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Penbbs Pens Are A Dissappointment


mke

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I have a 268 and a 456 - both have nibs which I hate meanwhile.

The 268 has additional problems - deposited ink remains after use, a part has fallen from the plunger - you can see it near the ink deposit.

Is it possible to disassemble this pen to clean and put the seal back on the plunger part?

My Wingsung 3013 clones for one-tenth of the price of the PenBBS are better quality and I like their writing behavior much more.

 

fpn_1576408405__img_20191215_194944-crop

Edited by mke
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In my limited experience, vac fill pens are difficult to clean.

One advantage of the 456, and perhaps the 268, is the flats on the threats at the top of the barrel when the plunger is loosened. A small adjustable wrench will allow you the removal of the plunger to flush the barrel.

 

That said, feel free to enjoy the 3013, if them's more better for you! :D

Add lightness and simplicate.

 

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I have a 268 and a 456 - both have nibs which I hate meanwhile.

The 268 has additional problems - deposited ink remains after use, a part has fallen from the plunger - you can see it near the ink deposit.

Is it possible to disassemble this pen to clean and put the seal back on the plunger part?

My Wingsung 3013 clones for one-tenth of the price of the PenBBS are better quality and I like their writing behavior much more.

 

fpn_1576408405__img_20191215_194944-crop

 

 

Nibs are a subjective thing, but the general consensus is that most of us buy them with the intent of swapping the nibs. Even when you factor in the price of a nib, their entire lineup costs between a half and a hundredth of what a similar model can cost

 

vac fillers are a pain to clean, and while it is weird that the shutoff stopper came loose (I have four 267's and none of them have done this) you do know you can just unscrew the section and wipe around that spot with a paper towel? The pen is fully disassemble-able.

 

I find the "ink residue in a vac filler" is endemic to every vac filler I own, from the 456 to the 267 to the wing sung to my VAC700R to my pilot custom 823. All demonstrators are gonna get a little inky residue where the piston doesn't sweep. It's just part of the territory. My pelikan m205 demo isn't even a vac filler but it gets ink trapped in some god knows where part of the section that can only be removed with an ultrasonic cleaner. It's a pain in the arse.

 

The ink shutoff isn't critical for the pen's function (and many people removed them outright from the VAC mini and gen 1 VAC700 because it makes the pen not require the tail to be unscrewed for ink to flow) so just unscrew the section and either push it back on or throw it away.

 

Apart from not really liking the nibs myself (I buy them specifically to swap nibs - one has a custom FPnibs XXF PO, one has a levenger titanium nib, and many more have JoWo, Bock, or a custom nib I made), I have had exactly one QC failure (a cracked threaded portion of a section - which beini replaced immediately for free with a few goodies thrown in) and I have dozens of penbbs pens.

 

Seeing as I've had five out of five nib failures in $700 montegrappa pens (failures as in they literally wouldn't write, they were so tight or had huge baby's bottom) and five out of seven of my $700-1000 visconti's have been outright nib QC failures... Nibs are just a fickle thing in general unless you're getting a pen with a hand tuned nib.

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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Thank you for all the info provided - I am going to look into what I can do.

Perhaps strange to some, but I like Jowo steel nibs.

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Nibs as always evoke a lot of debate, discussion, and PenBBS in particular ( and old vintage Hero's ) can be summed up as great for writing daily use Chinese , and basically challenged for anything else ( OK might be some specific ones but I am not going to be saying I am expert here ) tough I had myself no trouble using them. And I second that opinion about Vac fill pens that are simply hard to clean .. this happen with all my Vac fill pens old and new. And yes you can disassemble this pen, just had to do it from the tail end , not the nib end. But just for cleaning, the 456 can just had the nib unit unscrewed from the section, and the 268, you just pull the nib and feed.

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I'm not a fan of the PenBBS nibs either,

 

The reviews I've seen on their rounded nibs don't get me excited either,

 

Which makes it a bit of a heartbreak for me because I think the quality of PenBBS pens is good, and they provide full sized pens for a reasonable price.

 

I did have some luck swapping a Jowo into the 309, but it wasn't as secure as I would have liked, and sometimes it would shift just enough to misalign the tines. I found I had to carry my loupe around with me, which wasn't something I tolerated for long so I stopped using PenBBS pens.

 

I think if you find a good nib to swap into a penBBS that's good, but it's not always the case. A Jowo didn't fit into my 308 but did fit into a 308 of another person. But finding the right nib, if you don't already have a supply, can be costly and a pain in the @$$.

