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Hi all. My apologies for being 'new' to the forum; I've lurked here for many years, and have digested countless reviews of pens and inks. My fountain pen journey began as a 16 year old, almost two decades ago, with a Waterman Phileas as a birthday present. Unbeknownst to me at the time, my youthful use cracked the section, and so for a long time I thought fountain pens were supposed to leak ink into the fingers. Needless to say, my passion quickly waned. Then in 2012 on an overseas trip, I impulse-bought a modern Sheaffer - which was a delight, and with a fine nib it was suddenly usable on all sorts of papers that I had thought the Waterman had not been (as a fat medium)...and I became interested in pens again. Over the past 5 years, I have acquired and disposed of a great many of the 'greats' - Lamy 2000, Parker 51, Pilot VP, Pilot 823, Sailor 1911, etc. With a brief peak at around 20 pens, it became obvious that I do not enjoy what many of you cherish in this hobby - the routine of cleaning and re-inking individual pens. It was clear to me that I needed to whittle the collection down to a small, but cherished, core. As I would go through up to 2 converters/cartridges of ink per day, I gravitate to piston/vacuum/other fillers. And so, having sold all the others, I was left with: a Sterling Silver Sailor 1911L with Naginata Togi nib for my first daughter's birth, a Burnt Orange M800 for my second daughter's birth, a Homo Sapiens BB nib, a 1953 Pelikan 400 Brown Tortoise, and a 1970's Omas Gentleman with super flexible gold nib. I was close to pen nirvana. I just needed one more pen, I thought... Which brings us to here. After much internal debate and consideration, I felt Conid represented most of what I loved about fountain pens - a unique mechanism, clever engineering, exclusivity, a wide selection of nibs, and the practical elements of easy cleaning and long-duration between fills of ink. Herein lies my review. I tend not to like numerical ratings, as inevitably a new purchase scores very highly and it is impossible to compare scores between pens. Apologies therefore for lots of text, and some of the pictures will have my Reddit username attached. The Ordering The Conid website is clear and concise, with lovely pictures of each model and a variety of after-purchase options. I picked out the model I most liked, thought I would not be satisfied without trying one each of the gold and titanium nibs, and put a few comments in the comments section. Within a short time, I received an email relating to my order and confirming details. I was then given an estimated ship date. Almost to the day, I received notification of package and shipping. As the pen departed Conid they sent a nice update email with pictures of my particular pen and the writing samples they generate during the testing process. DHL from Belgium to Australia took 5-real-world (ie. not business) days to arrive, including customs clearance (with a small amount of duty and import tax to pay). Pretty snappy! The Unboxing I don't like fancy boxes. They all live in a drawer, empty and unloved, at my house. The box is as shown: Utilitarian. Resembles a military ammunition box. Inside it the pen nestled nice and securely, along with the extra nibs, tools (if ordered), spare o-rings (a nice touch), instruction manual, and a lovely engraved plate: It all looks like it's made to suit function, rather than being 'pretty', and that's exactly how I like it. I've read other reviews say they'd prefer even simpler packaging to reduce cost - I think it suits the pen nicely, but that's just me. The Pen I've had TWSBIs previously, so they are my immediate comparison point. I haven't previously had a high-end demonstrator, so users of M800 demonstrators may be able to chime in. At this price point, I like my pens to feel solid and I prefer a bit of weight. I have big hands. This pen fits me better than any other I've used and feels valuable. For comparison, I feel modern 149s feel plasticky for their price point (but this is very much personal taste), and I overall don't like the light plastic feel in a high-end pen. The finish is perfect on my pen. I cannot find any imperfections that bother me. Everything is 'necessary', down to the beautifully functional clip that's machined from a solid piece of titanium. The ink sloshes around beautifully inside the body of the pen, meaning that for the first time, I somewhat regret my 'professional blue' ink choices... To summarise, even if nothing else, the feel of the pen out of the box made it clear the money spent was used wisely. The Nib As far as I'm concerned, this is what it's all about. Like many of you, I've had fluctuating experiences with the big manufacturers tending to provide nibs that write with...ahem...varying quality from the box (cough cough Visconti). The effort Conid put into checking nibs prior to shipping is evident. I ordered both an 18k Gold Medium and Medium titanium. They are both superb. I ordered both because prior reviews didn't help me pick one over the other. On the one hand, I love gold nibs and value smoothness with a hint of character. For example, I'm not the hugest fan of Sailor's "pencil on paper" feedback, even though I have retained a lovely example of their pens. But oldrifleman's review that they didn't like the pen until fitting it with titanium meant I didn't want to have any regrets. I like stubs, but not for everyday use, so I resisted the chance to modify one of these. The titanium nib is not as soft as I'm lead to believe the Size 6 nibs are. It's soft, but I don't think it's quite as springy as the Visconti Dreamtouch Palladium nibs, for example. The Conid example I have is quite smooth, though I agree with previous reviewers that there's a slight feedback of titanium like a high frequency resonance....as someone who prefers little feedback, I find it quite pleasant and it's no where near Sailor levels. However...the gold. Wow. What a nib. It's smooth, it has some softness, and it's neither too wet nor too dry for me. It's unbelievably my favourite nib in my collection right now, and that's despite my conscious effort to avoid bias towards 'a very expensive recent purchase'. It's perfect for me, and I do actually quite like the gold tone against the titanium. I think it's a little bit of show, for an otherwise not-very-showy pen, and I prefer it to the rhodinated look. Simply put, I love the gold and a week into ownership, it's been on constantly. The $60 spent on the titanium is by now means a waste, and it's incredible that it can even compete with the stunning gold nib, but I can't see myself swapping nibs very much at all. I've gone through two fills of ink, and it just grows on me more and more. Conid nailed this one! Summary This pen arrived in Australia at considerable cost. The Euro to AUD is not kind, and further import duty stung a little. It's my most expensive pen. However. Everything about this pen is exactly as I wanted it. The experience purchasing from Conid was one of outstanding communication and as-promised service. This pen meets my needs as the ultimate daily user perfectly. It holds bucket loads of ink, looks pretty doing so, writes like a dream, and somehow flies under the radar without being excessively opulently flashy, with just a hint of bling with the gold poking out from the nib. It joins the final collection, complements it perfectly, and (hopefully) obviates any further pen purchases for the indefinite future. Overall, I love it! I highly recommend Conid pens to people with similar likes to me.

I finally got a few photos of my fountain pen from Belgium! This is going to be the longest week of waif ever!

CONID currently does not sell the Kingsize Bulkfiller with the CAISO system - apparently they are ironing out some manufacturing issues. Based on email communication, it seems they will not be back until April at the earliest (six months from now). They do sell a non-CAISO Kingsize Bulkfiller, though, and it's €300 cheaper than the CAISO version used to sell for. My question is thus, mostly addressed to people who've tried a CAISO pen: is it worth the money and the extra wait, or should I just order the non-CAISO version? The cost is the lesser concern, since this is an expensive pen either way, so I'm mostly curious about whether you find the CAISO system useful, or just a gimmick.

