5 Pilot Flex Pens: A Comparison For Artists (New And Improved Version)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 22 січ 2024
- In this video I review 5 Pilot Fountain Pen that have flexible nibs.
My streaming classes, The Fundamentals of Cross-Hatching , and Drawing the Head in Pen And Ink are available for purchase through Vimeo:
For more information about the class please visit my website:
Mkompan.squarespace.com/strea...
These pens are:
Pilot Custom 74 (Soft Fine)
Pilot Falcon (Soft-Fine)
Pilot Custom Heritage 912 FA
Pilot Custom 743 FA
Pilut Justus 95 (Soft-Fine)
Here are individual reviews of these pens:
• The Pilot Justus 95: A...
• Quick pen review for a...
• Quick pen review/demo ...
• Quick pen review/demo ...
• Pilot 823:An Artist's ...
People can be really mean.. a lot of people don't appreciate that UA-cam hasn't always been super HD and that people making videos used to not be professional video creators back then. I really enjoy your videos and sincere perspective and insight. I love fountain pens but haven't mustered the confidence to get myself one yet. Thanks for all your reviews, it helps a lot!
My pleasure! There were a few mean comments, but there was enough positive feedback to inspire me to keep going. You’re right: the great thing about UA-cam was that everyone could upload a video. No one should be discouraged from trying to have their voice heard simply because they lack know how and resources.
I've often found that the higher the production value, the more diminished the actual quality of the advice. It's not exactly consistent, but I have found in the craft space that I trust the results more than the quality of the production. An elderly individual with bad video quality may have more advice to offer, that's actually more useful, than someone with a fancy studio setup.
This is the most useful video about Pilot fountain pens! I feel so lucky finding your channel. Thank you foe making this❤
Thank you so much!
When you were paraphrasing what people commented on your old videos of ‘’was this filmed on a potato’’? 😂 I chuckled. The way you said it was great. Thank you for creating these videos because there are so many videos over fountain pens and it is so overwhelming!! You express this topic in a blunt, to the point and informative!!
Thank you! People are pretty mean online, but at least it prompted me to make an upgraded version .
Not an artist, but I love fountain pens. Was researching the Pilot Falcon. That led me to your channel. Great presentation!
Thank you!
It was actually your older video that convinced me to purchase the Custom 743 w/ FA nib. It quickly became my go-to pen; I really enjoy it. Goulet Pens had it for 350$, but managed to get it on ebay for 180$ from Japan. Took an extra week to get here but worth it. I would recommend the pen to anyone.
The discounts on eBay right now on Pilots are fantastic, and is why I got myself a Justus. The 743FA remains my favorite pen.
As a fellow artist and fountain pen enthusiast I very much appreciate these videos. I've been using a SEF Metal Falcon for a while now and was considering the 912 FA and this helped my decision immensely.
On another note, I too prefer Pilot's offerings but was wondering if you have tried Platinum 3776 in Soft Fine. It seems to produce very fine lines with a fair amount of line variation. Also, my favorite EDC drawing tool recently has been an Ensso Pocket Piuma in Ultem (eye dropper friendly) which I swapped in a Franklin Christoph EF Flex. A perfect travel companion with great ink capacity, durability, and the FC flex is fantastic. I highly recommend it.
Looking forward to your next video as always!
I’m glad this video was helpful to you! I’m on the verge of getting a Platinum 3776 SF, the plan being to make a comparison video with its rival, the Custom 74.
We seem to be on a similar wavelength. I actually bought an Ensso pocket in Ultem a while ago, and enjoy the material and the design, but sadly the quality control with this company could be better. The first pen I received was very drippy so I had it replaced. The second one doesn’t drip but writes very dry. Perhaps I’ll try it with my Franklin-Christoph flex nib. :)
It’s best to approach the Platinum 3776 SF as a very fine (finer than Pilot) pen with a little bounce to it. It is not as flexible as either that 74/91 SF or Falcon SF, is stiffer and has more feedback. If you want your soft nib to be soft, well…soft…get the Pilot. The Platinum 3776 was better for me as a daily writer than a drawing pen, and once I accepted it as that, I was happy with it.
@@bruceschlickbernd8475 I recently posted my comparison between the Custom 74 and the 3776, and arrived at a similar conclusion. The 74 is a generalist, good for just about everything. The 3776 is a specialist when you need a very fine, precise nib with a touch of flex. Both are great. I’ve been using the 3776 regularly since I got it a month ago.
