Kung Te Cheng...or Equivalents

[WolvertonMountain]

A few days ago I read all 280 posts in this thread and decided it was time to try Kung Te Cheng.

Because of problems with certain pens when using KTC, I read all 280 posts again to determine which pen to purchase for the KTC.

 

After examining the pen, I half-filled a cartridge with KTC and put it in the pen. My suspicions about using a No-Nonsense medium nib for KTC were correct...it's excellent. Flow is flawless and on non-absorbent paper you get KTC in all its full indigo glory. I personally believe this is THE PEN for dedicated KTC use, just make sure to get one without a messed up nib. I think I'm going to have to buy another from a different seller just for the nib. If you are a KTC fan, get one of these pens, preferably one still in the original sealed card.

 

A very big thank you to TruthPil for helping me decide on a No-Nonsense (or two).

 

And a HUGE thank you to Speerbob for maintaining such a great collection of No-Nonsense pens, available in two different sizes of nibs, he was willing to sell to me.

I ordered the KTC from Anderson Pens so I should be ready to write by the end of next week.

 

Clifton

[truthpil]

That's great news, Clifton! I'm glad my dogged determination to find a pen for this ink has been helpful.

At least at first, I recommend refilling an empty Sheaffer cartridge with KTC instead of using a converter. That should minimize the amount of dried ink you'll have to scrub off the nib and section later and might also save your converter from being died KTC color.

 

Now that I have some No-Nonsenses, Sheaffer "School" pens, and an AsaGenius which all write well with KTC, it is one of my top 5 inks and the only bottle that has the honor of sitting on my desk (it's also the only ink that sprayed across the desk haha).

 

I'm really looking forward to hearing about how your combination works and what you think of KTC!

 

A few days ago I read all 280 posts in this thread and decided it was time to try Kung Te Cheng.

Because of problems with certain pens when using KTC, I read all 280 posts again to determine which pen to purchase for the KTC.

 

 

A very big thank you to TruthPil for helping me decide on a No-Nonsense (or two).

 

And a HUGE thank you to Speerbob for maintaining such a great collection of No-Nonsense pens, available in two different sizes of nibs, he was willing to sell to me.

I ordered the KTC from Anderson Pens so I should be ready to write by the end of next week.

 

Clifton

[th3]

I have also just placed an order for KTC after reading and rereading this thread. Debated with myself much about this and finally went ahead. I have a number of Sheaffer cartridge pens, including a No-Nonsense.

Edited September 8, 2018 by th3

[truthpil]

Now that Noodler's went to a 3oz bottle for KTC, hopefully it's less intimidating to take the plunge. It took me almost 2 years of research and using up a sample before I went all in and got one of the last 4.5oz bottles. That's a big ink commitment! No regrets here, except I wish the bottle was easier for filling non-eyedropper pens. The mouth is so narrow that it's even tricky to get a syringe in there without making a mess.

[WolvertonMountain]

At least at first, I recommend refilling an empty Sheaffer cartridge with KTC instead of using a converter. That should minimize the amount of dried ink you'll have to scrub off the nib and section later and might also save your converter from being died KTC color.

 

I thank you for that recommendation, TruthPil... I just ordered a 5-pack of Sheaffer Purple cartridges from Amazon. I really like using cartridges. With my syringes, I find cartridges really easy to clean and refill.

 

Clifton

[inkstainedruth]

Now that Noodler's went to a 3oz bottle for KTC, hopefully it's less intimidating to take the plunge. It took me almost 2 years of research and using up a sample before I went all in and got one of the last 4.5oz bottles. That's a big ink commitment! No regrets here, except I wish the bottle was easier for filling non-eyedropper pens. The mouth is so narrow that it's even tricky to get a syringe in there without making a mess.

 

Oh, I didn't know they had done that. Thanks for the info.

Of course, I have half a bottle of one 4-1/2 oz. bottle, and then another full one. So I won't need to get any more for a bit....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[boshaus]

I've gotten (moderately) obsessed with KTC and picked up a bottle last year sometime. Based on goulet reviews of the ink and some reddit posts I was using it in an ahab with poor results. Now I found this thread and have been super excited to see how much effort and knowledge you all have put into this ink.

