The Duo (twin nib spy fountain pen) and Capless Flip

 I reckon since I have a couple of days left I might as well make this prototype stuck in my head.

 The Duo

First, the Duo.

 Macgyver might like this..... hahaha...

Nothing fantastic actually....It's a 2 nib fountain pen. That's all. Using the same nib as the Trinity. Made like a Swiss army knife, it is supposed to store with both nibs up. I intended to make this pen easy to hold, slim and easy to remove the nib units.

Personally, i think i have achieved that. :)

Now, the cap. it is spring fitted. notice the 2 extra long legs is bent? yes, it holds onto the pen body when capped so that it does not fall out. that is a property of wood that is most fascinating.  

Grooves are added to make the cap catch better.

 

The full assembly.

So, the operation in process....

Of course, the nib removal should be easy as well, as shown. Eh, some minor enhancement is still required, but well, that's minor. :p




Some WIPs...






  
Hmm, i realized by unmodifying it and keeping just the hidden nib section, i have made myself another capless! just turn it out! So, next, capless Flip!

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Capless Flip 

By sealing the first nib's hole, the inner nib has its own cap. Then just flip it out.

Mass Production version and Military grade version.

Status: classified.

The Box (For a backup ink supply)

Before I could lay my hands on professional ink vials I needed a way to reload my FP when it runs out of ink. A light, fast, quick, safe and easy method. I only had my brains then. That's where I made use of this syringe and made a safety box for it. It is friction fit tight as calculated so, and blocks in places where the syringe will never be depressed no matter the how much the syringe is pressed or depressed.

Of course, it also acts as a self-defense weapon if required. Or a weapon if needed. It may not be ink in that syringe all the time...haha...joking.


This might be the first box ever made for a backup ink supply. Or it isn't. anyway, it's insignificant.

Ink Vials for fountain pen inks

Ink vials are part and parcel of fountain pen users, collectors and researchers. They are used to keep ink samples, different ink mixtures or simply as a ink well. But how many types can there be? Well, depending on the situation, more than what you expected.

I wanted to say type 1 and type 2 are quite the common sight, until i realize almost no one uses them except me. I am the weird one, or I have given too much thought into this as well. 

Type 1 : Basic ink-well/ink samples vials

This is the most basic that I am using. The size is about 3 standard cartridge, it is very water proof, air tight and sturdy. It comes with a screw cap and I have not seen one broke before. Although it is plastic in nature, the material doesn't allow the ink to evaporate that easily.

I use it to keep inks taken from larger bottles for testing pens or as an ink well on the go. It is also used to keep inks left from fountain pens.

Type 2 :Desk-Type Ink Vials/Ink-wells.

I basically use this ink vials when much more volume is required. Bottom heavy as you can see, it doesn't topple when i use it to refill the pens. It comes with an air tight snap on cap which is very convenient. It is a plastic material.

Type 3: Glass bottle ink vial : single seal cap.

I will use this vial when more volume is required and that the ink is somewhat expensive. Very air tight and water proof and being glass in nature, I will also use this ink vial when the ink is questionably reactive. In any case, this is a desk bound vial.

Type 4 : Eyedropper Glass bottle ink vial 

Other than the disadvantages of being bulky and easy to break, these vials are actually very useful to eyedropper pens and experiments as a whole. One syringe to fill a pen. Or a drop here and a drop there to look for chemical reaction between the inks. The bottle is made in glass and so is the syringe.

Type 5 : Specialized anti-ultra-violet glass vials : Duo seal cap
Some inks are very sensitive to light, for example the yellow or orange inks for some brands. These specialized bottles are used to keep them if required, but that is not the main use of it. A branch of inks are very sensitive to the container's material, the light that falls on it and the air it is in contact with. It requires this type of bottle. These bottles comes expensive, but the manufacturing of those inks too comes not cheap.

It is a duo seal glass bottle. As shown, there is a rubber seal first before the air-proof plastic cap.

One example of those inks is the glow-in-the-dark ink. Yes, it exists. Just that it is expensive and very particular.

