after that.I’ve never had any issues with my Pilot Custom 91 and 92. I still have the 92, but the 74 and 91 have moved on.
Really good video David! You have me wanting to take a second look at pens that haven't been out of my case recently. Thanks for the content and for the give-away.
I don't own any Pilot pens so I can't say which is my favorite. I always enjoy your informative but succinct reviews. Thank you and thanks to Pen Chalet for the very generous giveaway.
Great review as always. I'm not sure how you manage to put out this many quality reviews. Or how you can afford all of the pens (I understand many of the reviews are loaned or as this one, for giveaway but still). I'm still daily carrying cheaper pens, Jinhao X750, Wing Sung 698/3008, but also Platinum 3776, a vintage Evershar Skyline. Would love to upgrade one of the cheaper ones to a custom 74. And one Day I'd love to own a custom 823 with an FA nib.
What does the FA on the nib stand for......fine ? Great review. I don't have any Pilot pens, but sure would like to try one. Very good quality control in Japanese products.
Great review , I presently own a Metropolitan MR and I trully agree Pilot Nibs are great. Dont have any gold nib pens in my collection, it would be great to add a custom 74 in my collection. What is the difference between custom heritage 91 and custom 74 apart from the slightly different looks ?
That is a beautiful pen, thanks for another clear review David! I think the Custom 74 is my favourite, although I have to admit that I probably don’t know all the Custom models, and definitely don’t know which number is which pen
Thanks for the review. Still very new with fountain pens. Have 3 so far... From what I've learned so far, the custom 823 is on my list. On a separate note: the Leonardo Blue Hawaii you showed looks fantastic. Time for me to learn more about that pen now...
I just ordered this pen with a broad nib. I like a heavier look. Funny…I got this one to go with a new bottle of Diamine Writer’s Blood ink. It should be one of the great marriages in history. I also have this one in a soft fine plus several other nice Pilot pens. And a couple of Sailors…one with their Music Nib which is like a glorified stub. But my favorite Japanese entry line is the Platinum Century 3776. They are extremely good and vastly under appreciated for some reason. I have their Burgoyne demo, which is gorgeous and it’ll be fun to see it side by side with this Merlot. It’ll be like a wine tasting.
Hi David- great review! I don't own any of the Custom lineup, though have been toying with the idea of a 74 for a while now. The 823 is a bit of a grail for me as well.
Lots of rounded features in this pen. The smoky black variant is the only one with matching finial and barrel ends, all other colours have a two colour scheme.
Thank you for all the great reviews of inks and pens! One of Pilot Customs with an soft FA nib is what I would like. That soft, bouncy feeling of the writing sounds fun.
Thanks David for another thorough review and thanks to Pen Chalet for the giveaway. I don't own any gold nib pens, so no Pilot Custom's in my meager "collection." But this one looks wonderful and the ink also looks like another winner from Pilot. I have had good success with Pilot pens, so more than likely my first gold nib pen will come from Pilot. Mahalo once again for the review and generosity of Pen Chalet.
I bought a custom 74 at one point and the tines were not aligned properly and the pen did not write correctly. I did not want to mess with it and sent it back for a refund. One of these days I will get a custom heritage 92 as I enjoy piston fillers
Well done review as always. I picked up an orange one recently after checking one out at the triangle pen show. I only wish they offered a stub nib or even their FM in this model.
I'm a huge fan of pilot pens. I've been writing with a custom heritage 92 in clear for a few years now. The one thing I don't like, however is their pricing model in the United States. I find that the same pen can be imported directly from Japan at 1/3rd the price. In a global marketplace, it doesn't make a ton of sense to me.
Thanks for the great review. Glad to know the rationale behind Pilot's Custom numbering system!! The Custom 74 is the one I'd like the most, followed by the 921 bc of its nib options. I relate to your regrets about the speed of your aquisitions. I've done the same thing.
That clear version looks really nice. Thanks for showing how the Con-70 works. I've heard about it many times, but haven't seen the actual filling mechanism. - Jeff
Thanks, David, I love your videos. I have always wanted a 743, just lovely. Also, I wondered if you would do some more ink videos, that is really interesting to me. I love pens but would rather have a more varied collection of ink. Thanks.
Great video as always! I have two Custom 74s and I really enjoy them. I keep eyeing the Custom 823, but I have yet to be enticed enough to pull the trigger.
Great, solid, balanced review. I'd like to get either the Custom 74 or the 823. They both do it for me. I love the Smoke version of the 74 with a medium nib.
