Pilot Custom 74: 14k Gold Nib, CON-70 & Sizes
The Pilot Custom 74 is a resin fountain pen with a 14k gold size No. 5 nib, launched in 1992 for Pilot's 74th anniversary. Pilot lists 143 mm (5.6 in) and 17.4 g; Goulet Pens weighs it at 22.0 g with a converter. It fills from Pilot cartridges or the CON-70 push-button converter, and retailers list Japan as its origin.
On this page
Product facts
- Product
- Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pen (black, gold trim)
- Brand
- Pilot
- Brand origin
- Japan
- Made in
- Japan*
- Material
- Resin body and cap, gold-plated or rhodium-plated trim, 14k gold nib
- Released
- 1992*
- Price range
- $$$$over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)
Notes on these facts
- Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: per retailer listings: Makkura gives Japan as the origin, and eBay item specifics from sellers in Japan list Japan as the country of origin. Pilot's Japanese web catalog and press release don't state it; the 2022 anniversary edition's cap ring is engraved JAPAN. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Pilot's Japanese press release for the 30th-anniversary model (November 18, 2022) says the Custom 74 went on sale in 1992; Goulet Pens gives the same year and ties the name to Pilot's 74th anniversary.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
- Goulet Pens lists the Custom 74 at 143 mm (5.6 in) capped, 125 mm (4.9 in) body and 155 mm (6.1 in) posted.
- Goulet weighs it at 22.0 g with a converter (14 g body, 8 g cap), with a 12 mm body and a 9.7 mm grip.
- The nib is 14k gold in Pilot's size No. 5, the smallest in its Custom line; Pilot Japan offers 11 nib types, and US shops stock EF, F, M and B.
- Goulet lists about 1.03 ml with a Pilot cartridge and 1.23 ml with the CON-70 converter.
- Pilot's Japanese site dates it to 1992, its 74th year, and lists it at ¥38,500 (about US$244) as model FKKN-12SR.
What is the Pilot Custom 74?
The Custom 74 is Pilot’s entry-level gold-nib fountain pen: a resin cigar-shaped pen with a 14k gold nib and a push-button converter. Pilot’s Japanese press release says it went on sale in 1992 and was developed for Japanese writers who had grown used to pressing harder after years of ballpoints; Goulet Pens ties the name to Pilot’s 74th anniversary.
It is a common step up from the steel-nibbed Pilot Metropolitan, and uses the same Pilot cartridges. Endless Pens’ roundup of gold-nibbed pens and Fountain Pen Network threads name it with the Platinum #3776 Century as a top value pick. For a lighter steel-nib Pilot with a clear demonstrator body, see the Pilot Prera.
Pilot Custom 74 specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Maker | Pilot Corporation, Japan |
| Model (Japan) | FKKN-12SR, plus a nib letter (e.g. FKKN-12SR-BF, black, F) |
| Body and cap | Resin; screw-on cap |
| Trim | Gold or rhodium, by color |
| Nib | 14k gold, size No. 5 (14K 5号, per Pilot Japan); 11 nib types in Japan; EF, F, M, B common in US shops |
| Ink | Pilot cartridge, or CON-70N or CON-40 converter (Pilot Japan) |
| JAN (black, F) | 4902505572791 |
| Ink capacity (Goulet) | 1.03 ml cartridge; 1.23 ml CON-70 |
| Length capped | 143 mm (5.6 in); Pilot and Goulet agree |
| Length of body | 125 mm (4.9 in) |
| Cap length | 66 mm (2.6 in) |
| Length posted | 155 mm (6.1 in) |
| Diameter | 12 mm body; 14 mm cap, 19 mm with clip (Goulet); 14.7 mm at its widest (Pilot) |
| Grip | 9.7 mm (Goulet); 10.7 mm (Endless Pens) |
| Weight | 17.4 g (Pilot); 22.0 g with converter (Goulet: 14 g body, 8 g cap) |
Sizes are Goulet Pens’ figures unless noted. Pilot’s Japanese catalog lists 17.4 g and The Pleasure of Writing 18 g, both well under Goulet’s 22.0 g with a converter; Pilot doesn’t say whether its figure includes the converter, so we give both.
What is special about the Custom 74’s nib?
It is a 14k gold nib in Pilot’s size No. 5, which Pilot’s Japanese catalog lists as 14K 5号, the smallest size in the Custom range. On silver-trim colors, The Pleasure of Writing says the gold is rhodium plated to match.
Pilot uses Japanese sizing, so an F writes finer than a European F, such as a LAMY AL-star’s. Pilot Japan offers 11 nib types for the standard model, including the MS (music) nib, while US shops commonly stock EF, F, M and B; a Fountain Pen Network member notes the 74 lacks the special FA, PO, WA and SU nibs of Pilot’s larger Custom pens.
How does the CON-70 converter work?
You press the button on the end of the CON-70 several times to draw bottled ink in, instead of twisting a piston. Goulet Pens lists about 1.23 ml with it, more than the 1.03 ml it lists for a Pilot cartridge.
Pilot cartridges also fit, so you can carry spares. Unsharpen puts the CON-40 twist converter used in the Metropolitan at about 0.4 ml, so the CON-70 is one reason people step up to the 74.
How does the Pilot Custom 74 compare to the Platinum #3776 Century?
