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I hate dealing with filling system, so i often look for pen that could be eyedropper converted, like Noodler's Ahab or Nemosine Singularity... but the problem with eyedropper converted pen is, they always burp when the ink level drop to certain level.. however this changes with PENBBS 266... this is a beautiful demonstrator that can be eyedropper converted... and the best part is, it doesnt burp.. to my surprise.. just look at how little ink my pen has... no burping.. XD the only downside is, using this pen locked me in with PenBBS "fine" nib.. kinda wish i could use a stub nib..

Hi, I'm waiting for a about 100 years (?) old Mabie Todd Swan eyedropper from Ireland. I found the nib fascinating... Will it be fine, much flex? My pen doesn't have an overfeed, is it missing here? Some photos here: https://www.ebay.de/itm/EARLY-20th-C-SWAN-PEN-MABIE-TODD-SWAN-PEN-SWAN-METAL-POCKET-1915-/153109745032 Can't wait to see how it writes. Best Jens

I bought one of these. Why on earth is there foam inside the barrel? It just soaks up ink and complicates cleaning it if you want to load a different colour of ink. Suggestions how to get the offending foam out welcomed. The thing still burps when the ink gets low, so it's nothing to do with that issue.

Hi gang, Some of you may remember me as Bonhams Auctioneers former penman-in-chief. Well, Bonhams is out of the pen business and I've moved on to San Francisco's PBA Galleries. We're launching our debut Fine Pens sale on Thursday, July 19th at 11:00 am PST. Here's a link to the online sale listings: https://www.pbagalle...catalog/id/454/ Here's a link to the digital version of the print catalogue with flip-thru pages: http://pbagalleries.com/content/ecat/648/index.html The sale features 361 lots of great modern and vintage pens. I've tried to include a broad range of pens to suit various budgets, and I hope that many of you will find treasures to enhance your collections! Our next sale will be on December 6th, and we're accepting consignments now. You can contact me at: ivan@pbagalleries.com. I do hope it's ok to post this here (I used to post notices for Bonhams' sales here without incident). Cheers, Ivan Ivan Briggs Director of Fine Pens and Comics

Hey all. I recently purchased a pair of vintage, Urushi over ebonite eyedropper pens and I've had a heck of a time finding information about them from anywhere. I was hoping someone could provide a little enlightenment. The first is this little Woden: Quite a smallish pen, similar in size to what were often referred to as "Lady's" or "Purse" pens, though it's longer than a ringtop. The imprint says "Woden New Pen, No. 1952". The clip is engraved "Fountain Pen". The pen had the original paper price tag included with a price of 130 yen. From what I could gather the 100+ yen pricing would put it roughly in the decade following WWII, but that's all I could find. The pen was purchased as NOS, unused, and the quality is good, but not outstanding. The lacquer work is good but there are, for example, visible machining marks in the ebonite. The nib is chrome-plated stainless steel with the engraving of "Special Woden Pen M2". All of the trim is chromed as well. The second is this Niole: This pen is quite a bit larger, on par size-wise with a modern MB 146. The barrel imprint says "Niole (with a stylized O) Made in Japan". This pen was used and came with no documentation. The lacquer work is absolutely first rate, with great depth and transparency (possibly a Kuro-Dame type finish?). The ebonite is in perfect condition with no marks, and the lacquer has only minor wear despite obvious signs of usage. The nib is gold plated, and is engraved "Standard Hardest Iridium JIS 3". I understand that the JIS imprint places at least the nib post-1955, but I'm not sure the nib is original. Could anyone out provide some more info? The seller from whom I purchased the pens stated that both pens were pre-WWII, but the price tag on the Woden contradicts that.

With apologies for my very poor lefty handwriting.

