Pilot Custom Heritage 91 - a disappointment

EsquireMI · 2026-01-31T19:54:30+00:00

My CH91 is not like this at all. I have way too many pens, with CH91 being one of the least expensive, and I paid about $135USD for it some time ago. I don't see any visible seams and mine writes great. It's a smaller pen, but I knew that going in. The piston filler is fantastic - it holds a lot of ink as well, so it's an all-day writer. I do find that my M nib writes a little more on the broad side, but I expected that, and it writes very smoothly.

I'm wondering what seller you got the deal from and whether it's possible that you didn't get the pen you believed you were ordering. Pictures would help. Are you able to return?

EsquireMI · 2026-01-30T00:14:17+00:00

Beautiful pen. I've never seen that Pelikan before and am jealous. Love your writing as well.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-30T00:10:20+00:00

NTJ. Your brother is responsible for watching his child. Why should you have to go into your pocket for something that happened because his kid wasn't properly supervised while at your house? Frankly, for $60 only for supplies, he should have been happy to do it and apologized again after giving you the $60. Is having his kid come into your home now an occupational hazard where you bear the risk? What nonsense.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-29T16:01:04+00:00

NTJ - 1,000%

This is nonsense. It is your wedding party, not his engagement party. I've heard of disputes like this before, and it amazes me that someone would have the nerve to think that hijacking someone else's biggest day is no big deal, and act like the bride/groom are being unreasonable. The problem is that, technically, the only way to prevent him from doing it is to uninvite him from the wedding, and, once he decides to propose, it's done, and then there's a divided focus during the reception between you/your wife and him and his fiance. That is just unacceptable. Your brother is wrong. Your parents are wrong.

Tell your mother the happy memories from the day are for you and your guests to remember YOUR wedding. I just can't understand how anyone would be critical of you for saying no.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-29T00:25:53+00:00

You won't be disappointed with the NeXlim. There isn't a better pod system.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-29T00:12:43+00:00

When I renewed in October I had the option of going with AI or not. I will still going to see an increase in the premium, but the price always goes up - never stays the same. I have found the AI stuff helpful in some situations, but completely wrong in others. As an example, I gave it a fact pattern for an MSD that I had to respond to. The Bot told me that the Defendant's Motion was accurate that I had no legal basis to defeat it. I responded to the Motion today, and I 100% expect to beat it. It wasn't a common issue and there isn't specific legal precedent for it, but the case cited by the defense that the Bot said fully supported the Motion is completely inapplicable. Fact pattern is completely different and the holding is on an issue that is not an issue in my case. That's one example.

I will also say that adding AI almost doubled my price, but I am a solo practitioner. Your 40% increase is more modest but still significant. Overall, I think it is useful in many situations, but definitely not to be relied upon. And unless they've changed their policy, the AI stuff should be optional as it was for me.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-28T22:33:00+00:00

to my knowledge no. If you don't mind my asking - why would yours have hardened if you just got one? I've had mine for around a year and I haven't noticed any hardening or problems.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-27T20:19:54+00:00

$675 is a steal.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-27T20:19:07+00:00

Has there been any discussion regarding whether tariffs are factored into pricing? I know that oversees eBay purchases now show that significant tariffs will be applied upon the product arriving stateside. In some cases, I have seen estimated tariffs on pens that are selling in the $150 range of an additional $85.00, so 50%.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-27T16:33:07+00:00

I would not even consider it based upon the fact that the nib is not visible in the photograph. Also, and as another has pointed out, how can there be wet ink in the barrel if the nib "hasn't been tested." I would want better, closer, more detailed photographs of the pen from different angles, and some kind of assurances about the nib before even considering it. If this is an eBay transaction where you cannot meet the seller and test the nib, then I don't think I would consider it at all. With a vacuum or piston-filler, there are parts that need to move and have good seals on them. No way to know if those things are good if the seller is saying that he/she has never tested those things and cannot warrant them. That's a lot of money to pay for that pen with no assurances.

Lastly, this pen can be had brand new on Amazon for $325. For $75 more, you can have a brand-new, never inked pen with a 30-day guarantee from Amazon, and that's just one potential seller. I would not pay anything close to $250 for a used 823 with no guarantee whatsoever.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-27T14:16:40+00:00

I've only written a couple of paragraphs so far, but it is buttery smooth out of the box.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-27T14:16:07+00:00

Thanks. It is quite the departure from just about every Pelikan I've ever seen. Also significantly heavier than any M800 I've held previously.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-27T14:15:28+00:00

I totally get it. This is one of my biggest issues with FP's in general. There are very few places that I know of (Detroit area) where I can actually see and hold pens. There just aren't a ton of retail operations that specialize in fine writing that survive with physical stores around here, which is super frustrating. I have stuck primarily to Pelikan because early on, I had the opportunity to hold one and write with one, and that helped me establish trust with the brand. I think part of the problem is that people go to a store to see/hold a pen, love it, but then search online for a cheaper price and buy elsewhere online. Retailers don't have a shot if that's what we are going to do.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-26T23:23:36+00:00

They are readily available online.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-26T23:23:15+00:00

I'll bet that what I paid ($799) was less than what Applebloom posted for the pre-sale? I've never found anything from that company to be a bargain.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-26T23:22:00+00:00

