Jump to content

tleek

Recommended Posts

A few weeks ago I picked up an Airmail/Wality 69eb, marketed as the Airmail Ebo from Fountain Pen Revolution, because I needed some silicone grease and because I wanted to take advantage of FPR's 20 percent off sale.

 

I only paid 16 dollars for this pen, and I have really enjoyed it. It has been a great workhorse these last couple of weeks and has earned a spot amongst my favorites.

 

 

 

I really enjoy the pen's styling. Its cigar shape and ebonite body give the pen a vintage feel. Indian pens, specifically the handmade ebonite eyedroppers, have always invoked nostalgia. This pen is no different.

post-111433-0-58631100-1524101288_thumb.jpg

 

 

The Airmail 69eb is a large, but not oversized pen. Here it is next to a Metropolitan, Al-Star, and Ahab. It is a comfortable pen to use posted or unposted and is very comparable in size to the Ahab, just slightly thinner.

post-111433-0-44005300-1524101570_thumb.jpg

 

I have read mixed things about Wality/Airmail nibs. My nib gives decent feedback but is not at all unpleasant. Sometimes it feels like writing with a nice pencil. Sometimes I enjoy the feedback on a workhorse pen as I am usually writing quickly and the feedback helps keep my writing more legible. The nib is marked "Special Wality, Tipped Fine"

 

It writes a very fine line with Pelikan Royal Blue. The only other eyedropper I have experience with is an Asa I Can and that is a rather wet pen. Royal Blue tends to be a dry ink so I thought it would be a good choice. The Airmail 69eb does not seem to be a very wet writer and with Royal Blue is a great choice on cheap, absorbent paper. I scrubbed the nib and feed before I inked it and I haven't had any flow issues, hard starts, or skipping. It writes a consistent fine or extra-fine line.

post-111433-0-12986700-1524101760_thumb.jpg

The build quality of the pen is good. All of the threads are nicely cut, the nib and feed were nicely set, and the clip works fine.

 

Mine has some small fit and finish issues. The cap band extends below the ebonite material of the cap and is fairly sharp. Sometimes it gets caught on my pen case when I try to slip it in and I am afraid it is going to ben and scratch pen's body. Also, the threads, though nicely cut, must have a sharp edge or bur because they gathered some paper towel material when I wiped them. That is really not a big deal because they feel fine on my fingers.

 

Moreover, while I have read that the pen is handmade, the section is not made of ebonite. It has the feel and odor of vegetal resin. I am not sure how much of this pen, if any, is hand turned. It was only 16 dollars. I do wish the section was made of the same ebonite material as the body.

 

 

 

Overall, I really like the pen. For 16 dollars, something like the Pilot Metropolitan gets you a pen with nicer fit and finish, a smoother nib, and a lot less character. I really enjoy Indian pens. Perhaps it is an unfair association, but they evoke feelings of nostalgia and adventure. I bet Indiana Jones used something like the Airmail 69eb to document his travels :)

post-111433-0-82542000-1524101820_thumb.jpg

*This is my first pen review. I apologize for the bad picture quality and the sloppy handwriting.*

Edited by tleek
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 12
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • tleek

    3

  • hari317

    2

  • Dip n Scratch

    2

  • bugsydog55

    2

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Really cool description but that would be way better with the pictures :)

Fixed it! :D

Edited by tleek
Link to comment
Share on other sites

nice review. i have three or four in different color ebonite. i have found the Wality nibs to be OK overall, nice feedback but sometimes a bit dry. the shape of the pen and design of the hardware, particularly the clip, gives the pen a retro feel. mine haven't burped much either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the same pen and it's green brother. Got mine from a seller in India. The nib on the green one was just awful and even had the tipping fall off. Tried smoothing it into a stub but it was futile, the nib chose to cut paper rather than write on it. Did replace it with a #6 Jinhao loose nib that I had. The pen now writes wonderfully with a great line-the feed does a very good job. Did not have this problem with the brown one but have had similar issues with their resin pens. Some are great from the start while others need to have the nib thrown away and replaced. I am OK with this because I love the look of their pens. And part of this wonderful hobby involves tinkering with those pens that don't cooperate. It is worth the effort.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is that the actual size of the nib? A #6, or is it a #8?

Ebay seller (in India) claimed it was #8.

I have had an example of this pen and the nib can be awful. The tines were misaligned.

I hope they are not always that bad, because the pen can't have been inspected properly before sale. This was discovered after I finally got the ink come through the feed, but it didn't write properly.

I have #6 Bock and Jinhao nibs around intended for a Jinhao X750. I could savage a Jinhao 59, for it's nib if it was the right size.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Indian designation for this nib size is no 8. This nib is 28mm long and is designed for a 6.35mm diameter feeder. A sheaffer NN nib and feed is a perfect replacement.

 

On the other hand, a western no 6nib is 35mm long and is designed to sit over a 6.0mm diameter feeder. It can be shoehorned to fit in this section but care must be taken to set the nib in deeply to avoid conflict with the inner cap.

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is true, hari. I was trying out nibs that I had that were looking for homes and that one did the job. As you said, it did have to be pushed back to allow the cap to fit properly. Since i have some other Indian nibs I may give them a try. Would a Super Serwex #6 work in this pen? I have sveral other Airmail/Wality pens that I haven't inked yet but am eager to try out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just measure the replacement nib from tip to heel using an ordinary scale. If its 28mm it will fit. If its longer then set it in deeper.

Edited by hari317

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

A Shaeffer NN nib & feed would cost a sum close to that of the Airmail pen.

Well, it does on ebay uk anyway.

What's the best Indian nib & how can I get hold of them in the UK?

At least one would be the exact fit. even if they are not so smooth as something off a Chinese pen or from Europe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Airmail 69 Ebonite is so far the best design i have seen for an ebonite pen in India. But their nibs, some times their feeds are also not upto the mark.

 

But with the right replacement of feed and nib, ebonite is an awesome FP to carry around.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a variety of these in acrylic and ebonite and they are daily writers. FPR have replacement nibs which are ok, but I have found that when tuned correctly, the Wality/Airmail feeds and nibs can be quite good. Mine don't burp (although I do not use them until they run completely empty). I have a couple of Sheaffer feeds around, but I've decided to stay with the ebonite feeds and they have been steady and reliable. I really enjoy the no-frills quality of this model and its size and weight suit me perfectly.

I have several Guider, Gama and Asa pens, but I keep coming back to these.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...

I hate to revive my thread from a year ago, but does anyone know if the feeds from modern Sheaffer calligraphy pens are friction fit and if the fit in this pen.

 

This pen hasnt been inked on a while because of eye dropper issues and I want to use it again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...