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I won't recommend you do this, but for what it's worth, I managed to shoehorn in a Kanwrite no.8 nib on my Woodex Model 33. The pen came with a Kanwrite 5.5 nib unit threaded for JoWo, but the no.8 Kanwrite nib got in without much hassle, I don't notice any cracks in the housing, and IMO, this looks more proportioned to the grip. The pen writes flawlessly with a wet fine line, as you can see from the writings on the notebook on the backdrop. The ink for those wondering is Skylark coffee brown...👍 Have a nice day🙏

Review: Modified Ranga 8b This review is about my experience with a Ranga 8b fountain pen that has been my primary daily writer for about a year. I will discuss my thoughts on the pen, the experience of ordering from Ranga, and the modifications that I made to it to fit my writing needs. I won’t be assigning scores to various categories of performance; while that approach is certainly popular and useful in some contexts, I think a general discussion of my experience might be more valuable for the reader. Additionally, I won’t be discussing the stock version of the pen very much. So, if you need information on size and other specifics, one of the many other reviews of this pen is probably a better source of information. The Ranga 8b is an artisan made pen, manufactured in Thiruvallur, near Chennai / Madras India; like many high-quality pens from the region, it has been hand turned from an ebonite rod. I ordered my pen in a brushed mat black finish. I truly appreciate handmade, high-quality writing instruments that small makers like Ranga produce. Ranga is not attempting to sell a brand name nor do they really have a marketing department. They only have the promise of making well-made pen that truly fits your needs. I ordered the pen directly from their website at https://rangapens.com/ I found Ranga to be particularly responsive in their communication. After placing my order, I was contacted by the company to confirm my preferences and to give me updates about when it was being made and shipped. It took roughly a week for my pen to be manufactured, shipped and delivered to my home in California. General Thoughts on the Ranga 8b Much has been written about the Ranga 8b pen model, so my experience is not unique and probably confirms most of its positive accolades. The pen itself is beautiful and is very well finished. Most users enjoy the long, hourglass shaped section, and indeed I can confirm that it is my most comfortable pen to write with, in part because of this feature. The shape and balance of the pen in stock form is amazing, especially if you use it unposted. The pen simply feels luxurious, and when I received it, I knew that I would not have to search out a high priced “grail pen” to get what I was looking for in terms of a writing experience. My Pen and the Modifications I Made I opted to get the eyedropper model, because it gives me a lot of control in setting up the pen. I write on thick paper (Clairefontaine notebooks and HP32 inkjet paper) and I prefer pens with a generous ink flow. I also find that I much prefer ebonite feeds – they seem to be more consistent in delivering a wet line. And as a material for the pen body and section, I enjoy ebonite because it does not get slick if my hands get sweaty, and because I can make small alterations to the shape of the pen if needed. The pen came with a high quality Kanwrite nib with Ranga engraving, and a simple ebonite feed; the nib and the feed are friction fit into the section. I ordered a medium, which I use most of the time. However, I also have another Kanwrite nib that can fit this pen, which I ground down to a stubbish left oblique (the red cursive in one of the photos was written with this nib, though in another pen at the time). The first change I made to the pen was to replace the feed. The stock feed was reliable, but it was not quite providing a generous enough ink flow. After adjusting it a few times, I opted to replace it with a high quality Kanwrite 6.3mm ebonite feed from Fountain Pen Revolution. At the same time, I also opted to recess the nib, because I wanted it to be slightly shorter. I pushed the nib and feed into the section a bit further than normal, and heat set the section to this nib and feed using boiling water. In other words, I submerged the section in hot water and shaped it around the nib and feed to ensure proper fit – yet another advantage of ebonite. Afterward, I submerged just the nib and feed to heat set them to ensure proper ink flow. Thus, the nib on the pen is set further within than stock, and after heat setting (section and nib/feed), I have no issues with ink leakage. The second major change I made to the pen was to create an added taper toward the back of the pen body. In some ways, it resembles a less dramatic mid-body taper of the kind found on the Franklin Christoph Model 2 Intrinsic. The stock pen posted securely, but not deeply; it was a bit long for me. And while I enjoyed it, even while posted, I wanted to improve the balance of the pen. I used a very sharp knife to shave off material starting at about two thirds of the way towards to end of the pen. Next, I used a sanding sponge, 80 grit, to remove the marks from this process, so that the finish matched the original brushed, mat ebonite. In hindsight, I probably should have used only the sanding sponge. It was probably sufficient for the job and by using a knife I introduced flaws into the pen that you can see if you look closely. That said, this modification worked wonderfully. My pen now posts fully and deeply, and its balance is perfect for my hand. This modification meant that instead of using the pen periodically, it has become my main pen for everyday work; I barely put it down. Final Thoughts The pen is my ideal writing instrument, and certainly the most comfortable I have ever used. The only time I do not use it is when I need to write in direct sunlight, or to use thin, cheap paper, such as when I grade student work (I am a history teacher). For these tasks I use a cartridge converter pen instead of an eyedropper. Much is sometimes made of using an eyedropper pen for everyday use, and I am not sure I have much to add on the subject. I have for years used an eyedropper every day, with few if any problems, as do thousands of other people. Doing so takes some knowledge and patience, so as they say, your mileage may vary. I will be ordering another Ranga 8b pen, even if it is just to have one in reserve. This pen is by a large measure is my favorite. That said, since I prefer to post this pen, I will ask for my next one to be made with a slight taper towards the end to facilitate deep posting. I think that this ability to customize an order, combined with receiving a very high-quality product for a reasonable price, is one of the major advantages of ordering from a small artisan like Ranga. Needless to say, I am a very satisfied customer, who is just trying to spread the word. If I were to order this pen again for the first time, I would probably purchase the stock version, to see if I would prefer to use it posted or unposted. I obviously liked it enough to take the time to modify it, rather than simply buying a new pen, which I think speaks to its appeal.

