Chinese Capillary Filler

[Dan Carmell]

I bought this pen in the late 1990s, I think, one of my first Chinese pens. I was drawn to the design (an ergonomic grip years before the Lamy Safari!) and was intrigued by the filling system: the seller claimed it was a capillary filler, like the Parker 61! Since almost no other pen makers tried to make a capillary filler, I was very curious to see this pen. 
 

When it arrived, it was clearly a well-made pen: solid cap with a well made clip and a very solid section and barrel. So solid, in fact, I could not open the pen to fill it! Finally, I emailed the seller (I think in Hong Kong?) and he must have thought I was very stupid, because he simply said ‘put the nib in ink for several minutes.’

 

Let me mention here that this was the original design of the Parker 61: absorb ink through the nib. It was only in later design stages that Parker decided to have users screw open the barrel and dip the Teflon-coated ‘cartridge’ end of the nib/section unit in the ink. 
 

This pen cannot be flushed, yet it was well used before me and by me and it continues to fill and write. I do only use blue in the pen and usually low dye/pigment inks but this time did use a bright blue Private Reserve ink for the writing sample. 
 

I loved the look of the triangular section and nib immediately, still do. The pen is comfortable and substantial (not massive but very solid feeling) in the hand and the cap posts deeply and seamlessly. The nib is very very smooth and the perfect combination of EF and good but not too wet ink flow, at least for me. 
 

To identify this pen, it has markings on the cap lip, rather worn: two characters too worn to photograph or even see properly, ‘71’ (surely the model number?) a diamond symbol on its long side, and ‘Made in China.’ I’ve seen the sideways diamond on pens but can’t remember the brand. A Chinese-American member of the San Francisco pen club looked at it years ago and I think he said it was a Wing Sung pen. 
 

This and a plastic/metal cap Hero 100 are my oldest Chinese pens and this one I prize especially, as an excellent writer with under-stated good looks and a unique filler. 

[Number99]

On 4/13/2022 at 1:33 PM, Dan Carmell said:

I bought this pen in the late 1990s, I think, one of my first Chinese pens. I was drawn to the design (an ergonomic grip years before the Lamy Safari!) and was intrigued by the filling system: the seller claimed it was a capillary filler, like the Parker 61! Since almost no other pen makers tried to make a capillary filler, I was very curious to see this pen. 
 

When it arrived, it was clearly a well-made pen: solid cap with a well made clip and a very solid section and barrel. So solid, in fact, I could not open the pen to fill it! Finally, I emailed the seller (I think in Hong Kong?) and he must have thought I was very stupid, because he simply said ‘put the nib in ink for several minutes.’

 

Let me mention here that this was the original design of the Parker 61: absorb ink through the nib. It was only in later design stages that Parker decided to have users screw open the barrel and dip the Teflon-coated ‘cartridge’ end of the nib/section unit in the ink. 
 

This pen cannot be flushed, yet it was well used before me and by me and it continues to fill and write. I do only use blue in the pen and usually low dye/pigment inks but this time did use a bright blue Private Reserve ink for the writing sample. 
 

I loved the look of the triangular section and nib immediately, still do. The pen is comfortable and substantial (not massive but very solid feeling) in the hand and the cap posts deeply and seamlessly. The nib is very very smooth and the perfect combination of EF and good but not too wet ink flow, at least for me. 
 

To identify this pen, it has markings on the cap lip, rather worn: two characters too worn to photograph or even see properly, ‘71’ (surely the model number?) a diamond symbol on its long side, and ‘Made in China.’ I’ve seen the sideways diamond on pens but can’t remember the brand. A Chinese-American member of the San Francisco pen club looked at it years ago and I think he said it was a Wing Sung pen. 
 

This and a plastic/metal cap Hero 100 are my oldest Chinese pens and this one I prize especially, as an excellent writer with under-stated good looks and a unique filler. 

Hello.

 

 Isn't this the related pen and manufacturer?

 Capillary filler system.

 A model series called 71.

 The manufacturer's logo drawn on the case.

 Etc. are similar.

 

 I also ordered a stainless nib version of the capillary filler model called "71-3", but I came across it in the process of investigating it.

 

https://www.protopens.com/rare-unique-1970s-white-feather-71-2-teal-olive-army-green-crosshatch-gold-cap-capillary-filling-cartridge-ef-14k-gold-nib-fountain-pen.html

 

[txomsy]

Those are interesting pieces, thanks for reporting on them.

[TFHS]

This is a product of the Dandong Pen Factory (丹东金笔厂) in Liaoning Province. That diamond pattern is the trademark "White Feather" (白翎), and "71" is the pen's model number. The series was launched around 1970 and has been in production for decades since.

The pen is available in 14k gold and stainless steel gold-plated nibs, the former model number 71 and the latter model 71-2. However, the models and versions of this series (71 & 72) are more complicated, and some details are not clear to me.

