New "caiso" Bulkfiller Revealed !

[stevesurf]

It's a standard Bock size 8.

 

 

FWIW, I have a #6 titanium nib by Bock, and find it quite wet and smooth - hope you're able to get this sorted soon!

 

Thanks so much gents; how do you install it and would it be just the nib itself that slides out? If this request for service turns out going sideways, then I'll just have to figure out if a pre-turned Nakaya nib will fit. Personally, I would think they'll help, especially considering the good experiences and the purchase of three previous pens, but I've been wrong before. Thanks again.

[Out0Mind]

 

 

 

Thanks so much gents; how do you install it and would it be just the nib itself that slides out? If this request for service turns out going sideways, then I'll just have to figure out if a pre-turned Nakaya nib will fit. Personally, I would think they'll help, especially considering the good experiences and the purchase of three previous pens, but I've been wrong before. Thanks again.

 

If it's a friction fit (which it is), you should be able to grip the feed and nib and just pull it straight out of the section. Don't twist or squeeze too hard as you might bend or break the gills of the feed or misalign the nib's tines, but don't worry too much as it's a simple process.

 

If you have something like a Kaweco Sport (much less expensive), you can practice nib removal until you're comfortable as it is also a friction fit.

Edited June 23, 2016 by Out0Mind

[fountainbel]

After contacting Werner I've heard a solution for Steve's problem is already in the pipeline.

Francis

[stevesurf]

After contacting Werner I've heard a solution for Steve's problem is already in the pipeline.

Francis

 

Thanks very much Francis! Like I said the other three bulkfillers are my smoothest writers, next to Sailor KOP and Waterman Exception.

[mongrelnomad]

After contacting Werner I've heard a solution for Steve's problem is already in the pipeline.

Francis

 

Yet another example of Conid's exemplary service.

[Doc01]

Hello Fountainbel,

 

May we please have a CAISO update? In mid April you asked for 2 weeks. It's been over 2 months without a word.

 

Thanks.

[tartuffo]

Hello Fountainbel,

 

May we please have a CAISO update? In mid April you asked for 2 weeks. It's been over 2 months without a word.

 

There was an update in Post #263 on 17th of June.

[kenshiro]

This delay is getting seriously out of hand. I know I opted to wait, but I didn't think we'd be moving past the midway point of the year without hearing ANY word.

 

Would it be so difficult to send out an update email once a month?

[Out0Mind]

This delay is getting seriously out of hand. I know I opted to wait, but I didn't think we'd be moving past the midway point of the year without hearing ANY word.

 

Would it be so difficult to send out an update email once a month?

 

The last update was less than two weeks ago. Per fountainbell's response to my inquiry, he states in post 263 on the 17th of June that he was hoping for a finished product shortly and that they were working on live eval tests. I don't know if that means another week or two months, but hopefully we have a finished product shortly.

 

That said, given how overbooked they are, I, unfortunately, wouldn't expect regular updates.

[kenshiro]

 

The last update was less than two weeks ago. Per fountainbell's response to my inquiry, he states in post 263 on the 17th of June that he was hoping for a finished product shortly and that they were working on live eval tests. I don't know if that means another week or two months, but hopefully we have a finished product shortly.

 

That said, given how overbooked they are, I, unfortunately, wouldn't expect regular updates.

 

You have a very forgiving disposition. I, for one, don't think that a hastily pecked response to a query on a web forum qualifies as a product update from a company that ostensibly cares about its customers.

 

Collectively we have given the company what must amount to a 5-month interest-free 100,000 Euro loan - at the very least we shouldn't have to go hunting for news about our investment. Even fly-by-night Kickstarter operations understand this.

[DGH_Nomad]

 

The last update was less than two weeks ago. Per fountainbell's response to my inquiry, he states in post 263 on the 17th of June that he was hoping for a finished product shortly and that they were working on live eval tests. I don't know if that means another week or two months, but hopefully we have a finished product shortly.

 

That said, given how overbooked they are, I, unfortunately, wouldn't expect regular updates.

It isn't as bad for us on the forum because we have the opportunity for a direct conversation with Fountainbel about the product, even if some are saying that they would appreciate more frequent updates. I would personally prefer waiting over receiving an unfinished product, but what about those who simply purchased but don't frequent FPN? We have only seen one email update since I pulled the trigger on the CAISO and there is little doubt that many people have been left in the dark completely thus far. Edited July 1, 2016 by DGH_Nomad

[fountainbel]

Dear Conid / Caiso fans,

I'm extremely happy to tell you CONID finally reached the point were we have a functional CAISO feed design.

Reaching the important milestones below proved to be a long, difficult - and sometimes frustrating - learning process.

Requirements we aimed for on the CAISO feed design:

1- Feed buffer grooves should remain empty under normal writing and storage conditions

2- Buffer grooves should get filled with ink when there's an overabundance of ink coming out of the barrel

3- Buffer grooves should hold excess ink and - during writing - the stored ink should be used before more ink is drawn from the barrel.

4 -The 3 above mentioned requirements should be realized either when using "Dry" our "Wet" inks

Specially the first requirement proved to be very hard to realize….when using "wet" inks.

We thoroughly tested 14 feed versions, - sometimes with only minor differences, and using 3 different inks - to take this hurdle

Note parts for all ordered CAISO's are already finished and already partly assembled, only the feed is still to be made.

While Conid hoped to get the pens out this week, Murphy unfortunately stroke again :

Monday the CNC machine on which the feeds are produced had a breakdown due to excessive wear on the tool guiding slides.

Parts were ordered and shipped from Japan and the machine was just repaired today.

However coming Monday the annual holidays period starts for the KOMEC/ CONID plant , restarting work on July 25.

