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Penbbs Vacuum Filler


sciumbasci

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Thanks for all the specs and comparisons. You've saved me a lot of money by convincing me I couldn't handle the weight of an 823! The 456 unposted is definitely my maximum tolerance for weight, but I could tolerate more if the balance was less toward the back.

 

Just to be clear,my negative comments aren't against the pen at all. They just reveal my preference for light pens that fit my short fingers.

 

The more I use the 456, the more impressed I am with its quality. Penbbs has brought Chinese pen manufacturing to new heights. I just popped in a Nemosine broad nib and it's a match made in heaven!

 

 

 

Everybody has their preferences in pens that work best for them. Other pens you should stay away from are the Pelikan M800 and Montblanc 146. Similar in size but also back weighted more than the 456 is. I happen to like those pens, but they are not for everybody!

 

I am really enjoying the 456 and wish I had also bought the clear one to go with the blue one. One thing that bugs me is the nib dries out quickly when it's uncapped. Not a big deal since I got into the habit of soft capping when I am not activity writing. It's part of the reason I don't post so I can keep the cap in the other hand to drop the pen into. I think I will try my Monteverde ink that claims to help prevent that. Right now I have Robert Oster Blue Water Ice in the pen. Also when I switch to a B nib it might change how the nib dries. I just wanted to experience the supplied nib for a while first and it's a nice nib for being a F.

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Everybody has their preferences in pens that work best for them. Other pens you should stay away from are the Pelikan M800 and Montblanc 146. Similar in size but also back weighted more than the 456 is. I happen to like those pens, but they are not for everybody!

 

That's good to know. I've found the Pelikan 400 and MB 145 to be just right for me. Hoping to get a vintage celluloid MB 146 some day because they are smaller than the modern ones.

 

I am really enjoying the 456 and wish I had also bought the clear one to go with the blue one. One thing that bugs me is the nib dries out quickly when it's uncapped. Not a big deal since I got into the habit of soft capping when I am not activity writing. It's part of the reason I don't post so I can keep the cap in the other hand to drop the pen into. I think I will try my Monteverde ink that claims to help prevent that. Right now I have Robert Oster Blue Water Ice in the pen. Also when I switch to a B nib it might change how the nib dries. I just wanted to experience the supplied nib for a while first and it's a nice nib for being a F.

O noticed the same thing about the nib drying out with the stock nib. I've always found Penbbs nibs to be a little too dry for my liking, but always smooth. You're guaranteed to enjoy a broad nib in the 456!

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To get the plastic housing out, you might need to pull out the nib and feed then stuff a piece of gripping material in the housing and apply pressure while twisting that material. That's how I got a really stuck (actually partially glued) housing out of my Kaco Edge.

 

I've pulled many nibs/feeds many times without issue. The nib/fed on my 456 won't budge. Be forewarned, the feed fins are very fragile. I'll be ordering a new nib unit.

Add lightness and simplicate.

 

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I've pulled many nibs/feeds many times without issue. The nib/fed on my 456 won't budge. Be forewarned, the feed fins are very fragile. I'll be ordering a new nib unit.

Mine was really tight too, much tighter than on my 308 and 309. I haven't even tried unscrewing the collar out yet.

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Everybody has their preferences in pens that work best for them. Other pens you should stay away from are the Pelikan M800 and Montblanc 146. Similar in size but also back weighted more than the 456 is. I happen to like those pens, but they are not for everybody!

 

I am really enjoying the 456 and wish I had also bought the clear one to go with the blue one. One thing that bugs me is the nib dries out quickly when it's uncapped. Not a big deal since I got into the habit of soft capping when I am not activity writing. It's part of the reason I don't post so I can keep the cap in the other hand to drop the pen into. I think I will try my Monteverde ink that claims to help prevent that. Right now I have Robert Oster Blue Water Ice in the pen. Also when I switch to a B nib it might change how the nib dries. I just wanted to experience the supplied nib for a while first and it's a nice nib for being a F.

 

Isn't this more to the ink itself rather than the nib/feed unit?

I don't experience it using my ink, but I am 100% sure if I use the Krishna inks on here it would dry up as fast as children devouring sweets

 

 

I've pulled many nibs/feeds many times without issue. The nib/fed on my 456 won't budge. Be forewarned, the feed fins are very fragile. I'll be ordering a new nib unit.

 

That is bad news, I don't think PenBBS themselves are selling a replacement unit?

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That is bad news, I don't think PenBBS themselves are selling a replacement unit?

 

I think all the other Pbbs pens take the same nib. I'm going with the assumption that is the case with the 456

Add lightness and simplicate.

 

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Just to be clear,my negative comments aren't against the pen at all. They just reveal my preference for light pens that fit my short fingers.

 

 

It was clear Truth.. don't sweat it. I am a girl with large hands (long fingers) and I love heavier pens. My favorite EDC at the moment is the Italix Churchman Prescriptor which weights almost 50g.. (45-48g)

 

I don't post my pens, so it is perfect for me. Is large and heavy and the smoooothest nib ever.

 

 

 

C.

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Isn't this more to the ink itself rather than the nib/feed unit?

I don't experience it using my ink, but I am 100% sure if I use the Krishna inks on here it would dry up as fast as children devouring sweets

 

 

That is bad news, I don't think PenBBS themselves are selling a replacement unit?

 

 

The nib unit in the 456 is the same screw in unit that my PenBBS 323 has. PenBBS does sell replacement nibs from time to time in EF and F.