 

Since I mainly focus on mechanical pencils and ballpoint pens, I don't have it in my collection. The packaging of this pen is beautiful. I found some pictures (not for ads) on some trading platforms.

 

[txomsy]

Really interesting. Thanks, please go on.

[jchch1950]

The information is very interesting. Many collectors are very happy with their Parker 61.Some where I read that Waterman produced a capillary pen but I'm not sure. I think a capillary Chinese pen will be a good addition to any collection.

[TFHS]

1 hour ago, jchch1950 said:

The information is very interesting. Many collectors are very happy with their Parker 61.Some where I read that Waterman produced a capillary pen but I'm not sure. I think a capillary Chinese pen will be a good addition to any collection.

 

In the late 1960s, China also launched a "capillary ballpoint pen" with a similar principle, and I learned about this function from its instructions. Its model number is "441" 中华.

 

It was produced by the China Ball Point Pen Factory (Feng Hwa Ball Point Pen Factory was renamed to China Ball Point Pen Factory from 1967 to 1980). During that period, ballpoint pen factories in Chinese mainland popular to produce ballpoint pens using various fountain pen structures.

 

 

However, I haven't collected a good-looking version, maybe due to a long time of use, their original capillary structure has failed. In order to save materials, former users have transformed them into ordinary ballpoint pens.

 

[Dan Carmell]

8 hours ago, TFHS said:

This is a product of the Dandong Pen Factory (丹东金笔厂) in Liaoning Province. That diamond pattern is the trademark "White Feather" (白翎), and "71" is the pen's model number. The series was launched around 1970 and has been in production for decades since.

The pen is available in 14k gold and stainless steel gold-plated nibs, the former model number 71 and the latter model 71-2.

 

That packaging is indeed amazing—it may have required more hand work than the pen itself!

 

Thank you for all the information above, truly quite interesting in itself and certainly nice I now know the manufacturer. 
 

I do think it’s interesting that the 71 has a sealed barrel, suggesting that White Feather was confident enough in its capillary mechanism to do that. When I saw these newest additions to this thread I picked up the 71 and while it’s been inked since April 12 and unused for perhaps 3 plus weeks, it wrote immediately and perfectly. 
 

Neither the seller or myself had any idea it had a 14K nib, which it why I cost just a few dollars back around the year 2000. 

[kpong11]

22 hours ago, jchch1950 said:

The information is very interesting. Many collectors are very happy with their Parker 61.Some where I read that Waterman produced a capillary pen but I'm not sure. I think a capillary Chinese pen will be a good addition to any collection.

The construction of the filler (fibrous material inside the plastic tube) is similar to Waterman version than the Parker 61

[Number99]

White Feather 71-3 (73) self-fill A fountain pen has arrived.

 

 The filler was fixed to the section, there was no section thread, and the thread was engraved on the filler.

 This pen did not have a vent knob on the barrel like the 71-2, but had a breather hole in a position hidden by the cap on the side of the barrel.

 In 71-2, the structure was that "the barrel is also a part of the filler", but this pen communicates between the filler and the barrel only at the vent hole at the tip of the filler.

 The image is from the product page and the cap has the inscription 71-3, but the one I received had the inscription 73. Of course it is the same model.

 Even with the same model, there may be two types of model numbers, the line 71, 72, 73, and the line 71-1, 71-2, 71-3.

 

 Please point out any lack of information regarding this capillary filler model.

*Quoted from the product image on the second-hand goods site.

I took the 6th and subsequent images.

The 7th and 8th photos have loosened the barrel.

Edited June 6, 2022 by Number99

[essayfaire]

On 6/1/2022 at 7:29 AM, txomsy said:

Really interesting. Thanks, please go on.

Yes, ditto!

 

This is fascinating; I spent a portion of yesterday afternoon looking for mechanisms to try out for China in pens carried on Ali Express, but in spite of searching for a capillary filler I did not find one(though I found some retractables and vacuum-fillers to test out).  Have you tried writing with it yet, @Number99?

[Number99]

59 minutes ago, essayfaire said:

Yes, ditto!

 

This is fascinating; I spent a portion of yesterday afternoon looking for mechanisms to try out for China in pens carried on Ali Express, but in spite of searching for a capillary filler I did not find one(though I found some retractables and vacuum-fillers to test out).  Have you tried writing with it yet, @Number99?

It's my first capillary filler fountain pen, so I'm hesitant about what kind of ink to put in.

 There are only two inks.

 I think Parker Quink Blue Black is kind to gold-plated nibs.

 There is another old New Haven Parker Quink SOLV-X (black), which I think is good for capillary fillers, but the liquidity（pH） is unknown ...

 Does anyone know about it?

 

 Also, this individual seems to have a poor storage environment, and the surface of the section grip is slightly damaged.

 I'm thinking of polishing before adding ink.

Then I saw 71 on ebay.
 

