Pilot Custom 823 in Amber Review

I am back with another fountain pen review! These reviews really slowed to a crawl as I feel that my collection is solid and I am only purchasing pens that I have been chasing for a while.

Now, this pen is special as I really researched this because of another pen. I reviewed the Pilot Cavalier which sadly has poor converters that hold very little ink and sometimes the barrel easily twists when writing but the nib is great. The Pilot Custom 823 is a super recommended pen and in this post, I will let you know why.

The first thing I need to say is that GoldSpot packed this super well and it came in this amazing package with an exclusive glass bottle of Pilot blue ink. The price was exactly $287.95 which is great considering the 14k nib, special filling system, gold trim, and beautiful amber resin.

Beautiful packing cushioning the ink and pen.

The major feature that sold me on this pen is the plunger/ vacuum filling system. It holds a large capacity of ink and gets great fill in just one plunge (about 75 to 80% full). I also do not own any other pens with this filling system because I was not interested in the design or color. This filling system is fun to use and added bonus is that it has the ability to seal the ink in the body so if you fly on a plane the ink will not leak out the pen.

In the U.S. there are two colors currently available of the Custom 823 available: Smoke Black and Amber. I got the Amber because I love the gold details with the translucent brown. My collection is mostly browns, greens, and special flower color/design so this fits right in.

The nib is wonderful and glides on paper with no problem. I got the medium cause I really like Pilot's medium as it is not that thin but makes my handwriting look great. Japanese nibs are known for running thinner which is why I lean towards a medium when I usually buy fine nibs.

The size of this pen is perfect not capped and feels great in the hand. The cap if posted is really secure that I don't even need to worry about it. Both posted and not posted the pen feels balanced with a bit of weight that doesn't hinder your writing. In fact, this pen feels amazing for writing my blog drafts which takes a bit of time as a write a few pages at a time. This pen looks very professional but beautiful at the same time as you can see your ink in the body and the gold trim really holds it together. The clip is the most interesting as it has a ball at the end, unlike most clips that are flat at the end. The band says Custom 823 and Pilot Made in Japan separated by three stars between them. The cap is really well-placed cause at a glace you wouldn't realize it is the cap you unscrew to move the plunger cause it is so flush! The cap, finial, and grip section are solid amber while the rest is translucent. 

If anybody just wants to own one solid pen and can afford to spend the $300 I so highly recommend this. It has a great clean look that you feel great pulling this out at a professional meeting, gives superb writing experience, and the capacity is amazing that you can carry this for a while without filling. 

Let me know if you have this pen or have gone to a stationery retailer and tried it out! Until next time, stay hyped!