Pilot – SusieG Studio

My Pilot Custom 742 with PO (Posting) Nib

You are probably tired of seeing my Pilot Custom 742 family picture. You’re in luck as this is my last post for this pen model.

Here’s my family of #10 14k gold nibs.

I’ve always wanted to add the PO or posting nib to my collection. This pen sat in my wish list for the last few years. I finally placed it into my cart to celebrate a new job.

My previous nibs have been the SU or stub nib, the WA or Waverly nib and the SF or soft fine nib. So far, the three nibs have been wet writers and I enjoy the unique writing experience that each nib provides.

This is my fourth pen in the Pilot Custom 742 fountain pen line. The PO or posting nib is curved slightly downward. The nib is around 0.25mm in size.

Here’s a better side profile picture of my PO nib. Interesting nib curve, right?

A bit of history on the creation of this PO nib. It was originally designed to be used on cheap Japanese postcards. Back in the day, the postal rate in Japan for a certain class of postcards was much cheaper than mailing a regular letter.

I’ve read that Pilot uses an Extra Fine nib and the tip of the nib is bent downwards. I’ve also read that this nib provides a good writing experience for those who write at a lower angle. It might work well for artists and some left-handed folks.

My Thoughts

When I first started out in this fountain pen rabbit hole, I purchased a few Pilot pens with Extra Fine nibs. I’ve gradually moved on to other pen manufacturers and gravitated towards Fine, Medium, and Stub nibs. I still have the love for extra fine nib pens as long as the nibs lean towards a smooth writing experience.

My PO or posting nib is smooth with some slight feedback. I would say my PO nib is the smoothest when compared to my other Pilot Extra Fine nibs. I mention the nib having slight feedback which in my mind can’t be avoided given how thin or fine this nib is. Of all the nibs I have from the Custom 742 family, my PO nib has the most feedback.

Even though the nib is 14k gold, the PO nib is very rigid and stiff. There is no flexing with this nib. Not even a tiny bit. I’ve added this nib to my collection so I can enjoy writing on all types of paper. This nib requires very little pressure to write with.

I found this pen & nib combination requires a wet ink as well as a medium to dark ink color to show up on the different types of paper I use. When I write fast, this pen & nib combination keeps up with my writing speed. This lovely nib creates very fine and crisp lines.

The PO nib was designed to write on cheap and inexpensive paper. It writes an enjoyable fine line. On the backside of the paper there is some ghosting, but no bleed through especially when I leave my nib on the paper for a bit longer.

Here’s a writing sample on an old 4×6 paper pad I had in my stash from 20 years ago.

The backside of my paper shows some ghosting and no bleed through.

Here’s a writing sample on Staples 22 pound printer paper.

There is a tiny bit of bleed through (dots) as a result of me leaving the nib on the paper a bit longer than intended.

I’ve also used this pen on my HP Premium 32 paper and the nib is quite smooth on this paper and I hardly notice the feedback.

On the backside of this premium paper, I can barely see any writing.

This nib creates a fine line and my writing samples show that I can write smaller with less bleed through on inexpensive paper. Depending on the paper quality and also the quality of the ink used, there might be some slight feathering on the paper.

Overall, I’m pleased with this nib and I’m enjoying the fine lines this PO nib creates. I do reach for this pen & nib combination frequently as I know it can handle many types of paper I have on my desk.

Pen: Pilot Custom 742 with PO (Posting) nib

Ink: Van Dieman’s Inks Hailstorm and Robert Oster Miami

Papers: Rhodia, old paper pad, Staples 22 lb paper, & HP Premium 32 lb paper

My Pilot Custom 742 with SF (Soft Fine) Nib

Now that I have a Pilot SU and WA nib in my collection, I wanted to add an SF or soft fine nib. I saw a few writing samples and many reviews about how well this nib writes. My previous Pilot pen acquisitions were along the lines of Extra Fine and Fine nib fountain pens. Naturally, I was curious about how well this nib felt on paper and the overall writing experience.

From the reviews, I immediately wanted this nib for the “bouncy” writing experience with a tiny bit of flex writing capability.

This SF nib is about 0.32mm and described as a soft nib for fine lettering.

Using my normal handwriting or printing, I can feel the softness of the nib bounce across my paper as I write. For me, that almost feels like pure joy to jot something down quickly or write a few paragraphs in my journal.

