[mjohnson]

I'm a part-time pen nerd - and most everything from Pilot excels at each price point.

From your office supply roller ball to the Vanishing Point (I have maybe seven?) up through the 823 massive vacuum-filler FPs they are all exceptional. The last of those in particular holds probably 3x what a similar sized Pelikan does and writes amazingly. And, though no good pen really leaks that much, the 823's valve mechanism closes off the nib and feed rendering it "safe" in all conditions.

Their out of the box FPs are great and there are some good nibmeisters around. The only downside is that the factory doesn't sell standalone nibs/sections like Pelikan. I had a 823 crash and the 18k nib couldn't be repaired - or replaced it seems. Even without tuning, the soft flex Falcon is a sweet-writing pen for under two bills.

And, sincerely, boo to you for reigniting my desire to get to Japan!