Just a thanks, Brian. I am now a lifelong customer of yours because of your videos, personal style, and customer service. (I'm 71, so lifelong won't be all that long.) I grew up in a small town that had one stationery store. This was long before staples or other big box stores existed. Even as a child, in the 50s and early 60s I was captivated by the writing instruments and paper selection. My favorite part of going to that store was the ability to try any pen or mechanical pencil they sold. The owner could answer any question I had. You have brought back that personal connection that is missing in this digital world.
This video was SO AWESOME! It’s August of 2024 and I just had to research about the converters for some newly acquired Pilots and this video saved me! I’m still a bit of a newb why it comes to the innards of some of the pens. Thank you Brian for leaving this video up! I’ve also shared it with others! So relevant and well done! 👍🏽 🎉
After misplacing my Pilot Kakuno for somewhere around 7 months or so, you inspired me to dig through and find it. It was filled at the time with a CON-70...I was glad I was able to disassemble the converter and swab the insides to ensure all the dried ink was out. Thinking I need to buy a few of the old design since these apparently don't come apart, though I'm sure someone will find a way eventually. Thank you for the tips though, the Kakuno was my first "real" fountain pen and with a CON-70 converter, it wasn't the easiest to learn to use. Your videos have helped me tremendously over the past 2 years.
Wished they had given it a different model number (eg. Con 70B or Con 75) so if you are ordering replacements you can be sure you're getting the newer one.
They are literally the same , just the new one cant be dissassembled. I have both versions and would probably opt for the old version given the chance xD.
The new one is known as the CON-70N. A photo of the packaging showing the new model number can be found here: www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/358871-pilot-con-70n-a-new-version-of-con-70/
@@Cortesevasive "They are literally the same , just the new one cant be dissassembled." Those two cars are literally the same, just that the new one can't be maintained and a new one needs to be bought". 😂💀
Hi Brian - September 2024 here and I REALLY appreciate your video. My Kaküno just arrived with the CON-70 and, being a total fountain pen noobie, I really had no idea how to use this. The instructions are all in Japanese! So... I found you on YT, followed the instructions, and within 2 minutes I got this up and going and am working on my first pen sketch. Huge thanks! J
I bought a Namiki, Bamboo with the old Con70 in 2009. At first I didn't like it because it seemed to never fill properly. After several attempts I finally realized it had to be filled straight up and down. I've been enjoying it ever since and it is one of the top 5 favorites in my 48 pen (and growing) collection. Thanks for this very informative video!
Thank you! I recently bought a Pilot Kakuno and the 70 converter. I'm pretty new to all this and my first filling I didn't get much ink in there at all! Watching your video just now, I got it full!
The necessity to keep the converter vertical while filling is a significant difference and will make it a bit more difficult with shallow or near-empty ink bottles. I generally hold mine with a bit of a slant just naturally (that makes it easier to me for some reason), so this will be something to watch out for. On the other-hand, I'm also accustomed to filling converters (or cartridges) with my syringe, so, after a few failed attempts, it will hopefully dawn on me that it's my fault and not a damaged converter and I'll adjust. That seems an odd requirement to design into a converter. Thanks for the video!
I agree ! I dont know what Pilot was thinking of, making a converter that is useless in the majority of ink bottles situation. Especially when you consider that Pilot themselves produces shallow ink bottles (their standard blue "Sailor-like" bottle) In general I find that all models of Pilot converters are not on par with their pen quality.
I just got the forest green Custom 74 that has this converter and oh man, it’s such a nice filling mechanism. So easy to use and fills up all the way pretty nicely. Took like 4 pumps to fill all the way and that was it!
Such an appreciated video! I recently purchased my first Custom 74 and 823 pens and had one hell of a time filling the Con 70. I got so frustrated with the process and decided to fill it using my ink syringe. I then watched this video and filled one of the pens by way of the ink bottle, and to my great surprise, it worked! Thanks Brian!
I was so thankful to find this video. My new 743 came with the con-70 and I thought something was wrong with it as twisting the end cap did nothing and it appeared to be missing the sealing mechanism at the bottom of what I thought was the piston/plunger! 🤪What a relief!😂
I find it such a pity that more and more things become non self serviceable. I'm glad to see that they made some flow improvements though. Great video of course. It always is :)
I don't know about helpful but I was intrigued. Since I'm new to this world and I'm currently writing with the Pilot Metropolitan it was interesting to see other options vs the bladder converter and the simple ink cartridges that I currently have. The last tool that you used for filling a converter I think was by far the coolest thing in this video. I don't know why but I feel that using that item when refilling converters seems like the way to go but then again I can see the satisfaction from dipping a pen into an inkwell. At the end of the day, it's a personal preference and I think it's really cool that the fountain pen community has endless options to fit everyone's personality.
I recently received a Custom 74 from you and it had the new convertor on it - and now I know why I could NOT get it to fill from a low bottle of ink. I didn't even realize the convertor was different, just thought I'd gotten a bad one. Thank you for the video! I guess it's syringe filling for me then, but at least the convertor isn't broken!