See the photos here https://flic.kr/p/L6WAS1 The Conid company is not as widely known as others. If this is your first exposure to it, take a look at their website and read through their information. There are also numberous posts about their pens. I came across it a year ago and become very interested in their design/manufacturing capabilities and the advances they were making with fountain pen manufacturing. In a market that has had very few real advances over the years, it is really refreshing to see how they are using very tight tolerance manufacturing to bring their ideas to life. A lot of us have been waiting for the Conid CAISO Kingsize Bulkfiler fountain pens since they were introduced as a concept model in 2015. I sold about $1,400 worth of fountains pens to get ready. Part of that was in hopes that the new Conid would be the ultimate daily user, and that I wouldn't need too many other pens. Also, I needed funds to make the purchase. I jumped on board when the order form was available on the Conid website and was hopeful that I would see the pen in a few months. It took little longer to get the pen fully ready for prime time. The last item to get right was the feed. The designers originally made a clear feed, but they were not able to get the performance and reliability for the unique ink shut off capability of the pen, so they manufactured the feeds from hard rubber. The pen has a huge capacity, and an automatic ink shut-off when capped, useful for those flying regularly. I received my pen this week, one of 60 from the First Production Run (FPR). There was also a flat top version with 60 units available. The discussion of the design of this model could fill many pages. If you want the history of the design, there is a great discussion of the Conid Caiso here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/283524-new-caiso-bulkfiller-revealed/page-1710 Appearance & Design - 9 The pen is outstanding! If you need any more detail, please read on. The photos of the pen online were a great teaser as we waited for the pens to be completed and sent to the customers. It was exciting to receive the package and open it up, to finally see the pen in person, and be able to try all of the features. My initial impression was mixed. The CAISO demonstrator is a pen that will meet my needs, for a lifetime. It is not a gorgeous pen like some of those that I sold. More on that as I go through the features. Construction & Quality - 10 The CAISO is made almost entirely of titanium and clear acrylic. It has an engraving near the blind cap that is essentially a serial number. This pen has "FPR 15-60 SL". It is the First Production Run of this model, and is #15 of 60 total pens, in the streamline (SL) version. They also made 60 units of a flat-top. The band on the cap has "Conid Bulkfiller Fountainbel". The clip is made of a single piece of titanium that is machined to shape. Conid has posted a video of numerous manufacturing steps on their website, part of which shows the clip being made. The top of the cap is titanium with a black/white acrylic inset representing the piston mechanism. The pen feels very smooth and exudes quality. I didn't detect any manufacturing flaws. The only thing I noticed that is not uniform is that the portion of the barrel behind the section and threads is slightly yellow. It may be adhesive. I remember reading some where that the entire pen is screwed together except for one part. The pen should wear well, looking essentially the same after years of use. The clip is very tight. Once clipped, it is unlikely to be inadvertently dislodged. Weight & Dimensions - 9 The pen is fairly weighty, but feels very nice in use. It is approximately the size of a Montlanc 149. The cap does post, but it takes a little extra effort to make it tight. The pen writes well either way. I may post it when writing for extending periods of time, but use it unposted for quick notes. Unposted, the pen is long enough to extend well beyond the web of my hand. Nib & Performance - 9 The pen can be ordered with #8 Bock made nibs of various materials: steel, titanium or gold. I ordered the pen with a Fine titanium nib, modified to an Extra Fine. Later I decided to add a Fine titanium modified to a smooth cursive italic. When the pen was ready to be sent a couple weeks ago, Conid sent a photo of the pen with samples of the writing with each nib. That was cool! The extra fine nib was about perfect for me, great for notes and general writing. It had slight feedback, but it wasn't too bad. After some use though, it has gotten very smooth and consistent. Under a loupe, I discovered a very well tuned nib. Some nib meisters remove most of the tipping material to make narrow nibs, but this wasn't the case on the Conid. The flow is nice, about a 7 out of 10. I received a second section with the cursive italic nib installed. That nib also has a large amount of tipping remaining. It has a gap between the tines to allow for more flow. It writes very smooth and has nice variation for the narrow width that I wanted. Both nibs were very well tuned. The additional cost was 25 pounds, I believe, and based on competitors pricing, I wasn't expecting top notch performance. This is one of the best kept secrets in the fountain pen world. Fountainbel is a long time fountain pen user and repair expert, and his nib work is outstanding! It is easy to change out the nibs, but the titanium rod through the middle needs to be transferred when swapping nibs. My only issues with the nib choices is not to be able to get one that is branded by Conid in this size. The smaller models have a #6 nib with a unique Conid graphic. The nibs that come with the CAISO do not take away from that pen, but a Conid unique nib would make the pen even more classy. Filling System & Maintenance - 10 The CAISO mechanism is a combination of a stem in the top of the cap, and a rod through the feed that seals the ink chamber when capped. When the cap is removed, the rod is pulled out slightly, opening the ink chamber for use. It is seamless, requires no additional thought or effort, but does add slightly to the effort needed to cap and up cap the pen. The piston stays near the blind cap most of its life, but the value of their filling system is that the piston moves nearly the full length of the barrel through the use of a piston rod that screws into the piston to move it, but then disengages after it is filled. The pen doesn't need very much room at the end of the barrel for the piston, unlike telescoping pistons. A huge advantage of this mechanism for me is that flushing is very simple and effective. Rather than turning a knob to move the piston, this is a simple push/pull. The pen holds over 3 ml of ink when fully filled. That is enough to last me for months probably. I like to fill the pen partially and be able to see the ink move around and expose the piston rod. The shape of the barrel behind the section is especially nice, similar to an hourglass. For maintenance, the piston can be removed with Conid-provided tools for cleaning and lubricating. The nib section can easily be unscrewed for ultrasonic cleaning and to flush out the barrel. Cost & Value - 7 The cost of this pen is assumed to be based on the complexity of the filling system, the maching of the titanium parts, the close tolerances, the new ink shut off system, etc. Most other high end pens are either very decorative, using gold, sterling, etc. or made with somewhat delicate materials, like urushi. The reasons I sold other pens (Danitrio, Nakaya, Namiki) to buy this one were exclusivity, durability, size, and performance. If I bought the pen without selling others to fund it, the price would have been painful. I have no regrets buying this pen, and plan to keep it for one of my children to use one day. Was it worth it? This style won't appeal to everyone; some want gold trim, some want urushi, some lightweight, etc. It is a completely functional pen that is unique. It is not pretentious; I have no problem using it in meetings or amoung strangers. Previous pens have seemed to flashy or expensive looking to use in public. For my use, this pen is as good as it gets! Conclusion - 5.4/6 The score may seem low for a pen that I like so much. The proof is that I sold others pens to buy this one and do not regret it! No pen is perfect, as is evidenced by the buying and selling of fountain pens worldwide. Is there anyone out there who has bought a pen and never looked for another with other features? Not many of us on this form have been able to do that! I really am glad that I got in on this pen model release from Conid. It is similar to their regular Kingsize, but adds the CAISO system and more titanium. Conid ships their pens in a custom anodized aluminum case that holds the pen, tools, and extra nibs. The inside of the lid has a titanium name plate with the model nomenclature. Very cool! Conid added a pen stand for this model that was previously not available on their website. The pen stand is fully functional and looks good. It feels somewhat soft, and I don't worry about putting the pen on it and getting wear marks. The stand adds value to the pen. Well done Conid! This pen was a home run!

