Pen Review: Revisiting the Pilot FA Nib, This Time on the Pilot Custom 743 Verdigris Green

Back in 2017, I reviewed Pilot’s FA nib on the Custom 912 fountain pen, and while I came away from that experience impressed with the amount of flex that the nib offered, I couldn’t use it as an everyday writer. Personally, I’ve never “chased flex” in fountain pens - either vintage or modern - as I’m not a calligrapher and I don’t typically draw or otherwise practice lettering. That said, I do occasionally enjoy a soft fountain pen nib, such as when I want to journal in cursive or explore different inks. I’ve already written about how much I enjoy the soft fine-medium from this year’s Custom 74 “Lavender Fog” North American Exclusive, and I’ve also come to appreciate the FA nib on the larger Custom 743.

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Pilot Custom 743 vs. Pilot Custom 912: Not the Same Nib

But isn’t Pilot’s FA nib the same on either pen? No. When we hosted our unfortunately-weather-abbreviated store event back in January, I had the opportunity to compare the FA nibs on the Custom 912 and Custom 743 side-by-side. Those who prefer a much softer and wetter writing experience closer to a true flex nib should opt for the Custom 912, whereas those who - like me - do more standard writing should probably choose the Custom 743. The two pens have different nibs, with the Custom 743 featuring a stiffer nib that also appears on the Pilot Custom 823.

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The top writing sample (in Sailor Ink Studio 670) was done with the Pilot Custom 743 FA nib. The bottom writing sample was done with a Custom 74 Lavender Fog with a Soft Fine Medium (SFM) nib, in Tono & Lims Deep Field Laniakea.

What I Enjoy About My FA Nib and How I Use It

I chose this pen, and the FA nib in particular, for several reasons. First of all, this Pilot Custom 743 is a North American exclusive in Verdigris Green, and I wanted to be sure to get one before they are inevitably discontinued. In my mind, this special pen needed a fun nib, and after trying the Custom 743 version of the FA, I knew that I’d be able to use it regularly, even if not as an everyday writer. I’ve had this pen inked for two months, and here’s how I’ve put it to work:

• Handwriting Improvement. One of this year's goals is to practice my cursive whenever I can, and it’s much more fun to do that with a nib that has some bounce to it and offers good line variation. With just light pressure, you can vary the line width of your up- and down-strokes, though I can’t overemphasize that like the “soft” nibs on the Pilot Custom 74, the FA nib should not be overflexed. It is possible to spring these nibs and cause irreparable damage. While I’ve not done any sort of scientific measurement, I would estimate that you can safely vary the line width on this pen 2-3 nib sizes (i.e., extra-fine to medium, or fine to broad).

• Exploring Ink. The other benefit to line variation is that it can bring out the special properties in fountain pen ink, especially shading and shimmer. I’ve never focused as much on ink as I have on pens and paper, but since I receive more questions on ink these days (particularly in-store), I’ve felt the need to broaden base of knowledge on how different inks work in different pens, and with different pen and paper combinations.

• Testing Paper. Similarly, in my line of work I need to know what kind of paper holds up well to wetter nibs, and how far I can push certain papers to the point where they will start to feather or bleed. You can really test just how “fountain pen friendly” certain paper is by pairing wet inks with soft nibs, even if sometimes the point of failure is well past what most people require for everyday use.

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Chasing Nibs and Not Necessarily Pens

I remarked in last week’s post that over time, the focus of my pen use/collecting has reoriented towards nibs rather than pens. Sure, it’s fun to collect a new custom material or a favorite model in a new color, but most of my personal purchases over the past two years have been driven by whether the nib offers a unique writing experience. My current collecting “grail” is to fill out a set of all the Pilot specialty nibs over time, in unique pens if possible. Recently I’ve added the FA pictured here, and I’ve also been loving the WA (Waverly) nib as a smooth everyday writer. Just wait until you read the recap from my upcoming trip to Japan, because this collection is about to get a lot bigger. :)

Further Reading

You can read more about the Pilot Custom Series, including different nib options, in this overview of the various Pilot “Custom” models. As we’ve grown our own store, we offer many of these Pilot pens directly, including certain Custom series models, and we have a couple of the Verdigris Green Custom 743s remaining in stock as of the time of publication.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come visit us at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee.