Type 6 : General glass bottles 
 
These glass bottles are just simple used baking color bottles. While they aren't air proof, they are very good bottles to keep those soapy solutions that can be used to clean pen stains or to soak the jammed feed. Their huge volume and glass materials makes them a good choice. Of course, other glass bottles are equally good.

platinum carbon desk pen - is it really for the carbon ink

I managed to get my hands on a platinum carbon desk pen, which is advertised to be able to use carbon-based ink. Truth be told, I have used the hero 234 carbon-based black ink in pilot penmanship, hero pens, jinhao pens without any problems, so I am a little suspicious if the improvement is the feed or the ink. Anyway, let's just take a closer look at the platinum desk pen's feed, which it says will prevent clogging due to the carbon.

So, comparing a platinum cool to a platinum carbon desk pen. Structurally they look similar....



The nib, doesn't look much of a difference too. Except the 4 legs. its a point to note.


The feed of the carbon version do have a bigger and deeper feed, and the fins are made correctly. The gap is well within the equation's limits, and thus there should NOT be blockages for the pigments and should wash out easily. Do note this is for platinum carbon ink only; other pigments may still be blocked.

The upper part of the feed has a distinctive feature. 2 drains for the carbon feed. larger and deeper too.

 
Nothing distinctive on the underside here....

The Trinity - 3 nib, 3 feed fully working fountain pen.

Long story short. Some big company recently made a fountain pen that can switch 4 colors for a simple fountain pen nib and feed and sold it at an astronomical price thinking there is a "technological breakthrough". I will like to think otherwise. While I could appreciate the effort, I couldn't understand the profit. Thus, I challenge to prove myself right.

Within 2 weeks that I am left with, i made a total of 10 different working prototypes. Each prototype is based on different number of nibs it can take and the mechanism used. The number of nibs are 3,4,5 and 6. I stopped at 6 nibs because i cannot find any sane reason for having more than 6 nibs in a pen. The mechanism used are bolt-action, rotating barrel and automatic. They simply means the same thing as in guns : bolt action rifle, rotating barrel magnum and automatic pistol.

To aid explanation, i will just call my nib and feed unit as "the nib".

To make things clearer,

Mechanism code :

Type 1 : bolt-action - pen user is required to manually switch the nib.

Type 2 :  rotating barrel - the nib is stored in a rotating barrel. the nib will be rotated to the loading barrel and pushed out by the user. the old nib will be retracted (not extracted) into the barrel via a backward action first. Nib and feed are loaded via the rear of the barrel.

Type 3:  automatic - the nib is stored in a parallel fashion. loading is done via a magazine method, except they can be stored in 2x2 or 2x3. to load, position the nib to the barrel and push it out.the old nib will be retracted (not extracted) into the barrel via a backward action first. Nib and feed are loaded via the rear of the magazine.

Note that different nibs are used. Pilot, platinum, parker, sheaffer are just a few that I can remember. The key isn't the nib, it is the construction.

Type 2 and Type 3 are extremely complicated in terms of construction. A lot of special parts are made to cater to its mechanism. To be honest, some new feeds are created for type 2 and type 3, with a very special feed where it can automatically remove small clogging due to dangerous mixture of inks specifically for a type 3 model. It isn't rocket science actually. This feed can revolutionized the fountain pen world though and push it forward by 10 years. but well, let's just take things slow and steady.

The coding structure is as such {number of nibs}-{mechanism}. Thus:

3-1 - code name : Trinity. using preppy nibs only.

3-2 - .

3-3 - .

4-1 - .

4-2 - .

4-3 - .

5-1 - .

5-2 - .

5-3 - .

6-3 - code name : Infinity.

I will be releasing Trinity only. The other 9 prototypes will be stored in my vault and only released after a couple of years. As mentioned, I am going to be bounded by the law that my discoveries and inventions are the property of those who feed me, and i don't really like copyrights. And no, I am not working for any pen company. So either they will be revealed later, or someone who inherits my vault will do so. If that person knows how to read the manual in the pen...

