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How To Replace Kung Te Cheng?


RCC

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I may be confused, but I think I recall that Nathan said when Kung Te Cheng was released that it was a one-off offer since some of the ingredients might not be available to keep it in stock. He did recommend that it be used only with the Preppy ED that accompanied the 4.5oz bottle. I have used mine exclusively in that pen, with excellent results ever since, but I have no doubt that it would work very well in many other pens. I had the impression at the time that Tardif was reacting, in his usual dramatic fashion, to the criticism that Bay State Blue should have carried warnings about its staining capacity. So, with KTCh, he advises the exclusive use of the supplied Preppy--maybe with a hint of tongue-in-cheek.

 

In any event, I love the ink. For me, it behaves very much like Violet Vote, a Pendemonium Noodler exclusive, which I have in its original version, then called Iraqi Indigo. Its color is somewhat lighter. I have used it in Preppies and in several other pens with no problem. I have also found that Stockholm Indigo behaves much the same. It, however, is perceptibly lighter in color than Kung te Cheng. Pasternak in Noodler's Russian series is of a similar color (though not identical) and is permanent, but its behaviorial characteristics and particularly appearance under ultra-violet light are different.

 

Maybe the distributor can tell us whether there will be further editions of Kung te Cheng. If my memory is correct regarding the original announcement, that may not be possible.

 

If there is a lesson here, it is that if you hear about a new ink that sounds interesting, you might as well buy it. It probably won't break the bank. Small craft producers like Tardif sometimes take advantage of the availablity of a particular chemical component to do what amounts to a limited edition. When that happens, even if there is demand for a repeat, it may not be possible.

 

(Of course, bigger firms also discontinue popular inks, often without much advance notice. Witness Montblanc's Racing Car Green or the whole line of Parker Penman inks.)

 

Kung Te Cheng will be back shortly with Manjiro Nakahama.

 

Dick

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I've been using it for a couple years in a Pelikan 12 with no problems other than getting gummy when not used for a long time, something too many of my pens suffer from (lack of use, that is). Otherwise, it's been great. More nib creep than some other inks, but nothing I can't live with! The cap on my Preppie wore out and refused to stay tight, so it dried out too badly for me to keep using it.

 

Peter

 

 

 

When it got gummy did the sticky stuff dissolve in water? Was it harder to clean than the average ink when it dried out like that? thanks,

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Thanks! I put in an order for Whaleman Sepia as well--the magical ink that changes color in bleach not once but twice!

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I'm so glad it's back! My sample of KTC developed a crack - luckily as it was over the sink, where it couldn't stain anything but my hands. However, the crack was large enough that I didn't have time to transfer it to a different vessel, and lost all ~5mL of it.

 

Looks like it's time to hit up Goulet Pens for some more samples...

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I am pleased to finally announce that GouletPens.com is now an exclusive retailer of Kung Te-Cheng. It's now up on the website. :thumbup:

 

I can't think of a better place to get it. Wonderful news on that and Whaleman's Sepia too!

With the new FPN rules, now I REALLY don't know what to put in my signature.

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I am pleased to finally announce that GouletPens.com is now an exclusive retailer of Kung Te-Cheng. It's now up on the website. :thumbup:

 

I can't think of a better place to get it. Wonderful news on that and Whaleman's Sepia too!

 

+1

"Instant gratification takes too long."-Carrie Fisher

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Cellulose reactive dyes come and go as demand for them changes. This is driven by the textiles industry, pollution regulation, and the cost of manufacturing, not ink use. It's quite possible one or more of the dyes was available for only a short period, was in very small quantities, or was in danger of being taken out of production for some reason unrelated to fountain pen inks.

 

I've been using it for a couple years in a Pelikan 12 with no problems other than getting gummy when not used for a long time, something too many of my pens suffer from (lack of use, that is). Otherwise, it's been great. More nib creep than some other inks, but nothing I can't live with! The cap on my Preppie wore out and refused to stay tight, so it dried out too badly for me to keep using it.

