The Right Pen For Kung Te-Cheng

[BrassRatt]

Has anyone tried KTC in a Pilot fiber-feed pen (Petit1, Varsity, V_Pen)?

Edited April 14, 2020 by BrassRatt

[amberleadavis]

I tried it in a Preppy marker and had no issues.

[FOUR X FOUR]

I’d say, any pen that you can clean well.

[yazeh]

I’d say, any pen that you can clean well.

Indeed. I think pens with nib units are not the best idea.

So, Kaweco, even the Kanwrite are not the best idea...

[atypical]

Has anyone tried KTC in a Pilot fiber-feed pen (Petit1, Varsity, V_Pen)?

 

Yes, I have refilled a Vpen with it. Works very well, even after weeks of non-use.

(I might have used a mixture of 80% ink - 10% glycerin - 10% water. Can't remember)

[fiberdrunk]

 

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

 

 

I have Kung Te-Cheng in a designated matching purple Pilot Metropolitan with fine nib. It works great. If I don't use the pen for a few days, it can have start-up issues. But all I do then is run it under the faucet for a couple of seconds and it starts right up again, no problem. (And yes, the nib feed can be disassembled easily if you need to.)

Edited July 11, 2020 by fiberdrunk

[A Smug Dill]

By default, I'd always recommend a Platinum Preppy for any (potentially) troublesome ink that one would love to feel comfortable to use more of and/or more often, and calls for a pen that is:

• cheap — very much so in the country of origin, but even overseas in spite of regional distributors' mark-ups
• with a cap that seals extremely well — prevention of ink evaporation when the pen is unused is my foremost tactic for combating clogging, nib crud, nib creep, and so on
• with interchangeable nibs (in the case of the Preppy, attached permanently to the feed) of different widths
• looks ugly (to some), which deters others from "borrowing" the pen with or without asking

and made in Japan to boot.

If you want to pen that can be readily disassembled completely for cleaning, a Sailor Lecoule or Sailor Profit Junior would be better; still cheap, also made in Japan, with (in my experience) effective sealing when capped, has a good steel nib that can be easily pulled out of the gripping section and separated from the feed (also pulled out). Both Platinum and Sailor converters can be easily disassembled into its parts for deep cleaning, too, including scrubbing the inner wall of their transparent ink reservoir tubes if required. The Sailor pens are a bit better-looking that the Platinum Preppy, but also a bit more expensive. I'd recommend the toh-mei-kan clear demonstrator versions, if one is obsessive-compulsive about cleaning pens and want to visually confirm whether he/she has successfully removed the last traces of the previous fill of ink from every pen part; even the feeds are made of clear plastic.

[yazeh]

 

I have Kung Te-Cheng in a designated matching purple Pilot Metropolitan with fine nib. It works great. If I don't use the pen for a few days, it can have start-up issues. But all I do then is run it under the faucet for a couple of seconds and it starts right up again, no problem. (And yes, the nib feed can be disassembled easily if you need to.)

 

Thanks. I have actually one, I might fill it up and give it a twril

By default, I'd always recommend a Platinum Preppy for any (potentially) troublesome ink that one would love to feel comfortable to use more of and/or more often, and calls for a pen that is:

• cheap — very much so in the country of origin, but even overseas in spite of regional distributors' mark-ups
• with a cap that seals extremely well — prevention of ink evaporation when the pen is unused is my foremost tactic for combating clogging, nib crud, nib creep, and so on
• with interchangeable nibs (in the case of the Preppy, attached permanently to the feed) of different widths
• looks ugly (to some), which deters others from "borrowing" the pen with or without asking

and made in Japan to boot.