I asked Conid whether an ebonite Minimalistica would be possible. Sadly I got a response of no because of stock logistics. Would anyone else be interested in an ebonite model for the pen?

Hello all! I live in Alfred, NY and a newcomer to fountain pens in general. A very tiny town (village) that is in the middle of nowhere but has two large colleges across from one another. I've been doing some calligraphy for a few years and wanted to try something a little different from my dip and Pilot Parallel pens. I've gotten a TWSBI and a Karas Kustoms pen, but went ahead and splurged for a Conid Bulkfiller Regular. Having a hard time waiting for them pen to ship and arrive at the end of this month! I believe I've exhausted all videos on Youtube about the Conid and trying hard to keep my attention focused on patience. Thank for letting me join the community and will definitely post photos of men when it comes! James

A couple of months into this fountain pen journey i first stumbled across Conid. The engineer part of me found the design of the bulkfiller mechanism to be an inspired twist on the piston filler. The industrial design to me was unique and beautiful in its own right. After reading more than a few reviews it was only a matter of time before i ordered one of my own. Luckily, fountainbel announced the regular sized Cappuccino about the time i was thinking hard on ordering a regular size bulkfiller. I was lucky enough to be free the morning this LE was available to order and managed to order one of my own. One trifling detail though, i don't drink coffee. At all. I have tea, lots and lots of tea. So for me this is more of a Caramel Fudgeswirl Icecream pen. In person it is a gorgeous acrylic with lights of color variation, and even some sparkle/flecks in the caramel areas. Plenty of swirls and changes in color to keep you looking at it every time you pull it out. I ordered two Titanium nibs. I am in Homer Simpson school at the moment (Licensed reactor operator training) so i ordered a XFine and Fine nibs for the amount of note taking i will be doing for the next two years. This is where Conid really shines. The ability to customize the nibs by material, and almost every imaginable grind truly allows you to make these pens your own. After i recieved the pen i dipped both nibs in 5 different brands of ink, Iroshizuko, Sailor, Noodlers, Pelikan, and Diamine. Even on crappy paper the XFine worked beatifully, the fine runs a bit wide which will limit it's use a little bit. Neither nib had an issue with anything in the first test. The first full ink up was with Ku Jaku. The XFine is very smooth. It has a very slight amount of feedback, just enough to be pleasent, but not enough to be annoying or grating. The nib lays down a very nice wet line and because it is titanium you can get a little bit of line variation/thickness. The line is well controlled, even with a very wet and saturated Noodlers ink. Because this is licensing, I have been doing a lot of engineering notes and thermo work in the first two weeks. This nib is perfect for what I have been doing. The Fine is amazing. Just like the XFine, the Fine nib lays down a well controlled even wet line of ink. It is a bit on the thick side, but i have yet to find an ink that doesn't work beautifully with this nib. I absolutely love it! Now is the hard part. I have a Blue Pearl Kingsize with an amazing smoother nib tuned by Wimg. I have a couple of vintage Wahl Eversharp Skylines with superb vintage gold nibs. This titanium fine might be even smoother. The fine is sooooooooooooooo smooth the nib feels like it is floating along the page with minimal effort required to write with it. The writing cert for the nibs is signed JRO, which i think is Johann, if it is, he is my new favorite person. Believe what you read about Conids' pens. They are exquisitely manufactured pens that allow you to custom tailor it to your tastes. This particular LE Regular is about as perfect a pen as you can ask for. For me, Conids are a grail pen, and as long as they keep making them to this high of a standard I will keep coming back for more. And now, back to studying unfortunately. Although all of the vintage nibs on Conids i have seen recently... A vintage nib could be fun...

Hi! My first Conid Bulkfiller (the Minimalistica) is in production and I can't wait so have it in my hands! In my collection are a lot of Montblancs at the moment. I'm thinking of selling some pens to be able to by a Conid Kingsize. But from my Montblancs I know that the 149 is a litte bit to big at the grip-section for me. So I googled a lot but was not able to find the diameter of the Kingsize-grip... Maybe it is also interesting for some other FPN-Members so I'm asking for some measurements of the diameter in the middle of the grip-section: Montblanc 144: 9mm Montblanc 146: 11,5mm Montblanc 149: 13mm On google I found the following - please confirm: Conid Minimalistica: 11mm (I know there is no real grip-section...) Conid Regular: 10,4mm Conid Slimline: ? Conid Kingsize: ? Thanks, Chris

I am interested in purchasing a Conid Giraffe. http://www.conidpen.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=collections&cat=giraffe I have a Slimline that I quite like and I use it regularly. http://www.conidpen.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=collections&cat=slimline Does anyone have a Conid Giraffe? It seems very long at a 191 mm. At that length it must be awkward to write with. What is your experience? If you have one, do you use it as a desk pen? And if so, what manufacture’s base do you use. Thanks, Bobby

There are a few reviews of the regular, and kingsized Bulkfillers, but to my knowledge there is little reference to the slimline on the English speaking boards. So below I submit my opinions on this writing instrument: When I first heard that there was a new filling system on the block I was immediately intrigued. The bulkfiller mechanism is reminiscent of the telescoping piston mechanism used in vintage Montblancs. For those that don’t know: The telescoping piston mechanism differs from your modern piston fillers in that the volume of all the moving parts is reduced by having the stroke recess into itself, aka telescoping. A smaller footprint in the barrel results in a higher ink capacity. A true mechanical marvel. These pistons were typically made out of brass giving those pens a very nice heft. Fountainbel has a very nice schematic of this ingenious filler here. In fact, I think that comparison is quite appropriate. In my humble opinion the telescoping piston system was the best engineered ink intake system up until now. Conid’s website has a nice video demonstrating how their filling mechanism works. It is really simple to use. The new Bulkfiller just slightly edges out in front due to the ink shut off valve and double reservoir. My apologies for my bluntness, but I am trying to give really high praise here. The specific model I have is the Slimline. I have never been a fan of huge pens. Posted the Slimline is the perfect size for me. The size is almost identical to a vintage Montblanc 142 with the previously mentioned brass telescoping piston filler. Shown below my gray-green striated celluloid 142. The build quality is top notch. The Delrin plastic truly is a new tactile sensation. Silky is a great way to describe it. The titanium trim is titanium...light and strong. I’m a metallurgist so I’m not as impressed perhaps Titanium is not the most scratch resistant material and difficult to work with. Anodized Aluminum would has a nice matt finish that is quite scratch resistant, but not nearly as sexy sounding. Posting of the cap feels extremely stable and I have no fears of the cap falling off. They sit on the double O-rings on the filler knob. Functional and aesthetically pleasing. I prefer a little more weight toward the front of the pen when posted so all the metal trim throws it off just slightly. But here I am being nitpicky. Anodized tantalum threads in the section would be something that catches my attention and add some quality heft to the front end, but that single modification would probably increase the price of the pen by 50-75%.... The laser etchings of the cap bands and are simple, understated and elegant - although not particularly deep. Production volume of these pens is small and they are made completely from machined parts. I believe that the titanium clip is machined using a wire EDM (electric discharge machining). If you look closely enough you can see the signs of machining on the cap and clip. Not defects, but signs that these are indeed turned individually. You might have noticed that my Slimline does not have a Bock nib. I ordered the pen with both B steel and F titanium plumes. Both nibs wrote beautifully and I would highly recommend both. However like most modern nibs, they lacked the character of vintage gold. Luckily I have a Waterman Ideal no.5 nib that was easily outfitted to the pen (some modification of the feed was required). And now it writes a beautiful XF flex line. The Bock feed does an excellent job keeping the flex nib happy with wet modern inks (iroshizuku inks notably). However the very dry iron gall inks I tend to use (R&K Scabiosa) leave me with railroads on occasion. At the end of the day, I do not actually flex very much so it is not an issue. This set-up does an excellent job! The Slimline is supposed to be a "smaller pen" but besides being ~1cm shorter than a Lamy 2000 or Pilot Vanishing point, it is still a great size. Overall the Conid Slimline Bulkfiller is a fantastic pen: engineered to perfection, completely self-serviceable. Industrial is a good way to describe it. To me at least, pens are tools so I for one can’t imagine higher praise.

