A unique alternative to the everyday fountain pen, the Pilot Custom 823 is in a league of its own. The translucent smoky amber cap and barrel, visible ink supply, and unique writing system make refilling effortless. This fountain pen features a 14k gold nib, matching gold trim, and a vacuum filling system. A simple, yet elegant design, the Custom 823 is great for everyday writing.
Each pen is merchandised in a silver sateen lined Pilot gift box with a 70ml glass bottle of Pilot Blue (same ink as Namiki blue) fountain pen ink.
It now comes with a Signature nib option as well. The Signature (S) nib blends the broader aspects of traditional nibs with the artistic flair of stub nibs, enabling stylish strokes and enhanced personal expression in your handwriting. Designed for increased flexibility, this nib allows for subtle variations in line width with changes in writing pressure.
- Condition
- New
- Brand
- Pilot
- Type
- Fountain Pens
- Color
- Brown
- Demonstrator
Whether or not the barrel of the pen is translucent, allowing you to see the ink and filling mechanism inside.
- Yes
- Body Material
- Resin
- Cap Rotations
For pens with a screw-cap closure, how many rotations it takes to uncap/recap the pen.
- 1.75
- Cap Type
How the cap is opened/closed from the barrel of the pen. Some common options include Snap-Cap, Screw-Cap, Magnetic Cap, or Capless (no cap).
- Screw-cap
- Compatible inks & refills
Which ink this pen will accept. Choices include bottled ink and various styles of pre-filled ink cartridges.
- Bottled ink
- Filling Mechanism
How the pen fills with ink. Click here to watch our video tutorial on common filling mechanisms.
- Vacuum
- Grip Material
- Resin
- Nib Size
- Fine, Medium, Broad, Signature
- Nib Color
- Gold
- Nib Material
- 14k Gold
- Postable
Whether or not the cap fits securely onto the back of the barrel when open.
- Yes
- Retractable
Whether or not the nib/tip can retract into the body of the pen (usually for click or twist-open style pens).
- No
- Diameter - Body
- 12.5mm (0.5in)
- Diameter - Cap (without clip)
- 15.6mm (0.6in)
- Diameter - Cap (with clip)
- 19.8mm (0.8in)
- Diameter - Grip (mm)
Measured from the place most people choose to rest their fingers, which varies with each pen.
- 10.5mm
- Length - Body
The measurement from the back end of the barrel to the tip of the nib.
- 131mm (5.2in)
- Length - Cap
- 71.5mm (2.8in)
- Length - Nib
The measured length of the visible portion of the nib when it is installed in the pen, from grip to tip.
- 23mm (0.9in)
- Length - Overall (Closed)
- 149mm (5.9in)
- Length - Overall (Posted)
When the cap of the pen is posted onto the back of the pen body, this is the measurement of the entire pen including the nib.
- 164mm (6.5in)
- Weight - Body
If a converter is included with the pen, this weight is reflected in the total.
- 19g (0.7oz)
- Weight - Cap
- 10g (0.4oz)
- Weight - Overall (g)
- 29.0g
- Max Ink Capacity - Piston Vac
The maximum volume of ink that can fit in the pen when using the built-in piston or vacuum filling mechanism.
- 2.55ml
Customer Reviews
I've been using fine-nibbed fountain pens. My regular pen rotation was a Lamy 2k, TWSBI 580 ALR, and a Diplomat Aero, all of which I loved. I thought they were nicely smooth, and I was satisfied. But, still, I kept reading various things that indicated I might like a medium nib, and that the Pilot Custom 823 would be a better fit for my writing style.
So, even though I haven't bought a medium nib pen for 35 years, and never spent more than $200, I kept seeing reviews that said the Pilot would be a fantastic pen. So, after a lot of research, I broke down and bought one.
Long story short, I haven't used any of my other pens since the Pilot arrived. I love how uncapping the pen, then unscrewing the vacuum stopper makes writing more deliberative. I love how smooth and wet the nib is. For just writing, it's so, so good. Everything just flows so smoothly. It's a perfect match for my preferred ink, Noodler's Baystate Blue.
The only downside is that it's not well suited for endorsing checks. Check paper is too absorbent for the wetness of the nib, so it bleeds through like crazy. So, it's back to the Lamy when checks need to be endorsed for deposit.
