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  1. I have a Pilot EF that I think needs a bit of smoothing, but I am scared to death of ruining it. I bought a micro-mesh pad and decided to have a go at a Platinum Preppy that is in a color I don't use. Then I decided since I was already messing around with the pen that I might as well try to eyedropper it, something I have never done before. I used silicone grease and all seemed to be well except later on I noticed some ink spots on my hands, so I think it is leaking somewhere. I do hold my pens fairly close to the nibs. I can't find an o-ring in an appropriate size so I have temporarily added some plumber's tape but that is unsightly and makes it harder to cap the pen. Below is a photo, minus the plumber's tape. I think the smoothing went well but was not excessive, but I still need to come up with a better seal for the eyedropper; I'm trying to work up the courage to smooth out the Pilot EF a bit. The ink is Diamine Oxblood, which I'm testing out and seems quite nice. Do people add a ball to their eyedroppered pens to help keep the ink from drying up?
  2. During a recent trip to Berlin, I happened to stay near the excellent Papeterie Moranga (just off Winterfeldtplatz), and came across two beautiful pens from Taiwan that I'd never seen in the wild before. One was the Bronze Age eyedropper/converter (which I purchased) and another was the more recent version, Gold Armour, which another FPner writes a wonderful review of here. If you are in the US, I believe there are one or two online stores that carry these pens, but they are (so far) relatively difficult to track down. These pens are so great, though, that I imagine they will become much more visible in the next few years. To my eye, they are as interesting, if not more, than the Opus eyedroppers. Highly recommended! The pens are a striking combination of brass and transparent acrylic (at least I am assuming it's acrylic), which can double as both an eyedropper and converter. I was torn between them, but ultimately went with the faceted edges of the Bronze Age. (The Gold Armour version features a round cap that has small points to prevent it from rolling, and can also come with a beautiful bronze colored nib.) I have no connection to Moranga or Fine Writing International--just a happy pen-owner! And if you are in Berlin, Moranga also has a lot of other wonderful stationary items--including new Midori notepads that I haven't yet found for sale in the US. The owner is also super friendly, and let me try out a ton of pens, including the newish line of Sailor Naginata Togi nibs.
  3. GMJEbonobin

    Athena Brand Pens

    Hi guys! I found a seller on ebay that is selling some new old stock Athena brand pens. I was wondering if anyone could give me some information on them? Specifically I want to know if and/or when they started using eyedroppers with ink shut off (as that's kind I purchased)
  4. Hello FPNers, I just received my pens from Fosfor Pens. Wanted to share my first impressions with all of you! This review will not have any ratings. All I can tell you is, I simply love these pieces of art and highly recommend Fosfor Pens... Pen #1: - Parker Duofold style flat top pen with roller clip - Material : Vintage Mazzucchelli Cebloplast - Length : 138 mm capped, 128 mm uncapped, about 170 mm posted - Width : 13.6 mm at the barrel-cap threads - Nib : Jowo steel, Extra Fine The pen is beautiful, just magnificent. You can keep staring at the material, the depth is so amazing. Pictures taken by Manoj- Well, this pen, in a matter of seconds, became one of my favorites. Manoj has cut very smooth triple start threads and the cap takes just 2 turns to disengage from the barrel. It's polished so well. I asked him for a Jowo Steel EF nib and it had feedback, not scratchy, but just feedback. I smoothed it out and it is a joy to write with. It's wet and smooth, but puts down a precise line on the paper. It's a cartridge/converter filling system, but can be used as an eyedropper too. I am not used to writing with Extra Fine and Fine nibs, so I find it a bit difficult to get used to. Pen #2: - Parker Duofold style flat top pen with roller clip - Material : SEM Black Ebonite with Himalayan Cedar inlays on the cap and barrel ends. - Length : 138 mm capped, 128 mm uncapped, about 170 mm posted - Width : 13.6 mm at the barrel-cap threads - Nib : Jowo steel, 1.1 Stub (my all-time favorite) Many may brush aside this beauty thinking this is just another boring black pen...but hold on! There is something interesting, the cap finial and the barrel end have Himalayan Cedar inlaid to them. And the wood looks beautiful, it's a very good contrast. I contemplated about the inlay work, looked at some plastics with interesting patterns, but nothing enticed me more than the organic feel of the wood. But picking the type of wood to use was a challenge, because we have a very small surface area to show the grain. Manoj suggested that we use Himalayan Cedar which has good grain, some yellows, browns, pinks and reds. I am glad to have followed his suggestion. The pen is very beautiful. This has the same triple start threads like the other one has, but the threads don't feel as smooth, may be because it's ebonite. I just put some silicone grease and it helped a bit. Filling system is the same as on the other pen. Pictures taken by Manoj- This pen has my favorite Jowo steel 1.1 Stub nib. Its a great nib, smoothing it a little bit only helped. Usually the 1.1s have a scratchy diagonal upstroke (at least my experience with many of them). So I used some micromesh and it now writes like a dream. Writing Sample: My thanks to Manoj...he is an awesome penmaker, and his patience is remarkable. A lot of care has been taken while polishing, attention to detail is excellent. All my requests to him till now take numerous phone calls and emails, but he has been very patient and is always open to suggestions and challenges. If I could change something, it would be to increase the length of the cap and barrel by a couple of mm, in all make it about 145 mm. Hanging around together- Will post a review of another pen soon. Thanks for reading! Regards, Raghuram.
