Pilot Varsity To Pilot Preppy!

[TheOriginalStevenH]

Well first off let me say that my very first fountain pen even before coming to the FPN was the Pilot Varsity. Had I purchased any other pen I would probably tossed all fountain pens aside! If you have tried writing the Pilot Varsity you know that it is as smooth as glass, does not skip, and looks decent on the paper. The ink is not bad too, and like myself know that the problem we must all face one day is the day the ink stops flowing. Sure we could drill the back of the bottom or put it through a pressure chamber to fill and empty the inks we want. The best method I've seen with the less mess is to take a syringe with the same diameter and force fit the the pen and make a vacuum to draw the ink inside the pen. What I'm talking about is the ease and comfort to change the ink ANY TIME YOU WANT!

 

So far no one has done this and today I'll be making a video demonstrating how to do this, but for now I'll just show you with this pic that it can be done.

below are platinum preppy's pens converted to eyedroppers. The blue is Noodler's Bay State Blue and the Black is Noodler's 5o'Clock Shadow, which is almost black... more of a black gray but it has excellent shading on a wet pen.

 

Overall I like the Platinum preppy's more cause it looks and feels like a more expensive pen, but the nibs suck! So I did the next best thing. Replace the nib and feed with the Pilot Varsity! now I have the Best of both worlds.

 

What do you guys think?

[TheOriginalStevenH]

Here is the writing sample.

[ThirdeYe]

Neat! And it doesn't leak at all? I really like the nibs on my varsities but they aren't as easy to refill as a Preppy.. best of both worlds, as you said

[yoitzo]

oh woa~ neat~!!! I really hate the preppy nibs. lookin forward to your video~!

[atypical]

Very interesting. Looking forward to the video as well.

[TheOriginalStevenH]

No leaks. The blue pen has a different feed system. if you unscrew the preppy pen and look inside the feed system there is a plastic tube. the pen with the blue ink doesn't have that for some reason or another and it writes wet because of it. I've never had it leak even though it looks like it would.

[79spitfire]

another thing for me to try!

 

I wonder if I can use the Pilot nib on a Plasir?? :hmm1:

[TheOriginalStevenH]

Here is My video! Hope you like it. Any questions just email me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5-HfwxttxA

[TheOriginalStevenH]

another thing for me to try!

 

I wonder if I can use the Pilot nib on a Plasir?? :hmm1:

 

 

Yes, its the same nib/feed system as the preppy. just in a better body. I would try it out on the preppy first and see if thats what you might like and then do the Plaisir FP. You might be able to take the whole screw part from the preppy and transplant it to the Plaisir? worth a shot.

[Grendel]

The blue pen has a different feed system. if you unscrew the preppy pen and look inside the feed system there is a plastic tube. the pen with the blue ink doesn't have that for some reason or another and it writes wet because of it.

That's because the blue Preppy came w/ a bottle of Noodlers ink. The "tube" is the cartrige seat and is drilled out in those. I'm somewhat sceptical that this works for longer writing sessions because the air exchange is different in these feeds -- the Varsity feed has a slot on the side of the feed for this (works w/ the Varsity's open body), the Preppy feed has an air channel in its core that transports air through the center hole in the section.

 

However, thanks for trying it and making the video -- I find that very interesting. I have a bunch of Varsity's I use to try out inks by refilling them. I use a thin piece of rubber to hold on to the nib/feed and twist-pull them out, that way there's no risk of marring the feed (when using pliers.)

[TheOriginalStevenH]

The blue pen has a different feed system. if you unscrew the preppy pen and look inside the feed system there is a plastic tube. the pen with the blue ink doesn't have that for some reason or another and it writes wet because of it.

That's because the blue Preppy came w/ a bottle of Noodlers ink. The "tube" is the cartrige seat and is drilled out in those. I'm somewhat sceptical that this works for longer writing sessions because the air exchange is different in these feeds -- the Varsity feed has a slot on the side of the feed for this (works w/ the Varsity's open body), the Preppy feed has an air channel in its core that transports air through the center hole in the section.

 

However, thanks for trying it and making the video -- I find that very interesting. I have a bunch of Varsity's I use to try out inks by refilling them. I use a thin piece of rubber to hold on to the nib/feed and twist-pull them out, that way there's no risk of marring the feed (when using pliers.)

 

you know what though, without the rubber there was not even a single scratch, before I had used the rag but I guess it worked out for me. You may be right about the air supply I don't know much about that on the cheap pens but... I've been using all three of them all day yesterday and I've only had one little problem with them. In the pen I did for the video that plastic tube for the ink supply had an air bubble, I had to shake it a few times. I'm sure that the problem will come up every so often but its not that big of a deal. Its not a 100 dollar pen or anything special like that.