 

I picked up a No Nonsense M with mixed results. It still tends to dry out easily for me. Even while writing if I pause more than a few seconds I'll end up with a hard start. I'm thinking next of placing an order of photo flo and following sandy1's dilution guide https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/199472-in-praise-of-dish-soap/?p=2033015 to see if I can get it flowing well for me

 

There's a chance I may have a bum nib too that's causing my issues. I'm a complete novice when it comes to fountain pens, but after looking at a jet pens nib guide, one of my tines looks a tad longer than the other :\ I had picked up a "new old stock" M Nib on ebay.

[truthpil]

I've gotten (moderately) obsessed with KTC and picked up a bottle last year sometime. Based on goulet reviews of the ink and some reddit posts I was using it in an ahab with poor results. Now I found this thread and have been super excited to see how much effort and knowledge you all have put into this ink.

 

I picked up a No Nonsense M with mixed results. It still tends to dry out easily for me. Even while writing if I pause more than a few seconds I'll end up with a hard start. I'm thinking next of placing an order of photo flo and following sandy1's dilution guide https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/199472-in-praise-of-dish-soap/?p=2033015 to see if I can get it flowing well for me

 

There's a chance I may have a bum nib too that's causing my issues. I'm a complete novice when it comes to fountain pens, but after looking at a jet pens nib guide, one of my tines looks a tad longer than the other :\ I had picked up a "new old stock" M Nib on ebay.

 

Yeah, it really is a gamble with the Sheaffer No-Nonsense and "School" pen nibs, especially considering that these were cheap pens to begin with. You might want to try getting an NOS "School" pen from Speerbob on eBay, but email him first to make sure you get a smooth and wet writer.

 

So far my best solution has been an Indian eyedropper pen with a huge wet ebonite feed. The only downside was that the pen would write too wet when nearing the end of the fill, but I solve the problem by occasionally wiping the nib with a paper towel to get off the extra ink. I'm happy to report that today I finished my first complete fill of KTC in the AsaGenius and it was good all the way down till the pen ran dry. It was also surprising easy to clean and the feed had kept the nib sufficiently satured with ink while capped that no ink was dried out under the nib (something that has happened to me with a lot of pens I've tried KTC in). An AsaGenius is only a couple bucks more than an used No-Nonsense (and less than most NOS No-Nonsenses) on eBay and I like that I can easily swap out the nib and scrub clean all the parts.

 

Another thing to consider is the climate where you are and the weather. In a dry climate or when it's windy, KTC will dry out quickly on the nib no matter what combination.

[th3]

My bottle of KTC came in today. I decided to put it into a new Pilot Petit1 which I had. I used another Petit1 with my Baystate Blue and was happy with it for BSB.

 

Used it eyedropper style and filled the barrel with KTC. Very thick it was. But it wrote very well, no problems. Didnt experience any clogging or drying out so far. Pleased with the result and plan to keep it in the Petit1 for now.

 

It is a beautiful color! Just not sure, is it blue or is it purple?

[truthpil]

My bottle of KTC came in today. I decided to put it into a new Pilot Petit1 which I had. I used another Petit1 with my Baystate Blue and was happy with it for BSB.

 

Used it eyedropper style and filled the barrel with KTC. Very thick it was. But it wrote very well, no problems. Didnt experience any clogging or drying out so far. Pleased with the result and plan to keep it in the Petit1 for now.

 

Using a Petit1 is a great idea I had never thought of! I bet the special wick in the feed might help prevent they drying out problem that is common to KTC in many pens. I just hope the wick doesn't get clogged over time.

 

 

It is a beautiful color! Just not sure, is it blue or is it purple?

 

In short, yes.

 

It's purple on absorbent paper or with drier nibs, but a glorious deep, dark indigo blue with a wet nib on slick paper. If you couldn't tell yet, that indigo is my favorite hue.