A few weeks ago I picked up an Airmail/Wality 69eb, marketed as the Airmail Ebo from Fountain Pen Revolution, because I needed some silicone grease and because I wanted to take advantage of FPR's 20 percent off sale. I only paid 16 dollars for this pen, and I have really enjoyed it. It has been a great workhorse these last couple of weeks and has earned a spot amongst my favorites. I really enjoy the pen's styling. Its cigar shape and ebonite body give the pen a vintage feel. Indian pens, specifically the handmade ebonite eyedroppers, have always invoked nostalgia. This pen is no different. The Airmail 69eb is a large, but not oversized pen. Here it is next to a Metropolitan, Al-Star, and Ahab. It is a comfortable pen to use posted or unposted and is very comparable in size to the Ahab, just slightly thinner. I have read mixed things about Wality/Airmail nibs. My nib gives decent feedback but is not at all unpleasant. Sometimes it feels like writing with a nice pencil. Sometimes I enjoy the feedback on a workhorse pen as I am usually writing quickly and the feedback helps keep my writing more legible. The nib is marked "Special Wality, Tipped Fine" It writes a very fine line with Pelikan Royal Blue. The only other eyedropper I have experience with is an Asa I Can and that is a rather wet pen. Royal Blue tends to be a dry ink so I thought it would be a good choice. The Airmail 69eb does not seem to be a very wet writer and with Royal Blue is a great choice on cheap, absorbent paper. I scrubbed the nib and feed before I inked it and I haven't had any flow issues, hard starts, or skipping. It writes a consistent fine or extra-fine line. The build quality of the pen is good. All of the threads are nicely cut, the nib and feed were nicely set, and the clip works fine. Mine has some small fit and finish issues. The cap band extends below the ebonite material of the cap and is fairly sharp. Sometimes it gets caught on my pen case when I try to slip it in and I am afraid it is going to ben and scratch pen's body. Also, the threads, though nicely cut, must have a sharp edge or bur because they gathered some paper towel material when I wiped them. That is really not a big deal because they feel fine on my fingers. Moreover, while I have read that the pen is handmade, the section is not made of ebonite. It has the feel and odor of vegetal resin. I am not sure how much of this pen, if any, is hand turned. It was only 16 dollars. I do wish the section was made of the same ebonite material as the body. Overall, I really like the pen. For 16 dollars, something like the Pilot Metropolitan gets you a pen with nicer fit and finish, a smoother nib, and a lot less character. I really enjoy Indian pens. Perhaps it is an unfair association, but they evoke feelings of nostalgia and adventure. I bet Indiana Jones used something like the Airmail 69eb to document his travels *This is my first pen review. I apologize for the bad picture quality and the sloppy handwriting.*

I bought a few Wing Sung 992 demonstrator FPs a few months ago and found out they all suffered from cracked-barrel syndroms ( See Photo 1) !! Functionally , these cracks do not cause any problems in writing at all but for collectors they are really eye sores which defame the good name of Jinhao brand ! Anyhow, I decided to change one of them into an EyeDropper pen and here is the way I did it : 1) Fill the barrel with water-proof GE Silicon Caulking ( transparent type, see Photo_02) about ¼ inch above the level of the crack . 2) To carry out this operation , I fill a ¼ inch. diamter drinking straw ( around 6 inches long) with GE Silicon Caulking up to about 3 inches in height (See Photo_03) . Then I insert this straw inside the pen barrel and transfer the caulking to the bottom with a 3/8 inch diameter wooden round stick (Photo_04) , making sure that the caulking is at least 1/4 inch above the crack . Care should be exercised to avoid any caulking sticking to the side of the barrel . 3) Let the caulking harden for at least 24 hours before filling with ink (see Photo_05) . Photo_06 shows a close-up of the Silicon caulking filled up to 1/4 inch above the crack . 4) I also used Silicon grease on the thread portion of the grip section to ensure that no ink leaking may occur at the section & barrel connection . Photo_01 Photo_02 Photo_03 Photo_04 Photo_05 Photo_06

For those who have a eyedropper type fountain pen: How do you fill the barrel with ink from the bottle? I have just received an Indian Ebonite Eyedropper pen and I am wondering what devices you use.

Can anyone help me I'm trying to figure out this pens brand and name. I found one similar on ebay but it just says "Mother of Pearl" but doesn't give me an actual brand or name. The nib is marked "WARRANTED 14K". Can anyone help?

