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So I got this tiny Sheaffer at an antique mall this morning. Can't pull the piston out more then maybe 5mm. White Dot, Lifetime, Triumph Nib, Vac Filler, Striated Barrel. No idea of what to label it as. But it looks cute and while I might gently try to take it apart it will probably be shipped off to RonZ to be restored

Hi all, I am finishing my repair of a Balance Vac, and I am trying to set the nib and feed, and they will not seat in the section far enough in! I have never had this problem before. I have attempted to reseat it about 5 times. Every time I find myself exerting more force than I believe is a proper amount and so I back off, say a few chosen words, scratch my head, knock it back out, and figure out what the hell is wrong. I have looked inside the section, I do not see any old nib edge marks to see where it was seated before (this is my fault for not doing this when I took it apart). I have rotated where I attempt to place the nib and feed when inserting it...the only other thing I can THINK of is to set the section in the freezer or fridge (for a brief few minutes) to get it to shrink and therefore expand the size of the section hole, but that is just pure speculation as I try to figure out how to get this darn thing back in. It is the nib and feed that came/original with the pen, so it's not that I am trying to replace these parts. I am out of ideas. Any suggestions?

I’m seeking vac fillers which have 1.5mm stub or italic nibs (do they exist?) and/or 1.5mm stub or italic nibs which fit TWSBI GO and/or SWIPE vac fillers. Do these exist? (They need not be from TWSBI — I enjoy Frankenpenning.) Also, what chance is there of anyone being able to persuades TWSBI to resume making their 1.5 mm stub nib? Oh — by the way — what does TWSBI stand for, anyway? I assume that it abbreviates something, and that it may be abbreviating something in Chinese. I don’t know much Chinese, but I do know that a word which sounds like “bee” Is the Chinese word for a pen or pencil, So I wouldn’t be surprised to find that the company name is short for something Chinese.

Hello again to all my FPN friends, Today the long awaited Penbbs 456 vac-filler arrived in the mail, so I thought I'd give everyone still waiting for theirs on the slow boat from China to see what they have to look forward to. Below are just a few impressions after filling it up and taking it for a test drive. - The pen just exudes quality! The translucent blue material looks thick and sturdy. The pen just feels very solid and sturdily constructed. - The 456 is just a tad longer than the 309, but notably heavier due to the additional metal parts (see comparison photos below). - It posts securely, the most securely of any Penbbs pen I own. - The clip is one of the best I've seen on a Chinese pen. It's just the right amount of springiness and slides very smoothly only whatever it is clipped too. Unlike previous Penbbs models, the end of the clip isn't just folded over metal, but appears to be a separate piece welded on. - The vacuum mechanism worked perfectly on the first try and filled up a little more than half the ink chamber with one pump. I'm so happy to have been able to try this filling system without having to pay $70+ for a TWSBI. I've owned TWSBIs before and I'd say the 456 actually feels more solid. - Although the section threads are metal going against the cap's threaded acrylic, uncapping and capping the pen is very smooth and secure. The metal threads on the section are smooth and I have no problem actually resting my fingers on the threads when writing (something I have to do given the issue below). - The only negative point for me is the balance. The pen is back heavy even when not posted. This probably won't be an issue for people with larger hands. However, with my small hands I must hold the pen on the section threads in order to obtain a comfortable balance for writing. Otherwise the angle of the pen decreases from how I normally write. - As for the nib, it's a super smooth two-tone #6 Penbbs nib. It writes a little on the dry side, but the filling method ensures that there's plenty of ink in the feed to keep it going. The nib has the classic Penbbs slight bend to it which can actually make a little bit of line variation, what I would call "semi-architect." Downstrokes are about 0.5mm while sidestrokes can vary from 0.3 to 0.8 depending on the writing angle. Ink fly increases with pressure, but there's nothing in the way of flex. All in all, I think Penbbs has created their best product yet and can't wait to see what they come up with next! Comparisons (from left to right: Pelikan M215, Lingmo Lorelei, Platinum 3776 Century, Penbbs 308, Penbbs 309, Penbbs 456) Writing (slight line variation between vertical and horizontal strokes)

Hi all. I have a striated Sheaffer vac filler (short pen about 120mm capped, not a Tuckaway kind of short, but also not a Balance long either.). I think it might be a Statesman but the question is more generic: The vac fill unit: If I pull the plunger back and then push it forward, sometimes, against a light source, I see a piece behind the plunger that moves loosely forward, and it can be pushed to the back of the pen again if I pull the plunger back. Does anybody know what I'm talking about? What is this piece, and what effect does it have? The pen still creates a vacuum and fills, but also if I pull the rod back, little ink droplets come out on the rod too, and I'm not sure they should. What is the best way or tool to disassemble this particular pen. Best regards

