Latest News: Final Caiso Design Tested, Watch The Video !

[fountainbel]

Hi fountain pen friends !

We just finished an intensive testing procedure of the final CAISO design.

Attached a film showing the details. ( sorry for the poor quality of the film, Conid is still working on it)

As you can see, the ink shut-off return spring - which was initially used to open the valve when removing the cap - was eliminated.

The spring wires caused air bubbles anchoring, hence flow restriction.

The new design features a "snap fit" engagement of the valve plunger point in a Peek housing mounted in the cap top.

Doing so the valve is pulled open when removing the cap.

The Kingsize Caiso Bulkfiller will become available for sale as from January 25- 2016, both in the "flat-top" and "streamline" versions

As always your questions, comments and thoughts on the new design are most welcome.

On behalf of the Conid team and myself we wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy 2016 !

Kind regards,

Francis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjGxnfSUCuI

[stephanos]

Congratulations on cracking the technical problems, and on the CAISO's impending serial production. Function, simplicity and beauty, all in one.

And a prettige Kerstfeest to you!

[Tojusi]

Great news! It took me a while to understand but careful watching of the video at about 50 second and 74 second positions reveals the solution explained by Francis. I can't wait for this...

[pavoni]

Wow! Thanks for sharing this fantastic news Francis. Congratulations to you and the amazing Conid team for producing yet another magnificent pen. Surely this will be the 2016 Fountain Pen of the Year!

 

All the best over the festive period everyone

 

Pavoni.

[entropydave]

Congratulations Francis

 

This seems a very elegant design and the absence of the spring is strangely reassuring. Good luck with the first production run.

 

David.

[Opooh]

Hello Francis,

 

The answer to the problem with the inkflow caused by the spring really is Columbus' egg. Congrats!

[Precise]

About two-thirds of my pens can sit inked but unused for many (3 to 6) months, yet write instantly with absolutely no hesitation when uncapped. I respectfully submit that I can't see a need for this elegant valve.

 

Alan

[fountainbel]

 

About two-thirds of my pens can sit inked but unused for many (3 to 6) months, yet write instantly with absolutely no hesitation when uncapped. I respectfully submit that I can't see a need for this elegant valve.

 

Alan

 

Hi Alan,

The CAISO ink shut-off valve closes automatically when screwing the cap on, doing so the barrel is completely airtight

The system aims to ensure the pen never leaks or blots under air pressure and /or temperature variations.

Risks for blotting increase when the ink content of your pen is low , meaning the air volume - which is gradually replacing the ink - is high.

Since the air expands when the pen is exposed to a lower air pressure and/or higher temperature , the expanding air bubble will press the ink out.

This can happen during air travel, traveling high in the mountains and even leaving your pen in a hot car.

The CAISO ensures that even under these circumstances the pen will not leak.

Hope this clarifies the function of the CAISO system.

Francis

[Drone]

Let's say my pen is half full and I uncap the pen when the aircraft is in the air and the cabin pressure is at 8000 ft. instead of at sea-level where the pen was last capped before the plane took off. Just before uncapping, the cabin pressure is lower than sea-level, but the pressure inside the pen is higher (still at sea-level). So what is to prevent ink from spewing out of the pen and making a mess when it is uncapped in the airplane cabin?

 

If there is nothing special in the CAISO mechanism from stopping this problem (from the cut-away in the video I do not see any), the only way to prevent this from happening is to keep the bulk-filler pen always completely full so there is no air left to expand.

 

That is the classic problem with bulk-filler and eyedropper-filler pens: You think you get more ink to use because it holds so much ink. But then you discover you have to keep the pen completely full all the time to prevent it from spitting due to air expansion. So much for for thinking there is more ink to use.

[Mulrich]

Let's say my pen is half full and I uncap the pen when the aircraft is in the air and the cabin pressure is at 8000 ft. instead of at sea-level where the pen was last capped before the plane took off. Just before uncapping, the cabin pressure is lower than sea-level, but the pressure inside the pen is higher (still at sea-level). So what is to prevent ink from spewing out of the pen and making a mess when it is uncapped in the airplane cabin?

 

If there is nothing special in the CAISO mechanism from stopping this problem (from the cut-away in the video I do not see any), the only way to prevent this from happening is to keep the bulk-filler pen always completely full so there is no air left to expand.