Quick Review - Wality 71JT Wality 71JT is a gorgeous pen with a solid build, the pen is a bit top heavy but the balance improves once the pen is inked. The only major flaw that I see, is the nib; Don't get me wrong, it's not a particularly unpleasant nib, the nib is rather smooth with little (audible) feedback HOWEVER the nib is extremely rigid and "resists" movement, I would have perhaps liked this nib on a small Camlin pen BUT the 71JT is no small pen, the girthy section and a (relatively) heavy body, together make this nib a major flaw, this is one of the few nibs that make my terrible handwriting look even more horrendous because of the extra effort I need to consciously put while writing; before I denounce the Wality nibs altogether, I need to ink my second 71JT. This might just be a bad nib !! If you're buying this pen online, particularly from Asapens, I would recommend contacting Mr. Subramaniam Lakshminarayanan for a nib upgrade. I repeat, the nib is not necessarily bad; some might even like it in it's current state, (IMHO) it's just not suited for a large, heavy pen such as the 71JT. Hope this was helpful - Aashish

Dear FPN'ers, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. We are happy to introduce "Emperor"as a new model of Ranga Pens. RANGA EMPEROR MODEL: Ranga Emperor is a Handmade pen and is available in various ebonite rod colors. The pen has a dual-band around the cap and has black ebonite finials at the bottom and top. the pen is available in two versions: Round End Flat End It is approx 145 mm in length and the barrel dia of the pen is 14 mm and dia of the cap is 16 mm. The pen is available only in chrome finish clip along with chrome trims. NIBS: Only Bock Nibs along with the Schmidt Converter is available for this Group Buy #6 Steel Nib – Gold Monotone Finish: EF, F, M, B, 1.1, 1.5 #6 Steel Nib – Chrome Monotone Finish: EF, F, M, B, 1.1, 1.5 #6 Steel Nib – Dual Tone Finish: EF, F, M, B #6 Gold 18K Nib – F, B (@ extra US$ 185) Without Nib But Pen threaded to take Bock Nib (@ less US$ 14) MATERIAL & COLORS: For this Group Buy, Regular series and Special Series Ebonite are available in both Polished and Brushed Finish. Regular Ebonite: RE Series (Polished or Matte Finish) R1- Brown Ripple R2 – Green Ripple R3 – Olive Ripple R4 – Solid Black R5 – Mottled Brown R6 – Mottled Green R7 – Mottled Olive Brown Special Ebonite: SE Series (Has Black Specks) (Polished or Matte Finish) S1 – Solid Forest Green S2 – Forest Green – Black Ripple S3 – Forest Green – Honey Ripple S4 – Forest green – Khaki Ripple S5 – Forest Green – Mustard Yellow Ripple S6 – Forest Green – Teal Blue Ripple S7 – Teal Blue – Black Ripple S9 – Mustard Yellow – Black Ripple S10 – Khaki – Black Ripple S12 – Rose Red – Black Ripple S13 – Rose Red – Mauve Ripple S15 – Rose Red – Forest Green Ripple S17 – Rose Red – Mustard Yellow Ripple S18 – Brick Red – Khaki Ripple S20 – Teal Blue – Orange Ripple S23 – Solid Olive Green 1 Ranga Emperor – Flat End – All Colors 2.Ranga Emperor – Round End – All Colors Some more images of the pen are as below: 3 Ranga Emperor – Regular Colors – Close up 3 Ranga Emperor – Flat End – Special Ebonite Colors – Close up PRICE, PAYMENT & DELIVERY: The Special Introduction Price of the pen is US $ 64 including Registered shipping for FPN'ers . It's regular Price is 78$. We have limited nos. of these pen in stock and the pen is shipped immediately after payment within 1 week. Payment to be done via Paypal only for international customers and for domestic via bank transfer Paypal ID is : mpkandan@gmail.com Please contact mpkandan@yahoo.co.in for any queries Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Hi Everyone, I have a vintage japanese eyedropper with no name but trying to learn more about it. There is no company markings but the nib says, Special, hardest point, 3 A. The clip is rather unique and so is the cap band. This pen is on the small size as compared to my Sailor Pro-Gear. Any information or similar pens in your collection would be appreciated. Pen_Padawan

Hi Everyone, Does anyone know anything about this pen, it does not show up on the Japanese pens list. It's a Japanese eyedropper with Bunshodo Pen stamped on the barrel. The nib says Stenographer, in the world, pointed hardest, Platinum <15>. Interestingly the nib says Platinum, is this an old Platinum pen? Or just the nib? The clip looks like an old Pilot clip but is not stamped Pilot. This is a good size pen as compared to my Sailor Pro-Gear. Any information would be appreciated. Pen_Padawan

