Vp And Con-50 Converter - Warning!

[InkSniper]

I installed a Con-50 converter in my Decimo Vanishing Point and almost ruined the nib getting it back out! In order to get the converter seated deep enough to work, you really have to twist it on firmly. I could NOT get it back out without resorting to pliers on both the nib housing and the converter. I completely ruined the converter getting it out and squished the ink housing portion of the VP nib a little bit. Now, I'm not particularly ham-handed and do pretty well assembling and disassembling things, but that sucker was NOT going to budge! I was able to get it rounded back out, and I now have a plastic cartridge filled with my favorite ink installed.

Just a warning to those that may want to use the Con-50 converter.

[KBeezie]

I assume you mean the nib unit, and generally speaking you should only have to twist it clockwise to get it in or out (as not to untwist the back of the converter), and what you explained should not be typical as the VP actually comes with a Con-50 as it's default converter, which should be the same for the VP, VP Decimo, and VP Ferno (the main difference being that the nib unit differs for the body they go into, notch being a little bigger than the normal VP nib unit, meaning the unit itself could get stuck if put into a normal VP).

 

Out of curiosity, what's the favorite ink you had loaded in there. And just how much effort did you take to put it in the first place (it shouldn't be insanely tight to get it in to begin with).

[Icywolfe]

Well if you bought a nib unit with a con50 it will be like glued in place. But if you bought them separately you only need a tap to seat the con50.

[Algester]

but if you buy from Japan I know these pens have the converter as a separate item

[InkSniper]

Yes, I meant the nib UNIT.

I bought it from Japan and I bought the Con-50 from Goulet. It was very difficult to get it seated properly, so I knew beforehand that it was going to likely be hard to get off...just not THAT hard. It was empty - no ink in it.

Edited September 8, 2014 by InkSniper

[KBeezie]

Yes, I meant the nib UNIT.

I bought it from Japan and I bought the Con-50 from Goulet. It was very difficult to get it seated properly, so I knew beforehand that it was going to likely be hard to get off...just not THAT hard. It was empty - no ink in it.

 

Do the Japanese-Sold Decimo come with a 14K/18K Nib or the "Special Alloy" nib just like the Capless you can find on Rakuten?

 

Also would you be able to get pictures for reference in case there's any noticeable sizing/marketing that would be tell-tell as to not working with a con-50.

Edited September 8, 2014 by KBeezie

[Algester]

18 Special Allow according to Pilot's site

[KBeezie]

18 Special Allow according to Pilot's site

 

18 Special Alloy doesn't make much sense. since not sure it'd be 18K Gold AND "Special Alloy" (usually meaning steel nibbed). I know on Rakuten the Capless (not Decimo specifically) which are around 70$ USD are listed as just "Special Alloy".

[InkSniper]

I ordered it from Pisuke on *bay and his ads say "special alloy". It came with a Con-20 converter which fits fine - I just like to use a Con-50 so I can see how much ink is remaining.

Edited September 8, 2014 by InkSniper

[KBeezie]

I ordered it from Pisuke on *bay and his ads say "special alloy". It came with a Con-20 converter which fits fine - I just like to use a Con-50 so I can see how much ink is remaining.

So just like the 'capless' advertised there which may not have the same fitting as the Vanishing points sold with the 14K and 18K nib units.

 

The nib unit you have might have a specific shaped notch on top of it.

 

But this warning seems to be much more for a "special alloy" nib unit than the typical Vanishing Point ones. Since the normal VP, Ferno, etc comes with a Con-50 which should work fine. It's possible the specific Capless you got is not compatible.

 

Also on Goulet's site they did have this warning

 

Piston-style twist converter. Fits all current Pilot and Namiki pens, except the older style Namiki Vanishing Point (faceted plastic body) or any earlier Pilot Capless pens.

Not sure where a Capless Decimo falls in this sense I'd be interested in seeing the specific listing in case any mentions of it is shown.

 

However this earliest mentions of a Decimo (seems Decimo not that old actually) shows it being compatible with a con-20 and con-50.

 

http://carmenriverapens.com/Vanishing_Point_images/05Nov.htm

 

Plus

In November 2005 Pilot Japan returned to the narrower barrel design and added new vibrant colors to create the Decimo line, and in September of 2006 they released the Fermo with a twisting barrel end.

Edited September 8, 2014 by KBeezie

[rutherfordr]

Not sure where a Capless Decimo falls in this sense I'd be interested in seeing the specific listing in case any mentions of it is shown.

 

 

I'm not sure that warning is relevant, because the older style Namiki Vanishing Point (faceted plastic body) were made up until the 1990s, and the Decimos are made in this century.

[KBeezie]

I'm not sure that warning is relevant, because the older style Namiki Vanishing Point (faceted plastic body) were made up until the 1990s, and the Decimos are made in this century.

That's what I'm thinking, especially since the link above even shows that they work with Con-50. 1 Instance doesn't warrant a warning for every one of them, I'm just curious if there's a design difference in Japan versus the rest of them, especially with the nib unit not being the 14K/18K the rest of us would be used to (in theory they should be identical except the nib itself).

Edited September 8, 2014 by KBeezie

[Icywolfe]

Yes, I meant the nib UNIT.

I bought it from Japan and I bought the Con-50 from Goulet. It was very difficult to get it seated properly, so I knew beforehand that it was going to likely be hard to get off...just not THAT hard. It was empty - no ink in it.

It gets looser as you use it. That said if you bought it a whole unit (like I did from GPC) it's seated so far deep in there that you do need pliers to get it out. I have yet to get mines out.

[Algester]

 

18 Special Alloy doesn't make much sense. since not sure it'd be 18K Gold AND "Special Alloy" (usually meaning steel nibbed). I know on Rakuten the Capless (not Decimo specifically) which are around 70$ USD are listed as just "Special Alloy".

thats what the Pilot website said... 18金 <-- as far that goes I'm not sure what

 

http://estilofilos.blogspot.jp/p/blog-page.html highly unrelated but if you want the capless' rich history

 

"That was indeed my intention. I wanted to use a very pleasant F nib in the lighter and slimmer Capless Decimo, but I could not do it. The problem is that golden-looking nib units, made of gold or of stainless steel, are a tad thicker that those plated with Rhodium. As a result, these thicker units do not slide smoothly in their movement inside the Decimo pen. In the worst case, the nib unit becomes stuck inside and does not retract completely.

 

The origin of the problem lies, upon close inspection, on the notch to lead the nib into the right position inside the pen. On the pictures, it can be seen that those notches are different in size—both bigger and slightly thicker on the golden units."

As cited from estilofilos' blog

Edited September 9, 2014 by Algester

[arcadeflow]

These Capless pens are interesting, but I decided not to get one, they are more difficult to refill and clean, and I have read plenty of concerns about converters in them. I would stick to cartridges in them.

[Tombstone]

From my point of view regarding cleaning and refill, the Vanishing Points are one of the easiest models alive:

 

- the complete nib unit can be taken out and cleaned while you have no influence on the rest of the pen

- who needs a small converter when the cartridge can be refilled 100s of times with a real big volume of any ink you like

 

Some problems are surely home-made...

[KBeezie]

From my point of view regarding cleaning and refill, the Vanishing Points are one of the easiest models alive:

 

- the complete nib unit can be taken out and cleaned while you have no influence on the rest of the pen

- who needs a small converter when the cartridge can be refilled 100s of times with a real big volume of any ink you like

 

Some problems are surely home-made...

 

Except you can not get at the feed itself other than the part covered by the nib. It's also a little large of a unit to make a soak that practical.