Koh-I-Noor Artpen

[G_D_C]

Hello everyone,

I know that this thread is a bit old, but I see that there is a lot of interest and appreciations for old koh-i-noor art pen, so I have good news for those of you looking for this particular model: I have 4 brand new, never used models which I am willing to sell, I have found them in a very peculiar shop that sells all kind of things including old and antique. I initially bought one of them, then went home tried it and realized that they were really great, than went back to the shop and bought all they had, 8 packs.

I'm keeping 4 for myself and will sell the other 4 for 65 $ per piece. So if someone is interested please let me know.

Giuseppe

[discopig]

Does anyone know if the nib on that pen is similar to the Osmiroid Sketch Nib? The Osmiroid sketch nib was another nib made in the late 60s through early 80s (if I'm not mistaken) that was semi-flexible and was geared toward sketch artists.

 

Someone did a review of it here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/4347-osmiroid-65-sketch-point-photo-writing-sample/

Edited July 7, 2014 by discopig

[ANM]

I have an Osmiroid sketch pen, an Osmiroid music nib and a Kohi-i-noor Art Pen. I would say the sketch pen is the least flexible of the three and the music nib is the most flexible. The Art Pen was designed to be used with India ink but works longer and with less maintenance with fountain pen ink, IMHO.

[pajaro]

About a year ago I took one of the Koh-I-Noor technical pens and screwed in an Esterbrook nib collar with an old Sheaffer fine 14K nib, supposed to be flexible. You could do something like that with one of these pens. I have no plans to use flexy qualities that might exist in any of my pens, but if you had a flexible nib that would conform to the Esterbrook feed and fit into the collar, you might try this. The nib in my Koh-I-Noor is small, to fit into the inner cap when the pen is capped.

[discopig]

I have an Osmiroid sketch pen, an Osmiroid music nib and a Kohi-i-noor Art Pen. I would say the sketch pen is the least flexible of the three and the music nib is the most flexible. The Art Pen was designed to be used with India ink but works longer and with less maintenance with fountain pen ink, IMHO.

 

I had no idea Osmiroid made a music nib. I must hunt for one now to go with my sketch nib.

[garyfields]

 

Hello everyone,

I know that this thread is a bit old, but I see that there is a lot of interest and appreciations for old koh-i-noor art pen, so I have good news for those of you looking for this particular model: I have 4 brand new, never used models which I am willing to sell, I have found them in a very peculiar shop that sells all kind of things including old and antique. I initially bought one of them, then went home tried it and realized that they were really great, than went back to the shop and bought all they had, 8 packs.

I'm keeping 4 for myself and will sell the other 4 for 65 $ per piece. So if someone is interested please let me know.

Giuseppe

 

Dear Giuseppe,

I'm writing to see if you have any of the koh-i-noor artpens left. Please contact me and let me know. Thanks!

Gary

garyfields@optonline.net

Edited October 14, 2014 by garyfields

[yannori]

I second that request as well. Anymore Koh-i-noor Artpens floating around that need a new home with an artist? If so, I'd like to be next in line. Message me here if you've got one.

[Ygor]

I would love to just tinker with one for about an hour.

Anyone in the DC area willing to indulge me ?

[MargretRose]

I, too, had one of these, recently lost when a house guest threw it away. What I still do have, however, are two nibs, both size 52 (no, they are NOT for sale). I'm wondering whether these would fit in the body of a Koh-I-Noor Calligraphy ArtPen: http://www.architectscornerstore.com/Products/KO39250201/ . This obviously isn't a replacement for a proper ArtPen; the point is all steel, and a totally different shape, but it might provide a barrel, cap, refillable cartridge, and nib key, at a price I could afford. Has anyone here tried this? In a pinch, I'll spend the ten bucks to try it out, but it's a gamble and I'd prefer to put my money on a sure thing.

 

MargretRose

[saturdaychick]

_{I love these pens! I know this isn't a recent thread, but I would love to find one of these pens in working condition. If anyone still has one to sell, please contact me!}

[saturdaychick]

Here's the "vision". It developed because of some absolutely inexpensive Esterbrook pens I purchased at the DC Pen Show a few weeks ago, and my conversations at the pen show with a guy seeking a Koh-i-noor Artpen for his son.

 

(Crescendo of trumpets here) Just use an Esterbrook CA101 cartridge filling fountain pen. Convert the renew point unit to a gold nibbed unit (there's a thread elsewhere on FPN, to which I contributed, explaining how to do this, and I have already made 3 or 4 gold nibbed renew point units which I'm using). Thus the nib and feed come out just as easily as the Artpen, for cleaning. Vintage gold nibs are flexible, from semi-flexible to "wet noodle", and available in your choice of nib widths/lengths, so long as it's a #2 or thereabouts.