I never imagined 30 years ago that in 30 years I'd see a RUclips titled such and be excited to watch it. I fear for my heart if Sailor bring out a new converter (that actually works!)
wow perfect timing! Just yesterday, I was getting frustrated with my Pilot Custom Urushi, as it was not filling. I was on the verge of ordering a new converter cause I thought the converter was damaged in some way since I used water to change the ink colour recently. Thought of opening the metal shroud too, however after spining it couple of times made me think if i try harder it will break completely. In the end i placed it straight in and it filled 100% but this was all by chance
Wonderful, thank you. I purchased a lovely pilot pen in japan that works with the con-70. Thank you for instruction on how to actually fill the converter. Very helpful.
Brian, thank you. Very informative even to long time pen users. If I had a QOTW I would ask why a company that makes really excellent pens can never seem to get a simple converter right? Yeah, I know there is no answer to that. Going to be great filling from some of my Herbin ink bottles, NOT. My Pineider ink well will be getting a lot of use. Hey ho.
Great video Mr Goulet as always! Very informative. Thanks for taking the time and effort into producing another really helpful video. I don't own a Pilot Custom 74 with a pilot converter (yet) but I have my sights on one. I would love to order it from you guys to help support your business I'm just not sure how the international carriers are working at the moment (or how much it would cost to have it delivered to Wales, UK) but I am truly so grateful for your content. Thank you again Joseph S
just bought this converter by accident - doesnt fit my pen. but its been a great excuse to learn about it. thanks for the video! as always very helpfu. now i need a pen to go with this converter. :)
Thank you! I'm new to fountain pens and was getting frustrated with my Pilot pens. I have two Metropolitans and was changing and refilling cartridges all the time because the Con-40 is terrible, but bought a Kakuno to swap nibs and fell in love with the grip and demonstrator on the Kakunos. But the Con-40s converters really suck and I'm relying a lot more on my TWSBIs. The Con-70 seemed like a good idea but I couldn't get that to fill properly either. Now I can! I don't have to give up on my Kakunos so thanks again.
Thanks Brian, that was very informative and helpful. My pilot kakuno was not filling up after I cleaned it. I have been a regular viewer of your channel. I thought there must be something on your channel about this issue. And, yes, it was there. I found this video and my pen filled to its full capacity. Thanks 🙏
I wish I would've had this video available this time last year when I got my Custom 74. I always have a slight angle and never get a full fill. Thought it was normal, lol. Next time the 74 comes back into the rotation I'll try these tips.
To those new to the CON-70, please be careful not to be too forceful with the push button. Having clean my converters thoroughly before first use, I accidentally tore the tube away from the button, in such a way, that the tube and collar separated away, even loosening the friction fit of my nib & feed. Now I have to eyedropper my fills, and careful not to bulb syringe my nib & feed down the drain of my sink.
Thanks! This is very helpful. I almost always use an ink syringe but this is critical to know should I ever try to fill the pen directly from the bottle.
Thank you so much for this as I recently purchased a pilot custom heritage 912 and I now know how to fill it. I must have been pushing too fast. Thanks
The old Con-70 is a PITA to clean thoroughly, but at least once apart it could be thrown into a Sonic Cleaner. Unless there is a new design which does not let ink past through the rod hole and onto the spring, then there is little reason to buy the new Con-70 as ink in the upper chamber could react with ink in the lower chamber tube.
Your wedding ring is cool! I like the new con 70.. wishing it fit more pens. The con 40 is problematic to fill to the top. I do appreciate you tutorials on filling the ‘cons’.. thanks
Thankx for this video. The issue that I have with my the Con-70: after using my pen a lot, the ink stop following to the nib, even when there still ink in the reservoir. With the piston, I can just turn it a bit to push more ink. The only way I found to overcome this issue with the Con-70, press the button which will make the nib drip a bit, not a good idea to do it in a meeting away from a sink. Any suggestion for me?
Yeah, I guess I have one of the newer ones. My con-70 in my 912 broke yesterday. The metal rod came out of the plunger, can't remove the top, worthless converter. Thanks, Pilot.
@@samuelbrainsample Its probably useless now, but you can fix that with a tooth pick by putting it into the metal tube and then popping it back into the plunger.
Thanks for showing us the two, actually have one of the new ones, and didn't even realize it until I went to refill it. That said I was using an ink sample from Goulet (Sailor Miruai.. it's fabulous), so I went with the ink syringe method.
I got the new one in a Custom 74. It works very well. I have actually two of the new style, and an old style I got with my metal falcon. All of them fill very well and I don't get any leakages. However, I had some flow issues with the new Con 70 in the Falcon, but with the old one, no problems. It's a bit odd, it doesn't make sense, but I will stick with the old one in the falcon. In the Custom 74, the new is very good, and the third one (a new style) is in a Kakuno with no problem.