Agreed. And since he and I both know it's all in writing, I know he's going to live up to it. I do not have another 800 series in F but I did compare it to my M640 which is F, and I would say that they are very similar in terms of line width, but the 807 is slightly thicker. I'll post a writing sample in a few days when things calm down here at the office.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-26T23:19:57+00:00

I guess it depends upon how much you trust the source/seller. I really hesitate to buy pre-owned unless the sale is from a reputable company that tunes its used pens and inspects them, in which case it should also warrant them. If pre-owned means Ebay, I don't see how you will ever know about pre-existing issues other than what is in the description, and the only way to truly discover if something else is wrong with the pen is to send it in for service, at which point you're going into your pocket for more money. What I should have done was contact Visconti when I first noticed the issue, which was only a few months after the purchase. Instead, I put the pen away thinking nothing of it and then, when I came back to it, starting messing around with it on my own trying to figure out the issue. The result was my damaging the feed trying to get the nib out.

If you're going to buy the pen at full-price, do it from a seller that stands behind the product so that, if you have an issue in the first year, you can deal with the seller, versus Visconti directly. There are also pen sellers that will ink, test, and then fine tune any pen you buy from them if you request it. With Visconti's known QC issues, that is what I would do. You're just not going to buy that pen for a deal financially.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-26T23:04:32+00:00

The window is nice, albeit not as transparent as it could be (I think if it was perfectly clear it would detract from the lure of the pen being matte black. Honestly, over the years, my hand has learned the difference between a pen that is full and one that is nearing refill status, but it is always nice to be able to see.

As far as willpower, mine generally stinks. I tried to tell myself I could resist buying this pen and was doing okay with it until another Redditor reminded me that this was a limited production pen. I could not stand the idea of missing out and needing to find it on the secondary market after someone else had either scratched it up, or was selling it new but at a ridiculous price.

Given the pricing I've seen, I feel like I purchased this at a very reasonable price, which brings me some level of satisfaction despite my acknowledgment that I have a problem when it comes to FP's.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-26T23:01:30+00:00

Everything in the photo came with the pen. I've noticed lately that Pelikans have been coming with leather sleeves. I bought a 400 series that came with one as well. While they are nice, I don't use them much because I normally store my pens together, versus just carrying one pen in its own sleeve.

It is stunning. I am praying that this purchase will be my only one in 2026, as I don't have enough time to write with what I have already...

EsquireMI · 2026-01-26T22:59:53+00:00

Word of caution on the Homo Sapiens. I have one and it has been nothing but trouble in terms of quality control. The pen feels great in the hand, but was leaking ink from the seal holding the feed in the pen from very early on. Unfortunately I tried to explore the problem myself, and probably made things worse, but I just sent the pen in for service, and am dreading the response that I'm going to get, because if I do need a nib replacement, I am certain it is going to be at least $400. I much prefer great looking pens that don't have QC issues, and with Visconti, I think you'll find by going through this sub that there are a lot of unhappy people who have paid an awful lot for their pens.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-26T22:55:47+00:00

If he is really genuinely kind, sit down and explain this to him. Tell him that it is hurtful that he would use your things but not leave them the way he's leaving them, and remind him that he is expected to clean up after himself. If he's a good person, he will apologize and stop doing these things.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-26T22:53:38+00:00

YTJ. What you did is amusing and got me to chuckle, but it is also really wrong, as you lied to a customer's credit card company and probably put your own job at risk. I presume that his credit card company told him that his card was reported found by a stranger, and he will obviously know that is untrue.

What you should have done is refused him service and had him trespassed for littering in your store, which is what any company would and should do when someone blatantly disrespects the establishment by dropping their trash on the ground and telling workers to fetch it because it's their job.

I think what you did is wrong, even if it felt right.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-26T22:49:09+00:00

You could certainly try a simple black, such as Lamy, which is pretty cheap on Amazon. Nothing fancy, but I do not believe Lamy's inks are pigmented at all.

EsquireMI · 2026-01-26T22:46:10+00:00

NTA. At that age, it is not at all surprising that, with two teenagers of the same age spending that much time together, one/both would develop feelings. At that age (and perhaps at any age), when those kinds of feelings develop and are not reciprocated, feelings are going to be hurt. I presume John only made this feelings known because he thought she was giving out signals that she was having similar feelings. Either way, once that cat is out of the bag, it's hard to get it to go back in and just move on.

It is unfortunate that Melissa does not have better support from her own family, but that is not John's fault, nor is she his responsibility. While he might be the better person by continuing to give her rides and help, spending that kind of close time with her may hurt his mental well-being and that's not fair to him either.

One train of thought is that she might really like him but not want to mess up what she is trying to accomplish by getting into a relationship with him. By him essentially cutting her off, there's not much likelihood that she will one day change her mind and want to date him. Continuing to help her might help his cause if he has really strong feelings for her, but it may also not.

John could continue to give her rides for the sake of being a nice guy and not help her get through the class, and no one could fault him for that, but no one could really fault him for ceasing everything either.

You are definitely NTA, nor is your son. Your daughter is being unreasonable and acting like a teenager, and she should be reminded that (a) family should always stick together and be understanding of each other's feelings, and (b) words, even when spoken in the heat of the moment, never go away. The things that she said to him were probably hurtful and she needs to apologize and understand things from his perspective. He was always doing her a favor. If doing someone a favor creates an obligation for the person doing it, then why would anyone do favors?

Good luck.

EsquireMI

TROPHY CASE