 

If you want to pen that can be readily disassembled completely for cleaning, a Sailor Lecoule or Sailor Profit Junior would be better; still cheap, also made in Japan, with (in my experience) effective sealing when capped, has a good steel nib that can be easily pulled out of the gripping section and separated from the feed (also pulled out). Both Platinum and Sailor converters can be easily disassembled into its parts for deep cleaning, too, including scrubbing the inner wall of their transparent ink reservoir tubes if required. The Sailor pens are a bit better-looking that the Platinum Preppy, but also a bit more expensive. I'd recommend the toh-mei-kan clear demonstrator versions, if one is obsessive-compulsive about cleaning pens and want to visually confirm whether he/she has successfully removed the last traces of the previous fill of ink from every pen part; even the feeds are made of clear plastic.

Actually, my goal was to find a forever pen for KTC. That way I can relax the cleaning regiment. But I believe what I'm looking for is a well sealed pen... As most problems occurs, in my experience, when the ink evaporates and I have too many pens inked....

Unfortunately the Sailors are not readily available in Canada, but Preppy is available and it's cheap. So, I will try that....

I was also looking into Pilot Varsity. I had one for years, and the ink never evaporated.....

I was thinking also of Kaweco Sport, though I don't know how well sealed a pen it is.... But mine has a double broad nib, which I think will go well with KTC...

[A Smug Dill]

I have actually one, I might fill it up and give it a twril

None of our six Pilot MR (including MR Metropolitan) pens have what's I'd call effective caps. Between relatively rapid ink evaporation and the step-down, I've essentially discontinued the use of all of mine, other than for very specific occasions and purposes (because some of them are still hosting italic nibs 'donated' from Plumix pens). The same goes for the (Japanese-made, not the current generation of Chinese-made) Pilot 78G pens.

 

Actually, my goal was to find a forever pen for KTC. That way I can relax the cleaning regiment. But I believe what I'm looking for is a well sealed pen...

Then whatever staining inside the transparent gripping section with all the fins probably won't bother you. That's one of the things I don't like about the Platinum Preppy as cheap 'test' pens; they're a pain to clean out completely when switching inks. (The same applies to Platinum Plaisir and Prefounte pens.)

[yazeh]

None of our six Pilot MR (including MR Metropolitan) pens have what's I'd call effective caps. Between relatively rapid ink evaporation and the step-down, I've essentially discontinued the use of all of mine, other than for very specific occasions and purposes (because some of them are still hosting italic nibs 'donated' from Plumix pens). The same goes for the (Japanese-made, not the current generation of Chinese-made) Pilot 78G pens.

 

 

Then whatever staining inside the transparent gripping section with all the fins probably won't bother you. That's one of the things I don't like about the Platinum Preppy as cheap 'test' pens; they're a pain to clean out completely when switching inks. (The same applies to Platinum Plaisir and Prefounte pens.)

I have to admit you are right about that. Polar Green evaporated quite a bit... and turned into a dark Green in my review...

 

Yes I guess they must be a pain. But I'm planning to use them as a permeant housing....

 

Have you had any experience with Kaweco?

[A Smug Dill]

Have you had any experience with Kaweco?

 

 

Nope.

[fiberdrunk]

By default, I'd always recommend a Platinum Preppy for any (potentially) troublesome ink that one would love to feel comfortable to use more of and/or more often, and calls for a pen that is:

 

Unfortunately, Kung Te-Cheng ruined 2 of my Platinum Preppies. Clogged them permanently. I couldn't even get them unclogged with an ultrasonic cleaner. So I would not use it in the Preppy, though the Preppy is a great pen for most other Noodler's inks.

Edited July 11, 2020 by fiberdrunk

[A Smug Dill]

Unfortunately, Kung Te-Cheng ruined 2 of my Platinum Preppies. Clogged them permanently.

 

 

I've just put Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng in a new Daiso-Hauser fountain pen tonight. It has a similar sort of gripping section to the Platinum Preppy. Let's see how that goes!

[fiberdrunk]

None of our six Pilot MR (including MR Metropolitan) pens have what's I'd call effective caps. Between relatively rapid ink evaporation and the step-down, I've essentially discontinued the use of all of mine, other than for very specific occasions and purposes (because some of them are still hosting italic nibs 'donated' from Plumix pens). The same goes for the (Japanese-made, not the current generation of Chinese-made) Pilot 78G pens.