New Arrivals: Uni EMOTT Fineliner Sets in 12 Different Color Palettes

We’re fans of fineliners around here, mainly because they offer a softer writing experience that - like fountain pens - requires very little writing pressure. The problem? Unless you opt for refillable fineliners like the Tom’s Studio Lumos series or single-use options like the Kakimori Colour liners, it can be difficult to find many color options in markers designed for writing. Uni’s EMOTT series adds something new to the market, in that these .4mm fineliners are designed for a firmer feel and increased tip durability. Yes, you can use them for art and drawing, but they’re also excellent for writing and applications like planner layouts.

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The EMOTT’s .4mm fineliner tip.

We currently stock 12 different EMOTT fineliner sets, each with its own color palette. We also carry an expansive selection of other Uni pens and Uni pencils in our shop, including recently arrived restocks of the Uni Jetstream pens and the Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil.

We will be open normal hours this week in our Nashville shop, from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm Saturday. Stop by to see these and more in-person!

Sunday Reading for May 3, 2026

1. The TRAVELER’S 20th Anniversary Card Size Notebook Might Replace My Plotter Mini 5 (via dwrdnet). I’ve been carrying my own card-size notebook as a wallet, and do prefer it to the Mini 5 for that purpose. We’ll see how it holds up over time.

2. My Final William Hannah Unboxing (via Inkdependence). I’m so sorry to hear they are closing! Support those businesses you want to see succeed, because this is hard. WH offered a premium disc-bound notebook systems.

3. Lamy Noto Teal Ballpoint Pen Review (via Pen Addict). The Lamy Noto is an underrated ballpoint pen that delivers quality at a good price point. (Plus, you can pair it with the Lamy x Jetstream M17 refill….)

4. New Urushi: Wet & Wise Infinity Eight (via Figboot on Pens). David always manages to locate those smaller companies with unique offerings!

5. Benu Movie Star Fountain Pen (via Inky.Rocks). The Benu Haute line has caught my attention! While most of this line still has the signature Benu “flash”, but it’s somewhat understated in comparison with their other offerings.

6. Col-o-dex Update: 3 Years In (via Olive Octopus). Lisa swatches a lot of ink! Here she shows how she developed her process over time.

7. Emerging from Hibernation (via From the Pen Cup). “Harvesting for pencils” gets me every time.

In Case You Missed It….

This week we released Episode 8 of On The Paper Trail, where we checked in on our 2026 Planner and Notebook systems and talked about what’s working, what might not be working, and what needs to change. We also discuss additional details of our upcoming October event (Nashville, October 16-18!) and a trip to Japan we’re taking later this month. Yesterday I also published a T.G.S. 12th Anniversary Post discussing how my personal carry has changed over time, as I dump out my two current pen cases and walk through what I have inked up and how I use them. If you missed the earlier T.G.S. Anniversary posts, I previously discussed this year’s updates to the “Best Pens” list, as well as a post on 5 Fountain Pens Everyone Should Experience.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

Well, the BIG news from this past week was the release of the TWSBI ECO Rootbeer + Bronze fountain pens, which sold very quickly to the point where we may only have a single pen left as of the time of this post. We also received a huge box of Craft Design Technology products, including the new CDT x Pilot Frixion Highlighters, additional Frixion3 Multi Pens, and the CDT x NJK Pencil Sharpener Collaboration. Be sure to check out each week’s Thursday Drops post for up to date information on new releases and restocks, as well as other shop announcements.

Stop by our Nashville Shop and see these and more this week, in addition to shopping online. We are open from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday.

Uni EMOTT

Platinum Preppy Black

Zebra Mildliners

Taccia Ink

How YOu Can Support us further: AND SAVE THE DATE FOR OCTOBER 16-18, 2026 for On The paper Trail Live in Nashville!

