Conid Slimline Bulkfiller

[hanryy]

 

There are a few reviews of the regular, and kingsized Bulkfillers, but to my knowledge there is little reference to the slimline on the English speaking boards. So below I submit my opinions on this writing instrument:

 

When I first heard that there was a new filling system on the block I was immediately intrigued. The bulkfiller mechanism is reminiscent of the telescoping piston mechanism used in vintage Montblancs.

 

For those that don’t know: The telescoping piston mechanism differs from your modern piston fillers in that the volume of all the moving parts is reduced by having the stroke recess into itself, aka telescoping. A smaller footprint in the barrel results in a higher ink capacity. A true mechanical marvel. These pistons were typically made out of brass giving those pens a very nice heft. Fountainbel has a very nice schematic of this ingenious filler here.

 

In fact, I think that comparison is quite appropriate. In my humble opinion the telescoping piston system was the best engineered ink intake system up until now. Conid’s website has a nice video demonstrating how their filling mechanism works. It is really simple to use. The new Bulkfiller just slightly edges out in front due to the ink shut off valve and double reservoir. My apologies for my bluntness, but I am trying to give really high praise here.

 

 

 

The specific model I have is the Slimline. I have never been a fan of huge pens. Posted the Slimline is the perfect size for me. The size is almost identical to a vintage Montblanc 142 with the previously mentioned brass telescoping piston filler. Shown below my gray-green striated celluloid 142. The build quality is top notch. The Delrin plastic truly is a new tactile sensation. Silky is a great way to describe it. The titanium trim is titanium...light and strong. I’m a metallurgist so I’m not as impressed perhaps Titanium is not the most scratch resistant material and difficult to work with. Anodized Aluminum would has a nice matt finish that is quite scratch resistant, but not nearly as sexy sounding.

 

 

Posting of the cap feels extremely stable and I have no fears of the cap falling off. They sit on the double O-rings on the filler knob. Functional and aesthetically pleasing. I prefer a little more weight toward the front of the pen when posted so all the metal trim throws it off just slightly. But here I am being nitpicky. Anodized tantalum threads in the section would be something that catches my attention and add some quality heft to the front end, but that single modification would probably increase the price of the pen by 50-75%....

 

 

The laser etchings of the cap bands and are simple, understated and elegant - although not particularly deep. Production volume of these pens is small and they are made completely from machined parts. I believe that the titanium clip is machined using a wire EDM (electric discharge machining). If you look closely enough you can see the signs of machining on the cap and clip. Not defects, but signs that these are indeed turned individually.

 

 

You might have noticed that my Slimline does not have a Bock nib. I ordered the pen with both B steel and F titanium plumes. Both nibs wrote beautifully and I would highly recommend both. However like most modern nibs, they lacked the character of vintage gold. Luckily I have a Waterman Ideal no.5 nib that was easily outfitted to the pen (some modification of the feed was required). And now it writes a beautiful XF flex line.

 

 

The Bock feed does an excellent job keeping the flex nib happy with wet modern inks (iroshizuku inks notably). However the very dry iron gall inks I tend to use (R&K Scabiosa) leave me with railroads on occasion. At the end of the day, I do not actually flex very much so it is not an issue. This set-up does an excellent job!

 

 

The Slimline is supposed to be a "smaller pen" but besides being ~1cm shorter than a Lamy 2000 or Pilot Vanishing point, it is still a great size.

 

Overall the Conid Slimline Bulkfiller is a fantastic pen: engineered to perfection, completely self-serviceable. Industrial is a good way to describe it. To me at least, pens are tools so I for one can’t imagine higher praise.

[Lince]

Great review, nice picture, and a great pen by the way. Some day, maybe some day...

Thanks!!

[da vinci]

Great review, thanks

 

The comparison photos to show size were particularly helpful. I prefer the Classique to the 149, and anticipate that I will prefer the slimline to the Kingsize based on your comments.

 

Could you comment on the titanium nibs? I appreciate you are not using one of the original nibs now, but would be interested in how they performed and any deeper insights on the reason for swapping the nib out.

[hanryy]

Thank you both Lince and da vinci for the kind words!

 

As for the titanium nib, it is a fantastic nib. Very smooth and definitely has more character than most steel or gold nibs. But please make sure to note that it is not in the same class as vintage flex. I would say that of the two writing samples I have posted, you could get a similar amount of variation as the first writing sample (with writing parallel to the pen body) with ease and no fear of overstretching the titanium. However if you press, and it does take quite a bit of force, you could get more variation, but still less than the flourish in my second writing sample. Pushing it that far may splay out the titanium nib a little, but this is not terrible as you can bend it back by pressing the nib upside down, at about 30 degrees angle from the paper, firmly to get the nib tines touching again. The titanium will be fairly forgiving with this process...