The two are close in size, weight and price; the Custom 74 holds more ink, while the #3776 has a sealing cap and a larger nib.
| Pilot Custom 74 | Platinum #3776 Century | |
|---|---|---|
| Capped | 143 mm | 139.5 mm |
| Posted | 155 mm | 155.6 mm |
| Weight | 17.4 g (Pilot) | 20.5 g (Platinum) |
| Nib | 14k gold, No. 5 | 14k gold |
| Converter | CON-70, about 1.23 ml | Platinum converter, about 0.53 ml |
| Sealing cap | No | Slip & Seal |
| Price band | $$$$ | $$$$ |
Lengths and weights are each maker’s Japanese figures, from the two guides. Pen Boutique says the 3776 nib is closer in size to Pilot’s No. 10 nib, so it looks larger than the 74’s No. 5.
Where is the Pilot Custom 74 made?
Retailers give Japan as the origin: Makkura lists Japan, and eBay listings from sellers in Japan give Japan as the country of origin. Pilot’s Japanese catalog and press release don’t state a country, though the 2022 anniversary edition’s cap ring is engraved “PILOT CUSTOM 74 30th ANNIVERSARY JAPAN”.
How much does a Pilot Custom 74 cost?
The Custom 74 is in our $$$$ price band, over $75 per pen. That is from the US listings we checked in October 2026, such as Goulet Pens; the CON-70 converter is in the box, per US listings.
In Japan, Pilot’s web catalog lists the black F-nib FKKN-12SR-BF at ¥38,500 (about US$244) including tax, or ¥35,000 (about US$222) before tax. Pilot’s price list shows that price from July 1, 2026, up from ¥27,500 (about US$174) before the revision.
The catalog also lists a C (coarse) nib under its own code, FKKN-14SR-BC, at ¥44,000 (about US$278), which US shops don’t commonly stock. A Japan-only 30th-anniversary edition with a laurel-engraved nib went on sale on December 1, 2022, at ¥30,800 (about US$195). For a pen with a retractable gold nib, see the Pilot Vanishing Point.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Pilot Custom 74 nib gold?
Yes. It is a 14k gold nib in Pilot's size No. 5. On silver-trim versions it is rhodium plated to match the trim, so it looks silver.
What converter does the Pilot Custom 74 use?
Pilot's Japanese catalog lists two that fit: the CON-70N push-button converter and the smaller CON-40 twist converter. US retailers say a CON-70 comes with the pen, and Goulet Pens lists about 1.23 ml with it.
Does the Pilot Custom 74 take cartridges?
Yes, Pilot's own proprietary cartridges, the same type used by the Pilot Metropolitan and Kakuno. Standard international cartridges don't fit.
Why is it called the Custom 74?
Goulet Pens ties the name to Pilot's 74th anniversary: the company was founded in 1918, and Pilot's Japanese press release for the 2022 anniversary model confirms the 1992 launch.
How big is the Pilot Custom 74?
Pilot's Japanese catalog lists 143 mm long, 14.7 mm at its widest and 17.4 g. Goulet Pens lists 143 mm (5.6 in) capped, 125 mm (4.9 in) for the body and 155 mm (6.1 in) posted, with a 12 mm body and a 14 mm cap.
What nib sizes does the Pilot Custom 74 come in?
Pilot's Japanese catalog says the standard model comes in 11 nib types, from F to the MS (music) nib. US shops such as Goulet Pens usually stock EF, F, M and B. A Fountain Pen Network member notes it lacks the special FA, PO, WA and SU nibs of larger Custom models.
Where is the Pilot Custom 74 made?
Retailers give Japan as the origin, including Makkura and sellers in Japan. Pilot's own pages don't state it in the sources we found.
Should I post the Pilot Custom 74?
Either works. The Gentleman Stationer calls it a mid-size pen that fits most hands posted or unposted; posting adds 12 mm, per Goulet's figures.
Sources
- FKKN-12SR-BF｜カスタム74｜PILOTウェブカタログ (Pilot Japan catalog page: 14K No. 5 nib, 11 nib types, CON-40 and CON-70N, 143 mm, 14.7 mm, 17.4 g, JAN, ¥38,500)
- 万年筆『「カスタム74」 30周年記念モデル』数量限定発売 (Pilot Japan press release, November 18, 2022: launched 1992, made for firmer Japanese handwriting)
- 価格表 2026年7月1日付 (Pilot Japan price list, July 1, 2026, PDF)
- FKKN-14SR-BC｜カスタム74｜PILOTウェブカタログ (Pilot Japan catalog page: C coarse nib, ¥44,000)
- Goulet Pens: Pilot Custom 74 fountain pen, Teal (lengths, diameters, weights, ink capacity)
- Goulet Pens: Pilot Custom 74 fountain pen, Smoke
- Goulet Pens: Pilot Custom pens explained (1992, 74th anniversary)
- The Gentleman Stationer: Review revisited, the Pilot Custom 74 (2023)
- Endless Pens: Pilot Custom 74 (diameters)
- The Pleasure of Writing: Pilot Custom 74, Smoke (14k rhodium-plated nib, 18 g)
- Papeterie Makkura: Pilot Custom 74 (origin Japan)
- eBay: Pilot Namiki New Custom 74, item specifics (country of origin Japan)
- Fountain Pen Network: The Pilot Custom 74/8xx family (nib options)
- Pen Boutique: The Big Three, comparing Pilot, Platinum and Sailor nibs
- Endless Pens: Best gold-nibbed fountain pens (roundup)