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and special promotions, consider supporting us via Patreon. In addition to exclusive content, Discord access, and online meetups, Patreon supporters have access to one or more initial “practice” episodes of “On the Paper Trail” which have not been publicly released. Also, as we noted in yesterday’s post, we are planning an On The Paper Trail Weekend Event in Nashville the weekend of October 16-18, 2026! Stay tuned as we plan to release additional details in the coming weeks.

TGS 12th Anniversary: What's in Your Pen Case These Days?

“How has your everyday carry evolved over time?” Someone asked me this the other day, and it’s a good question to reflect on as I celebrate TGS’s 12th Anniversary. I’ve never really put that much thought into a specific “kit” outside of planning for trips - I typically ink up a combination of fountain pens based on what I feel like using for the next several weeks along with a handful of workhorse pens chosen based on my current projects and work schedule. However, I do think you can tell a lot about preferences with a simple “bag dump,” or here, a “pen case dump.” Today I plan to look through my “currently inked” lineup, with some added commentary on how my preferences have changed over time.

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From left: Pilot Custom 912 fountain pen, Laurett’s Ebonite Ballpoint, Ohto CR02, Pilot Custom 912, Lamy 2000, and Lamy Swift Rollerball. At bottom: Zebra Mildliners and Pilot Juice Up.

Pen Case No. 1: Rickshaw Fillmore 3+3

The first thing you’ll notice is that this six-slot pen case can actually hold a lot more than six pens. Like many people new to the hobby, when I started out I was strictly in the “one pen, one slot” category, but about five years in I stopped caring if the pens touched and/or developed minor scratches and dings. Nearly all of the pens I write with regularly are permanent companions that will not be sold or kept as investment pieces/collectibles. I let them develop their own scars. Sometimes this means I have more than one pen in a single slot, or I’ll carry multiple pens in the front pocket.

As an aside, I love the Rickshaw Fillmore for its ability to unzip all the way around and serve as a pen tray as well as a traditional pen case. In addition to the pen slots, one side contains a forward pocket that can hold a notebook, sticky notes, index cards, or more pens. Here’s what I’ve got in there right now:

1. Lamy Swift Capless Rollerball. One of the most underappreciated workorse pens, the Lamy Swift rollerball has a genuinely good capless refill, plus a retractable clip that recedes into the barrel when the tip is extended to prevent you from accidentally ruining your shirt pocket, bag, or pen case. The Lamy Swift is one of those subtly good pens that you will use without thinking about it - I find it in my hand all the time.

2. Laurett’s Waka Ebonite Ballpoint. Sometimes you can’t use a fountain pen, but you want to use a visually interesting pen that features a material like ebonite. As a regular ballpoint user, I was thrilled to discover these ebonite ballpoints from Japanese maker Laurett’s, which specializes in ultra fine knurling in applications from pens to automotive parts. Here, the knurling (i.e. ridges) on the ebonite barrel adds texture that gives the pen a nice grip.

3. Ohto CR02 Rollerball. For an everyday classic capped rollerball, it’s hard to do better than the Ohto CR02, and if the pen’s not your thing, the fine-tip refill is excellent. I always keep one of these pens with me for when I need a dark black ink, and it’s also a great pen to lend to someone to use in a meeting.

4. Pilot Custom 912 with PO (Posting) Nib. The most significant change that I’ve made in my fountain pen use over the years is to focus on nibs more than the pens themselves. I’ve accordingly found myself drawn to pens like Pilot’s Custom 912, which features multiple 14k nib options that include many specialty grinds. The PO (Posting) nib is an ultra-extra fine nib that I love for planning and annotation. Currently inked with Bungubox Dandyism.

