The Right Pen For Kung Te-Cheng

[yazeh]

I'm not sure if here is the right place to post. But as it is more ink specific advice. I'll post it here.

 

I bought a sample of Kung Te-Cheng out of curiosity. Normally I don't like saturated inks. But the sensation of this ink with a Lanbitou/fude nib was so great, that I ordered a bottle. However, after a while flow issues started and it has been a pain to write with since.

 

For now I 'veput it in an old Sheaffer Calligraphy pen, but the nib is too wide for daily writing.

 

Could anyone recommend one, that preferably is cheap, but most importantly can be easily disassembled (feed and all) to be cleaned....

 

I'm a fan of fude /oblique nibs.... Not too sure of stubs though.....

 

Thanks a lot....

 

 

 

[ENewton]

Kung Te Cheng worked well for me in a Dollar 717i pen. Mine was a medium point, but I think the Dollar 717 is also available with a stub or italic nib.

[yazeh]

Kung Te Cheng worked well for me in a Dollar 717i pen. Mine was a medium point, but I think the Dollar 717 is also available with a stub or italic nib.

 

Thanks a lot.... That looks up my alley as they are cheap so I won't worry if it lose them

Edited April 11, 2020 by yazeh

[txomsy]

I do also find many Noodler's inks falling on the dry side and behaving better on medium nibs. But I do not have KTC, so I do not know (but want to, it's an ink I'm very curious about).

 

Other Noodler's inks, on the contrary, tend to be too wet and benefit from F or EF nibs.

[WaskiSquirrel]

I actually like this ink! Due to its personality, I have a Noodler's Ahab dedicated to it. It turns out to be a very good Ahab, so it's a good marriage.

[inkstainedruth]

For me it's a tossup between one of the resin Noodler's Konrads and a Noodler's Charlie. I had hoped that it would be better behaved in one of the Noodler's Boston Safety pens, but that turned out to not be the case.

KTC is one of those inks that doesn't do well with being used repeatedly in a pen without flushing it between fills -- one of the problems is that it is bad for nib creep that dries on the nib and so gets cloggy. But diluting it with water loses the amazing color and just makes it another purple instead of the dark indigo with purple undertones that it is un-diluted.

I keep wondering if Photo-flo will help, but I don't know how much to use to try it in a sample vial of KTC. And fear that I'll have the same problem as with distilled water -- losing the unique color.

I'm also wondering if I should restrict it to a c/c pen, which will have a lower fill capacity, and that will cause me to flush it more often....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[yazeh]

I do also find many Noodler's inks falling on the dry side and behaving better on medium nibs. But I do not have KTC, so I do not know (but want to, it's an ink I'm very curious about).

 

Other Noodler's inks, on the contrary, tend to be too wet and benefit from F or EF nibs.

 

KTC with a wet fude nib is wet and sensuous.. It dries under quite fast and doesn't bleed through and rarely ghosts.....

[yazeh]

I actually like this ink! Due to its personality, I have a Noodler's Ahab dedicated to it. It turns out to be a very good Ahab, so it's a good marriage.

I thought of inking an Ahab. I was afraid that overtime, the ink would evaporate and the flow would become sluggish....

[yazeh]

For me it's a tossup between one of the resin Noodler's Konrads and a Noodler's Charlie. I had hoped that it would be better behaved in one of the Noodler's Boston Safety pens, but that turned out to not be the case.

 

KTC is one of those inks that doesn't do well with being used repeatedly in a pen without flushing it between fills -- one of the problems is that it is bad for nib creep that dries on the nib and so gets cloggy. But diluting it with water loses the amazing color and just makes it another purple instead of the dark indigo with purple undertones that it is un-diluted.

I keep wondering if Photo-flo will help, but I don't know how much to use to try it in a sample vial of KTC. And fear that I'll have the same problem as with distilled water -- losing the unique color.

I'm also wondering if I should restrict it to a c/c pen, which will have a lower fill capacity, and that will cause me to flush it more often....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

I would've thought, theoretically it would be great with Boston Safety pen.

What I gather a nice rinse between fillings would be the trick....Thanks for the tip.....

