Twsbi Vac-700 Airplane Flight Test

[GlennPen]

Hello,

 

I just recently received my TWSBI Vac-700 Demonstrator in Medium, and although I am leaving already (oh bittersweet, to receive a pen and not use it immediately right after) from Japan to California, I'd thought it to answer my own question:

 

Can the TWSBI Vac-700 truly withstand leaks on an airplane, be used on-board, and not leak when landing (or even when in use)?

 

http://i.imgur.com/7n1HaOi.jpg

 

To answer this question I've filled my TWSBI with bottled water (so that should it leak or heaven-forbid, explode) to the brim using the technique shown by Brian Goulet, and will have it in my jacket pocket nib up, then when the airplane reaches a constant altitude, I'll begin scribbling first with the water inside the feed with the blind cap closed until it starts to dry out, then open the cap so that water flows to the feed. Hopefully nothing happens other than continuing to write. After about half of the water has been used, I'll close the blind cap, cutting off the water flow, then place it back in my pocket again nib side up. Once I land, I'll check my pen, if there's no water, then we''ll know this pen is perfectly suitable for Airplane carry and use.

 

I'll let you know the results as soon as I get home, and take pictures if possible.

[Lyander0012]

As unreasonable as this sounds, I feel that your experiment might be more fun if you deigned to use actual ink instead of water. Oh, I could probably throw together some slapdash argument about how the dyes in inks could affect the viscosity of the liquid and whatnot, but I'll not risk your laundry.

 

... Although you could, theoretically speaking, use a "washable" ink like Pelikan Royal Blue so that the stains can be easily removed, haha

 

Have a great flight, and also, I'm personally looking forward to seeing the results (my next pen purchase has a shortlist composed of the Vac 700 and the Diamond 580, you see)!

 

Kevin

[Abner C. Kemp]

  On 1/11/2014 at 3:24 PM, Lyander0012 said:

As unreasonable as this sounds, I feel that your experiment might be more fun if you deigned to use actual ink instead of water. Oh, I could probably throw together some slapdash argument about how the dyes in inks could affect the viscosity of the liquid and whatnot, but I'll not risk your laundry.

 

... Although you could, theoretically speaking, use a "washable" ink like Pelikan Royal Blue so that the stains can be easily removed, haha

 

Have a great flight, and also, I'm personally looking forward to seeing the results (my next pen purchase has a shortlist composed of the Vac 700 and the Diamond 580, you see)!

 

Kevin

 

I agree. Ink it!!

[yogalarva]

Haha, I'm going to disagree with Lyander and Abner and say that water sounds like a good idea. :-) Much less embarrassing when you go to deplane if it blobs all over you! Best of luck, and have a good flight!

[Lyander0012]

Haha, it was a jest. I don't want anyone to walk around with a huge patch of ink on their shirt, just for the sake of some stupid experiment XD

 

That aside, still looking forward to the results! Now, if only the pen were more durable, I might just get a Vac instead of a Diamond

 

 

Kevin

[Gardengal97]

Just don't ink it with Diamine oxblood or people with think you have been stabbed. I use Diamine ancient copper a ton and it temporarily stains my hands blood red. I have explain to people that it is ink, then have to usually go through the what is a fountain pen rigamarole.

[Lyander0012]

That sounds like a l pad of fun! Haha, I'd personally enjoy explaining fountain pens to unwilling— er, uninitiated masses on a regular basis XD

[GlennPen]

Finally unpacked and here's the results:

 

First, I emptied the pen of water and filled it instead with Noodler's Black Swan in English Roses to the brim on the advice of Lyander0012 (not the specific ink, just ink in general).

 

http://i.imgur.com/jPfA4fl.jpg

 

Before I left Japan, I couldn't help but have a last Japanese meal:

 

http://i.imgur.com/Wg437Ba.jpg

 

Yum...anyway!

 

Here's the plane, a Boeing 787

 

http://i.imgur.com/hx1wTPb.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OOY8TT9.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/krUl9Om.jpg

 

On the plane I pulled out the pen and held onto it nib up as it made its way across the runway and started to ascend. Watched the nib the entire time, and though there was a small 1-cm wide bubble, nothing happened (blind cap engaged i.e. screwed down and cap was on). After reaching an altititude where the service carts were making their way down the passenger aisles, I then twisted off the cap and began to write on my Rhodia pad.

 

http://i.imgur.com/c5nQ3Va.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/GD5tDG4.jpg

 

I was kind of lazy to "write and write" until the pen was half empty (because I mean look at that, quite a capacity to of ink to go through), but it is safe to say that you can write with this pen with the ink flow on with no change in writing performance and it will not leak with the blind cap screwed down, nib up, either filled or partially filled, landing or taking off.

