Search the Community

Hi all, I bought a cluster of "old pens" from Ebay as one was a Sheaffer I thought might scrub up well. A photo will follow when I've charged my phone up. My confusion is, it has a sac fixed in place, but no other sign of a filling mechanism - no moving blind cap, no snorkel, no nothing. Just an ink sac. Did Sheaffer make any bulb fillers?! Or is this someone's cartridge pen that they've glued a sac into, to make a bulb filler?

Parlot IMR Frankenpen This is a Frankenpen made from Parker IM and Pilot MR fountain pens. It combines a Pilot MR silver dot body with Parker IM silver section, fine nib and converter. I manage somehow to bend the Pilot nib and I didn’t like the heavy Parker IM black laqurel body. The IM section fits perfectly into MR body, only problem being the cap when closed is a fraction wobbly, not noticeable, but there. So now I have a full metal nice pen, with a nail fine nib ready to rock ’n’ roll. Appearance & Design (9/10)What can be said? Already classic cigar shaped Metropolitan from Pilot in silver dot version, in my opinion nothing can be improved. This is the European version called MR, the main difference being the ability to take standard international C/C versus Pilot proprietary C/C. Construction & Quality (8/10)Solid rock made in Japan, everything working properly and fitting just right. Weight & Dimension (8/10)With the new section from IM now the pen will feel just a bit heavier, but still well balanced. The barrel is 13 mm /0.5 in at the widest diameter, the section is 10 mm/ 0.4 in diameter. It’s a sleek, metal pen, with a slim cigar shaped body, tapering to a rounded point at both ends. Length capped: 13.7 cm / 5.4 in Length un-capped: 12.3 cm / 4.84 in Length posted: 15.1 cm / 5.95 in Weight (capped, with converter): 32 g / 1.15 oz Nib & Performance (8/10)This is a fine nib, which I’ve changed through Parker service from a medium nib. I found this nib a smooth and pleasant nib to use daily. Anyway the nib is a nail and write a fine to medium line, never had any problem skipping or drying. It’s a common problem with Parker IM drying nib, caused by air gaps where clip is attached, but with Pilot MR body this problem is solved. Filling system & Maintenance (8/10)Now is using Parker proprietary C/C system. Can use all sort of Parker cartridges and converters available almost everywhere. It’s easy to clean or maintain just some soapy water and soft cloth form time to time. The nib can be flushed with Parker converter. Currently I’m using a slide converter. Cost & Value (7/10)Well...to build this will have to buy 2 different pens: Pilot MR £20.00 and Parker IM £20.00, prices being approximated, depending where you can buy them. If you’re lucky you can get them less than half from Ebay, or pens classified. The cheapest option is my case, 2 broken pens join together into a Frankenpen. Conclusion (8/10)Is not a pen for everybody, just another Frankenpen, made from broken parts. It is metallic body, classic cigar shape, sleek, fine and smooth nib using Parker C/C. I would like to see the Pilot MR/Metropolitan gold with gold section from Parker IM... Anyway, some pictures:

Hi All, I recently bought a Ranga ebonite from Peytonstreetpens, blowfiller with Eversharp feed and Waterman flex nib. Before buying I was assured by Teri they check the pen, smooth nib, adjust inkflow etc. Now, I bought it as gift to my wife for her birthday. Unfortunately it arrived a few weeks too late (probably shipping from US to Europe). So, since Peytonstreetpens have a return policy I contacted them to return pen, never got any reply. Finally got the pen, and the second disapointment was that the pen was (bleep) - scratchy, very dry, tines misaligned, so not usable. Had to send pen to nibmeister. Again tried to contact Teri from Peyton, never a reply. So I do not think this is the way to treat customers and to make a good name. I was quite angry and frustrated.

Hello everyone! I was wondering if you have some suggestions for modern frankenpens (pens with parts from a different manufacturer). I currently have a Jinhao x450 with a Zebra G nib that has a huge amount of flex. However, I have terrible railroading problems. Any suggestions on other flexible frankenpens and ink "combos"?

