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Pilot 78G

 


click on photos to enlarge
Need bottled ink or refills?


 

Let me first try to clear up the confusion about the nib sizes available. The Japanese 'F' designation is actually like a western x-fine nib. The 'M' is like a typical western fine nib. Finally, the 'B' nibs are actually cut as stub/italic nibs -- as you can see in the photo above -- and they produce lovely, shaded writing. I don't have an exact measurement of the 'B' nibs, but the thicker downstroke line would be similar to a western light-medium or medium.
 

"I received the pen yesterday, and I must say, it was worth it. I've been playing with it since, and it's stays on me wherever I go. I thought it was a shame that I write ugly with something so fun to write with, so I've decided to improve my handwriting... Thanks so much!"
I. S., Champaign, IL

"I wanted to let you know that after using the pen daily I am very happy with it. The 78g B nib is smooth and gives me the line variation I have been looking for. Thanks for the great service."
J. H., Rockwood, TN

Hi Norman, I got the pen today.  The postman tried to deliver on Friday, but no one was home to sign for the package, so I had to wait until today to get to the post office.  It's probably a good thing; if I had had the pen over the weekend, not much would have gotten done around here.  So I played with the pen all day at work, grabbing one type of paper after another to try it out. In a nutshell, I'm so impressed at the quality of the nib in a $25 pen.  Of course, I know that you also take a look at the nibs before you send a pen out.   I wasn't able to do the usual wash-up the nib business at the office, so I inked it with the Midnight Blues I got from you.  First time I put it to paper, I had a line!  Norm, I'm still trying to get a decent line from my $120 Waterman Carene.  Maybe I should sell the Carene and get four/five more of these?  And it's a nice looking and very comfortable pen to hold....Thanks very much, Norm!  It's always a pleasure to buy a pen from HisNibs.com. J. L., Atlanta, GA

"Hi Norm, I received the pen yesterday, and I must say, it was worth it. I've been playing with it since, and it's stays on me wherever I go. I thought it was a shame that I write ugly with something so fun to write with, so I've decided to improve my handwriting... Thanks so much!"

I. S., Champaign, IL

"Norman, Received the Pilot 78G "M" nib in the mail this morning. Inked the FP with Noodler's Hunter Green. The nib is very smooth and the pen weighs almost nothing. Have been using the pen most of the day taking notes at work. It is a very good pen for the money.  Thank you for the fast service."
D. J., Martinsville, IN

"Received my order in good time and have tried out two of them already.  The Pilot with the B nib is great, especially for your price.  Works good for me, as I am a left handed writer. I have also tried the Wing Sung and it is the first fine nib I have tried that works for me as a lefty.  I have avoided fine nibs because they
normally do not work for my left hand but this one is great. Many thanks for "fixing up" the nibs."

R. H., Dixon, IL

"The Pilot 78G is the M-14 of pens. Not the biggest boomstick or with the most bling, but dependable and perfect as an everyday carrying piece."
D.O., Pensacola, FL

"Hi Norman,  I got the pen today.  The Pilot 78G is really a good pen, the best Italic I have ever used.  I have written enough to get used to it.  Now it will get a workout,  because I do calligraphy and Italic lettering."
R. S., Council Bluffs, IA

"Norman, Just a note to let you know that I got the Pilot 78G with "B" nib sometime ago.  The instrument is a real pleasure to write with, so much so that I find myself using it for normal, everyday use.  It may seem
small in comparison to my other pens but it really is comfortable in my hands."
C. B., military address

"A couple of months ago, I ordered a Pilot 78 from you.  After considerable use, I just wanted to write and add my voice to the chorus of praise for this pen.  It's a marvelous little daily writer, made all the more desirable by your attractive pricing.  The nib is smooth with a hint of flex and I find the ink flow to be just right -- not to much nor too little.  It's an attractive pen, looking much richer than it's actual cost.  And it is incredibly light.  It's one of a handful of pens I write with the cap on. Just to let you know, Pilot / Namiki cartridges fit this pen perfectly." D. H., Gainesville, GA

"I just received the Pilot stub nib. Very nice. It's easier to use for ordinary writing than a calligraphy italic nib." S.C., Clifton, NJ

"I  received the pens today. The 237-1 Accountant pens are very good writers, and the Pilot 78G pen with a fine nib point is simply terrific - a very smooth and capable writing instrument!! I also wish to thank you for the handwritten note using a variety of nibs and inks - much appreciated." C. S., Zabbar, Malta

"Norman, I just wanted to let you know that I received my pens on Wednesday and I was very pleased with them! Especially the Pilot, it's the best pen that I've ever bought for less than $30. The nib on it is buttery smooth! Plus your shipping was lightning fast and very reasonable. I will definitely be ordering from you again!" Josh Haney, New Castle, IN

"Hi, Norman - These Pilots really and truly are terrific pens. I've been using them and the [Hero] 329 exclusively for almost a month and it's all good! Haven't touched my Pelikans and old Parkers in quite a while...Thanks a million."
C. D., Berkeley, CA

"Boy, for the price you can't beat this little guy, can you. Love the look of the line the nib lays down [referring to 'B' nib]. Very light and very simple and elegant. Thanks so much!"
K. C., Lincoln, NE

"Hi Norman, I have received the Pilot 78G pens and they are lovely!  What great little writers, and such good value. :D The nibs are amazingly smooth and super-fine, one of the nicest nibs I've ever come across [referring to 'F' nib].  I'm kicking myself for not ordering a dark green one too! Let me know if you ever see more!" 
LMY, Gladstone, Australia

"Thanks! I received the Pilot 78G today and inked it with Private Reserve Black Cherry. It's a very fine line [referring to 'F' nib] (almost as fine as the Hero 237-1 XF) and a shockingly smooth writer. Very solid and
well-made too, it has a nice weight for a plastic pen. Very nice!"

