Airmail 69A

[Dip n Scratch]

I bought this pen just exactly a week ago. That's right one week from the order to the delivery. From India. I hope this bodes well for the two other Wality pens from the same seller.

After photographing it for you I inked it with some KWZ IG Aztec Gold. I took the usual precaution of a very light smear of Silicone grease on the thread of the section. It is now standing nib down in a pot while the ink works its way down the feeder.

The Wality nib does not have the greatest reputation. I have had one Wality nib where the tines were way out of alignment, but this one is OK.

Quick writing sample on a Rhodia No14 notebook.

[gillum51]

I have several of these and I have always enjoyed them. I would agree that the nib is sometimes an issue, but usually nothing a bit of tinkering won't fix. my concern now is that they are become much more expensive than they used to be. I would habitually find them for under 20 USD, and now I see sellers asking for than 40! I like the pens, but not that much!

[Dip n Scratch]

I have noted that the tip of the Wality nib looks like that of a pea, wheras that on a Bock 'F' nib is more elongated. This observed after looking at various nibs under a lens.

 

I tried a Bock #6 'F' tip nib in the Wality pen.

There are marginal differences in the thickness of the steel of both that cause burping from excess air ingress with the Bock nib.

I ought to have been suspicious when the ink came through so fast.

After that failed experiment the pen was restored to it's original state.

The pen likes to be used at a shallow angle to the paper, which is not suited to fast writing. I can live with that.

 

The thinner bodied Wality pens apparently use something like a 5.5mm nib

Edited September 15, 2018 by Dip n Scratch

[Dip n Scratch]

Obviously there is a tiny difference between the thickness of the steel Wality nib and the Bock item which means air is getting in. Pardon me, but I have no micrometer to tell you for sure.

[mthayeb]

i have fitted a jinhao original fude nib on this pen, and maan... i love this pen. did lot of drawing with 7 colours (yes, with 7 pcs of 69A filled 7 different colurswith fude nibs .

 

though just started , i quickly figure out some tricks of using the fude nibs.

[Dip n Scratch]

How'd you manage to fit the Jinhao nib without the pen leaking or burping?

I tried a Bock 'EF' normal nib, which didn't go at all well. I think Indian nibs are thicker.

How hard was it inserting the Jinhao nib & feed back into the section?

The Wality nib is not tapered, wheras the Jinhao nib is very tapered.

I wish Jinhao did a genuine EF #6 nib. I'd have a bunch of them.

[mthayeb]

The original nib from Jinhao (those comes fitted with X450 ) is a perfect fit for Airmail 69 series.

 

Yes, the feed sometime leak when we try to fit a 'foreign' nib, just replace the feed as well. in any case, all the indian pen brands uses feeds manufactured by 1 or 2 engineering companies. I bought few hundreds of feeds from a wholesale dealer.. they go well with most of the pens.

 

fitting and refitting nibs and feeds, just matter of trial and error. With the 69A refitting the nib & feed was not a pain.

[Dip n Scratch]

I have just found out that Kanwrite make a 'EF' tip nib Mr kandan of Ranga told me so.

I like the extra-fine line. So I have a Airmail 58C sporting a Pilot 'F' nib taken from a 'Tank'.

I did not like the Pilot pen, but I liked the nib.

As & when I get a Kanwrite EF it will justify buying another Wality to put it in!