Here’s my writing sample. With some slight pressure on my downward strokes, I can get a broader line, but not much. This adds a bit of style to my handwriting.

This SF nib is a joy to write with. It’s a smooth writing experience with just a tad bit of feedback. I mentioned before, I do enjoy writing with a nib that gives a bit of bounce across the paper. I do reach for this pen & nib combination frequently and it’s become a daily writer for me. I now understand why many folks enjoy writing with a soft fine nib.

Nib Feedback: I wanted to point out that when I mention “a tad bit of feedback” this means the nib has a tiny bit or the right amount of feedback for me. This also depends on the paper quality and also how smooth or rough the paper is.

Pen: Pilot Custom 742 with <SF> soft fine nib

Ink: Kaweco Summer Purple

Paper: Rhodia

My Pilot Custom 742 with WA (Waverly) nib

I now have some experience using my Pilot Custom 742 fountain pens. I prefer this cigar shaped pen versus the 912 model with the flat cap and bottom. In my previous blog post, I mentioned this Pilot 742 model is not available in the US market. If you missed my post about the <SU> or stub nib, you can find my review and comments here.

My WA (Waverly) Nib

Next on my Pilot wish list was the WA or Waverly nib. This nib was designed to allow folks to write at any vertical angle. I had to give this nib a try.

Here’s a side profile view of my nib. The tip is turned slightly upwards.

This is not a bent nib or fude nib where the nib is bent at an extreme angle. It’s angled slightly upwards or what Pilot calls a “wave” and to increase the smooth writing experience.

I’ve seen a few comments where this is a great nib to use if you write left-handed.

I found an artist who used this Waverly nib to create her artwork. She was using some art paper with a bit of texture and mentioned how smoothly this nib glided over the paper. That comment sold me on getting this nib and pen combination.

When I read this was a exceptionally smooth nib at any writing angle, I knew I had to get this nib. While doing my research I found the WA (#10) was available in a Pilot Custom 742. Perfect!

The pen writes somewhere between a Fine and a Medium size nib. Others have stated it’s somewhere along the lines of a Medium nib or 0.50mm in size. When I look at my nib, it reminds me of a Fine tipped nib.

Here’s my writing sample showing the results of holding my pen at different vertical angles. Holding my pen at a lower angle than my normal writing angle produced a heavier ink flow or a bit bolder writing experience. Holding my pen up at a higher angles produced gradual lighter lines. At every angle, I had a smooth writing experience.

It’s true what the reviewers are saying about this nib: the WA nib writes smooth at any angle.

My writing sample shows that this might be an all purpose smooth writing nib for everyone.

Pen: Pilot Custom 742 with WA (Waverly) nib

Ink: Jacques Herbin Vert Atlantide

Paper: HP Premium 32 printer paper

My Pilot Custom 742 with SU (Stub) Nib

Many of my readers know my love for fountain pens with stub nibs, especially in my TWSBIs and Pilot Preras. I was doing a bit of research and checking out other Pilot nib offerings when I came across one of their nibs called “SU” which they call stub nib. There were only a handful of reviews that showed a writing sample from this nib. I took a chance (gut instinct) and ordered this nib in my first Pilot Customer 742.

I am thrilled to have added this Pilot pen to my fountain pen collection. I’m enjoying the writing experience and how lovely this SU nib writes. It’s a smooth nib with some slight feedback. There’s also some feedback noise as I write for extended periods of time. This could be a result of my hand becoming tired which results in a heavy hand while writing.

My SU nib creates some nice line variations and makes my handwriting have a bit more flair and style.

Pilot Stub Nib versus TWSBI Stub 1.1 Nib

Naturally, I have to compare this Pilot nib with my TWSBI nib.

When I look straight on into my SU nib, the shape is square. A boxy shape with slightly curved corners. On my TWSBI, the nib shape is more rectangular.

I created a writing sample to show how my TWSBI stub 1.1 nib, my Pilot SU nib, and my Faber-Castell Hexo with medium nib compares. At the time I originally drafted this post, they were the only three pens I had inked.

My Pilot SU nib writes slightly smaller than my TWSBI stub 1.1 nib. In the down strokes, there is hardly any noticeable difference. The horizontal lines is where I can see a difference and the Pilot nib produces thinner lines. Also, my Pilot SU nib produces a “crisp” writing style where the edges are a bit sharper.

