Pilot 823 only option at 200-400EUR range?
Hi all, facing a dilemma here - not an impulse thing but wanted to get some opinions.
Currently I own and use for writing: *LAMY Safari Umbra <M> - its a backup, not a fan as it dries very quickly *TWSBI Diamond 580 Clear <F> - best overall, see below *Pilot Custom Heritage 92 Blue <F> - superior experience to the 580 in every way but thinner nib annoys me so I tend to reach for TWSBI often (my mistake of not comparing Pilot F sizes)
In reality, bottom two are used daily, and I'm looking to add a 4th soon. Here I'm facing a dilemma as the price range of 200-400 EUR doesn't offer anything new in reality, just more choice of non-plastic body + gold nib combos. Of those, there are some I dislike either visually (LAMY 2000, Diplomat Aero), functionally (Pelikan M400 size) or otherwise (Waterman Carene, coming from a generic conglomerate company). Few others I liked go above the price range, e.g. Pelikan M600 which is about 400-500 EUR, Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age 800-900 EUR (+nib inconsistency).
So basically its down to whether I want a Pilot Custom 823. It seems as a natural step seeing I don't re-ink often (which is its downside), and capacity+mechanism+material all add up to my expectation, plus the 92 F -> 823 M "switch" should cover the only disadvantage I have in the 92.
Am I missing something in this range worth a look? Thanks!
Posted Jul 11, 2026, 1:14 PM UTC