jebib111 Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 Didn't PenBbs make a clone of the Conid bulkfiller? Link to post Share on other sites
Karmachanic Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 No. But the do have a syringe filler that is similar. 355 "Simplicate and add Lightness." Link to post Share on other sites
Newton Pens Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 We Give Away Scholarships! - Support High School Students Going to College Link to post Share on other sites
WLSpec Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 (edited) Looks like it! I might actually consider one Edited March 31, 2020 by WLSpec Link to post Share on other sites
bobje Posted April 1, 2020 Share Posted April 1, 2020 This is an intriguing pen-filling system, with an economical design, and it is a fine pen. But it is a completely different animal than a CONID. Reviews and articles on Fountain Pen Network CHINA, JAPAN, AND INDIAHua Hong Blue Belter | Penbbs 456 | Stationery | ASA Nauka in Dartmoor and Ebonite | ASA Azaadi | ASA Bheeshma | ASA Halwa | Ranga Model 8 and 8b | Ranga EmperorITALY AND THE UKFILCAO Roxi | FILCAO Atlantica | Italix Churchman's PrescriptorUSA, INK, AND EXPERIMENTSBexley 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 Link to post Share on other sites
inkypinkies Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 (edited) This is an intriguing pen-filling system, with an economical design, and it is a fine pen. But it is a completely different animal than a CONID. Mostly in that you can be confident you will eventually receive one you've ordered Edited April 4, 2020 by inkypinkies Link to post Share on other sites
Cyclohexene Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 Mostly in that you can be confident you will eventually receive one you've orderedOoooh snap! Link to post Share on other sites
JonSzanto Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 It is actually very close to the Conid system, in that it fills the entire barrel and stores the piston head separately from the end of the rod. The main difference is how the piston head is kept in place at the back of the barrel, and in the case of the 355, it simply snaps into place and then the plunger rod is unscrewed and pushed forward. Quite similar, enough so that had they made the pen stylistically closer to the Conid it would be an obvious rip-off. I can say that the system works well, though I have no idea if the entire pen and mechanism is as robust as the Conid over a long period of time. The rather sizable price differential makes the point somewhat moot. "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."~ Benjamin Franklin Link to post Share on other sites
Mech-for-i Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 The whole syringe filling with a stay at the top detachable piston mechanism is neither Conid nor PenBBS original ; it had been done way back in the 30's by several lesser esoteric brand and the whole syringe filler mechanism even more widely used.I vaguely remember one of the off beat design even had some form of lock off for ink flow. While the concept guarantee a large volume of ink it lacks the elegance of the Pelikan piston mechanism which offer a lot more in all at the sacrifice of some physical space for the mechanism and for many when really large ink volume are required without fuss the dead simple ED mechanism quarantee no issue. All of them however face danger of burping due simply to the volume of ink and air in them Link to post Share on other sites
Waski_the_Squirrel Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 I have a 355. I was ambivalent about the nib. Since I replaced it with a Nemosine nib, I like the pen a lot better. The biggest drawback that I see to this pen is that it holds a lot of ink, so pick an ink you want to use a lot! On a happy note, when I got bored with the pen, I set it aside for a few weeks. When I picked it up again, it wrote just fine. Proud resident of the least visited state in the nation! Link to post Share on other sites
dapprman Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 Certain we've been through this one at least once before. The mechanism for securing the plunger right at the very end of the barrel is older than the fountain pen and was used in the early days. Where Conid/Fountainbel's design is different is the way the lock mechanism actually works. Link to post Share on other sites
Karmachanic Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 (edited) Certain we've been through this one at least once before. The mechanism for securing the plunger right at the very end of the barrel is older than the fountain pen and was used in the early days. Where Conid/Fountainbel's design is different is the way the lock mechanism actually works. Syringe filler dip pens? Early days of what? I'm easily confused. Edited April 4, 2020 by Karmachanic "Simplicate and add Lightness." Link to post Share on other sites
Mech-for-i Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 Syringe filler dip pens? Early days of what? I'm easily confused.if its a dip pen then it do not need any filling system , me and the others are talking pens of vintage 1920's 30's Link to post Share on other sites
Karmachanic Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 (edited) if its a dip pen then it do not need any filling system , me and the others are talking pens of vintage 1920's 30's I know this, The mechanism for securing the plunger right at the very end of the barrel is older than the fountain penWhat pen, that was earlier than the fountain pen, was a syringe filler? How's that? Edited April 4, 2020 by Karmachanic "Simplicate and add Lightness." Link to post Share on other sites
Newton Pens Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 I know this, The mechanism for securing the plunger right at the very end of the barrel is older than the fountain penWhat pen, that was earlier than the fountain pen, was a syringe filler? How's that? I think this means, older than the Conid or Pen BBS fountain pens. We Give Away Scholarships! - Support High School Students Going to College Link to post Share on other sites
penzel_washinkton Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 Mostly in that you can be confident you will eventually receive one you've orderedWoah, what a burn Link to post Share on other sites
maclink Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 I have two of the PenBBS 355's as well as a Conid Regular Bulkfiller. The two systems work pretty much the same. However, as said elsewhere in the thread, the way the plunger is held in place is different. On the PenBBS, the plunger snaps into place and if the pen hasn't been filled in while, the plunger becomes quite difficult to 'dislodge'. In fact, when I got both pens, I couldn't move the plunger and it's when I watched a video that I realised that I needed to push harder. When I thought I was going to break the pen, the plunger broke free and I could fill the pen. OTOH, the Conid system works like a charm. There is a part of the plunger that slots and unslots into place while screwing/unscrewing the rod from it. This is a way more robust mechanism. Very slick in design and the cost difference between the two systems becomes obvious. I would not at all consider the PenBBS a clone. It would be like saying a TWSBI Vac700 is a close of the Pilot Custom 823. __ Link to post Share on other sites
Honeybadgers Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Only downside I found with the 355 is that the cap is a bit short inside so nib swap options are more limited (it won't fit a JoWo nib) so mine is a bit of a mashup - finial, section and tail pieces from a galaxy colored one and the cap/barrel are from the demonstrator, and the nib is a levenger medium titanium. Overall I love it. Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them) Link to post Share on other sites
Megaloblatta Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 The PenBBS 355 mechanism has now been redesigned but no one yet in the West has reviewed the new version. It does look MUCH better, but we shall see.. Link to post Share on other sites
Cyclohexene Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 The PenBBS 355 mechanism has now been redesigned but no one yet in the West has reviewed the new version. It does look MUCH better, but we shall see.. Having seen the diagram for the new filling mechanism design, I have a feeling people are going to restate their case of PenBBS copying Conid with the new locking mechanism. Link to post Share on other sites
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