I'm really hoping this one fixes the ink starvation issue where an air bubble forms between the top of the feed and that neck. Looks like that was one of the specific changes they made. Can this specific converter be ordered separately?
I had the same problem. I had an air bubble in my con70 (old style) and it stopped the ink flow. I let it settle, the air bubble gone, and it went back to writing....
Thanks Brian. Nice to know your expertise is always there. I wish Pilot would get a bit adventurous on new converters for their parallels. Something that would take two colours at once would be great, eg, but Pilot seem very conservative. I guess that's why so many people mod their pens.
Thanks Brian. I found this video today after struggling with one of my new con 70 converters. Unfortunately, it still doesn't fill more than a drop or 2. Not sure if the converter itself is defective or damaged. Do you know what would be the best way to figure that out?
Something useful that I've found when cleaning the old converter, not sure if it'll work on the new one: If you fill a syringe with water and squeeze it through the hole in the thin metal rod, it made flushing ink out of the converter an absolute breeze. Would you be able to test if that still works?
I have more than a dozen CON-70s and use them in my Kakunos. I've just checked and most of them are the new model, which I believe is called the CON-70N. I'm in the UK and from memory, I think most of mine were bought over eBay from Italy. It seems the N model has been shipping in the UK/EU for many months now.
Thanks, didn't realize there was a new Con-70. Made me curious, so I grabbed my (Japanese market) Custom 845 and --whaddya know? It has the new Con-70. Appreciate the fill pointers! I'll use 'em tonight
My only complain on Pilot converter is that they are pretty much not servicable. Sometimes you just need to disassemble it and put a tiny bit of silicone grease to make it works great again. But there is no easy way to do that and you have to buy a new one instead.
@@nurmister Tried it with both old and new Con-70 as well as the smaller con-40. All of them have obstructions that makes putting the toothpick in incredibly challenging. One can somehow manage to stick the toothpick inside, but very hard to apply silicone grease to where you want.
@@ctsealteam6 Mmm thanks for the insight, I've never done this myself. That's unfortunate then... I'm sure Pilot could have made that shroud screw-offable. :/
Good for Pilot to remodel a converter. I wish they could do the same with the very long Pilot Explorer pen when capped. Its kind of ugly an funny... Good review. Thank you.
Would love to know your thoughts on the ink miser. I purchased one, but haven't used it yet. Seemed like it would be useful when the bottle gets low. Would appreciate a video on which pens are able to be fun serviced and taken apart. Also, which nibs and feeds come apart.
Hi Leslie, I have the ink miser stand version that sits on the table/desk. You can carefully pore your ink into the ink miser if you are dexterous . Then just fill your pen as usual as you do from the bottle. It always protects your nib if you are paranoid about your nib hitting the bottle of the ink bottle.. R & K and INK MISER both also have ones that you put into the bottle invert the bottle then place it upright so ink collects into the ink chamber . Thus allow you to fill from ink chamber. Your are correct it comes in handy with the ink level in the bottle is low.
Hi Leslie, The most serviceable fountain pen is TWISBI ECO PENS. Brian and Drew from Goulet Pens have made a competition disassemble and stand alone video on how to disassemble it.. Monteverde, Conklin and Pelikan Pens have a screw in nib. Unit that you can unscrew carefully from the grip section of the pen. Most other pens just have a friction fitted nib and feed unit that you pull out carefully.. Imo as long as you get most of the ink out of the converter Even though it might look stained from some ink, who cares except you as long as the pen writes . Good luck with taking the pen apart for cleaning .
The pump mechanism There’s no reservoir ink be hind it right as we all have seen in the old current converters? Its not annoying but its tedious to clean the inside chamber where you see that little bit of ink and water when you clean it..... I cant wait to get my hands on this one!!!!
Using an ink syringe when you have such a cool and well designed filling mechanism as the Con70 looks pretty excentric. I am not a great fan of converter pens: I much prefer a built-in filling system, which is what really makes the difference between a fancy pen designed for esthetics and a sophisticated writing instrument which as only a handful if brands have the capability of developing and innovating. Pilot is sure one of them and I would place TWSBI in the same league. However this converter is a great step forward.
Thank you for the surprisingly long instructional video on the new converters. I have a question about the built-in adgitator. These seem to be made of a mystery metal. Is there any possibility of oxydizing since they sit in ink throughout the pen's life? I've seen some nasty cases of metal pen damage from some inks.
