Kaigelu 316 Grey- Amber

[drgoretex]

I'd be interested in what you both think of the pens.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

My Kaigelu 316 arrived a couple days ago, so I inked it up and have been using it at work, gave me a good chance to compare impression against my Duofold Centennials.

 

1 - agree, the Kaigelu is much heavier, and I'm not sure I'm fond of the weight being at the back end of the barrel. Feels a bit awkward.

 

2 - The white with black swirl is translucent, allowing one to see the nib, converter, etc. Not a big deal, but I don't believe that's the case with the Parker Duofold. Still looks very nice, though.

 

3 - The pen feels solid and well-built. It feels like a pen that is worth a LOT more than the $22 shipped I paid for it.

 

4 - the clip is very sturdy, and tight. Better than some expensive pens I have.

 

5 - The cap finial logo is cute, but I agree - the Parker Duofold centennial cap decoration is far nicer.

 

6 - The converter is screw-in, as you noted, and I have to say, I kind of like that. It is definitely secure, and won't fall out if you drop your pen. Holds a reasonable amount of ink. The twist handle on the converter is a little 'looser' than that on the real Parker.

 

7 - The nib was already reasonable smooth out of the wrap. I shaped and smoothed it a bit to my liking, and it writes quite beautifully now. At least as well as my Duofolds.

 

I am also comparing it to a couple of different pens I have closer to this price range - the Parker Urban (I paid $40, though you can find it for $25), and the Lamy Safari. The Kaigelu feels like similar quality to the Urban, and feels like better quality than the Safari (don't get me wrong, I love my Safari, but it does have the 'cheap plastic' feel to it).

 

In summary - I prefer my Duofolds, but then I paid about twenty times as much for them, which is WAY out out of proportion to the difference in quality. The Kaigelu is a good pen. I am going to lump this in with such pens as the Lamy Safari and the Parker Urban as 'very good pens under $50'.

 

Ken

[senzen]

What an enjoyable review; it's the first Chinese pen I've found interesting... Pity it doesn't come in black and silver! Or better yet, transparent with silver accents!

[ogopogo]

Does anyone know if there is a ballpoint refill that will fit the rollerball model of this pen?

[Kugelschreiber]

Does anyone know if there is a ballpoint refill that will fit the rollerball model of this pen?

 

 

Schmidt made a bp refill to replace standard rb refills. I recall using one of these refills years ago in both Rotring and Aurora rollers. I'm not sure if it is still being made and I'm not sure even of the dimensions of the Kaigelu refill.

[richardandtracy]

Sorry, I have no idea. Don't have any rollerballs, as they'd never get used.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

 

 

[jetskijetski]

My new discount price is $19.99 and you should get the pen in 3 days verses 3 weeks.

 

I got my Gray/Amber from you before your "new" price and still feel it was worth it. As a "newby" fountain pen collector, it is definitely the best eye candy I currently have. If I were diabetic, I would be in a coma just from feasing my eyes on it. AND mine wrote a perfect wet line right out of the box, so to speak. It is just beautiful. I'm not a "post-er" either, so the weight is kind of nice for me.

[Noto]

hi!! exist the Kaigelu 316 total black ?

[richardandtracy]

If you mean plain, glossy black like the Mont Blanc, then no. The Charcoal version has a beautiful pearlescence and looks absolutely amazing. The Charcoal is generally black, but much more interesting. To see a photo of my one, look here: http://www.fountainp...u-316-charcoal/

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

Edited October 13, 2012 by richardandtracy

[Noto]

black as the Parker Duofold Black!!

 

I like that color

[richardandtracy]

...Secondly, how is the barrel made - is the black back part glued on to the rest of it, or is it all molded as one part?

Sorry, I'd not noticed this until today. :embarrassed_smile:

 

The black finial is machined from brass and glued into the end of the acrylic barrel tube.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[Thier.]

I think that I'm going to buy one ...... It seems so great (and cheap !!!!!)

[deepak23]

Ordered one. Now waiting the 3 odd weeks for it to come. The tipping point for me was the barrel mod that Richard had posted elsewhere. Dont like too heavy pens. People have also tried fitting in #6 Jowo nibs and have reported them to be a bit bigger. I have some spare Schmidt units that I am thinking will fit as these are slightly smaller than the Jowos. Will let y'all know how it goes.

[richardandtracy]

I have succeeded in getting Jowo's in. They are a bit tight, and I managed to rip the tipping off one with pliars when I wanted to remove it. However, that gave me the excuse to make a broad stub out of it.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[Jerry000g]

Greetings Richard, are you still casting any barrel finals for the 316s? If so, how might I go about purchasing a few? I have 5 of these now and after replacing the nibs on a couple, I just cant put them down. I compare them to my Duofold all the time and if it weren't for the need for a better nib, heavier plating and acrylic finals, they would be right on par with the quality of my Parkers. If Kaigelu can produce a pen of the quality of the 316 and sell it for less than $20 USD, I know that they could address all those issues and produce a 316 deluxe model and market it for less than $40, and I would take the first 10!!!!!!

[richardandtracy]

PM Sent.

 

Richard

[Inky.Fingers]

WOW ... HEAVY BRASS.

 

Thanks Richard for your help. Sizzling hot water did soften the silicon glue that they use (whoosh...the smell).

 

The barrel filial is all brass!!! So heavy. That makes the cap's filial also of brass. I feel like just got out of the gym.

 

Any one making filial replacements for these Kaigelu 316? Thanks

[gahim]

I would also be interested in acrylic replacement finals for the Kaigelu 316. The original brass finial is really too heavy and makes the pen unbalanced. Any advice on where to get replacement finials would be most appreciated

[Inky.Fingers]

[Helen350]

 

Love the look of this black/grey Kaigelu 316. I see you got the finial off. Hope Richard will be able to help you.

[MontPelikan]

Hello everyone!

A short review could be found here:

https://youtu.be/vtp2VI_pQAE

 

Thank you for watching!

 

MontPelikan