  5. NobleDel

    Esterbrook Eyedropper Question

    Hello, Can anyone provide information about this pen? I recently won an auction for this Esterbrook BCHR eyedropper pen. Per Paul Hoban's book, Esterbrook sold two eyedropper models around 1915 and 1920. One marked Relief 314, and one marked Made in U.S.A. The pen I won is marked Made in U.S.A. The nib is marked 14 ct. which may indicate it was made for the European market. This could explain the fact that the seller of this pen was in the UK. Any more info about this pen such as dates of production, manufacturer if not actually Esterbrook, etc., would be appreciated. Thank you very much.
  6. I have seen this pen by various Indian sellers. It is a cheapie, marketed at school children from the graphic. It looks more like a Monster Truck, just the sort of thing that might be more attractive than a flat colour. It looks very much like a Click Warvick. Well, it is by the same factory. The pen seems to be badged as a Fellowship brand pen. But does it have a name? I have a handful of other pens of this company that look very similar. If they are rough & scratchy I can fix that with the micro-mesh.
  7. Opus88 Omar Clear Demonstrator is one of the latest eyedropper pens from Taiwan based, Opus88 Many reviews have touched on the basics of these popular eyedropper filling mechanism based designs. They drink most any ink and have cornered the market on affordable modern eyedropper mechanism pens with piston shut-off. This is just a quick look at the largest size Omar in a clear demonstrator finish. The Omar is basically the demonstrator model plus a few stylish curved touches.The piston rod pulls out just like other opi/opuses to act as a shut-off from the main ink supply.I've never had one of these pens before and bought it for the looks, filling mechanism and Jowo #6 nib compatibility.Plus it is waay less expensive than a Namiki Emperor or vintage Ban-ei eyedropper with that cool eyedropper mechanism. Size is relative. But the Omar is a non-posting pen and skews to the larger side.I have smaller hands but I found the size very comfortable, more than say a Pilot Custom Urushi I'd put it between a Sailor KOP and Sailor 1911L; just right!! Top to Bottom size comparison: Pilot Custom Urushi, Opus88 Omar Clear, Lamy Safari Vista, Sailor 1911 Large Demonstrator, Aurora 88 Chrome cap, Pilot Kakuno So far the performance is the great standard out of the box, Jowo #6 medium nib: smooth and direct with little feedback using Monteverde Olivine ink I have not tried swapping the steel nib but I do believe that it would be compatible with Jowo #6 nibs on cartridge/converter pens like Franklin-Christoph, Edison Pens, Esterbrook Estie (Kenro), Carolina Pen Company, Ryan Krusac pens, et al.from other videos I think there is a teeny o-ring I need to retain unlike the c/c jowo which does not have one.One negative was the nib was askew from the feed out of the box, but a simple twist set the feed aligned symmetrically with the nib point.Built quality It's plastic and sturdy and clearIt has that plastic on plastic squeak/scratch sound between the threads (I'll probably silicone em up)the powder coated paint black matte clip seems pretty secure I wish more companies were like TWSBI and include extra goodies, as Opus88 could supply back-up o-ringsSummary I'd buy this pen again. It can serve a one pen person admirably. Feels sturdy though light. I like its styling good looks as I did not care for the colored versions of the Omar line.It's Jowo #6 interchangeable swapparoni niboroniIt can contain a good amount of ink as a testbed/sandbox for scary iron galls to shiny shimmery, pigmented (bleep) you cannot use on vintageIt has that cool eyedropper mechanism yet inexpensive enough that you don't break the bank having to finda Ban-ei living national treasure pen restorer in case it breaks.My biggest negative is that it does not POST
  8. Taiwan pen maker (and stationary products importer) Fine Writing International (尚羽堂) has released the 6th generation of their brass pen. The cap is a big part of the story of this pen. This is the first round cap in the series. The others were octagonal. It's also more ornate that previous iterations. It's crazy-cool. The design is inspired by patterns found in Chinese armour. It looks like the Mountain pattern armour (山文铠) which first appeared in the Tang Dynasty. Then there's the lion with the dagger in its mouth on the end of the cap. The concept is that given that the pen is mightier than the sword, it should be helpful to armour-up your pen (and give it a knife-baring mascot). The pen uses a #6 Jowo steel nib and comes with a converter. Eyedroppering is a natural, however. There's a o-ring on the section. I added silicon grease to the section threads. The cap itself is about 25g making the capped pen over 50g. Sans cap it is a much more reasonable weight - with a full barrel of ink. Capped 140mmUncapped 130.5mmSection diameter: 10.3 -11.9mmBarrel diameter: 13mmThe design balances the pen's proportions very well. The size and diameter of the section is comfortable. The length natural. The diameter of the barrel feels right. I got mine with a 1.1 stub. It's also available with EF, F, M, and B nibs. I picked KWZ Brown-Pink. The pen holds 4ml according to the included booklet. Writing with the Golden Armour is a treat. The nib couldn't be smoother and gives gentle but clear line variation. It's wet without being a gusher. The pen wrote perfectly from the first. The weight of the pen calms my writing - as much as that's possible. I find watching the letters form inspiring. Fine Writing International is far from a household name - though they are getting more attention lately. You may have seen their Planets series. I feel fortunate to have had my head up when this pen came along. The pen was just over US$90 direct from Fine Writing International. I understand retailers in the UK and Japan stock this pen. Not sure about the US. But FWI ships internationally as does Taipei retailer TY Lee. More pictures and comments here.
