I had the exact same problems with the nib and converter. To solve the problems I had with the converter, I added a small metal ball to help break the surface tension because the plastic one that came with it did nothing. And as for the nib I rinsed it with soapy water. That prevents the formation of air bubbles under the nib that may cause it to hard start. Once I did those things it wrote beautifully.
Good to see you back. Nice choice as many of us have all been following JPL's journey from reviewer to a maker, and perhaps wondering whether to give it a try. I know I have looked at them on Etsy a couple times.
Thanks for the mention. This pen is similar in shape to the ebonite Kick Starter pen. Considerably less cost. Thanks for the in-depth review. I am not planning to order another Artisan pen. I admire what Josh is doing. It appears PMMA is a better material for him to use for his pens. My BB Bock nib is a great writer. Welcome back.
I think for the kickstarter pen it was the finish he was trying to apply to the ebonite that was the main issue. If he just went with polished ebonite, then most of the trouble could have been avoided. Seen these never cheaper version on Etsy, but not sure if I will pull the trigger just yet.
@@martinlebl631 That was one major reason. The threads were not done well. My theory is the paint used was to cover up issues with the ebonite finish. Filler was used under the paint. Yes, it was a first attempt but priced like a premium pen. I love the BB nib. Etsy versions use PMMA so material costs much less. Appears his CNC lathe working better.
@@chrisrap52 That is the trouble with using premium and perhaps unfamiliar materials on the first try, and facing the pressure of delivering on the kickstarter deadline. So not great, but a lot better than many other kickstarters that struggle, or ship years late, or flame out entirely. I guess he is now going more down market with the cheaper resin and Taiwanese nibs. The pens look great, and the cost is much more reasonable. At least Aaron didn't mention anything troubling with the threads. I mean machining ebonite is likely different than other more modern materials, and perhaps that learning curve, or scaling up for all the orders caused those issues. He probably should have communicated the issues, and delay a bit to address them before shipping the pens. I mean as I remember lack of communication was one of the issues. There were kickstarters that were years late, but had fairly satisfied backers as they updated everyone regularly, and showed progress, which led to eventual fulfillment. Being late and a clam is the issue. I am tempted to acquire one to support the venture despite the known issues, which Aaron identified, as more fountain pen makers seem like a good thing.
I like the body on my sigaro but mine came with a bad nib. When I got it the tines were vertically splayed about 1-2mm, the slit was a bit offcenter, and there was a hard burr after realignment. However, when I got in contact with ArtisanFP about the issue, he sent me two nibs. One of the nibs had an offcenter slit and wrote inconsistently, but the other wrote dry but otherwise fine. I adjusted the tine spacing to increase flow a bit and now it writes quite nicely. I have to say that the nib surprised me with how springy it was though. In order to make the adjustment I had to flex out to about 1.5-2mm before it took a set. However, please note that I haven't got serious writing time in with it yet and cannot speculate on the flow characteristics of the feed/cc combo.
I have the same pen and a similar writing experience. I replaced the nib with a Nemosine 0.8mm stub (JoWo) which I had intended to do in any case. That has helped but still some hard start issues. I think you are correct about the converter being the problem. I’m guessing that the plastic tends to increase the surface tension of the ink so that it tends to collect at the far end. I’ve tried a few “standard international” one I have around but can’t find one that fits. I find that Monteverde inks (which he uses in his writing tests) help that issue quite a bit. I’m tempted to contact JPL to find out what brand of converter would fit. You can rule out Pelikan, Faber-Castell, and Jinhao. Other than that I like the pen very much and have used it regularly for several months. Very comfortable section and an attractive minimalistic aesthetic.
Aaron Glad to see your reviews coming out more quickly. That having been said, keeping up with work, family and RUclips can be quite daunting. In any event, I enjoyed your pen review and look forward to the next. Your polish and confidence have increased so very much since you began this channel. That along with your enthusiasm for your subject make make excellent reviews. Take care.
No flex nib options to date. Just fine and medium, possibly broad nib in the works for Josh. Josh that makes Artisan pens is based out of Sydney Australia. I put a link in the description to his etsy store.
@@aaronspenvideos4420 His new nib supply means these can be cheaper, but as it is an Asian nib supplier there isn't quite as much variety in nib sizing.
I had the exact same problems with the nib and converter. To solve the problems I had with the converter, I added a small metal ball to help break the surface tension because the plastic one that came with it did nothing. And as for the nib I rinsed it with soapy water. That prevents the formation of air bubbles under the nib that may cause it to hard start. Once I did those things it wrote beautifully.
Thank you for the feedback.