Seems I'm late to the party, again...........My first interaction with the "new style" Pilot's CON-70 is not good. I think the air bubbles rise to the top when handling the pen and then prevent further ink flow after the initial feed at the nib. This is with a 743 style pen and further investigation seems to support my findings, as a pre-filled cartridge flows continuously and I'm going to attach a CON-40 and see what happens. Has air bubble blockage been a big problem with this "new style" converter? Tapping the nib to get ink flowing is too inaccurate and perhaps damaging to the nib to be a reliable method. And thanks for your informative and insightful videos prescribing and defining products.
the way Con 70 works is like miniaturized vacuum system, they added weight behind that rubber stopper to add better chance that the stopper will drop down better and create good seal, blowing air from the backside(just inside the button, the back of the syringe) to outside of the chamber and into the feed when you push the button; this part is important that the chamber stays closed by that rubber(hence, everything being as straight vertical and briskly operated as possible), and hold for a little while for negative pressure to be created, and when you release the button, what is sucked from the vacuum release will be the ink. now it's sad that they just completely made it non-disassembleable, because the back part of that syringe, inside the button, there will be lots of remaining ink that is nearly impossible to thoroughly clean and dry. ink color contamination.
@@Gouletpens Maybe thanks to this new 'improvement' that it could be better illustrated by words. It's a pretty neat system that's puzzling even for the Japanese domestic market, and a lot also don't like it just as much as we do ;D also it's weird that Pilot's gold nib pens with that hole on the feed is just as good as Platinum's last-drop feed on Procyon, but never advertised, maybe the design board was afraid that people can't operate the Con-70 effectively. During filling, air should come out uninterrupted from the larger hole on the underside of the feed close to the section, good filling procedure can avoid contamination and excessive ink cycling that causes bubble. I've tried this many times with Custom 74 with little failure, I just wish I have fine medium nib because with extra fine, I almost never has to refill it. 😂
No, Pilot's cartidges and converters have a specific neck opening that is only made to fit Pilot's pens. Unless you have a pen that's made by Pilot under another brand name but I am not even sure that this exists (I think Sailor does that for the Japan market but I dont know about Pilot)
Has anyone had any luck disassembling the new con-70? The metal piston rod on mine came unseated, so it doesn’t function properly now. I had a backup con-70, so I’m good there, but I’d like to know how to fix that one if anyone has pointers. Edit: this video was definitely helpful, especially with the filling angle and the necessary pressure. I was new to the con-70 when I got my first Custom 74 recently, so I was going off the old video (Bam!), and this one helps with that layer of nuance. Thanks, Brian.
Just a thanks, Brian. I am now a lifelong customer of yours because of your videos, personal style, and customer service. (I'm 71, so lifelong won't be all that long.) I grew up in a small town that had one stationery store. This was long before staples or other big box stores existed. Even as a child, in the 50s and early 60s I was captivated by the writing instruments and paper selection. My favorite part of going to that store was the ability to try any pen or mechanical pencil they sold. The owner could answer any question I had. You have brought back that personal connection that is missing in this digital world.
This video was SO AWESOME! It’s August of 2024 and I just had to research about the converters for some newly acquired Pilots and this video saved me! I’m still a bit of a newb why it comes to the innards of some of the pens. Thank you Brian for leaving this video up! I’ve also shared it with others! So relevant and well done! 👍🏽 🎉
Love the Astro-boy hair!
Lol, I know imagine Brian walking around with this hairstyle clutching his Hobonichi journal with the special Astro-boy cover released this year.
@@The7threst Who in the world would even recognize an Astroboy reference? No cowlick in the back though.
@@bbrachmanI got it 🤚🏼 😂
After misplacing my Pilot Kakuno for somewhere around 7 months or so, you inspired me to dig through and find it. It was filled at the time with a CON-70...I was glad I was able to disassemble the converter and swab the insides to ensure all the dried ink was out. Thinking I need to buy a few of the old design since these apparently don't come apart, though I'm sure someone will find a way eventually. Thank you for the tips though, the Kakuno was my first "real" fountain pen and with a CON-70 converter, it wasn't the easiest to learn to use. Your videos have helped me tremendously over the past 2 years.
Wished they had given it a different model number (eg. Con 70B or Con 75) so if you are ordering replacements you can be sure you're getting the newer one.
They are literally the same , just the new one cant be dissassembled. I have both versions and would probably opt for the old version given the chance xD.
The new one is known as the CON-70N. A photo of the packaging showing the new model number can be found here: www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/358871-pilot-con-70n-a-new-version-of-con-70/
@@bikkies That's good to know. I don't recall Brian mentioning that.
@@Cortesevasive if they were literally the same, this video wouldn’t exist.
@@Cortesevasive "They are literally the same , just the new one cant be dissassembled."
Those two cars are literally the same, just that the new one can't be maintained and a new one needs to be bought". 😂💀
Hi Brian - September 2024 here and I REALLY appreciate your video. My Kaküno just arrived with the CON-70 and, being a total fountain pen noobie, I really had no idea how to use this. The instructions are all in Japanese! So... I found you on YT, followed the instructions, and within 2 minutes I got this up and going and am working on my first pen sketch.
Huge thanks!
J
I bought a Namiki, Bamboo with the old Con70 in 2009. At first I didn't like it because it seemed to never fill properly. After several attempts I finally realized it had to be filled straight up and down. I've been enjoying it ever since and it is one of the top 5 favorites in my 48 pen (and growing) collection. Thanks for this very informative video!
