Kaweco Stainless Liliput-Different materials for barrel and cap

[Dillo]

Hello everyone,

 

This might be my first new post in over a decade. Anyway, I just received a new Kaweco Liliput Stainless Steel a few hours ago. I got it from Missing Pen in Germany complete with a new Kaweco Folding Converter for the Liliput preinstalled.

 

I will admit that I haven't had the most positive experiences with Kaweco's all stainless pens, having had issues with surface rust and other problems, but I was surprised to see that on my new pen, the grip section and cap of my pen were made of a different alloy than the barrel of the pen. On my example, the grip and cap are finished in the same way, but the barrel has a noticeably different finish, and it's quite evident when the pen is closed. The barrel is more magnetically attracted than either the grip or cap. It appears to me to be possibly 303 stainless (which, while austenitic, is not as corrosion resistant as 316 or 304). The grip and cap appear to be either 316 or 304, but I don't have proper tools to detect the alloy composition. There is no inner cap in my example, which is why I spent some time inspecting it to try to get a feel for what alloy it might be.

 

If other people own a stainless Liliput, does your pen have the same finish on the cap and barrel? Are there differences in the magnetic attraction of the parts? On my pen it's a marked difference and the barrel has a definitely stronger pull to it. Finally, for people who own Liliputs, what version do you have, and does your example have an inner cap?

 

In the meantime, I've filled my pen with a low pH (acidic) ink that does not generally cause problems in any of my pens and will see what happens after some use. I am filling my pen from the bottle so that the grip is exposed to ink. Liliputs made of aluminum are notorious for corrosion problems. I will eventually take out the nib unit in the coming months and inspect it and see.

[Dillo]

This isn't a very popular thread, unsurprisingly it does not receive a lot of views. The Liliput is such a niche product.

 

In any case, half a week update: The pen is performing well so far. I notice that when I hold it, if my hands are sweaty, I can smell some of the metallic smell. Not sure what that is about entirely, but it's a faint smell and I can't tell if it's worse from the barrel or cap.

[langere]

Dillo, welcome back!  I remember reading lots of your posts.  

 

Do let us know how it goes -

 

Erick

[Dillo]

Week later update-So far everything seems to be working as it should be. One of the problems with metal to metal threads is sometimes things are not as smooth as they can be. On day 3 put a very thin layer of Krytox GPL 205 on both the section threads and barrel threads and things feel a lot better. The threading is generally smooth, but this makes them feel a lot better. In general, I prefer plastic pens because the threading has fewer issues like this. Stainless steel, titanium, and aluminum can be prone to galling at times. On my lone TWSBI Mini Diamond Al I got, the piston mechanism was made entirely of aluminum (why oh why), and I use Krytox to keep things running smoothly. That piston mechanism is nowhere near as smooth as the plastic mechanisms in my other TWSBI pens or my other pens in general. (I also replaced the aluminum grip with a plastic one). It appears that the Majohn Ti200 has a very similar Krytox or perfluorinated grease treatment from the factory. I was looking at the two that I have when I got them, and it appears that they apply it between the barrel and the section threads to keep them from galling.

[Dillo]

Almost three week update. I did have to reapply some Krytox to the barrel threads. I think that the threading feel is becoming somewhat smoother with use, but it's nothing near as smooth as on my Majohn Ti200's metal to metal threads out of the box. They are square threads with some sharp features to them. Other than this, the pen is writing well. The difference between the barrel and the cap and nib section is very apparent when you look at it. Even my mom picked up on it right away after seeing the pen.

[Dillo]

A first of the year update. The pen is still going strong. I hasn't shown much dryout at all. I do sometimes have to periodically touch up the metal to metal threads with Krytox, but it's smoother now than it was. The foldable Kaweco converter is also still working very well.

[Azulado]

I follow your updates regularly. Normally, reviews are done with new fountain pens and many times the problems come later. 
I have seen Krytos on Aliexpress, what specific type of Krytos do you use? 
The Diplomat Traveller has plastic threading on the section and metal threading on the barrel. I put silicone grease on the body thread and it goes very smooth. In any case, the plastic threads usually hold up well. I bought a Hongdian 1843 and was afraid the metal would eat through the plastic, but nothing like that has happened, the threading is smooth. 
I put silicone grease on the inside of all my metal sections as a way to prevent any rusting. 

 

[Dillo]

I don't find silicone grease that helpful against rusting or corrosion. I don't put any of it on metal parts in this way. I do sometimes put it between certain parts to keep ink out of the joint and wipe off the excess. I did this on this particular pen to try to prevent ink from wicking between the metal grip and the plastic nib collar. For the barrel and grip and barrel and cap threads, I have been using Krytox 205G0 since I have it already in my stash and it's not so thick to make it hard to unscrew the cap but thick enough to prevent the parts from rubbing so badly.

 

I have poor faith in many modern fountain pen makers when it comes to choosing materials that resist corrosion. I've seen too many damaged pens and corrosion on parts to trust that in any shape or form. I have even found a pen that uses a not very corrosion resistant material for the plunger rod which touches ink directly. This causes pitting. I also have poor faith in fountain pen users reporting problems because I've seen so many examples of damage and it's rare that average people notice until it is extremely serious