5. Pilot Custom 912 with WA (Waverly) Nib. My latest discovery is Pilot’s WA (Waverly) nib, which features a slightly upturned tip designed to write smoothly from multiple angles. Reminiscent of those vintage Sheaffer “Touchdown” nibs from the 1960s and 1970s, the Waverly nib make an excellent everyday writer and I’ve had this one inked up through multiple fill cycles. I currently have it inked up with an orange multi-shading Sailor Ink Studio ink, though I don’t have the exact number since it came from a sample I pulled from a friend.

6. Lamy 2000 (Standard Black Makrolon - Fine Nib). Yes, there will always be at least one inked-up Lamy 2000 in my pen case. I’ve made no secret over the years that I love everything about the design of this pen, and the nib style fits my handwriting well. Inked up with a special ink that you all will hear about very soon. :)

7. In The Pocket: 2 Zebra Mildliners and a Pilot Juice Up (Examples). I generally have a handful of highlighters and colorful gel pens in the Fillmore’s center pocket, again for planning and annotation. The specific brand/color/model rotates out fairly regularly, and honestly depends mostly on what’s sitting at my desk when I pack my pen case in the morning. This week it’s been two Zebra Mildliner dual-tip highlighters and a Pilot Juice Up with the excellent .4mm Synergy Tip.

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Pen Case No. 2: Nagasawa Kip Leather Five-Pen Zippered Case

I take my Fillmore nearly everywhere I go, but I keep another five-pen case packed with pens that I use mainly for journaling and more introspective writing sessions. Sometimes this case will go with me in my bag, other times it lives at my desk at home, depending on where I’m doing my writing. These pens are a mix of practical workhorses for longer writing sessions and “fun nib and ink combinations”. If you think this case is heavy on Pilot, you would be correct.

1. Pilot Custom Heritage 92. My clear demonstrator of choice at the moment. A cross between the Pilot Custom 74 and the Custom 912, the Custom Heritage 92 is one of Pilot’s only piston-filler offerings, and in my opinion it’s one of the smoothest pistons out there. When I re-ink this one, I may choose a brighter ink to showcase the transparency and excellent finish, but for now it’s inked up with Taccia Kuniyoshi Uguisu-Cha, a dark tea-green. For those who will ask, yes, I wish I had kept my transparent orange Custom Heritage 92 with a Fine Medium.

2. Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Fog with SFM (Soft Fine Medium) Nib. Pilot’s fine medium nibs are usually available only in Japan, so when they brought the soft version to the U.S. market with this year’s North American exclusive release, I was all-in. This one is inked with KWZ Brown-Pink, and if you’re interested in a soft nib, please read the review above before buying one and trying to “flex” it.

3. Pilot Custom 743 with FA (Falcon) Nib. I wanted to grab one of the North American Exclusive Verdigris Custom 743s before they went out of stock, and I opted for a fun FA nib that sort-of-flexes-but-not-really. If you’re looking for vintage-style flex, you will find the FA too stiff, but if you’re instead looking for a nib that adds line variation to your cursive and is capable of showcasing shimmer, shading, and sheen, the FA Nib on the 743 can be a lot of fun for more creative journaling and handwriting practice. This one is inked with yet another Sailor Ink Studio ink that I received as a friend sample and lost the number. It’s a nice legible yellow green.

4. Pilot Custom 823 with Medium Mark Bacas Blade Nib. My journaling workhorse, the Custom 823 is a candidate for my upcoming international trip due to the vacuum filling system that utilizes a shutoff valve to prevent ink leaks on an airplane. This pen started life as a medium nib but was modified by Mark Bacas to a blade grind (an early variation on a Kodachi/Naginata). Inked with standard Pilot Namiki Black, a reliable standard ink for when you want to write without distraction.

5. Bonecrusher 7 Studios Fountain Pen with Matthew Chen Fine Stub. This pen may be my favorite purchase from this year’s initial round of pen shows. I usually post my pens, but the shape and length of this one gives it almost perfect balance. Matthew ground the nib for me to a slightly oblique stub nib, which is also inked with Bungubox Dandyism and is almost empty since I’ve used this pen for several extended journaling sessions.