As a multi-time poster on FPN, it struck me today that I'd never taken the time to write a review of any of my favorite fountain pen examples. It's not that I hadn't figured that I should before; I've never felt moved or compelled by a writing instrument to take the time to write down my thoughts - ironic given my love for pens and writing. That said, when I came home yesterday and saw a note on my door telling me that I'd missed a package from Antwerp, I was both so incredibly excited for the wait to be over, and so incredibly disappointed that I'd have to wait another day. So today, I went out, picked up my package from the post office, grabbed lunch, came home, set up my portable photo tent for when I'm out of my studio, and opened the package. Firstly, the package. An beautifully crafted box, from the outer sleeve with its lovely embossing to the inner aluminum packaging. Everything down to the carving of the inner foam is on point and perfectly executed. It's a marvel to look at. Additionally, the nib stroke sheet is helpful and shows Conid's commitment to accuracy and consistency. Next up is the nib. I ordered a Fine titanium ground down to an Extra Fine titanium for my example. This is my second Conid, with a Slimline Titanium Fine stub as my first. I love the stub, although the edges can catch paper fibers and cause some scratching. That said, when it hits the sweet spot, it's very sweet. This example's EF is simply incredible. When I put the nib to the page, ink just started to flow. And flow. And continue to flow. This might be the most pleasantly wet and smoothe nib I own, literally gliding across the page. With some titanium nibs (I swapped, for example, my TWSBI Vac 700 and Diamond 580al steel nibs for Titanium Bock Fine nibs) and found them to be a little scratchy. With the CAISO, Fountainbell's nib work is outstanding, and I have to give him some serious kudos for his attention to detail and professional skill. Let's swing over to the barrel. Smoothe, with a lovely cool texture and beautiful titanium fittings, it looked beautiful, albeit a little utilitarian before, filling. Sharing a photo, I was told it looks "quite masculine," and I can understand, in many ways, why. That said, its image completely changes when filled with ink, maximizing the body and accentuating the curve throughout the center. It almost becomes a completely different pen with every fill. In the hand, it feels just right: weighty, but not overly so, well balanced, cool, smoothe with some feedback, and just the right width to be comfortable. The (not so) blind cap is beautiful, sitting flush against the clear acrylic connecting to the machinery inside, while the titanium milled cap body and cap balances out the other end. Conid logo sits tucked into the cap made from acrylic. It's so well polished, you can't tell any separation between the acrylic from the logo and the titanium of the cap. Conid's attention to detail, as many has said, is outstanding, and I'm still blown away by how precise a job they've done. Then there's the most interesting part of the pen: the cap-actuated bulkfiller. At this point, the Bulkfiller mechanism is fairly well known. You write a syringe by turning the blind cap, pull it back, screw it into a plunger screwed into the back of the pen, press the syringe down, submerge into ink, draw ink into the pen, spin the syringe in the opposite direction until it unscrews from the plunger, and press the syringe back down into the pen. It's much easier to see than describe, so watch an animated video here: Or watch Francis (fountainbell) filling a regular Bulkfiller here: Most Bulkfillers seal when screwed all the way down, making flying, travel, and storage simple. This pen's mechanism is cap actuated. When you put the cap on, a plug in the cap depresses a needle in the feed, which seals the section from the main body of the pen. Ink is sealed away from passing into the feed, until you remove the cap again. For frequent travelers (who don't write as they fly, as removing the cap will open the feed to the main body of the pen again) this is a wonderful addition. Beyond that, from a technical perspective, it's quite the feat of precision engineering, and Francis has really outdone himself. There's only one downside, as I can see it, to this system: the plunger in the cap covered in ink when it screws into the feed upon closing. For those of us with a minor obsession with keeping out pens clean, that can be a bit of a headache. That said, it's a tiny tradeoff for everything else this pen provides. Size wise, the pen is larger posted than the Montblanc 147, but smaller than the posted Visconti Homo Sapiens. Posted, it's slightly larger than the Conid Slimline, but feels much more substantial in the hand. That said, the Slimline holds 2ml, while the the Kingsize holds a whopping 3ml of ink, at a complete fill. Size wise, it's almost exactly as long as the TWSBI Diamond 580 when capped. There is a significant weight difference, as well, given that the Diamond 580 holds significantly less ink. The pens also feel considerably different from a material perspective, as the Kingsize was CNC'd, I believe, from a solid piece of acrylic while the TWSBI's shape was injected into a mold. The quality difference is apparent as soon as you take the pen out of its case. I'm stunned by this pen. I have plenty of pens, from $3 Jinhao that write expertly to $7000 Montblanc that I'm not convinced I'd ever write with. That said, this has to be the single most well constructed and precision manufactured pen I've received, with what may be my favorite nib out of any pen I own. Yes, I know, I've been gushing this whole review (I never actually intended to write a review, but just post photos for folks who were curious), but as I said at the beginning, I was more moved to write this than anything. I have a feeling that this pen just made it to the top of my rotation, and will probably stay there for a while. Now I just have to figure out how to order additional nibs, and I'll be all set. For good measure I included a few photos of the Kingsize along with the Slimline.

