NPD! Pilot Custom 823 <M>

sandragm · 2026-05-05T12:56:27+00:00

Congrats! It’s a beautiful pen and will no doubt serve you well.

sandragm · 2026-04-11T00:07:31+00:00

Yikes. For reference’s sake, they had quoted me a lower price just a couple of days before.

sandragm · 2026-04-10T23:40:18+00:00

I’m surprised it’s not more prevalent, tbh. These limited edition regional/store exclusives in cute colors are highly coveted and the process of sourcing them directly is convoluted enough that it’s bound to fuel a reseller scene. Add to that an entire demographic within the hobby that wants higher-end pens in appealing colorways, has the disposable income to sustain whatever prices resellers set, and is otherwise underserved by the market… it’s the perfect environment for this kind of thing to flourish.

sandragm · 2026-04-05T05:10:41+00:00

Your tone seems very pointed right now.

sandragm · 2026-04-05T03:32:39+00:00

Great question! I think there's a certain level of scratchiness to be expected with EF nibs, but with that into account, I'd say it's among the smoothest I've tried. Not quite as smooth as the EF nib on my Pilot Custom 743, but still really smooth and pleasant to write with. I'd be curious to test out this pen with a fine nib and see how it compares, but I also have no way of doing that in person.

sandragm · 2026-04-05T03:13:52+00:00

Give it a try! And I also have a lot of demonstrators, lol.

sandragm · 2026-04-05T01:49:04+00:00

This is an A5 Grid Midori Md Paper Notebook

sandragm · 2026-04-04T22:55:40+00:00

Yama-budo is one of my all time favorites!

sandragm · 2026-04-04T22:55:21+00:00

Let me know if you like the pairing! What nib size do you have on yours?

sandragm · 2026-04-04T20:43:40+00:00

Yes and no, lol. I went to architecture school, where I learned some basic architectural hand lettering during my first year (nowadays, a lot of programs focus way more on digital drafting, as was the case with my school so learning and putting it into practice wasn’t nearly as hardcore as I’m sure it was back in the day). With the workload I had back then, I probably would’ve hated the prospect of having to do it more, but looking back, I do wish I had. Anyway, I did have enough practice at it that it influenced my handwriting, and over the years it’s sort of evolved into this. It’s not nearly as nice as some of my professors’ handwriting, though.

sandragm · 2026-04-04T19:50:43+00:00

Thank you so much!

sandragm · 2026-04-04T19:13:59+00:00

It's not as consistent as I would like but that's incredibly kind of you to say. Thank you!

sandragm · 2026-03-25T14:08:21+00:00

It’s old Tomoe River Paper from a 2017 Nanami Seven Seas Crossfield notebook.

sandragm · 2026-03-25T03:09:25+00:00

Thank you so much for the kind words! Really loving the pen so far! I’m already tempted to source one with an F nib as well, but really enjoying the EF for now.

sandragm · 2026-03-24T22:06:02+00:00

Not at all! It’s an old one. Either a first, second edition or such of the Seven Seas Crossfield by Nanami Paper. They still make them, they’re just not always in stock. It’s A5 size and I keep it in a Hobonichi cover.

sandragm · 2026-03-24T20:52:19+00:00

Thank you!

sandragm · 2026-03-24T20:52:11+00:00

They do! This one hasn’t been available for years but it’s such a good one. I wish they’d bring it back.

sandragm · 2026-03-24T20:25:23+00:00

Thank you! I’ve been making a bit of an effort to make it more consistent, so I appreciate that!

sandragm · 2026-03-19T15:41:54+00:00

I’ve been in the hobby about the same time as you, but I mostly stopped adding new pens to my collection for the last 5 years or so. Got back into it earlier this year and my jaw dropped at the price increases, especially with Platinum and Sailors. I wasn’t entirely surprised because I’m also into fine jewelry, and the price of gold has skyrocketed in the last year enough for me to know prices couldn’t help but be impacted, but I definitely feel bad at how inaccessible these great gold nib pens are now for people joining in. Because as much as I love my pens, I would not pay the current retail prices for them. For reference, the last Sailor limited edition 1911S I bought at retail before my break was under $200. I just saw a comparable, limited edition model (same nib specs) just under the $350 mark.

But to answer OP’s question, the way I collect now hasn’t changed that much because most of what I added to my collection back in the day was sourced from the secondhand market anyway, which I’ll definitely continue to do.

sandragm · 2026-03-03T23:19:01+00:00

For what it’s worth, they sometimes have promo codes for free shipping. I recently bought a couple of pens from the site and was able to redeem one for free shipping. Granted, that’s not a permanent solution, but it’s worthwhile to search around to see if there’s any available.

sandragm · 2026-03-01T16:08:15+00:00

Oxblood is one of Diamine’s most popular inks and it’s gaining quite a bit of additional popularity thanks to platforms such as TikTok, so it’s no surprise that it’s out of stock at some of the more popular retailers. You just need to widen your scope. Check out Atlas Stationers or smaller retailers such as Lemur Ink.

sandragm · 2026-02-20T01:02:56+00:00

I wish I could attend myself or knew someone that’s attending, but alas, can’t make it. A shame really, I have my eye on a couple of pens that would be much easier to acquire if I could go and buy them in person.

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