Onoto K4

[olivier78860]

http://i.imgur.com/xNxlj.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/y3ATs.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rEF2j.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Dr7tS.jpg http://i.imgur.com/kqMq8.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/AGl1V.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/QUnPr.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/CgMh4.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YPWrJ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YUnuT.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ycsuH.jpg http://i.imgur.com/ZrSEv.jpg

 

Dimensions :

Pen closed : 13.2 cm

Cap : 6.3 cm

Uncapped : 12.1 cm

Posted : 15.7 cm

Diameter, at ink window's level : 1.2 cm

Diameter, just above the nib (at joint's level) : 0.7 cm

[richardandtracy]

That's interesting. Thanks for the review.

 

I have bid sporadically on these, but have never won one - possibly because I've never seen a review with enough detail to make me want one seriously.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[olivier78860]

Thanks. I just noticed the nib unit was slipped into the body, making the section/nib unit misalignement problem solved.

Also, this makes the pen very easy to flush. Just remove the nib unit and pour water.

Some more photos :

http://i.imgur.com/t4yyB.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/fovbF.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/ynDPT.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/WcoY0.jpg

 

I didn't solve the ink-flow issue yet, because the feed and the nib seem to be tightly fit inside the inner-section. I'll leave this to an expert.

[georges zaslavsky]

very nice and original pen thanks for sharing

[breaker]

nice review and pics!

thanks!

[welch]

I have about four of these: both snap-caps and screw-on caps. Got them, over time, because a piston-filling P51 sounds like a good idea.

 

- Very light-weight plastic. Much lighter than a 51.

 

- I have never found one with much tipping material. Maybe that was the design or maybe the "irridium" worse off easily. Had Mike Masuyama tune one, which came back writing like an italic.

 

- The piston is well-done. Onoto stopped making these pens about 1956, but they still work as neatly as last year's Pelikan 200.

 

- I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a little hair-dryer heat would let me unscrew the hood. Thought they were impossible to work on. I'm pretty sure that Onoto did not expect people to tinker with them, especially not 50 years later.

 

- The flow has been OK on mine. It's the nib that's a problem...un-Onoto-like

 

- Still seems like a good idea that almost worked out.

[olivier78860]

Thanks for the additional information, Welch !

[stephanos]

I bought one of these quite some time ago. It wrote OK when I got it - smooth, but with problematic flow. I had to press quite firmly to get a decent line and the flow was patchy - much like the OP's first photo.

 

So I ended up putting it away.

A few months ago, I returned to it and took it apart. This post was very helpful. Flushed it, cleaned it thoroughly, put it back together again. Still no joy.

So then I played around with the nib (gently!) and now it writes like a dream. Beautiful, juicy wet line (how I like it). I can leave it uncapped for half-an-hour and have the pen start again the moment it touches the paper (I tested). And although it doesn't feel as solid as the iconic, legendary Parker 51, I think the piston/ink window makes it a more useful item and (dare I say it) I prefer it.

The only thing is to not forget to put a little silicone grease on the threads for the hood when you put it back together...

 

(edited to spell "silicone" correctly)

Edited January 6, 2016 by stephanos