I recently ordered a custom 74 straight from Japan. After watching this video, I have realized that i indeed got the new CON-70 !
Just bought the CON-70 for my new Lightive and this video pops up a few days later. Needing to ink up for the first time. Great timing!
Thank you! I recently bought a Pilot Kakuno and the 70 converter. I'm pretty new to all this and my first filling I didn't get much ink in there at all! Watching your video just now, I got it full!
Did you have a lot of bubbles in yours?
Ditto! But now I’m a pro 😅
The necessity to keep the converter vertical while filling is a significant difference and will make it a bit more difficult with shallow or near-empty ink bottles. I generally hold mine with a bit of a slant just naturally (that makes it easier to me for some reason), so this will be something to watch out for. On the other-hand, I'm also accustomed to filling converters (or cartridges) with my syringe, so, after a few failed attempts, it will hopefully dawn on me that it's my fault and not a damaged converter and I'll adjust. That seems an odd requirement to design into a converter.
Thanks for the video!
I agree ! I dont know what Pilot was thinking of, making a converter that is useless in the majority of ink bottles situation. Especially when you consider that Pilot themselves produces shallow ink bottles (their standard blue "Sailor-like" bottle)
In general I find that all models of Pilot converters are not on par with their pen quality.
I just got the forest green Custom 74 that has this converter and oh man, it’s such a nice filling mechanism. So easy to use and fills up all the way pretty nicely. Took like 4 pumps to fill all the way and that was it!
Managed to snag 2 Con-50s off of Reddit and they have made my resin Falcon and VP much more pleasant to use
Such an appreciated video! I recently purchased my first Custom 74 and 823 pens and had one hell of a time filling the Con 70. I got so frustrated with the process and decided to fill it using my ink syringe. I then watched this video and filled one of the pens by way of the ink bottle, and to my great surprise, it worked! Thanks Brian!
I was so thankful to find this video. My new 743 came with the con-70 and I thought something was wrong with it as twisting the end cap did nothing and it appeared to be missing the sealing mechanism at the bottom of what I thought was the piston/plunger! 🤪What a relief!😂
I was very worried when the pilot Justus couldn't draw ink. After watching the video, I realized that there is no serious problem. Thank you so much.
Yes Brian , thank you so much for going over this. I just got my first Custom 74 and I was so in need of some instruction.
I find it such a pity that more and more things become non self serviceable. I'm glad to see that they made some flow improvements though. Great video of course. It always is :)
Unlike the converters, Pilot cartridge is super serviceable, even can be re-sealed
ruclips.net/video/MqGNUeVggnY/видео.html&ab_channel=CortesiMerci
It has been dissasembled
I don't know about helpful but I was intrigued. Since I'm new to this world and I'm currently writing with the Pilot Metropolitan it was interesting to see other options vs the bladder converter and the simple ink cartridges that I currently have. The last tool that you used for filling a converter I think was by far the coolest thing in this video. I don't know why but I feel that using that item when refilling converters seems like the way to go but then again I can see the satisfaction from dipping a pen into an inkwell. At the end of the day, it's a personal preference and I think it's really cool that the fountain pen community has endless options to fit everyone's personality.
I have a Pilot Metropolitan and a Pineider filler. It works exceedingly well, though I should say I have the Con 40, rather than the Con B.
The Con B is awful. Hopefully by now you've replace it with a Con 40!
I recently received a Custom 74 from you and it had the new convertor on it - and now I know why I could NOT get it to fill from a low bottle of ink. I didn't even realize the convertor was different, just thought I'd gotten a bad one. Thank you for the video! I guess it's syringe filling for me then, but at least the convertor isn't broken!
I never imagined 30 years ago that in 30 years I'd see a RUclips titled such and be excited to watch it. I fear for my heart if Sailor bring out a new converter (that actually works!)
wow perfect timing!
Just yesterday, I was getting frustrated with my Pilot Custom Urushi, as it was not filling.
I was on the verge of ordering a new converter cause I thought the converter was damaged in some way since I used water to change the ink colour recently. Thought of opening the metal shroud too, however after spining it couple of times made me think if i try harder it will break completely.
In the end i placed it straight in and it filled 100% but this was all by chance
Your wedding ring caught my eye, my husband also has a "Goulet blue" wedding ring. Interesting changes to the converter. Have a great weekend.🌻😁
Wonderful, thank you. I purchased a lovely pilot pen in japan that works with the con-70. Thank you for instruction on how to actually fill the converter. Very helpful.
Brian, thank you. Very informative even to long time pen users. If I had a QOTW I would ask why a company that makes really excellent pens can never seem to get a simple converter right? Yeah, I know there is no answer to that. Going to be great filling from some of my Herbin ink bottles, NOT. My Pineider ink well will be getting a lot of use. Hey ho.
I hear Drew hates the Con-70 but I don’t understand why people don’t like it. Can you explain what you don’t like about it?