 

I got a standard F nib and it writes wet and in my experience in line with Western F - it could compare to a Japanese M. The feed being a standard plastic feed also has no trouble at all keeping up with the titanium nib. Aesthetically I think the titanium nib actually looks better than the gold nib. The matte dark metallic color really matches the trim well.

 

I had originally planned to switch out the nib for a vintage nib at the time of purchase. So that decision was more premeditated and in no way due to short comings of the titanium nib. I paid the extra cash to get the titanium nib anyway because it is still fantastic to use!

[chrisrap52]

Great review. I have not touched a Conid. I am also a metallurgist & appreciate material design. Next pen show I will look for one to touch. I also love vintage Watermans nibs. Can you elaborate on what feed modifications were needed to accommodate the Watermans #5 nib?

[hanryy]

  On 5/17/2015 at 11:59 AM, Chrisrap said:

Great review. I have not touched a Conid. I am also a metallurgist & appreciate material design. Next pen show I will look for one to touch. I also love vintage Watermans nibs. Can you elaborate on what feed modifications were needed to accommodate the Watermans #5 nib?

 

Thank you Chrisrap, Good to see another metallurgist on FPN

 

My waterman no.5 nib has the correct curvature/radius to fit on the Bock no.5. feeds, but it is a good few mm longer. 5mm longer from my memory. So on the feed there is a recess for the nib to sit in that needs to be carved out deeper. I accomplish this using a razor blade very carefully. I also carve out the center channel a little deeper to allow for enhanced ink flow. But here you have to be careful. Once you cut some out, you cant put it back in. And if you cut out too much you will have flooding...

 

Last note, just because my waterman no.5 nib fits doesn't mean all waterman no.5 nibs will fit. My understanding of vintage nibs is that the size and numbering system were not standard. That is to say that even within the same numbered nib they can be different size and shape...

[WDP4BAAZ]

A true engineering marvel , thanks

[pavoni]

Super review hanryy.

 

Whilst I am a non-technical myself, I always enjoy the findings of 'technicals' on these Conid pens, particularly when the reviews are done with such passion

 

The references to vintage Montblanc and its famed filling system are recognisable, given the designer's (Fountainbel) known appreciation and admiration for the wonderful Montblanc pens of that particular period.

 

As one of the early Conid customers, I am excited to see Conid broadening its product line and reaching more fountain pen users. The excellent partnership of Fountainbel and Conid deserves its success and, with the now proven advantage of enabling the User to adapt their new Conid pen to their favourite vintage nibs, as so superbly demonstrated by hanryy, surely the reputation and future of these marvellous pens is assured.

 

Pavoni.

(currently saving for a Kingsize - with vintage nib already waiting)

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

Edited May 18, 2015 by pavoni

[Edsal17]

Can you speak to how the feel of derlin compares to the maklaron of the Lamy 2000? The only experience I have with derlin is with belt buckle I own and I have trouble imaging it as a pen.

[hanryy]

  On 5/18/2015 at 8:11 PM, Edsal17 said:

Can you speak to how the feel of derlin compares to the maklaron of the Lamy 2000? The only experience I have with derlin is with belt buckle I own and I have trouble imaging it as a pen.

 

hmm...i guess I would describe the maklaron to be smooth and stiff feeling. When you run your finger along the barrel of the Lamy 2000 with a bit of pressure there is a stick-n-slip motion. This is related to the higher friction constant of the maklaron compared to Delrin. So the Delrin is smoother and your finger glides along it. But it is not slippery either. I would compare it to the feeling of well done etched glass on the touchpads of high end laptops. But the difference is the Delrin is warmer to the touch than etched glass.

 

I hope this is somewhat clear and doesnt leave you more confused then at the beginning....

[Frank C]

My Conid bulkfiller regular-size arrived yesterday. I agree with your statements above. I also got the Fine Titanium Nib. It is about the same as a Japanese medium.

 

I am glad to see the metallurgists weigh in on these topics. Do you know why vintage flex nibs flex better? Couldn't a modern nib maker duplicate those qualities?

[Doug C]

  On 5/21/2015 at 12:58 PM, Frank C said:

My Conid bulkfiller regular-size arrived yesterday. I agree with your statements above. I also got the Fine Titanium Nib. It is about the same as a Japanese medium.

 

I am glad to see the metallurgists weigh in on these topics. Do you know why vintage flex nibs flex better? Couldn't a modern nib maker duplicate those qualities?

I also got my Slimline yesterday with the fine Titanium nib. Fantastic pen.

[hanryy]

  On 5/21/2015 at 12:58 PM, Frank C said:

My Conid bulkfiller regular-size arrived yesterday. I agree with your statements above. I also got the Fine Titanium Nib. It is about the same as a Japanese medium.

 

I am glad to see the metallurgists weigh in on these topics. Do you know why vintage flex nibs flex better? Couldn't a modern nib maker duplicate those qualities?