 

When I chanced the nib to a #6 TWSBI B flow is much wetter.

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I've pulled many nibs/feeds many times without issue. The nib/fed on my 456 won't budge. Be forewarned, the feed fins are very fragile. I'll be ordering a new nib unit.

 

I found mine was really tight when I tried as well, but then I cleaned the pen unscrewed the nib unit to see how it worked then when I put it back in the section I had no problem pulling the nib and feed out. It's all strange since I couldn't get it out with some rubber the first time, but after all this it came out with just my fingers.

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I found mine was really tight when I tried as well, but then I cleaned the pen unscrewed the nib unit to see how it worked then when I put it back in the section I had no problem pulling the nib and feed out. It's all strange since I couldn't get it out with some rubber the first time, but after all this it came out with just my fingers.

 

I'll play some more with the existing nib after the new unit arrives.

Edited by Karmachanic

Add lightness and simplicate.

 

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I'll play some more with the existing nib after the new unit arrives.

 

 

Smart I waited until my 323 showed up before going too far with the 456. It's good to have back up plans ;)

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When I chanced the nib to a #6 TWSBI B flow is much wetter.

 

Same here, the Nemosine B I put in made a world of difference. Flow is really nice and wet. Now that I'm getting used to holding the pen at a different angle, this is becoming one of my favorite pen-nib combinations.

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My 456 in Cordierite arrived today

 

kogmDYh.jpg

 

I am suitably impressed. The filler works very well, the tolerances are good and finish is lovely. I'm not sure what to do about the nib, though. It writes quite well, but I've got a million of these PenBBS nibs already.

Edited by jekostas
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My 456 in Cordierite arrived today

 

I am suitably impressed. The filler works very well, the tolerances are good and finish is lovely. I'm not sure what to do about the nib, though. It writes quite well, but I've got a million of these PenBBS nibs already.

 

I started with a Bock 1.1 mm factory italic. I didn't want to tune it, though, and it was a bit slow to push on the paper. I swapped it out for a broad nib, and can't stop writing with it.

 

One thing I've noted, though, is that mine is leaking ink down the rod into the threads of the end cap. I can see an O-ring that I'd like to put silicone grease on, but it's difficult to get to, and difficult to take the end cap off to clean without specialist tools, so I'm going to wait until it's out of ink. The reservoir says that'll be January, but the wet nib says three days, tops. We'll see which is right.

 

(The figuring on your Cordierite is really nice.)

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I started with a Bock 1.1 mm factory italic. I didn't want to tune it, though, and it was a bit slow to push on the paper. I swapped it out for a broad nib, and can't stop writing with it.

 

One thing I've noted, though, is that mine is leaking ink down the rod into the threads of the end cap. I can see an O-ring that I'd like to put silicone grease on, but it's difficult to get to, and difficult to take the end cap off to clean without specialist tools, so I'm going to wait until it's out of ink. The reservoir says that'll be January, but the wet nib says three days, tops. We'll see which is right.

 

(The figuring on your Cordierite is really nice.)

Same here about the broad nib, absolutely marvelous combination.

 

I didn't have any ink leaking out the back, but when I flushed the pen out last night there was always a little bit of ink on the rod when pulling it out. Evidently the seal on that black ring at the back of the pen doesn't seal perfectly. After flushing the pen completely it still took me minutes of pumping the rod and wiping off ink until it was clean. Maybe putting silicone grease on the rod would help?

 

The sleeve of the nib unit was really stuck in my pen, and I discovered when trying to unscrew it that the section is threaded in the same direction, as I ended up unscrewing the section instead of the nib. The section is quite similar to that of the 309 but screws in more deeply. I was finally able to unscrew the nib unit sleeve by using a spoon like a screw driver in the little indentations on the end of the sleeve. It's nice to know that at least the front end of the pen is easy to disassemble.

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I had no trouble removing the nib housing, but can't get the nib out without damaging the fins on the feed. Any techniques to share? I have a Bock 1.1 patiently standing by.

Add lightness and simplicate.

 

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I had no trouble removing the nib housing, but can't get the nib out without damaging the fins on the feed. Any techniques to share? I have a Bock 1.1 patiently standing by.

 

Nope. I got mine out without damaging the feed (with a very slight rocking motion and a lot of patience), and declared success. The next day under sunlight, though, I found I'd caused some microfractures in the nib unit. They don't run all the way through and don't appear they'll cause an issue with the pen's function, but I've swapped it out with a lesser used PenBBS for now, and will replace it when/if they ever release nib unit charms again. (For the current eBay inflation prices on the last batch of charms, I may as well get a whole new pen. Come to think of it, I think I can literally get a white or pink 308 cheaper on 11/11 off AliExpress with some coupons.)

 

But please let us know how your Bock 1.1 works out. That's the same one I was initially trying, but it was pretty difficult to drag around the page on that pen for some reason. If yours performs much better I'll give it a tuning and try again, because the output looked fantastic.

Edited by JollyCynic
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I had no trouble removing the nib housing, but can't get the nib out without damaging the fins on the feed. Any techniques to share? I have a Bock 1.1 patiently standing by.

 

 

On the 456 I had no issues after cleaning, but on my 323 I bent the fins on the bottom when I tried. But that nib was inked at the time. Maybe the ink causes enough stiction to make it harder and a freshly flushed one moves easier...

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Is the nib glued in or is it just a very tight fit?

 

Just a tight fit. Definitely not glued. :)

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