Conid Caiso Kingsize Bulkfiller

[brad7k]

I've owned the Pelikan 1000 demonstrator. That Pelikan piston is great, the nib is smooth, it looks awesome when new. The Pelikan nib looks like the imprint is stamped into the gold; it's not very crisp and the reflections in the nib are distorted because of it. The cap tends to loosen while carrying it. It was neat to have the demonstrator, but ink got into places and was difficult to get out. I had a Delta demonstrator that did the same thing. I was able to get the section unscrewed and added silicon grease.

 

After using the Conid Kingsize for a while and with different inks, I have some additional thoughts.

 

Appearance:

 

Some Inks will stick to the barrel and allow one to see the color easily. For instance, I am using Montblanc Racing Green, which is a great fit for the pen by the way! At first it was cool that the ink stuck to the inside of the barrel so I could see the green, but after a while it can be messy looking. The inks I used before didn't stay on the barrel, but sloshed back and forth, as you would expect. Maybe I just need to clean the barrel a bit.

 

 

 

Fit and finish:

 

The pen is understated because of the clear acrylic and polished titanium trim. It is mostly a colorless pen, but I have grown to like that more and more. Although expensive, I can use it without people thinking it is extravagant (I think!) The cap and blind cap have gotten really smooth with use. It has a very luxurious feel in use. But in no way does it feel fragile or prone to wear. A lot of high-end pens require special care to preserve the trim and materials they are made from.

 

Nibs:

 

I requested customized EF and Cursive Italic titanium nibs. Both have phenomenal smoothness and flow. I let a coworker try the CI and he was amazed, saying it was the best he had ever used! The only CI nib I have used that is as good is it is an Omas Arco Celluloid CI, but the Conid pen is much nicer to use day to day.

 

In the process of trying both nibs, as well as a blackened Delta #8 and a rose gold Montblanc 149, I removed the feeds and CAISO titanium rod multiple times. After a few times of that, I put the EF back in and was surprised to see a ridiculous flow. My first thought was that the nib got damaged, but that wasn't the case. I then thought maybe the ink was too free-flowing. After using it a bit, I noticed that the rod in the cap was getting ink on it every time I capped the pen. Through a little deduction, I realized the rod with tiny o-rings probably didn't have any silicone left, as the hole in the middle of the feed was soaked with ink. After taking care of that little issue, as was well. The MB 149 nib looks great, but wasn't nearly as nice as the titanium nibs.

 

 

 

 

The pen is just awesome! Since I started using the pen, no other pen has had much appeal. The combination of being non-flashy, the nib performance, ink capacity, fit and finish, and the joy of using the pen is above others. If any of you are on the fence, I can whole heartedly recommend trying a Conid pen.

 

Edited August 21, 2016 by brad7k

[mauckcg]

I really really want to order a Bulkfiller. Maybe for Christmas...

 

Great review and gorgeous pictures!

[Lszuk]

Great and comprehensive review. I have one of the original bulkfiller a in regular size. I love the filling mechanism and the solid feel of the pen. I'm going to buy the kingsize Caiso, as I love the #8 nib size. My only concern and confusion is which nib to buy. My regular bulkfiller has the rhodium plated gold nib, and unfortunately it is very scratchy (it's a fine, which I always use) and somewhat dry, and I therefore don't use it very often. I generally like a stiff nib, and find the Montblanc 149 fine point nib to be the perfect nib for me for everyday use. Any suggestions as to the best nib to request, given those parameters?

[half_inked_one]

Hi Francis,

 

As for the BOCK logo on the nib, as far as i know the problem is Bock does not sell "blank"nibs in size 8.

 

 

Maybe with increasing popularity of Conid pens it will change...?

 

By the way - I have sent an e-mail to Werner with a question about expected time of delivery of Regular pen and I have not received any answer; shall I understand that there is no possibility to predict such time?

[mongrelnomad]

Nice and informative review - thank you.

 

Now a rhetorical question; Pelikan 1000 or a Conid?

 

Not even close.

[Diderot]

Not even close.

 

Not sure what you mean.

 

Pelikan not in the same league or the other way round.

[flipper_gv]

 

Not sure what you mean.

 

Pelikan not in the same league or the other way round.

 

Both are of the same quality but have wildly different appeal.

 

IMO:

The Pelikan is about tradition, warmth and exudes gentlemanship.

 

The Conid is about innovation, youth and energy.

 

Some people prefer one, some prefer the other. Brass vs titanium. Make a choice, you won't regret it.

[kyleparsons4842]

In the process of trying both nibs, as well as a blackened Delta #8 and a rose gold Montblanc 149, I removed the feeds and CAISO titanium rod multiple times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you have to modify anything in order to put on the 149 nib or did it just fit right in?

Thanks!

[brad7k]

I put the MB nib in the Conid feed and it worked okay. It was a tad bit long and a little loose, but wrote consistently. After using the titanium nibs, the gold was stiff and had little character

 

Great and comprehensive review. I have one of the original bulkfiller a in regular size. I love the filling mechanism and the solid feel of the pen. I'm going to buy the kingsize Caiso, as I love the #8 nib size. My only concern and confusion is which nib to buy. My regular bulkfiller has the rhodium plated gold nib, and unfortunately it is very scratchy (it's a fine, which I always use) and somewhat dry, and I therefore don't use it very often. I generally like a stiff nib, and find the Montblanc 149 fine point nib to be the perfect nib for me for everyday use. Any suggestions as to the best nib to request, given those parameters?