 

That is the classic problem with bulk-filler and eyedropper-filler pens: You think you get more ink to use because it holds so much ink. But then you discover you have to keep the pen completely full all the time to prevent it from spitting due to air expansion. So much for for thinking there is more ink to use.

Interesting point. If you don't use the pen during flight the valve would still keep pressure contained but that wouldn't help if you planned to work in air.

[glassjaw003]

Let's say my pen is half full and I uncap the pen when the aircraft is in the air and the cabin pressure is at 8000 ft. instead of at sea-level where the pen was last capped before the plane took off. Just before uncapping, the cabin pressure is lower than sea-level, but the pressure inside the pen is higher (still at sea-level). So what is to prevent ink from spewing out of the pen and making a mess when it is uncapped in the airplane cabin?

 

If there is nothing special in the CAISO mechanism from stopping this problem (from the cut-away in the video I do not see any), the only way to prevent this from happening is to keep the bulk-filler pen always completely full so there is no air left to expand.

 

That is the classic problem with bulk-filler and eyedropper-filler pens: You think you get more ink to use because it holds so much ink. But then you discover you have to keep the pen completely full all the time to prevent it from spitting due to air expansion. So much for for thinking there is more ink to use.

 

Except that there is more ink to use. It is not like everyone is writing in environments where changes in air pressures occurs frequently. And if so, have the pressure changes consistently cause 90% of their ink to shoot out.

If you need to uncap your pen in flight, just open the cap with the nib upward. It would not force the liquid ink out, but instead the excess air.

The great part about the design is that there is not a worry in the ink spilling when you have the pen in a pocket or bag because the ink is sealed in its own chamber until you open the pen. This is most helpful for frequent fliers.

More so, more those who stay grounded everyday, I also find the system useful. I tend to keep my pens in a case in my pocket. With constant movement there is a good chance of leaking caused by the shaking motions of the pen in the pocket. With the chamber cut-off from the nib, ink in the cap becomes much less severe as you are only left with the ink in the fins which itself is kept onto the fins by particular intermolecular forces.

I prefer the CAISO over the traditional multi-chamber bulkfiller because I do not have to think about opening the valve mid-sentence.

[Gloucesterman]

Any more information on pricing and availability of this pen/ Is there a website with that information?

[glassjaw003]

Any more information on pricing and availability of this pen/ Is there a website with that information?

 

Last I heard it was 862 Euros for the pen itself (without the nib) with a release date of January 25th.

[Precise]

As my fellow pen lovers can guess, I love opportunities to use my pens. But even day to day goings and comings afford little opportunity. I'm usually faced with cheap paper that bleeds and makes my much-loved fountain pens worse than ball-types. So whether travel be by car around town, or by air around the world, I'm unlikely to take a fountain pen along.

 

Alan

[Mulrich]

Last I heard it was 862 Euros for the pen itself (without the nib) with a release date of January 25th.

I was interested in the pen but my interest doesn't reach that high; hopefully the price is lower. The CAISO is a neat idea but for me it isn't worth a $300+ premium over a similar kingsize. I've flown many times with fountain pens and haven't had ink issues (I keep inked pens nib up during take-off and landing). We'll see what the final details say.

 

Maybe the people buying the CAISO will sell off their standard models and I can get a good deal on a used one.

[glassjaw003]

As my fellow pen lovers can guess, I love opportunities to use my pens. But even day to day goings and comings afford little opportunity. I'm usually faced with cheap paper that bleeds and makes my much-loved fountain pens worse than ball-types. So whether travel be by car around town, or by air around the world, I'm unlikely to take a fountain pen along.

 

Alan

 

That is so sad! I usually keep paper with me for use with FPs.

 

I was interested in the pen but my interest doesn't reach that high; hopefully the price is lower. The CAISO is a neat idea but for me it isn't worth a $300+ premium over a similar kingsize. I've flown many times with fountain pens and haven't had ink issues (I keep inked pens nib up during take-off and landing). We'll see what the final details say.

 

Maybe the people buying the CAISO will sell off their standard models and I can get a good deal on a used one.

 

I feel as if the price will remain as a mentioned (862 Euro).

I am not sure of the premium. I am confident that it has less to do with the added cost of the materials and more to do with the cost of producing the design as well as the engineering behind creating the design. For me it is worth it, both as a limited run and design. I can see how it will be beyond what others are willing to pay.

 

As a current Bulkfiller owner (not Kingsize), I can say that I will definitely not be parting ways with my Conids, but rather purchasing more. Although, I would understand others doing so.