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I've just turned 17, and today marks the 1 year anniversary of me getting into fountain pens. They being so much joy to my life, and make writing notes at school such a pleasurable, ritualistic process. I've been wanting to try a gold nibbed pen for a while and I've definitely had my eye on the Pilot Custom 74 along with some other similar pens. Thanks for this review, it brings a little more clarity to the sometimes confusing world of gold nibbed pens.
I watch a lot of Goulet videos and Brian has gotten me real excited about the custom pens! The 823 with the smoky brown looks especially gorgeous.
That's a very pretty pen with the brown finish being my personal favorite.
The 74. It's a great introduction to the pilot line-up. The gold standard!
As usual beautiful review I love the fact that you are able to revise your initial opinion!!
This, in a fine nib, is one of my all time favorite pens, hands down. I love burgundy, too -- and even write with burgundy or wine color ink. This pen would be well loved in my collection.
It's great to see that you're revisiting pens you weren't initially fond of. Often times I find myself liking pens only after a while. Great review, thanks!
I’d really like to own a Pilot Custom 74 - beautiful pen, great review. I like Pilot fountain pens high value.
Great review as always and very good to hear that you changed your mind concerning how often you used the Pilot 74 in the past and that it is worth a second chance in your rotation. I tried this model in a store in Germany about a year ago and it is very high on my list for beautiful pens to buy. I would love for my Pilot 74 to be this amazing Merlot version. Thanks, David!
I dont have any custom pens, I've actually been debating what gold nib pen I should buy as my first one. So many nice pens out there, its such a hard decision!
@@colinmartin9797 thanks for the tip!
@@colinmartin9797 Would you recommend a soft nib for writing a lot, like more than a dozen pages a day? I'm thinking of buying a fine nib 74
Thanks for showing the line variation. That is a special perk with the Custom 74.
I like the review, one of my favorite pens. Greetings from Turkey. Thanks for the giveaway! If I win, I will be my first Pilot pen. Good luck everybody :)
Hi David, thanks for another thorough and honest review. Been following your channel for almost 2 years, and can understand your remark about the acquisition bug during my fountain pen journey. I’m a Sailor fan, and completely missed the chance to buy a Pilot Custom whilst visiting Tokyo last December. :-( Have been sniffing around for a Pilot Custom 823 (for its cool vacuum-fill system), or a 743 with an FA nib. So far I have not pulled the trigger yet, but hopefully some time this year. Looking forward to your Pilot Custom lineup video! Cheers from Amsterdam.
I like the review, one of my favorite pens. Currently, I do not own any Pilot pens. Good luck everybody!
I totally agree that the Custom 74 is a great pen and I still remember the moment I used it and felt the “upgrade” to the next level of FPs...yet there is one material flaw I feel that this pen has which is related to the posting ability; my clear demonstrator now has around 8 hairline cracks in the cap just above the metal band and one or two are discoloured. I assume that it has come from normal posting and spoils an otherwise excellent pen. My Platinum #3776’s material seems sturdier so I’m happy to post with that, but in order to stop any further cracking, I now don’t post my Custom 74. It seems the clear plastic in the cap is just too thin at places and these stress fractures seem to appear. Anyway, thanks for the continued quality reviews on RUclips, David.
Oh, I'll trade you.. my 92 for your Custom Urushi!
Frank from Boulder
Thanks David for another excellent review. I have the Pilot Heritage 912 with the FA nib which is flexible but I found that the feed didn't keep up with the flex until I fixed it with a knife which greatly improved the ink flow and fixed the railroading. I found you need to work the FA nib carefully to run it in and make it perform but carefully so as not to spring it. I bought the FA nib to STOP myself from pressing down too hard and when it flexed it signaled to me to lighten up. It's a big fault I've had until this pen was purchased...
a fault of mine from earlier days when the forms that were used at work were triple or sextuple self carbonating forms and you had to really press on them for the copy...horrible things.
I love the colour on this pen!
My grail is the custom 823 in amber.
im ngl, i have a custom 74, custom 92, custom 912, and custom 823, lamy 2k, vanishing point, all in fine. Tbh its really just a matter of personal preference, as for me, my favorite pens are the 74 and 92 bc i love the way they write and feel. I would highly reccomend trying and 823 before buying one bc while it does write amazingly well, it may not be the best for many people (including me)
@@timwu7751 hey Tim, trying it out would be ideal. I can't seem to find a retailer in my city (Toronto) that keeps them in stock - special order only.