Great video Mr Goulet as always! Very informative. Thanks for taking the time and effort into producing another really helpful video. I don't own a Pilot Custom 74 with a pilot converter (yet) but I have my sights on one. I would love to order it from you guys to help support your business I'm just not sure how the international carriers are working at the moment (or how much it would cost to have it delivered to Wales, UK) but I am truly so grateful for your content.
Thank you again
Joseph S
I was really hoping that the redesign
meant it would fit more models, but no.. :'(
just bought this converter by accident - doesnt fit my pen. but its been a great excuse to learn about it. thanks for the video! as always very helpfu. now i need a pen to go with this converter. :)
Great video a Con 70 fan and a massive Pilot fan don’t think I’d be overly fussed on which converter I get.
Good to know. And reminds me I need to get a couple new ink syringes. Bits went missing after cleaning last time.
Mine didn’t fill as easily as this. I had to do your “bam” method to get a full fill. 😂
Great info. Some things are not as obvious as they seem so I appreciate your insight as I've just bought the Con 70 Converter.
The new con-70 leaks quite a bit in my custom 74. I went back to the original and its fine.
I saw a silver one and a black one. Which is the newer version?
Thank you! I was sitting here looking at my new Custom 74 and wondering exactly how to fill it. Now I know! Big love! Annie
Got the new Con 70 with my Urushi 845 earlier this year. It was my first experience with the Con 70 period, and so far I've had no issues with it.
Thank you! I'm new to fountain pens and was getting frustrated with my Pilot pens. I have two Metropolitans and was changing and refilling cartridges all the time because the Con-40 is terrible, but bought a Kakuno to swap nibs and fell in love with the grip and demonstrator on the Kakunos. But the Con-40s converters really suck and I'm relying a lot more on my TWSBIs. The Con-70 seemed like a good idea but I couldn't get that to fill properly either. Now I can! I don't have to give up on my Kakunos so thanks again.
Hello!
Thank you for this video.
How to unfill the converter? To clean the pen for example?
Glad I saw this. I have the new one and couldn’t get a complete fill despite watching a few tutorials.
I love using the syringes that I recently got from Goulet Pens. So simple and straightforward. and your hair looks awesome.
Oh wow, interesting. That looks easier. And I like that your ring matches your pen and ink.
Very helpful thank you- I have the Namiki Mount Fuji and Wave, I'll have to watch this video again carefully when I next fill it.
Thanks Brian, that was very informative and helpful. My pilot kakuno was not filling up after I cleaned it. I have been a regular viewer of your channel. I thought there must be something on your channel about this issue. And, yes, it was there. I found this video and my pen filled to its full capacity. Thanks 🙏
I wish I would've had this video available this time last year when I got my Custom 74. I always have a slight angle and never get a full fill. Thought it was normal, lol. Next time the 74 comes back into the rotation I'll try these tips.
Thank you, I now know why I could not fill my converter much.
Love the time stamps. Thanks!
Thanks for this Brian. I just got a 74 and just filled it and noticed sooo many bubbles! I might have been doing too quickly.
Very fulfilling video.
Wow! I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these!
I have the new one on my Custom 74, and it's leaky when I fill using the push mechanism. So I have to fill it with a syringe.
Great info! Thanks Brian!
To those new to the CON-70, please be careful not to be too forceful with the push button. Having clean my converters thoroughly before first use, I accidentally tore the tube away from the button, in such a way, that the tube and collar separated away, even loosening the friction fit of my nib & feed. Now I have to eyedropper my fills, and careful not to bulb syringe my nib & feed down the drain of my sink.
Thanks for the instructions! Really informative!
Thanks! This is very helpful. I almost always use an ink syringe but this is critical to know should I ever try to fill the pen directly from the bottle.
Thank you. Someone had a question on Amazon Answers about a Con 70 N and I had no idea what they were talking about. 😅 Now I know. 😎👍
Thanks for the comparison! It turns out I have a new CON-70 in my Hakase and hadn't noticed most of the differences.
Thank you Brian.
This was very helpful. Thanks!
Thank you so much for this as I recently purchased a pilot custom heritage 912 and I now know how to fill it. I must have been pushing too fast. Thanks
Well done describing this converter redesign. Thanks.
Yes, this was most helpful. Thank you.
The old Con-70 is a PITA to clean thoroughly, but at least once apart it could be thrown into a Sonic Cleaner. Unless there is a new design which does not let ink past through the rod hole and onto the spring, then there is little reason to buy the new Con-70 as ink in the upper chamber could react with ink in the lower chamber tube.
The agitator seems really useful for shimmering inks.
Great video. Very informative.
So I have the new model in my Pilot 912 which I got from you guys back in November.
Your wedding ring is cool!
I like the new con 70.. wishing it fit more pens. The con 40 is problematic to fill to the top. I do appreciate you tutorials on filling the ‘cons’.. thanks
Thankx for this video. The issue that I have with my the Con-70: after using my pen a lot, the ink stop following to the nib, even when there still ink in the reservoir. With the piston, I can just turn it a bit to push more ink. The only way I found to overcome this issue with the Con-70, press the button which will make the nib drip a bit, not a good idea to do it in a meeting away from a sink. Any suggestion for me?
