Wality Airmail 69Eb.

[hari317]

The Airmail/ WALITY 69EB is probably the only ebonite model produced today by the Airmail pen co.

 

Bought when they were released, two colors were available. Green ripple and Brown ripple and probably an Olive ripple too but I dont remember too well.

 

 

In its stock configuration, it is fitted with a steel F nib of the Indian no 8 size (28mm over a 6.35mm feed) and is ED filled.

 

The 69 series models have very little space inside the inner cap ( EB has around 18.5mm only) so it is sometimes difficult for the novice to install third party nibs which are typically 35mm long and thence have to be set particularly deep in the section so that the nib's exposed length does not exceed the inner cap space( if the nib's exposed length is more than the inner cap space, the nib will be badly crumpled when you close the cap fully).

 

Also if a nib unit is to be installed to allow C/C facility, even a European no 5 nib unit has a longer nib exposed length than what the 69EB inner cap allows. One workaround to this problem is to turn down the flared collar of the nib unit housing, allowing it to be set deeper into the section. This is the approach that I have taken on one of the pens. Here is the result with the Schmidt FH341.

 

 

 

 

I have set the nib unit deep enough to control the exposed nib length to 18mm. Also shown is another EB where I have installed a KW 35mm factory B STUB nib over the stock WALITY feeder in ED mode. This nib is set extremely deep( nearly half of the nib is inside the section!).

 

 

 

 

Along with some other currently inked pens:

 

L-R: Lamy 2000, 69TS, 69EB, 71J

 

The 69EB is a nice, very low cost introduction to the ebonite pen. Its quite well made with multistart threads fast open cap and an adequate stock F nib. DIY nib upgrades need application of some techniques. However, a very straightforward nib upgrade to obtain a wider point is to buy after market Indian size 8 (28mm) nibs from Ambitious or KW who offer F and M widths in this size.

 

Cheers,

Hari

[bugsydog55]

I have the olive color in this pen besides the green and brown. For my purposes, the stock nib has been OK but troublesome getting a decent line. They were scratchy and dry at the start and required a bit of TLC but once tuned have become nice writers. The size seems to be in my perfect zone, not too big or too small and the section works out nicely since I have arthritis. I have thought about other nibs but rather than modify the section I think that finding an Indian #8 nib makes more sense. For me, since I have too many pens that are Western and way too many Chinese, I prefer to keep my Indian pens, ebonite and acrylic, Indian in nature so I've always opted for the stock nibs in my Airmail/Wality, Ranga, Guider, ASA, KIM ACR and others. Maybe it is just me, but I enjoy the experience and even the excitement when the ink levels get low. Consider it a challenge to write an eyedropper empty without accidents.

Edited October 3, 2020 by bugsydog55

[hari317]

I have the olive color in this pen besides the green and brown. For my purposes, the stock nib has been OK but troublesome getting a decent line. They were scratchy and dry at the start and required a bit of TLC but once tuned have become nice writers. The size seems to be in my perfect zone, not too big or too small and the section works out nicely since I have arthritis. I have thought about other nibs but rather than modify the section I think that finding an Indian #8 nib makes more sense. For me, since I have too many pens that are Western and way too many Chinese, I prefer to keep my Indian pens, ebonite and acrylic, Indian in nature so I've always opted for the stock nibs in my Airmail/Wality, Ranga, Guider, ASA, KIM ACR and others. Maybe it is just me, but I enjoy the experience and even the excitement when the ink levels get low. Consider it a challenge to write an eyedropper empty without accidents.

Thanks for confirming that. I had bought a box of these pens years back and could not recall clearly if there was indeed an olive in there.

Its actually quite easy to get these pens to write and flow well. If the flow is stingy just remove the feeder and soak it in dishwash liquid for 30minutes, and then use an old toothbrush to scrub it nicely. Rinse it off under a running tap.

Use a piece of acetate film to gently floss the feeder channels and the nib slit. Reassemble, use these filling instructions https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/287765-filling-instructions-for-indian-eye-dropper-filled-pens/

and most likely your pen will write well.

 

Eyedropper filling and the stock nibs and simple ebonite feeds are the usp of Indian pens. However there is a learning curve involved to use these pens effectively in the stock configuration and probably the biggest stumbling block for a FP newbie earning these pens bad press. So the Indian pen maker had to incorporate the modern nib units and CC facility to remain a viable option for the masses.

