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On The Brink Of A Conid, A Little Sadly


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If you run the aged ebonite under water (especially warm/hot water), the browning can be instant.

 

So all those feeds, then, are at the same risk as the bodies.

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So all those feeds, then, are at the same risk as the bodies.

 

That's a good point. I just took out all my vintage pens and had a look at the feeds. Most if not all of them are ebonite feeds. Some indeed look a little brown on the surface. In the past I had polished the brown away quite easily when I knocked out the nibs and feed to clean (only when really necessary. They are better off being left alone if you don't have to disassemble the nib unit). Anyway, I would not worry too much about ebonite as a pen material. They are my favourite along with celluloid. These vintage pens, some made of ebonite, all out-lived their original owners and looking great.

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I post this for my fellow ditherers.

 

Following como's advice, I asked Conid whether their ebonite bodies are vulnerable to water or sweat. This was Jonas's very rapid reply:

 

[W]e have an absolute absence of complaints on the black ebonite that we use over the many years. As soon as the material received it’s polished shiny, it’s safe to come in contact with water, ink, sweat… You don’t have to worry at all.

 

 

I can only speak of the ebonite on vintage pens, 70/80 years old plus. If you run the aged ebonite under water (especially warm/hot water), the browning can be instant. Soaking celluloid, resin/acrylic is generally no problem. There are other vintage material that can't be soaked either (casein) but that's not the material used here. I would ask Conid how to care for their ebonite pens if I buy one.

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Every thing that has a beginning has an end. No thing lasts forever.

Buy the pen and enjoy it! :D

 

edit to add: Conid very much stands behind their product and has wonderful customer service and support. Fear not!

Edited by Karmachanic

Add lightness and simplicate.

 

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Every thing that has a beginning has an end. No thing lasts forever.

Buy the pen and enjoy it! :D

 

edit to add: Conid very much stands behind their product and has wonderful customer service and support. Fear not!

 

That's true. Worrying too much about the future of something probably does more harm than good. ;)

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I post this for my fellow ditherers.

 

Following como's advice, I asked Conid whether their ebonite bodies are vulnerable to water or sweat. This was Jonas's very rapid reply:

 

[W]e have an absolute absence of complaints on the black ebonite that we use over the many years. As soon as the material received it’s polished shiny, it’s safe to come in contact with water, ink, sweat… You don’t have to worry at all.

 

 

I've had my Conid ebonite cap soaking in an ultrasonic cleaner for an entire day and it's just fine.

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I know you have a wealth of information here, but here is two more cents:

 

I have a Slimline and a Minimalistica. Both have demo bodies which I love, but I hate the delrin section on the SL. It is way too slippery for me. The demonstrator acrylic on the M is much easier to hold on to.

I also feel that while the M is fine posted, the SL is top heavy, and it requires a lot of effort to get it to post. Both are fine but the M line is more like a medium

 

It sounds like I am carping about the pens, but that's not the case; you would be hard pressed to find a better pen than a Conid.

the Danitrio Fellowship

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I stopped worrying long enough last night to order the kingsize flat top in ebonite, with two XF nibs, one in titanium and one in gold.

 

It is very hard for me to guess what the different materials will feel like and what will give the best grip. If, considering what Doug C has said about the slipperiness of the section, I decide I've made the wrong choice, I can probably change my order in the next few days.

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I stopped worrying long enough last night to order the kingsize flat top in ebonite, with two XF nibs, one in titanium and one in gold.

 

It is very hard for me to guess what the different materials will feel like and what will give the best grip. If, considering what Doug C has said about the slipperiness of the section, I decide I've made the wrong choice, I can probably change my order in the next few days.

 

Congratulations! That's an excellent choice. I definitely don't think that you made the wrong choice. On the feel of the material, it's hard to beat ebonite and celluloid.

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It is very hard for me to guess what the different materials will feel like and what will give the best grip. If, considering what Doug C has said about the slipperiness of the section, I decide I've made the wrong choice, I can probably change my order in the next few days.

 

Remember that Doug was talking about delrin's slipperiness. The ebonite of the Kingsize is the most comfortable section I've experienced:

- less slippy than all the plastic and metal sections I've used.

- slightly concave, but not so much that you are forced to pinch the pen.

- no awkward step-down from the barrel to interefere with your grip.

- threads feel soft, no sharpness to cause irritation.

- ideal girth for comfortable use of pen for long periods.

 

I'm pretty fussy when it comes to grip as I have nerve damage in my hands. After years of buying and selling pens (OMAS, Visconti, Delta, MB, Pelikan, Danitrio ...... et al.) I have found the Conid Kingsize to be the hands-down most comfortable. Not to mention the quality of materials, engineering and design. And because you can disassemble the pen, long-term maintenance is no problem. If you need replacement parts or new nibs you can fit them yourself - this was one of the reasons I sold my OMAS which developed a faulty piston and had to be sent away for repair at some cost, and replaced it with another Kingsize.

 

I don't think you'll be disappointed with your Conid. If anything, you might be wanting another!