 

The vintage flex nibs are flexible because of their chemical composition and tempering that result in a metal with a high strength, low stiffness and large elastic strain limit. (please forgive the technical babble.) I am sure a modern nib maker could duplicate the process relatively easily. The only issue is that it would not be profitable. I think the general shape of the nibs are quite different so new tooling would be needed and labor costs are much much higher than they were back in the hey-day. Flex nibs are also inherently more prone to damage since people aren't raised learning how to "properly" use a pen during primary school any more. So I imagine that having flex nibs in any large production volume of pens would result in a lot of returns, and damaged display pens at stores. I feel as if 90% of the Pilot vanishing points I see in actual brick-and-mortor stores have their tines splayed apart I don't want to imagine the horrific abuse flex nibs on display would endure!

 

You see everyone here on FPN talking about flex nibs like it's normal, but we are in a small niche. Enjoy it though! Because it's a small community quality vintage flex pens can be had for relatively cheap on the bay...

[prf5]

Your Montblanc 142 is a beautiful pen.

[Frank C]

  On 5/21/2015 at 6:56 PM, hanryy said:

 

The vintage flex nibs are flexible because of their chemical composition and tempering that result in a metal with a high strength, low stiffness and large elastic strain limit. (please forgive the technical babble.) I am sure a modern nib maker could duplicate the process relatively easily. The only issue is that it would not be profitable. I think the general shape of the nibs are quite different so new tooling would be needed and labor costs are much much higher than they were back in the hey-day. Flex nibs are also inherently more prone to damage since people aren't raised learning how to "properly" use a pen during primary school any more. So I imagine that having flex nibs in any large production volume of pens would result in a lot of returns, and damaged display pens at stores. I feel as if 90% of the Pilot vanishing points I see in actual brick-and-mortor stores have their tines splayed apart I don't want to imagine the horrific abuse flex nibs on display would endure!

 

You see everyone here on FPN talking about flex nibs like it's normal, but we are in a small niche. Enjoy it though! Because it's a small community quality vintage flex pens can be had for relatively cheap on the bay...

 

Thanks for the very thorough explanation. People are always speculating about the demise of flex nibs on FPN. I used my Conid all day today at work. It really is a nice piece of modern Industrial design.

[jde]

  On 5/17/2015 at 4:40 AM, hanryy said:

I had originally planned to switch out the nib for a vintage nib at the time of purchase. So that decision was more premeditated and in no way due to short comings of the titanium nib. I paid the extra cash to get the titanium nib anyway because it is still fantastic to use!

 

hanryy: I'm wondering if you could share how this pen has held up for you, nearly a year later?

 

  On 5/21/2015 at 4:01 PM, Doug C said:

I also got my Slimline yesterday with the fine Titanium nib. Fantastic pen.

 

 

Doug: how does the grip section compare with say, the Danitrio Fellowship pen, or an Edison Huron?

 

Thanks kindly,

Julie

[hanryy]

  On 3/6/2016 at 6:06 PM, jde said:

 

hanryy: I'm wondering if you could share how this pen has held up for you, nearly a year later?

 

 

 

Doug: how does the grip section compare with say, the Danitrio Fellowship pen, or an Edison Huron?

 

Thanks kindly,

Julie

 

Julie,

 

The pen is holding out great. It is a workhorse and I still use it every day. I have since changed the nib again to a different vintage nib though.

 

I don't coddle my pens and they tend to see a lot of abuse. It has survived several drops and is often scrapping on hard surfaces or along the metal spiral of notebooks etc. But it still looks like new. Just to give a perspective of how heavily it is used, I fill it up every week, and with it's large ink capacity that is telling. The Delrin plastic and Ti trim all age very well. I do have some minor scratches along the clear barrel though, but that is just simply from being used as the tool it is to me. The only maintenance outside of the usual flushing with water has been to re-tighten the filler knob (there is a set screw under the two o-rings on the knob). It has come loose twice over the past year, but that was trivial and in no way detrimental to the pens function, I just don't like things that rattle.

 

As a side note, this pen has traveled in the air with me quite a few times now and the ink shut off feature works just as advertised. I have had zero issues of ink leakage during flights.

 

Best,

~H

[jde]

  On 3/6/2016 at 10:16 PM, hanryy said:

 

 

The pen is holding out great. It is a workhorse and I still use it every day. I have since changed the nib again to a different vintage nib though.

 

I don't coddle my pens and they tend to see a lot of abuse. <snip>

As a side note, this pen has traveled in the air with me quite a few times now and the ink shut off feature works just as advertised. I have had zero issues of ink leakage during flights.

 

Best,

~H

 

 

H: Great update! You even read my mind about airplane travel. I'm glad to hear the pen is indeed a user pen, and can stand up to our "abuse." You can probably guess I'm in process of deciding which model might be best for me! Thank you very much for weighing in. Appreciate your taking the time to help.

[pollandakuma]

Sorry for reviving this thread, but I just wanted to say that when I went to the pen show in London a few weeks back, I surprising found that the Slimline size seemed perfect for me, instead of the Regular which i thought I would have prefered!