Unfortunately this possibly means the ED system will soon vanish within the next decade.

[mhguda]

Thanks for reminding me of this one. I remembered having bought one, I think when it first came out, a green one. I replaced the stock nib with a Nemosine 0.6mm stub and enjoyed using it a lot. But then of course it got snowed under under all the new shiny objects. But I dug it out, it still had some of the last ink mix in it, and after not using it for at least a year (probably much longer!) started up with just a dip in inky water... the ink is a mix of Bril (i think black), Chesterfield sapphire, and Hero blue. I may have to look up the recipe, it is a nice blue-blackish workhorse, mixed in the barrel in all probability. I do find the clip has corroded some, also the cap band is no longer pristine. (the cost of living on a tropical island.)

[hari317]

Thanks for reminding me of this one. I remembered having bought one, I think when it first came out, a green one. I replaced the stock nib with a Nemosine 0.6mm stub and enjoyed using it a lot. But then of course it got snowed under under all the new shiny objects. But I dug it out, it still had some of the last ink mix in it, and after not using it for at least a year (probably much longer!) started up with just a dip in inky water... the ink is a mix of Bril (i think black), Chesterfield sapphire, and Hero blue. I may have to look up the recipe, it is a nice blue-blackish workhorse, mixed in the barrel in all probability. I do find the clip has corroded some, also the cap band is no longer pristine. (the cost of living on a tropical island.)

thats impressive! The cap band can be shined up with some soft cotton cloth. I havent had an airmail corrode ( salty humid mumbai weather) but recently my friend gave me some pens to repair for him, one of which was a 69TL that I had bought in 1999 and gave him. There was some plating wear to the clip and clip screw.

[mhguda]

thats impressive! The cap band can be shined up with some soft cotton cloth. I havent had an airmail corrode ( salty humid mumbai weather) but recently my friend gave me some pens to repair for him, one of which was a 69TL that I had bought in 1999 and gave him. There was some plating wear to the clip and clip screw.

Thanks for the tip. Yes I did try polishing a little with a soft cotton cloth, and it is still pretty shiny, however there are pitted areas that are irreversibly damaged, as is the clip. (at first it seemed to shine again after polishing with a rag, but not even five minutes later, the pitting showed up dark again.) Oh well, a pen should be allowed to show its age...

[bugsydog55]

I use all the methods you talked about. Otherwise I would still be in the mess I was years ago. I would be saddened to see eyedropper pens fade away be it the simple everyday offerings from Click , Camlin and Wality or the really gorgeous pens from some of the wonderful craftsmen in their small shops. There is a learning curve with these pens but I find it rewarding to invest the time to make them work like they were meant to. Over the years I've become a fan of your postings and I've learned a lot about how to make things work and the amazing variety available in your part of the world. And you have photos, too! Thanks.

[Dimy]

Back after a week or so and what a way to start with 69EB page, first of my wality and only wality I tried till date. Its a great pen no doubt and nib can be hit or miss ( was a hit first time and a bit miss this time) but all is easily solvable for me. I agree with hari sir here that they are very good entry in ebonite pens for cheap. It does take some time for feed to get wet properly in my experience but its a ebonite feed thing if I am not mistaken. All in all a good pen.

Getting in no 6 nib stock is really tricky and for me its hard, well will try after a while no rush with this and no 8 nibs of kanwrite fit fine (thanks for telling me about that hari helped a lot).

 

Mine is green with orange-ish (they say it as brown but too light shade to be exact brown in my eyes) ripples its a nice color and they definitely are making more colors I saw a dark brown with ripples and light brown with ripples...looked muddish color (not in bad way) both looked good. Adding a pic of my green-brown (orange...).

 

 

complementary shots with respective filled ink

 

 

 

PS- I tend to hide breather hole under the clip so it might not be seen when cap is lying and create a sort of harmony with overall design, although it does cause misalignment with wality logo....so much for symmetry

[hari317]

Is that with the stock nib?

[Dimy]

Is that with the stock nib?

yup, I decided to at least give the nib my 80 page margin and see how it goes, its not too scratchy anyway so no issues, might change later just for fun.

[Savit]

Eyedropper filling and the stock nibs and simple ebonite feeds are the usp of Indian pens. However there is a learning curve involved to use these pens effectively in the stock configuration and probably the biggest stumbling block for a FP newbie earning these pens bad press.