Edited by noddle

Pens: Conid Kingsize ebonite (x2)
Inks: 
  KWZ Dark Brown / KWZ IG Orange / Diamine Chocolate / Diamine Burnt Sienna / Diamine Ochre / Monteverde Scotch Brown



      

 


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Remember that Doug was talking about delrin's slipperiness. The ebonite of the Kingsize is the most comfortable section I've experienced:

- less slippy than all the plastic and metal sections I've used.

- slightly concave, but not so much that you are forced to pinch the pen.

- no awkward step-down from the barrel to interefere with your grip.

- threads feel soft, no sharpness to cause irritation.

- ideal girth for comfortable use of pen for long periods.

 

I'm pretty fussy when it comes to grip as I have nerve damage in my hands. After years of buying and selling pens (OMAS, Visconti, Delta, MB, Pelikan, Danitrio ...... et al.) I have found the Conid Kingsize to be the hands-down most comfortable. Not to mention the quality of materials, engineering and design. And because you can disassemble the pen, long-term maintenance is no problem. If you need replacement parts or new nibs you can fit them yourself - this was one of the reasons I sold my OMAS which developed a faulty piston and had to be sent away for repair at some cost, and replaced it with another Kingsize.

 

I don't think you'll be disappointed with your Conid. If anything, you might be wanting another!

I am glad you mentioned that. I happen to like the shapes of all Conid sections, it was the material I was referring to.

 

Ebonite is my favorite pen material, and it would be my choice for a third one.

Edited by Doug C

the Danitrio Fellowship

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You are right; I mixed things up. Thank you for the correction.

 

I am resigned to the probability that I'll want another Conid; I crave unnecessary multiples of the other pens I love. This must be what it is like to be a squirrel among acorns.

 

 

 

Remember that Doug was talking about delrin's slipperiness.

 

. . .

 

I don't think you'll be disappointed with your Conid. If anything, you might be wanting another!

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Congratulations! That's an excellent choice. I definitely don't think that you made the wrong choice. On the feel of the material, it's hard to beat ebonite and celluloid.

 

Thank you, como!

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I am trying to decide which of the Kingsize Demos will be a better fit for my Omas Demos. I lean toward the Streamline for the moment. Made this patched-up photo to compare. Though the last few posts of ebonite version also got me thinking... In any case, Kingsize will fit better with my small demo collection, I think.

post-145678-0-95173100-1555615896.jpg

post-145678-0-10538000-1555615917_thumb.jpg

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The only solution como, is to buy both Conids :D

- the flat top to match the blue Paragon and the streamline to match the yellow Ogiva.

Pens: Conid Kingsize ebonite (x2)
Inks: 
  KWZ Dark Brown / KWZ IG Orange / Diamine Chocolate / Diamine Burnt Sienna / Diamine Ochre / Monteverde Scotch Brown



      

 


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I am trying to decide which of the Kingsize Demos will be a better fit for my Omas Demos.

 

Need the Omas pens determine the choice of Conids? Does not (as users of the kingsize seem to agree) the Conid command its own place?

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I stopped worrying long enough last night to order the kingsize flat top in ebonite, with two XF nibs, one in titanium and one in gold.

 

It is very hard for me to guess what the different materials will feel like and what will give the best grip. If, considering what Doug C has said about the slipperiness of the section, I decide I've made the wrong choice, I can probably change my order in the next few days.

I asked for matte ebonite and they said they can't do it because it'll be more prone to the oxidizing/browning effect.. not sure about that as many companies do matte ebonite. So anyhow decided to opt for delrin for the matte effect, but am requesting an extra section in ebonite just in case as I've never used delrin and already know I like ebonite. Good choices in nibs, I almost did both of mine in XF but opted for a gold xf and ti fine stub instead.

 

 

In other news, can anyone verify for me 100% that an m1000 nib and feed will fit into the #8 bock housing? This is what I've been told but just want to double check before spending the money on such a pricey unit. Thanks in advance!

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I asked for matte ebonite and they said they can't do it because it'll be more prone to the oxidizing/browning effect.. not sure about that as many companies do matte ebonite. So anyhow decided to opt for delrin for the matte effect, but am requesting an extra section in ebonite just in case as I've never used delrin and already know I like ebonite. Good choices in nibs, I almost did both of mine in XF but opted for a gold xf and ti fine stub instead.

 

 

That is too bad, but it does make sense: the matte would have a greater surface area and so greater exposure to everything that would degrade it.

 

I'm hoping I've chosen the right size of nibs; I went by the handwriting samples I've seen posted.

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In other news, can anyone verify for me 100% that an m1000 nib and feed will fit into the #8 bock housing? This is what I've been told but just want to double check before spending the money on such a pricey unit. Thanks in advance!

 

Unless I have atypical examples of each I would bet no–the Bock #8 feed looks a bit wider than the Pelikan M1000's (and FWIW, the nib units are totally different). That said, I have not tried to remove the nib and feed from either of these nib units so there is a possibility they can be swapped even though the nib units cannot.

 

fpn_1555622234__img_0319.jpg

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