M. M., Salt Lake City, UT


One of my suppliers in China came across these lovely, mid-sized fountain pens from Pilot of Japan. He believes that the 78G is a discontinued model, which would make these NOS (new, old stock). In any case, he sent me a sample of one a couple of months ago, and I've been putting it through its paces ever since, and I'm very happy with the results and my experience using the pen.

Customer review on FPN and here and here and here

 

Pilot 78G Forest Green FP 'F' x-fine nib    $25.00  
Pilot 78G Forest Green FP 'M' fine nib     $25.00
Pilot 78G Forest Green FP 'B' stub/italic nib    $25.00

 

Pilot 78G Jet Black FP 'F' x-fine nib     $25.00
Pilot 78G Jet Black FP 'M' fine nib     $25.00
Pilot 78G Jet Black FP 'B' stub/italic nib     $25.00

 

Pilot 78G Cinnabar Red FP 'F' x-fine nib    $25.00
Pilot 78G Cinnabar Red FP 'M' fine nib    $25.00
Pilot 78G Cinnabar Red FP 'B' stub/italic nib    $25.00

 

Pilot 78G Teal FP 'F' x-fine nib    $25.00
Pilot 78G Teal FP 'M' fine nib    $25.00
Pilot 78G Teal FP 'B' stub/italic nib    $25.00

These are acrylic pens, so very light-weight. One can therefore write for hours without any fatigue. They measure 5-1/8" capped and 5-3/4" posted. The clip says 'Pilot' near the bottom and the wider of the two cap rings is interrupted on the back of the cap with 'Japan'.

The cap itself screws onto the barrel and when removed reveals the gold-plated steel, spear-shaped nib. As mentioned above, the 'F' nib is equivalent to a western x-fine, the 'M' nib to a western fine, and the 'B' is actually a stub/italic.

 

         

These nibs are marked "Pilot Super Quality Japan M", with each word engraved vertically down the nib (it's a little hard to make out in my photo). Interestingly, the ink-overflow combs of the feed underneath the nib run parallel to the length of the nib, unlike the usual transverse arrangement. I can say that they work just as well .

Unscrewing the section from the barrel displays the pump or squeeze style of filler for bottled ink.

 

 

 

IMPORTANT SERVICE NOTE: Every nib that ships from His Nibs is closely examined under high magnification and tuned or adjusted if needed. About 85% of modern nibs need some adjustment out-of-the-box from the manufacturer for an optimal writing experience. Most commonly, the tines of the nib are misaligned -- which would cause scratchiness at the minimum; the slit between the tines is partially or fully closed -- which would starve the nib of ink and at best cause skipping; or the slit between the tines is too wide -- which will either again cause skipping, or conversely, flooding. There are other factors  -- such as separation of the nib from the feed -- that are inspected and repaired before any pen leaves the Palace.

The only 100% guarantee of course comes when the pen is actually filled with ink and written with for the first time, but our pre-shipping inspections and tunings have eliminated 99.99999 (my finger is getting tired) of the frustrations that a customer experiences when first using a new fountain pen. Although this can be time-consuming on occasion, it affords our customers a much more pleasant experience when receiving a fountain pen from His Nibs -- and saves us the frustration of dealing with returns!

 

Ordering Procedures & Returns

International customers, please note, we will not falsify shipping documents

Credit cards, for the quickest fulfillment of your order, are accepted through PayPal, a secure site allowing you to use your credit card without us even seeing the information. If you'd like to make use of this credit card service, please let us know when you email your order and address, and we'll email you the appropriate Request for Payment, and instructions for the simple payment procedure (you don't need to join PayPal to use it).

                                                                                               

If you would like us process your credit card directly instead, then please email us:

1. Card # (dividing this number in two, between two emails, will ensure security)
2. Expiration date
3. Name on card
4. Address for billing statement
5. Card verification # (3-digit number printed on the back of your card. It appears after and to the right of your card number, or 4-digit number on the front of your AMEX card).
 

If you'd rather pay by money order or check, kindly make payable to:

His Nibs.com
  2540 W. Union Street
  Allentown, PA 18104

We ship via insured Priority Mail
(email for cost)

 

 

Please send your order and shipping address (along with any questions) to:

orders@hisnibs.com
(on PayPal transactions, the email address may also display as stonebri@sprynet.com -- both are valid)

We will email you back with your order total (PA residents please add 6% sales tax)

 

Warranties and returns

If an item proves to be defective, in most cases the manufacturer's warranty will apply. However, please email us first so that we can determine the easiest way to resolve the problem to your satisfaction. In the case of fountain pens -- which are a bit more individualistic than other writing instruments -- what may at first appear to be a defect (hard starting or poor flow for example), can in almost all cases be resolved with a few simple 'tweaks' to the nib, which we'll be happy to guide you through or perhaps suggest returning to us for adjustment.

Should you wish to return a non-defective item within 3 days of receipt because it doesn't suit you for some reason, again please email us and we'll arrange an exchange, credit or refund (minus any shipping/insurance charges), if the item is returned in an 'as new' condition. If you've dipped a fountain pen to try its writing characteristics, kindly clean off any ink residue prior to shipping -- to save us both a nasty surprise .

We want you to be happy with your purchase from His Nibs.com and hope to have you join the ranks of our many long-term, repeat customers!

 

Revised: September 7th, 2008

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All images and products on this site are trademarks, registered trademarks and/or copyright of their respective
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