Pilot · 2000–present · Plunger (vacuum)
Plunger filler, 14K size 15 nib
The Custom 823 is the big Pilot that fills itself. It went on sale around 2000 with a plunger filler built into the barrel, so there's no converter or cartridge involved. You unscrew the knob at the end, draw the rod back, dip the nib and push the rod home, and the vacuum it creates pulls the barrel full of ink. With the plunger pushed all the way in, the barrel is sealed shut, which makes the 823 a good pen to travel with. Pilot makes the barrel in translucent amber, smoke or clear resin, so you can watch the ink level drop as you write. The nib is 14K gold in Pilot's large size 15, offered in fine, medium and broad. It holds a lot more ink than a converter pen. If you already like a Custom 74 and want a bigger nib and fewer refills, the 823 is the natural next pen.
The plunger relies on a seal, so a pen that won't take a full fill or shows ink behind the plunger needs that seal looked at. The see-through barrel also shows every old ink stain and scratch.
Buying guide
Our pick is a medium-nib 823 at $413 delivered, under the $480–600 band most of the 27 listed fall in. Nearly all ship from Japan, often with $80–150 of shipping, and a new clear 823 asks $551 delivered here, so a used one should come in under that. Ask whether it fills with one push of the plunger, and look in the photos for ink behind the plunger, which means the seal leaks. We left out Falcon, Moriyama and Volcan special-nib 823s asking $450 to $1,510, so this band is for the standard F, M and B nibs.
$275.00delivered
The lowest current price on a complete 823 at $275, an amber pen with a broad nib from a US seller, with 1 bid and two days left at capture. It will climb, and we'd stop around $410 delivered, since a medium-nib 823 asks $413 with free shipping.
Pilot Custom 823 Amber Fountain Pen - 14k Gold Broad Nib
$412.90delivered
A medium nib at $413 delivered with free shipping from Japan, under the band. The title grades it condition B, so expect some wear and ask for close photos of the barrel and the back of the plunger.
PILOT Custom 823 Fountain Pen 14K M Nib Used Condition B Japan 821
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 5, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 5, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$275.00delivered
$275.00 · free shipping
Auction · 1 bid · ends in 2d
Good buy
Amber, broad nib. Auction with 1 bid, ships from the US.
Seller: vigothcarpathian3
100% positive
Used$412.90delivered
$412.90 · free shipping
Buy It Now$412.90
Good buy
Medium nib, titled condition B. Ships free from Japan.
Seller: patterstore01
100% positive
Used$369.99delivered
$369.99 · free shipping
Buy It Now$369.99
Our take
The cheapest fixed-price 823 here. Medium 14K nib, seller at 98.7%.
Seller: info_tanikawa
98.7% positive
Used$521.55delivered
$521.55 · free shipping
Buy It Now$521.55
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Transparent black, broad nib. Ships free from Japan.
Seller: taktak-7552
99.7% positive
Used$522.30est. delivered
$435.30 + $87.00 shipping
Buy It Now$435.30
Our take
Clear, fine nib, with a box. $87 of it is shipping.
Seller: japan.store.kt
100% positive
![[New] PILOT Custom 823 Clear M Nib Plunger Fill Gold Trim Fountain ~ From JAPAN](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cGwAAeSwkAlqimPV/s-l500.jpg)
New$550.94delivered
$550.94 · free shipping
Buy It Now$550.94
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Titled new. Clear, medium nib, ships free from Japan.
Seller: zuishop
100% positive
Used$436.00delivered
$436.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$436.00
Check the seller
Zero feedback, and the title copies another seller's listing word for word.
Seller: m_shino
No feedback yet
Used$792.35est. delivered
$657.45 + $134.90 shipping
Buy It Now$657.45
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Priced high
About $190 over the band, with $135 of it shipping.
Seller: eight_8_tokyo
99.9% positive
Prices change daily. The live eBay search shows everything listed now, including anything new since Oct 5, 2026.
See every listing on eBay ↗eBay searchA pen that’s sat in a drawer for decades wants a flush before it sees ink. A bulb syringe, pen flush and a bottle of well-behaved ink cover most of it. This searches Amazon for the usual kit.
Search pen care kits ↗Amazon search
Pilot · 1992–present
Cartridge and converter14K size 5 nib, cartridge or converter
Modern
$140–$210 typical ask
Pilot · 1963–present
Cartridge and converterClick-action Capless, from 1964
Post-war golden age
$150–$230 typical ask
Pilot · 1971–1980
Cartridge and converterModel M-350SS, integral steel nib
Modern
$230–$360 typical ask
Pilot · 1964–1973
Cartridge and converterFirst-generation pocket pen, 14K nib
Post-war golden age
$110–$180 typical ask
Pilot
Cartridge and converterModern
$30–$55 typical ask