Thursday, August 22, 2013

Pilot Custom 823



By Wesley James Young

PilotCustom823
Pilot Custom 823

When I am asked what my favorite pen is, I always come back with the Namiki Custom 823. Now you are probably wondering what the name means. Thanks to that very same engine of procrastination which allows you to view this review, we can know the number represents year this pen was released, 82 years from the company’s founding in 1918, and the 30,000 yen price on that release date. As for the custom, well no one seems to have a good answer for that portion. My personal theory is that it is just there because the marketing people happened to pull that buzzword out of a hat. But don’t let the name drive your decision, this pen is more than an alphanumeric name.

Appearance & Design

Pilot Namiki Custom 823
Pilot Namiki Custom 823
 
The color is rich amber color unlike anything you have likely seen on the market. Now I am usually not drawn to gold but the gold-plated trim on this piece compliments the amber too well to pass it over. The clip also embraces a beautacious simplicity by having the company name in a light weight font over a tapering surface ending in a large ball.  In contrast, the name of the pen is engraved in a significantly heavier weight. The barrel is translucent allowing you to see the amount of ink inside of the pen, at least 2.2 ml at a complete fill. 

Pilot Pens
Pilot Pens

Now I will point out that posting this pen is not something I would recommend. You can but it does not sit well on the barrel in my experience. I do not mind because I do to post most of my pens but if you are the sort who must do so, bear in mind that this pen will probably not work will in that area.

Construction & Quality
The coloring of the resin is consist. The gold is plated properly. I find no flaws with the build quality of the pen. The clip is you typical tension clip and a rather tight one at that so it will stay in the shirt pocket unless you tell it otherwise. After some months of use, the plunger mechanism has not failed me yet, nor have I read of others having issues of that sort with this pen.

Nib & Performance

Namiki Custom 823
Namiki Custom 823
Pilot is a Japanese company, so think a size down in terms of nib with if you are used to Pelikan Pens or Lamy Pens.  The nib on this pen is a size 15 nib in 14k and it is a fantastic write. Pilot’s 14k nibs have one of the best balances of springiness and smoothness to deliver a satisfying write as I move across the page. Available sizes are Fine, Medium, and Broad.

Filling Mechanism
This pen fills by a plunger filling mechanism. All you have to do is unscrew the blind cap, pull back the plunger rod, put the pen in the ink and push down. Seconds later you have about 2/3rd’s of the pen full of ink. To get a compete fill, point the nib up and pull back on the rod till the plunger is just below the ink in the pen, then put the nib in the bottle and push down. 
Pilot Custom 823
Pilot Custom 823

Now some of you may notice the pen stops writing after a few minutes. This is not a problem with the pen but a result of the mechanism doing what it is supposed to. When the blind cap is fully screwed into the pen, the plunger cuts the feed off from the rest of the pen. To get the flow back in the nib, simply keep the blind cap unscrewed during extensive periods of writing.
The retail price is $360 ( our price is $288) . For that you get a box lined with silver colored cloth and a bottle of Pilot Blue ink. For a gold nibed fountain pen, that is not very high. For this pen, I think the price tag is thoroughly justifiable. Especially since this pen is a perfect everyday pen. Not too flashy, writes well, you can fill it on a Monday and likely see three or four Monday’s go by before you need to fill it again. If you’re like me and get bored with colors after a period of time, you will change them out long before you exhaust the ink in the pen.

Final Remarks
This is one of those pens every stylophile should have.


                Buy Pilot Custom 823  Click Here !!
                              

                We would love to hear from you...so do comment !!




Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Washington DC Super Pen Show 2013 from our employee view!


Washington DC Super Pen Show 2013 from our employee view!

Every year we write about the Washington DC pen show.  It is one of the largest event for the pen fanatics!  Dealers and customers( mainly collectors)  from all over the world come to display their items or purchase.  We had a customer  from Argentina.  This was his first trip to USA and he is a lifelong pen collector.  This year instead of us writing the blog, we thought it is better to hear from our own pen geeks!

By Victoria and Kim

As a pen lover, I find myself browsing various pen related web sites.  I longingly look at products I do not own, wondering how they’d feel in my hand or would look on my writing desk.  Often times, I wish there was some magic place where I can see all the pens, touch all the desk accessories, try all the inks, and talk to other passionate pen geeks about what I love.  Once a year, my wish is granted.

DC Super Pen Show
DC Super Pen Show


I attended my first DC Pen Show this year.  At first, the sheer amount of people and vendors were overwhelming.  Soon enough, I was in a sea of people who shared my love of all things pen related and enjoying myself.  It was lovely to finally see in person products I have thus far only seen online.  And to have other people on hand to answer any questions I may have had was a real bonus.

DC Pen Show
DC Pen Show
For me, the DC Pen Show is community, a group of people united in the buying and selling of writing instruments and who enjoy sharing their knowledge with others.  If you love pens, ink, paper, or any other pen related products, do yourself a favor and join us, your pen community, next year.  It will be fun.


Kim ( Pen Boutique employee)


 "In a world where technology has replaced much in the art of browsing, it is a welcome relief to experience an oasis of collectors, dealers, retailers and pen newbies gathered under one roof for a weekend to celebrate the fine art of writing. The DC Pen Super Show in Tyson’s Corner, VA, which took place this past weekend provided that respite."

