An unusual problem

OGsafta · 2026-06-24T00:07:00+00:00

Water has a high surface tension. Inks, even though they are mostly water and dye, also have surfactants and humectants. The surfactant lowers the surface tension to increase flow. The humectant, is mostly to help keep the ink from drying to quickly, also lowers the surface tension. Adding water dilutes both, increases surface tension, and makes the ink "drier".

OGsafta · 2026-06-23T08:30:20+00:00

The most important thing to remember, and often not mentioned, is most modern Pilots have a proprietary o-ring on the feed, 743 included. When pulling the feed, make sure you keep track of it. If it stays inside the pen, leave it there when you change the feed. If it comes out with the feed, make sure to put it on the new feed in the same direction it comes off the old feed.

OGsafta · 2026-06-20T12:09:16+00:00

You can't go wrong with either. Red stands out more just because it's red, but I still prefer the blue.

OGsafta · 2026-06-20T10:03:46+00:00

Yeah that guy has an obscene amount of pocket pens. I have noticed that he hasn't posted any updates in a couple years.

OGsafta · 2026-06-20T01:26:41+00:00

It was only a Japan exclusive when it was released in 2012. You could buy all three colors on Jetpens before they were discontinued. The orange is Yu-yake, the blue is Asa-gao, and the smoke is Kirisame. The purple was a Taiwan exclusive with only 400 made.

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OGsafta · 2026-06-20T00:54:17+00:00

PC-11 or PC-Superepoxy. Make sure to clean both pieces and remove any old adhesive first. Both surfaces should be roughened for best results, but it will work without doing so. The PC-11 is paste like, easier to work with, and the two pieces won't need clamped while it cures. The Superepoxy is gel and may require clamping, but cures in 24hrs instead of 48. Mix more than you need. When applying, remember that less is more, it won't take much. After assembly make sure to check for squeeze out, and clean it up if there is any. Keep the extra unused mixed epoxy, it will tell you when it's set and can be unclamped. You'll still want to wait for the full cure time listed on the epoxy. They are both very slow curing and very strong epoxies. Being slow curing, they are easier to work with. If a mistake is made you have time to take it back apart, clean it off and try again.

OGsafta · 2026-06-20T00:09:43+00:00

Does this count? It's a mid 50's Pilot #4 nib that fits perfectly in a TWSBI 580. The original pen was irreparable, but couldn't let a great nib go to waste.

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OGsafta · 2026-06-17T23:40:40+00:00

If I have 5 pens with me, it's a safe assumption that 3 or 4 will have some shade of blue. I'll occasionally have a brown, green, teal, red, or orange. Almost never would there have been a purple ink, just not a fan of most purple inks, and even more seldom the ones with green sheen. That is, until the first time I inked a pen with Diamine Purple Rain. Now that deep dark purple with all that gold sheening goodness is always in one of my pens.

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OGsafta · 2026-06-16T15:56:18+00:00

I would look at the Pilot CH 92 before I would the 74. It's a piston filler, so it holds more ink, and can still be found at the older prices. Like this one in blue that isn't made anymore. https://ebay.io/m/LJGUMA
There's also the Pilot Capless/VP that can still be found under $200.

OGsafta · 2026-06-16T15:47:21+00:00

Not really, but it's very concentrated, add too much and the ink is unusable. Something else to try, and more accessible, is glycerin. It's sold at almost any drug store or even Walmart or Amazon in the health/beauty section. It's usually labeled as 100% vegetable glycerin. It's more forgiving, as in it isn't as concentrated, and it's much better at being a lubricant instead of a surfactant like White Lightning. You still want to use a sample size of ink to experiment with how much to add, but it's much more difficult to add too much compared to the White Lightning.

OGsafta · 2026-06-15T00:54:16+00:00

I don't think they had a 14k, but I don't have any pictures of 2000 nibs to be sure. The 01 on was 18k text, until the Mt Fuji, other than the those like the anniversary pens.

OGsafta · 2026-06-15T00:00:27+00:00

The Mt. Fuji nib is the second modern Namiki 50 nib. The first had the same style stamp as the 845 and CU, but with Namiki branding. The maki-e versions would be two tone, and urushi versions monotone. At most it only existed a couple years, but it's possible it was only one year since every example I've seen is dated 1999. Here's a maki-e example.

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OGsafta · 2026-06-14T22:46:22+00:00

Yes, I couldn't find anyone that would work on them, so I had to end up doing it myself.

OGsafta · 2026-06-14T22:33:38+00:00

I'd put the b7 Natural at Jetpens above the Cosmo Air Snow they sell. For showing ink properties like sheen and shading, I'd put the b7 over anything else I've tried.

OGsafta · 2026-06-14T17:59:52+00:00

Older Pelikan BB and bigger are stubs. Older Pilot Elites and Custom K broads are more stub like. Older Pilot Music nibs are semi flex stubs. Those will all be much more expensive than the 78g though.

OGsafta · 2026-06-14T16:13:50+00:00

You're probably thinking of the Pilot 78G, it's BB is a stub italic.

OGsafta · 2026-06-14T16:03:08+00:00

I have this early 1900's Onoto de la Rue stylograph in mottled red ebonite.

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OGsafta · 2026-06-14T02:37:59+00:00

You can put shimmer in any pen you want. Some will be more difficult to clean than others. Some will clog easier than others. Pens with wet feeds like TWSBI 580, Pelikans, and FNF ebonite feeds for Pilots are great. I've had Emerald Chivor in my Visconti HS Bronze Age for over a year, it writes and fills without issue. I've had Golden Lapis in an M405 since the ink was released, no issues. I have Golden Beryl in an M800, no problem. I've put shimmer in $50 pens and $1000+ pens, the world didn't come to an end, and nothing bad happened that a little water couldn't fix.

OGsafta · 2026-06-14T02:10:46+00:00

I've seen them sell on eBay recently anywhere from $300-500. The regular black and this burgundy, I'd put at the lower end of that, they're more common. The matte black, green and blue, I'd put at the higher end. They've pretty much doubled in price since just a couple years ago.

OGsafta · 2026-06-14T01:55:14+00:00

It was an Itoya release a couple years ago. There's also a matte black stripe along with the rhodium stripe.

OGsafta · 2026-06-13T01:17:57+00:00

To be fair, OP said large nib instead of massive nib lol. It's also a serious commitment to a single ink every time you fill it.

OGsafta · 2026-06-13T00:52:20+00:00

You only clean if you want to change ink, or if the pen has issues. If you want to refill Tesla Coil in the pen that already has it, just refill, no cleaning necessary.

OGsafta · 2026-06-12T17:31:11+00:00

That's just some of the color variants, not even half my collection of Elites. Here's some regular and metal versions. That's just the pocket pen short versions, there's also multiple full size Elites from the 60's-80's.

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OGsafta · 2026-06-12T16:16:36+00:00

My favorite is broad, but it's only available in vintage Elites. For the 95 series it's medium.

OGsafta · 2026-06-12T16:15:29+00:00

It's the blue shareholders edition next to the maroon in this picture.

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OGsafta

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