I have been wondering whether Airmail 69t and 71 jt can be fitted with a plastic feed that comes with Kanwrite desire, Jinhao X750/x450 or Pierre Cardin President. I was thinking this because Sheaffer's NN feeds are unavailable and the plastic feed of the above mentioned pens have good number fins to prevent burping of 69t or 71jt . If this modification is successful then NN's feed unavailability problem would be easily solved.

Hi everyone! I received a lot of old Japanese fountain pens that appear to be old plunger fillers, all of which appear to need new seals as they do not vacuum in any ink (the pen pictured leaked from the blind cap end when I syringed some water into the body). The blind cap unscrews, but the plunger has no resistance when pulled up and can be shifted around to various angles. I can see inside the pen with the section removed that there is a small bulb attached to the end of the rod with a small rubber washer not too far behind it. I did some looking around but had trouble finding a lot of information regarding how to fix these types of pens. Any help would be greatly appreciated! P.S. If anyone knows anything about what this pen is, I'd appreciate any help identifying it. The label reads "shiruba" or Silver

One of my Danitrio Mikado (eyedropper filling model) pens leaked on me at work. That is Noodler’s Navy you see on the section in the first image. I collect Danitrio and this sort of thing happens more often than I care to admit on their eyedropper filling pens. I still collect Danitrio but stopped buying eyedropper models a couple of years ago. At this point I know all the potential ways in which a Danitrio can leak. This one leaked at the junction between the section and the barrel. Naturally, with a leak like this you don’t know it’s happening until you look at your inky hand so that’s nice. There is no obvious reason for the leak, which led me to investigate further. To do so I thought a comparison to a Japanese eyedropping pen that has never leaked on me was in order. Thus, I cleaned out the Namiki Emperor I had with me at work and set about comparing the two pens. What have I learned? 1) That even compared to a Namiki Emperor the Danitrio Mikado is a big pen and looks great. Feels good to hold and to write with and that stub nib is extra nice. Seems to be on par with the Namiki on looks and feel but… 2) The section engineering and machining execution is different between the two pens. The concept is the same—eyedropper with shutoff valve—but the Namiki has some advantages. a. The Namiki threads are finer pitched and better machined inside the barrel and on the section. This can be felt when screwing in the section; there is a smoother feel and less play. b. The threaded portion of the section has a bigger diameter on the Namiki. The overall diameter is 10% greater and but the ratio between the diameter of the grip portion and the threading is also 10% greater on the Namiki. c. The o-ring on the Namiki is more precisely seated, that is, it has no room to move about. d. Both o-rings fit into a slot in the barrel that is flat and smooth before the threads start up. The slot on the Namiki is not as deep. I have a gang of Danitrio pens that fill by eyedropper. One or two have never leaked on me at the section. This pen used to be one of them. The problem is at the level of the o-ring. There is too much potential for the o-ring to move about, get twisted, or otherwise compressed in an uneven fashion. It only takes an infinitesimal gap for ink to leak. Water always finds the path of least resistance. A little side pressure from your grip and the heat from your hand is all it takes to set the leak in action. Part of loving Danitrio seems to be leak mitigation. Changing o-rings has helped in the past on other pens but o-rings that fit are not easy to come by. Danitrio themselves does not seem to have consistently sized, readily available replacement o-rings. That bit about consistently sized o-rings may make more sense knowing that there is more variability between Danitrio pens of the same model than Namiki pens of the same model. I reckon Namiki buys only one size of o-ring that always fits like it is supposed to. I admit that it all is a bit frustrating, but I press on. IMG_8517 by Ja Ja, on Flickr IMG_8529 by Ja Ja, on Flickr IMG_8535 by Ja Ja, on Flickr IMG_8539 by Ja Ja, on Flickr IMG_8541 by Ja Ja, on Flickr IMG_8543 by Ja Ja, on Flickr