The more I write with my Pilot nib, the more I sense a different writing feel and style. I’m sure a lot of it has to do with a Pilot 14k gold nib versus a TWSBI steel nib. I’m also sure the shape of the nib has a lot to do with the unique writing experience. I’ve read this Pilot nib is in the range of 0.63mm in size.

If you are not used to writing with a stub nib, it may take some time to get used to this nib’s writing style. This SU nib’s unique square shape has a different feel than what I’m used to writing with a rectangle shaped nib. Every time I pick up my Pilot pen and start writing, I have a “wow” moment and then happily continue writing in my journal. For me, this is definitely an unusual and unique nib and I like how how it writes on paper and how it adds a bit of flair to my handwriting.

Note: This Custom 742 is not available in the US market.

Pen: Pilot Custom 742 with SU (stub) nib

Ink: Kaweco Summer Purple

Paper: Rhodia

I’m Still Here

I wanted to let my blog readers know that I’m still here. I’m still playing with my fountain pens and inks though in limited numbers and in short lengths of time.

Every few days, I have access to my studio desk where I can actually sit for an hour or two checking my emails and taking care of household activities. I no longer keep a daily BUJO or bullet journal. I resorted to creating a monthly calendar (two-page spread) that lets me easily see when things are due or need to be taken care of.

Here is the current state of my studio desk where I quickly cleaned out my Jinhao 159s and 82s. Yes, I stumbled upon some colorful 82s that needed to be cleaned before filling with ink. A short lived rabbit hole with my 82s.

The bottom four sections are from my Jinhao 82s. The top section is from my 159

I need to take a few pictures of my colorful 82s and create some writing samples. I have a blog post sitting in my drafts folder and I hope to publish this within the next two weeks.

I finally jumped off the fence and I have in my possession a Pilot Custom 742 with a PO (posting) nib. I’ve been writing with this lovely pen & nib combination for the last few evenings when I have a few minutes of free time to play. This PO nib is awesome for times when I want to write with an extra fine nib that is smooth (with some slight feedback) on all types of paper. There is something special about this nib.

My Pilot 742 collection is now complete.

I’ve been working on reviews for each of my 742 nibs. I had to dig deep into last year’s pictures to find the photos I took of the nibs and writing samples. I had started my blog posts for my SU and WA nibs last year and I forgot to finish them. I hope to publish these over the next few weeks.

Jinhao Pens: Jinhao 159 with Fine nib and 82 with Extra Fine nibs

Pilot Pens: Pilot Custom 742 with SU (stub), WA (waverly), SF (soft fine), and PO (posting) nibs

Creating Sketches While Traveling

A couple of weeks ago, Hubby and I went on a trip. I made sure to set aside some time to figure out what art supplies I would pack and take with me for our adventure.

I thought about how I wanted to record this journey. Do I bring my watercolor paints and brushes? Or do I bring my fountain pens and inks? Or do I bring both?

I laid out my favorite supplies including my fave Maxpedition case and my new Rickshaw/Nock case. Based on my past traveling experiences I knew these would be the two cases to bring and it would be easy to figure out what supplies will fit in the cases.

After going back and forth between the two mediums, I knew I would not enjoy our trip if I could not decide what main art medium to use to capture our adventures. I decided it was best to bring my fountains pens and inks in my Maxpedition case. I used my Rickshaw case to carry just the essentials when I was out and about with my slender messenger bag.

I carried with me a slender A5 journal and wrote about our adventures each day. I was keeping a daily travel log. I found it was easier to write or jot down key points from our adventures as I sipped my coffee in the morning or while we sat in front of a fire pit enjoying the early evening weather.

I also included my A5 mixed media art journal for my pen & ink washes. Both journals fit inside my Lochby Field Journal.

Each day, I recorded objects and things that were easy to sketch. Sometimes I would have 5-15 minutes to quickly sketch something with my pencil or permanent pen.

In my two page spread (above), I created a variety of sketches from ideas in my head. Each object had Thunderstorm incorporated into the sketch which brought the sketches together or created a bit of harmony.

It was handy to have my Rickshaw case filled with my essential supplies as I was able to create quick sketches on the go. Yes, that meant I had to narrow down my choices to six inky colors to take with me.

