Pilot 78G Fountain Pen Review

The Pilot 78G is a great looking budget fountain pen. The pen I will be reviewing has a bold nib that is actually a stub; I do not know why Pilot doesn’t offer this pen with a round tipped bold nib.

Pilot 78G Fountain Pen Nib

The nib writes quite well with some feedback but it is a bit dry for my taste; I may have to experiment with some different inks to find what works best with this pen.

The Pilot 78G comes with an aerometric-style converter and also accepts Pilot cartridges.  It is rare for pens at this price point to come with a converter.  For example, the ultra popular Lamy Safari at $35 doesn’t come with a converter; you have to pay an extra $5 to get one.  Unlike the aerometric filling system found in a Parker 51 the Pilot’s doesn’t hold a lot of ink.  If you plan to do a lot of writing you would be better served by using this pen with a cartridge.

Pilot 78G Fountain Pen

The body is made of a lightweight black plastic and features a gold plated steel nib and clip.  The 78G weighs in at about half an ounce which is lighter than I prefer.  Capped it measures about 5.25″ and is 0.5″ wide at its widest point.  The grip section is a problem, at less than a quarter inch wide I find it too skinny to be comfortable for long writing sessions.  If you have larger hands or a tight grip this pen may be a bit too small for you.  The body of the 78G seems to scratch quite easily but at this price point it’s not that big of a deal.

Pilot 78G Fountain Pen Cap

I have been using the Pilot 78G for 7 days straight now and it is great for taking notes. Compared to my Lamy Safari w/1.1mm stub, the Pilot 78G writes better, looks better and costs a fourth of the price.  In short the Pilot 78G is great entry-level fountain pen that I highly recommend.

Pilot 78G Fountain Pen
Pilot 78G fountain pen writing sample. Diamine Ultra Green ink on Maruman P160 Report Pad.

Here are some great reviews of the Pilot 78G fountain pen:

(I have no affiliation to the sites linked below)

Gourmet Pens – Review: Pilot 78G Green Fountain Pen – Broad Nib

Ink of Me Fondly – Pilot 78G Fountain Pen Fine Nib Black Body

The Daily Acquisition – Pilot 78G Fountain Pen Review

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