 

Just to share my 'newbie' experience...!

I stayed away from using eyedropper pens (for regular use) for a long time fearing ink-leakage issues.

For the last 3 months I have been successfully using only eyedropper pens, regularly.

I also realized that that ink-burping when the ink levels fall low is not a major problem; on a weekly basis, I top-up the barrel with few drops of ink till it is full.

Leakage from junction of section & barrel is also not a problem with proper use of wax / o-ring.

For pens that set the nib and feed very tight in the section [example, with Deccan ebonite pens], i have no clue how to adjust the flow (or if I have to change the nib).

I really enjoy the simplicity of an eyedropper pen..

[hari317]

 

Just to share my 'newbie' experience...!

I stayed away from using eyedropper pens (for regular use) for a long time fearing ink-leakage issues.

For the last 3 months I have been successfully using only eyedropper pens, regularly.

I also realized that that ink-burping when the ink levels fall low is not a major problem; on a weekly basis, I top-up the barrel with few drops of ink till it is full.

Leakage from junction of section & barrel is also not a problem with proper use of wax / o-ring.

For pens that set the nib and feed very tight in the section [example, with Deccan ebonite pens], i have no clue how to adjust the flow (or if I have to change the nib).

I really enjoy the simplicity of an eyedropper pen..

 

You have overcome the learning curve.

IME burping is a non issue in our weather conditions. It is indeed an issue in some other parts of the world.

Ideally the nib should be set very tight in the section, you should not be able to remove with your fingers alone.

In fact if one is deft, ED pens are the cleanest pens around with zero ink wastage and spillage during filling, also the last drop of ink from the bottle can be used.

 

[mhguda]

 

You have overcome the learning curve.

IME burping is a non issue in our weather conditions. It is indeed an issue in some other parts of the world.

Ideally the nib should be set very tight in the section, you should not be able to remove with your fingers alone.

In fact if one is deft, ED pens are the cleanest pens around with zero ink wastage and spillage during filling, also the last drop of ink from the bottle can be used.

 

Totally agree. The simplicity and economy of this system is what lured me away from the western designs such as cartridge/converter, bladder, or even piston filler (although piston fillers do appeal to the physics teacher in me.) Most of my current collection are ED filled - there are even a few Chinese pens among the more recent acquisitions! and I've also managed to convert a few of my western pens to work as ED (after no longer being able to find their proprietary cartridges, for instance). I have a Bruynzeel school pen where the feed (with nipple for cartridge or converter) broke in half, and I'm using the front half of this feed with the pen working as an ED filled. It works very well. (I live in a small Caribbean island).

[Dimy]

 

You have overcome the learning curve.

IME burping is a non issue in our weather conditions. It is indeed an issue in some other parts of the world.

Ideally the nib should be set very tight in the section, you should not be able to remove with your fingers alone.

In fact if one is deft, ED pens are the cleanest pens around with zero ink wastage and spillage during filling, also the last drop of ink from the bottle can be used.

 

Agreed, my only reason for ED was massive volume of ink (which still is main reason) resulting in overcoming the small curve very fast. Now apart from exception of testing a ink or using carbon ink I go for ED all the way plus its more convenient in due time. I find silicon greese as my best friend here😄.

 

Indian pen systems are really great in these regards, easy to manage, experiment on and replace if something happens.

[WilyScribe]

Received an Airmail Wality 69EB a few days ago. Initially, the pen refused to write, so I rinsed it out it with water, swept some ebonite particles from the body cavity with a Q-Tip, and flushed water through the feed and nib. That did the trick. I inked up the pen with Waterman Serenity Blue due to its well-behaved nature and wrote away. It has comfortable feedback from its 23K Ricoh Gold Plated Fine Nib. Great pen for $17. I've nicknamed it Olive due to its color. I'd like to fill Olive with Noodler's Aquamarine (Swisher Pens) but am concerned that might clog the feed. Are these pens compatible with Noodler's Bulletproof Inks?

[Dimy]

Nib2.jpg IMG_4249.jpgReceived an Airmail Wality 69EB a few days ago. Initially, the pen refused to write, so I rinsed it out it with water, swept some ebonite particles from the body cavity with a Q-Tip, and flushed water through the feed and nib. That did the trick. I inked up the pen with Waterman Serenity Blue due to its well-behaved nature and wrote away. It has comfortable feedback from its 23K Ricoh Gold Plated Fine Nib. Great pen for $17. I've nicknamed it Olive due to its color. I'd like to fill Olive with Noodler's Aquamarine (Swisher Pens) but am concerned that might clog the feed. Are these pens compatible with Noodler's Bulletproof Inks?