Dear FPN'ers, Ranga Handmade Pens wishes you Very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!!!! This Offer is for RANGA Handmade Pens Bamboo, Thin Bamboo and Giant Bamboo Model in Classic Ebonites and alluring Acrylics .This is Japanese Style Pen with extensive craftsmanship. It is unique writing instrument with carrying lot of Art. Ebonite is highly beautiful , Durable, evergreen ,long lasting , Classic and favorite material for Pen lovers. It has Vintage Characteristics. Premium Acrylics are very attractive ,looks Gorgeous and appeals Visually very much. Bamboo and Giant Bamboo caps in less than 1 turn. Thin Bamboo Caps in 2-3 turns Bamboo Dimension: Capped Length - Approximately 6 Inches Cap Dia - 16mm, Barrel Dia - 16mm, Section Dia - 12.5mm at Thickest part and 11mm at thinnest part. Thin Bamboo Dimension: Capped Length - Approximately 5.75 Inches Cap Dia - 14.5mm, Barrel Dia - 14.5mm, Section Dia - 11mm at Thickest part and 10mm at thinnest part. Giant Bamboo Dimension: Capped Length - Approximately 7 Inches Cap Dia - 19mm /17.5mm dia based on availability, Barrel Dia - 19mm /17.5mm dia based on availability.Section Dia - 14.3mm at Thickest part and 12.5mm at thinnest part. Making Time : 2 -3 weeks Price: 1. Base Price for Ranga Regular Bamboo Pens with Ranga Screw in nibs and German Converters: Premium Ebonite & Premium Acrylic :85USD,Regular Ebonite & Regular Acrylic: 75USD, 2.Base Price for Ranga Giant Bamboo Pens with Ranga Screw in nibs and German Converters: Premium Ebonite & Premium Acrylic :105USD,Regular Ebonite & Regular Acylic : 85USD 3 Base Price for Ranga Thin Bamboo Pens with Ranga Screw in nibs and German Converters: Premium Ebonite & Premium Acrylic :80USD,Regular Ebonite & Regular Acrylic: 70USD, . You can upgrade it to plenty of nib choices with extra charge Shipping charges: Through Courier (Quicker delivery-4 to 9 days) .USA : 19USD, Central Europe : 15USD, Singapore/ Malaysia: 15USD. Rest of the world: It varies from country to country from 15USD -19USD. Kindly note that Shipping charges are very high, we bear the 50% of shipping charge and collecting the rest from customers. (Charges published above) Payment Details : Paypal id mpkandan@gmail.com .This offer Price is Valid till 31-January-22 To book your pen, Please fill the below form . all details are included in the form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0o_xxc0vrLXV27Wvp1FRvnH-qDbBVl8_1WgD50g3xb4DsyA/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0 Take care Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

