PILOT pens

Let me first try to clear up the confusion about the nib sizes available. The Japanese 'F' designation is actually like a western xx-fine nib. The 'M' is like a typical western fine nib. 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.

"Many thanks for my Pilot 78G in Cinnabar Red which arrived recently: it writes superbly smoothly, thanks.
I am sure to your ministrations before dispatch!"
M. F., Bromley, UK

"Just wanted to say thank you Mr. Haase. I'm now a very happy owner/user of a Pilot 78G. I thought I'd let you know that with a bit of patience, even a lefty can use the B nib, no problems. I've loaded it up with Noodler's Marine Green, and I just couldn't wait to start writing holiday season greeting cards! I've attached a picture just so you could see it can be done, please excuse the poor penmanship and photography though...I just love this pen! Thank you for your note with the writing samples."
B. B. Valdosta, GA

"The Pilot pens arrived safely and I'm very pleased with their performance. Thank you very much for an extremely positive shopping experience. I very much appreciate your handwritten note. I must say that I'm a convert. I'm going to try to spread the gospel of fountain pens to my family. I hope to be a repeat customer soon.
H. M., Silver Spring, MD

"Norm, the Pilot pens arrived today and I am most pleased. They are everything you described them to be and more. Also, I am sincerely impressed as to the way you handle your product, your customer, your business. Most PROFESSIONAL. Your handwritten note really touched me and said it all so very well. Though you may be nearing extinction as one who takes pride in his vocation, Keep It Up! I'm thankful I have lived long enough to now be able to point to your way of doing business as the best example. To be sure, as soon as I obtain the resources, I'll be ordering more pens from you. Thanks for all you do and the way you care.
T. G., Clinton, MS

"Norm, I have been trying out my new Pilot for the last 2 weeks and dubbed it my Ever ready. Unlike my much more expensive Parker 75, the Pilot lays down a nice line of ink every time I take off its cap---no coaxing, no shaking, no licking the tip to get it started."
J. K., Evergreen Park, IL

"Norman, the pens arrived and are wonderful. The Duke is a Gorgeous pen and an incredibly smooth writer (given your adjustments), the ink flow is perfect for me! The Pilot is an incredible value, the stub nib writes wonderfully and it seems to be a great value in an everyday writer. I believe I remember that it comes in a BB nib as well, if so I will be ordering one. I love stub nibs and the nib is what makes that pen a great piece. Thanks for your prompt service. Till next time...."
A. R., Huntington, NY

"By the way, the Pilot pen in my last order has been a true pleasure to write with. I really believe the additional service you provide of checking every nib is a tremendous plus. I very much like the idea of taking the pen out and start writing immediately, without the surprise of a bad (poorly tuned) nib. Many thanks."
M. B., Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

"The pen arrived yesterday. WOW what a great writer. I now have a new favorite pen. Your charming note convinced me that I'll enjoy the Fine just as much as the Broad, so I'll be ordering one sometime in the next few weeks. Thank you for your great service!"
J. R., Charlottesville, VA

"Norman - I just wanted to let you know that my package has arrived. The 78G Fine is every bit as sweet and smooth as all the fellow FPN board members have claimed. The lineweight is also perfect. I just LOVE IT.
Thanks for your great service for a small order like mine and I would surely order from you again."
K. L., Washington, D.C.

"Hello Norman, delighted with the pen which arrived today. As you know, I'm a great fan of italic writing and its not at all easy to find pens with nibs as good as these, and at a bargain price. Thanks again."
R. W., Glasgow, Scotland

"Hi Norman, the pens are excellent! I received the package about a week ago, but actually tried them yesterday. The delivery took about a week. My kids and I are delighted, the writing is smooth and effortless. Those Pilot pens are pure pleasure, mini Torpedo is a blast! Mini torpedo is pleasantly heavy and sits nicely in the hand. Posting is not a problem at all, I mean, once you know the trick. Many many thanks!"
B. R., Nepean, Canada

"Dear Norman, thank you for filling my order for the Pilot 78G (B). I have used it many times since receiving it and I am thrilled at how well it works. At such a low price, it's quite a value. I'm planning to order the BB in a few weeks.
J. H., Fort Wayne, IN

"Hi Norman! I received my newest treasure from you, Forest Green, Fine nib, Pilot 78G, and have been happily journaling, and note taking with this amazing little pen. Thanks to your fine tuning, this pen skates nicely across my paper (Apica notebooks, Levenger Notabilia, and for good measure a little pocket sized moleskine square ruled journal) The ink flow is just right for me and I can say that this pen will be one of my 'go to pens' and see a lot of use. Thanks so very much for your great nib skills and light speed shipping!...In the palace of Hisnibs.com, the Pilot 78G shines as bright as any gemstone and guided by your handiwork, it can truly be called a jewel among pens. Could you tell I really like the pen?"
R. L., Spokane, WA

"Today I've been writing with my Pilot 78G--it's my favorite pen! I also own a vintage Pelikan 100N, a Sailor Sapporo, 2 Pelikan 200s, two vintage Watermans, and a Conway Stewart Dandy, among many others.
B. T., Troy, AL

"Norman, my Pilot 78G has arrived! This pen is everything the reviews said it was, great line variation, smooth nib, easy to write with. etc,. I filled it with Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue and could not believe how beautiful this little pen writes, it really brings some personality to my handwriting. It arrived 2 days after it was ordered, and I really appreciate the handwritten note you enclosed with the writing samples of the other nibs. Personal service like this is hard to find, and I will be purchasing from you again in the near future. Thanks again."
R. S., Olmos Park, TX

"Norman, just wanted to let you know that after a few weeks of use, the Pilot 78G has become my favorite everyday pen. The combination of size, weight and nib fit exceptionally well with my needs. Thanks for recommending it. I'm also sold on the Private Reserve ink. I'll be back for more."
B. C., Wheeling, WV

"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

"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

"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.

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~~    Sold out

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, or even xx-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!