PILOT"CUSTOM 743 / Black" (nib : Falcon)

While I am not a 'flexy' writer (I'm ... a semi legible writer just wanting to add character to the semi-legibility: value added!) I've wanted a 743 with FA for a while. The 743 is an extremely comfortable pen for long writing sessions - beautifully balanced, with just the right amount of heft. But - it is not available through U.S. retailers. I'll acknowledge that I was wary, purchasing this pen through Amazon ... But I was equally fatigued at the prospect at ordering from reputable sellers in Japan (because when things happen to go awry, it can be very time intensive and fiddly). The 'Pilot Store' looked like a legitimate Pilot Store ... so I clicked 'checkout'. From what I can see - all is good. On arrival, the plastic Pilot box was a bit wonky (top off the hinges), but the nib is as hoped. Moreover - I am not seeing the railroading others complain of (on the other hand, I may lack the skill required to get to the point where railroading can happen). All in all - very pleased. Looks legit, and is a pleasure to use.

avec une plume en or aujourd'hui introuvable : souple, douce et qui ne manque jamais. Le stylo est bien étanche et ne sèche pas. La finition est impeccable. C'est mon stylo préféré ! Mais il n'est pas donné ...

The pen body is the most ergonomic of all Pilots I own. It has the nicest fit and finish.Many people have troubles with the FA nib, so I had immediate remorse after ordering it and tried to cancel. Fate deigned that I was to have it anyway, and my request didn't go through. I'm glad, because it has become my favourite pen among my 10 premium pens. It writes EF with no pressure, F with just a little, and of course has dramatic flex. I haven't had the hard-starting issues many people claim. I can only offer a few guesses to help people who might be interested in this pen still.1. Don't use the con-70. I have used con-70 to success with PO nib, and to dramatic failure with Stub, I didn't even bother using it for the FA. Just use a con-50.2. Don't draw those silly loops to demo the flex. You will probably go too fast, too hard, and get railroading and miss-align the tines.3. Just write in your normal style, and press a little on the down strokes. You will get plenty of contrast in the line weight. Normal writing is much less demanding than those loops FP users like to make, and will be much gentler on the FA nibs very delicate tines.One of the reasons this has become my favourite pen is that it writes EF but is incredibly smooth, just just for EF but it is absolutely smooth. Even if I didn't care about flex, that alone would make it rank up with my favourites, including the PO nib (which is also very smooth, but is more like a technical pen in its consistency).This pen has a very bad reputation, but none of the issues about ink flow, hard starting or railroading have befallen me. I write fairly small, and I'm very pleased with the effect I can get. It is much, much softer than the Falcon/Elabo Pilot makes, which although a remarkably light pen, I find the Elabo really hurts my fingers if I use the flex too much. I have no such problem from the FA.

Stunning pen, but dear costing as well. Takes some time to get used to the FA nib, but with practice I am impressed with what I can do. Highly recommended.

The pen is not so different by a Pilot Custom 742, but FA nibs are completely different upon their length: the shorter #10 on the 742 has an F-FM starting size and is a real super-flexible nib, very delicate, to use with a feather hand; this #15 is longer, starts EF and is a bit harder to flex, definitely better for those who don’t have experience. It’s more like a soft nib, but with a great snapback which closes steadily to EF the point. It is also definitely better handling the ink feeding, I have found no railroading problem.For calligraphic use, #15 can do Copperplate but is a Spencerian masterpiece, viceversa for the #10.Both nibs are wonderful, as in Pilot style.#15 can be mounted on both Custom 823 and Custom 845 Urushi (I have it now on my 823 for huge ink capacity).