New "caiso" Bulkfiller Revealed !

[Tojusi]

Email sent...

[falarcon]

Email sent to Werner!

[Opooh]

Hello Francis,

 

I think I still have some place for this new beauty.

Can it be grinded to cursiv italic?

Edited July 5, 2015 by Opooh

[fountainbel]

Hello Francis,

 

I think I still have some place for this new beauty.

Can it be grinded to cursiv italic?

Hi Opooh,

No problem in grinding your nib according your preference !

Francis

[Canopus]

I'm really impressed, your ingenuity never ceases to amaze me, and truth be told to frustrate me. The old engineer's lament "Darn! Somebody thought of that before me." That mix of admiration, jealousy, joy and anger that makes my ilk all fuzzy inside and with a desire to make it better if one can't make it first. Congratulations!

 

It all looks really sound and neat, but I got to disagree with you on deleting the manual ink shut-off valve. In the way you intended it is better to have an automatic system, but there is a benefit in having not just a manual valve per se, but a rearward valve. Basically the rear valve, even you deleted the secondary reservoir, still acts as a good way to prevent burping. That is a really different purpose that you could give to the valve, by the the looks of it you could rather easily adapt that feature into the new design.

 

Another thing I would change if I did it myself would be separate the spring and the ink altogether via some sort of cup shaped valve body (you could also thrown in a breather tube with a shut off-valve too, but then the complexity starts to look like clockwork.) I know that corrosion is not an issue, but I would like to have the least amount of stuff obstructing the reservoir in order to make flushing easier.

 

But one thing still puzzles me: The ink window. How do you manage to secure in place if you don't use glue? I get why you put the cap threads on the section, but that wouldn't also may lead to the section itself unscrewing with time or a really heavy-handed user? A pen like the modern Aurora Optima/88 does have the threads on the section, but it's glued in place.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Canopus

[fountainbel]

I'm really impressed, your ingenuity never ceases to amaze me, and truth be told to frustrate me. The old engineer's lament "Darn! Somebody thought of that before me." That mix of admiration, jealousy, joy and anger that makes my ilk all fuzzy inside and with a desire to make it better if one can't make it first. Congratulations!

 

Thanks for your kind words Canopus, much appreciated coming from a fellow engineer !

 

It all looks really sound and neat, but I got to disagree with you on deleting the manual ink shut-off valve. In the way you intended it is better to have an automatic system, but there is a benefit in having not just a manual valve per se, but a rearward valve. Basically the rear valve, even you deleted the secondary reservoir, still acts as a good way to prevent burping. That is a really different purpose that you could give to the valve, by the the looks of it you could rather easily adapt that feature into the new design.

 

We surely could leave the original shut-off valve in place in combination with CAISO, but - given the test results - we don't think this is necessary.

Further on, some users experience the need to open and close the manual shut-off as being a "burden" which is easily forgotten....

 

Another thing I would change if I did it myself would be separate the spring and the ink altogether via some sort of cup shaped valve body (you could also thrown in a breather tube with a shut off-valve too, but then the complexity starts to look like clockwork.) I know that corrosion is not an issue, but I would like to have the least amount of stuff obstructing the reservoir in order to make flushing easier.

 

The stainless steel spring proved to be fully resistant to various inks.

Note the plunger closing seat features 3 axial grooves starting just behind the O ring seat,reducing ink flow restriction, hence ensuring a fluent ink transfer.

The stainless closing plunger is also elongated through the narrower ink window ending just at the full diameter of the barrel.

This elongation acts as an ink surface tension breaker, pulling the ink inside the ink window when taking the cap off (best with nib pointed down)

 

But one thing still puzzles me: The ink window. How do you manage to secure in place if you don't use glue? I get why you put the cap threads on the section, but that wouldn't also may lead to the section itself unscrewing with time or a really heavy-handed user? A pen like the modern Aurora Optima/88 does have the threads on the section, but it's glued in place.

 

Good remark!

The ink window screws in the barrel, threads are effectively secured with shellack.

In combination with the pretensioned axial O ring there are no risks at all the ink window would screw out.

We tested this profoundly, no risks a all, even when screwing the cap extremely tight

[Canopus]

Much appreciated the reply.

 

I have being eyeing one of your pens for quite some time but with the current currency exchange ratio as it is, things are a bit complicated. Those are expensive pens, but those are probably one of the few that are actually worthy the price tag. Too bad few people can see and appreciate good engineering, or even lay constructive criticism like you did several times to other maker's pens. Might be a nice birthday present but I'm not sure yet, it's definitively on my short-list!

 

I imagined one would had to appeal to some sort of cementing on those ink windows, those things are a very pesky thing to engineer, then you need to figure out how to effectively secure then without going overkill. I imagine dual threading, with the rear collar acting as a jam-nut but aligned is an issue, I imagined some sort of secondary jam nut but it would make too much of a burden to remove the filling system, if not impossible, I even imagined using a spring detent actuated by the the disassemble tool but space and strength are issues, finally I imagined some sort of clutch ring like what Lamy uses on the 2000 hidden in a trim ring... I then took a good look at myself on the mirror and asked myself "Pedro why you're doing such silly things?" Lastly I took a good look at my Pilot Custom 74 and imagined that the o-ring would be enough to secure it, but it wouldn't be 100%. So I kinda feel a little better with myself for just throwing the towel and deciding to glue the blasted thing, EVERYBODY does the same thing, that is when they don't cast the whole barrel around it. Frankly I can understand why OMAS and Visconti don't use them.

