Wality Advice Plz

[Sara]

I have read some info on this site regarding the Wality 69L and ink blobbing...

 

The pens are so inexpensive that I want to get one so I can get the feel for Fountain Pens and decide if I'm truly an addict. (not to mention the pens are very attractive).

 

Would the Wality be a good investment? or are the ink blobbing occurences very frequent?

[RonB]

Sara,

 

When they work, the Wality pens are amazingly good for the price. I have one that is great. I have read about a lot of problems on this forum, however. I guess it depends how risk-adverse you are.

 

Other good cheap choices are Lamy, Parker 45 (you can pick these up on the Marketplace here or on ebay for ~$15 or so including shipping) or one of the cheap Chinese pens (www.isellpens among others).

 

Good luck!

 

Ron

[Univer]

Hi,

 

I've been trying to put together a sort of omnibus Wality review detailing my experiences, good and bad, with the various Wality models. Still a work in progress, I'm afraid - but here are a few thoughts.

 

I own two 69L eyedroppers; both of them are blobbers, despite a series of attempted corrective measures. (And it's a pity, because they're fine writers.)

 

On the other hand, my experiences with the piston-fill Wality pens has been uniformly good. The piston-fill version of the 69L - which, unsurprisingly, uses the same nib and feed as the eyedropper - has been a delight. The 51 and 52 are also wide-profile piston-fillers, and they share the 69L's excellent nib as well. The 77C is a slim piston-filler with a semi-hooded nib; I've found that one a reliable writer too.

 

So: I'd stick with a piston-filler. I like the piston-filled 69L best, followed by the 51/52. (The 77 is a perfectly good pen, but I prefer the wider models.)

 

I'm not saying that it's impossible to get a poorly-made piston-filled Wality; anectodal evidence in this forum suggests otherwise. But all of mine have been just fine, and I think any of them would give you a reasonable opportunity to sample the fountain pen experience.

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

[girlieg33k]

I also have a Wality 69L and have not had any bad experiences with mine. I've read about the trouble that other members have had, but I can't report any with mine. I bought the Wality 69L from Todd at isellpens.com (usual disclaimer: no affiliation, just a happy customer).

Edited January 26, 2007 by girlieg33k

[jd50ae]

I lost my first Wality 69L in a bad storm. I liked it enough to buy another one. Loaded it with Private Reserve ink and have had no problems.

Edited January 26, 2007 by jd50ae

[ConnallMac]

I've had four different Wality pens. One was an eyedropper filler and the other three were piston fillers. All four of them leaked or dripped ink through the nib! I can't tell you strongly enough to stay away from them! Two of them were obtained through trade and had been used lightly, but the other two were brand new from a dealer who refunded my money after sending me two piston fillers, both of which leaked at their initial filling.

If you aren't sure about fountain pens I would suggest trying the even cheaper and more readily available Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens. You can probably find a three pack in your local office supply store for less than the price of one Wality. Or even buy an inexpensive Hero 616.

 

 

--J. Haney

[cctraderx]

I got the Wality 51 and 52 from Todd at ISellPens - no affiliation. Both are super smooth writers and both do leak. Mine leak about once drop a day so no big deal for me since they are so smooth. If you get the Wality and search in this forum on different repairs etc if yours leak, then you will learn a tremendous amount about fountain pens which I did not have before.

[Ruaidhri]

I've two Walitys. No problems with either

 

As Ron suggested however, you might be better starting with something bombproof like a Parker 45.

 

Regards,

Ruaidhrí

[pbachran]

I sell Wality pens at www.retrodesk.com. I use them as my daily writers and have for years (since long before I started importing them). My personal favorite is a 69T Demonstrator.

When I sell an eyedropper filler I send the folllowing instructions:

 

A fact of life with eyedropper pens. Under the right conditions they leak. BUT! There is a cure.

 

The problem comes from the fact that fountain pen users take care of their instruments and keep them beautifully clean. When the barrel is screwed together air can leak in through the treads and allow ink to blob out through the nib.

 

Unscrew the barrel; wipe any ink off the threads on the nib end. Put a small amount of silicon grease (NOT sealant) on the threads and reassemble. If you don't have silicon grease, or want to use something more in keeping with a proper fountain pen karma' you can use beeswax. I have even used the base of a candle successfully. Gently scrape the thread across the candle three times should do it. This seals the barrel and prevents the leak. Remember, very small amounts will do the job perfectly.