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Nibs are a subjective thing, but the general consensus is that most of us buy them with the intent of swapping the nibs. Even when you factor in the price of a nib, their entire lineup costs between a half and a hundredth of what a similar model can cost

 

vac fillers are a pain to clean, and while it is weird that the shutoff stopper came loose (I have four 267's and none of them have done this) you do know you can just unscrew the section and wipe around that spot with a paper towel? The pen is fully disassemble-able.

 

I find the "ink residue in a vac filler" is endemic to every vac filler I own, from the 456 to the 267 to the wing sung to my VAC700R to my pilot custom 823. All demonstrators are gonna get a little inky residue where the piston doesn't sweep. It's just part of the territory. My pelikan m205 demo isn't even a vac filler but it gets ink trapped in some god knows where part of the section that can only be removed with an ultrasonic cleaner. It's a pain in the arse.

 

The ink shutoff isn't critical for the pen's function (and many people removed them outright from the VAC mini and gen 1 VAC700 because it makes the pen not require the tail to be unscrewed for ink to flow) so just unscrew the section and either push it back on or throw it away.

 

Apart from not really liking the nibs myself (I buy them specifically to swap nibs - one has a custom FPnibs XXF PO, one has a levenger titanium nib, and many more have JoWo, Bock, or a custom nib I made), I have had exactly one QC failure (a cracked threaded portion of a section - which beini replaced immediately for free with a few goodies thrown in) and I have dozens of penbbs pens.

 

Seeing as I've had five out of five nib failures in $700 montegrappa pens (failures as in they literally wouldn't write, they were so tight or had huge baby's bottom) and five out of seven of my $700-1000 visconti's have been outright nib QC failures... Nibs are just a fickle thing in general unless you're getting a pen with a hand tuned nib.

The ink in the section at the pelikan 205 demo can easy be removed with a syringe, water and a blunt needle from the nib side, afterwards blow it out with an aircan or a compressor.

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The ink in the section at the pelikan 205 demo can easy be removed with a syringe, water and a blunt needle from the nib side, afterwards blow it out with an aircan or a compressor.

I wouldn't particularly call those sequence of steps easy.

 

As for the opinion of the thread starter, I totally respect it and it is fact that the 268 is actually one of the few PenBBS with several quality issues (cracking of the material comes to mind). BUT for the sake of avoiding any misleading information, please refrain from using these over generalization of titles.

 

The title implies that you have many pens of the same brand and each and every one of them has an issue. In this case it is true for only 1 out of so many PenBBS models which I am not going to list one by one. The other, nib related, is really subjective (even though I also don't prefer the dryness tendencies of the PenBBS nibs). It would have been clearer and more helpful if the title includes the model number, in this case the 268.

 

As Honeybadgers mentoned, many luxury brand in fountain pens currently that has far more severe issues seems to be given a free pass by the community here for whatever reason (a few fountain pen YouTubers are also guilty of this) but when a brand that is actually affordable with good track record does it then they get a ton of spite.

 

Again, I hope TS finds the best solution for the pens, swapping it with other #6 nibs is an option (for the writing feel complaint).

If you want to shell out a little bit more to fit the Jowos and Bocks into the PenBBS pens, I recommend checking out the Flexible Nib Factory product where they have a compatible feed and housing unit that you can fit Jowo & Bock nibs:

 

https://flexiblenib.com/store/product/jp6ex-jowo-6-feed-in-penbbs-housing/

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I guess I had to go made a thread about how Chinese nib of all variant differs ( mostly ) vs mos other Western and Japanese nibs, that is actually a topic I held over afternoon tea with a couple of much younger fountain pen user a few weeks ago. Despite writing the native Chinese language , they mostly feel the same as OP and I was telling them why they would feel it so , its always down to how the nib are grounded and how they are visioned to be used .... now I had to go back to my Journal and find that old drawing I did for them and might be made up something for a read ... could be interesting

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I have a 268 and a 456 - both have nibs which I hate meanwhile.

The 268 has additional problems - deposited ink remains after use, a part has fallen from the plunger - you can see it near the ink deposit.

Is it possible to disassemble this pen to clean and put the seal back on the plunger part?

My Wingsung 3013 clones for one-tenth of the price of the PenBBS are better quality and I like their writing behavior much more.

 

fpn_1576408405__img_20191215_194944-crop

 

I love my 3013. The step is a little sharp, but other than that, I really enjoy it.

 

I don't know anything about this PenBBS 268. I only need one working vac-filler.

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Nibs as always evoke a lot of debate, discussion, and PenBBS in particular ( and old vintage Hero's ) can be summed up as great for writing daily use Chinese , and basically challenged for anything else ( OK might be some specific ones but I am not going to be saying I am expert here ) tough I had myself no trouble using them. And I second that opinion about Vac fill pens that are simply hard to clean .. this happen with all my Vac fill pens old and new. And yes you can disassemble this pen, just had to do it from the tail end , not the nib end. But just for cleaning, the 456 can just had the nib unit unscrewed from the section, and the 268, you just pull the nib and feed.