 

The CA101 Estie barrel also unscrews at the barrel/section joint, similar to an Artpen, to access the area for the cartridge. I use Sheaffer cartridges, and at the moment Sheaffer ink. But I have some black Staedtler drawing ink which I'll be trying shortly. The secret with Sheaffer cartridges is to pre-puncture them before insertion, since the Esterbrook cartridge nipple is pretty wide and deep. Also, I reuse the cartridges by cleaning and refilling them with a plastic veterinary syringe. That allows me to thoroughly clean the cart's after each use, to rapidly change inks, and to reuse the cart's for an extended period of time. (And Sheaffer cartridges are still commonly available.)

 

Unknown to some, the CA101 cartridge nipple can also be removed from the section, out the nib end. And the center of the cartridge nipple is large diameter, to properly support inks which are less fluid than ordinary fountain pen inks. So the CA101 comes apart easily, via threads, into six parts: cap, barrel, cartridge, section, cartridge nipple, and gold nibbed renew point unit. This is virtually identical to an Artpen.

 

I've sold 3 Koh-i-noor Artpens in the past year or so (the FPN Artpen thread includes a picture of one of them) so I'm eminently familiar with their construction and cleaning, but not how they're actually used. I simply couldn't get over how "functionally equal" the Esterbrook CA101 is to the Artpen. And CA101's are relatively cheap because the exact same Esterbrook pen was also produced with a built-in aerometric filling unit. So virtually no one wants the cartridge filling models. The pocket clip on these models tends to be harder on your shirt fabric than earlier Esterbrooks, so that also makes them less popular.

 

In summary, the result of using a modified Esterbrook CA101 should be (1)a lightweight pen, (2)capable of being carried in the pocket, (3)easily taken apart for cleaning using threaded connections, (3)that is cost-effective, in fact cheaply obtained, and (4)which readily and rapidly accepts additional/different ink (almost sounds like a patent application, doesn't it?).

 

I would certainly produce and sell this item to cartoonists and sketch artists, but the real key is the gold nib and it's interaction with the Esterbrook feed. Although I've modified my share of ink feeds, I'm just not a "nib meister". Further, the nib and feed have to work together well for the pen to meet expectations - so I'd envision an artist perhaps having a set of gold nibbed renew point units with different feeds, to properly feed india ink versus drawing ink versus fountain pen ink. That's not a problem with renew point feeds, since they can be readily adapted to such needs, and can be part of a set of modified renew point units set up to take on every different type of task. (Note that due to the current price of gold and the relative scarcity of spare gold nibs, the total price for a properly functioning Estie CA101 with an appropriate gold nib and reworked feed (if necessary to support, say india ink) will still be about the same as an Artpen, but the combination instrument will be able to be maintained, repaired, replaced and further tuned.)

 

What'dya think? Is this something that might intrigue sketchers? If there's a positive response to this vision, I may try to get someone to exercise a prototype, and/or to get one of the "pen repair persons" to make a few of these on speculation.

- - - Happy sketchin', Jim

Hi Jim,

I just finally joined the FPN in my quest for a substitute artpen. I still use mine for all my work and I always hoped that someone with some clout (Matt Groening!) would remake them. Did you ever develop a prototype for your idea?

[penwash]

Found this at an Estate Sale:

 

[Dt123]

I know this is an old thread. BUT I now have another yellow #3050 Koh-i-noor Artpen with the very flexible gold plated fountain pen nib, in a plastic box with the nib wrench and instructions. It's used, but functions nicely. I don't pass these on until I've had them completely apart and cleaned them thoroughly. And I provide a short essay of care and cleaning recommendations with the pen, which you can read here . Don't hesitate to PM me with an expression of interest.- - - No sketch artist me, Jim

Hi There,

 

I just picked one of these up and would love to see the pdf primer you made about these pens...if you still have it around. Tried the waybackmachine but no luck there. Thanks a bunch! - Dan

[Dt123]

Anyone know what kind of replacement cartridge I can use for the Koh-I-Noor Artpen. I picked one up but it’s missing the cartridge.....wish I could just fill the barrel with ink!

 

Thanks!

[BaronWulfraed]

Given how the section in the photo looks so much like a Rapidograph pen with a swapped nib, and lacking any photos of the inside... I'd be tempted to see if a Rapidograph reservoir would fit. Unfortunately, I don't see an on-line source of replacement reservoirs -- just nibs.

 

Also note: this is the Koh-i-Noor Rapidograph, not the rOtring Rapidograph (I believe the rOtring ISOgraph is closer to Koh-i-Noor's Rapidograph).

[Dt123]

Given how the section in the photo looks so much like a Rapidograph pen with a swapped nib, and lacking any photos of the inside... I'd be tempted to see if a Rapidograph reservoir would fit. Unfortunately, I don't see an on-line source of replacement reservoirs -- just nibs.

 

Also note: this is the Koh-i-Noor Rapidograph, not the rOtring Rapidograph (I believe the rOtring ISOgraph is closer to Koh-i-Noor's Rapidograph).

Great idea Baron. I’m going to take some pics of the inside and the manual. Will post soon

 

And thanks for the advise and insights regarding the Rapidographs.

 

Appreciate it!