Family Portrait It is no secret that I have been a fan and supporter of Conid’s Bulkfiller since the very beginning. When news began to filter through FPN that a new filling mechanism that would provide over double the capacity of its competitors was being designed by one of our own, I felt it was my obligation as an avid user to support the fledgling endeavour. Nearly two and a half years ago, I received my FPR (First Production Run) demonstrator Bulkfiller; a year later I added a second: a black delrin streamline. Then came word that a new model was being developed - an ebonite oversize - and that a special edition in vintage Tibaldi Imperial Celluloid was planned in very limited numbers. I immediately contacted Werner and, a few months later, the pen arrived in Israel. That beautiful celluloid... If I have previously had one criticism of my Bulkfillers, it is that the choice of materials never quite lived up to the unique promise of the pen itself. Although my other Bulkfillers are attractive in a simple, Bauhaus, manner, the clear acrylic and delrin lack that pizzazz that infects so many Japanese and Italian pens. Both are fantastically functional (the delrin especially), but they are pens you respect, rather than love. Not so the Flanders LE. The kingsize itself is quite a departure from the established Conid norm: gone are the ruler-straight lines, the slightly extreme length, the twin washers to securely hold the cap when posted. Instead, it is almost sensual, its slightly tapering cap and barrel expertly polished to a flawless sheen to best display the electric blue veins rippling through the celluloid. It has transformed the Bulkfiller into a truly covetable item, and I look forward to future offerings straying from the traditional black. Hand engraved... And, true to Conid’s manner, the machining is flawless. I have never come across any pen by any manufacturer as well put together as a factory-fresh Bulkfiller. There is absolutely no play in the parts, and everything is designed to last forever while being easily user-disassembled for service and cleaning. It is obvious that Francis, the pen’s designer, is as involved in manufacturing as design, because the intelligence of the engineering solutions, and the attention to detail, is astonishing. Nowhere is this more clearly visible than in the clip: produced from a single solid block of titanium, it no doubt cost a fortune to develop and manufacture, and will survive a nuclear winter. That clip: precision engineering, like everything else... Though it is invisible in this specific model, the mechanism is a creation of equal beauty. I remember when my first Bulkfiller arrived, I thought that perhaps it was an unnecessary over-complication. I could not have been more wrong. Unscrew the blind cap, pull out the rod, rotate left to lock, push in, pull out, rotate right to unlock, push in the rod, close blind cap. Done. Now, after two years of use, I can fill any of these pens blind, in an instant, and with clean hands. Francis’s ingenious bend in the titanium rod ensures that I have never suffered from those wandering air-bubbles that frequently reek havoc with my Pilot 823 and Onotos. The dual reservoir also allows me to feed or drain the nib and feed of ink at will (by opening the blind cap and pointing the nib either up or down), meaning that I have never ever suffered an explosion, leak, or inky fingers with any of my Conid pens even after dozens of flights and thousands of miles travelled. All this with over 2ml of ink capacity in even the smallest model - a monstrous 3ml in this kingsize model. The blind cap. The only criticism I have of this pen is the nib. The EF size 6 titanium nib in my delrin streamline (produced by Bock and user replaceable) is one of my best writers: not too wet, not too dry, smooth as silk. So of course I had to order the same in size 8 for this Kingsize. Unfortunately, lightning doesn't strike twice: it is not as much to my liking, being a bit too wet and a little rough. The nibs are user-replaceable and can be purchased in ss, gold or titanium (the last two only for the Kingsize). Note the empty second reservoir. The ebonite feed. No doubt as soon as I have published this review, Francis and/or Werner will contact me to ask why I haven’t notified them, and will offer an instant and completely satisfactory solution (this is the kind of incredible service you get from Conid included in the price of admission), but I wanted to give a fair view of what to expect out of the box. It is, and remains, my only criticism of this most incredible pen. Writing sample on Rhodia with Montblanc Lavender ink. Note the full reservoir (without refilling the pen). No, I lie. I have two criticisms, though the second is not reeeeallly directly relevant... Too much... I usually don’t mention packaging much. I am a user, not a collector, and so feel that boxes etc are to pens what cellophane and plastic are to fruit: an unnecessary waste. I understand that this pen is a labour of love, designed in Belgium to honour the millions lost as WWI ravaged Flanders, but despite the effort, care and attention to detail, all the dog tags, the USB sticks and the unique box (no doubt costing Conid an arm and a leg) are completely superfluous. Less is more, and I feel that pen would have been as impressive (perhaps more) with a simple wooden box (see Onoto/Nakaya/MontblancPOA), perhaps with an included poppy. But, as I said and as you know, packaging means nothing. Cost, however, does. I paid comfortably double the price of a ‘standard’ ebonite kingsize for this LE. Some of that is no doubt down to the material, some to the (unnecessary) packaging, and some (hopefully) is easy revenue towards the development of the cheaper and more mass-produced Bulkfillers. While I consider the standard ebonite Kingsize a well-priced pen (and would urge anyone in the market for a Montblanc 149 or Pelikan M1000 to give one a chance), this LE was a pure, glorious indulgence, one for which I have no regrets. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I have been travelling heavily recently, and it is no coincidence that my Visconti three pen case has been filled with my three Conids. Since the Bulkfiller’s inception, they have always been the most functional pens you can buy. However, with the LE's celluloid and the Kingsize's more elegant design, the Bulkfiller is a pen you can now buy with your heart as much as your head. Does that make it the best pen in the real-world? There’s a pretty good argument to be made for that…

I’ve been eyeing the Conid Bulkfiller for a while now. After reading review after review about how great these pens are, I caved and decided to order one. I emailed back and forth with Werner for a while and expressed my desire for a Bulkfiller with some color. He told me that he had a piece of orange ebonite that could be used for a Regular sized Bulkfiller. Perfect, I love orange and I wanted the Regular Bulkfiller anyway. I placed my order and waited (im)patiently for about 3 months. When the pen arrived, I opened the box to find a lovely aluminum box, which opens on a side hinge to reveal the certificate of authenticity (etched in metal), polishing cloth, user guide, and contact information. Under all of that is the main attraction: the pen. http://s32.postimg.org/rep51ms1h/Screen_Shot_2016_05_13_at_3_04_46_PM.png I am thrilled with the appearance of this pen. The color of the orange ebonite is even more pleasing than I had hoped. It immediately reminded me of the vintage Parker “Big Red” Duofolds that I’ve seen. http://s32.postimg.org/5gew2m8vp/Screen_Shot_2016_05_13_at_3_03_04_PM.png The size and balance is perfect for me. It’s the most comfortable pen I own. Light, but not cheap feeling. The grip section is long, with an hourglass shape that cinches in at just the right point. This pen gets top marks for comfort. http://s32.postimg.org/5huccixyt/Screen_Shot_2016_05_13_at_3_03_40_PM.png I went with a fine titanium nib. It performs well with no problems. The flow is reliable, yet not too wet. Most of my other pens are pretty wet writers, but this one is a tad drier. It writes every time it touches paper and never skips. One thing I did notice is that the fins on the feed are almost always saturated with ink. This doesn’t effect the performance (it doesn’t drip or leak), but I haven’t seen that with any of my other pens. There’s not much to say about the filling system that hasn’t been said before. It works great, and it holds a ridiculous amount of ink. I really like the two reservoir system that can be sealed off for travel. So far, I'm really happy with this pen and I'm looking forward to using it regularly for a long time to come.