  9. Opus 88 Multi-Review Taiwanese company Opus 88 has recently put out a whole series of dedicated eyedropper-filled pens, and I picked up three of them: the Koloro, the Picnic, and the Fantasia. I think these three models are similar enough to warrant a combined review. http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/opus_88/picnic_koloro_fantasia_uncapped.jpg At the time of writing this, I found both the Picnic and Fantasia on sale — possibly closeout sale. I’m not sure, but it seems that these models may be discontinued while Opus 88 focus on the Koloro, the Demonstrator and the Omar. A Demonstrator might possibly be in my future, but that is not for today. Presentation They all come in a presentation box which is made from cardboard with a black vinyl covering, embossed printing and a magnetic latch. There’s a thin cardboard sleeve to go around the box and keep it closed while being shipped or stored, and there’s a foam insert to protect the contents. When I opened one of these boxes, I thought for a moment the pen was missing! It had, in fact, slipped underneath the insert while being jostled around by the mail service. Personally, I favor smaller boxes with less wasted space (like the presentation cases vintage pens used to come in), but I know the entire pen industry is against me on this, so I guess there’s no point in complaining. http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/opus_88/fantasia_in_box.jpg A little cartoon pamphlet with one side in English and the other in Chinese shows how to fill the pen. You should probably look it over, as there’s a good chance you haven’t had any pens before that work like this. Or else, you can follow my instructions below. All three pens came with a glass eyedropper, although the exact size and design varied a bit. It’s just a little glass pipette with a rubber bulb at one end, and I personally don’t consider it the most ideal tool for the job (more on that below), but it’ll work. The Filling System Well, the filling system is what really makes the Opus 88 line stand out. We’ve got some FPNers converting cartridge/converter pens to eyedropper fill, but most of us don’t have much experience with the purpose-designed “Japanese” eyedropper system and its shutoff valve. The fill process is as follows: Holding the body upright (nib pointed up), unscrew the section and body in the same manner as opening a cartridge/converter pen. Use an eyedropper or syringe to transfer ink from your bottle to the pen body. Screw the section and body back together. http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/opus_88/koloro_and_syringe.jpg Couldn’t be easier. There are a few quirks you need to consider, though. The knob (not really a blind cap) at the tail of the pen controls the shutoff valve. Some of you may already be familiar with a similar shutoff valve used on some (but not all) vacuum-filling pens, such as the TWSBI Vac 700 or the Pilot Custom 823. Its purpose is to prevent ink from “burping” out of the pen due to changes in air pressure (such as when flying or riding an elevator), or when your hand warms the air inside the pen, causing it to expand, and it also reduces the chances of ink being slung or knocked out of the pen during travel. Contrary to what some have assumed, you do not need to open the shutoff valve to fill the pen. You also don’t need to open it for jotting brief notes, as there is a tiny ink chamber available when the valve is closed, but you will need to open it for more extended writing sessions. The shutoff knob has another useful function that I haven’t seen mentioned elsewhere. Although there is no piston or plunger in this pen, moving the knob and rod in and out does displace a small amount of ink or air, and it can be used to pump a drop of ink into the feed. If you’ve just filled a dry pen, and you need to prime the feed and get ink flowing, this is the easiest way to do it. I’ve struggled sometimes with cartridge pens, getting a dry pen with a fresh cartridge to start writing. That shouldn’t ever be a problem here. Do be careful, though, as you can burp or spatter a drop of ink out of the pen if you manipulate the rod too much! A few minutes of practice with this technique should serve you well. Watch closely and you’ll see the ink flow into and saturate the feed. As already mentioned, the glass eyedropper will do an okay job of filling the pen. However, it doesn’t pick up much ink per squeeze, so you will be going back-and-forth between the bottle and your pen a few times. Also, the tip of the eyedropper is sort of bulbous and doesn’t deposit ink with great neatness or precision. Luckily, there is an alternative. From the Goulet store I picked up a couple of semi-disposable syringes, 2 for $5. These are what I think of as “hummingbird” syringes due to their long, blunt needle. They are graduated up to 5 ml, and they are ideal for taking every last drop from an ink bottle and then putting that ink precisely where you want it, as well as seeing exactly how much you got. They have other uses, such as refilling cartridges, but they really shine for filling eyedropper pens such as these Opus 88s. Maintenance Because these pens open up for filling, and because they use interchangeable nib modules that simply screw in and out, and because there’s no complex filling mechanism, these pens should be easy to maintain, to clean, to assemble and disassemble. One quibble is that the tail end of the pen can’t be disassembled as easily as, for example, a TWSBI. To remove the shutoff valve mechanism requires a special spanner wrench that Opus 88 neglected to supply with the pens. Likewise, if the walls of the ink reservoir pick up any residue, you can’t simply stick a Q-tip in there and wipe it off, since the shutoff valve is in the way. (I’d suggest not using Baystate Blue in these!) Also, much like TWSBIs, these Opus 88s rely on O-ring seals in several different places. Some of these are easy to see and access, some not. All of them could benefit from a little lubricant, but none of them came with any. In fact, the shutoff knobs on some of these pens squeak-squeak-squeaked when I operated them. The O-rings on the valve itself and where the section and body go together also felt sticky. I really wish that Opus 88 had included a little vial of silicone oil, such as you get with TWSBI pens. Luckily, I had both silicone oil and grease on hand. If you don’t, you might consider picking some up when you order any of these pens. Please do not try to substitute any random oil or grease that you may have! Petroleum-based lubricants can damage O-rings. That means no Vaseline, no Lubriplate or M1 Rifle Grease, no WD-40 or Break Free, no 4-in-1 Oil, etc. If you can’t get actual silicone grease or oil, then Super Lube synthetic