[truthpil]

Here's a comparison pic of ebonite feeds with nibs from some common pens.

The monstrous feed from the AsaGenius is my explanation for why the pen writes so well with KTC.

 

From top to bottom: AsaGenius feed with JoWo #6 1.1 OCI; FPR Himalaya flex feed with FPR flex nib; Noodler's Nib creaper feed and nib.

 

[wallylynn]

That is indeed a huge feed. But the ink channel looks so thin and tiny.

[truthpil]

Maybe that picture was a little misleading, here's another that gives a better angle on the ink channels. The channels go quite deep and are two thin ones that decend together to make a much bigger channel at the back of the feed. Those cut outs on the sides of the feed also help maintaining ink supply to the underside of the nib.

 

Edited October 4, 2018 by TruthPil

[WolvertonMountain]

My bottle of KTC came in today. I decided to put it into a new Pilot Petit1 which I had. I used another Petit1 with my Baystate Blue and was happy with it for BSB.

 

Used it eyedropper style and filled the barrel with KTC. Very thick it was. But it wrote very well, no problems. Didnt experience any clogging or drying out so far. Pleased with the result and plan to keep it in the Petit1 for now.

 

Hi th3...

I wasn't familiar with the Pilot Petit1, so I did some Google research and found a review of this pen by The Pen Habit. His review is humorous in his utter distaste for super-low-priced fountain pens.

The really huge thing about his review was his discovery that one of the Petit1 pens he left inked and unused for SEVEN MONTHS wrote perfectly when he again used it.

The ability of this pen to remain usable after long periods of no use may make this a most welcome property for difficult inks although the wick feed of this pen might make inks with "particles" in them a poor choice.

 

Clifton

[truthpil]

 

Hi th3...

I wasn't familiar with the Pilot Petit1, so I did some Google research and found a review of this pen by The Pen Habit. His review is humorous in his utter distaste for super-low-priced fountain pens.

The really huge thing about his review was his discovery that one of the Petit1 pens he left inked and unused for SEVEN MONTHS wrote perfectly when he again used it.

The ability of this pen to remain usable after long periods of no use may make this a most welcome property for difficult inks although the wick feed of this pen might make inks with "particles" in them a poor choice.

 

Clifton

I can confirm the amazing ability of the Petit1 to resist drying out. After I cleaned mine out I didn't bother totally drying out the inside but just left it in the bottom of the drawer for over a year. When I finally took it out again, it was just as wet inside as when I had cleaned it!

[WolvertonMountain]

Hi TruthPil...

Just placed my Amazon order for one lot of 8 Pilot Petit1 pens. The ink cartridges which come with the pen set I will give to my daughter to use in her Petit3 fude pens she uses for her artwork.

I also ordered one 8 oz bottle of Mission Automotive Dielectric Paste, a very thick silicone grease that should take care of those square threads in the Petit1 pens when I turn them into eyedropper pens.

To apply that thick silicone paste, I ordered 1 lot (144 pieces) of Ram-Pro flexible horsehair acid brushes.

Mid-week next week should see me begin my testing.

 

Clifton

[truthpil]

That's great, Clifton!

Sounds like you'll have a nice reliable set of workhorse pens that hold a lot of ink and will never dry out.

I'm trying right now to decide which ink to dedicate my Petit1 to for the next several months.

[th3]

I now have a month of using KTC with a Petit1. Thus far no problems. No clogging or drying out issues and no problem with the wick system. It seems to work well. I also have about three months of using another Petit1 with Baystate Blue and again no problems. The only issue there is that for some reason I bought one in apple green and now the cap is transparent green while the barrel is tinted baystate blue. At least I can tell my two Petit1s apart rather easily.

[WolvertonMountain]

At least I can tell my two Petit1s apart rather easily.

 

As Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith would say, "I love it when a plan comes together."

LOL

 

Clifton

[truthpil]

 

As Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith would say, "I love it when a plan comes together."

LOL

 

Clifton

I loved that show!