New pen unboxing! The Pilot 92 is a smoking deal and an under-appreciated sibling of the Pilot 74

The Pilot Custom Heritage 92 fountain pen is a fantastic value at international prices. It's an under-appreciated model compared to the ever-popular Custom 74.
I optioned this one with a Fine Medium nib to see what this elusive nib is like in person.
I'll unbox this pen for the first time and ink it up with Pilot Iroshizuku Kon Peki ink.

[@tdinut]

Thank you for showing the pen and your thoughts.

[@seattlepenclub]

My pleasure!

[@seattlepenclub]

Thanks for all the comments! A quick update from the video: I decided to let this pen go and it's currently on its way to my friend who is excited to be getting it. I found the 92 too similar to my Custom 74 to justify keeping both. That said, the 92 is a great pen. IMO, in a world where brands like Lamy, Diplomat, Parker etc. charge $100+ for a gold nib (just the nib), the Pilot 92 is a killer deal at its Japan domestic market price :)

[@sailcat9]

Excellent video! I have a Pilot 92 (cartridge/converter version) and a couple of Pilot 74s but I bought them from an overseas distributor (Amazon Japan) a few years ago for less than $100. I did the same with my Platinum 3776 pens. It's a shame they are so overpriced in the US because I really want to support American pen retailers but the street prices here are ridiculous, really. In any case, thanks for the excellent review!

[@radiofreealbemuth]

I don't understand why there's such a markup for retail. I've never seen such a discrepancy in any other industry, and I feel like they're just taking advantage of the niche consumer base.

[@tsherbs1309]

Agree with you: you already have that same writing experience from a very similar Pilot pen. Move the 92 along....I bought my 74 from Japan for the reasonable pricing AND the SFM nib. Love that nib!

[@jochanwong]

Thank you for the a great comparison video.

[@paulmchugh1430]

Nice pen. I still like my 743 with the SF nib. But, you are making me think about this model. The bonus is the piston filler option Great review.

[@cb7560]

Thanks. Excellent video. I bought an orange one in broad from Japan back in about 2015. Nice, reliable pen. I bought it in preference to a Pelikan 200 as it was half the price, had a gold nib and smoother piston.

[@seattlepenclub]

The orange is cool! I'm sad they discontinued that color

[@SherlockTowers]

Got my Custom 92 yesterday. With the exchange rate being what it is, I snagged mine for less than $120 with tax/shipping. I don't own a Pilot 74, and I wanted both a piston filler pen and I wanted my first Japanese pen. Ticks all those boxes for me. Thanks for the unboxing!

[@JayJayYUP]

Looks really nice that's for sure. The problem I think it has though, is it's rubbing up against the US prices of some quite higher end models. This wouldn't be the end of the world if the fill capacity was greater, as most sites report a 1.1mL of capacity which is odd considering a refilled cartridge gets that much. Likewise the finishing is decent for the tier. If they would put the 743 sized nib, and offered the wider variety that pen has, then they might be on to making this model a standout.

[@seattlepenclub]

743 nib with a large ink capacity sounds like an 823 to me ;)

[@JayJayYUP]

@@seattlepenclub Yep, ya got me there, you got me good.

[@dzevadbayraktar322]

cartridges hold like 0.8 to 0.9 ml and this one holds 1.2mL but the point is no need for cartridges which some like and most piston fillers hold similar amounts it is just deceiving as most are not transparent thus it feels like they hold more but they don't (except few models)

[@middleclassmotoring]

Wow - I didn’t realize the retail price for this was so low in its home market. Hard to argue with at that price. I always felt the piston mechanism on these took up a lot of space in the barrow. Maybe all pistons do that and I’m only noticing because it’s transparent in this pen? Anyway, small complaint - definitely not a deal breaker for me!

[@maksudurrahman1131]

someone plz suggest me some asian seller to get one.

[@alejandromorales9516]

I would say the 92 is a piston fill version of the 91 not the 72. The 91 has the square ends.

[@Volkmannx]

Interesting, thanks!

[@leehay9323]

Thanks a lot for explaining the subtle differences, but what I would like to know is, how do you get in touch with a Japanese seller and I live in New York?

[@tsherbs1309]

One way I used was to join the Amazon marketplace for Japan. That's how I bought my pen. It does mean making an account (an additional one, even if you already have a US account).

[@eleanor.shadow]

I bought mine from Plaza Japan and it went super smoothly. I live in the UK but you still shouldn’t have any issues in the US, judging from all their great reviews.

[@maksudurrahman1131]

@@eleanor.shadow any tax applied by ur country customs?

[@eleanor.shadow]

@@maksudurrahman1131 yes, but it’s a hit-and-miss, meaning sometimes they charge the VAT, sometimes they don’t… I can say I’ve not paid tax on most of my foreign purchases lately.

[@anrun]

I love the 92 even more than the 74. Not as pretty but every bit the pen of a Pelikan 400 or 600 (which aren't as pretty as they used to be now with the opaque barrels).

[@suspect5420]

i see the pilot 92 going for around $100 but the custom 74 going for &180 for the same clear blue... do you think the 74 is worth the difference in cost?

[@radiofreealbemuth]

Do you need to apply "moderate pressure" to write with the Pilot Custom 92 like it warns on Jetpen's description? Puttering Penman said he doesn't like this pen for that reason, in his Pilot 92 FM review.

[@stephanieswearingen1796]

I just got this pen about a week ago and it is the smoothest pen I have ever written with. It just glides across the paper with very little pressure. My favorite pen so far!

[@seattlepenclub]

I haven't heard that advice before for the #5 pilot nibs. I have noticed that they can run dry on downstrokes, especially with certain inks. I don't use much pressure when I write with them

[@radiofreealbemuth]

@@stephanieswearingen1796 wow, congrats! can i ask what nib size you got and what ink you're using for it?

[@mdgdm]

About 5 years ago I owned a CH 91 with SFM nib for a while. From a Japannese importer the price was gppd, only about $80 at the time. But I just was never that impressed by the writing experience or anything alse about it and sold it in less than a year. Because I write with a light touch, soft nibs - including 3776 SF - don’t bend at all for me.

[@maksudurrahman1131]

Thanks for all the information's. If I could get some asian sellers links to get the ch92 that will be very helpful for me. Plz someone suggest some reliable Asian Seller.

[@TheDobbermn]

Man, I'd love to watch your videos but I can never hear anything even with volume cranked.