grease or Crosman Pellgunoil should be safe substitutes. http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/opus_88/koloro_and_lubricants.jpg I lubricated the valve operating rod, the body-and-section seal, the tiny O-ring at the base of the feed housing (more on that later) and the valve itself. The squeaking and stiffness went away. I applied some extra grease to the section threads and to the cap threads, just to provide a little extra smoothness and sealing for ink and air. All three of these pens hold roughly 2 ml of ink. In fact, if I stop filling just short of the section threads, which I think is good practice, then the total is just short of 2 ml. When you see claims that eyedropper pens hold “a ton of ink”, let's put that in perspective and remember that a Sheaffer Skrip cartridge is supposed to come from the factory with one ml, and a Lamy 2000 holds about the same. Two ml is a very healthy amount, hyperbole not needed. Design & Construction I'll say right up front: These are well made pens. Parts are well-fitted; there are no gaps or rough edges. Machine work and threading is very clean. Surfaces are nicely polished. Most of all, they're made from two of the most time-tested of all pen materials: ebonite and acrylic. All of the pen bodies and sections are made from translucent acrylic. The Koloro and the Fantasia both have shutoff knobs made of ebonite. The Fantasia’s cap is made from ebonite, and the Koloro’s cap is made from a combination of ebonite and acrylic parts. I think the Koloro and Fantasia would look and feel a bit nicer if their sections were ebonite too, but that's not a big deal. A natural point of comparison might be that other Taiwanese company: TWSBI. Opus 88s are a fair bit more expensive than TWBSIs, but the materials and construction are markedly better and, I think, hold up well to US brands such as Bexley, Edison or Franklin-Christoph. Those pens don’t break, and I don’t expect Opus 88s to break either. The translucent acrylic body is a great match for an eyedropper pen, since it allows you to easily monitor your ink supply. However, it’s easier in some cases than others. The body of my Fantasia is quite dark brown. When filled with a wet ink that coats the sides of the reservoir (like for example, Diamine Eclipse), it's difficult to gauge the ink level. I have to hold it up to the light, wait a minute for the ink to “settle,” and squint. Frankly, it's easier to keep track of the ink in a C/C pen. With the Picnic it's just the opposite; the pen body is a pale blue, and with a dry ink (like OS Accident) it’s easy to glance and see the ink sloshing around. The Koloro falls somewhere in between, as I can't tell at a glance, but I can hold it up to the light and discern the ink level pretty easily. I have to emphasize that this depends on both the darkness of your chosen body color and the ink you’ve put in. The Koloro was the first of these pens that I bought, and the distinctive two-tone look is part of what attracted me. It’s a clean and modern design, and this beige-and-gray color combo has proven popular. However… In the catalog photos online, the body color looked almost green, like a lovely teal. Some sellers even described it as a beige-and-green. The one I got looks darker and much more neutral gray than those photos. I'd call it "smoke gray". Were the online photos deceptive, or did Opus 88 change the color at some point during production? I would have preferred one that looks like the photos, but it's still an attractive pen. http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/opus_88/size_comparison.jpg The Koloro and Picnic are full-sized pens. Capped, both pens are about 14.4 cm (5⅛”). Both are comfortable to use un-posted, and both of them post “okay” but not great. Either of these can fit neatly into the pen loop in my vest, but wouldn't go if they were any longer or fatter. Obviously, your pen loop may be different from mine, but what I'm saying is that these are about the very largest pens that I'd normally consider carrying away from home. The Fantasia is similar in girth, but shorter, giving it a chunky look. Capped, it’s about 11.7 cm (4⅝"), making it the shortest modern pen in my collection. Uncapped, it’s about 10.3 cm (4"). As a result, I can write with it un-posted, but the very tail of the pen rubs lightly on the web of my hand. For extended writing I would definitely post it, and allowance has been made for this. The tail of the pen has threads for posting. That seems to work very well. However, if you post the cap and then find you have to open the shutoff valve, even more screwing around is going to be needed. The neurotic among us should be aware that the Fantasia’s pocket clip may or may not line up with the nib when posted. On mine it does. The cap finial seems very tightly secured, and I’m not sure if it’s even supposed to be removed or loosened (which would allow repositioning the clip). There is a little leeway to turn the nib assembly, though, if you really care that much. I should also note that the Fantasia section is stubby, and gripping it will result in some finger contact with the cap threads, but this didn’t present any comfort problem to me when writing. If you are particularly sensitive to this issue, you might want to go for the other models with more normal grip style. The color and style of the Fantasia is quite compelling to me. It stands out, and to my eyes it has a sort of 1970s retro vibe. As already mentioned, the Koloro is another pen with distinctive style. The Picnic is plainer and less distinctive, since it has no decorative ebonite bits, and there are any number of other translucent and cigar-shaped pens on the market. That’s not to say it’s bad looking at all. Screw Caps These pens all have screw caps, which is something I wouldn’t usually even comment on, but I’ve seen some complaints about how many turns it takes to uncap them. So, let’s take a look at that: Opus 88 Koloro — 3½ full turns Opus 88 Picnic — 2 full turns Opus 88 Fantasia — 2½ full turnsI checked some other pens, vintage and modern, and it seems like they typically require around one or two full turns. So, the Opus 88s do require a little more. To me this is trivial; even with the Koloro it slows me down by only a small fraction of a second. Some other folks, apparently, find it highly annoying. I do believe that more threads make for a more secure and more airtight cap, for whatever that’s worth. The Nibs All of these three pens come with standard #5 sized nib-and-feed modules and steel Jowo nibs. (The Demonstrator and Omar come with #6 size nibs, though.) I won’t go into great detail about their writing qualities, since they are basically the same as nibs shipped in TWSBIs and many other brands, and they are widely known to be good