If you're into fountain pens, chances are you know who Kanwrite is. They're the largest nib manufacturer in India and their models like the desire and heritage have garnered critical acclaim all over the world. They also (allegedly) make some of Noodler's pens as well. But that's not all the models they make. They make some pretty good inexpensive pens as well... some of which are a good choice for students and beginners who would like to start their fountain pen journey. Today I'm going to look at Kanwrite's cheapest offering, the Apex. A simple eyedropper pen that can be found at about ₹60 - 100/- INR(less than $1-2 USD) in India. And for the TL;DR of it, it's a pen that, if you want a good beginner pen or you want to venture into the world of eyedropper pens, this is a good place to start. So, let's crack on... Design and Build This is the cheapest pen that Kanwrite offers, and you can tell... not necessarily on the build quality, but you can tell why they chose to go with an eyedropper for this, you're basically paying for the nib, feed and a plastic housing. But beauty lies in simplicity... right? For the minimal amount of materials used the pen looks and feels solid. Even though it's at the bottom of the barrel compared to other Kanwrites, ink it up and it has the same amount of character and appeal as other fountain pens. They have various tints for the plastic, but I went for the demonstrator look because, well... I'm a sucker for those. The pen is made of the same plastic that is called a "celluloid derivative" by Mr.Nathan Tardif himself, and yes... it has the smell, but not that much compared to other pens that I have that's made of the same material(lookin' at you... Kanwrite PC converter). and yes... it can handle drops like a ballpoint... I accidentally dropped it back side down about 3ft from the ground, and aside from a temporary ink fountain that covered my floor with purple ink, the pen wrote as soon as I picked it up and put It on paper(probably because the fall helped prime the feed even more). The cap is a simple screw in cap that takes around 2 turns to open/close. and the clip is sufficiently tight yet easy to clip into even thick fabrics. it also has Kanwrite stamped on it, alongside the heat embossed Kanwrite logo in the barrel. Overall for a ₹60/- pen, it looks distinctive, and that's good in my books. The only issue is that the pen has minor flashing marks on the inside of the section, probably due to not properly trimming the injection molded parts, but other than that, a solid pen that is well built. As for size, well... it's a small pen... From left to right: Kanwrite Relik Jinhao X450 Airmail/Wality 71JB(cartridge converter system) Kanwrite Desire Kanwrite Apex Nib, Feed and Writing Experience Kanwrite is a company Known for their nibs, so it shouldn't be a surprise that this one will also be a good nib, right? Well, we'll get to that in a bit. Let's first take a look at the nib, shall we? The nib is a Kanwrite No.00 stell nib in fine. The same nib that is used in the Relik and perhaps even the same size as in the Airmail 77 and Camlin 47. It's a tiny fella, and couple that with an ebonite feed that is sufficiently finned, and you can rest assure that reliability will be a strong suit of this pen... and it is. I have never run into any dry out issues even when left uncapped for the better part of an hour. So suffice to say, it's a reliable writer. Talking about how it feels while writing, well, the pen is a small guy. But even for me, a guy with a hand the shape of a kayak(slim and long...) writing it unposted was fine, but I'd still recommend posting it as then it's in my opinion a perfect size for writing with. Talking about writing, and well... It writes just like a Kanwrite. Very smooth for the most part with a hint of a feedback. It's less than you get while writing with a pencil but you feel that you are writing. This is with TNPL 70gsm copier paper though. Move on to a better paper like a Classmate or Rhodia, and the nib just glides... honestly, as much as the Airmail 69T that I shoehorned a Kanwrite No.35 nib into(Check that one out here). And I'm baffled that you can get this writing experience out of a pen that costs around the same as a ghee roast in a restaurant. Now the pen is an eyedropper and does take around 2ml of ink. And like most eyedroppers it does burp, but when the barrel is so low that you are not refilling the pen out of pure ignorance and laziness. So, refill it when the ink gets to about 1/8th mark, which'll last you more than 2-3 ballpoints. Plus, everything is friction fit, so it is easy to clean. Before getting into the conclusion here's a writing sample of this pen. Conclusion and Final verdict Honestly, there isn't much to say about it, if you have a Kanwrite PC, Saloon, Relik or any of the lower end ones, the experience is somewhat similar. and for just 60 rupees, you can't go wrong. Like I said in the beginning it's a pen that, if you want a good beginner pen or you want to venture into the world of eyedropper pens, this is a good place to start. It is a cheap and effective gateway drug into the world of fountain pen. couple this with a ₹25/- bottle of bril blue, and you're pretty much set for at least half a year, or more. Thanks for reading my write up and I'll see you around...