 

Peter

 

More than likely, it was the little ridge of plastic on the section that wore out. Try replacing the section, if you have another one, and see if it works like normal again.

The above shall not be construed as legal advice under any circumstances

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Does anyone know why there's the suggestion to only use KTC with the included pens (well I mean besides that it "supposedly" has clogging issues)? Rather, has anyone actually experienced these problems? In addition, is effectively a blue with a hint of purple like most of the FPN reviews seem to say, or distinctly purple like Signum1's

 

I'm really thinking about picking up KTC as my second "srsbsns" ink (the other being X-Feather for now), but I'm not yet sure about whether the color would be appropriate. Nor do I know what in the world I'm going to do with a 4.5 oz bottle of ink.

Pelikan m200 F nib - Noodler's Midway Blue

TWSBI Diamond 530 EF nib - Noodler's X-Feather

Pilot Decimo F nib - Noodler's North African Violet

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Does anyone know why there's the suggestion to only use KTC with the included pens (well I mean besides that it "supposedly" has clogging issues)? Rather, has anyone actually experienced these problems? In addition, is effectively a blue with a hint of purple like most of the FPN reviews seem to say, or distinctly purple like Signum1's

 

I'm really thinking about picking up KTC as my second "srsbsns" ink (the other being X-Feather for now), but I'm not yet sure about whether the color would be appropriate. Nor do I know what in the world I'm going to do with a 4.5 oz bottle of ink.

 

I would say it's a purplish blue. On my monitor, Signum1's scan is WAY off. The other reviews look fairly close, with carpedavid's being the closest to what I see on paper. Your monitor may vary, of course.

 

It's in my TWSBI right now, and I don't see anything to suggest that it will be permanently stained. I guess I won't know for sure until I clean the pen, but it doesn't look like it will be a problem. I have read, though, that it WILL stain clear ink sacs, so I guess that's something to keep in mind.

Music, verily, is the mediator between intellectual and sensuous life, the one incorporeal entrance into the high world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend. -Ludwig van Beethoven

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TWRDO, please keep us updated on whether it stains your Twsbi or not. I'll be ordering a sample of Kung Te-Cheng from Goulet Pens and if I like the color I'm hoping to be able to use it in my clear Twsbi.

 

Also, how do you find the flow of Kung Te-Cheng in the Twsbi? It seems to me that my medium nibbed Twsbi writes a bit drier than my other pens, or maybe that's just relative because my other pens are mostly Lamys.

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TWRDO, please keep us updated on whether it stains your Twsbi or not. I'll be ordering a sample of Kung Te-Cheng from Goulet Pens and if I like the color I'm hoping to be able to use it in my clear Twsbi.

 

Also, how do you find the flow of Kung Te-Cheng in the Twsbi? It seems to me that my medium nibbed Twsbi writes a bit drier than my other pens, or maybe that's just relative because my other pens are mostly Lamys.

 

Will do.

 

It flows fairly nicely for me, but I've modded my feed a little bit, so it might not be entirely representative of all TWSBIs (from what I've read most tend to be middle-of-the-road wet; mine was VERY dry when I got it, which seems to be the exception and would be due to manufacturing variances from Schmidt, not TWSBI). Comparing to other inks though, it's about 7/10 on my own wetness scale; not gushingly wet, but not too dry. The only thing I've noticed so far is it seems to dry quickly in the nib and be a little bit hard to start if the cap is left off the pen for more than a minute or so.

Music, verily, is the mediator between intellectual and sensuous life, the one incorporeal entrance into the high world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend. -Ludwig van Beethoven

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I flushed KTC out of my TWSBI today and didn't notice any staining. The thing did notice is that it leaves a residue on the nib that doesn't rinse off. It wipes off easily enough, but I think I would recommend using KTC only in pens where you can take apart the nib and feed so you can thoroughly clean them.

Music, verily, is the mediator between intellectual and sensuous life, the one incorporeal entrance into the high world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend. -Ludwig van Beethoven

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