quality. All three of these were fine tips and wrote well right out of the box. They were adjusted slightly dry, which I've also found to be typical of modern German nibs, but increasing flow is one of the easiest adjustments to make on a steel nib. They do incorporate a nib-feed-and-housing module that is interchangeable with some other brands — but I don’t know which ones! Digging through my parts box, I found a nib assembly with a Bock nib that swapped right in, but I don’t remember where it came from. If anybody else familiar with these pens knows which other brands it can swap with, please say in the comments! When removing the module, you must be careful of the little O-ring right at the base of it, a place where I’ve never seen one used in any other pens. You don’t want this to fall out and get lost. I believe this is supposed to keep ink from going between the feed housing and the section, which wouldn’t cause any harm but can look messy in these transparent, demonstrator-like pens. (I also found that when flushing the feed with a syringe, too much pressure can force water past this O-ring and into the section, which again looks a bit messy.) You don’t have to swap whole modules, though. Bare #5 nibs can be swapped between assemblies with only a little more work and care. Since I wanted a bigger tip with more flow, I swapped a TWSBI medium nib into the Picnic, and it works with no problem. Value & Conclusion If you favor the Japanese eyedropper filling system or just want to give it a spin, these Opus 88s are pretty much your only option now. Nobody else is doing this, while Opus 88 are doing it quite well. For those who are less concerned with the filling system, the value calculation is more complicated. Their prices are in the mid-range: a fair bit above Monteverde or Conklin, a fair bit below Edison or Bexley. My personal evaluation of Opus 88’s quality is closer to Bexley than to Monteverde, so it seems like a pretty good deal to me. And of course, I have to compare with TWSBI. There’s a bit of family resemblance between the products of these two Taiwanese companies: lots of transparent or translucent pens, lavish use of O-rings (unusual among other brands), novel filling methods with large ink capacity, easy disassembly (for the most part), and the use of standard, interchangeable, German nibs. The Picnic is priced much higher than the Diamond 580, and the Demonstrator much higher than the Vac 700R. However, TWSBIs are made of injection-molded polycarbonate and are known to crack, and break, and break again. The Opus 88 pens are made of materials that shouldn’t break, and to me that’s an enormous advantage. As much as I admired TWSBI pens in other respects, I swore off ever buying another due to the breakage problem. From where I sit, these Opus 88s are very welcome replacements.
  10. Dip n Scratch

    Airmail Pen Dimensions

    Has anyone here got examples of Airmail 55, 70 and 90? I was just wondering about the diameter of the section on each pen and which size nib they use. I was wondering if the 55 is a compact pen for a small hand. I have not encountered the 70 or 90 and was hoping that they had the #5 or 5.5 nib. Well, you know how variable Wality nibs can be. Sometimes a nib swap is the better solution.
  11. Can anyone give me some idea which particular example of the Gama pens I have just bought? Two of them obviously have their OE nib. I do not know about the pen with the two-tone nib. Is it a replacement for the original Gama branded item?
  12. I admit I do not use this pen the way it deserves to be and so I am moving it on to an appreciative FPN user IN THE UK ONLY. Sorry to raise my voice. Transatlantic postage is stupid expensive. The pen is from a Group Buy. It is entirely of polished black ebonite. It should have a Schmidt K5 converter, but the red rubber seal washer inside the converter failed. It has a Jinhao converter in there now. The pen has a 3 in 1 ink feed but i'd suggest you had a specific nib unit for that role as a Bock 250 nib unit writes very wet with 2.5ml of ink in the barrel. The pen has a Fine & Extra-Fine Bock 250 nib unit included. I am passing the pen on because my preference is towards Eyedropper pens with basic ebonite feeds for easy cleaning.
  13. Hello, I've been a collector of Namiki pens for awhile, and I I just purchased my first Emperor. This is my first eyedropper pen, and although I understand the mechanism to fill, I am concerned that using silicon grease may hurt the Maki-e. Anyone with experience on using this pen? Thank you, Halee
  14. I love me a cheap pen. I mean a really cheap pen. I recently went to order a couple new pads from my favourite supplier only to find that I was under the minimum threshold for free postage. So I scoured the site for something cheap and useful to bump it up. Would rather get something for my money than just end up throwing it into the ether on postage. Enter the Monami Olika. This pen cost me £3.50, that's 50p cheaper than the Preppy from the same site making this possibly the cheapest refillable fountain pen on the market. It has a couple advantages over the Preppy and one huge disadvantage, but we'll get to that later. First off, the 11.4mm section is rubberised with a slight central swell, gives great grip and comfort. The barrel also has a narrowing approximately mid way along it's length which I think is much more aesthetically pleasing than the Preppy. Secondly, the Olika uses standard international cartridges and converters, another huge plus in my (someone who doesn't have at least one of every converter for every brand) opinion. It is also available in a myriad of colours, the body colour you order defines the ink colour you get, of which three short international cartridges are included (for £3.50!) Writing is smooth but the nib is quite squat & very stiff, I believe the correct term would be a "nail"? It's going to get the job of basic writing done but you're not going to be able to get anything but the most minimum of line variation out of it. When I first saw the Olika I looked it up to see if it could be eyedroppered like the Preppy, the article I stumbled across said that it could, no problem. This leads me to my main gripe. It can't. In my haste I didn't check this. Put a new o-ring on, greased the threads, filled up a syringe with De Atrementis Document Black &...covered myself in ink. There is indeed a small hole in the end of the barrel, perhaps this is a newer addition than the article I read? Undeterred but slightly inky, I dripped a couple dollops of Araldite Crystal into the offending hole & sealed it up, giving myself an eyedropper for £3.50. All in all, I really like the Olika and will absolutely be buying additional colours in the future, the green is particularly nice!
