Kaigelu 316 Modification (250 #6 Bock Nib / Beaufort Ink Converter)

[Frank66]

Thanks for mentioning shellac and silicon grease Bo Bo Olson. Actually, I never needed to use nail polish for the replacement bock unit placed inside the Kaigelu section. The friction fit was so great that there was no need for it. In some other similar cases, I have used instead of shellac, canned poster glue sprayed on a q-tip and then smeared around the nib unit before inserting into the section. I guess there are a lot of materials you can use for such a purpose, shellac is more than fine, but for me friction fit was just enough for my Kaigelu 316. Plus it allowed me to change nibs units very easily.

http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah12/phzervas/D0D6918C-DC5F-4D6B-9047-85330A442456_zpsp0hhmnri.jpg

[Frank66]

In addition to the photo with the Bock Titanium nib posted above, in the following days I plan to post some more pictures of the various nibs I have used with my Kaigelu 316s. Please find below a writing sample with a Bock EF two-tone steel nib which possesses some springiness and provides quite a bit of line variation.

http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah12/phzervas/A129D13C-E108-4B13-AC2E-84A764022160_zps4bmkuxak.jpg

Other people have also commented on the springiness of Bock steel replacement nibs compared to other brands, eg Jowo. For the interested viewer, please refer to post "Jowo Vs Bock Vs Schmidt Nibs - Is There Really An Important Difference?" found here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/263648-jowo-vs-bock-vs-schmidt-nibs-is-there-really-an-important-difference/

Edited December 28, 2016 by Frank66

[Frank66]

dcwaites has posted a post in another subforum that I thought might be relevant to people interested in the Kaigelu 316 pen. It concerns replacement ink converters for the original pen offered by yc.Guo (jewelrymathematics) ebay store (not affiliated). Thanks dcwaites.

- dcwaites original post found here: Screw Type Converters - Kaigelu 316 And Others? https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/316388-screw-type-converters-kaigelu-316-and-others/?do=findComment&comment=3749228

[usk15]

Finally I've got a Kaigelu 316 Charcoal. I've got the pen from jewelrymathematics (EBay), It was tracked all way down to me and it was well protected in a big ball of wrapping bubble plastic and arrived before estimation time! I've got the finial form Richard: it is a huge weight improvement!

 

The original brass finials come off after 4-5 attempts to remove with boiling water, following Richard's instructions. Because of the brass short finial I didn't had too much room for grip, so with bicycle tubes holding the barrel, and another rubber grip around the finial I grab pliers and hold it firmly, wiggling the barrel until the glue give up. I have glue the plastic finial back, giving a better weight balance.

 

Also I manage to pull out the nib and feed, using the same rubber grip from an old bicycle tube. One hand holding the section, other the nib and feed with care. The feed looks the same to me, but the nibs are different lengths. The #6 nib I have used from Bexley, cannot be pushed all the way back into the Kaigelu's section; when screwing the cap onto the barrel I can hear some scratchy noise, like the nib is touching the inner cap. I give up and kept the original nib, until the nib unit will come off, and probably will follow Photios instruction and get a Bock nib unit. The original nib is quite good, producing a medium to fine line, having a good feedback when writing. I have smoother a bit the nib, using a buffer to polish.

 

Now some negative points: the cap came with a big chip where the clip is attached. While is not affecting the writing or the visual too much to bother me, the missing bit is there... Also the Kangaroo coin came off, so I had to glue it back. The original converter it wasn't sealing properly, now I'm using a rOtring converter and the pen is filled with Montblanc Royal Blue ink, is a decent performer.

 

Here are some pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Richard, Photios, Flounder, Jewelrymaths for instructions.

[usk15]

 

 

[Frank66]

I apologize this has been long overdue, since life events have kept me away from FPN for some time now.

Dear usk15, Congrats on your pen modification and thanks for sharing with us.

You are braver than I am. You have succeeded in both the nib exchange and the barrel finial. Your hand skills are great and so are your photography skills. Your photos present the technique steps so eloquently that you make it seem so easy. I am sure other people would like to try what you have done too. I am sure I would like to.

Overall, the 316 is a great pen, however, the Duofold has nothing to be afraid of it. Every pen has it's own merits and it's own worth, I wholeheartedly respect everyone's toil and effort to produce a writing instrument for the rest of us to enjoy. Personally, when I have the time, I enjoy working on my pens as much as writing with them.

Take care,

Frank

[Frank66]

Dear usk15,

If I am allowed to comment on your excellent photo with the nibs and feeds of the Kaigelu and the Bexley, one can see some major differences:

- the ink groove in the feed extension that faces the converter is smaller in the Kaigelu.

- the ink reservoir close to the converter end of the feed is so much larger in the Bexley, allowing for more ink supply to the rest if the feed.

- in the mesial 2/3 of the feed, the ink grooves are deeper in the Bexley compared to the Kaigelu.

- in the distal 1/3 of the feed, the Kaigelu has 2 ink grooves compared with one of the Bexley.

Overall, this explains why some people complain about the Kaigelu having some hard start-ups or the nib drying if not used in a while compared to the Bexley nib (which seems to me to be a Jowo nib). The two feeds are not interchangeable, but with a small blade, the Kaigelu feed can be modified to resemble more like the Bexley (Jowo) feed and thus be more juicy and dry out less.

I thought this might be useful for some Kaigelu 316 owners that have encountered problems writing with the original Kaigelu nib and feed. In these cases, a slight modification of the Kaigelu feed as described above may be all is needed to have a superb pen.

http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah12/phzervas/931B5340-B281-470A-BFE4-1D4393BD03FB_zpsgb2nd1sa.jpg

Text added to original picture courtesy of usk15 found above. One may need to click on the photo to magnify it so it can read the text, sorry my photoshop skills are rather limited.

