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DEMOlition Derby!

tburke0

By tburke0
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tburke0 Rare

tburke0

Posted
Posted

In this corner:

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/2425/2006040800013hv.jpg

Waterman Kultur Demonstrator

Waterman Blue-Black Ink (Thanks JimCouch!)

 

 

In the opposing corner:

http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/1354/2006040800022kn.jpg

Sheaffer School Pen Demonstrator

Sheaffer Blue-Black Ink

 

Round 1: Nibs:

Decision: Split

 

The waterman is a juicy wet fine that writes like most mediums. The sheaffer is a drier medium that writes finer than the WM fine nib. I find the phileas / kultur nibs to run almost a full size wider than expected, or maybe I'm just used to sheaffers that run narrow. Anyway as a lefty with small handwriting, the Waterman Fine is just at my upper bound for every-day broadness. A medium would be useful to me for signatures only, and a broad I would use for painting the house, or putting out fires... :)

 

Round 2: Design

Decision: Waterman

 

The waterman pen is a true demo pen with a clear section. The blue section on the sheaffer is funky but waterman takes it. The overall fit and finish level on the Kultur is a step above the School Pen...

 

Round 3: Price / Value

Decision: Sheaffer

 

The street price on the crystal clear waterman is around $20-25. The Sheaffer can be yours for less than half that, and less than 1/4 if you shop around. Alternatively, there are Kultur demonstrators that are translucent colors as opposed to transparent clear, these typically go for $10-15

 

Overall: Waterman

In the bargain basement, ya gets what ya pays fer...

A nifty pen at a nice price...

 

 

enjoy!

Tom

"There are 10 types of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't."

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5673/inkdz2.png

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randyholhut Extremely Rare

randyholhut

Posted
Posted

While I'm a Sheaffer fan, this was like putting a flyweight in the ring against a middleweight.

 

The Kultur is a Phileas without the trimmings. The Sheaffer School Pen is a pen that was sold on blister cards for $5 or so.

 

Sheaffer School Pens have always been steady and reliable, although the one in this review, the last version of this venerable pen, is the most plasticky of the family. The chrome cap ones made in the 1960s, 70s and 80s are much better pens.

 

The Kultur is a better overall pen and it is still in production, as opposed to the Sheaffer.

 

The Sheaffer School Pen, along with the original design of the No-Nonsense (pre-rubberized nib section) were the great "$5 ambassadors" of the Sheaffer line. Now, all there is on the low end are the Javelin and the Award, which new, both cost upwards of $10.

 

Alas, the good cheap Sheaffer has gone the way of the good 5-cent cigar.

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tburke0 Rare

tburke0

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While I'm a Sheaffer fan, this was like putting a flyweight in the ring against a middleweight.

Yea, it wasnt really a fair fight... I had the two pens inked this morning and it just struck me as curious; two demonstrator pens w/ their respective manufacturers' blue-black ink...

"There are 10 types of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't."

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5673/inkdz2.png

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southpaw Donor Pen

southpaw

Posted
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Nice head-to-head comparison. Well done - thanks!

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8, NKJV)
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Dillo Donor Pen

Dillo

Posted
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Hi,

 

Nice pens with a nice girth for a normal hand. I had similar models, but my hands were too small... :bonk:

 

I am still looking for a small demonstrator pen...I have a few transparent Sheaffer cartridge pens. :)

 

Dillon

Stolen: Aurora Optima Demonstrator Red ends Medium nib. Serial number 1216 and Aurora 98 Cartridge/Converter Black bark finish (Archivi Storici) with gold cap. Reward if found. Please contact me if you have seen these pens.

Please send vial orders and other messages to fpninkvials funny-round-mark-thing gmail strange-mark-thing com. My shop is open once again if you need help with your pen.

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DrPJM1 Collectors Item

DrPJM1

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the review. You need to try a Lamy Vista.

Pedro

 

Looking for interesting Sheaffer OS Balance pens

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ballboy Extremely Rare

ballboy

Posted
Posted

Hmmm, I thought the Kultur looked familiar after checking out a Phileas on the same website I was perusing!

Roger

Magnanimity & Pragmatism

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tburke0 Rare

tburke0

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Thanks for the review. You need to try a Lamy Vista.

:eureka: A vista I've got, all i need is a Lamy blue-black cartridge... anyone?

 

ive got some inks on page 1 of the ink sample trade thread any takers?

 

Do it for science! :)

 

Tom

"There are 10 types of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't."