 

But good take with the shellac, it works, it's easy to get and apply, inert, well understood and is removable; great use of an old technology.

 

And now you remembered me that I just obstructed the ink window with my redesigned valve body... frankly I think that a manual valve plus a hermetically sealed cap with an o-ring like your older pens ought to be enough, it basically does the same job, but is not as cool.

 

On the manual valve I initially agreed that it was an inconvenience, which also applies to vacuum-fillers, but then I had an idea. The problem is that the blind-cap lifts when opened, if it didn't it would be an issue. Now the problem is how to do it and how? Well all I'm going to say is that my solution would be quite familiar to you.

 

One last thing: You use Bock or Jowo nibs? And so any reason to choose one over the other?

 

Again great pen, now I'm even more confident on the brand. Keep up with the good work

[Opooh]

Hello again, Francis,

 

Just one other question.

The FPR of Kingsize Bulkfillers with the Caiso system, will they only be as Flattop or will there also be Streamliners?

[limt]

looks stunning

[fountainbel]

Hello again, Francis,

 

Just one other question.

The FPR of Kingsize Bulkfillers with the Caiso system, will they only be as Flattop or will there also be Streamliners?

Hi Opooh,

I expect both versions will be produced.

Conid being actually closed for their yearly holidays, i can only confirm for 100% after Werner is back.

Francis

[luigilevin]

will the pens be sold on FPN or from your website??

[fountainbel]

will the pens be sold on FPN or from your website??

Hi luigilevin,

Conid pens are only available and sold over the Conid web shop.

francis

[Tojusi]

Hi Francis, any updates on this CAISO timing and availability? Is this still October?

 

Conid must be pretty busy - if this CAISO and the cappuccino bulkfiller both are due in October, and then there is also the FPN LE pen...

[fountainbel]

Hi Francis, any updates on this CAISO timing and availability? Is this still October?

 

Conid must be pretty busy - if this CAISO and the cappuccino bulkfiller both are due in October, and then there is also the FPN LE pen...

Hi Tojusi,

As a matter a fact, I've just returned from a meeting with the Conid team today.

The new ebonite feeds for the CAISO are ready, as well as 70% of the CAISO parts.

By the middle of next week a few test prototypes will be ready for intensive testing.

And yes, we still aim for launching the FPR series in October.

We even hope to have some FPR CAISO pens available for the London WES pen show, being October 4 !

Francis

[pavoni]

This is great news Francis. For those of us able to attend the London WES show this year, the potential of being able to buy and or collect at show is an excellent option.

 

Many thanks for the update and I am really looking forward to seeing you again at the London show, with or without the CAISO.

 

Pavoni.

[stevesurf]

 

Hi Tojusi,

As a matter a fact, I've just returned from a meeting with the Conid team today.

The new ebonite feeds for the CAISO are ready, as well as 70% of the CAISO parts.

By the middle of next week a few test prototypes will be ready for intensive testing.

And yes, we still aim for launching the FPR series in October.

We even hope to have some FPR CAISO pens available for the London WES pen show, being October 4 !

Francis

 

 

Wonderful news, Francis! I am hoping you produce the first in KingSize with a round top, like my last Conid order

[Opooh]

Hi Tojusi,

As a matter a fact, I've just returned from a meeting with the Conid team today.

The new ebonite feeds for the CAISO are ready, as well as 70% of the CAISO parts.

By the middle of next week a few test prototypes will be ready for intensive testing.

And yes, we still aim for launching the FPR series in October.

We even hope to have some FPR CAISO pens available for the London WES pen show, being October 4 !

Francis

That is great news!

[Tojusi]

 

Hi Tojusi,

As a matter a fact, I've just returned from a meeting with the Conid team today.

The new ebonite feeds for the CAISO are ready, as well as 70% of the CAISO parts.

By the middle of next week a few test prototypes will be ready for intensive testing.

And yes, we still aim for launching the FPR series in October.

We even hope to have some FPR CAISO pens available for the London WES pen show, being October 4 !

Francis

 

 

Thank you Francis! Some additional questions:

 

If there was a need for new ebonite feeds, are the nib units limited or can I buy two separate nibs? (I understand that nibs are very easy to swap in Conid pens)

 

Is it at all realistic to hope for pick-up of the pen at the London WES pen show, especially as I am hoping to buy the pen with two modified nib units? (One cursive italic; one ground to extra fine)

[pavoni]

Likewise, will you be able to carry out any nib modifications or feed modifications (not on CAISO feed) at the London show Francis?

 

Pavoni.

[mongrelnomad]

Francis - I too intend to be at the London Pen Show and would be delighted to pick up the Caiso (and perhaps my FPN limited edition) there in person. Will there be the possibility to have nibs ground and nib units created, on site?

Edited September 4, 2015 by mongrelnomad