 

It also helps to store them upright. The ink reservoir is very large and changes in barometric pressure can push ink out the nib.

 

For cleanning purposes an all models, exept the 77D, The nib and feed can be removed by firmly holding and pulling straight out. They rinse easily and can be aligned and reinserted easily.

 

If there are any questions -- Please feel free.

 

BTW: I still have a variety of Model 69 in eyedropper and piston fill.

 

pete

[ericthered2004]

I have a Wality 51 and it's OK, but only Ok. No problems to speak of, but then I haven't used it all that much as it drops an excessively wet line--and I have a pretty high tolerance for juicy wet lines.

 

I haven't found it to leak, although I've wondered if that's because there's not enough ink left in it to do so after I've written with it for a page or two.

 

One advantage of the Wality 51 is that you get to try out a piston filler, but unless you're v. curious about that (say, if you're pre-Pelikan buyer) I'd second those who recommend shelling out a bit more at first.

 

All the big players (Pelikan, Parker, Sheaffer, Lamy etc ) have nice inexpensive pens for not much more than you'd spend getting the Wality in your hand.

 

And you'll save on ink, of course.

 

Regards, Eric

Edited February 12, 2007 by ericthered2004

[ericthered2004]

I think I should modify my previous comments on the Wality. After reading the PFN reviews mentioning nib modification, but without wanting to risk this drastic change, I switched ink to Noodler's. The results have been very good. The generous--not now excessive--ink flow makes cheaper kinds of paper (like Staples') very much nicer to use, and the paper in turn gives me a new use for my jar of Noodler's, the smudgyness of which in the Moleskine was seriously outweighting its anti-feather virtues.

 

So now I'm a convert, and the Wality is my favorite budget pen. That said, I'm not sure that it's the best first pen: it's simple, light and ergonomically pleasing, but also quite idiosyncratic. Maybe the honest solidity of a Vector or Frontier or some such is still your best bet.

 

Regards,

Eric

[meanwhile]

The best bargain going at the moment in first pens seems to be the Pilot 78G that isellpens.com stocks. These are cheap and, being Japanese, seem to be consistently good. Walitys and Heroes - and even Parkers and Kulturs - seem to vary somewhat. The Wality is so cheap that you should certainly consider it, but look at the 78G too.

Edited March 8, 2007 by meanwhile

[arvadajames]

I had a Wality 69L. It would drop a blob of ink about every 2 or 3 lines of writing. An attempted repair by a fellow FPer did not correct the problem. I sold it on the market place for $3 with full disclosure of the problem. I don't know if he has been successful in repairing the pen or not. I for one will never buy another Wality product.

[John Cullen]

Does Wality make a medium nib or are they all fines? J

[slippy]

I've got a 69L and a 52 (both piston-fillers), and they are both excellent writers...much better than you might expect for the price.

 

A couple of minor quibbles...mine still have that funky smell from the ebonite feed, but it is fading with time. Also, while they perform well with Noodler's inks, the nib creep with some of the bulletproofs (especially the Art Brown Legal Blue) is so bad that I'm afraid it's going to blob on my clothes or the paper. With Quink or Waterman Florida Blue, they still write well, but with a clean nib.

[Catsmelt]

QUOTE (John Cullen @ Mar 8 2007, 02:29 AM)

Does Wality make a medium nib or are they all fines? J

My 51 came with a medium nib.

 

 

[Nellie]

I really like my black (shorter version) piston filler . It's a great writer for the price.

[ericthered2004]

QUOTE (John Cullen @ Mar 8 2007, 02:29 AM)

Does Wality make a medium nib or are they all fines? J

My 51 is a medium.

 

Regards,

Eric

 

Oops: repeating info. Sorry

Edited March 9, 2007 by ericthered2004

[Johnny Appleseed]

I have a Wality 69L that I like a great deal. However, I was not very enamoured of the nib, which was too dry and fussy, even after several attempt to improve the flow. Now it has a big vintage Sheaffer 14K two-tone nib with a fine stub. Writes like a dream.

 

Be advised that all eyedropper pens have one unsurmountable "flaw". The heat from your hand transfers to the barrel, which warms up the ink and air inside the chamber. When the air warms it expands, and can push out a blob of ink or cause excessive flow. The more air in the pen, the more this is a problem, so when your ink level gets low you are more likely to have this problem. Old Waterman eyedropper pens (and some others) used to include in their instructions "When flow becomes excessive, it's time to refill".

 

John