Pilot Custom 845 Review: A Classic Black and Gold Flagship Fountain Pen

Introduction

Take the well-loved Pilot Custom 823, swap the vacuum filler for a cartridge-converter system, and you have a good idea of what the Pilot Custom 845 is all about. This is the standard version, not the far more expensive Urushi edition, and it positions itself as a classic Japanese flagship: a black and gold body, an oversized 18k gold nib, and Pilot’s excellent high-capacity converter. It is a pen that looks traditional, writes beautifully, and asks a serious amount of money for the privilege.

Availability is part of the story here. The standard Custom 845 has become genuinely difficult to find online, with examples on the secondhand and import market hovering around the $440 mark. The Urushi version sits closer to $900 and is typically sold as a North America exclusive through specialist retailers. This review focuses on the standard model and whether it earns its price.

Who This Pen Is For

The Custom 845 makes the most sense for writers who want a large, classic Japanese fountain pen with a gold nib and are happy with a converter filling system. If you prefer the traditional black-and-gold aesthetic over modern designs, and you value a wet, smooth writer over flashy innovation, this pen fits that brief almost perfectly.

It is less convincing for buyers who expect piston filling at this price point. A cartridge-converter pen is easy to clean and perfectly reliable, but some writers at this budget start expecting something more elaborate. Whether that matters to you is a matter of personal expectation rather than a flaw in the pen itself.

Design and Build Quality

The Custom 845 is a somewhat larger pen than it first appears, and it posts into a nicely sized writing instrument too. The barrel bulges gently in the middle before tapering down, and a small rib on the end ring helps the cap post very securely. The traditional Pilot clip carries the brand name and that familiar ball end; these clips are usually fairly stiff, but the ball lets them slip into pen cases easily.

The black and gold combination is about as traditional as fountain pen design gets, and Pilot executes it well. The finial is attractive, the engravings are tidy, and the overall impression is of a well-made, classic Japanese pen. It is worth noting that many versions of this pen ship with a bottle of ink, though what exactly comes in the box can vary depending on where and how you buy it.

The Number 15 Nib

Inside the cap sits Pilot’s number 15-sized nib in 18k gold, finished in an attractive two-tone style. The number 15 designation is Pilot’s own proprietary sizing rather than a feed measurement, but the practical takeaway is simple: this is a big nib. The section tapers down and flares slightly, with a plastic feed underneath.

The nib shape itself is one of Pilot’s quiet strengths. The shoulders flare out and then cut back sharply, which gives the nib a distinctive and pleasing silhouette. This example is a medium, and as with all Japanese nibs, grades typically run finer than their Western equivalents, so a Japanese medium lands closer to a Western fine.

The CON-70 Converter and Filling Experience

The Custom 845 uses Pilot’s CON-70 converter, one of the best high-capacity converters on the market. You submerge the nib in ink and press the plunger button repeatedly, and each press pumps ink up into the reservoir. Just looking at it, a good amount of that space is genuinely filled with ink, which translates to long sessions between refills.

The converter is also easy to remove and clean, which keeps the maintenance side of ownership pleasant. For writers who enjoy cartridge-converter pens but dislike small ink capacity, the CON-70 is arguably the strongest argument in favor of this filling system.

Writing Performance and Buying Advice

On paper, the Custom 845 is a genuinely nice writer. The medium nib lays down a wet, pleasant line, and the feed keeps up very well even with fast writing. There is a small amount of line variation to be squeezed out with careful pressure, though this is emphatically not a flex nib and should not be treated as one. Reverse writing is not really viable; the nib runs very dry upside down and the writing becomes hard to read back.

At around $440 on the import market, the main sticking point is value. This is a cartridge-converter pen, albeit one with a superb converter, comfortable grip, reliable performance, and careful construction. At this price, some buyers will expect a piston filler, and that is a fair expectation to weigh before purchasing. For those who simply want a classic, comfortable, well-made Japanese gold-nib pen and can find one at a reasonable price, the Custom 845 delivers exactly what it promises.

Conclusion

The Pilot Custom 845 is a classic-looking, comfortable, and reliable fountain pen with a large 18k gold nib, a wet and smooth writing character, and one of the best high-capacity converters available. Its main weakness is pricing: at roughly $440 for a converter-filling pen, it asks a premium that some writers will question, and scarcity makes it harder to find than it should be. If the black-and-gold flagship aesthetic appeals to you and the price aligns with your expectations, it is a pen that rewards daily use.