I've decided to buy a Conid pen, and am contemplating the details of the purchase. I've ruled out some of Conid's models for a couple of different reasons: Size: The Kingsize / CAISO is too large for practical daily use. I have fairly large hands, but pens such as the MB 149, the Pelikan 1000, and the Conid Kingsize are too big for me to use as a daily pen. One size down works better for me: MB 146, Pelikan 800, Conid Regular / Minimalistica. (Too bad -- the CAISO technology is cool.) Likewise, the Giraffe model is way too big, of course.Ink window. No ink window means it's impossible to determine your ink level. Big-capacity pens like piston-fillers tend to have ink windows to deal with this issue (such as Pelikan Souverans & Montblanc Meisterstucks). With a Conid bulkfiller, things are even more demanding: you want the ability to see the ink in both the small, primary reservoir, and the larger, secondary reservoir. This rules out the Slimline entirely -- there is a model with a clear barrel, but the section is still Delrin, so you can't see the small, primary reservoir. (Too bad. I like the Slimline.)This narrows things down to a Regular or Minimalistica model with a clear barrel & section. (Too bad. I'd prefer a quieter black model, but just don't think I could live with a pen where it was difficult to gauge ink levels.) This brings me to my final criterion for choosing the details of a Conid pen, the "100-year pen" criterion. It seems to me that a pen made with the tolerances and quality of a Conid pen ought to be able to work a century after it's made. Long after the original designers have died and even the company making the pens and parts has gone defunct, your grandchild should be able to use the pen with no real problems. Replace a couple of O-rings every few decades and the pen should hang in there indefinitely. So, how does this dictate the details of the pen configuration? No ebonite models. Delrin and acrylic only.No platings or anodised coatings on the titanium furniture. Over a century of use, they are likely to brass, wear off or be scratched off. In contrast, if you scratch plain titanium, you can buff it out. Or do nothing -- at least the scratch won't make a sharp color contrast. This rules out the black stealth and golden "Panthera Oro" furniture. (Too bad -- both are lovely.)In short, a "100-year pen" criterion tilts you towards a design esthetic that requires things to look like what they are. Function really drives form; you have to accept the imperative of eschewing cosmetic veneers. Finally, we come to the question of nib material. Steel is out. It's the least corrosion-resistant of the choices.Titanium is pretty corrosion-resistant,but gold is more corrosion resistant than titanium,and a rhodium-plated nib more resistant still.Why is rhodium-plating an improvement? Because a 14K "gold nib" isn't pure gold. It's only about half gold. The other, non-noble metals in the nib can be corroded or oxidised. So a rhodium-plated gold nib seems like the one that will best resist time and corrosion. (It's also the most expensive. Too bad.) I can see at least one other advantage for gold and rhodium-plated gold, as well. According to a page I read on Richard Binder's site, gold is more wettable than steel, and rhodium more wettable still. It seems like a good thing to use a nib material that will promote capillary flow. Note that Binder didn't rank titanium in his wettability ordering, so I don't know where it falls on the list. His pages are generally pretty negative concerning titanium nibs. This brings me to the general question of: what is the point of a titanium nib? They seem to be all the rage with people who like to do flex-nib calligraphic writing, and just about every review you see on the net of a Conid pen will be of a pen with a titanium nib. But I have to confess that I'm a little suspicious. I get the sense that what is going on, to a degree, is that serious pen freaks are having fun exploring the new, exotic thing. I'm not sure that there is any benefit for me. I don't do flex-nib writing. My writing is clear, but it is not beautiful or calligraphic. I use pens to write down ideas, do mathematics, edit drafts of typeset documents, take notes and do correspondence. That said, I enjoy writing with a nib that has a little bit of spring or compliance to it, as opposed to a stiff "manifold" nib that would be good for making carbon copies. Really stiff nibs (what people here call "nails") are not as pleasant. So, I have these two questions: Why would I want a titanium nib instead of a gold nib? Why would I want a gold nib instead of a titanium nib?I'd especially be interested to hear if Fountainbel has anything to offer on this subject, since he is the designer of the pens who chose to offer all four kinds of nibs. Also, the reasoning I've outlined above is based on absolutely no expertise at all, so it's entirely possible my conclusions are out to lunch. Finally, I'm curious as to what others here think of the "100-year pen" criterion I described above. When looking over the gamut of choices, on the Conid site, it made a useful razor to guide my decisions. And I like the things I own to have conceptual integrity in their design. It also seems like a criterion for which the Conid is tailor made. When I look over the Conid pens, I am struck by how well they suit this "100 year" notion. There are no steel parts to rust, and the uniform use of modern, stable materials such as Delrin, acrylic and titanium make for a pretty robust object. The pen is designed for easy maintenance. And so on -- it really is a design tour de force. -EKH

This foto as a tribute to Francis " Fountainbel " Goosens and Werner " Conid " Helsen who putted Belgium back on the fountainpen map with their innovative concept.

A couple of months ago I have decided to go after an item I would really like to possess: a CONID bulk filler designed by forum member Fountainbel. I regret that I was way too late for the demonstrator version of the flat top Bulk filler. In my opinion a innovative system like this just screams for the transparency of a demonstrator. Obviously I was very amused that in the beginning of May CONID decided to actually start the production of a limited series of streamlined demonstrators. I immediately signed up to one of the 60 pens to avoid making the same mistake… Because of the fact I had not made a decision for the nib, I have asked whether it was possible to “testwrite” some different nibs. We agreed upon a date to visit the production facility (Komec Helsen) of the Bulk filler in Antwerp, Belgium. Meeting was set with Werner Helsen and Francis Goossens (aka Fountainbel). At that point I was assuming I could test the different nibs in order to make a final decision. I would also like to see the difference between the streamline and sleek version with my own eyes. No decision-making for that amount of money based on a technical drawing. I was very pleased with the opportunity to actually get these things done. The communication with Werner and Francis was excellent. Although a little surprised by the e-mail I received the morning of the factory visit: Bulk fillers were ready to be picked up… I was not aware that I could really take the pen home already that specific day. Quite a big surprise. The beginning of the meeting was nib testing. I had the opportunity to test all different materials in the available sizes. This to me was very important because this is actually my first fountainpen in this price range so I just wanted to be sure about the nib. In the meantime other pen lovers arrived to pick up their pen. Also Fountainbel himself joined us for explanation, background stories about material choices and production facts and of course demonstrations of disassembling the pen. A nice pen case filled with prototypes was his companion. Based on the drawings of the pen I was a little disappointed with the use of ebonite on both ends. The original prototype was covered in titanium but was tested as being too top heavy, especially when posted. The use of the black ebonite gives the pen a different look, but it remains great in its own simplicity. Actually I get to hold the original prototype and it do was heavy. Too heavy to write in a comfortable way. That’s one thing I especially like about the Bulk filler. It is a technical masterpiece with every single detail well thought of and tested thoroughly. If there’s something that should need improvement, the design is changed. In my opinion this “story” behind the pen adds a lot of sentimental value to it. The pen is presented in a modest box. Nothing to add value but the correct box for a pen built with the technical aspect in mind instead of the well known marketing approach. Inside the box there’s a label to prove authenticity of the numbered first production run. This number and text is also engraved in the titanium ring at the end of the Bulk filler. Included there is a cleaning cloth, some tools to disassemble the pen for thorough cleaning (or fun) and a very detailed information sheet with the technical drawings and the way to get the Bulk filler inked. Although I was very amused by the performance of the steel nib I immediately fell in love with the broad titanium nib. Because this nib was added to the available range at the very last moment it has the original Bock design instead of the CONID lines we see in the other nibs. The titanium nib just looks great on this pen and writes just the way I like it. Perfect. The fact the whole pen is disassembled very easy is just wonderful. There’s no glue involved and everything screws nice with the use of (double) o-rings. Very quick to take apart with the tools included and therefor easy to clean. Most certainly an advantage over a piston filler if you want to use different colors of ink. CONID also modified the feed to improve ink flow. Although when the pen runs dry you can “supply” a little air to restart the flow. But after the writing I have done so far I did not have to do so. At this moment I am still experiencing the in and outs of this technical masterpiece. But with my limited experience I can surely say this is one of the best pens I have ever used. And you know what’s best? It’s mine… Proud owner of the 12/60 First Production Run Demonstrator CONID Bulk filler streamline