Dear FPN, I am trying to learn more about this pen stamped Koshin. It is a Japanese eyedropper with sealing rod. The barrel is marked: Koshin / Made in Japan. The nib is marked: Warranted / Hardest / Iridium / <1> / Special / Pen. Interestlingly the section on this pen is in two pieces. Any information on this mystery pen would be appreciated. Pen_Padawan

Hi FPN, I am trying to find some history on this pen stamped Bunmeisha. It is a Japanese eyedropper with sealing rod. The barrel is marked Bunmeisha / Tokyo. The barrel is black lacquer. The nib is stamped: Special's / Zion Yiu / Hardest / Iridiumpen / -3-. I did not see Bunmeisha under the topic: Pen Manufacturers Current and Past, so does anyone know anything about this pen? Thanks in advance for the education. Pen_Padawan

Hi FPN, I am trying to learn the history and information on this pen stamped Hosei. It is a Japanese eyedropper with sealing rod. The barrel is stamped: Hosei / Sanshin & Co.,PT / Tokyo. The nib is stamped: Special / Hosei / Ideal / JIS / 4366. The cap band is stamped: R14K. I did not see Hosei under the topic: Pen Manufacturers - Current and Past, so does anyone know anything about this pen? Thanks in advance everyone.

I recently scavenged myself a Dunn eyedropper with a rather nice nib. It would probably be functional, but the blind cap (which were characteristically red) is missing. I call upon the the collective wisdom of the network to suggest a source for a replacement piece - not necessarily the right piece, either - or give it up and salvage the nib? I await your suggestions.

Hello there!! Hopefully some might be able to help me with an ID of my Waterman My mother bought it YEARS ago, and I just found it after going through storage. I know it's worth something, but I'm having a problem identifying the *exact* model. There are similar pens around, but they are much thinner and shorter because they've all got #2 nibs, and this one has a #10. I've written to Waterman, but have yet to hear anything. I have seen other eyedroppers, but they do not have the overlay. Apparently, according to one guy, there were only 3 made in this era? Who knows if that's correct. Sincerely can't find any information on this one- or maybe I just don't know/can't find where to look? Here are the characteristics: - Thick/fat body and cap - 6.5" long - Warn off "20" with a circle on the base of the body - Hard Rubber body and cap (probably black before, now looks dark chocolate) - Sterling Silver overlay - Trefoil Vine pattern (1907-1923) - "Waterman's Ideal Fountain Pen" and "Sterling." engraved (crookedly) on silver - Clip Cap on lower half of cap (not in middle like on other, shorter similar pens) - "Clip-Cap; Sterling; IDEAL; PAT Sep. 26.05" engraved - Nib #10 - "Waterman's; IDEAL; Reg US; Pat. Off.; 10; Made In; USA" engraved If anyone could help me regarding this model of pen, it would be greatly appreciated!

I thought I would start a little thread on the Airmail 69t. This is a pen from India, and is my first foray into that particular area of manufacture. I have had it for a day or so, and filled it with Robert Oster Crimson ink after unpacking and cleaning it. This is an eyedropper, and mine is a demonstrator with a clear body. So far I am very pleased with the performance of this pen. It has a nice heft, and does post (this is important for me, as I tend to lose caps). My purpose for this pen was as a cheap note taking pen for class. I can say that it fills the bill admirably on the price point, but it does not have the feel of a cheap pen. For a hair over sixteen dollars, I ordered this from Fountain Pen Revolution, and I love the semi-wet line that it puts down. For notes I use a fine point, and I have had a lot of trouble finding one that was not scratchy or had a lot of feedback. I prefer a smooth nib with minimal feedback. This little pen has done wonders in that department. I am attaching a couple of photos. Please forgive the penmanship. I have been writing quite a bit today, and my arthritis has started acting up. I write with my weak hand as well, since arthritis has made my thumb pretty much useless on my strong hand. I hope this helps folks looking for a reasonably priced daily user.

I have a Preppy and a couple Charlies in eyedropper configuration, but they live quietly and safely in my pen cup. Decided to eyedropper my clear/green demo Prera with Noodler's Hunter Green (diluted to ~70%) tonight. This is a pen/ink combo I use every day and regularly carry to and use at work. The Prera is a pen without vices, zero drama... But Hunter Green, in my experience, is pretty rambunctious. So, I may well be setting myself up with an ink incident involving a bulletproof supersaturated rogue ink. I'm a teency bit nervous about it. Flourescent too.