  15. When I'm out, I keep most pens in a case in my bag. Sometimes that bag gets tossed onto a couch. Other pens handle that, but the Moonman will burp ink into the cap. I know to warm a pen in my hand nib up (I have sac fillers and they're less burpy than this pen.) When the M2 is half full, it burps ink into the cap while sitting on the desk and then the pen spits while writing. Before I bought the M2, I'd read posts that this pen didn't burp despite being an eyedropper. I want to like this pen. But the burping...
  16. FeloniousMonk

    My First Dip Nib...

    Hello kind sirs and ladies, I recently acquired this Mabie Todd 313 long dip nib that had been installed in a Watermans #12 eyedropper. This is my first dip nib, my first Mabie Todd, and my oldest pen by at least a couple decades. A sample via dip test follows below. Best regards, Eric
  17. I recently got an Airmail Ebo pen from Fountain Pen Revolution (Ebonite eyedropper for 20 bucks? how could I resist?) and the pen seems to built pretty well for it's price. However, I'm having quite a number of issues with ink flow and severe ink starvation. Initially, the pen flows really well and wet when first inked (I think because the feed is primed), but as soon as I've written about a paragraph or so, it starts writing faintly, begins skipping, and then stops writing entirely. Beyond this, when I put a finger over the slit and breather hole, there is no ink that comes off it, whereas most pens I own will typically slather my finger with ink when I do that if they're working properly. The problem is so bad to the point that, when I put the nib up to a light I can see directly through the slit when it should be full of ink. I've washed the nib and feed with dish soap several times and am at wit's end about it. I also am not being able to pull out the nib and feed even though they seem friction fit, so I don't know how to even inspect the feed for defects. Any suggestions on what I should do or what the problem might be? If it's of consideration, I've tried it with Pilot Black, Noodler's Black, and Waterman Black and all have suffered the same issues, and the issue's actually gotten worse the more I've written (I could go a full page without it drying out a few days ago, now it's about 4 lines).
  18. Dear Fellow FP users Over the years We have successfully organized many group buys. FPNer's frequently ask us to do Group buy for our Regular Models . So this is a good time to buy our Various 10 different popular Models ( @ Discounted Price) in this Group Buy. It would enable FPN'ers to enjoy Christmas / New year with their Lovely Ranga pens.It is good Chance to buy Pens and gift them to beloved persons. There are lot of Reviews for these Models in various FPN threads. The Highlights of these Group buy are 1. Various Popular Ranga Pens (10 Models) in Various beautiful ebonite colours as usual. 2. Various Nib Choices (German Bock / Jowo /Schmidt screw in nibs) and Various Filling Mechanism (Eyedropper/ CC Filling ) This Group Buy is Valid till 31-Dec-18 In order to participate in the group buy just fill the Google Form (Link Below) and Reply in the thread with "Form Submitted or just repost the choices in thread https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1erDiPeXEhrJmabP8aOvQEvn2nSq9zxR_X6USfCsb9TJDyQ/viewform?c=0&w=1 Available Colours are as follows: A. Special/ Regular Ebonite Colours (SE Series) Solid Forest Green (S1) Forest Green - Black Ripple(S2) Forest Green - Honey Ripple(S3) Forest Green - Khaki Ripple(S4) Forest Green - Mustard Yellow Ripple(S5) Forest Green - Teal Blue Ripple(S6) Teal Blue - Black Ripple(S7) Teal Blue - Khaki Ripple(S8) Mustard Yellow - Black Ripple(S9) Solid Maroon(S11) Rose Red - Black Ripple(S12) Rose Red - Mauve Ripple(S13) Rose Red - Forest Green Ripple(S15) Rose Red -Bottle Green Ripple (S16) Rose Red - Mustard Yellow Ripple(S17) Brick Red - Khaki Ripple(S18) Brick Red - Black Ripple(S19) Teal Blue - Orange Ripple(S20) Solid Olive Green (S23) B. Regular Colours (RE Series) Brown Ripple (R1) Green Ripple(R2) Olive Ripple (R3) Solid Black(R4) Mottled Brown(R5) Mottled Green(R6) Mottled Olive Brown(R7) C. Premium Ebonite Colours (PE Series) Solid Blue(P1) Black Yellow Swirl (P2) Blue Pink Swirl(P3) Solid Pale Green(P4) Blue White Swirl (P5) Pale Pink/ Red Black Swirl (P6) Green Yellow Swirl (P7) Solid Pink(P8) Blue /Green /Orange Swirl(P9) Green/Pale Pink(P13) Blue/ Pink/Pale Yellow Swirl (P14) Prices are as follows: RANGA Model 3: (Thickness-Cap Dia: 16mm, Barrel Dia : 14mm , Length - App 5.75 inches ) Regular / Special Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter : US $55 Premium Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter : US $70 Regular/ Special Ebonite Eyedropper: US $28 Premium Ebonite Eyedropper: US $40 RANGA Model 3C: (Thickness-Cap Dia: 16mm, Barrel Dia : 14mm , Length - App 5.75 inches ) Regular / Special Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $55 Premium Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter : US $70 Regular/ Special Ebonite Eyedropper: US $28 Premium Ebonite Eyedropper: US $40 RANGA Model 4: (Thickness-Cap Dia: 16mm, Barrel Dia : 16mm , Length - App 5.75 inches ) Regular / Special Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $60 Premium Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $75 Regular/ Special Ebonite Eyedropper: US $30 Premium Ebonite Eyedropper: US $45 RANGA Model 4C: (Thickness-Cap Dia: 16mm, Barrel Dia : 16mm , Length - App 5.75 inches ) Regular / Special Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $60 Premium Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter : US $75 Regular/ Special Ebonite