I held off getting this pen from all the negative comments I read. The newer model is a significant improvement. I still have to get used to latching and disengaging the piston but that's me and not the pen. I am glad penBBS made the modification. Do you still use it? Great re-review, Doug.
Okay - 58 minutes of absolute fun, and informative too! I also have this pen and searched you out to watch for info on filling the pen. Oh my goodness, Doug - I tried filling mine yesterday and sprayed Kon-peki all over my desk and computer! So I cleaned it out and went in search of an education. I think I'm armed with enough info to fill my pen now. ALSO, I wanted to tell you I played marbles on my front porch as a kid with as many kids as wanted to play. I don't remember playing at school, but we probably did. I still have a small jar with maybe 35 marbles - love them! Thanks for a wonderful video. Look forward to another of your collaborations with Alan.
You guys, this was great fun. Doug's videos/reviews/unboxings are entertaining, and the two of you make us (me) feel less geeky! Good to know there are others with the same bug. Though I've written with fountain pens off and on for years, it's only been since the pandemic I've taken the plunge. Why resist it, I say, when there are so many affordable pens out there? I've subscribed to "What I Ink," so I'll be watchin' ...
Good video. Liked the speculation discussions: new model speculations and what direction Penbbs should go for next couple of years to do what they do best & keep us all coming back for more & more of these lovely pens in wow finishes and decent price points allowing us ownership of so many models we would hate to miss but also of several (many?) fantastic finishes in each of our favorite, our best of the best, Penbbs models! Also like idea to collect a favorite finish in each pen possible! I’ve just begun with Penbbs (thanks to Doug!) and love what I see in these pens and the fun of learning about so many fillers, styles, finishes and would love more nib choices to complete the circle! Thanks to you both for this first of a few joint (haha-you know what I mean) reviews. Like the looking at the same items but do a few picking the pen model then let’s see what you each select for finish & ink & nib size or nib replacement. Or pick a pen model then go with a them like make it Halloween or summer or jungle or favorite song or composer or scarey movie character! Fun & informative plus a way to get out of comfort zone & usual kinds of choices people make!
Doug and Alan such a great video it is great to get differing reviews of the same pen without having to search through other sites. Please do more collaborations. The conversation at the end brings valid comments and opens up the discussion to include potential improvements that really can't happen easily with just one person's opinion. Well done guys excellent video and waiting for the next.
Well, it's clear to me that PenBBS is more a boutique or pen aficionado's company and essentially more akin to present different and certainly gimmicky/innovative designs and filling mechanisms. I like that. Thanks for the video Doug and Alan, that was a great video collaboration 👍.
I like these sorts of collaboration. Two people who have a clear enthusiasm and shared passion for our hobby, putting their own slant on the pen and why they feel as they do. There are some quite different tastes and aspirations in here yet the overall conclusions are similar. This makes these videos a good complement to the pens they discuss: balanced and reliable. As for the "sameness", I have more utilitarian tastes and, nice though they undoubtedly are, I don't need complex swirly squiggles and distractions on my pens. My two 456s are the same finish; plain transparent barrel with ivory cap, section and detailing. When I look at most of my other PenBBS stash, I stand no chance of remembering which is which unless I label them. There is too much "sameness" with trim and (controversially) for me at least, too much choice.
I do have the Asvine V126 and was researching other filling systems and went through this old video of yours. I really liked this video of yours and this pen (filling system) is on my wish list. I liked the Penbbs 500 (spring piston) as well but seems to be that it is out of production now. A few questions I have: How is ur view about this pen now? Any latest recommendations on other filling systems? Till now I tried the cartridge/converter, piston, vacuum filler, eyesdropper mechanisms... 😊
Love the format here guys...very informative and having a dialogue really adds a cool twist to the regular review style. Would love to see more on other pens. Especially helpful for a pen noob.
@@InkquiringMinds not for me....I'm one though that regularly watches peter draws channel where he sometimes posts videos up to 1 - 1.5 hours long where he draws with fountain pens. If its content I am looking for, and yours is, then I'm willing to devote the time. Keep doing what you do.
Great review guys. I hope you do more of these as well. It saves me hopping from review to review to review. I appreciate collaborations. Personally, I don't get these complex filling systems and agree with Alan that you might as well use an eyedropper fill, although the engineering is admirable in its own write (couldn't resist). I never, ever post any pen. I never posted my 19 cent Bics, as I'm sure I've said before, so the posting thing is a non-issue for me. My favourite pens are demonstrators so the Misty Mountain finish is nearly as good as Smog!