Waterbrushes, Nahvalur Original Plus, Pilot Custom 823, Platinum Preppy (02), mechanical pencil, and TWSBI pens in my Rickshaw case

My Pilot Custom 823 was filled with Hailstorm. I used this ink for writing in my journals. It’s a dark green color that leans more towards blue.

For this trip, I decided to fill a Preppy with a permanent Grey ink color. I used this Preppy mostly for the outlines in my sketches. I do like using this lighter color for my outlines versus using the bold black Carbon ink color.

For my peach sketch, I did not have an orange ink color with me. I used Blood Rose and African Gold and blended/dabbed the colors a bit on my paper. Again, Thunderstorm makes another appearance in each of my sketching scenes.

Here’s an example of a quick sketch I created in my art journal. I had about ten minutes to sketch a few things and not enough time to add my fountain pen inky colors to all of my sketches. I find it’s okay to leave out the colors and add them back in for another day. I can also go back into my travel log and find other things to add to my sketch and add the colors when I have the time.

I know the pages in my art journal looks a bit bare and there are quite a few blank areas in between my sketches. They are my invisible placeholders for when I will go back and write a story about my adventures.

Pens: Pilot Custom 823 in Amber w/Fine nib. Nahvalur Original Plus in Melacara Purple w/Stub nib. Platinum Preppy (02) Extra Fine nib. TWSBI Swipe w/Stub nib. TWSBI GOs w/Stub nibs.

Inks: DeAtramentis Document Ink in Grey. Van Dieman’s Ink Hailstorm and Anna’s Hummingbird Wing (shimmer). Robert Oster Sydney Lavender, Steely Days, Melon Tea, African Gold, Blood Rose, Sydney Darling Harbour, and Thunderstorm.

Cases: Maxpedition Beefy Pocket Organizer in Olive Green. Rickshaw Nock Sinclair model R in Black/Aqua.

Other: Pentel Energize Mechanical Pencil with 0.7mm HB lead. Pentel Water Brushes with small and medium size tips.

Art Journal: Stillman & Birn softcover Alpha A5 (5.5″x8.5″)

Current Travel Fountain Pen Case

I brought a dozen of my artsy fountain pens with me in my Maxpedition case. I tried to cover the gamut of colors I would need to create my artwork. I used my Maxpedition case as my basic traveling “art case” to carry all of my art supplies including various water brushes in different sizes, swatch cards, paper towels, fountain pens, permanent fine line markers, and my portable watercolor palettes. I think of this as a “home base” case where I can pick and choose what supplies I want to use or take with me on the go. One day I might want to take my fountain pens with me. Another day I might want to take my watercolor paints with me.

To help me carry my essentials with me, I brought along my Rickshaw/Nock case to carry a few pens and accessories in a smaller bag. From the dozen fountain pens I brought with me, I had to narrow down my choice of colors to take on the go.

I’m able to stagger my pens in this case and zip it close. There’s a front pocket that could hold a slim journal or in my case, it conveniently holds my shop towels.

I bought this Rickshaw/Nock case a few months ago when Rickshaw was introducing this new case style with an awesome introductory price. I’m in love with this case!

Looking back, I should have bought another one in a printed fabric. Little did I know that I would fall head over heals with this case.

I’ve been sketching daily while on travel. Mostly carrying around my Rickshaw/Nock case with me. This comes in handy when I’m sitting at smaller tables and space is limited for me to spread out my case, journals, and pens.

Case: Rickshaw Nock Sinclair Model R in Black/Aqua.

Pens: Nahvalur Original Plus Melacara Purple (stub 1.1). Pilot Custom 823 Amber (Fine). Platinum Preppy 02 Extra Fine nib. TWSBI Go Stub 1.1 nib.

Inks: DeAtramentis Document Ink in Grey. Sailor Shikiori Tokiwa-Matsu. Robert Oster African Gold, Melon Tea, Blood Rose, Steely Days, Sydney Darling Harbour, and Thunderstorm

Other: Pentel water brushes in Small and Medium tips. Pentel Energize mechanical pencil with 0.7mm HB lead.

Happy New Year! Updated: a Permanent Ink & a New Journal

A few years ago, I had purchased a few bottles of DeAtramentis Document ink colors and used them for writing in my journals. I never thought about using them for creating outlines for my sketches. Until today.

I started with a pencil sketch and then sketched over my pencil lines with my Preppy filled with DeAtramentis Document Grey ink. I’m happy to report this ink performed well with my inky washes.