I was perusing through the fountainpen forums the other day and came across @mehandiratta's review of the Airmail 71JT. He described how the pen was magnificent, but the nib it came with was a mess... literally, as it burped on first write... and he then swapped with a No.35(International #6 for anyone wondering) nib and now it's his daily writer. I was so astonished by the fact that you can swap a no.35 nib on an airmail pen which usually takes No.8(a stubbier version of a #6) nib. So being the curious and idiotic imbecile that I was, I started to find out how to fit a No.35 nib to my pen... Forgetting the fact that my pen is the smaller 69T instead of the 71JT(Which literally means Jumbo Transparent) that I bought from The Pen Hospital in my city (Thrissur) a while ago. At first I was surprised that the nib didn't fit as the diameter for No.8 and No.35 feed was identical... while I found a way to coax it in there, the cap wouldn't close properly... after about two days I got frustrated and abandoned the idea and planned to buy a 71JT... but then... While I was watching youtube, a channel called Penatomy appeared in my feed and I saw that he was able to fit a Kanwrite No.35 nib in an Airmail 69T... and I got my guts back... And I watched the video and found out that evenly scraping off the ebonite feed bit by bit until the nib fits in place... and voila... a No.35 nib on a 69T... And I have so much to say about it... Design And Build To be frank... this is one of the most beautiful budget pens I have (given that my pen collection only contains pens under ₹800/- at least for now). And it's the blend of a simple clear acrylic barrel that is hand turned with the randomness of the pattern of the plastic cap (that is made of the vegetal resin and it smells... but not as strongly as the converter in the Kanwrite PC was check that one here.), the chromed finish of the cap band and the simple clip to the clear crystal like portion on the back end... all come together to make a timeless and handsome looking fella... The build is also... for the price... reasonable. Yes you won't get the heft and the metallic build of a Jinhao... but this is an eyedropper pen and if it were made of metal... then it would have not been an airmail/wality wouldn't it (at least in my opinion). The pen is long enough to hold comfortably unposted and it's light enough to write without any fatigue for a long time... Posting it though... unless you have gorilla sized hands... don't use it posted... I have a very thin and long hands (like a canoe oar... if you will) and for me unposted is the way to go... and you might find the backweight a little too much when posted... The only sort of complaint that I have in regards to the looks is that for a pen with chrome trims, it comes with a sorta gold, sorta bronze type of plated steel nib (the nib shown above), and I'd rather have it a un-plated steel nib... thankfully the Kanwrite nib fixes that for me...(the picture shown below is of a Kanwrite No.8 swap that I did before I ventured into a No.35 swap)... As for size comparison here it is next to: Kanwrite Desire Hero 336 Pilot Hi-Techpoint V7(That I eyedropper converted) Nib, Inking And Writing As I mentioned, the standard 69T comes with a No.8 Steel Airmail nib... And I might have been one of the lucky ones from what I hear about Wality nibs because at first it was a bit on the toothy side, but a little polishing fixed that... to some extent... it had a bit of scratchiness in the leftward strokes and I wasn't experienced enough at the time to remedy it, so I bought a No.8 kanwrite nib and wrote with that for a short time... and it worked. Well... Kind of... You see... Since it is an eyedropper, I was expecting some burping... but not when the ink is 7/8th of the barrel... and that issue pertained with both No.8 nibs... I then read about heat setting the ebonite feed... and that worked to an extent... but still about half full before the pen starts to burp is a bit too early in my opinion... So as per the intro, I started to try and fit the No.35 nib into the 69T. And suffice to say that I shoehorned it in there is an understatement It took a lot of trial and error but after bit by bit sanding off the feed, I was able to fit the nib deep enough that the cap can open/close in 2 turns... which was enough for me and that is how much the cap turned to open/close initially. But was all that trouble worth it? In short... Yes... The nib I fitted was a Kanwrite No.35 Fine nib in a steel finish... and I think it suits the pen better than the No.8 nibs that Airmail uses. that extra flare in the shoulder and the increased length really sets the proportions right for me... And when we come to the writing... Fine and smooth with a hint of feedback... Just the way I like it because it allows me to write fast enough without being too fast that my hand gets out of control... so I prefer pens with a slight feedback. But the feedback isn't intrusive and the pen just glides along the page. And remember, the amount of feedback depends on the paper used as well. On standard 70gsm copier paper like the one used in the writing test, the writing feels more pencil like. But if used in a higher quality paper like a Classmate or Rhodia, the feedback becomes, near as makes no difference, unnoticeable and the nib just glides over the page while putting on a generous, wet, fine line. The line is fine by western standards and a medium when compared to nibs like that from Pilot. But suffice to say that this is an upgrade that you should do. and with proper heat setting of the feed, there is absolutely no burping until the ink gets critically low, and by that time I would've refilled it anyway... All of these combined made my Airmail from never carry to daily carry. And for me, that's a win. Conclusion To conclude this for about ₹400-450/- for the pen and about ₹75/- for the nib which overall costs around ₹500-530/-(around $8 USD) this is a pen that punches way above it's weight and is a recommend from me... if you are not feeling that adventurous then a No.8 nib swap from Kanwrite can make you love your airmail even more... Trust me, if you have a Airmail/Wality 69/71 series,and you want to have an enhanced writing experience (and you're a bit frugal like me), don't buy another pen... just swap the nib with a better one. Your love for that pen will be enhanced... Just like my love for my 69T