[Tas]

Yay!

(That bowl looked stunning)

[Lyander0012]

For one thing, I absolutely love Japanese food; you have my envy. Also, I didn't actually expect you to load it up with ink, so thanks! Haha, I'm glad that there were no accidents, and that the pen performs as well as eexpected of it.

 

Thanks for taking the time to do this!

[WaskiSquirrel]

I'm glad you did this. I'm hoping to visit my parents next summer (they live in Pennsylvania and I live in North Dakota). It sounds like I should be able to take a vac-filler and some ink with me!

[GlennPen]

  On 1/15/2014 at 3:45 AM, Lyander0012 said:

For one thing, I absolutely love Japanese food; you have my envy. Also, I didn't actually expect you to load it up with ink, so thanks! Haha, I'm glad that there were no accidents, and that the pen performs as well as eexpected of it.

 

Thanks for taking the time to do this!

 

 

  On 1/15/2014 at 4:04 AM, Waski_the_Squirrel said:

I'm glad you did this. I'm hoping to visit my parents next summer (they live in Pennsylvania and I live in North Dakota). It sounds like I should be able to take a vac-filler and some ink with me!

 

You're welcome guys! I couldn't really find info on using fountain pens on the plane as opposed to just carrying them, so I thought I'd answer the question myself, at least with this particular pen.

[heldercgrande]

Hello everyone.

I have done this experiment about a year ago with my Pelikan M200. A flight from France to Brazil, with the pen half inked (real ink). I kept the nib up during take off and landing. Everything went well, no leaks at all. Sorry, I have no photos to prove.

The Pelikan M200 is a piston filler pen. But the point is to hold the nib up during take off, so the air can scape free and not push the ink in its way out from the pen reservoir, due the lowering of air pressure.

You can (I believe) travel with any fountain pen inked up IF the nib is up.

There is a really nice video done by Brian Goulet on his site/blog (Goulet Pens Company) about flying with a fountain pen, in the videos Fountain pen 101. There he explains about every situation possible to fly with your FP. See below.

http://www.gouletpens.com/Fountain_Pen_101_s/1135.htm

I think an interesting experiment would be fly with the Vac 700 in an horizontal position. Since this pen has this very special system to prevent leaking. But when opening the blind cap, hold the pen nib up, so the air scape free.

[Tweel]

I've just returned from a trip to San Francisco with four pens: a Sheaffer Compact II (cartridge pen), a Pelikan M400 and an M800 (piston), and a Parker Deluxe Duofold (button filler). On the way out, the pens were completely topped off with ink and I managed to keep them nib-up. On the way home, all had a little of their ink used, and they ended up laying on their sides. None of the pens "burped" on either leg of the trip. So, with a modicum of caution I'd think the FP user would be A-OK.

 

Now, I just have to snow-blow the driveway so I can get the car back into the garage...

[Houston Ships]

I have done quite a bit of flying with fountain pens. There are a few things I have figured out:

 

1. Pens with sacs don't usually fly well. Rigid reservoirs, such as piston fill or solid body converter fill usually work well.

 

2. Keep the nibs upright when not in use, especially during take off and landing.

 

3. Keep a paper napkin handy when opening pen tops.

 

4. It is possible to write during ascent and descent.

 

5. If you are still worried, take the pen out of your pocket and clip inside the air sickness bag during take off and landing.

 

6. Keep the nibs up!

[Green Ink]

Wonderful topic and Japanese food. Thank you for the experiment!

[Portamenti]

  On 6/7/2014 at 2:45 AM, Houston Ships said:

I have done quite a bit of flying with fountain pens. There are a few things I have figured out:

 

1. Pens with sacs don't usually fly well. Rigid reservoirs, such as piston fill or solid body converter fill usually work well.

 

2. Keep the nibs upright when not in use, especially during take off and landing.

 

3. Keep a paper napkin handy when opening pen tops.

 

4. It is possible to write during ascent and descent.

 

5. If you are still worried, take the pen out of your pocket and clip inside the air sickness bag during take off and landing.

 

6. Keep the nibs up!

 

I was just on a flight returning from Florida to Montreal the other day after a week's vacation with my Missus and my infant son. In between all of the baby passing, I rushed to fill out our customs form, and I forgot rule #6... So my shorts were treated to a decent splattering of MB Mystery Black when I opened the blind valve of my Vac700 for more ink. I blotted a bunch out, and then stain treated it the next day... luckily the shorts were saved!

 

My pride... bruised. And I've been enduring enough teasing from Missus...

 

I hope to not forget this lesson!

 

-P