This is a neutral-grey ink color which creates lighter colored lines that are not as harsh as the Carbon black color. The ink dried quickly and when I applied my color wash over the ink it performed the same way as my Carbon ink.

I came across a new-to-me watercolor journal from Hahnemuhle. This white and slightly textured paper is 100% alpha-cellulose and it handled my fountain pens and inks brilliantly. This paper allowed me to create some lovely washes of color. I used quite a bit of water in my sketch and from the backside there was no ghosting or bleed through. Also, I did not experience any buckling or wrinkling in the paper while I was applying my inky washes.

This small journal contains 30 sheets of paper which makes it a thin journal. I can easily slip this into my slim messenger bag.

I placed my TWSBI strategically where I was supposed to write something about my sketching adventure. Some days I have no idea what to write and I’ll wait til the next day to write something while I’m sipping on my coffee.

The following picture shows the size of my journal in comparison to my fountain pens.

This Hahnemuhle journal has a stiff textured cover and an elastic band to wrap around the cover when it’s closed.

I have to mention the cover feels a bit rough. It’s definitely not going to slip out of my hand.

I purchased this smaller size journal to keep in my messenger bag for when I’m out and about and have an opportunity to create quick sketches. This could also be used to document my adventures while traveling.

I’m looking forward to a new year with new sketching adventures and new sketching prompts to share. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Permanent Ink: DeAtramentis Document Grey

Inks: Van Dieman’s Ink Morning Frost (shimmer). Robert Oster African Gold, Melon Tea, Sydney Lavender, Steely Days, Eucalyptus Leaf, Blood Rose (shimmer), and Thunderstorm.

Pens: TWSBI GOs with Stub 1.1 nibs. Platinum Preppy with 02 (EF) nib. Pilot Custom 823 Amber with Fine nib. Jinhao x159 Black with Fine nib.

Water Brush: Pentel Water Brush

Journal: Hahnemuhle Watercolor Book A6 (4.1″x5.8″) 200gsm, 30 sheets/60 pages

Swatch Card for September

I’ve been pulling out my fountain pens filled with shimmering inks and cleaning them out. A few have been in use since May and I thought it was time to rotate the colors out and try some new inks.

I used a 4″x6″ watercolor paper post card to create my swatch card. So far, this includes 19 inky colors I am currently using for this month. These inky colors reside in my TWSBIs, Pilot, Opus 88, Nahvalur, and Indy pens. That includes about a dozen TWSBI GOs.

I am still missing a few colors like a golden yellow which I will add to my currently inked collection in the next day or so.

I keep my swatch card with me in my art bag along with my fountain pens and inks. There are times when I forget what inky colors I have ready to go for my sketches or when I’m trying to find the right inky shade for a particular sketch.

Post Card: Tumuarta Watercolor Post Card 4″x6″ 140lb/300gsm cold press

Pens: turnt pen co “Grisham 13” in Peach Agate (Bob Dupras) with Fine nib. Pilot Custom 742 with Soft Fine <SF> nib. Nahvalur Original Plus in Melacara Purple with Stub nib.

My Inky Vials

Here’s a quick pen & ink sketch I created this morning. I’m in the midst of testing out some art papers for a project I’m working on and I drew a blank on what to sketch. I saw a few vials of ink sitting in a small glass jar and I thought this would be something quick and easy to complete.

I was wrong. I sketched the first vial on the left and had to leave to take my mom out and run a few errands. Four hours later I attempted to finish my sketch. My other vials were looking a bit out of proportion.

Did I mention we had lunch at Cava’s and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal? Maybe my happy tummy was making me feel a bit lethargic. Hahaha!

One thing about shooting a picture straight on is the lack of sparkly details. I had to take another picture from a different angle.

Pens: Copic Multiliner SP 0.1mm. Pilot Prera Red with Calligraphy Medium (CM) nib. TWSBI Swipe in Pear Green with Stub 1.1 nib. TWSBI GOs with Stub 1.1 nibs.

Inks: Colorverse Brane. Van Dieman’s Ink Morning Frost. Robert Oster Heart of Gold and Thunderstorm. Diamine Pink Glitz, Cocoa Shimmer, Vintage Copper, and Starlit Sea.

Paper: Hahnemuhle Watercolor Postcards 230g/m (105lbs) 4.1″x5.8″ cold press