@@RyRyPig hmm, worst comes to worst u can get it from a retailer that allows returns and simply return the pen if you do not like it. Also, maybe there are pen shows around your area or maybe some pen meetups. Sadly in my area there is only 1 pen show per year but for toronto that may be different
@@RyRyPig
Does Toronto have a Pen Show that you can go to? That would be a place to actually handle one, and possibly write with one.
Thanks for another great review! I just got a Pilot Falcon a few weeks back, but it’s a bit too scratchy for me to write with every day. Thankfully, I like drawing in addition to writing, so I still get a lot of use out of the unique semi-flex nib! I’ve been eyeing the 74 for some time now as a pen for everyday use!
3:20 I think the cap band is a single metal ring with indented line and holes that allow very thin ring of resin of the same single mold injecting process. I think that's much added complexity to the manufacture, difficult to do right because you have to add meticulous step to polish that middle thin resin ring, not to mention the risk of resin material failing and fatigue. If I look closely to my Platinum 3776 Century, the ring in the middle is rather rough, which I think is my proof to that theory
also I think Sailor noticed their clones and start to do the 'double' ring on their pens that were single ring on the mouth of the cap.
I felt the same way about my blue 74, mainly because I find the Con 70 to be a bit of a pen to fill and more so to clean. I have the Custom Heritage 92 and I do enjoy that one quite a lot. It has the same 14k nib and the piston. The 74 is very pretty in Red and would now be my color selection even though I am a blue nut. My 845 is by far my favorite. Thanks for the very good work David.. we are all learning on the FP journey!
Best to you! Frank from Boulder, Colorado
So nice to see a reconsideration of a pen, and a change of perspective. Thanks David.
Thank you for the review! I watch all your videos and am always very happy with your thorough research and cool writing samples. They helped inform my decision to buy a Pilot Custom 823 from Japan, my first and only grail pen, but I was unlucky as it came with serious issues with upward strokes and ink flow (as you had as well with your 823 from your review on it). The pen is sitting unused and I’m very sorry for that. Unfortunately, here in Hungary there is no nibmeister to help me fix it and i wouldn’t risk tuning it myself and destroy it. Returning the pen to Japan proved a nightmare as well so I hope one day I get to fix it somehow, while a save up for another pen in the future. I’m happy to know that the Pilot 74 is a nice pen :). Maybe I can afford one next year. Looking forward to your upcoming reviews!
Thanks for the great review. I own quite a few pilot pens but this is one I skipped over. You’ve made me wonder if this is one I should add to the collection.
I have only recently discovered your channel. I really enjoy how you walk around each pen and present your review compactly and in a way that’s accessible to new fountain pen users like me. I have been looking at Japanese manufactured pens including the Custom 74. This beautiful Pilot would be my first Japanese pen. Thanks very much for your reviews and to Pen Chalet.
Thank you for the nice review! Came to your channel after hearing you on the Pen Addict podcast. This is the first video of yours that I saw, but I am sure it won't be the last :)
Line Pedersen Thanks for watching...and listening! 😀
I like that Pilot released a teal Custom 74 recently. That rekindled some interest in the line for me.
Every time I see your cubes stacked in the background I wonder if you have a similar collection of those. I have a shelf of about 70 mostly budget 3x3s in my living room.
Strange sometimes the things you find yourself collecting, but I love having so many hobbies and passions.
Thanks for another video.
Thank you, David! I've been eyeing this pen for a while and this one looks gorgeous!
I have never tried any of the Pilot custom pens... the 74 is one I have been thinking about trying. Thanks for the review!
Love all the details that you provide on all of your Videos, and your demonstration style, too! Keep doing such amazing work! I have one of these Pilot Custom 74. A big thanks to you.
That was one I was eyeing when I first started upping my pens... Always love Pilot, so reliable!
Thanks for great pen reviews. Would be interested to know if you prefer the 74 to a vanishing point. On the fence about which to go for.
I used to work at my university on a project basically for free (doing it as a preparation for bachelor's thesis) and at one point the guys I was working for had enough money to share some with me and so I got my first of the two $500 payments (for two and a half years of work). Most of it went straight to Tokyo Pen Shop Quill and I've been waiting for a couple of month for the Custom 823 Smoke with FA nib to get back in stock. Polite guys at the store were keeping me updated on what's going on so kudos to them. Once the pen arrived to my country, brave and honored customs service decided they deserve a piece of this pie too so almost $70 went that way. But when I finally extracted it from captivity, I was over the moon about it. After some time though I noticed that flow was a bit too dry for me so I decided to order an aftermarket nib from flexiblenib. I went for a red ebonite two-slot one because why the hell not, I've dumped too much money into this pen to stop now. It arrived unnoticed by the customs vultures and there was another period of happiness for me which was extended to infinity by me cutting the ink channel in the new feed a bit wider with a knife.