So I recently purchased a TWSBI Vac Mini in Smoke from my local fountain pen store. I must say the filling mechanism is super cool and it writes really well, however, I am having an issue with it and I am seeking FPN community input. Today when I was writing, I noticed some ink drops on my thumb and the side of my middle finger where the grip section/cap threads would normally rest on my hand. My immediate thought was that there was a crack in the pen and that it was leaking onto my fingers. However, when I ran that section of the pen across some paper, there was no ink left behind nor was there any additional ink drip after more writing. I inspected the grip and cap threads with a flashlight and a laser pointer to see if there were any cracks and failed to see anything (in a way this was perhaps unsurprising as I never dropped the pen before). This left me thinking, could it just be ink trickle from being bounced around in my knapsack, or is there actually a crack in the pen I should look to get repaired? Has anyone else experienced something similar before? Thanks for any input!

Hello, I've recently repaired a few Sheaffer vac-fillers using the method I often see in these parts of drilling through the barrel to the packing unit and picking out the rubber and felt. I then came across this method by Grandmia, in which he says that he soaked and heated the barrel, before using a dowel to knock out the packing unit for repair. I'm keenly interested in this method, what with the difficulty of alternatively picking out the packing unit through the barrel. Has anyone else tried this? Approximately how long does the barrel need to be soaked? (I've been soaking for three days and the packing unit is not budging at all). Video by Grandmia: Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Can I use visconti HM oversize dreamtouch nib to twsbi vac 700? I saw some article that it can, and some said it can't.

Well, the original design as I got tons of mails for this pen, its available finally, although its a very difficult pen to do so it takes time. The system has been tested over 6 months now, the first VAC are shipping by the end of novemeber (the carbon fiber version) A video will be posted soon with the pen in action. A really different pen, even for our standards. https://www.venvstas.com/shamash enjoy.

FINALLY! the "vacumatic" it's available. Venvstas V.A.C.Characteristics: Materials: Carbon fiber body and fiberglass. Carbon fiber feed with carbon fiber nib casing. Carbon fiber mechanism. System: Vacumatic type w/piston; exposed button with locking system (no blind cap). Spring action. 2.2ml of effective ink capacity.Nibs: 6mm 14k EF/F/M/B/1.1 Dimensions: Length capped 155mm uncapped 152mm width min 9mm, max 11mm Weight 18gNumber of units to be manufactured: 20Delivery expected in November. Carbon Fiber Pen Case included Here is a link to the pen. https://www.venvstas.com/vac

I just got a TWSBI 580. I love everything about it except the length when posted. I do not love it unposted as its too short for me. I'm looking at a Mini or Vac Mini to replace the 580. Which do you prefer? The Vac Mini is a bit longer posted so right now that's leading the race.

In the world of fountain pens, there are forgettable pens and famous pens…. and then there are the icons. Those are the pens that have a wide appeal and a cult like following. You may love them or not, but there is no denying their impact and the passion they generate amongst devotees. One of these icons is the Parker “51”. There is an abundance of information about these great pens, and I will make no attempt to repeat all the details. I will simply point out that there are two primary filling systems used in the life of the pen – the vacuumatic plunger filler and the aerometric filler. The vac filler was the first system used and I draw this distinction because the pen I am reviewing uses this method. Sometimes iconic pens inspire tributes or fantasy versions where people create a pen they want to see, but it never came from the factory. When this is done with the intention to add character or widen the scope of a pen, I think it has the potential to be a thing of beauty. (When it is done to deceive or to make a pen that is represented as a rare factory original, I find this despicable and blight on our hobby.) There are many folks who have created so called fantasy “51” pens including Ariel Kullock, Paul Rossi, Ralph Prather, and Brad Torelli. Each has their strengths and their products cover a wide range of prices, depending on materials, hours invested, and parts used. While I admire the work or all four men, the pens that appeal the most to me in general are those by Brad Torelli. Although he is a master of many pen skills, plastics are the area of expertise he focused on for this pen. He essentially took standard “51” vac parts and crafted a new barrel, hood and blind cap. In addition, he put new jewels on the top and bottom of the pen to make is a “double jewel” or DJ version of the pen. This particular pen is a demonstrator in a lovely transparent brown, almost the color of a refreshing root beer. I find the color pairs well with the gold cap. The transparency also gives one a real appreciation for the mechanics of these pens. Manually creating a vacuum to pull ink through the collector and breather tube in order to fill the ink chamber – simple but effective. One of the best things about Brad’s pens is the warranty. He likes to say he offers a lifetime guarantee on his work and his materials. The part that always amuses me is that he means his lifetime. I have no desire to publicly share his current age, but he has joked that he probably has 20 good years ahead and then maybe another 5 or 10 so so years (so get that warranty work done!). In all seriousness, I have personal experience with him standing behind his work and going above and beyond what any large manufacturer would do in support of their pens. Besides the giant pain in the rear it is to clean a “51” vac, the other issue for me personally is the limited range of nib widths available. To remedy this I turned to a custom retipped nib from Greg Minuskin. Greg sells a lot of “51” nibs that he retips and stubs in various widths. The one I picked was a fairly broad 1.3MM tip and Brad mounted in into his pen for me. Now I have a demo pen with a tip that is wide enough to suit my preferences. I’ll close by saying that if, like me, you found the Parker “51” a little lacking from the factory the good news is there are artists who can make your desires a reality. I have a soft spot for demo pens, wide stubs, and pens hand made by artisans. This pen met all these criteria in one slim, iconic form factor.