I ordered and paid for a pen from conidpen.com 3 days ago and have not received any sort of confirmation or communication. The credit card has been charged and everything, and I've got nothing to show for it but a robo-email from paypal. I've also sent an e-mail to Werner with no response. I know it's a small business and they're probably swamped with the holiday season, but for such a pricey pen, I'd just like to know that they actually got my money and order! Anyone else have any experience with them? Is this wait normal?

I'm glad to announce the first interview for 123stylo.com, featuring a great friend, who also is a fountain pen collector and an architect M. Alain Vanderauwera. In this very video, he talks about how he worked with Conid to create a Limited Edition , you probably don't know about. (because the Minimalistica AvdA it's really really limited!) To learn more about him and his amazing collection (with english subt.), please follow this link! (published on 123stylo's blog)http://123stylo.com/blog/ Cheers!For 123stylo.comWilliam (here's a picture of this amazing guy!)

My daughter came home to Manila from the US for a visit on New Year's Day, and brought some goodies for her dad, including a small bunch of writing instruments—four fountain pens, a pencil, and a rollerball--that had been accumulating for me in her California address: From left to right, they are a Conid Bulkfiller Streamline, an MB Agatha Christie pen and pencil set with box, a Conway Stewart Dandy rollerball, a Parker 51 Vacumatic, and a Parker Vacumatic “Overmax” (I use quotation marks because it turned out to be a franken-Vac, albeit a well-made one). Aside from the Agatha set (the pen is near-mint and the M nib is nicely springy), the jewel of the bunch is the Conid, which impressed me with its size, heft, machining, and the smoothness of its rhodinated 18K nib. Some more pics of the new arrivals: The big question was what I would fill up the Conid with, and after much thought I finally decided on Pelikan Royal Blue—a vivid but stable ink. I plan on using the Conid as an EDC alongside my other, stub-nibbed Agatha, the Conid for notes and the Agatha for signatures. A great start for 2016!

This is a review of CONID’s Minimalistica, which I haven’t seen reviewed on FPN yet. This is a two-part review. The first part is a traditional FP review, following the criteria commonly used on FPN. The second is a bit of an experiment; to try to use some intellectual tools to express aesthetically why I really, really like CONID’s Minimalistica. The idea behind this comes from Jonathon Deans. I’ll put more details about his very interesting contribution to the FP community in a comment (or see his post directly). The result is a longer-than-usual review. I hope you find it useful anyway. Please leave feedback on the aesthetic review. --- TRADITIONAL (technical) REVIEW --- Design: 9/10 This is an extremely well-designed pen. One might even call it a pen that has been designed with an obsessive eye for detail. There are plenty of entries elsewhere on FPN that talk about the technical details, so I won’t try to repeat them here; suffice it to say that there has been great care taken with every aspect of this pen; from the filling system, to the rubber-ring-secured snap-cap (which you have to twist slightly when capping and uncapping), to the excellently-designed clip. I docked a point because there is a slight wobble in the cap when the pen is capped. To be clear, it sits very securely, but if you press the side of the bottom of the cap, the rubber ring securing the cap to the body of the pen ensures that there is a small gap between the cap and barrel that is a tiny bit wider than a sheet of paper, and which allows a bit of play. Photo: capped pen Photo: posted pen Appearance: 8/10 Rather bland in online photos, this is a lovely pen in ‘person’ (more in the aesthetic review part, below). I went for the demonstrator barrel, which I found more interesting. Note that even when it is full of ink, the Minimalistica will have a big transparenct chunk just below the feed. The demo version isn’t for everyone, but there is also an opaque version. For some reason, the solid (dark, opaque) body reminded me of a Lamy 2000 in looks/shape. The one thing I don’t like is a little discoloured ring inside the barrel close to where the seal engages. It looks to have been caused by a circular rough spot in the barrel that attracts ink. I have used the same ink each time I’ve filled the pen – Akkerman’s Royal Blue, which came with the pen – so I don’t know what it would look like after several colours had cycled through. I have rather strictly docked two points for this; the pen is otherwise perfect in my eyes. Special mention to the packaging. I don’t usually care for packaging, and I only saw the box after I had bought the pen, but it’s an unusually well-designed box, with all aspects well thought-out. And honourable mention to user-serviceability. I got a tool-set in the box. With the instructions, I should be able to take the pen apart entirely to clean and/or otherwise service it. Photo: Finial Photo: Turning knob Photo: End, unscrewed Filling System: 10/10 If you’ve read this far, you’re almost certainly aware that CONID’s filling system is new and innovative, and allows for a barrel full of ink. It is an excellent design and very easy to use. Full marks here. Photo: Mid-section, seal open Photo: Mid-section, seal closed Nib performance: 10/10 I bought this pen at the London pen show in early October 2015 and it has been in daily use since then. It is a joy to use. The Medium titanium nib was modified to a stub while I waited and it was set to write as I specified. So it is inevitable, really, that I give the nib a 10/10 performance. However, the CONID stand had loads of inked (not dipped) pens to try out, and they all wrote beautifully. In fact, my inspiration for the stub on my pen came from the stub on one of the demo pens, which was love at first touch to the paper. Based on my sample of pens tested, giving a 10/10 for my specific nib’s performance isn’t unfairly positive. If you were feeling sceptical, you could mentally adjust this score down to a 9. Photo: Nib Writing experience: 9/10 This pen writes beautifully – smooth and about a 7/10 wetness. The feed easily keeps up, even with fast writing, and the dimensions are perfect for me. I had expected to prefer one of the other pens, but after at least 15 minutes of trying out different models, I kept coming back to the Minimalistica. I liked its looks very much, but I liked other models also: the deciding factor was that this model fitted my hand perfectly and posts securely (I’m an habitual poster, though it’s large enough to use unposted). My only niggle is that – like a power-filler – you have to unscrew the back after a while as the closed reserve starts to run dry. Once you’ve opened up the seal, the wetness goes up to about 8/10 for a short while. I dock a point for this. Writes out of the box: not applicable Many modern fountain pens bought new have problems right out of the box. I therefore think it generally appropriate to give a mark of 5/5 if it is trouble-free from the start, to reflect the fact that a pen is principally a writing instrument (0/5 if this criterion isn’t met; rendering an overall mark of 55). My Minimalistica did write beautifully, trouble-free from the start, and has continued to do so. But, as I bought it at a show and it was modified for me on the spot, I don’t think it is fair to rate this aspect. If you think that’s unfair, mentally add 5 to both the overall score and the theoretical maximum. Overall view: 46/50 Technically close to perfect, this pen is an enormous pleasure to write with and interesting to look at. It is easily my favourite acquisition of the year, and has set a new benchmark for writing pleasure. This pen is not cheap, but to me it nonetheless represents excellent value. --- AESTHETIC REVIEW --- Jonathon Deans suggests one set of (normative) criteria for evaluating aesthetic experience and another set of factors to address sources of aesthetic appreciation. Rather than trying anything fancy here, I’ll just go through them. Evaluating the aesthetic experience Intensity (the wow! factor): The Minimalistica has a pretty good ability to grab and hold my attention in the way it looks (visual) and feels (physical). Combine that with a whizz-bang experience in writing (performative intensity) that really grabs my emotional attention, and the overall experience is definitely intense. Others might prefer the solid, opaque version, but I find the demonstrator body much more interesting. This is not least because I like seeing the guts of this new filling system. Complexity of the experience: did I experience this pen as imaginative, surprising, interesting? Yes. I was surprised by how pleasing it was to hold and look at – wasn’t expecting that. Nor was I expecting it to feel as pleasant as it did in the hand: beautifully smooth, not slippery, not cold. And I experience it as imaginative and interesting – both in the way it was put together and in the particular filling mechanism. This is a deceptively simple pen – looks pretty basic at first glance, but repays greater attention. Maybe this is why I can see parallels with the Lamy 2000: both have a kind of radical simplicity. Unity: did I experience the Minimalistica as coherent and complete? Most certainly. Well thought-through, a harmonious, well-balanced blend of its parts, and with nothing missing. The pen is perfect as is. I think it is also possible to get this model without a clip, but to my taste, not having a clip would make me feel the pen were incomplete. Sources of aesthetic appreciation Materials: colours, shapes, physical material. Not much here to get too excited about. The shape is aesthetically pleasing, suits me very well. But it’s designed in sober colours and in a decent plastic. I really like the smoothness of the materials, and the colour of the nib compared with the body of the pen. The bands at the pen’s extremities have nice detail, but I think the materials are more of a hygiene factor. Form: The relationship of each element to the whole. Wonderful. I can sit and look at this pen for minutes at a time, admiring the perfection of the ratio of the parts, with the form extremely well-suited to the particular function and filling system. Expression: what if anything is it that I associate with this particular pen, and what sort of emotions does it evoke? There is little in the colours to trigger associations for me. The sleek design makes me think of something low-key and highly efficient. There is plenty of space for more extravagant, exuberant designs too, but the idea of being able to get maximum effect for the minimum fuss makes me happy. Finally, I’m not sure whether the circumstances of acquisition should count under expression or whether this should be a separate category. Either way, a pen’s provenance surely conjures associations. Just think of an heirloom pen. In this case, my particular pen has an association with my positive experience of the London pen show, which I enjoyed. So, that was a long review of the CONID Minimalistica, a very interesting pen. It was also a first attempt to exlpicitly discuss the aesthetics and start developing aesthetic literacy. I hope you found it useful. Please see my comment, below, which provides more detail on the impetus for this initiative.

