Kanwrite Desire: Likey Or No Likey?

[matteob]

I have been reading mixed reviews of this. Is it worth the 20 or so pounds shipped? I have read that it is a bit leaky. I am guessing it is an ebonite feed so will not take a Schmidt international converter.

[Seele]

matteob,

 

I have two, and one of them leaked like a sieve. I did my diagnosis and found that the problem was due to a converter that does not stay air-tight; replacing it with a good one should fix the problem; a Parker-standard one by Schmidt would be a highly recommended choice if you have one lying around.

 

It does not have an ebonite feed but an injection moulded one, and the nib/feed assembly is held in a screw-in nib unit. It works very well indeed. You should be able to get it for a bit less from FPR.

[matteob]

Thanks for that. I was under the impression that it was basically a Noodlers Ahab which of course does have an ebonite feed. I believe his nibs are Kanwrite as well. If so they will be good. My humble little Noodlers Charlie is one of the smoothest pens I have.

[Seele]

matteob,

 

It is very different from the Ahab, and in many ways much more mainstream. On second thoughts the C/C plug at the end is more probable to be international standard, but with a screw-in nib unit it's easy to check anyway. Nevertheless the leakage issue is definitely due to poor-fitting converters supplied by a separate firm and that seems to be the weak spot; getting it from FPR would give you the reassurance that if something goes wrong, Kevin is keen to rectify the problem.

 

I do not know what Kevin has, but the flex nib supplied by Kanwrite on the Desire is a new version with the "Ease-my-Flex" design already incorporated; it's worth asking of course.

 

Judging by my examples they are pretty wet writers, try a "neutral" ink first and then adjust accordingly.

Edited June 25, 2017 by Seele

[matteob]

His prices ans postal rates are higher than buying from Kanwrite though. We will see. I have several schmidt k5 converters around the place. If they fit I will use them.

[Seele]

matteob,

 

If you can source from Kanwrite then all is well, better ask them if the Schmidt K5 fits though. Or get them to test the converter before shipping; that'd be a good idea too.

[MontPelikan]

Hello,

 

a little video review of the Kanwrite Desire could be found here:

 

 

Thank you for watching!!

 

MontPelikan

[Dip n Scratch]

I have got one of these pens. It could be a wonderful pen but...........

 

You can probably guess what I am going to say next, can't you?

 

That damned converter is barely fit for purpose. When it is full it leaks & you cannot take it apart in order to apply grease to the piston in order to improve the seal. I wound up having to scrub Diamine Sapphire Blue out of a carpet because of the ink that had leaked from the dodgy converter.

 

The converter looks like a knock off of a Parker item, but that doesn't mean that a proper Parker converter would fit the pen. I actually have one somewhere attached to a Parker Reflex of 2004, but I haven't seen said Parker pen for around a year.

If I can get a converter from a third party like Schmidt I presume I would need to have the internal & external dimensions that its neck should have in order to make an air-tight seal.

 

I have sent an email about the converter to Kanpur Writers

Edited April 26, 2019 by Dip n Scratch

[dinupravin]

Oh no, i have ordered two kanwrite desire through group buy. Hope they do not leak, else prepare for the disappointment.

 

Thanks for the heads up though.

[Dip n Scratch]

I was pretty horrified to see two drops of electric blue ink land on a RED carpet.

Had to take it outside to work on it. I got the ink out......

If I had known, then I would not have unscrewed the barrel anywhere but above a sink. Got the blue ink on my hands as well. Thank goodness I wasn't using Baystate Blue is all I can say.

If anyone can propose an alternative converter i'd be grateful.

I have read that the converter is bought-in & it lets the pen down by it's poor . The pen itself is a really excellent performer.

 

Text cut from e-mail to Kanpur Writers:

There is just one problem, a leaky converter that is really hardly fit for purpose. The converter looks like a copy of a Parker item. A bad copy if we were judging on it's function. The bad behaviour of the converter is made worse because it cannot be dismantled to see if a little silicone grease on the piston will improve the seal & stop ink leaking past. I am not the only person who has experienced the bad behaviour of the converter. I had to scrub a carpet because drips of ink got onto it when I took the barrel off the Desire.

 

 

I hope that they will be able to suggest an alternative.

Whose cartridges fit this pen? Parker, Lamy, Hero 359, Shaeffer, Cross........

Edited April 27, 2019 by Dip n Scratch

[Dip n Scratch]

The Kanwrite Desire does not take a Parker refill or cartridge.

[Dip n Scratch]

From Kanwrite:

We are sorry for the inconvenience and will send you a new outer section with our new threaded twist converter made in house free of cost, pl replace this with your old one by removing the nib unit form older one and putting in the new one.

That's a pleasant surprise these days.

[Yohaanrods]

This seems to be a really good costumer care experience.Thanks for sharing it!

[Aditkamath26]

One other thing you could do is just grease the threads on the nib unit and on the section, and use it as an ED. I prefer most Indian pens this way. This is especially recommended if you plan to get a Desire with a flex nib.