 

on the 268 you can just unscrew the whole section from the barrel.

 

I just double checked.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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The ink in the section at the pelikan 205 demo can easy be removed with a syringe, water and a blunt needle from the nib side, afterwards blow it out with an aircan or a compressor.

 

Tried that, tried everything. It's not there. it's in like some weird little void in the manufacturing. Mine HAS to be ultrasonic'd when I clean it to put away.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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> The title implies that you have many pens of the same brand and each and every one of them has an issue.

The title implies that I don't like 100% of my penbbs pens.

> please refrain from using these over generalization of titles.

Sorry, but the choice of title is entirely my choice.

 

@Honeybadgers

Thanks - holidays are here and I hope to find time to clean my Moonmans and the penbbs pen.

 

@Mech-for-i

> thread about how Chinese nib of all variant differs ( mostly ) vs mos other Western and Japanese nibs

Hopefully, that thread will come to life when you have time to educate me and others. I am going to give these pens then a second chance.

 

@penzel_washinkton

Thank you for the link to Flexible Nib Factory. That is very helpful as I am a fan of Jowo (steel) nibs.

 

edit: Are feeds of 456 and 268 identical?

Edited by mke
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I've not tried PensBBS yet and I am tempted, but because of the mixed reviews-I am torn.

“Many boys will bring you flowers. But someday you'll meet a boy who will learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite sweet. And even if he is too poor to give you any of them, it won't matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does. Only that boy earns your heart."

 

-Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

 

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Please do not assume affiliation for any stores I may post about, just a happy customer.

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> The title implies that you have many pens of the same brand and each and every one of them has an issue.

The title implies that I don't like 100% of my penbbs pens.

> please refrain from using these over generalization of titles.

Sorry, but the choice of title is entirely my choice.

@penzel_washinkton

Thank you for the link to Flexible Nib Factory. That is very helpful as I am a fan of Jowo (steel) nibs.

 

edit: Are feeds of 456 and 268 identical?

No one's forcing you on how to define titles in these kinds of open forums, what they can do is give suggestion which is what I tried to do.

The title reeks of click bait and doesn't necessarily reflect the content.

 

Also, yes all PenBBS feeds are identical apart from their really low end offerings (494, 322 etc).

Edited by penzel_washinkton
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I've not tried PensBBS yet and I am tempted, but because of the mixed reviews-I am torn.

 

Just get one with the assumption that you'll need to pull the nib and throw in a bock or JoWo of your choice.

 

It's still a screaming deal.

 

Just avoid the 309. That pen has legitimate problems with the piston that have still yet to be remedied.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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I have checked the penbbs 268 and found cracks in the section. Certainly, I will never buy a penbbs pen again.

What a (bleep) - after using it for one filling. Time to write a post about that.

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I buy PenBBS (308 and 309) pens first and foremost for the pretty acrylics used, which doesn't apply to every variant, and for the asking prices I think they're well constructed, but personally I haven't come across a PenBBS nib with which I enjoyed writing, let alone being delighted. However, I completely disagree that "most of 'us'" PenBBS pen buyers buy the pens with the express intention or expectation that the nib will have to be replaced before they are fit for purpose as writing instruments.

 

For what it's worth, I haven't noticed any structural or operational problems with my PenBBS 309 pen after nine months of hands-on ownership and two fills of ink. I just don't like how broad the nib writes, that's all, but am confident I'll be happier with it when I get around to swapping in a nib unit I made with PenBBS spare parts and a Nemosine #6 EF nib.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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The finish, details, hardware, material, design of Penbbs all have been enjoyable for me. Occasionally the tines on a nib are too tight and need adjustment, just as with other brands. Some of the nibs have been extraordinarily smooth. You may have encountered an outlier, MKE.

Reviews and articles on Fountain Pen Network

 

CHINA, JAPAN, AND INDIA

Hua Hong Blue Belter | Penbbs 456 | Stationery | ASA Nauka in Dartmoor and Ebonite | ASA Azaadi | ASA Bheeshma | ASA Halwa | Ranga Model 8 and 8b | Ranga Emperor

ITALY AND THE UK

FILCAO Roxi | FILCAO Atlantica | Italix Churchman's Prescriptor

USA, INK, AND EXPERIMENTS

Bexley Prometheus | Route 54 Motor Oil | Black Swan in Icelandic Minty Bathwater | Robert Oster Aqua | Diamine Emerald Green | Mr. Pen Radiant Blue | Three Oysters Giwa | Flex Nib Modifications | Rollstoppers

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