Eyedropper: US $30 Premium Ebonite Eyedropper: US $45 RANGA Model 5: (Clipless Model) (Thickness- 18.75mm dia / 17mm Dia based on availability (barrel and Cap), Capped Length - App 7 inches ) Regular / Special Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $67 Premium Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $85 Regular/ Special Ebonite Eyedropper: US $39 Premium Ebonite Eyedropper: US $55 RANGA Model 8: (Thickness-Cap Dia: 14mm, Barrel Dia : 12.5mm , Length - App 5.75 inches ) Regular / Special Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $63 Premium Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $77 Regular/ Special Ebonite Eyedropper: US $32 Premium Ebonite Eyedropper: US $46 RANGA Model 8B: (Thickness-Cap Dia: 16mm, Barrel Dia : 14mm , Length - App 5.75 inches ) Regular / Special Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $64 Premium Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter : US $77 Regular/ Special Ebonite Eyedropper: US $33 Premium Ebonite Eyedropper: US $47 RANGA Thin Bamboo: (Clipless Model) (Thickness- 14mm dia (barrel and Cap), Capped Length - App 5.75 inches ) Regular / Special Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $72 Premium Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $85 Regular/ Special Ebonite Eyedropper: US $38 Premium Ebonite Eyedropper: US $53 RANGA Bamboo (Regular Size): (Clipless Model) (Thickness- 16mm dia (barrel and Cap), Capped Length - App 5.75 inches ) Regular / Special Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $80 Premium Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $90 Regular/ Special Ebonite Eyedropper: US $45 Premium Ebonite Eyedropper: US $60 RANGA Giant Bamboo: (Clipless Model) (Thickness- 18.75mm dia / 17mm Dia based on availability (barrel and Cap), Capped Length - App 7 inches ) Regular / Special Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $90 Premium Ebonite- With German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter: US $110 Regular/ Special Ebonite Eyedropper: US $55 Premium Ebonite Eyedropper: US $80 Without German Bock/JOWO/Schmidt nib -12USD less Finish - Polished or Matte (Bakul) Clip Option - Clipless or Gold Clip or Silver Clip Nib Option: For Eyedropper Kanwrite 35 mm Fine Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone or Dual Tone Kanwrite 35 mm Medium Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone or Dual Tone Kanwrite 35 mm Broad Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone or Dual Tone Kanwrite Nib 35 mm Flex - Chrome Tone Nib Option: For C/C mechanism (with Schmidt K5 Converter) #6 Nib Options (included in price) Bock Extra Fine Nib - Gold Tone or Dual Tone Bock Medium Nib- Chrome Tone Bock Broad Nib- Chrome Tone or Dual Tone Bock Calligraphy 1.5 Nib- Chrome Tone or Gold Tone Bock 18K Broad Nib (185$ Extra) JoWo Extra Fine Nib -Chrome Tone or Gold Tone or Black Tone JoWo Fine Nib - Chrome Tone or Gold Tone or Black Tone JoWo Medium Nib - Chrome Tone or Gold Tone or Black Tone JoWo Broad Nib - Chrome Tone or Gold Tone or Black Tone JoWo 1.1 Calligraphy Nib - Chrome Tone or Gold Tone JoWo 1.5 Calligraphy Nib - Dual Tone Schmidt Fine Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone Schmidt Medium Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone Schmidt Broad Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone No Nib - Threaded for Bock #6 (less USD -12) No Nib - Threaded for JoWo #6 (less USD -12) No Nib - Threaded for Schmidt #6 (less USD -12) Shipping: Via Registered Post which is included in Price and takes 2 -4 Weeks. Making Time: 4-5 Weeks after payment Payment: Paypal id- mpkandan@gmail.com In order to participate in the group buy just fill the Google Form (Link Below) and Reply in the thread with "Form Submitted or just repost the choices in thread https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1erDiPeXEhrJmabP8aOvQEvn2nSq9zxR_X6USfCsb9TJDyQ/viewform?c=0&w=1 Note: If you buy More than 2 Pens and if you don't want to fill the form, You can directly send the specs to our mail id mpkandan@yahoo.co.in Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company
  19. KiwiPens offer up to 15% discount for all pens. This offer is valid for all handmade Indian Pens and other pens and accessories. The offer valid till 19 October 2018. https://www.kiwipens.com/
  20. Dear fellow FP users We have launched Ranga Model 4S & 4CS Group Buy in lots of beautiful ebonite colours. It is Slender version of our famous Models Model 4 & 4C . The specialty of this Group Buy is 1. Lot of colours as usual. It is the first group buy from us for Slender versions. 2. Price range starts from 29$ -59$. This is the great opportunity to buy these pens at great prices Capped Length -App 5.75 Inches Cap dia & Barrel Dia-14mm Section Dia- 11mm dia at Maximum thickness Model 4S- Both ends are Flat Shaped Model 4CS- Both ends are Round Shaped Ranga Model 4S and 4CS are great every day carry for fountain pen user's. It is light weight but still very comfortable and balanced writer's. All our pens are completely handmade. This is very ideal gift for your beloved friends and neighbors. It is best Thanksgiving day gift. This Group Buy is Valid till 31st Oct -18. We have executed many Group buy's successfully in the past with tremendous support from FPN'ers In order to participate in the group buy just fill the Google Form (Link Below) and Reply in the thread with "Form Submitted or just repost the choices in thread https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfF9FxwacJGaklhQAITh464cInPIU49uarUtiMhtYygkcHSYw/viewform?c=0&w=1 Available Colours are as follows: A. Special & Regular Ebonite Colours RE Series: Brown