I'll just get right to it, starting with the hard facts: The Acriv Ebowrite Master is an oversized ebonite eyedropper with a crimped titanium nib. It measures 167mm capped, and 149mm uncapped. It posts, but... 149mm uncapped. Here it is next to a Lamy Al-Star: Brimful with ink it weighs 33gm. I paid $40 for the pen, it shipped for free, and was delivered to the US in about 5 weeks from the day I placed the order. It came with a genuine leather, zipper case, that struggles to contain the pen. I'm not a fan of zippered cases, but this one is actually rather nice and well made. Just a bit too small. The pen itself, is also well made. It's straight, no unevenness in the profile and the cap screws on straight. It has a matte, almost stealth-like, brushed finish. The matte effect is mostly due to very fine ebonite dust, however. After rubbing it clean with a paper towel and a dab of No-Oxi-Oil, it looks more like fine wood grain. Not glossy, but not stealthy either. I find it looks better, now. Lamy 2000-like. The section, like the rest of the pen, is made of ebonite. I'm a bit disappointed that it has a smooth finish. I also wish it had a slightly concave profile, rather than the straight taper. The cap takes 1 1/4 turns to unscrew, the barrel requires 8 turns. Both screw on tight. After several weeks of use I have yet to experience dry-outs or leaks. The barrel interior was full of ebonite dust and flakes, and required a thorough cleaning. I used No-Oxi-Oil and paper towels, and followed up with a thin coat of silicone grease. Pay attention to all threads as they tend to trap ebonite dust. The pen works only as an eyedropper. I did not try to measure ink capacity, but I'd say it's 4ml or more. The pen does have some other minor quality issues. The etching on the clip is not dead center, and the section lip has a rough edge. Also, after cleaning the exterior some flaws in the ebonite became visible; one orange spot and a few dings. They are all pinpoint sized (see 5th photo from the top) and barely noticeable. The crimped nib is somewhat scratchy. It's not awful, you can live with it, but it is scratchy. Nothing some 6000 grade Micromesh can't fix. Don't overdo it, though. Titanium, though hard, is much softer than Iridium. The feed is very wet. Too wet for anything other than Tomoe River, Clairefontaine, or similar. Too wet for the Fine this nib is supposed to be. It would have been just right if the nib was flexy. However, even though the nib seems to have some bounce, in practice it can't be called anything other than stiff. Verdict: This pen is worthy of a much better nib than the one that came with it. I have a vintage flex #8 nib from a parted-out Good Service that might fit. A #6 Jowo or Bock also might do the trick.

Hello everyone, Greetings from Malaysia. I had been browsing as a guest on this site for months but only decided to sign-up a few days back (because a voice in my head told me to do so). I was introduced to fountain pens in school by my teachers when I was 11 and always had a fondness for them since then. My first fountain pen was a Hero, which was awful. Soon after, I got my self a Pilot Birdie which was a delight to use. I used it until I was 26 when I lost it in the office. Only in the past year that I seriously started collecting fountain pens as well as various shades of ink. This is my latest acquisition - A Ranga Model 8b eyedropper in matt black with a Kanwrite flex nib. I paid for it on Thursday and it was delivered on Monday to my amazement (Kudos to Ranga Pen Co and DHL). It is a thing of beauty but had a huge problem. The tines had a gap the size of Grand Canyon. So there was no ink flow at all. One of the advice on the internet is to soak the nib in hot water to bring the tines together. Unfortunately, that did not work. I resorted to using brute force and squeezing the nib to get the tines closer. That seem to have done the trick. I have filled it up with Pelikan Edelstein Moonstone and so far so good. Anyways, it is nice to be a part of this community. Regards, -Logen

Would any Pilot people have any model/date/celluloid info on this neat purple+transparent celluloid japanese eyedropper Pilot pen? I’m putting it at 1939 or 1940 due to it being “Pilot”, having the ridged clip, and having a steel nib and chrome fixtures. The nib says “Pilot, made in Japan, Shinever, 3”. Any insight? I previously posted about this pen in the repair forum seeking shrinkage help as the cap was loose but the barrel-section threaded mating was correct, but that seems to have mysteriously fixed itself, and the cork packing and nib needed no help at all.