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5673/inkdz2.png

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  • 2 weeks later...
tburke0 Rare

tburke0

Posted
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Ok, here it is..

 

 

http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/5103/2006042200019hp.jpg

 

a worthy opponent for the Waterman. The F nib on this pen runs narrow, tho this is the lamy b/b ink causing this I think...

 

Is it true that Lamy b/b = Mont Blanc b/b? Who manufactures the ink for whom?

 

 

Cheers!

Tom

"There are 10 types of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't."

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5673/inkdz2.png

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Anne-Sophie Antique

Anne-Sophie

Posted
Posted
A medium would be useful to me for signatures only, and a broad I would use for painting the house, or putting out fires... :)

 

enjoy!

Tom

The head to head review of 2 great pens, 3 with the Lamy, was truly enjoyable.

 

I need to get me one of these Kultur!!! I already have 2 Phileas.

 

 

As a righty with big handwriting and a taste for smooth nibs, my medium is your fine and let say I would need a quatruple bold to start to put out fire.

 

I discovered Bold nibs quite recently and I enjoy them tremendously.

 

 

Please keep those great reviews coming!!!!!!!

Is it fair for an intelligent and family oriented mammal to be separated from his/her family and spend his/her life starved in a concrete jail?

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Rebekah Dipped Only

Rebekah

Posted
Posted

Can the Waterman Kultur/Phileas be converted to an ED? Any recomendations on that? I really want a Recife Crystal, but I have a spouse who does not understand why I don't just use a bic :( and therefore has an issue with the $ of any fp. (Might have to trade him for a cat. :meow: )

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tburke0 Rare

tburke0

Posted
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The barrels of the translucent and transparent Kulturs are a single piece of plastic. The solid color Kulturs and Phileas-es-s(?) have trim rings held in place by (faux) "blind caps" So an eyedropper conversion is easiest on the transparent/translucent Kulturs. It seems to me that all you'd need to do is seal the threads w/ grease or tape or whatever, and you should be good to go!*

 

Happy tinkering!

Tom

 

*your mileage may vary / do not taunt happy fun ball...

"There are 10 types of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't."

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5673/inkdz2.png

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Dawn Rare

Dawn

Posted
Posted

Hi, I have a kultur and love it ...... am just curious about the eyedropper conversion. What does this mean :unsure: ? Can someone please explain.

 

Thanks

Dawn

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Dawn Rare

Dawn

Posted
Posted

Ok so I am totally curious about the eyedropper conversion so have done a bit of reading .... can some one tell me if I am thinking the right way here ....

 

So if I filled up the barrel of my kultur with ink and then put some grease or similar on the thread and screwed the nib section back on I would then have a pen that i could be using without a cartridge or convertor??

 

This appeals to me so much because it would be so cool to have the demonstrator pen with coloured ink showing through instead of a cartridge.

 

Dawn

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Dillo Donor Pen

Dillo

Posted
Posted
Ok so I am totally curious about the eyedropper conversion so have done a bit of reading .... can some one tell me if I am thinking the right way here ....

 

So if I filled up the barrel of my kultur with ink and then put some grease or similar on the thread and screwed the nib section back on I would then have a pen that i could be using without a cartridge or convertor??

 

This appeals to me so much because it would be so cool to have the demonstrator pen with coloured ink showing through instead of a cartridge.

 

Dawn

Hi,

 

You got it!

 

Just fill the barrel and put silicone grease on the threads of the section.

 

Dillon

Stolen: Aurora Optima Demonstrator Red ends Medium nib. Serial number 1216 and Aurora 98 Cartridge/Converter Black bark finish (Archivi Storici) with gold cap. Reward if found. Please contact me if you have seen these pens.

Please send vial orders and other messages to fpninkvials funny-round-mark-thing gmail strange-mark-thing com. My shop is open once again if you need help with your pen.

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Dawn Rare

Dawn

Posted
Posted

Hi Dillon

 

Thanks!

 

I tried this last night and my demonstrator is now filled up with purple ink and looks really cool. I put vaseline round the thread and left it lying on its side over night and this morning I was pleased to see that there were no leaks.

 

The pen looks way more interesting this way that with a convertor/cartridge.

 

Dawn :)

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meanwhile Collectors Item

meanwhile

Posted
Posted
So an eyedropper conversion is easiest on the transparent/translucent Kulturs. It seems to me that all you'd need to do is seal the threads w/ grease or tape or whatever, and you should be good to go!*

My reasearch says that painting the inside of the barrel with shellac would also be a good idea - it prevents ink stains.

- Jonathan

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