I appreciate these comparison videos. And you've done this so well. Thanks!
My pleasure!
Thank you very much for such an in-depth and thorough review! I especially liked your 'technical' test. Very clear (and comparable) demonstration of features and capabilities of each pen. I am someone who tried to do a line and wash sketching with fineliners, was unable to make it look decent, gave up and moved to just watercolours.
I watched a lot of fountain pen reviews and demos but couldn't make myself commit to buying any of them. However, following your review I'm now about to go and do more research on the Pilot custom 74.
My pleasure. I'm glad you found my review useful, since these pen reviews have been a process of gradual improvement and evolution, and I think I've arrived a decent formula. The Pilot 74 SF is a fantastic pen that I'm always recommending. If you go with it, I think you'll be happy.
@@mkompan I watched your other video on the pocket pens (+ some other videos) and settled on TWSBI Eco. Which nib width would your recommend for a fountain pen beginner?
Great video - thank you. I really appreciate the detailed comparisons and the sample sketches. Now I want a 743 ✍️ !
You're welcome! Glad this was useful to you.
Hey Marc, I really do like your videos, especially because it is through the eyes of an Artist, which I myself strive to be and enjoy Fountain Pens, and so I like watching your videos as they provide great insight into Fountain pens for drawing, etc. A while ago you made a video on the Jinhao Dadao 9019, you mentioned that it was too wide to be comfortable for drawing sessions and I agree, well recently Jinhao came out with the 9016 the younger brother of the 9019, it sports a number 6 size nib, and while the pen is big it is much smaller/thinner than the 9019 all while sporting the same large 2ml converter. I wonder if you have heard of the pen seeing as it is new, but I think it might be a good option as the price is low.
Thank you! I’ll check out the 9016, since I really like the pens Jinhao produces. I have an 82 on the way, which I’m planning to review.
Just a note on the Falcon (Elabo). The metal version accommodates the Con-70, but ups the price considerably. If I want a Con-70 on my resin Falcon, I just swap out the barrel from my 91 and put in on the Falcon. It fits and screws down fine, and then there is room for the Con-70 (though now the 91 was the Falcon barrel and can’t accommodate the Con-70). Why Pilot cripples the resin Falcon I don’t know, whether for style or just trying to make the metal Falcon’s higher price more justifiable. I’d agree that given I bought my 91 SF for $45 less than my Falcon, it was by far the better buy (thought that was some years ago - the gray market on it is nowhere near as good as it used to be).
Thanks for your note, and the hack. I simply use refilled Pilot cartridges. They hold almost as much ink as the con-70 converter. And I agree the SF nib on the 91 and the Custom 74 are fantastic, to my mind as good as the Falcon.
Thanks for making this. You've kind of talked me out of buying yet another expensive pen! I have a Sapphire Metal Falcon with a SEF nib that I love for drawing and I was wondering if getting the SF would be worth it. I've tried both FA nibs in #15 and #10 and I was disappointed with how thick the unflexed lines were, but it seems like the difference between the SEF and the SF is not noticeable enough to justify another hefty purchase. I love that Pilot pens just *work* and you don't have to fuss with them, but I think I'm gonna have to settle for a slightly more finicky FPR Ultraflex!
You’re welcome! I too have found the difference between the Falcon SF and SEF very slight. Glad this was helpful to you and saved you money.
I love your videos so much!!!
Thank you!!
Thanks for the video.
My pleasure!
I was pretty happy with the old video and honestly it puts me in a shopping spree back in the day 😅 In my experience the Justus do not compete in this league and I actually purchased the Elite 95 instead. which is incredibly bouncy, and that was it. All in all the C74 SF is incredibly good for its price and no railroading in my experience. Thank you for creating this space for us Marc.
By the way @marc, the metal version of the Falcon can accommodate a CON-70 converter. It is heavier and the burgundy edition is close to be my favourites pen. It simply has it all.
You're welcome! The Elite 95 is an excellent pen, and can have some flex to it. I have the older Pilot Elite pocket pen and it's wonderful. I'm still playing with the Justus, but have found it excellent, with a perfect balance of ink flow. And yes, I mention that the Falcon comes in a larger metal version!
Thanks for the updated video. You now have me debating between the Justus 95 and 743 FA.
Do you know if the nib on the Justus can be swapped out with an FA nib? For me, that seems it would be the ideal combination, especially as someone who draws on both cheap printer paper and smoother bristol and comic paper.