I want to convert my Platinum Preppy to an eyedropper pen. Its threads are too coarse to be sealed by silicone grease alone so an O-ring must be added to make an airtight seal. The problem is I have been unable to find O-rings for a reasonable price. I tried to find them over the internet but either 1) they cost far too much 2) are out of stock 3) are not of the appropriate size. None of my local hardware stores seem to have them, also tried the plumbing store and the motorcycle repair shop. Did anybody have better luck finding O-rings ?

Most commericals pens do not arrive ready to be used as eyedroppers. Conversion is a possibility but sealing and ink flow problems often plague the converted pens. A lot of cartrifge pens also do not have feeds capable of buffering large amount of ink in the reservoir. Can any users recommend me beginner pens (below 50 USD) that have the ability to accomodate a converter, cartridge or ink straight from the tank? I already have ebonite eyedropper pens and also one made by Pilot. It would be good to know of a few more commercial eyedroppers.

Sharing the pictures of my new Deccan Author Red Ebonite eyedropper pen. There are 2 previous posts discussing about the acrylic versions of this pen: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/216836-deccan-aurelius-author/https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/224094-the-deccan-aurelius-aka-the-author/I bought the eyedropper, ebonite Author in red colour, with Deccan stock fine nib. Overall design: It is a simple and elegant design. The colour appears more brownish-red than bright red that is seen in images with light. The clip appears slightly off the center (but it doesn't matter to me). There were small fragments of chipped off ebonite material in the barrel. The cap opens in exactly 2 turns. With cap posted: Barrel is quite thick and the pen looks very sturdy: Nib: The junction of nib/feeder and section is beautiful. Deccan logo (stylized D with stars): It is quite comfortable to hold in hands while writing. I will use the pen for a couple of weeks and follow-up with how the nib writes. My favorite writing style of nib is a fine nib that puts down a wet line. I will do whatever tuning it takes to suit this pen to my regular writing need. Please share your pictures of this pen if you have.

Hi, this is my finest stub and my oldest pen. A pre-1907 Mabie Todd & Bard Swan 3003 eyedropper with "short nib, fine" as it was called those times. And when they said fine, a very fine nib was meant: This one gives 0.28 to 0.30mm lines vertically and 0.21mm horizontally on paper. Best wishes Jens

Straight outta Shanghai, crossing vast oceans and lands, comes the latest from PENBBS, the model 487 magnetic filler eyedropper. By now, you've all read about the revival in magnetism in fountain pen filling with the likes of Piedmonte Pen Design and the PENBBS Year of the Rat 492 Well this here's the one for the masses. Same set up as the 492 but a bit more accessible to purchase and just as competent on the magnetic cap pulls magnetic piston. Goodies My first fill brings out the delightful novelty, look ma, no rods! Neato, speedo! The mechanism is very easy with the clear instruction card provided. Initially the push/pull of the piston was stiff and ChrisRap52, Douglas Rathbun, What I Ink, Inky.Rocks YouTube reviews are good for unstuckth tips by turning the piston. This thing holds a lotta ink sans rod and the magnet is plenty strong, heck you can even turn it into a deskpen Fit and finish are superb. This is my first PenBBS pen and I am very pleased beyond the mechanism, if replaced or broken, this would serve as a superlative eyedropper regardless and that is a very good thing.It posts securely but makes the pen over long and I don't post even though I'm a serial poster. Purdy - Chatoyance, pearly pearls all the way from cap to barrel. Described as brume, mist or fog in French and I had to look that up; there went the college French.Balance - this pen has "it" unposted which very few pens do for me. I love the taper and grip section, very well balanced like another fav balance, the FPR Himalaya v2 or Sheaffer ... Balance!Smoother writer - the RM, round medium has no skips and no leaks. The flow gushes with Monteverde Blue Black. Very surprised for my first PenBBS pen. Waay waay better than the (bleep) Moonman M8 dry junky nibs coming out recently Neutral This pen is long, like Cross Peerless, Pilot 743 length. But not an issue for me unposted Baddies Hard to say for only a week in of usage. There is so much good!! Well this pen does have magnets so I steer away from mechanical watches and maybe some electronics unless data scrambles from poor to nil gauss shielding. It does not stick to the titanium Conid though. Design flaw alert: Unlike the 492, the back end cap does not appear to unscrew meaning the end is not user accessible to poke a chopstick on the magnetic piston if it gets stuck. And oh boy, it done stick, stuck, stooky. I'm still on my first fill despite using it onstop daily journalling, scribbling, todoing. For fun, I tried moving the piston to dispel the empty void but no go. Argh!!! I had to syringe out the ink as my theory was the magnet is not strong enough to dispense against the feed. It did start moving again thankfully once the barrel is emptied with ink, but it shows a fatal design flaw where if the magnetic piston does get stuck at the end cap on full fill there is no way to release the piston short of a more powerful electromagnet. What I surmise is that the piston attaches to only one side and may displace at an angle if a weak push/pull attempt is made. If the piston gasket is askew from perpendicular from the inner barrel, stuck city. When I made another attempt on a full pen, the piston finally moved and jerkily burped ink successfully out the feed and onto my hand. This is definitely in need of some user practice or I'll settle for long serial fills at a time.That said, if the piston is irrevocably stuck, one still has a very competent eyedropper pen Summary Despite the non-end cap user accessibility, PenBBS 487 is a wonderful pen on its own write/right. Pretty, functional and balanced aside from its nifty novelty of filling mech.