Any recommendations on removing air bubbles? I’m using the same brand of ink, CON-70 converter in a kakuno pilot
Great video!!!
Great marketing scheme. Non-servicable converters means you have to buy another new one.
Yeah, I guess I have one of the newer ones. My con-70 in my 912 broke yesterday. The metal rod came out of the plunger, can't remove the top, worthless converter. Thanks, Pilot.
@@samuelbrainsample
Its probably useless now, but you can fix that with a tooth pick by putting it into the metal tube and then popping it back into the plunger.
Thanks for showing us the two, actually have one of the new ones, and didn't even realize it until I went to refill it. That said I was using an ink sample from Goulet (Sailor Miruai.. it's fabulous), so I went with the ink syringe method.
I got the new one in a Custom 74. It works very well. I have actually two of the new style, and an old style I got with my metal falcon. All of them fill very well and I don't get any leakages.
However, I had some flow issues with the new Con 70 in the Falcon, but with the old one, no problems. It's a bit odd, it doesn't make sense, but I will stick with the old one in the falcon. In the Custom 74, the new is very good, and the third one (a new style) is in a Kakuno with no problem.
I'm really hoping this one fixes the ink starvation issue where an air bubble forms between the top of the feed and that neck. Looks like that was one of the specific changes they made. Can this specific converter be ordered separately?
I had the same problem. I had an air bubble in my con70 (old style) and it stopped the ink flow. I let it settle, the air bubble gone, and it went back to writing....
Thanks Brian!
Will the new con 70 be available for separate purchase?
Yes, it's available now actually (it's the silver trim version). - Drew
Thanks Brian. Nice to know your expertise is always there. I wish Pilot would get a bit adventurous on new converters for their parallels. Something that would take two colours at once would be great, eg, but Pilot seem very conservative. I guess that's why so many people mod their pens.
mixing inks, especially from different brands can ruin a pen.
Brian excellent how to video. I think the old Con 70 converter is the better, because you can disassemble it making it easier to clean.
Thanks Brian. I don’t think I have a con 70 on my Namiki Falcon. I’ll have to check!
The shirt looks to be a good one when using blue ink or the result thereof.
Thanks Brian. I found this video today after struggling with one of my new con 70 converters. Unfortunately, it still doesn't fill more than a drop or 2. Not sure if the converter itself is defective or damaged. Do you know what would be the best way to figure that out?
Just for some context, it used to fill quite well. But I cleaned it recently and its been problematic since
Who else agrees with me that pilot has all of it from cheap to expensive to even collectors edition
This guy does. - Drew
Something useful that I've found when cleaning the old converter, not sure if it'll work on the new one: If you fill a syringe with water and squeeze it through the hole in the thin metal rod, it made flushing ink out of the converter an absolute breeze. Would you be able to test if that still works?
Can confirm! Thank you 😅
I have more than a dozen CON-70s and use them in my Kakunos. I've just checked and most of them are the new model, which I believe is called the CON-70N. I'm in the UK and from memory, I think most of mine were bought over eBay from Italy. It seems the N model has been shipping in the UK/EU for many months now.
Thanks, didn't realize there was a new Con-70. Made me curious, so I grabbed my (Japanese market) Custom 845 and --whaddya know? It has the new Con-70. Appreciate the fill pointers! I'll use 'em tonight
My only complain on Pilot converter is that they are pretty much not servicable. Sometimes you just need to disassemble it and put a tiny bit of silicone grease to make it works great again. But there is no easy way to do that and you have to buy a new one instead.
You can perhaps use a toothpick to grease the threads from the input hole?
@@nurmister Tried it with both old and new Con-70 as well as the smaller con-40. All of them have obstructions that makes putting the toothpick in incredibly challenging. One can somehow manage to stick the toothpick inside, but very hard to apply silicone grease to where you want.
@@ctsealteam6 Mmm thanks for the insight, I've never done this myself. That's unfortunate then... I'm sure Pilot could have made that shroud screw-offable. :/
Will the con 70 work with pilot falcon?
can we use it in Pilot Metropolitan pens?
Good for Pilot to remodel a converter. I wish they could do the same with the very long Pilot Explorer pen when capped. Its kind of ugly an funny... Good review. Thank you.
Brian, is this the same shirt as you wore in the con-70 video from 8 years ago? 😁
Hey, Brian. Just a question. Can you please help me out with the information as to which one of con 70 or con 40 is the best for Pilot explorer?
Brian would say CON-70, for sure! - Drew
@@Gouletpensthanks a ton, Drew
Would love to know your thoughts on the ink miser. I purchased one, but haven't used it yet. Seemed like it would be useful when the bottle gets low. Would appreciate a video on which pens are able to be fun serviced and taken apart. Also, which nibs and feeds come apart.