 

I would suggest the steel nib to start with. It should come to you very smooth and will get better with time. It will be firm and have consistent flow. If that doesn't do it for you, the gold would be the next option. The steel and the rhodium plated nibs would look similar. If you don't want soft or flexible, the steel seems to be the best choice.

[Lszuk]

Thanks for the info.

[mongrelnomad]

I put the MB nib in the Conid feed and it worked okay. It was a tad bit long and a little loose, but wrote consistently. After using the titanium nibs, the gold was stiff and had little character

 

 

I would suggest the steel nib to start with. It should come to you very smooth and will get better with time. It will be firm and have consistent flow. If that doesn't do it for you, the gold would be the next option. The steel and the rhodium plated nibs would look similar. If you don't want soft or flexible, the steel seems to be the best choice.

I have MB 149 nibs on both my Kingsizes. Francis altered the feed housing to accommodate the increased length. Might be worth contacting him to see if there's anything he can do to make it fit better.

[mongrelnomad]

 

Not sure what you mean.

 

Pelikan not in the same league or the other way round.

The Conid is significantly better than that already great pen.

[flipper_gv]

The Conid is significantly better than that already great pen.

 

Once it has a 149 nib in it I can believe that. The nibs are the least interesting part of Conid pens IMO.

Edited August 24, 2016 by flipper_gv

[stephanos]

I really want to like the Caiso. We'll see - I'm looking forward to being able to hold one at the London pen show.

 

Pelikan or Conid? They are quite different. Pelikan has been a favourite brand, due to their high quality, good design and excellent (swappable) nibs. Having said that, I've been going off modern Pelikans: I just can't get excited about them and I find the nibs far too often don't work properly straight out of the box (the older models remain excellent, and are typically much better value). So, my pen show budget is reserved for a Caiso and I'm not planning on getting any Pelikan pens - who knows what will happen once I'm there, but that's the plan.

[mauckcg]

Strange question, where did you get the conid pen stand, does that come with a certain pen size or is it an extra add on?

[brad7k]

Strange question, where did you get the conid pen stand, does that come with a certain pen size or is it an extra add on?

The pen stand was included with the Conid CAISO. It is an awesome stand! It feels slightly soft, and is a nice weight and size. I have the old and new Montblanc stands which look luxurious, but prefer the Conid stand!

 

Once it has a 149 nib in it I can believe that. The nibs are the least interesting part of Conid pens IMO.

I was using a gold Delta nib and a Montblanc 149 nib for a while. I switched back to the EF titanium modified by Conid, and oh man, is that nib nice! It matches the feel of the CAISO very well. It has a cushioned feel, but can flex from EF to B and writes with almost no pressure. Fountain pen bodies can be really nice, but it's the nib that makes the writing experience good or great. This nib makes the pen really great!

 

I also filled the pen completely with ink and found that's when the pen looks its best. It adds color and substance to a clear pen.

[vikalp11]

Beautiful Pen and a great review!

[Diderot]

I really want to like the Caiso. We'll see - I'm looking forward to being able to hold one at the London pen show.

 

Pelikan or Conid? They are quite different. Pelikan has been a favourite brand, due to their high quality, good design and excellent (swappable) nibs. Having said that, I've been going off modern Pelikans: I just can't get excited about them and I find the nibs far too often don't work properly straight out of the box (the older models remain excellent, and are typically much better value). So, my pen show budget is reserved for a Caiso and I'm not planning on getting any Pelikan pens - who knows what will happen once I'm there, but that's the plan.

 

Interesting, thanks.

 

I too was hoping to handle a Conid at the London show, but unfortunately something has come up and I'll not be able to make it.

 

Pelikans - I have two M800s and like them a lot and wanted to see what an M1000 was like as I gather that the latter nib is very different.

[kyleparsons4842]

The M800 and M1000 have a completely different feel to them in my opinion. I like the larger body of the M1000, but I prefer the nib of the M800 (i like stiffer nibs). Now if there was a M1000 sized body with a nib as stiff as the M800, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

 

I find the 149 nib to be about perfect in size and stiffness, so the prospect of putting it on my kingsize is very intriguing. I ordered the non caiso kingsize and the original expected ship date is today! That would be a nice birthday present, seeing the shipping notification.

 

I have MB 149 nibs on both my Kingsizes. Francis altered the feed housing to accommodate the increased length. Might be worth contacting him to see if there's anything he can do to make it fit better.

 

Do you think the original nib will still fit okay with the alteration? Or is it just once the alteration is done, there's no going back?

 

Thanks!

[fountainbel]

 

Do you think the original nib will still fit okay with the alteration? Or is it just once the alteration is done, there's no going back?

 

Thanks!

Hi Kyle,

You just have to order a complementary "special made" nib housing at Conid;

The inner axial stop collar for the nib should be 1mm deeper for installation a MB149 nib.

Eventually you could order the special nib housing and also an extra (normal ) feed , so you will have a complete MB149 nib unit for your Kingsize.

Francis