Good to see you back. Nice choice as many of us have all been following JPL's journey from reviewer to a maker, and perhaps wondering whether to give it a try. I know I have looked at them on Etsy a couple times.
Thanks for the mention. This pen is similar in shape to the ebonite Kick Starter pen. Considerably less cost. Thanks for the in-depth review. I am not planning to order another Artisan pen. I admire what Josh is doing. It appears PMMA is a better material for him to use for his pens. My BB Bock nib is a great writer. Welcome back.
I think for the kickstarter pen it was the finish he was trying to apply to the ebonite that was the main issue. If he just went with polished ebonite, then most of the trouble could have been avoided. Seen these never cheaper version on Etsy, but not sure if I will pull the trigger just yet.
@@martinlebl631 That was one major reason. The threads were not done well. My theory is the paint used was to cover up issues with the ebonite finish. Filler was used under the paint. Yes, it was a first attempt but priced like a premium pen. I love the BB nib. Etsy versions use PMMA so material costs much less. Appears his CNC lathe working better.
@@chrisrap52 That is the trouble with using premium and perhaps unfamiliar materials on the first try, and facing the pressure of delivering on the kickstarter deadline. So not great, but a lot better than many other kickstarters that struggle, or ship years late, or flame out entirely. I guess he is now going more down market with the cheaper resin and Taiwanese nibs. The pens look great, and the cost is much more reasonable. At least Aaron didn't mention anything troubling with the threads. I mean machining ebonite is likely different than other more modern materials, and perhaps that learning curve, or scaling up for all the orders caused those issues. He probably should have communicated the issues, and delay a bit to address them before shipping the pens. I mean as I remember lack of communication was one of the issues. There were kickstarters that were years late, but had fairly satisfied backers as they updated everyone regularly, and showed progress, which led to eventual fulfillment. Being late and a clam is the issue. I am tempted to acquire one to support the venture despite the known issues, which Aaron identified, as more fountain pen makers seem like a good thing.
I like the body on my sigaro but mine came with a bad nib. When I got it the tines were vertically splayed about 1-2mm, the slit was a bit offcenter, and there was a hard burr after realignment. However, when I got in contact with ArtisanFP about the issue, he sent me two nibs. One of the nibs had an offcenter slit and wrote inconsistently, but the other wrote dry but otherwise fine. I adjusted the tine spacing to increase flow a bit and now it writes quite nicely. I have to say that the nib surprised me with how springy it was though. In order to make the adjustment I had to flex out to about 1.5-2mm before it took a set. However, please note that I haven't got serious writing time in with it yet and cannot speculate on the flow characteristics of the feed/cc combo.
I have the same pen and a similar writing experience. I replaced the nib with a Nemosine 0.8mm stub (JoWo) which I had intended to do in any case. That has helped but still some hard start issues. I think you are correct about the converter being the problem. I’m guessing that the plastic tends to increase the surface tension of the ink so that it tends to collect at the far end. I’ve tried a few “standard international” one I have around but can’t find one that fits. I find that Monteverde inks (which he uses in his writing tests) help that issue quite a bit. I’m tempted to contact JPL to find out what brand of converter would fit. You can rule out Pelikan, Faber-Castell, and Jinhao. Other than that I like the pen very much and have used it regularly for several months. Very comfortable section and an attractive minimalistic aesthetic.
Thank you for the comment! I have not tested out other convertors, but let us know if you find one that works.
Aaron
Glad to see your reviews coming out more quickly. That having been said, keeping up with work, family and RUclips can be quite daunting. In any event, I enjoyed your pen review and look forward to the next. Your polish and confidence have increased so very much since you began this channel. That along with your enthusiasm for your subject make make excellent reviews. Take care.
Thank you so much!
Hi Aaron, Glad to see you are doing more reviews. Keep them coming.
Have a great day.
I see a considerable improvement in your penmanship from just a year ago.
Thank you!
Well a year of practice does wonders for many skills.
Of course my penmanship suffers as time goes by approaching doctor/pharmacist levels. It is fine if I take it slow, but most of the time I don't.
Can you get these with flex nibs? And where are they made? I wish there was a clipped option. Need a roll-stop.
No flex nib options to date. Just fine and medium, possibly broad nib in the works for Josh. Josh that makes Artisan pens is based out of Sydney Australia. I put a link in the description to his etsy store.
@@aaronspenvideos4420 His new nib supply means these can be cheaper, but as it is an Asian nib supplier there isn't quite as much variety in nib sizing.
A very good pen. I've been very happy with mine - a Sigaro with a red ring and an asian style Broad nib.
I am glad that you are enjoying your pen.