So at this point I am fairly confident saying that I have the most unique Custom 823 in my country and maybe in the entire Europe. And probably the most expensive one too ($300 pen and shipping + ~$70 customs + $53.50 nib and shipping = ~$423.50).
David, the Pilot FA nibs are some of my favourite, & as you assert, they are smooth, with that degree of feedback that lets you know you're writing with it. The Custom 74 is one of the only models I have yet to acquire - so perhaps this is where opportunity knocks - "The day that you decide to do it is your lucky day" (Japanese proverb)..... Excellent, concise overview of a really standout pen - thank you :)
Thanks for explaining the numbering system again for those of us who haven't seen it the first time. How many pounds are in the pilot series? It seems like an overwhelming number to me.
Thank you for the overview and creating great reviews. Appreciate the willingness to revisit pens from earlier in your collection.
I love pilot pens, they're probably my favorite brand, all of their customs are of such high quality. Thanks for the review!
What a stunning pen. I've been eyeing it for a little while now and it seems right up my alley.
Thank you for the detailed review which helps me to decide whether I should get a Custom 74 or Custom Heritage 91 or 912. I actually like all the colors offered.
Truly appreciate the in-depth reviews. I am just beginning my journey and you have helped pave the way for me to really take the leap! ☺️
I really like the Custom 74 for the cartridge converter. I am not a fan of vacuum fillers because whenever I used my Twsbi vac mini, I got ink ALL OVER my hands! So any vacuum filling pen is kinda outta the question. Cartridge converts are also easier to change inks in, which I do quite often.
The Custom 74 was my first fountain pen, purchased in person at a shop on a whim, and immediately fell in love with it. It was one of the older non-translucent finishes, a nice dark green. The only thing I regretted was buying it with a Fine point, which was good to write with but not fun. I now wish I had bought the SF nib instead (although I don't think the shop had one).
Unfortunately this particular Pilot is not available in the Netherlands... I've been looking for it, love to have one! Keep up the reviews!
Hi David. Thanks for the review. I have been on a buying spree for a year with pens arriving almost every week. Pilot nibs are probably my favorite and the Custom 74 is next on my list.
Thanks for the great review David, for me I would love to own a Pilot custom 823 one day but currently it's fairly expensive for my taste and I was wondering if you could do a comparison between the entry level pens of the big three Japanese brands, Sailor, Pilot and Platinum. Like 3777 vs custom 74 vs 1911 type video
Beautiful color on this Pilot Custom 74! I always appreciate your reviews and find your changing backdrop intriguing as I always try my best to figure out the connection to your review! Thanks!
@figbootonpens what would you say are good ink pairings for the merlot and teal custom 74s? I just can’t find that exact wine red or burgundy yet!
Great job on the Pilot Custom 74. I’ve wanted this pen for sometime and glad you’ve done a video to validate my interest in it.
Great review! Haven’t tried any high end pilot fountain pens at all but from the looks of it, it writes a lot better than any of my fountain pens!
I was using my Custom 74 with Noodler's Liberty Elysium earlier, which felt too wet and now with MontBlanc Royal Blue, it feels a little bit on the drier side. Could you please recommend an ink slightly wetter then the MontBlanc for this pen, preferably blue or black.
Wow I've been looking at this pen to buy but the platinum 3776 reminds me alot of it and it's cheaper, which do you think is more worth while?
Great review for a great pen thank you. This is the only custom Pilot I have tried. I’d love to try all of them.
I own a Pilot 823 so hadn't considered buying a Custom 74. My collection is small enough that one or two of each make is enough for now. But your review has prompted me to rethink that. Thanks for the insight.
I just dreamed about stealing a very similar pen to this a few days ago. It had a beautiful red ink that reassembled blood... But later my grandad gifted me a old pen with used by an ex-président (it's a dream after all)
I'd love to see that dream being prophetic
I m a big newbie into the FP world. My first pen was a pilot Vpen. That I keep refiling with a plastic tube and a syringe. It was a gift from my French teacher (my handwriting was awful and it improved a lot) a few months ago she gave me one of her old clogged pens (A Chipie drôlerie) and it's been a awesome journey. Looking forward to my next pen or Ink!