Lastly, I don't make designs on paper. Everything is conceived in my head in 3D, calculated and assembled in there, like an inbuilt autocad system. Only the prototypes are made. So, either the prototypes are left behind, or not.

The Trinity 

 The name is given in honour of my maker (Father, Son, Holy Spirit - The Holy Trinity), whom gave me the wisdom, courage and strength to create this first prototype, that would give rise to the other 9 prototypes. 

This is a 3 nib and feed fountain pen. The first in the world I believe. Measured 15 cm cap to cap. A mere 1.5cm in width. It is a normal sized pen. placed side by side with a twsbi-AL.
 

13 cm measured for the internal pen.

All 4 sides

The nib unit. This uses the preppy nib and a specially created ink reservoir. As preppy nibs come in EF gold plated, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5, you can choose any 3 to fit into this pen. And that the reservoir is different means you can load any ink, any ink of your choice, be it brand, color, type, pigment etc. it is just a unit of its own. This reservoir acts like a rubber sac and can be used to suck ink up, thus doubling as as converter. However, i prefer to use it as an eyedropper mode instead. cleaner and simpler.




















Testing with water first for leakages. Nope.












Making sure the depth of the pen cap is calculated for :













 The full dis-assembly:

 How it works:
 Front nib extraction. This shows why it is a "bolt-action". You can extract the nib full unit by "pushing" it out.

Rear nib storage extraction.

 And finally, writing with it.

Some initial photos of the pen before its external structure is beefed up.

The Trinity

In the next 24 hours, i am going to open this pandora's box. The secret in the box is revealed to a few fortunate today and they were already wanting to buy one. i think this is the one. touch up is being made to the exterior structure for better protection but the basic design is there.

i have made a total of 10 working prototypes, in the number 3,4,5,6, type of 3,3,3,1. Engineered as bolt-action, rotating barrel and automatic. I will be the releasing only the 3-1 model (the meaning will be explained later). This should be my last invention as very soon all my discoveries and inventions will be the property of the people who put rice in my bowl. The law governs it. So, that's that. 

And this is a working fountain pen. One that dwarfs whatever I have made before. It is an engineering breakthrough if i say so myself. well, it is the easiest among the other 9 prototypes though.

And it has a name. The Trinity.
Start guessing what this pen is all about.

Some macgyver's special ...

Well, I don't have beautiful pens or nice handwritings, nor is my 7th prototype of a 3 ink fountain pen ready yet to celebrate the special day today so how about some macgyver's special?


1) a FP with light? Yea, why not? Any pen can use this light. Just clip on and adjust for the light and CG. Easily found at daiso.
 

2) how about a fp made out of a screwdriver? Or a screwdriver with a FP? Or anything? Can write, can screw, can stab, can well....get you out of trouble. Save the world, maybe? Needs a bit of adjustment, but she will do. 
 

Happy fountain pen day to everyone! (late post-post)

platinum plasir spy-gentleman (aka James bond) special

The platinum plasir spy-gentleman (aka James bond) special. Almost stealth plasir, full transparent deskpen. Only one set in this world. Until someone figure out my ruse and make another in the next few minute. :p

Pilot birdie assembly

Pilot birdie. Another underated pen. I couldn't find a picture about how to disassemble it, but knowing pilot, I went ahead. Was quite difficult using the common methods but took only a second with the pilot trick. Used pen, cleaned it until it is new again. Thinking if I should ink it up again or let it rest...

Update: I thought removing a pilot nib is easy enough, but I still see people needing help and there. And therefore, I am updating this to include the pilot trick. This was taught to me by a pilot master. Who? Don't ask. :p

1) wet your nib and feed with plain water. use a converter.

2) get a piece of disposable chopstick, cut to length. which length? depends. if you are using a birdie, you can cut a little longer than the pen body so that you can fit it into the pen body and slowly screw the pen feed out. no extra strength is required. or, you can cut it long enough to hold and push, like in the picture. Just remember to either point it at your enemy or hold onto it.