Yes, the twins are here and I love them (Pardon the low quality pictures)! Here they are, - Fosfor Sandalwood with a Franklin Christoph HPS #6 Masuyama Needlepoint Nib - Fosfor Islander in Red Burl with the Franklin Christoph #6 Music Nib The F-C nibs were a gift from a friend and I was given the freedom of choosing the nibs. My limited experience with EF or F nibs (limited to lower end Indian and Japanese nibs) left me wanting more and I was on the lookout for something that I could use for sketching and quick notes (among a few other things). The music nib was to continue to practice some scripts for calligraphy. I've been wanting wooden pens for a while now and there was no better marriage than the F-C Nibs and the Fosfor body that I could think of in India. I must admit that the F-C website was very tempting and I will probably pick something from their offering pretty soon. I haven't uploaded more than a single picture as I am not able to do justice to the pens with my shoddy camera skills. Both Fosfor Pens and Franklin Chirstoph have great sample pictures on their own websites for anyone interested. I'm not good with reviews, but here are my impressions about both the pens and the nibs after a few weeks of usage. Experience with the seller(s) Franklin Christoph: I bought the nib units online and their customer support and sales was great, they have a well oiled process. The nibs units were shipped from their store the day after (or I think the same day given the time zone difference) and they knew the details about shipping, exports, etc. The sales folk at F-C were really helpful about the plethora of questions that I as this was the first time I was getting pen parts shipped into my country. They were always prompt and the whole process of buying the nibs from them was really easy and I did like the little containers that the nib units arrived in. Mike Masuyama's chop on the little card was nice for a first time buyer. Fosfor Pens: I've been commenting and reading Manoj's work (Fosfor Pens) here on FPN and wanted to order one for myself and when these nibs arrived, I shipped them off to him for these two beauties. These are my second set of wood pens, I think I'd rank wood higher than ebonite in terms of personal preference, with acrylic a distant third (so far nothing has made me budge on acrylics), and other plastics/resins being a distinct no. Bring on more of those wood pens I say! Manoj was patient with my finicky emails and decision process and helped me narrow down on these two choices for the pen. He updated me through the process and sent me these two lovely pens a few weeks ago. As I've posted in other threads, I'm a sucker for good packaging, and the boxes and the choice for the box material material made it all the more interesting. The small little pouch with the sandalwood shavings that I got was nice touch!Design, material, build and quality from Fosfor Fosfor Sandalwood: It is the understated look of this design that nailed it for me, the shape and the use of the threads on the cap were a great touch to make the pen look lovely. I opted for the unpolished finish for the sandalwood as I wanted to feel the wood when the pen is used. Yes, there are great risks of staining an unpolished wooden pen (I have stained a ball point sandalwood pen with my clumsiness earlier), but we do live dangerously anyway. The use of the red/brown ebonite is lovely (at some later point I might ask Manoj for an ebonite from this lovely colour itself). The natural wood grains on the pen (the swirl and I think one little burn mark from teh turning process or otherwise) add character to the pen. I did opt for this design as will not be posting the cap while writing. My only grouse with the pen being that when the cap is screwed onto the pen, the brown ebonite casing is visible (it does not protrude or create a gap). I'm only guessing that is either a easthatic choice or a utility choice (to insure against wear and tear of the unpolished sharper edges or probably any ink pooling/leaks). It might have been a good bonus if the swirls on the cap and body aligned when the cap was screwed on. Fosfor Islander: Most of the pens I own are understated or are discreet in nature, so I thought I'll mix it up a little with the silver trimmings on the Islander. Given the need for the natural look of the wood to be retained, I decided to go with the Red Burl offered by Manoj instead of my personal favourite of the Sheesham (with no trimmings) for the Islander. As you can see, the swirls are lovely, the polished finish is great and the black ebonite section provides a nice contrast for the nib and the clip on the cap. The tapering end could probably be used for posting, but I don't like posting my pens and I'm guessing it could lead to the natural wear and tear. Apart from the slight offset for the trimming at the top of the clip the pen is marvellous. The balance of the pen is great and I do love the fact that even after the polish that my brain tells me I'm using a wooden pen. As stated earlier, the aligning swirls on the body and cap would have been a lovely bonus. Performance of the nibs from Franklin Christoph HPS #6 Masuyama Needlepoint Nib: The technical details and pictures are available on F-C's website. I'm surprised by the performance of such a thinly ground nib. I must admit that I was apprehensive about it's performance but after clariyfing details from their sales team and using it for the last few weeks, I have become a big fan. Being and EF nib that is ground by Mike Masuyama to approx .25mm according to their website. As expected of such a finely ground tip, it has a smaller sweet spot. The performance is great and it is a wonderful writer both forwards and backwards! As a testing ground, I've used the Needlepoint on papers varying from 70gsm to 100gsm (and copier type, handmade, more threaded, etc.) and I am surprised at how well it handled all the paper. Though I guess this type of a nib would be best used on copier type of paper to ensure a longer life and better care. It almost feels like a mechanical pencil when using the nib and very unlike the EF nibs that I am used to. Here are few quick drawing samples, Franklin Christoph #6 Music Nib: This nib was offered in both a shadow steel and a polished steel finish. It was greatly tempting to buy the shadow steel finish. The eventual aim for me was to be able to use the nib units in different pens as needed when travelling, etc. Both of the pens I wanted from Fosfor are definitely not the travel with them in your pocket kind which meant that the options for a matching body for the shadow steel nib pen reduces drastically. The horizontal and vertical strokes on this pen are great and it glides over paper. I've tried the nib with a few different inks (locally available Bril, Camlin and Sheaffer Scrip inks) and so far it lays down a consistently wet line. I've had a couple of railroad-like situations (what would you call that for a broad nib?) in about 30 pages of writing/doodling/scribbling which I am attributing to the position/writing angle. The flow keeps up with the nib and my writing speed. Here is a quick 'F' in Old English Engrosser's script, The twins have given me great pleasure over the last few weeks and I'm a little unsure of where this new hobby of mine is leading me.