Also, since you mentioned the Justus nib is less flexible than the 743FA, how does it flex compared to the Noodler's Ahab and FPR revolution nibs?
You're welcome! No, the FA is not interchangeable with the Justus nib.
On my rating scale (1-10) the Justus is a 4.5, 1 -point short of the 743, which is a 5.5. I would place the Noodlers Ahab at a 6, and the #6 ultra-flex (with the semi-circular cut-outs) at a 9.
I want a flex pen nib that flexes on the down stroke without needing massive pressure. Much like the vintage nibs. A 16 penny nail will give line variation with enough force. Modern makers just can't seem to grasp that.
The closest, (and least expensive) out of the box option is the Pilot 912 FA. The cheapest option (and one I love) is to find vintage flex nibs and place them in modern pen bodies.
Moonman sells reselable cartdridges for pilot,which is great, mostly for the falcon.
Im yet to try them but maybe you are interested
Thanks for the info! I’ll look into it.
Like many viewers I suspect I'm tempted. However since this would be a big investment could you demonstrate what you need and do to clean one ? I'm not the most adept at this but it's no big deal messing up a cheap pen so this would be a major consideration in buying- or not. Many thanks for another great video.
Cleaning is very easy. Early n the video you see me disassembling the pen by pulling out the nib and feed. All you have to do is give everything a rinse, and put it back. The nib locks in place and can't be misaligned. In most cases, if I just need a quick cleaning, I'll use a rubber bulb syringe to clean out the pen.
I’m interested in pure writing with maximum flex. Like almost calligraphy. If it works on ordinary xerox paper, that would be great. If that is incompatible with the pen you’d advise, I’d get better glued paper. Now the question: which pen would be best for maximum line variation in writing with no railroading?
Of these pens the one with the most flex is the Pilot 912FA, with the addition of an ebonite feed from the Flexible Nib Factory. Another great option is to get a pen from Fountain Penn Revolution with their #6 ultra flex nib. None of these pen will
work on regular xerox paper however, since they write very wet.
These pens are also popular amongst calligraphers
Yes, of course! I should have mentioned that.
thanks
My pleasure!
If one of these flexers is your favorite, i.e. the best for you, under what circumstances would you use one of the others? Or are the five pens each best at something? Personally, I can't see any difference in the results from my 3 flex pens. If I ever do a drawing in three colors and want to flex 'em all, I will be SET.
I work in a few different pen and ink styles. For fine, multilayered hatching, the 74. For bold cross contour hatching with lots of line variation, the 912. Best all around is the 743, which lets you do a bit of everything. The Justus I’m still playing with, but it has potential.
912 FA has quite a few people complaining about ink flow/starvation. In the video are you using the replacement feed or is this the one that came with the pen?
I’m using the stock feed here for the sake of accurate comparison. The ebonite replacement really is essential for this pen, however.
@@mkompanthank you for the quick reply, I’ll keep an eye on it then, to see if I can get it for about a $100 + $30 for the ebonite feed
I guess I should wait a while anyway to figure out if I really need a flex nib. I just bought a Pilot pen with a F nib and I also have a Kuretake brush pen and I’d like to use the two together. While it is not impossible to go Fine with a brush pen, it might not be the ideal solution (especially for an amateur like myself).
@@Emil_m there are far less expensive flex options to try before you spend money on a Pilot 912. Here in the States we have Fountain Pen Revolution which sells affordable flex pens from India. In other places you can find them under the brand Kanwrite.
@@mkompan thanks, good to know. I’m not really sure if I need the flex feature in a pen, but would be fun to try one to find out. I guess my thinking was, if I try a very good one first and don’t like it then I’ll know sooner. I bought a M Hongdian (Black Forest) recently, as I was interested in fountain pens in general, and it was nice, I liked the metal body and comfortable to write with. Doesn’t seem to start right away if stored vertically though. But it definitely gave me a taste and now I’m craving for more :) I love art tools, but kinda have hard time justifying past $200 price point. Your other video about Pelikan 400 got me even more curious, but ughh, those prices are crazy, especially without being sure about the quality of performance or authenticity.
Why does the Pilot Custom 74 (Soft Fine) have a finer nib than the same size designation Pilot Falcon (Soft-Fine)?
That's an interesting question. Part of it has to do with the ink flow. The Pilot 74 is drier than the Pilot Falcon, which makes it write finer.
@@mkompan How does the Falcon EF compare? It may be less wet than the F nib, which was one of your critiques.
@@zytr0x108 sorry, I’ve never used the Falcon EF.