Conklin Duragraph ... The Durable? Disappointment

[SeeksAdvice]

Fairly recently bought a Conklin Duragraph with the "omni-flex" nib as a cheap, yet largish body pen. I have fed it a variety of inks, and have yet to achieve satisfactory performance from it. Noticed that the feed apparently shipped a bit off-center of the nib itself. Not sure how to correct that. Frankly, I've had Platinum Preppies that write much better than this thing. Anyone else had just terrible performance out of the "omni-flex"?

 

Also, running two fills of Diamine Registrar's Ink through it resulted in nib discoloration where the ink happened to sit on it while capped. Really not terribly impressed with the product at all.

[LetteringByZoe]

Pretty similar experience on my part. Same off-center feed. The pen is really pretty, but the nib is scratchy and dry. A bummer.

[JohnEbach]

I have had the same issue with my Duraflex. Flushed, cleaned and filled. Don't really find much flex with optiflex. Ink stops flowing, dry. The only conklins I have ever bought that are worth their weight are the crescent fillets. I don't understand how they sell them and they seldom write!

[Karmachanic]

Off centre feed is easily remedied. Hold the pen upright with one hand, and with the other gently, but firmly hold the nib at the shoulders and nudge/twist the nib slit towards the feed slit.

 

As for the nib itself, well, it has a dodgy reputation.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/340106-another-victim-of-the-omniflex-nib/?hl=duraflex

Edited February 22, 2019 by Karmachanic

[OCArt]

One of my first pens was a Conklin Durograph with a 1.1 stub. That was in the days when spending $40 on a pen seemed lavish. I never really got on with it and now know that the $40 would've been much better spent on Chinese pens like the Kaigelu 316 or WS3008.

[NotAWiz4rd]

I've got a Duragraph with the Omniflex nib, inked with Diamine Oxblood.

Even though I find it to be a bit dry after a bit of writing ("fixable" by pressing a bit of ink into the feed again), apart from that I find it to be a well writing pen.

It's not a buttery smooth nib - but that's not what I want or expect, so I'm fine with the feedback it provides (which I wouldn't classify as scratchiness).

 

Maybe using a better lubricated ink will resolve the issue of the pen writing this dry from time to time.

[saulyleeplans]

I have a duragraph with a standard medium nib and I'm finding it works in fits and starts. The feed is centred and the tines aren't out of alignment. I guess the next step is to take it apart and clean it. Its been annoying since I started using it a month ago. I just stop using it and forget whats wrong then pick it up and remember how bad it is . Anyone have any magic tricks I can work on it?

[saulyleeplans]

Well i pulled it apart cleaned it and put it back together and now its working great yay!

[sciumbasci]

I have high hopes Yafa will address this issue. It is a shame to let Conklin drown in bad reputation.

[saulyleeplans]

Yes it is a shame to have a bad reputation that could be fixed.

[Erik Dalton]

I just bought a Draflex Ltd edition in Sunstone. Its a beautiful pen, but writes terrible. I clearly wasted my money. I’ve had other Duragraphs. The Conklin nibs are not great, but i like the way the pen feels in my hand. I’ve kept the pens and replaced the nibs with Jowo #6’s. They are among my favorite writers.

 

I thought i would be able to do the same to this pen. The fit of the feed and nib is shallow and an odd shape. Have not been able to find a nib that will fit. This pen was a mistake and will sit until I find a nib to fit.

[nakiana]

I got mine to write decently by taking it apart and giving it a good cleaning, as well as flossing the nib. It wrote fine after that and the nib wrote well, although I never tried flexing it. Although it was a decent pen, I never enjoyed it as much as some of my other pens and wound up selling it.

[sidthecat]

May I respectfully observe that vintage ones show up pretty regularly on eBay - and ringtops are not to be despised.

[bemon]

Fairly recently bought a Conklin Duragraph with the "omni-flex" nib as a cheap, yet largish body pen. I have fed it a variety of inks, and have yet to achieve satisfactory performance from it. Noticed that the feed apparently shipped a bit off-center of the nib itself. Not sure how to correct that. Frankly, I've had Platinum Preppies that write much better than this thing. Anyone else had just terrible performance out of the "omni-flex"?

 

Also, running two fills of Diamine Registrar's Ink through it resulted in nib discoloration where the ink happened to sit on it while capped. Really not terribly impressed with the product at all.

I use a basic Duragraph as my BSB pen. The Nib and feed it came with was complete trash so I managed to get an Edison nib and feed into it.

 

Now it writes as good as it looks. Wont work for the flex nib of course, but the cost of a Durograph and Edison replacement nib/feed combined is still reasonable for a great looking full size pen. Not to knock Edison because I have two of them and love them. But theyre pricey. This may be the pen version of slapping a Lexus logo on a Toyota, but Im ok with that.

Edited April 19, 2019 by bemon