Edited June 5, 2022 by Number99

[TFHS]

7 hours ago, Number99 said:

It's my first capillary filler fountain pen, so I'm hesitant about what kind of ink to put in.

 There are only two inks.

 I think Parker Quink Blue Black is kind to gold-plated nibs.

 There is another old New Haven Parker Quink SOLV-X (black), which I think is good for capillary fillers, but the liquidity（pH） is unknown ...

 Does anyone know about it?

 

 Also, this individual seems to have a poor storage environment, and the surface of the section grip is slightly damaged.

 I'm thinking of polishing before adding ink.

Then I saw 71 on ebay.

I think it's better not to use carbon ink and other pigment ink. The resins in these inks can stick to the solid-liquid surface of capillary filler structures and damage them. 

 

It is best to use a pH-neutral dye ink. I'm guessing inks that are too acidic or alkaline can also damage these structures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TFHS]

16 hours ago, essayfaire said:

Yes, ditto!

 

This is fascinating; I spent a portion of yesterday afternoon looking for mechanisms to try out for China in pens carried on Ali Express, but in spite of searching for a capillary filler I did not find one(though I found some retractables and vacuum-fillers to test out).  Have you tried writing with it yet, @Number99?

Hello! You can hardly find them on Ali, because they have been discontinued about 40 years. Only some second-hand trading platforms in mainland China have it, but it is difficult to register and use overseas. I don't know if there is such a "daigou" for foreigners in mainland China. 

 

Or you can just search eBay, which occasionally has it.

 

 

[Number99]

4 hours ago, TFHS said:

I think it's better not to use carbon ink and other pigment ink. The resins in these inks can stick to the solid-liquid surface of capillary filler structures and damage them. 

 

It is best to use a pH-neutral dye ink. I'm guessing inks that are too acidic or alkaline can also damage these structures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I agree.

 

 Then, I will use Parker Quink Blue Black. The pH is about 8. Quink Black SOLV-X (pH3) seems to contain phenol as well.

 The inside of the filler seems to have been dirty for many years, so I sucked water twice and poured it into the paper.

 I put the ink in after the pen dries.

 

 Thank you very much.

 

 

[Number99]

The bilibili video was a hit.

 It was useful even if I couldn't understand the words.

 Is 76 just different from 71 in pattern?

https://m.bilibili.com/video/BV1ei4y1s7Nx

 

 

[TFHS]

39 minutes ago, Number99 said:

I agree.

 

 Then, I will use Parker Quink Blue Black. The pH is about 8. Quink Black SOLV-X (pH3) seems to contain phenol as well.

 The inside of the filler seems to have been dirty for many years, so I sucked water twice and poured it into the paper.

 I put the ink in after the pen dries.

 

 Thank you very much.

 

 

When it comes to phenol, I think of a point: 

Some early carbon inks used oligophenolic resins (by adding formalin and phenol).

[txomsy]

Parker Quink is not a carbon ink. Nor is it pigment based.

[TFHS]

4 hours ago, Number99 said:

The bilibili video was a hit.

 It was useful even if I couldn't understand the words.

 Is 76 just different from 71 in pattern?

https://m.bilibili.com/video/BV1ei4y1s7Nx

You can watch the first comment below that video.It was mentioned that the 71/71-2 (72) was the first generation, the 73/74/76/79 was the second generation, and the 136 was a separate generation. The author of this comment has written a post that can be used as a reference.

http://debbni.diary.to/archives/7009770.html

 

Here's the statement of that author:

This series was first released on September 4, 1968, discontinued around 1978. For pens exported: aludur cap = steel nib, stainless cap = gold nib. But there were some exceptions on domestic market. 12K Gold nib was optional for 71-3(73) or 71-4(74) at the official store when it was sold.

[Number99]

19 hours ago, TFHS said:

You can watch the first comment below that video.It was mentioned that the 71/71-2 (72) was the first generation, the 73/74/76/79 was the second generation, and the 136 was a separate generation. The author of this comment has written a post that can be used as a reference.

http://debbni.diary.to/archives/7009770.html

 

Here's the statement of that author:

This series was first released on September 4, 1968, discontinued around 1978. For pens exported: aludur cap = steel nib, stainless cap = gold nib. But there were some exceptions on domestic market. 12K Gold nib was optional for 71-3(73) or 71-4(74) at the official store when it was sold.

I didn't know there was a comment section in that place.

 It seems that the entire lineup of white feather self-fill fountain pens has been revealed. I saw 136 on ebay.

 According to the definition of another Type 28 thread link article, these White Feather self-fill fountain pens seem to be classified as "Type 73".

 

https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/368394904

 

 The content of the blog post by the author of the bilibili video is interesting.

 As I read the "next article", I was surprised that the article was in Japanese before I knew it.

 With abundant images, you can visually understand the situation of vintage pens in China.

 

Edited June 7, 2022 by Number99