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<\/a><\/p>\nHeritage 92<\/strong> Custom 74<\/strong> Custom 823<\/strong> Vanishing Point<\/strong> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n As always, I buy all my pens and supplies from The Goulet Pen Company<\/a>. They ship fast, and they have an excellent selection. I also highly recommend their instructional videos. I have only been using fountain pens for about two years and I learned most of what I know from Brian Goulet\u2019s YouTube videos.<\/p>\n\n
\nThis was my first Pilot fountain pen. I went with the medium nib. The Heritage is only available as a demonstrator; it is clear but has black\/grey accents. The pen cap and clip are more contemporary in style. The ends are squared vice rounded. I loved this pen from the moment I inked it for the first time. It is balanced and lightweight. The 14k nib inks a smooth line. The piston filling system is similar to traditional convertors and is very easy to use. The capacity is excellent.<\/p>\n
\nI chose the black smoke model, but it is also available in blue, clear, orange, and violet. I also went with the fine nib. I wasn\u2019t sure how I would like that, but as it turns out, I like it quite a bit. The Custom 74 has the look and feel of a classic fountain pen; from a distance, it looks like an antique, but it certainly is not. I love the silver accents (that was one reason I originally shied away from the 823). The filling system is a CON-70 which is a pump style that is quite unique and easy to use.<\/p>\n
\nAfter I filled a few pages with the Custom 74, I realized my collection would not be complete without an 823. This is THE pen; it\u2019s the workhorse that Neil Gaiman<\/a> swears by. You would think his endorsement alone would be enough for me to break out the credit card, but it wasn\u2019t. I resisted for a while, mainly because of the color selection. I prefer blacks and greys and clears. I know that seems petty and silly, but I really worried that I would not be able to write with an amber-colored pen. However, all that changed when pilot released a smoke version. The only draw-back I saw was the gold highlights. I would have preferred silver with the black theme, but oh well, I guess gold will have to do. I had a little trouble inking it for the first time; I\u2019m still not sure why. I even broke out the instructions even though this isn\u2019t my first vacuum filled pen. The instructions said to only use 70 ml pilot ink. I can\u2019t imagine why that would matter. I also refuse to use blue ink, so the bottle that came with the pen was no help. After a few cycles, it finally took a little ink. On the next cycle, it filled the reservoir with ease. I suppose it just needed primed. Although it is technically a demonstrator, the body is dark, and the ink level is very difficult to discern even with a flashlight. That doesn\u2019t really bother me, but I thought I would mention it for full disclosure. I really liked the weight of the pen, even while I was fumbling to fill it with ink. And from the moment that gold nib touched the page, I was in love. This is officially my go-to pen from now on. I am taking the Custom 74 to work; hopefully I won\u2019t have to buy a second 823 just for the office.<\/p>\n
\nSince I am writing a blog about Pilot fountain pens, I guess I would be remiss if I didn\u2019t mention the Vanishing point. I purchased the matte black version several months ago. I wish I had purchased the 823 that much earlier. I like the concept of the vanishing point, and it is definitely a great design, but it feels awkward in my hand with the clip in the way. Everything feels upside down and I just don\u2019t like it. I also decided to try a stub nib and I wasn\u2019t very pleased with that either. I suppose it would be a great pen to travel with, and I thought it would be a great everyday pen at work, but I found that I was reaching for the pilot varsity disposables instead.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n <\/td>\n Heritage 92<\/strong><\/td>\n Custom 74<\/strong><\/td>\n Custom 823<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Filling system<\/td>\n Piston vac<\/td>\n CON-70<\/td>\n Piston vac<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Capacity<\/td>\n 1.28<\/td>\n 1.23 ml<\/td>\n 2.55 ml<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Weight (body)<\/td>\n 12 grams<\/td>\n 14 grams<\/td>\n 19 grams<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Price (MSRP)<\/td>\n $275<\/td>\n $200<\/td>\n $360<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n