What is the best way to convert my jetpens Chibi into an eyedropper...there are three little holes at the botttom - I want to plug them securely and also for it to not be very noticeable! Should I use hot wax, elmer's glue, superglue??

Greetings, I've come upon a lovely and brassing-free full cone cap overlay...but alas is missing the nib and feed. I've positively identified the nib I'm hunting for as an Aiken Lambert #1. If I find the nib, I can probably fabricate a feed by turning down one I have ... Let me know if you might have one kicking around in a parts drawer! Cheers, Morgan

This review and others can also be found at my website: www.pensinksandpaper.com The Indian fountain pen market is an interesting dichotomy between cheap, largely unreliable pens, and gorgeous handmade pieces of ebonite that are a joy to write with. This pen falls firmly into the latter category. Appearance & Design (9/10) – The Ranga is absolutely gorgeous in a way no picture I could take will ever convey. There’s something about rippled ebonite that even the most experienced pen photographers (one of which I am most decidedly not) cannot convey in their work. If you have never seen a pen made from rippled ebonite in real life before, go buy one now. I promise you it will not disappoint. The size is perfect for what I was looking for, and Mr. Kandan (the pen turner who created this masterpiece) was very cooperative in making sure the design was perfectly made to my tastes. There was a slight communication error in ordering a color, but it was a happy accident; I love the color I have now more than I think I would’ve liked the other and Mr. Kandan helped to rectify the situation almost immediately with a partial refund. (Which I naturally used to help fund another Ranga… I couldn’t help myself.) The only flaw in the design of the pen is the cap posting. It does post, but not very securely, and the pen feels awkwardly long when posted. Otherwise, the design is flawless; this is a truly gorgeous pen. Construction & Quality (10/10) – You can’t beat handmade. The pen was obviously crafted with great care, and there is an undeniable beauty to having a pen made from a single piece of material with no seams or manufacturing nicks to be found. Although the 2C is the lightest and smallest Ranga available, about the length of a Lamy Safari and a bit thinner, it feels solidly made, and the ebonite of the pen is smooth and well finished. Handmade pens are always special in my opinion, and this one is no exception. They are made with special care and attention that no mass-produced pen can be, and the results are magnificent. Nib & Performance – The nib section of this review is where my experience may vary from that of others who use this pen, so I will refrain from giving a numbered score in this section. I set the stock nib aside almost as soon as I received the pen, and had replaced it before I inked it up for the first time. I did this because I use this pen for small annotations and Calculus, so I replaced the nib with an Extra Fine from JOWO of Germany. The 2C fits a number five nib perfectly as a replacement for its original nib. This is different from most Rangas, which accept number six nibs. The nib I swapped in was purchased from fpnibs.com, who also provide excellent service as well as a variety of affordable nib services. Filling System & Maintenance – The 2C is an eyedropper filler, so for a small pen it has a significant ink capacity, around 2-2.5 mL. This becomes especially significant (and useful) when you use an extra fine nib. I have not experienced any issues with burping, and the pen is relatively easy to clean. Cost & Value (10/10) – A handmade ebonite pen for $18 is unbeatable value. Mine came to a total cost of $28, including shipping, if you factor in the JOWO nib, but when you think about it that is an incredibly low price. It’s a handmade ebonite pen with a very nice German nib used in much more expensive pens smoothed by a nibmeister for the same price as a Kaweco Sport. (I have nothing against the Kaweco, it just happened to be the same price and a good comparison) At that price, the Ranga 2C represents an incredible value and I’m glad I purchased one. Conclusion (9.67/10) – The Ranga Model 2C is both a gorgeous pen and a fantastic value. Mr. Kandan is pleasant to work with, and happy to answer any questions. Should anything go wrong, he rectifies the situation almost immediately. The pen itself writes beautifully, and is both reliable and well made. It has been one of my daily writers since it arrived, and I can’t see it stopping in the near future.

Hello forum, when converting a fountain pen to an eyedropper fill pen, one of the most common problems is that the heat of your own hand expands the air bubble that forms inside the barrel as you use more and more ink. Has there been found any means to counter this prblem other than refilling/topping-up your ink reservoir when you've only used a little bit? It kind of makes it counter the point and the aesthetic to refill your pen every little while without watching that large amount of ink dwindling and sloshing around. The air bubble is part of the aesthetic if you ask me. I want air bubbles. Large ones too. How do you counter the heat?