Kaigelu 316 acrylic finial

[Flounder]

You can't tell from the photo, but this Kaigelu has just been on a major diet! The brass barrel finial's been swapped out for a sweet custom turned acrylic alternative, made up for me by richardandtracy over at FPN. I love the size and shape of the 316, it's one of those pens that come along and make you say "oh, this is a perfect fit". Ditching the brasswork makes it far lighter and better balanced, which is great for a prolonged writing sesh.

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Kaigelu%20316%20Acrylic%20Finial/Kaigelu316AcrylicFinial.jpg

Do I sound happy? Pleased as punch! :) :) :) :)

[cwent2]

I am very interested in learning the particulars of your successful swap as I have a kaigelu 316 also I saw your steps on your blog - what is the cost and procedure to aquire a replacement finial?

Cw

[erpe]

Interesting. I have absolutely no problem with the balance or the weight though. Maybe the size of the hands plays a role in this. The top rests on my hand. Making it lighter would move the balance towards the nib, that seems uncomfortable in my case. I wish there was an opportunity to try it.

[Annie]

Nice job. I stubbed the nib in my 316 and then my boss fell in love with it and begged to buy it from me. Naturally, I gave in. Have just bought another, different model and a bit lighter, not that the weight of the 316 is a problem, even in my small paws.

[carlc]

I know why Annie's boss fell in love with her 316 - she stubbed the nib on mine :cheer2:

This really is a pen that flies high for me (it was Flounder's blog that put me on to it when he did the filing system mod) - I can see why the weight is an issue but I just cope with it because it's too nice not too, losing the brass is an enticing idea though.

[Flounder]

I am very interested in learning the particulars of your successful swap as I have a kaigelu 316 also I saw your steps on your blog - what is the cost and procedure to aquire a replacement finial?

Cw

Tricky.

Ideally you need to be at least a phase 3 Illuminati. PM me with the subject line "I renounce FPGeeks" and I'll help get the ball rolling.

[Flounder]

Wow, that was fast! I just PMd richardandtracy (based in the UK btw) on FPN, asking if he'd make one up. He's made a few now, I'm not sure if there are any left of this batch (of 5, I think), but it can't hurt to ask.

[Flounder]

I've PMd cwent, have a look at this thread (http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/261198-won-a-kaigelu-316-off-ebay/) anyone who is interested - though I'm not sure how many Richard is prepared to turn. Richard's based in the UK, so if anyone's thinking about getting this done more locally, have a look at the finial dimensions he was good enough to post here (http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/245065-kaigelu-316-acrylic-barrel-finial/).

[Flounder]

I'm bumping this thread to say that Richard has made a batch of these acrylic finials, there's a listing on the FPN classifieds (http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/classifieds/item/25841-acrylic-kaigelu-316-barrel-finials/) if anyone else wants one.

[scrivelry]

Richard has very reasonable pricing on them, too!

Flounder, it seems from what I've read here and on your website that you have changed out the barrel finial, but not the cap, and I might be recalling incorrectly but I think it had to do with your not posting the cap so it not mattering to the weight while writing. Have I got that right? I am assuming that the cap finial is different from the barrel one, that the original and the replacement look similar enough in finish that it's not a problem, and that the cap finial is a different size from the barrel one, so if I wanted to replace that as well I'd have to discuss that with Richard, not just purchase two of what he has. Have I got that right?

T

[Flounder]

Hi scrivelry, you have it right. On mine, the cap finial is the brass original, and the barrel finial is acrylic. For a lot of pens, I prefer the balance unposted.

In the K316's case, I don't think the pen can post properly even if you wanted it to. Back when I was modding one to plunger fill, I had presumed that the barrel finial was the obstacle to posting this pen. However, even with the barrel finial and trim ring removed, the cap would not post any great distance down the barrel. I reckon it would need a custom barrel finial to post, long and threaded to match the cap.

The cap finial is quite different to the barrel finial - it's a different size and shape, and it's threaded. All acrylic is a nice idea I guess - I've managed to nick the black paint on my cap finial. I do think of the brass cap finial + acrylic barrel finial as a decent combo - the pen is light in the writing hand, the cap is too heavy to blow off a table!

[cwent2]

Received my acrylic finial today, surgery performed new finial in place - what a difference. Someone told me the brass finial weighs in at 19g and the acrylic finial is 1.9 g. Have not inked to try actual writing but the pen feels much better in the hand!

[scrivelry]

Got my finial and pen within a day of each other and no problem making the switch - what a nice pen!

My nib needs a little help - but I prefer either an italic or a finer point, so I will probably either stub this or get a replacement nib some day. Does anyone know if the Goulet nibs fit? I probably read somewhere whether they did or not but can't recall.

[cwent2]

Got my finial and pen within a day of each other and no problem making the switch - what a nice pen!

My nib needs a little help - but I prefer either an italic or a finer point, so I will probably either stub this or get a replacement nib some day. Does anyone know if the Goulet nibs fit? I probably read somewhere whether they did or not but can't recall.

Yes it does, I have had a Goulet fine #6 nib on My Kaigelu 316 - The Finial replacement on the 316 makes a big difference in balance.

[phzervas]

Hi, I know this is an old post, but there is a way how to further upgrade the quality performance of the Kaigelu 316. One can replace the existing nib with a 250 Bock housing and a #6 nib along with a Beaufort Standard International cartridge converter, which is the same as the Pelikan c/c. The details of this modification are described here: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/302951-kaigelu-316-modification-250-6-bock-nib-beaufort-ink-converter/

I hope people with a Kaigelu 316 may find this useful. Regards, Photios