Pilot Custom 823 and Pilot Custom 845 Urushi Comparison

[@sylviarienzo6955]

Thanks for this video, it’s perfect timing for me as I’ve just two days ago taken possession of the Pilot Custom 845 in Vermillion with a Medium nib and I’m loving it. And I’m now awaiting delivery of a Pilot Custom 843 in Verdigris, also with a medium nib. The 845 has dethroned a Sailor Hiroshima Commemorative pen with a Medium 21k nib as my smoothest writing pen and now my favorite pen. As you might guess I’m not into black pens and I’m so glad there were these two color choices, Vermillion and Verdigris. Red is not actually one of my favorite colors but of course I do love my new pen with its beautiful Urushi lacquer finish anyway and I’m much looking forward to the arrival of the 843!

[@Govinkuna]

Nice comparison video, I do have the 823 in Fine in the traditional black color.

[@Govinkuna]

Now I have the amber 823 in medium and custom urushi in FM as well

[@Glenn-j2e]

Thanks Mick two great Pilot fountain pens I have the Pilot CH912 FA nib custom ebonite feed, & saving for the 823. Thanks again👍🇦🇺

[@danielribeiro4618]

Oh that custom 823 writes lovely. I just wonder if both would be in broad, how the 845 would write then. Im a little unsure if I should buy the 845 due to its quality over the 823. But "F" is in the 845 definitely too thin for me. I would prefer in m or even broad. Depends how much ink. it can put down. The 823 however is sooo juicy. 😬

[@StarKnightZ]

What's the paper you're using? I have a pilot Custom 74 in broad and it's way broader (too broad) than your 823 B. I'm also a lefty underwriter!

[@theoffstageme]

@@StarKnightZ it’s Clairefontaine 90gsm paper.

[@paulmchugh1430]

I had alwys been told that the best gold formulation is 14K for nibs. It was considered that higher gold content may actually be detrimental to the he nib and paradoxically may make it stiffer. A ase in point is the Sailor nibs that have 21K. They are stiff, surprisingly. However in this comparison the 845 nib has bounce, something that cannot be said for the 823. Very good comparison, Mick.

[@sajjadhusain4146]

Strange how these things seem to vary so much. First, Sailor’s gold nibs (both 14k and 21k) are characteristically stiff, but not like ‘nail’ stiff, in my experience. Sailor’s large #8 sized 21k gold nibs, though, (on the KoP pens) have an unmistakable soft, springy, bouncy feel to them. I have many 18k gold nibs that are either somewhat stiff or slightly bouncy. I have seen and read reviews of the 845’s 18k nib described by some users as stiffer than the 823’s 14k nib. And others have said the opposite. My experience is the latter.

[@sajjadhusain4146]

This is an obligatory comparison, really. Both very premium Pilot pens, though the 845 still seems a little overlooked compared to the almost universal love and praise the 823 rightly gets. Sadly, my amber 823 has been unusable for the past two years because of a 1cm long crack in the rear of the barrel where the turning knob starts. It saddens me no end. I haven’t bought another one to replace it yet. I prefer my 845, all round. Its two-tone 18k nib both looks and writes nicer than my 823. Imagine that! 🙂 And the urushi over ebonite is also far nicer to look at and touch. I only wish the section was also ebonite. On balance, even the Con-70 filling system is arguably a better option long-term than the Vac-filler of the 823 (as fun as it is to use, and its larger capacity). I’ve said it before but I feel that if I had bought the 845 first, I don’t think I’d have bought the 823, too. But I’m glad I bought the Pilot Justus 95, which I also like a little more than the 823. Thanks for the comparison, Mick. Happy that you own the majestic 845, too.

[@tayterlik]

Pilot 845 has section and end caps made of plastic, ebonite is used for barrel and the main part of the cap. You did not mention the main difference between them, which made me choose the 845 (in vermilion urushi, beautiful): the cleaning. For the 845 I got in the box a small rubber syringe adapted to cut-off cartridge; to clean the nib I need to remove the converter, put the syringe on, pump water and done. Converter - just put it under the tap and clean it quickly. Cleaning a vac filler is a separate story and is never this quick.

[@santauxia]

Great video as usual. My question is this. Im looking for a pen that looks like the 823 but its a cartridge converter. I do not need a Vac system but love the look of the 823 Amber.

[@sajjadhusain4146]

Get the Pilot Custom 743 instead. Almost identical in appearance to the 823 (including the same #15 14k nib) but with the Con-70 converter. And oh, both the 823 and 743 are identically priced.

[@santauxia]

Thank you for this@@sajjadhusain4146

[@andreasblahous3602]

Thanks for the comparison Mick. I was contemplating getting either of these pens but couldn't make up my mind. I waa thinking the brown 823 but having seen this video I think the smoke is so much more elegant. Especially as I already have a custom urushi (though it is in vermillion) and just received a benu euphoria in earl grey. Thanks for being a pen enabler! 😂

[@7_v610]

Thanks for the video. However, comparing nibs of different thickness makes no sense in my opinion. It is logical smoothness will differ by definition.

[@lithinm1998]

I like the 823 more because of the built in piston filler, makes the pen more valuable.