Just received my .4mm 14k bock stub custom ground by John Mottishaw. What a pleasure to write with. Always happy with John's work. I think the plain gold nib looks kind of cool on this pen as well.

Hi there! Greetings from Switzerland...I said Switzerland - not Sweden! :-) I am a passionate and avid collector of mainly FP's since many years. In two weeks I'll launch my new website 123stylo.com, and I thought I could share the news to the american continent. This boutique will have around 50-75 exceptional pieces, as we believe quality is essential over quantity. It will be dedicated to highly sought-after vintage & rare collectibles FP's from all around the globe, with the presence of manufacture Fps from renowned Italian, French & Belgian artisans in very very limited editions. I will for sure update TFPN once a week what's in stock, as we are shipping worldwide. Can't wait to have your feedback & thanks for hosting such a nice place!

With the recent rave reviews of the Conid Bulkfiller, I've decided to join in the fray. So which one should I start with, the Regular size or Minimalistica? It seems to me that the sizes and feel are very similar. I currently use all sizes of pens with all types of nibs...but prefer the M800 and 146, for size. It also seems that the choice comes down to a slip cap vs. screw on...and flat black vs. demonstrator. On either pen I'd begin with a titanium medium, and just see where that might take me. I'd appreciate any advice or thoughts. D

Visiting Fountainbel to have a nib (or two) tuned, I got a chance to snap these fabulous prototypes of his bulk filler - prototypes 100% engineered, designed and handcrafted by himself. The bulk filler is now being made and sold by Conid (conidpen.com).

A few weeks ago , I was eagerly awaiting my new , Flanders , produced fountainpen. The Conid Black flat top bulkfiller comes with a Titanium stub nib , finetuned by Fountainbel (Francis Goossens) The ink used : Iroshizuku Yama-guri. 1.Presentation: some pen enthusiasts were invited to the Conid production site (Comec , Wilrijk , Belgium , Antwerp area). We were all delighted with the invitation by Werner Helsen and Francis : background and history were explained. Filling instructions were highlighted. 2. Presentation box : clearly , Conid wants to invest all new ideas and energy in the pen itself and not in fashion , Italian style poshy boxes. The box does its work and is just fine. 3.Instruction leaflet included : within all of my collection pen and boxes , I have never seen such a clear instruction paper in which the filling itself is explained.Bravo! 4.Filling itself : OK , it takes some time , to get used to the filling mechanism , but once fully understood how things work , all works fine. A pitty however , that you cannot see the mechanism working in this pen (not the demonstrator!) Huge amount of ink can be used ! Flushing and cleaning have never been so easy!! Bravo. 5.Nib : The( Bock) nib gives some nice flex and is highly stylish with the general look of the pen.Writes smooth and effortless. Ink flow , till now , no skipping or flow issues to be mentioned. Writes rightaway even after some days of non writing. 6. Barrel is made out of Delrin polymer : I have to emphasize that , comparing with all other polymers used in pen industry , this is a marvel to use , to touch and feel : softness reminds to silk and gives special sensation. Bravo! 7. Dimension : perfect size , about Pelikan M 800. The overall aspect is quite a "engineer looking" pen. The pen is stylish. 8. Price- quality: OK , it quite an amount of money , but just compare with other pens , on the market.You just get a wonderfull mechanism and an overall no nonsense , no compromise pen made by PEN LOVERS and not marketeers. Future : A demonstrator streamliner is still on my wishlist