 

Now I don't own any noodler's bulletproof inks but I have filled my wality with all sorts of inks from well behaved like waterman to R&K Sallix as iron gall and platinum carbon black. Haven't encountered any clogging issues, cleaning becomes a bit extra step as in carbons case I use earbud or equivalent to reach bottom part of ink chamber.

 

As for feed all 69EB feeds are friction fit, just pull them off and can be cleaned more thoroughly if you want (I do this when I change from carbon or iron gall inks to other types).

 

They are very simple feeds with big channel and will not clog in any normal circumstance so don't worry for that.

[WilyScribe]

Now I don't own any noodler's bulletproof inks but I have filled my wality with all sorts of inks from well behaved like waterman to R&K Sallix as iron gall and platinum carbon black. Haven't encountered any clogging issues, cleaning becomes a bit extra step as in carbons case I use earbud or equivalent to reach bottom part of ink chamber.

 

As for feed all 69EB feeds are friction fit, just pull them off and can be cleaned more thoroughly if you want (I do this when I change from carbon or iron gall inks to other types).

 

They are very simple feeds with big channel and will not clog in any normal circumstance so don't worry for that.

Wow... if it can handle Iron Gall and Carbon Black it can handle Noodler's Bulletproof. That's good news and I'm glad to hear it. Much appreciated. This is my first eyedropper and its a nice little pen. Really enjoying it. Next purchase is some silicone grease.

[hari317]

Nib2.jpg IMG_4249.jpgReceived an Airmail Wality 69EB a few days ago. Initially, the pen refused to write, so I rinsed it out it with water, swept some ebonite particles from the body cavity with a Q-Tip, and flushed water through the feed and nib. That did the trick. I inked up the pen with Waterman Serenity Blue due to its well-behaved nature and wrote away. It has comfortable feedback from its 23K Ricoh Gold Plated Fine Nib. Great pen for $17. I've nicknamed it Olive due to its color. I'd like to fill Olive with Noodler's Aquamarine (Swisher Pens) but am concerned that might clog the feed. Are these pens compatible with Noodler's Bulletproof Inks?

Hi Congratulations on your 69EB. Did you ask for the stock nib to be replaced? Ricoh used to be a pen company and its spares continue to be in stock with some sellers.

 

As mentioned above if you use BP inks and you feel your feed has clogged, the nib and feed can be pulled out together with the aid of a rubber sheet for grip. Soak the feed and scrub with an old toothbrush and your feed will be like new again.

 

You dont even need silicone grease. Just tighten the section to the barrel crisply. Enjoy!

[WilyScribe]

Hi Congratulations on your 69EB. Did you ask for the stock nib to be replaced? Ricoh used to be a pen company and its spares continue to be in stock with some sellers.

 

As mentioned above if you use BP inks and you feel your feed has clogged, the nib and feed can be pulled out together with the aid of a rubber sheet for grip. Soak the feed and scrub with an old toothbrush and your feed will be like new again.

 

You dont even need silicone grease. Just tighten the section to the barrel crisply. Enjoy!

No, the pen was advertised as "Airmail Wality brand new ebonite barrel eyedropper fountain pen, with Ricoh custom tuned Gold plated fine nib. Custom heat-fitted for perfect writing." Since it didn't include the stock nib, I can't compare the two but the Ricoh writes well and provides pleasant feedback.

 

I've been thoroughly enjoying this pen. Seems like it will be excellent for long writing sessions--it holds so much ink. The section does tighten very well to the barrel, so maybe I will skip the silicone grease. Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated.

Edited October 11, 2020 by WilyScribe

[Dimy]

Wow... if it can handle Iron Gall and Carbon Black it can handle Noodler's Bulletproof. That's good news and I'm glad to hear it. Much appreciated. This is my first eyedropper and its a nice little pen. Really enjoying it. Next purchase is some silicone grease.

Glad you like the pen and wish you a happy writing days ahead. Honestly I have never encountered and issues as per say in any ED I own when using carbon or iron gall inks, just cleaning becomes more frequent affair.

 

Anyway congratulations on buying a ED and glad you are enjoying it.