Edited April 11, 2017 by Frank66

[usk15]

  On 4/10/2017 at 8:23 AM, Frank66 said:

I thought this might be useful for some Kaigelu 316 owners that have encountered problems writing with the original Kaigelu nib and feed. In these cases, a slight modification of the Kaigelu feed as described above may be all is needed to have a superb pen.

.

 

Thank you for this good observation!

[Frank66]

.@ usk15 post#104 above

 

".... The #6 nib I have used from Bexley, cannot be pushed all the way back into the Kaigelu's section; when screwing the cap onto the barrel I can hear some scratchy noise, like the nib is touching the inner cap. I give up and kept the original nib, until the nib unit will come off, and probably will follow Photios instruction and get a Bock nib unit. The original nib is quite good, producing a medium to fine line, having a good feedback when writing. I have smoother a bit the nib, using a buffer to polish.

.....""

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

As far as the nib is concerned, I have managed before to stick a Jowo nib within the Kaigelu housing, with some difficulty though, because of the obvious size discrepancy as you show in your excellent picture above too. I do not remember having the nib tip touching the inner side of the cap when I screwed the cap back on the barrel, it is way some time ago and I honestly do not remember this. However, I do remember that I had one incident of ink leakage using the Jowo nib in the Kaigelu housing, that is why I have recommended against it. But again I am just a sample of one, and I understand other people may have not had a similar experience.

Edited April 17, 2017 by Frank66

[Frank66]

I just came across an old review of the Kaigelu 316 back from June 2014, by Matt Armstrong of www.penhabit.com that I thought of sharing. The link is found here: http://penhabit.com/2014/06/04/pen-review-kaigelu-316/

Interestingly enough, Matt also found similar difficulty swapping the Kaigelu nib with a Goulet #6 nib (8th paragraph from the top of his review). There is also a nice video assessing the pen in the above link.

Just thought it might be useful sharing this for someone who would be interested to try this pen out.

[Frank66]

http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah12/phzervas/54A65060-8D6C-488D-99FE-97053EB4B6F0_zpsfv4pr8ha.jpg

[inkeverywhere]

Read this most informative topic and really enjoyed it. Have just swapped out the 316 original nib for a Bock extra fine. Has transformed the pen into something very special, thanks for sharing your discovery.

 

 

Greg

[Frank66]

Greg, thanks for your kindness and for letting us know of your newly transformed pen.

 

Frank

 

PS: Hopefully, one day soon I may succeed in reinstating the original photoes of this thread now missing due to photobucket misfortune.

[brandoncahall]

Hello all,

 

I know this is an old post, but figured I'd take a shot in the dark. I have 6 Kaigelu 316s and I've replaced the stock nib units (housing and all) with Beaufort Ink's Bock 250 units and love these pens now. I saw it mentioned that people were also finding barrel finial replacements on Beaufort Ink's website as well, but after searching I've been unable to locate anything. Can someone point me in the right direction. I would love to replace the heavy brass stock barrel finials on 3 of these pens, which I'm sure would really improve the balance of the pen. I'd be immensely grateful if anyone could tell me where they are buying these acrylic (or at least lighter weight) barrel finials for the Kaigelu 316. Thanks in advance.

 

Brandon

[Frank66]

Hi, glad to hear you are happy with your pen nib modification. About the barrel finial, you may need to contact richardandtracy on FPN network (he is the moderator in certain FPN sub-forums like the "China, Korea and Others (Far East, Asia)" sub-forum. Alternatively, you may try to contact him at his pen making website http://www.chestnutpens.co.uk/ or here richardandtracy@yahoo.com Hope that helps, any more knowledgeable member, please feel free to provide more precise info.

I need to find time to do the finial modification myself, I have heard that along with the Bock nib mod, it takes the pen to the highest level. Have you tried the Bock Titanium semi-flex nib in any of your Kaigelu 316's? It is in my daily rotation today in my briefcase, and stays always inked on my office desk.

 

Regards,

 

Frank

 

Edited October 5, 2017 by Frank66

[chendayuan]

The kaigelu 316 nib is smooth well made, and the nib can be grinded to the size you like. While the brass finial is kind of back heavy, this pen designed as signature pen, write a note is not bother me at all. After all nobody use fountain pen to write home work or a book.

[usk15]

I have tried to swap nib sections with Parker Duofold Centenial MKI, not working.

 

http://i63.tinypic.com/wkjn9s.jpg

Edited January 15, 2018 by usk15

[Brandywine]

  On 12/3/2017 at 7:11 PM, chendayuan said:

......l

. After all nobody use fountain pen to write home work or a book.

 

ahem:

back here in old(fashioned) Europe there are quite some countries where fountain pens are still compulsory in school.

And here they still do homework with a fountain pen!

OK, the kids rather use cartridge-fed pens designed for schoolkids, and they write less with pens that we did back then,

but homework handwritten with a fountain pen is still quite common here.

[Frank66]

  On 1/15/2018 at 10:49 AM, usk15 said:

I have tried to swap nib sections with Parker Duofold Centenial MKI, not working.

 

http://i63.tinypic.com/wkjn9s.jpg

Dear USK15,

 

Thanks for posting, I am so happy for you indeed, I have had my eyes set on a Parker Duofold for a while myself too! It is such a great looking pen, what nib did you get it with? I am sure it writes great with whatever nib. If I may dare ask, how does it's writing compare with the Bock nib in the Kaigelu, according to your opinion, and again if I am not too bold to ask?

 

Best Regards, Photios

Edited January 17, 2018 by Frank66

[usk15]

Kaigelu 316 with all modification it is a really good pen, the difference with a real Duofold Centenial being smoother acrylic and the heritage!

If you can get a real one for a decent price, it's worth, otherwise the real price is too high!