Hi Leslie,
I have the ink miser stand version that sits on the table/desk. You can carefully pore your ink into the ink miser if you are dexterous . Then just fill your pen as usual as you do from the bottle. It always protects your nib if you are paranoid about your nib hitting the bottle of the ink bottle..
R & K and INK MISER both also have ones that you put into the bottle invert the bottle then place it upright so ink collects into the ink chamber . Thus allow you to fill from ink chamber.
Your are correct it comes in handy with the ink level in the bottle is low.
Hi Leslie,
The most serviceable fountain pen is TWISBI ECO PENS. Brian and Drew from Goulet Pens have made a competition disassemble and stand alone video on how to disassemble it..
Monteverde, Conklin and Pelikan Pens have a screw in nib. Unit that you can unscrew carefully from the grip section of the pen.
Most other pens just have a friction fitted nib and feed unit that you pull out carefully..
Imo as long as you get most of the ink out of the converter Even though it might look stained from some ink, who cares except you as long as the pen writes .
Good luck with taking the pen apart for cleaning .
Can this converter be filled with a syringe? My preferred way of filling all my converters. Less mess. More control.
I should probably watch the entire video before commenting.
Haha don't worry - I know I've done that before! But yes, it fills easily with a syringe. :) - Drew
The pump mechanism There’s no reservoir ink be hind it right as we all have seen in the old current converters? Its not annoying but its tedious to clean the inside chamber where you see that little bit of ink and water when you clean it..... I cant wait to get my hands on this one!!!!
Using an ink syringe when you have such a cool and well designed filling mechanism as the Con70 looks pretty excentric. I am not a great fan of converter pens: I much prefer a built-in filling system, which is what really makes the difference between a fancy pen designed for esthetics and a sophisticated writing instrument which as only a handful if brands have the capability of developing and innovating. Pilot is sure one of them and I would place TWSBI in the same league. However this converter is a great step forward.
I'm concerned about the potential inability to take it apart. Can it be taken apart?
Doesn't look like it which is a pity
Thank you for the surprisingly long instructional video on the new converters. I have a question about the built-in adgitator. These seem to be made of a mystery metal. Is there any possibility of oxydizing since they sit in ink throughout the pen's life? I've seen some nasty cases of metal pen damage from some inks.
I love it! #teampilot
Seems I'm late to the party, again...........My first interaction with the "new style" Pilot's CON-70 is not good. I think the air bubbles rise to the top when handling the pen and then prevent further ink flow after the initial feed at the nib. This is with a 743 style pen and further investigation seems to support my findings, as a pre-filled cartridge flows continuously and I'm going to attach a CON-40 and see what happens.
Has air bubble blockage been a big problem with this "new style" converter? Tapping the nib to get ink flowing is too inaccurate and perhaps damaging to the nib to be a reliable method.
And thanks for your informative and insightful videos prescribing and defining products.
the way Con 70 works is like miniaturized vacuum system, they added weight behind that rubber stopper to add better chance that the stopper will drop down better and create good seal, blowing air from the backside(just inside the button, the back of the syringe) to outside of the chamber and into the feed when you push the button; this part is important that the chamber stays closed by that rubber(hence, everything being as straight vertical and briskly operated as possible), and hold for a little while for negative pressure to be created, and when you release the button, what is sucked from the vacuum release will be the ink.
now it's sad that they just completely made it non-disassembleable, because the back part of that syringe, inside the button, there will be lots of remaining ink that is nearly impossible to thoroughly clean and dry. ink color contamination.
Wow! Thanks for the breakdown - that was really well worded. - Drew
@@Gouletpens Maybe thanks to this new 'improvement' that it could be better illustrated by words. It's a pretty neat system that's puzzling even for the Japanese domestic market, and a lot also don't like it just as much as we do ;D
also it's weird that Pilot's gold nib pens with that hole on the feed is just as good as Platinum's last-drop feed on Procyon, but never advertised, maybe the design board was afraid that people can't operate the Con-70 effectively. During filling, air should come out uninterrupted from the larger hole on the underside of the feed close to the section, good filling procedure can avoid contamination and excessive ink cycling that causes bubble. I've tried this many times with Custom 74 with little failure, I just wish I have fine medium nib because with extra fine, I almost never has to refill it. 😂
Does the Con70 fit in any other brand of fountain pen??
No, Pilot's cartidges and converters have a specific neck opening that is only made to fit Pilot's pens.
Unless you have a pen that's made by Pilot under another brand name but I am not even sure that this exists (I think Sailor does that for the Japan market but I dont know about Pilot)
Has anyone had any luck disassembling the new con-70? The metal piston rod on mine came unseated, so it doesn’t function properly now. I had a backup con-70, so I’m good there, but I’d like to know how to fix that one if anyone has pointers.
Edit: this video was definitely helpful, especially with the filling angle and the necessary pressure. I was new to the con-70 when I got my first Custom 74 recently, so I was going off the old video (Bam!), and this one helps with that layer of nuance. Thanks, Brian.
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