Okay, fellow fountain pen enthusiasts. I spent a little money today, and I want to see how poorly (or how good :-) I managed to do. Is this pen worth a restoration, or did I spend $20 on a frankenpen? This is pen #1. The clip is marked Inkograph, and the lever is marked "Made in USA", pen is stamped/engraved "Inkograph" over "Registered in USA & Foreign Countries". The plating appears pretty darn good. Question #1 - The ink sac is pink rubber, and does not appear to have any cracks. Is that the original ink sac? Question #2 - The lower section of the pen (with the ink sac) does not fit tightly into the pen. There are bits of old shellac on it. Does that appear to be original, or is this a frankenpiece someone tried to fit to the pen? Question #3 -- The nib and feed I have NOT been able to remove. The nib appears to be gold and not plated (carats unknown). What I can read is "ME" over "Ma" over "U." I'm assuming that the second two lines would read "Made in the" over "U.S.A." Would that be the original nib to the pen? It's in superb shape, unbent. So...did I buy a frankenpen ? Is it worth fitting the ink sack/nib section back into the pen? Is it worth restoring? Yes, that is a lot of questions from a newbie who had a moment of weakness and couldn't say "no" to buying an old pen

Osmia is one of my favourite makes, so I had to buy this one: a pre-war 226 even though the listing informed me that it had a Parker nib; there was a Parker connexion with Osmia so I thought it was not too bad. The pen did look very sad when it arrived and the Parker nib was an English 35 so probably from a Duofold Senior of the 1950s. I cleaned up and rebuilt the pen, but though very good of its type, the Parker nib did nothing for me. The original nib in the pen must have been huge; I thought I might remove the Supra broad nib from an 884 but despite being about No 4 size, this was too small. Luckily I also have an enormous Jewel nib, for which I had no home and it turned out perfectly. The 226 is a big pen, 13.5cm capped and wth girth to match; a pen that needs a big nib and I was fortunate enough to have one. Cob

If I take a black model J cap with a missing jewel, but otherwise in great shape, that was given to me for "spare parts/DIY repair practice", stop at a hobby store or bead shop, and glue a bead that fits and looks nice (probably something black but faceted?) To the cap, and then marry it to the complete black model J body I picked up cheap on fleabay, because it had no cap but is in good shape? Replace the sac, glue on the jewel, and I'd have a perfectly usable and complete black Esterbrook J, just with a non-original cap jewel. Do you kick guys off the forum for such blasphemy? Or, like wristwatches, is frankening not only allowed but encouraged as long as you're not passing them off as all original later on?

I just bought(has not arrived yet) a bastardized waterman's crusader from a fellow FPNer(lahlahlaw) with a blow-fill hero 616 barrel. I was thinking while it is pretty awesome, making it a coin-filler and blow filler would make it even cooler. As far as i know all i need to do is put a j/pressure-bar to put in the barrel and to cut the slit, how do i find the bar, and is it economical/practical to do this? This is the pen(courtesy lahlahlaw)

What the... http://www.ebay.com/itm/NICE-EVERSHARP-SKYLINE-FOUNTAIN-PEN-PLATINUM-NIB-BARREL-/371098237601?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56672dbaa1

