This pen has been used maybe four times. As is customary for me, I purchased it and immediately sent it to Mike Masuyama, the acclaimed Nibmeister to be professionally tuned. After receiving it back I have run into a financial situation that is requiring me to sell off some of my pens and as beautiful as this pen is, it didn't make my cut. The pen writes wet and luscious. It is a very smooth, fine writer. Please check out the writing sample video here:
Let me know if you have any questions.
Pilot Custom 823
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One of Pilot's flagship fountain pens, the Custom 823 combines unique styling with a fun-to-use, high-capacity vacuum filling system and a smooth, 14k gold nib. The amber body color and gold trim give the pen a warm, classic look, while the transparent demonstrator design gives it a modern twist and lets you admire the ink inside the pen. The Custom 823 is a large pen, measuring nearly six inches long when capped, but it is remarkably well-balanced, and the cap posts deeply and securely, making the pen comfortable to use either posted or unposted.
To fill the pen, unscrew the plunger knob at the end of the barrel and pull back on the plunger. Dip the nib in bottled ink so that the ink is touching the lip of the grip section, then push the plunger down. This will create a vacuum that draws ink into the pen. The ink chamber will fill about 3/4 of the way full—far more ink than a typical cartridge or converter can hold.
Because having so much ink in a pen creates a risk of leakage, the pen includes a safety valve that seals off the ink reservoir when the plunger knob is fully tightened. Before writing, point the nib up and unscrew the plunger knob until there is a 2 mm gap between the knob and barrel of the pen. This will open the safety valve and allow ink to flow to the nib. Do not fully unscrew the knob, as this will allow the plunger to move and force ink out of the pen.
The pen comes in a beautiful presentation gift box and includes a 70 ml bottle of Pilot Blue fountain pen ink.