The Pilot FA Nib Vs The Pilot Falcon Nib

There's a fountain pen called the Pilot Falcon. There are other Pilot pens with Falcon nibs, but they're not the same. It can be confusing, but Brian's here to set the record straight so that you know what's what!

LINKS TO PRODUCTS FEATURED:

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
1:25 Pilot Falcon Explained
5:54 FA Falcon Nib
9:50 Which one should you buy?

ABOUT GOULET PENS:

FOLLOW US:

[joshhakey]

I know some may say this video wasn't necessary with how much it has come up and been talked about, but I'm so glad to have this as a standalone reference, rather than trying to remember which "first look" or which pencast episode it came up in, etc.

[stormsigma]

Great video! The one problem I would say that the Falcon has is that its tiny ink capacity works against it heavily for as good as this thing writes. I have the Falcon in a gorgeous smooth, bouncy, soft-medium nib and it's just perfect. However, a day of jotting notes at work, and I've gone through 90% of the converter, so I have to refill it that night. I carry other fountain pens with me so I don't get caught out, because I've written this thing dry in a couple work days before. I can only imagine how quickly a soft broad nib equipped Falcon would be written dry. So anyone wanting one of these, keep that in mind.

[Ambereldus]

Your comments about each nib's ideal writing angle were really helpful! I write with a shallow angle, and several pens that I own have nibs that only perform well at angles too steep for my comfort. I'd love to see you mention writing angles if they're relevant in future product videos.

[Joey-gpgg]

This is SUPER helpful! Thanks Brian!

New Grail Unlocked:
Metal Falcon

[abyss]

The FA nibs on the Custom 743 (and 742) are paired with a better feed for faster writing. I did have to replace the feed for my Custom Heritage 912 to get it to a more acceptable state for my writing, but it's still a great nib. However, if you want an FA nib over a Falcon, definitely go with the 743/742 as you don't have to then buy a custom ebonite feed.

[sandrakingsley]

Thanks Brian for explaining the difference between the Falcon pen and Falcon nib. I have had the Pilot Metal Falcon in burgundy extra fine for some time and am really happy with it. It gives me just the amount of line variation that I want.

[majajamie]

Thanks, Brian, as always for your clear, concise and engaging YouTube videos! 👍This one helped with my decision-making re: which nib might suit me best.

Thanks for another fantastic video. I have a Metal Falcon with the broad nib for a couple of weeks now, and must admit that I am absolutely thrilled by this fountain pen.

[March]

I love my falcons but it’s great to have an understanding of the two nibs. Thank you!

[biezeps]

Interesting video! I would like to hear something about Pilots PO nib, maybe compared to Platinums UEF but I guess that's rather a Drew-topic 😄

[defghi]

Super useful on the writing angle of the FA nib. I also like a lower angle. I have a Namiki Falcon and id say the best word for the nib is springy and light. It's a wonderful writing experience!

[John-viys]

I just purchased a Elabo rhodium soft EF in black, I can’t wait to get it, I have been dreaming of one for years now. I should have it in 3 days, and I will come back and leave a review. Thanks Brian 👍👏👏👏

[bitteralmonds]

Yeah, I got this Pilot Elabo with the SEF nib. The main warning I’d give to new users is to use a good paper stock. Otherwise, that beak-like nib will dig down into the paper and eat it up! It writes veeeery wet, so it has a huge potential to feather and ghost. This pen requires a good paper stock.

[hmadrone]

I love my Metal Falcon SEF, but I might possibly love the Custom 743 FA more. That bigger nib makes a difference. The Falcon writes drier, but the 743 FA is nice and juicy, although it can't go as fine as the Falcon SEF.

I usually use them as everyday writers, but if I want to bust out a line of calligraphy, they can handle it.

[raybuck]

Thank you for this video. You continue to make a very valuable contributions to the fountain pen community.

Like others, I found my Custom Heritage 912 railroading from time FYI time. I replaced the feed with a higher capacity ink flow and now it sings. It's so much fun to use.

[TheReKinn]

This came out at the perfect time as I was just starting to look into picking up something with the Falcon/FA nib and wondering how they compared. Appreciate all you guys do!

[UpulRanjana-sqtz]

I ordered my first order from you guys today, excited to try the pens out when I get them :)

[williamruck]

The FA might be my favorite nib out of the entire Pilot lineup. I swapped an FA nib out of a 743 into an 823 and it has become my favorite pen.

[dumplingnoona]

Thank you so much for this in depth video! Your explanation of the different writing angles between the Custom 912 FA #10 nib and the Custom 743 FA #15 nib finally helped me to understand why I prefer the 912 (I have a very upright writing style)!

[JefferyHall-cttr]

Hi Brian! Thanks for clearing up the differences between the Falcon pen and the FA nibs! Good info!