Be it a historical collectors’ 1st edition Parker Jotter, a beautiful hand-crafted leather pen pouch or the latest in Japanese nibs ( you should check out the new Namiki Justus), all showcase a common devotion to a treasured skill set.

Washington DC Pen Show
Washington DC Pen Show
The joy of finding something you have long been searching for or the discovery of something you never knew existed are equal in experience. Those opportunities were in abundance at the event for every participant on the look-out.

The buying, selling, displaying and demonstrating of inks, nibs, paper, mechanical pencils, loops, old pens and new pens was prevalent at each vendor table.

Washington DC Super Pen Show 2013
Washington DC Super Pen Show 2013

Both old and young, vintage and futuristic can be sought and found with each step to the next table. At the show you are just as likely to come across a young six year-old girl clutching her wadded bills in her hand concentrating hard to reach a decision on which Disney Minnie Mouse pen to purchase as you are to see an old-timer extolling the good-ole-days when penmanship was taught to every young person as a graded subject.

So mark your calendars for next year for the second weekend in August so you too can enjoy a communication form that is far from fading like the ink on a packed-away love letter.


Victoria ( Pen Boutique employee)


We would love to hear from you if you attended the Washington DC supershow!




Monday, August 19, 2013

Back To School Give Away 19 Aug - 26 Aug 2013

We at Pen Boutique, Limited, USA, are organizing a Facebook Back to School GiveAway. Please participate in our contest and win exciting prizes.


Hurry up & enter to Win !!

It starts on Monday, August 19th and ends on August 25th, 2013.

Prizes include:

Faber-Castell combo set with 3 pencils, plus eraser & sharpener
 

Ballpoint pen set

These retail for $50 each.  We are giving away 10 of these for 10 different winners.  International customers are welcome to participate but shipping will be additional and you can also add it free to your any pending orders.



Winner:

 7 Days - 10 winners !!


For more Info. Visit : Official Rules 



Thursday, August 8, 2013

Refreshing summer experiences for ever...

By C.B.

Alright everyone, hear me out, or correct me if you think I’m totally wrong, but I’m beginning to think that “summer” should be classified as an emotion. Or, better yet, a state of being. Think about it: what is summer, other than the typical clichés of nighttime beach parties, backyard barbeques and water parks. While summer is definitely composed of those things, I firmly believe there’s a feeling in the air when you wake up that is purely attributed to this time of the year. 



Summer, I think, is the vibrant feeling of enjoying life after the rejuvenation of spring. It’s the sharp, salty taste of the air on a seaside boardwalk. It’s the beauty of a clear, star-studded sky on a warm night. It’s the call of freedom and the song of youth. Summer, it seems to me, is this happy, invigorating time that, despite all its pleasantries, does some extremely crazy things with our perceptions of time and daily routines. The days of summer always feel free-flowing, as if the strict schedule the rest of the year forces us to keep is suddenly stripped away, and we’re left to go about our days and nights unhindered by time constraints. For example, our weeks are typically experienced as, “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, etc.” In summer, time seems to very quickly fade and blur until you have no real concept of day-to-day time.  Things end up being more like: “Monday, Tuesday, Thursday….um, what day is it? Sunday? Already!?” (Or at least, this is how my summers are.)

Now don’t get me wrong, none of this is bad! It’s perfectly fine, and a very nice way to live for a few months, but sometimes this seamless existence can seem a little too…evanescent. Whimsical spontaneity is good, necessary even, but sometimes it feels really good just to plan out your week. Even if it’s something as simple as jotting down the time you’re going to dinner with your friends, the feeling of making a plan and subsequently fulfilling it is a pleasure we all can relate to.

Personal Organizer
Personal Organizer from Filofax
This, my friends, is exactly where an organizer would come in handy. More specifically, the 2013 Filofax Personal Blossom Multi Organizer. The Personal Blossom is a 135mm wide and 190mm tall personal organizer designed by a finalist in Filofax’s annual Graduate Design Competition. A beautiful, pink-themed floral print design is emblazoned upon the leather emulated binding. The personal organizer’s interior is composed of a creamy, suede-touch PU. There are 6 binding rings 23mm in size that holds 35mm of paper. 

As any writer will tell you, no matter how hard we try, we all know that it’s extraordinarily difficult to write something that perfectly reflects the feelings and sensations memories can so readily and effortlessly provide. They’re a seemingly perfect storybook and have the ability to shape not only how we see our pasts, but how we see our futures. Yet, despite their powers, memories are not time proof.  They fade, blur, and are mentally rewritten more times than people care to think about, and this is what makes keeping a written keepsake so important. The Multi-Organizer is the perfect tool to make sure all your warm, refreshing summer experiences are never forgotten. Whether you scribble a quick note about your trip to the local renaissance fair, or write a ten-page vividly detailed description of the event, the organizer will always be there to protect and hold your recollections, no matter what they might be. So, once you’ve had your fun, sit back, relax, and write yourself something that, 50 years from now, will fill you with the same amount of enthralling excitement you felt when you experienced it. Trust me; it’ll definitely be worth it. 



Personal Organizers


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