Loved the video and other pens! (the Hawaiian blue was dazzling)
Keep the awesome work!
Hi,
I want to buy my first gold nib pen but i want to know how it compare with a steel nib like FC loom nib? Is it a significant difference in writing feeling? Thanks
Another great review.
I am new to the hobby and have a few questions.
Your top 10 of 2018 series addresses many of the pens I am interested in, but rather than narrowing down the options, it has reinforced my desire to buy them all.
As you mentioned in this video, too fast if an acquisition rate is not wise.
I have learned the hard way in other hobbies and would like to not repeat my mistakes.
Allow me to give a bit of background so you know where I am coming from.
I will share my pen collection to date and mention any standouts.
2 preppies,
A pilot knight (smooth and thin for a medium )
Conklin deraflex ( not as fun as I hoped)
TWSBI eco broad
TWSBI go stub ( tied for favorite)
Diplomat Magnum broad (also tied)
I just received a jinhao to practice nib tuning ( and it needs it bad)
My hope is to buy the tuning kit and a couple of nibs from Goulet for the Conklin and jinhao.
I could that I Really like smooth nibs.
A broad nib seems to help that as well as puts down enough ink to see the properties of the ink.
However,
I also found that for my planner and journal, a fine nib is needed.
To that end, I have a fine pilot Prera t be delivered by Thursday, but I could really use another fine nib for this purpose.
My dilemma is what to get next and how slow should I take it.
Your reviews of the Faber Castell Loom reawakened my desire for that pen.
The Reveiw of the BBS 308 was high praise as well, making me want a BBS.
I plan to try a Gold nib soon and your top 10 next level pens spoke to me on multiple pens.
I know I will eventually want a Diplomat Aero, and probably Several pilot offerings.
My assumption was a pilot 74 and a vanishing point but after watching your reviews, I would like your opinion.
I also need to decide if I should even bother with the Faber-Castel Loom and a BBS pen or save that money for my first intermediate level pen.
I would greatly appreciate your recommendations.
Thank you for your time along with your great and thorough reviews. I am glad I found your channel.
In Good Faith,
Michael
How would you compare the 74 and the 91?
I love Pilot pens across the board, but I've definitely been wanting to try the Pilot Custom 74! If I had my way I'd get it in teal but beggars can't be choosers, right?
Thanks for th review, David. I don't have any Cistom or Custom Heritage pens yet, but I like the the 74 now. Looking forward to reviews of other pens in this set.
The custom 74 was my first gold nib pen about 10 years ago and the clip broke the final off clipping it into the pocket of a leather vest. The pen was usable still after that with no clip, but it never got much use after that.I’ve never had any issues with my Pilot Custom 91 and 92. I still have the 92, but the 74 and 91 have moved on.
I always like to see your rubix cube installations
Thanks for your advice about not ramping up my new fountain pen collecting too fast.
Really good video David! You have me wanting to take a second look at pens that haven't been out of my case recently. Thanks for the content and for the give-away.
Thanks for the review... been thinking about trying a Pilot Custom 74 for awhile now!
I don't own any Pilot pens so I can't say which is my favorite. I always enjoy your informative but succinct reviews. Thank you and thanks to Pen Chalet for the very generous giveaway.
Great review as always. I'm not sure how you manage to put out this many quality reviews. Or how you can afford all of the pens (I understand many of the reviews are loaned or as this one, for giveaway but still).
I'm still daily carrying cheaper pens, Jinhao X750, Wing Sung 698/3008, but also Platinum 3776, a vintage Evershar Skyline. Would love to upgrade one of the cheaper ones to a custom 74. And one Day I'd love to own a custom 823 with an FA nib.
I love my Pilot pens, great review and history as well. I didn't know about the numbering system. Will you be going to D.C. again this year?
What does the FA on the nib stand for......fine ? Great review. I don't have any Pilot pens, but sure would like to try one. Very good quality control in Japanese products.
Great review , I presently own a Metropolitan MR and I trully agree Pilot Nibs are great.
Dont have any gold nib pens in my collection, it would be great to add a custom 74 in my collection.
What is the difference between custom heritage 91 and custom 74 apart from the slightly different looks ?
Figboot has THE BEST fountain pen reviews and discussions! Keep up the wonderful work.
That is a beautiful pen, thanks for another clear review David! I think the Custom 74 is my favourite, although I have to admit that I probably don’t know all the Custom models, and definitely don’t know which number is which pen
Another great review - thank you! I only have entry-level Pilot pens, but they are among my favorites. I would love a video on the Custom lines!