My understanding was that it's best with a well sealed pen.

And I'm not sure if any of the Noodler's pens are suited for that.

If I left Apache Sunset for sometime in a Nib Creeper, the ink would evaporate after a month or so for lack of use.....

I wanted to get a Kaweco double broad for it... but the reviews weren't convincing......

 

Apologies, what is a c/c pen?

Edited April 12, 2020 by yazeh

[BrassRatt]

I keep a Jinhao 992 eyedroppered with KTC for casual carry. It has been trouble-free.

[Eclipse157]

Apologies, what is a c/c pen?

 

c/c means cartridge/converter

 

My KTC is quite dense and viscous, and flows ok from any Noodler's pen I've put it into: Charlie, Creaper, Konrad. It also behaved well in a Baoer 388 which is c/c. Mind you, I fill my pens well below their capacity because I like to change colors often, this also means I flush and clean my pens more often than not.

 

KTC is one of the very few Noodler's bulletproof inks that didn't let me down in any way, i love it. I hope it works out for you as well and you end up liking it like I do

[yazeh]

 

c/c means cartridge/converter

 

My KTC is quite dense and viscous, and flows ok from any Noodler's pen I've put it into: Charlie, Creaper, Konrad. It also behaved well in a Baoer 388 which is c/c. Mind you, I fill my pens well below their capacity because I like to change colors often, this also means I flush and clean my pens more often than not.

 

KTC is one of the very few Noodler's bulletproof inks that didn't let me down in any way, i love it. I hope it works out for you as well and you end up liking it like I do

 

Thanks for c/c got it.

I love KTC.

I just have to find the right nib/combo for it.....

I'm looking for a dedicated pen, hence my questioning

[yazeh]

I keep a Jinhao 992 eyedroppered with KTC for casual carry. It has been trouble-free.

 

I thought of that, but then I read some cracking problems with Jinhao and the idea of it cracking when (if ever again!) I'm outdoors doesn't appeal to me

I tried it though in a 992, with convertor. I had some flow issues...

[Carrau]

I keep wondering if Photo-flo will help, but I don't know how much to use to try it in a sample vial of KTC. And fear that I'll have the same problem as with distilled water -- losing the unique color. Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

I used to dip the tip of a toothpick in the PhotoFlo, then in a sample of the target ink, and this worked. More recently, I made dilutions of the PhotoFlo in dedicated sample vials, and then use a syringe to add it by the drop to ink samples, which gives more measured/reproducible control of the PhotoFlo, without causing noticeable dilution of the color.

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks, Herrjaeger. How full were the sample vials? I've gotten ones from different places that range between have 2-4 ml of ink in them, and tend to if I'm refilling them (or making up my own samples) to go as high as 5 ml. Sample vials are great for traveling as long as they're pretty tightly sealed and in a ziplock bag, even on airlines (they fall under the limit for the TSA to freak and confiscate them, even in carry-on luggage).

I have a couple of sample vials of Photo-flo that someone in my local pen club was giving away a while back -- I would never go through a full bottle of the stuff myself because they only seem to sell it in larger amounts.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[eharriett]

I just had a post a few weeks ago talk of my experience where KTC -- one of my most used inks -- gelitainized in the pen but not the bottle. Hope that is not what happened to your ink.

 

Anyway, after the ink was replaced, I changed the pen the ink was living in. It had been in a Sheaffer school pen -- one of the cartridge jobs that I just eyedroppered. But when all this happened, I wanted to move to something with a bit more serviceability in case this ever happened again. So I now have a FPR Himalaya V2 with a standard flex steel nib in it and it is doing an excellent job. Much smaller ink capacity since I began using converters, but that is also giving me an opportunity to change out the ink more frequently (regular use is once every 10-12 days instead of once every two months) so hopefully that will help. And a little bit of flex on KTC really brings out some of the unique properties of that ink.

 

I guess my only advice is use a pen that is easy to clean if it becomes necessary (an FPR or Noodlers pen, for example), and keep using the ink -- it is one of those inks that makes this hobby fun to be a part of, for me.