Another interesting video - Two for the price of one! Almost all my pens are postable, as that is what I prefer, except for my 323 Tuzi - What a writer!!
I agree about the 323. I should write with mine more. I'm not a stickler for posting but a pen that posts beautifully and is balanced posted or unposted is marvellous. My Pilot e95s is sublime!
Immediately after I did the writing sample, I flossed the nib using a .004" spark plug gapping tool. I did about three or four strokes and now it is magnificent!
Thought that was cool when you mentioned the crown royal bag. We used to think we were so cool that we thought of using a crown royal bag for our things back in the 90’s. Kids still using them today and evidently have been for some time. Haha.
Every time I hear misty mountains I think of a certain ''hop'' - let me quote ''So I've decided what I'm gonna do now. So I'm packing my bags for the Misty Mountains. Where the spirits go now'' Led Zeppelin - Misty Mountian Hop I love the collaboration between you two guys, that was a fun feature :)
Very interesting video! I really enjoyed it! A little and very straight question: would you recomend an owner of the previous 355 to buy the improved version? Or do you think the difference is not that relevant for someone who already has a 355?
Thanks, Paulo. It depends on whether the old version was a problem for the user. If they, like me, found a way to keep the piston rod from sticking, then the new one won’t be necessary. However, the new one is worry free and foolproof in my opinion.
@@InkquiringMinds Thanks! I only had problems the first time I played with it. Before even filling it. Since then I never got the piston stuck again. So... I guess I will see what the new model magnetic model they are working on now is and then buy that one instead!
Beautiful collaboration! I have two new 355 and both nibs (F) were perfect from the beginning. I don't like their transparent finishes very much but they also have those other marvelous finishes like Niangao, Autum, Sunset, Moon River, Galaxy, Hawaii.... So anyone should find a pen finish that they like. Maybe the next pen will have a magnetic closing cap but that would probably require a metal section which I don't like at all.
I have three solid finish 355s on the way in Amber, Niangao and Galaxy. It would be interesting to see a magnetic cap from Penbbs! A metal section isn't necessary for this... just a ring between the section and the barrel that is a magnet and a magnet in the cap band. Interesting!
@@InkquiringMinds Just a bit of nitpicking here: on the Galaxy pen I can see the two tiny grey ends of that metal pin in the piston knob and I'm considering covering those with a bit of dark blue enamel. On the Niangao pen those ends are blending nicely with that greyish pattern.
My improved ver. of 355 in amber is that was ordered from Taobao.com is still shown as something like "ready for air shipping". It has been at this stage for 1 month already...
Mine are still in the mail from China. I almost got a Misty Mountain ... glad I did not, don’t really like the milk blue.. but thats personal taste, the new 355 is a great pen
@@InkquiringMinds , it was also said that the TWSBI 580 could not be posted but I do mine all the time. I did reject buying the Vac 700R because of the posting issue. Instead, I am having a custom pen made for me.
You mentioned a tool for increasing the gap between the tines: is that something I can buy online?(both my gold nibbed Pilot pens have slightly pinched nibs - it seems Pilot has better quality control for their steel nibbed pens: I have 6 Prera’s and they’re all perfectly tuned!); I’ve tried using shims to no effect and am not aware of any nibmeisters nearby, so you’re my last hope: help!; btw, great vid, thanks!:)
I use a spark plug gapping tool that is available at any auto parts / hardware store. However, I'm told by experts that steel isn't the best material to perform this operation. The thin brass sheet you can get at pen suppliers is apparently a lot safer being softer than steel.
Douglas Rathbun thanks for getting back to me: very much appreciated!; I have been reluctant to take matters into my own hands as the two pens referred to are a Pilot Custom 823 ‘F’ and a Pilot Custom 74 ‘EF’(would be much more ready to act if it was the Prera’s that we’re at fault!)
Douglas Rathbun not meaning to be an idiot, but this just looks like a bunch of feeler gauges: my EF should have a gap of 0.2mm but is pinched, so how do I use this tool to slightly widen the gap between the tines?!(imagine you’re talking to an idiot!:)
I thought I knew the answer to this but some posts on FB this morning have confused me. Apparently, there is only one nib EF and REF are the same nib, which is a Round Extra Fine.
Thanks for the feedback, David. This was a special video experiment that Alan and I were trying. I was hoping people would be able to use the new "Chapters" feature of RU-vid to flip to the various parts of the video or even use the "Watch Later" feature. But 58 minute videos are not my norm.