[Safari_Camo]

Thanks TheOriginalStevenH very sharp and neat video.

 

I´d like to see a Varsity re- fill video

Edited August 15, 2011 by Safari_Camo

[daniel0731ex]

Hello, exscuse me for reviving this old thread, but I have been encounterin prolems with inkflow on this modification.

 

I noticed that after popping the feed onto the Preppy, it stays on solidly but still have some slight front-and-back room. I'm poundering as whetherI should keep the feed at the forward position or push it all the way against the wall. But it seems that in either cases the ink does not flow quickly to the nib and dries up after writing half a page. I have to let the pen rest for a moment before being able to continue writing.

 

Does yours have the same problem?

 

PS: My ink/paper combination is Sheaffer Skrip blue-black and cheap Hilroy notebook.

[TheOriginalStevenH]

Hello, exscuse me for reviving this old thread, but I have been encounterin prolems with inkflow on this modification.

 

I noticed that after popping the feed onto the Preppy, it stays on solidly but still have some slight front-and-back room. I'm poundering as whetherI should keep the feed at the forward position or push it all the way against the wall. But it seems that in either cases the ink does not flow quickly to the nib and dries up after writing half a page. I have to let the pen rest for a moment before being able to continue writing.

 

Does yours have the same problem?

 

PS: My ink/paper combination is Sheaffer Skrip blue-black and cheap Hilroy notebook.

 

Hi there. I just got my bottle of Sheaffer skrip blue-black today! it is an interesting ink. First lets talk about the feed system. I am surprised at this because if the feed is not fully in there it would leak when you write right? I would recommend putting the feed all the way back until it clicks into place. not much effort should be needed just a gentle push.

 

The main problem as I understand is the way the feed system works, I don't fully understand exactly myself how the nib works on the preppy but the generalization of the ink as a controlled leak is how all fountain pens work. The issue I see is that the feed system in the Varsity is open, there is no back wall no tube where there would be an ink cartridge just space and ink... are you following me. The Preppy has a narrow tube, which gets its ink supply by the ink cartridges. It does not need such a large space so there is that wall with the opening which the Preppy feed system is. The preppy gets its ink from the nib itself, there is a narrow slit coming from the nib to the ink supply, The Varsity is all one piece and when you take the nib off the ink supply you can see this felt piece, kinda like a toothpick wedge in there. The problem we are talking about is how each ink supply system works and the air exchange.

 

I took the toothpick like piece out, and the ink will gush out at random times so it needs to be left on there. I've covered the air exchange ribs with silicone and that seems to work the best. It all depends on how much ink is in the body of the pen. usually half or less works great but.... you get less ink too. Its like a gas bubble gets trapped and it won't let any more ink or air in or out of the system. I find that by turning the pen up right and cracking the body of the pen then tightening it instantly fixes the problem too, but you don't want to be doing that all the time. Shaking helps or just lightly tapping the back of the pen on your desk works sometimes. Now... if I refill the cartridge with my own ink and put it in the pen like it was intended for It last the longest and I usually only have to shake or tap it once in between long writing sessions.

 

The ribs on the Platinum are twice the spacing as the Varsity, so I guess the Preppy needs more air for the ink to come out properly? But then why does the Varsity work the way it works. Probably due to that fact that its open, and the ink supply has no resistance to let air in and ink out.

 

My final guess is if you took the ink system out, drilled a large enough whole to keep the feed from falling in all the way into the pen but let enough ink and air to come and go it should cure the problem.

 

Good luck, I'm glad to know someone other than me has tired this little experiment too.

[daniel0731ex]

http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2009/2/1/128779724973592462.jpg

[weemeng]

Thanks TheOriginalStevenH very sharp and neat video.

 

I´d like to see a Varsity re- fill video

 

Search in youtube for 'refill pilot pen'

[daniel0731ex]

Ok, I did some modification on the feed just now and it worked charms. I first extended the slit at the flat end of the feed all the way to the fibre core with a knife, and then stuck a needle onto the fiber core, protruding out of the nipple and into the body. The ink flowed immediately, I'm sure that it'll countinte to use up all the ink without drying out anymore. I'm not sure whether it was the extension of the slit or the needle that did the job, or if it took the combination of both, but you guys could try it out.

Edited September 30, 2011 by daniel0731ex

[TheOriginalStevenH]

neto

[kb8dnr]

Sorry for the dead thread resurrection, but I've just created three new Varsity Preppy pens.

 

I found that using a syringe to add some olive oil to lubricate the Preppy collector helped with the extraction process.

 

Happy Hacking!

Edited July 15, 2013 by kb8dnr