Other than that, though, I'm thinking of just de-inking my fine Diplomat and TWSBI pens, and putting them back in storage with my Pelikan Pura and my 30-year-old Cross pen.
I think the Pilot Custom 823 is the best writing pen I've had for many years.
This is the holy grail of pens! Love it so much, writes flawlessly and beautifully. Cannot recommend enough!
This is my second one. I got the first one in fine and this one in medium. It is quite literally the best pen I have ever used. I don't feel the need to buy fountain pens anymore. I found my every day carry.
This pen is a superlative writer. After inking it up it immediately wrote smoothly with a flawless line. It took me a few days to adjust to the Pilot Fine nib. The bulk of my EF and Fine nibs don't come close to this one and have a considerably thicker line not that that's a bad thing. I purchased this because of the ink capacity. I am a prolific hand writer and this pen...it is divine!
I expected this pen to be good, but it is so much better than I expected. I got it with the medium nib and it is the best nib I have ever tried by far (I am comparing it to pens like the Lamy 2000 and Montblanc 146). I cannot put this pen down. The other pens in my collection that are supposed to be on par or better than the 823 just sit on my desk because I am so in love with my Pilot. Everything, from the grip section to the wetness to the build quality, makes this pen so inspiring to write with. I am using the pen as to write reading notes and ideas for a book-length academic project, and it just makes me so excited to sit down to work so I can write with it. I could not recommend the Pilot Custom 823 any more highly.
P.S. the amber pairs perfectly with Noodler's Walnut if you're into brown inks.
FAQs about Fountain Pens
How do I fill a fountain pen with ink?
It depends on the pen's filling mechanism, which you can find in the Technical Specs section above.
Here's a quick definition of the most common filling mechanisms:
- Cartridge - A small, disposable, sealed plastic reservoir that holds fountain pen ink. These come pre-filled with ink, and typically you just push to insert them into place and you'll be ready to write! Check out our quick guide here.
- Converter - A detachable and refillable ink reservoir that allows you to use bottled ink in a cartridge-accepting pen. Typically you will install the converter into the grip section, dip the nib/feed into the ink, and twist or pull the converter knob to draw ink into the converter. Here's a video for how to fill a cartridge/converter pen using a LAMY pen as an example.
- Eyedropper - A pen that utilizes the entire barrel as a reservoir for ink. Ink is directly filled into the barrel, allowing for a high ink capacity. Here's a video on how to do it!
- Piston - A type of filling system that uses a retracting plunger inside a sealed tube to draw ink into a pen. They are typically either twist or push-operated. These pens cannot accept cartridges or a converter, and only fill from bottled ink.
- Vacuum - A push-style piston that uses pressure to fill the large pen body with ink. They seal the ink chamber when closed, making it ideal for flying without risk of leaking. Check out our video on how to use a vac filler here.
Check out more info on these filling mechanisms including a video on how to fill each one on our blog.
How do I clean a fountain pen?
It depends on the filling mechanism, but it mostly comes down to flushing it out with water, and sometimes a little bit of Pen Flush if the ink is really stuck.
It's a bit easier to show than to tell, so we've put together a few quick videos showing you the process:
How often do I need to clean my fountain pen?
We recommend a good cleaning every 2 weeks, and any time you change ink colors.
Water will usually do the trick, but we recommend you use our Goulet Pen Flush if the ink has been left in the pen for a while and could have dried up, or when you’re switching ink colors.
My pen won’t write! What do I do?
First things first... make sure you have ink in the pen! Be sure that the ink cartridge or converter is seated properly in the pen, and that you aren't out of ink.
We always recommend you give your pen a good cleaning first, using our Goulet Pen Flush, or a drop of dish soap in some water. New pens often have some machining oil residue left in the feed, so a good cleaning often does the trick first.
If that still doesn't work, try priming the feed. This consists of either dipping your pen nib and feed in ink, or forcing ink from the converter down into the feed.
If it’s still not working after that, please reach out to us so we can help!
What's your return policy?
You can submit a return request within 30 days of your order date. You can read all our Return Policies here.
To initiate a return, please submit a request at the Return Portal. Our Customer Care team might reach out to you for more information.
Please note we are unable to accept a return of any Namiki or Sailor Bespoke fountain pen for any reason once it has been used with ink. Please thoroughly inspect and dry test the pen before use.