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heath
September 4th, 2013, 10:09 AM
5169

So, if I hadn't started off with Lamy’s I would have been more than happy to have started off with this pen. It has more range for me in one pen setup than most of my other pens and it has the ability to be setup as an eyedropper if I decide to go that way.

Pilot is a big player in the fountain pen market and this pen of theirs seems to have been one of the main pens people put on a basic first pen/cheap pen list. They have since replaced this pen with the Pilot Metropolitan which I hope to get at some point but the broad/Italic on this pen is what helped me choose it first. This pen, the Pilot 78G is a discontinued pen but still has wide availability, as of this post, on ebay. The Metro is widely available and is under $20 shipped on Amazon.com.

I’m not going to go over all the ins and outs of this pen but I’ll post some pictures and writing samples.

I will say that, with the broad nib I ordered it with, It has the best overall look for everyday writing if I want a bit of flair. It’s not the variance of a flex nib but its a broad/italic mix. For the price, around $10 shipped for me, it’s a solid round one pen.

My review with image gallery: http://heathcates.com/2013/pilot-78g/

KrazyIvan
September 4th, 2013, 11:05 AM
I really enjoy mine. I have not measured the nib but it has to be smaller than a Lamy 1.1 mm. This last ink fill though, I had an accident. Not sure what happened. I went to use it after a couple of day of it being in my pen case and there was ink all over the nib and inside the cap. :( I cleaned it out but have not had a chance to see what the problem is. I am hoping that it was just me not installing the converter correctly.

heath
September 4th, 2013, 11:28 AM
This last ink fill though, I had an accident. Not sure what happened. I went to use it after a couple of day of it being in my pen case and there was ink all over the nib and inside the cap. :( I cleaned it out but have not had a chance to see what the problem is. I am hoping that it was just me not installing the converter correctly.

I haven't had that issue with this pen but I have had the same issue with my Ahab. If I carry it around all day there is always ink in the cap.

Sailor Kenshin
September 26th, 2013, 07:11 AM
Thanks for the review. I haven't yet experienced the 'ink-splosion,' but there's always a first tiem, and my pens stay desk-bound for the most part.

dr.grace
September 26th, 2013, 02:31 PM
The two I bought (from different sources) both developed major ink leaks. Replacing the converters did not stop the leak. I converted them successfully to eyedroppers, so the leaks were probably related to the way the converter seats with the section. In the end, I stopped using them because the nibs were toothy. Not worth buying, in my opinion.

heath
September 26th, 2013, 05:11 PM
The two I bought (from different sources) both developed major ink leaks. Replacing the converters did not stop the leak. I converted them successfully to eyedroppers, so the leaks were probably related to the way the converter seats with the section. In the end, I stopped using them because the nibs were toothy. Not worth buying, in my opinion.

I'm still loving mine and as for the nib (mine is Broad) it is one of the smoothest nibs I have. I would not put anyone off this pen for that particular reason. That being said, if you're looking for a decent cheap M nib pen for EDC I'd definitely go with the Metropolitan.

fncll
September 26th, 2013, 07:47 PM
I love the 78G B and BB, though the latter needed some tweaking to get the flow right. Still, worth every penny IMO. I haven't had any converter leaks yet (crossed fingers).

mhphoto
October 4th, 2013, 04:41 PM
I've got two, one B and one M, and neither have leaked, though I wouldn't be at all surprised if they started. Not a big fan of that converter.

ThirdeYe
October 24th, 2013, 08:20 AM
I had one with the broad stubby nib and enjoyed how smooth it was, but it was too dry and I ultimately ended up selling it.

Sailor Kenshin
October 24th, 2013, 08:37 AM
Awwww....did you try S. Brown's trick to 'Waverly-ize' it? That worked for my dry 78G Medium.

boerenkool
December 24th, 2013, 10:23 AM
Contrary to what many people seem to think, the 78G does not appear to actually be out of production. They may not be imported to all markets anymore, but they are still being made. New ones are readily available through a number of sellers.

kaisnowbird
December 24th, 2013, 04:25 PM
The two I bought (from different sources) both developed major ink leaks. Replacing the converters did not stop the leak. I converted them successfully to eyedroppers, so the leaks were probably related to the way the converter seats with the section. In the end, I stopped using them because the nibs were toothy. Not worth buying, in my opinion.

My experience agrees with Dr Grace. My broad nib 78G was temperamental and toothy, very frustrating.

79spitfire
December 24th, 2013, 05:24 PM
I have one of these, and the nib is incredibly smooth, makes ballpoints seem 'toothy'

heath
December 24th, 2013, 08:33 PM
Contrary to what many people seem to think, the 78G does not appear to actually be out of production. They may not be imported to all markets anymore, but they are still being made. New ones are readily available through a number of sellers.

The ones on ebay do appear to be new so that makes sense but I will say that even if these are still in production it appears in the west that they have been intentionally been replaced by the Metropolitan.