 

 

 

 

I've never had this evaporation issue (seen it plenty in the Noodler's Konrad pen and Platinum Preppy, though). With a metal barrel pen, you'd think evaporation would be at a minimum. Are you using the CON-20 squeeze converter that came with the Metropolitan? I wonder if the rubber sack is prone to evaporation? I swapped mine out with the CON-50 when I got it and haven't seen evaporation issues (did the same for the Pilot 78G... I just didn't like those squeeze converters, even if they do hold more ink). Curious.

[A Smug Dill]

Are you using the CON-20 squeeze converter that came with the Metropolitan?

 

 

No, I mainly used CON-50 converters with my Pilot MR pens. They, as well as the Pilot 78G pens I bought in 2013, all came with CON-B squeeze converters, which lack the hard metal shell of the CON-20. I usually only use the CON-B converters when I'm doing ink testing, since they're easier than the CON-40/50/70 to flush clean with a syringe, and not for keeping an ink in a pen for weeks and months on end. The CON-20 converters, which are rare as hens' teeth for me, are reserved for use in my Pilot Capless pens.

[yazeh]

 

Unfortunately, Kung Te-Cheng ruined 2 of my Platinum Preppies. Clogged them permanently. I couldn't even get them unclogged with an ultrasonic cleaner. So I would not use it in the Preppy, though the Preppy is a great pen for most other Noodler's inks.

I'm sorry to hear that... that's what I assumed...

For now I use it in Jinhao 450's as I can disassemble them.... though the inks often evaporates in them...

I'm testing the Kaweco with a variety of inks....but I bought it originally for KTC.....

[Fox Point]

So far so good with KTC in a greased-for-extra-airtightness Sailor Fude de Mannen Profit. Fav nib? Colourful body with a terminal cap ring so Im not so worried about capping tightly? Awesome. Im going to try writing it dry before pulling the nib and feed for a soak. I am cautious after permanently losing a pen to it before, but I have a spare feed just in case and want to be able to treat it like a normal ink, albeit in a dedicated pen.

[yazeh]

 

 

I've just put Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng in a new Daiso-Hauser fountain pen tonight. It has a similar sort of gripping section to the Platinum Preppy. Let's see how that goes!

Keep us posted... In my experience you would enjoy the beauty of KTC with a fude nib...

[yazeh]

 

I've never had this evaporation issue (seen it plenty in the Noodler's Konrad pen and Platinum Preppy, though). With a metal barrel pen, you'd think evaporation would be at a minimum. Are you using the CON-20 squeeze converter that came with the Metropolitan? I wonder if the rubber sack is prone to evaporation? I swapped mine out with the CON-50 when I got it and haven't seen evaporation issues (did the same for the Pilot 78G... I just didn't like those squeeze converters, even if they do hold more ink). Curious.

Mine is CON-20.....

[A Smug Dill]

Keep us posted... In my experience you would enjoy the beauty of KTC with a fude nib...

 

I didn't get KTC for 'beauty', but only want to see for myself its everything-proofness and perhaps compare its functional performance against Sailor seiboku and souboku. The blue Daiso-Hauser pens are the pens I keep in a pen loop stuck to the fridge, and with which to write grocery shopping lists. I often (plan to) do my supermarket shopping after a run, so there's a high likelihood that shopping lists will get damp or even soaked while in my pocket, and so I want to use an ink that is close to 100% waterproof — as in does not even shed or bleed any colour upon being dunked into a bucket of water and stay submerged for hours.

 

I have more than one of the cheap Sailor Fude de Mannen pens (including the clipless and Profit variants), and frankly I don't like them even though Sailor is my favourite brand out of the Japanese 'Big Three'. The nibs on its pens at the cheapest end (HiAce Neo, Fude de Mannen clipless, and 11-0073 desk pens) are pretty poor in my experience. I don't know if anyone would be game to put KTC in a pen with a Naginata Fude de Mannen nib — or any Naginata gold nib, for that matter — though.