Thank you for these reviews! It helps me make the decision on whether I should but a specific pen or not
did i miss something, or does the clear one look smaller?
Aloha David, always appreciate your break down and assessment of pens. Plus,I love the detail photography you provide.
Thanks for the review. Still very new with fountain pens. Have 3 so far... From what I've learned so far, the custom 823 is on my list. On a separate note: the Leonardo Blue Hawaii you showed looks fantastic. Time for me to learn more about that pen now...
I don’t have a favorite among the Custom pens and would love to see a comparison of the whole set.
My favorite is definitely the Pilot Custom 823 with transparent barrel. It's just so comfortable to use and fun to look at.
I just ordered this pen with a broad nib. I like a heavier look. Funny…I got this one to go with a new bottle of Diamine Writer’s Blood ink. It should be one of the great marriages in history. I also have this one in a soft fine plus several other nice Pilot pens. And a couple of Sailors…one with their Music Nib which is like a glorified stub. But my favorite Japanese entry line is the Platinum Century 3776. They are extremely good and vastly under appreciated for some reason. I have their Burgoyne demo, which is gorgeous and it’ll be fun to see it side by side with this Merlot. It’ll be like a wine tasting.
Hi David- great review! I don't own any of the Custom lineup, though have been toying with the idea of a 74 for a while now. The 823 is a bit of a grail for me as well.
Lots of rounded features in this pen. The smoky black variant is the only one with matching finial and barrel ends, all other colours have a two colour scheme.
Thanks for the review. There was a yellow opaque version once upon a time that I would love to get my hands on.
I am amazed by your fountain pen collection and curious to know how many total pens you have in your collection
Thank you for all the great reviews of inks and pens! One of Pilot Customs with an soft FA nib is what I would like. That soft, bouncy feeling of the writing sounds fun.
Thanks David for another thorough review and thanks to Pen Chalet for the giveaway. I don't own any gold nib pens, so no Pilot Custom's in my meager "collection." But this one looks wonderful and the ink also looks like another winner from Pilot. I have had good success with Pilot pens, so more than likely my first gold nib pen will come from Pilot. Mahalo once again for the review and generosity of Pen Chalet.
Thanks for a good review. I am considering the 823 but now I also like this one due to the filling mekanism.
Looks like a beautiful pen, thank you for the second glance and review, David.
Thanks for this review - always been curious about the Custom 74 (and their numbering)
I bought a custom 74 at one point and the tines were not aligned properly and the pen did not write correctly. I did not want to mess with it and sent it back for a refund. One of these days I will get a custom heritage 92 as I enjoy piston fillers
Well done review as always. I picked up an orange one recently after checking one out at the triangle pen show. I only wish they offered a stub nib or even their FM in this model.
Dear sir, there are a lot of conversor, is the Pilot Fountain Pen Converter (CON-70) compatible ? best regards...
I'm a huge fan of pilot pens. I've been writing with a custom heritage 92 in clear for a few years now. The one thing I don't like, however is their pricing model in the United States. I find that the same pen can be imported directly from Japan at 1/3rd the price. In a global marketplace, it doesn't make a ton of sense to me.
Great review, comprehensive as always Chris. Beautiful pen, I would love to own a Pilot Custom 74, and the colour is gorgeous!
Thanks for the great review. Glad to know the rationale behind Pilot's Custom numbering system!! The Custom 74 is the one I'd like the most, followed by the 921 bc of its nib options. I relate to your regrets about the speed of your aquisitions. I've done the same thing.
That clear version looks really nice. Thanks for showing how the Con-70 works. I've heard about it many times, but haven't seen the actual filling mechanism.
- Jeff
I don't have any of the Pilot Custom pens but have been thinking about picking up the 74 so watching your review is timely.
Wow! I have been planning to get one of these custom pens. I have a few pilot pens in my collection and I love how smooth they glide on paper.
Sold! I will get one in this exact color.
Thanks, David, I love your videos. I have always wanted a 743, just lovely.
Also, I wondered if you would do some more ink videos, that is really interesting to me. I love pens but would rather have a more varied collection of ink. Thanks.
Great video as always! I have two Custom 74s and I really enjoy them. I keep eyeing the Custom 823, but I have yet to be enticed enough to pull the trigger.
Thanks for the review. I was actually debating on purchasing a 74 or a new Esterbrook.
Great, solid, balanced review. I'd like to get either the Custom 74 or the 823. They both do it for me. I love the Smoke version of the 74 with a medium nib.