[Carrau]

Ruth,

I used a syringe to fill the sample vials. The first was a 5% solution, then my second was a 0.5% solution, using the 5% solution in the new vial to get to the 0.5%. First, label your vials. So for a 5% solution, with final volume of 5ml, I added approximately 0.25 ml of PhotoFlo (measured with a syringe)into 4.75 ml of distilled water. Then I took 0.5ml of the 5% solution and added it to the second vial with 4.75 ml of water. Precision with the measurements is not critical, as long as the dilution is accomplished, because you are titrating it to results in how the ink works for you. The lower concentration gives more control over the PhotoFlo you are adding. I titrated the number of drops against how the ink flowed, keeping track of how much I added. Then, depending on how many drops I used, I could use the lower or higher concentration of PhotoFlo when I added to my next batch, the higher concentration diluting your ink less if a relatively high number of drops was used. I haven't needed the PhotoFlo very often, using it in a couple of Robert Oster inks that were dry. As the flow improves, the feathering may increase as well, so you'll need to keep an eye on that parameter as well when titrating. If it seems complicated, it’s not, really, you just need to keep good records of what you're adding so it is reproducible if you go back to repeat later. I hope this helps.

[yazeh]

I just had a post a few weeks ago talk of my experience where KTC -- one of my most used inks -- gelitainized in the pen but not the bottle. Hope that is not what happened to your ink.

 

Anyway, after the ink was replaced, I changed the pen the ink was living in. It had been in a Sheaffer school pen -- one of the cartridge jobs that I just eyedroppered. But when all this happened, I wanted to move to something with a bit more serviceability in case this ever happened again. So I now have a FPR Himalaya V2 with a standard flex steel nib in it and it is doing an excellent job. Much smaller ink capacity since I began using converters, but that is also giving me an opportunity to change out the ink more frequently (regular use is once every 10-12 days instead of once every two months) so hopefully that will help. And a little bit of flex on KTC really brings out some of the unique properties of that ink.

 

I guess my only advice is use a pen that is easy to clean if it becomes necessary (an FPR or Noodlers pen, for example), and keep using the ink -- it is one of those inks that makes this hobby fun to be a part of, for me.

 

Yes, I read that post with interest.

I first thought of Ahab, but I'm afraid that fine filling tube or whatever is it, might become clogged.

No, the ink didn't coagulate in any form. there were some hard starts... When I pulled the nib and feed and rinsed them it wrote fine...

I have a Kanwrite though and I will fill it up and see....

Seems like a good combo....

I'm curious to see how it will work as the Sheaffer calligraphy, the colour loses that rich, deep, saturated feel....

Edited April 13, 2020 by yazeh

[eharriett]

 

Yes, I read that post with interest.

I first thought of Ahab, but I'm afraid that fine filling tube or whatever is it, might be clogged.

I have a Kanwrite though and I will fill it up and see....

Seems like a good combo....

I'm curious to see how it will work as the Sheaffer calligraphy, the colour loses that rich, deep, saturated feel....

The Kanwrite is a good choice. It is a real durable pen that's easy to clean.

 

That "fine filling tube" in the Ahab is just an additional ink draw that sucks ink into the handle. Is not necessary at all and you can use it or not without any issues. I personally don't find it really adds much by sucking ink into the handle, but some people really like it. I actually usually fill my Noodlers pens with the 308 cartridges instead. I like them better than the plunger converters, but that is a personal choice and I do not mind filling my Ahabs and Neponset and Triple Tail from syringe. Personal preference though.

[yazeh]

The Kanwrite is a good choice. It is a real durable pen that's easy to clean.

 

That "fine filling tube" in the Ahab is just an additional ink draw that sucks ink into the handle. Is not necessary at all and you can use it or not without any issues. I personally don't find it really adds much by sucking ink into the handle, but some people really like it. I actually usually fill my Noodlers pens with the 308 cartridges instead. I like them better than the plunger converters, but that is a personal choice and I do not mind filling my Ahabs and Neponset and Triple Tail from syringe. Personal preference though.

 

I like the idea of 308 cartridges....

But I'll stick with the Kanwrite for now....

Anyway, Ahab is full of Blue Nose bear for now