Kaigelu 316 - My Dream Writer For $24?

[Manalto]

Thanks, Chris. I learned a bunch. I'll fiddle with it and report back, in case it can be of help to someone else.

 

How did you get the pearl-and-black K316 looking so opaque? It looks good. Did you coat the inside of the pen with something?

[Flounder]

Thanks, Chris. I learned a bunch. I'll fiddle with it and report back, in case it can be of help to someone else.

 

How did you get the pearl-and-black K316 looking so opaque? It looks good. Did you coat the inside of the pen with something?

 

Hmm, possibly you're reading that thread on a mobile - I don't have a white 316, that's cwent2s!

[Manalto]

That would be a good excuse. No, it's just my slovenly ways.

 

I'm off to see if there have been discussions on increasing the opacity of the pearl/black 316. My thought was white nailpolish but no need to reinvent the wheel if someone has already done it successfully.

[Bluey]

did you mean airtight?

 

Yes, airtight, that's it.

 

Hate to differ with Bluey but I don't quite see it. Caps with breather holes in them have the holes in the *outer* cap, below the inner cap, which keeps the nib & feed sealed off from the air. In any case, the K316 doesn't have one.

It was only a suggestion(because I don't own one) of a possibility because the drying out definitely does occur with pens with that breather hole, as it does with my Hero 100. If you're saying that the inner cap keeps the air inside the cap and the great outside world separate, it doesn't. Otherwise, I'm not really sure where you're differing.

Edited March 5, 2017 by Bluey

[bigkahuna]

That would be a good excuse. No, it's just my slovenly ways.

 

I'm off to see if there have been discussions on increasing the opacity of the pearl/black 316. My thought was white nailpolish but no need to reinvent the wheel if someone has already done it successfully.

I just received my charcoal pearlescent K316. Besides the surface chatoyance, it is fully opaque and exhibits no translucence. The other K316 colors seem to exhibit some translucence (especially the white colored version).

[Manalto]

Thank you for that addition to my vocabulary, Kahuna - chatoyance. I've observed this effect in some finished woods too.

 

By pearl/black I was referring to the white version with black veining (which, incidentally, seems to have more depth and subtlety than the Duofold). Others have commented on its lack of opacity as a shortcoming. I agree; it looks dingy. I found a couple of discussions where white spray paint applied to the interior significantly improved its appearance. Is nailpolish more durable - or more brittle? With a $20 pen, one feels freer to experiment.

 

The "tiger eye" (rust, gray and black) has a minimal amount of transparency, but it doesn't compromise the pen's appearance. To my eye, it's the most attractive of the three.

[richardandtracy]

One possible cause may be air leakage past a cap finial thread that isn't well sealed. Or, a second cause may be an incompletely stuck down decal. If you remove the cap finial you'll see that the tip of the drill used to drill out the nib space in the cap finial usually breaks through the end (as it does with the Parker Duofold). This is sealed with the cap decal being stuck down over the hole. If the decal comes loose, maybe it could let air through.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[WJM]

 

You can use a Jinhao converter, such as found in a Jinhao 159 fountain pen, instead of the Kaigelu converter. This has been reported to adequately work fine (see posts #37 and 38 in this FPN topic: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/304372-kaigelu-316-a-little-disappointing/page-2

 

 

Just tried that yesterday, second time actually. This time I managed to fill the converter with ink, but unfortunately it leaked very quickly, just an hour or two later the inside of the barrrel was soiled with ink.

I still yet to find a matching converter for my 316. For now I'm sticking with cartriges.

Edited March 24, 2017 by WJM

[SailorDoc]

Awaiting the arrival of the Kaigelu 316, one in amber the other black & white swirl. All of the reviews I have seen have been positive with the minor adjustments. One is coming from China the other from the US. Should have the US (white & black swirl) in by this week. Looking forward to them both...

[Chris]

My 316 has developed an annoying tendency to turn my second finger blue. There is a leak of ink coming from around the gold ring (actually, now a silver ring as the gold has worn off).

 

Is this because ink is getting between the section and that sleeve that surrounds the feed?

Can I fix it by pulling the sleeve (with feed and nib left inside) out of the section, applying some shellac round the sleeve to seal it and pushing it back into the section?

 

I'd like to fix this as I liked using the 316 but can't tolerate leaks. If my 'cure' is inappropriate, and suggestions would be well-received - thank you.