Consequently Conid will be able to send all ordered CAISO's out by the end of July.

Werner will contact you individually with the shipping details.

Another issue we want to shear with you concerns the material of the feeds.

While CONID initially opted for a transparent acrylic feed, we discovered a hard rubber feed version remains superior.

Consequently CONID prefers to install hard rubber feeds on all the CAISO's

So we sincerely hope a black hard rubber feed will be acceptable for you .

Dear friends, on behalf of Conid and myself we want to express our sincere appreciation for your patience.

Thank you all for giving us the time in optimizing this most important part of our CAISO bulk filler !

Wishing you a pleasant and relaxing holiday period

Kind regards,

Werner, Johan, Jonas and Francis

[sd10521]

Sweet!

Thank all of you for your hard work and the update.

[Doc01]

Thank you!

The end is in sight. Knowing my titanium flat top I am sure your CAISO design will be perfect.

We all do appreciate your innovation and high quality standards. This is what makes Conid the best.

[glassjaw003]

I am glad the end is in site, although I must admit I agree with Kenshiro's comments regarding this whole process. I find that even updates via the forum were severely lacking, let alone email updates. What I truly find irritating and quite honestly ridiculous is that month wait time for our orders to be sent. With the machine being fixed and all the parts besides the feed being finished, it should not be too much trouble to finish the feeds and ship out the pens.

 

I am quite disappointed with this entire process, even if the CAISO is worth the wait.

[Mulrich]

I don't have a pen on order so I consider myself an impartial observer.

 

I agree with glassjaw003 that the right thing to do would be to stay open until existing orders are shipped (or at least those made before a certain date). I don't know when the pens were supposed to ship (it seems like a couple weeks before the feed issues came up) but this is definitely not a great customer relations move. CAISO is a very expensive pen purchased by early adopters who are taking a risk on the technology, the very type of customer who you want to keep happy. Staying open probably means paying overtime to employees who volunteer to get the orders shipped which would be a big expense. The delays are obviously from unpredictable events but that shouldn't stop a company from putting customers first. Just my two cents.

[kenshiro]

I concur that Conid should really stay open until preorders are shipped. I also think that they should provide both the transparent feed shipped to those who opted to get their pens early and the rubber feed, as this is a nasty surprise for those of us who really liked the transparent feed.

 

When everything is finally fixed (they tell us) and ready for completion, it's time for vacation. If ever there were an action that spoke loudly that the company puts the customer, if not last, certainly not anywhere near first.

[Tojusi]

I understand the frustrations expressed, and it seems that the vacation thing is throwing people off. Would the situation be different if Francis would have communicated that they have a plan to resolve the problem and commence final production in a month, not mentioning vacations at all?

 

Without prompting a culture war, this seems partly also the difference between US and European approach to the sanctity of the summer vacation.

 

Finally, let us remember that Werner is running and the employees are employed in a totally other larger business, and Conid is an off-shoot that they also do. The employees vacation periods will be dictated by the practices and order books of that larger business. It will likely not be financially feasible to "not go on vacation now, to complete the CAISO feeds, ant to postpone vacation" as that might have adverse impact on the main business, and thereby also for Conid.

 

To be clear, their vacation will also delay some things for me but I have understanding for their situation.

[kenshiro]

Everything you say is completely valid, and in business many things fall into the undefined gray area that is neither right nor wrong. Certainly poor communication, poor transparency, and vacation policy all number among these.

 

That being said, any of these practices can make a vendor or manufacturer unattractive to buyers, and to overpromise and underdeliver on a luxury item, not communicate, then further delay for something elective does not speak of commitment to customers, at least from the standpoint of this one US-based customer. As such, I'll think twice before buying another Conid (the CAISO, when/if it arrives, will be my third).

 

Your point is taken - Wener is running a separate, larger business that shares tooling and expertise with Conid. However, I suspect that if Komec was late on an order of machine parts for an industrial customer, vacation would not be the overriding concern.

 

The sentiment communicated, true or not, is that the Conid customer is an afterthought.

[glassjaw003]

I understand the frustrations expressed, and it seems that the vacation thing is throwing people off. Would the situation be different if Francis would have communicated that they have a plan to resolve the problem and commence final production in a month, not mentioning vacations at all?

 

Without prompting a culture war, this seems partly also the difference between US and European approach to the sanctity of the summer vacation.

 

Finally, let us remember that Werner is running and the employees are employed in a totally other larger business, and Conid is an off-shoot that they also do. The employees vacation periods will be dictated by the practices and order books of that larger business. It will likely not be financially feasible to "not go on vacation now, to complete the CAISO feeds, ant to postpone vacation" as that might have adverse impact on the main business, and thereby also for Conid.

 

To be clear, their vacation will also delay some things for me but I have understanding for their situation.

You make a valid point. And, to be honest, I am not really upset. Yes, I wish everything would have gone smoother, but I understand the wait. As I previously mentioned, I opted for waiting longer for the CAISO. Even with it going beyond the original 2 week date is fine.

 

While my previous post focused on the extended wait time, this is truly not a huge deal. Even though the extended wait is disappointing (such as the entire process is when there are unexpected happenings), I understand KOMEC/CONID going on their vacation period, and do not wish to interrupt that of the employees and others working with the company. I do wish, however, that we were getting regular (bi-monthly?) updates. I think that is really what everyone else wanted as well. I think frustration with the extended wait time (especially with your comments in your post) really came from the lack of updates, rather than an understandably longer wait time.

 

Of'course, I really enjoy the conversations with Werner and Francis when I have them, and do enjoy Conid's work and dedication. My favorite pens among my collection, without a doubt. I will be buying more pens (eyeing a Minimilistica).