My Pilot (pen) gets a new life

About two years ago at the San Francisco Pen Show, I came across a pen of such aching beauty that I was transfixed. My feet felt like lead; I couldn’t move. It was one of those rare moments of aesthetic nirvana.

The pen maker, Motoshi Karuizawa, had named the pen Kinpaku. He had collaborated with Kiso lacquer painter Osamu Negishi, who used black lacquer and gold leaf foil to create a rich and immersive look for the pen. I kept looking and looking. I bought the pen. I wasn’t buying a writing instrument; I was bringing home a piece of art. It was no different than a print by my favorite photographer or painting by my favorite artist. I didn’t know that the pen had a gigantic #30 Pilot nib. I was floating on a cloud, experiencing a bliss that only comes when you encounter something so delicate, and yet so powerful.

I came home, and a few days later, when I unpacked the whole SF Pen Show haul, I realized that the pen came with another pen—Pilot Custom Urushi. This pen is substantial. It’s got the girth of a Cohiba and the presence to match. For the spec nerds: 5.9 inches capped, 15mm thick, weighing in at just over an ounce—basically, a pen with authority. It was sacrificed, and the big #30 nib went into the Kinpaku, which isn’t as girthy, though it is a bit lanky.

Years went by, and I always felt bad about having a pen without a nib. The Custom Urushi sat in hypersleep—all that potential, frozen, waiting for revival. There is no way you can buy a Pilot nib. They don’t sell those. It was frustrating because the Pilot Custom Urushi pen costs around $750 these days—and these are pre-tariff prices. A couple of weeks ago, a fellow pen enthusiast introduced me to Nicholas Pasquale, who is the man behind Pens by Pasquale.

Pasquale, my friend said, could make me a replacement grip section that can fit a non-Pilot nib such as the Bock #8 nib. Nicholas is a colorful fella. He runs a roller-skating rink in Tennessee. He is polite but also has a wicked sense of humor. We got along famously.

Over FaceTime, we discussed the possibilities. It started with a Bock #8 unit for the pen. I shipped him my pen without the nib, but not before I sent him a totally different package. Another FaceTime call later, I had ordered a different pen, but more importantly, our conversation ended with me asking—hey, can we do a section for some Chinese #8 nibs? Frankly, they are much better and way cheaper than the Bock nibs, which are more temperamental than a 1950s Alfa Romeo.

Nicholas, never one to say no, said sure, let’s do it. And then we decided that we needed a section for a Jowo #6 nib unit. I mean, who doesn’t like the idea of a tiny nib on a big body? I was thinking of the “Genie from the lamp” cartoon when I was imagining the Jowo #6 unit on this big Pilot Custom Urushi body. You can see why Nicholas and I got along.

The next step was picking the materials—Nicholas was in charge of the choices and bringing contrast to the plain black body. He picked a resin, a celluloid, and a cellulose acetate for three sections. And he got to work. Less than a week later, he was finished. He even put a Sailor King of Pen nib on the Pilot (using an adapter for Bock) to take the Mickey out of the whole establishment.

I am thrilled that I got to ride shotgun with Nicholas and enjoy his efforts to infuse life into what was a beautiful pen,lying frozen in time.

Ivory Celluloid, Jinhao x159 nib, will accept a standard international converter.

Anton Wewecz Ebonite, Jowo 6 threaded. Will accept a standard international converter.

Jewel of Poseidon from Mazzuchelli (Ceblox), Bock 8 threaded, standard international converter

And the test grip section with a KOP nib just for fun. PM5 from Jonathan Brooks, KOP nib, accepts pilot converter. This is the ultimate mash-up.

October 8, 2025. San Francisco

Updated on October 15, 2025

I think this is my Four-in-one New-ish Pen Day. I got to finally play with the various sections, and nibs crafted by Nic for me, breathing new life into a Custom Urushi Pilot that was sitting nib less in my closet. Now it has sections for Jowo#6, Bock#8, Jinhao#8 and Sailor KOP. Only thing missing is Pilot. Well, #30 nibs are a bit hard to come by. You know anyone? Still, this is amazing work by Nic!