Hey Guys, Hunting for pens is a thrill that not any one of us could probably explain to someone else. BUT there's another thrill, within the thrill. Finding a unique pen that you cannot wrap your mind around in that one moment. If you're anything like me, you'll buy it and scram - later to do extensive research. Well, I am stumped. This pen is unsearchable. The nib has: POSTING __________ PANLY HARDEST POINT 2 When search "panly" i often get autocorrected to Pansy or Panty. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Hello everyone, I was told to move my mod over here to discuss it. It is a Noodler's Konrad with a Hunt 56 nib in it. I had to heat set the feed for it and I may have accidentally heat up the grip section during the feed setting but I did squeeze that as well just in case. I say that the grip section may have been set as well because after the mod it appears not to be able to close in the cap as smoothly. That being said, I am very pleased with my work and I tried a few nibs but this one worked the best for this configuration.It flows well and you can see one railroad but I was going pretty fast and trying to go to bed. So these aren't the best pictures but if you guys are interested I can post more detailed photos later or a video to Youtube if anyone really cares. I just don't want to put a lot of effort in if you guys don't care about modding your Konrads. I haven't had any starting issues with the pen and it does not railroad under normal writing conditions. The ink is Noodler's X-Feather and the paper is G. LALO.

Hello everyone, I am Bode505 and I am from the state of New Mexico in the USA. Currently I live in South Korea as an English teacher. First fountain pens were cheesy calligraphy fountain pens, dip pens kind of got me into fountain pens. I already have a small collection going but I finally pulled the trigger on becoming an FPN member because I had been messing with my Konrad for a while trying to make it into a pen that could flex easily like a vintage pen. I am aware I said the magic word to get thrashed on this thread but I would like to present my findings before I am hiding under a rock for my words. After many attempts the best I have gotten to work for me (without weird hard starts and 1 million railroads) is using a Hunt 56 (its not exactly flush but after heat setting the ebonite it sits in there well enough to do well I feel I should also mention I think when setting the ebonite feed that I may have also heated up the plastic barrel a bit with the near boiling water as it screws in to the cap with a little resistance now which it didn't have before) and my Noodler's Konrad I bought from the Goulet company a few months ago. I liked the pen but we all know when the feed isn't set well they can be frustrating so I destroyed a few nibs trying this but I will put up a picture of what I came up with. Bare in mind you can write pretty quick with this setup (sorry for my (bleep) handwriting is 2:00 am here in Korea). Anyway here is my picture without further nonsense. Before you ask the paper in the sample is G. Lalo it was the nearest pad I had to me to write on tonight and that railroading happened as I was going pretty quick so I am overall pleased with the results anyway. I thought it was important to show that railroading does occur but it has to be under pretty big flexes and only during demo like that so far for me not under normal writing flexing on each down stroke of the pen. Question is: What sub-forum should this go into? 2.What do you guys think about it? Honest feedback is appreciated Hope you guys like and appreciate it, -Bode505

I just cobbled together this nifty Waterman from spare parts. I swapped the nib out of a broken Waterman snorkel-type pen, re-sacked it and had a great pen! Then I put it in my pocket, went to work, and then pulled it out of my pocket to see the barrel was broken right behind the section. BOOM, out came the electrical tape. And then I made some writing samples! What do you think of the Black Swan in North African Violets?

My first question is about the metal Elabo pen from pilot, about its construct. Can any owners confirm or deny that the grip section (the section that holds the feed and nib) is indeed made of metal? I am pretty sure the barrel itself and the cap are metal but I'm confused about the grip because it has a different colour to the barrel on the coloured versions of the pen. The second question could be a bit more tricky: would it be possible to transplant the nib-feed system of a #10 Pilot FA nib (from a Heritage 912, Custom 742, for example) into the Elabo? I understand the feed pops out on both of these pens, and through analysing photos of both these feeds, they were rather close in diameter. This would be desirable to use both the flex in the FA nib and the heft the metal body the Elabo has to offer. Any tinkerers who own both these pens I would greatly appreciate a test of this hypothesis

I have a great (possibly stupid) idea of getting a Waterman 52V pen for the flex goodness, but can't get over the lever filler system, which really does not ring well with me. Ideally I'd like to somehow modify it to take the Pilot CON 70 for the awesome capacity, but I don't know where to start with that. Can the nib and feed of a Waterman 52 1/2 V, for example, be fitted to any modern Waterman model? I am really unfamiliar with Waterman pens so I would have no idea where to look. If so, what model or line of models?