Hello, I recently got back in to fountain pens and have been conflicted as to my next fountain pen. My first pen was a crappy jinhao, which was quickly followed by some other unknown Chinese knockoff of a lamy, and then shortly by a borrowed blue-gold waterman expert (it's my mom's. I love writing with it but want my own pen because she'll get mad at me if I damage it because it was really expensive at the time and is no longer available). and before anyone says anything, I personally don't like the more inexpensive Lamys, I don't find them to be comfortable. More recently I have also tried out a rOtring 600 (currently discontinued) which I like, however the lack of a knurled grip on the model I have, the cap, and terrible balance when posted are huge put-offs. I have come down to a somewhat wide list and can't decide on what to get: The Noodler's Konrad (probably one of the ebonite or acrylic ones) The Kaweco Sport (basically any of them, but most likely one of the non-metal ones as they cost less) Any of TWSBI's pens (basically all of TWSBI's pens fit my criteria, however I can't pick one over the other) As you can clearly tell these are relatively inexpensive pens. I am a student right now, which is why these pens are all pretty inexpensive. I want to bring the pen around with me to my classes. I walk between all my classes up and down a 3-story building and it's pretty long. I store my pens more diagonally or horizontally when not in use (when they are in my bag, as my backpack rests at a diagonal angle across my back). I like to be able to post my pens, as it means I don't need to keep track of the cap as I don't like holding the cap in my other hand, however most times I post my fountain pens or someone else's I find it to be either unbalanced or just uncomfortable as the edge of the cap irritates the side of my hand (this is especially the case on the Waterman, where when I post it the edge of the cap digs into my hand slightly). in case it matters, I use purple/violet ink, currently I am using the J. Herbin scented Violet ink (I love this stuff), however I am considering switching to something like Waterman's Tender Purple or some other purple/violet ink (suggestions?) I really like the look and design of the Kaweco, but the use of a converter is a bit of a put-off as I would prefer I be able to fill it once and have it last me a while. I like the look and design of the Noodler's a lot too however I worry it may require fidgeting with which is something I really would rather not do (and if I don't like the flex nib I could always replace it with some other nib, but then I need to do that... Again with the fidgeting). And on the topic of the TWSBI pens, they basically all fit my criteria, they appear to be a safe bet but I can't pick one in particular (580 vs classic vs mini vs maybe the vac700 or vac mini) I just can't decide. Help would be very greatly appreciated.

Hi has anyone idea ... Whether the material on VAC 700 especially the Amber, Smoke and Sapphire is the same as used in 540 ... and is that also more prone to cracks as was 540....

Apparently I got it backwards...? So THIS is a '51' Vac?... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Parker-51-Vacumatic-Pen-Maroon-w-Silver-Two-Tone-Top-/201446893941?hash=item2ee72ba975 and THIS is a '51' Aerometric?... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Parker-51-Aerometric-Fountain-Pen-Pencil-Set-1940s-Canada-/171967097205?hash=item280a09a975 I stand corrected...? Now that there is the World Wide Super Highway, you think that it would be easier to discern these things... LOL-apologies in advance, long day of teaching........

Hi all, I am coming of of my first pen (Lamy Safari) and I was wondering which of the two you would recommend and why. The price of the 580 is much more appealing to me ($60 vs $85), and I don't know if the Vac is worth the extra cost. Thanks!

Hi all, After doing some reading I'm looking to replace the seals on an old Sheaffer Junior Vac Balance I've got lying around. Anyone know where's a good place to source the necessary parts, preferably in the U.K.? Thanks, Badger