Hi, I've been looking for a second Swan eye dropper and so this one made it's way from England. It is a 3202 MED with stub nib made ca. 1915 to 1920 with an original leather pouch. I think it was good luck to find such a nice pen... Some photos, the Swan as it came, not much to do for restauration, needs some reallignment of the tines. Best wishes Jens

Sharing some photographs of a 1902 Mabie Todd & Bard silver eyedropper with the ink flow control valve. Engraving on the barrel: The Swan Pen PAT. FEB 8 81. FEB 21.82. MAR 6.88 Mabie Todd & Bard New York Sterling Albert S Waller February 1902 In recognition of Faithful Service Mabie Todd & Bard As per the book, of Steve Hull, the ink control valve is illustrated below. I'm not sure that it is more of a marketing claim than a precision ink flow control! Anyone had good experience of using this ink control stopper? NB. The BCHR slip cap is not original, i'm sure looking at advertising of the time it would have been silver overlay. Regards. Kevin

Hello everyone here at FPN, this is my first publication this year and I take this opportunity to show you my most recent acquisition. I made this purchase on eBay at a good price and it is a very interesting vintage flexible fountain pen: Measures length: 5 inchesBrand: UnknownPen material: EboniteClip material: SteelOverlay material: I don't knowFilling system: EyedropperInk capacity: 3mlNib: 14K Warranted # 8 flexFlow: Wet It is a fairly light and comfortable pen to use and is quite fun to use and enjoy its flexible nib and its fed is quite generous, but it requires me somewhat decent paper since the feed is wet. Next I will show you the photos of the fountain pen and some writing samples using flex and another without flex.

I found this on eBay and I figured this is just what My Opus 88 Demonstrator needed. It's branded FANMU, though none of the few sellers on eBay who offer it market it as such. I always found eyedroppers to be inadequate for the purpose of filling their namesake pens; not enough capacity, a hassle to clean... boring... The Fanmu addresses all these shortcomings, IMHO. It basically works like the filling mechanism in the TWSBI Go and it works really well. It's fun to use and it's quite well made. Looks good too. It's one of those things that you didn't know you needed, but once you have one you wonder how you managed without.

Not sure if anyone seen it, Opus 88 is releasing a new pen after their Bella line up. The new release is called the "Flow": https://www.instagram.com/p/B7EGabljZen/ https://www.facebook.com/OPUS-88-%E8%A3%BD%E7%AD%86-%E7%B2%BE%E5%9F%BA-117055545603286/ It is the first of their pens to be fitted with a Bock nib unit housing I believe. In the past I had concerns on buying an Opus 88 pens due to their relatively high price point but was softening up for the Opus 88 Omar Demonstrator version. Then this came out. Better have an internal discussion with my head, wallet and heart again.

Good morning! Technical - and perhaps stupid - question: how do I seal an eyedropper to prevent ink leakage from the point where the section screws into the barrel without using silicone grease? I've started using paraffin wax: once warmed with the fingers, it can be spread very homogeneously and seems to work well. However: - Am I doing potential damage? I.e., is paraffin wax able to corrode or damage ebonite, or is it safe? - Would it be better to use natural wax? I read somewhere that it contains potentially harmful acid substances?