Ripple (R1) Green Ripple(R2) Olive Ripple (R3) Solid Black(R4) Mottled Brown(R5) Mottled Green(R6) Mottled Olive Brown(R7) SE Series: (It has black Specs) Solid Forest Green (S1) Forest Green - Black Ripple(S2) Forest Green - Honey Ripple (S3) Forest Green - Khaki Ripple(S4) Forest Green - Mustard Yellow Ripple(S5) Forest Green - Teal Blue Ripple(S6) Teal Blue - Black Ripple(S7) Mustard Yellow - Black Ripple(S9) Khaki - Bluish Black Ripple(S10) Rose Red - Black Ripple(S12) Rose Red - Mauve Ripple(S13) Rose Red - Forest Green Ripple(S15) Rose Red -Bottle Green Ripple (S16) Rose Red - Mustard Yellow Ripple(S17) Brick Red - Khaki Ripple(S18) Brick Red - Black Ripple(S19) Teal Blue - Orange Ripple(S20) Solid Olive Green (S23) B. Premium Ebonite Colours (PE Series) Solid Blue(P1) Black Yellow Swirl (P2) Blue Pink Swirl(P3) Solid Pale Green(P4) Blue White Swirl (P5) Pale Pink/ Red Black Swirl (P6) Green Yellow Swirl (P7) Solid Pink(P8) Blue Green Orange Swirl(P9) Solid Orange(P10) Green/Pale Pink(P13) Blue/ Pink/Pale Yellow Swirl (P14) Prices are as follows: RANGA MODEL 4S/ 4CS (ED Version) REGULAR or SPECIAL EBONITE: US $29 (Regular Price : 35$) PREMIUM EBONITE: US $47 (Regular Price : 55$) RANGA MODEL 4S/4CS (CC Mechanism. This can also be used as ED) REGULAR or SPECIAL EBONITE: US $42 (Regular Price : 55$) PREMIUM EBONITE: US $59 (Regular Price : 75$) Finish - Polished or Matte (Bakul) Clip Option - 1. Gold Finish 2. Chrome Finish 3. Clipless Nib Option: For Eyedropper Kanwrite 35 mm Fine Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone or Dual Tone Kanwrite 35 mm Medium Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone or Dual Tone Kanwrite 35 mm Broad Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone or Dual Tone Kanwrite Nib 35 mm Flex - Chrome Tone Nib Option: For C/C mechanism (with Schmidt K5 Converter) #5 Nib Options (included in price). It is Schmidt FH341 nib unit. It is smooth. Schmidt #5 Fine Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone Schmidt #5 Medium Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone Schmidt #5 Broad Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone No Nib - Threaded for Schmidt #5 (less USD -5) Shipping: Via Registered Post which is included in Price and takes 2 -4 Weeks. Making Time: 3-4 Weeks after payment Payment: Paypal id- mpkandan@gmail.com In order to participate in the group buy just fill the Google Form (Link Below) and Reply in the thread with "Form Submitted or just repost the choices in thread https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfF9FxwacJGaklhQAITh464cInPIU49uarUtiMhtYygkcHSYw/viewform?c=0&w=1 Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company
  21. Hi Awsome Network Bloggers, I am having a bit of a problem with ink drips collecting at the nibs of Platinum Preppy fine point eyedropper converted pens. Of course I have recently enjoyed converting all of the Platinum Preppy's to an eyeropper converted style when the trouble started. They were perfect writers with their own cartridge and ink brand. I'm needing some advice on a middle of the road ink that is not too dry nor too wet I'm thinking. Perhaps some experience with problems concerning Preppy eyedroppers out there. The ink that leaked first was Mont Blanc's Lavendar Purple in the purple converted Preppy which I love...then immediately again in another converted pink Preppy pen with Pilot's Kosumosu. Strangly, the complete opposite was true in the same pen with Diamine's Carnation which was so "dry" I could not get the ink to flow nor the pen to write! I love these pens for basic daily writing because I love the absolute juicyness of that particular fine point, it's cheap so I can test my own mountain of ink without the fear of ruining my expensive pens, and the fact if I lose it I probably won't go crazy looking for it if it gets misplaced but that is most likely not going to happen sadly. I just need to find that sweet spot ink for these pens. Definitely prefer a wet writer, but not so much that after every word I have to tilt the pen up to avoid an ink blot. Could it be the ink level and the air pocket theory are involved here?
  22. Here's an YouTube Review of KIM ACR Jumbo Double ended pen by Bryan Marsh
  23. Dip n Scratch

    Airmail 69A

    I bought this pen just exactly a week ago. That's right one week from the order to the delivery. From India. I hope this bodes well for the two other Wality pens from the same seller. After photographing it for you I inked it with some KWZ IG Aztec Gold. I took the usual precaution of a very light smear of Silicone grease on the thread of the section. It is now standing nib down in a pot while the ink works its way down the feeder. The Wality nib does not have the greatest reputation. I have had one Wality nib where the tines were way out of alignment, but this one is OK. Quick writing sample on a Rhodia No14 notebook.
  24. Martius

    Ab Conklin Chicago

    Hello everyone, Does anyone have any information about the AB Conklin brand? Though the nib is marked "Chicago," this pen and nib look like they predate the 1938 Chicago acquisition of the Conklin Pen Company of Toledo by quite a few years. I'm quite interested in the story of this pen, because it is in excellent condition, and seems to be a high quality pen with a very flexible nib.
  25. Hi FPNers, I have been a member here a for a long time. My passion to fountain pens took me to launch a new website, which sells Indian pens (mainly KIM ACR Handmade Ebonite Fountain Pens). Please visit http://www.kiwipens.com and get the website launch offer (up to 15% off). Thanks -saji





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