The pen case shown here is a simple five-pen zippered case acquired from Nagasawa at the 2026 California Pen Show. Nagasaw Kip Leather features a rare combination of softness and durability - despite how supple this leather case is, it’s survived multiple trips in my bag without scuffs or scratches.

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I may only travel with two pens going (as opposed to coming home). These two are prime candidates.

Guess What? I’m Going to Japan Later This Month!

Lisa and I talked about this upcoming trip a little bit in the latest On The Paper Trail Episode (and it will be a bigger topic of discussion next week), but I am actively thinking about my stationery carry for a two-week international trip where the sole purpose of the trip is…well, stationery. As I mentioned in Episode 8, I plan on “splurging” on some pens while I’m over there, so my outbound carry will be light: maybe one or two pens to use on the plane and a LOT of extra case capacity to bring stuff home. Stay tuned!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come visit us at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee.

Thursday Drops: New Arrivals from Craft Design Technology, EMOTT Fineliners, and 40+ Zebra Mildliners!

Is this week’s theme markers and highlighters? Maybe so. I teased that a bit with my Mildliner reference in Episode 8 of On The Paper Trail (released yesterday!). We have 40+ different colors of Zebra’s signature dual-tip highlighters, to complement the ultra-precise Pilot Kiri-Na and a recent shipment of Pilot Frixion highlighters that are a collaboration with Craft Design Technology.

Speaking of, we’ve received a full restock of Craft Design Technology products, including old favorites as well as new arrivals. All CDT multi pens are once again available, as well as the Frixion highlighters and the new NJK Pencil Sharpeners. Last but not least, the Platinum Preppy “Black Edition” is here!

See these and more in-person! Come visit us in our Nashville store this weekend from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday.

1. Zebra Mildliners (40+ Colors!). We now carry Zebra’s popular “Mildliner” highlighters in 40+ different colors. Mildliners are known for their soft color palette and dual tips, with both a traditional “chisel-tip” highlighter and a finer marker for fine highlighting and annotations.

2. Uni EMOTT .4mm Fineliners Sets. The “EMOTT” fineliners are designed to deliver consistent line widths and to minimize wear and breakage on the top. Available in dozens of colors, we’ve chosen 12 different five-marker sets, which come with a small stand that allows you to keep them at the ready on your desk or even when you travel.

3. Platinum Preppy Black Edition. This limited/special edition Platinum Preppy release was a bit of a sleeper. Platinum has released its popular Preppy fountain pen in black. Each nib size has a different color writing on the barrel.

4. Craft Design Technology x NJK Long-Point Pencil Sharpener. CDT partnered with one of my favorite stationery companies, NJK, to create a custom version of their classic long-point pencil sharpener.

5. Craft Design Technology x Camel Wood Pencil Set. Need something to sharpen with your new CDT/NJK sharpener? Camel pencils feature the integrated eraser that sits flush with the barrel, and their graphite features an excellent combination of darkness and point retention.

6. Craft Design Technology x Pilot Frixion Highlighters. Over the years, Pilot has added multiple product categories to its Frixion line, including highlighters. The three markers that CDT has chosen here (yellow, blue and grey) are quite visible, and are available either individually or as a set of three.

7. Craft Design Technology x Pilot Frixion3 Multi Pen. We get regular requests for a Frixion multi pen, so guess what? The CDT Frixion3 is back. This is a sharp looking pen with its dark green barrel, a CDT signature.

8. Craft Design Technology A5 and A6 Memo Pads. While the mint green is (obviously) the most popular, there’s always a cream-colored paper option for you purists. These notepads feature a very small grid, but not quite as fine as Kleid.

9. Craft Design Technology Memo Roll Sticky Notes. Count me a fan of these sticky notes that come in a roll format and which you can cut down to the exact size you need. They’re also movable at least a few times, meaning that they can be peeled up and moved around as necessary.

10. Updated Correspondence Cards and Letter Sets. We’ve refreshed our stock of notecards and letter sets to include new Belle & Union icons, Graphilo letter pads, and more!