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View Full Version : Kaigelu 316 - nice budget Xmas present, how would I get an italic nib for it?



Jolltax
December 5th, 2014, 05:12 AM
Kaigelu 316 - decent quality cheap pen

I just bought a Kaigelu 316 to put under the tree at work for a secret santa, I also bought one for myself at the same time. I am really happy with it, from a quality point of view the pen feels a cut above my other Chinese pens (I have some Jinhao X450's, Hero 616's, Baoer). Interestingly I think the Medium nib on my pen is closer to what I would decribe as a 'European' medium.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e352/Jolltax/Pen%20Stuff/20141205_115753_zpsfe93c956.jpg

Anyway I am very happy with it and think it makes a very nice stocking filler, or budget present for someone at Xmas at only £14.99, I got mine from ebay seller "yougainmore".

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e352/Jolltax/Pen%20Stuff/20141205_115849_zps930f3e69.jpg

It came with what appears to be a reasonable quality converter and I like the screw-cap as the friction caps have a tendency to loosen and fall off my Jinhao X450's.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e352/Jolltax/Pen%20Stuff/20141205_101754_zpsb45f083c.jpg

Has anyone had any experience of changing the nibs on these and what size they might be? I would really like to put an italic nib on it.

Cheers big ears!

Jolltax

EDIT : Found this review which suggests I won't have much luck changing the nib, not to worry, I still really like it

http://penhabit.com/2014/06/04/pen-review-kaigelu-316/

KBeezie
December 5th, 2014, 06:48 AM
Not too many of them (Chinese brands) are designed for the nib changing. Some of the better known ones being ones like Jinhao X450/X750/159/etc as they take a Jowo #6 size nib which are pretty common to get.

Visually from the picture it seems like it could possibly hold a #6 if I'm seeing the size correctly, but no guarantee that it's base and shape would hold them.


Interestingly I think the Medium nib on my pen is closer to what I would decribe as a 'European' medium.


Also Chinese pens for the most part are sized for Western standards as that's typically the pen designs they're copying. Only time I noticed that they seem to be closer to Japanese sizing when labling them is if the pens are smaller often with a very tiny nib, hooded or such.

But in a nutshell, China does not = Japan. They're kind of a random mix, and most of the time sizing in production is rather inconsistent to begin with.

Neo
December 5th, 2014, 12:43 PM
Same goes big nose....

mhosea
December 5th, 2014, 01:24 PM
EDIT : Found this review which suggests I won't have much luck changing the nib, not to worry, I still really like it

http://penhabit.com/2014/06/04/pen-review-kaigelu-316/

The review mirrors what I have heard from other sources. What I'd probably do, sounds like, is shorten a #6. I don't want to make this sound trivial, as it requires some relatively meticulous efforts, and any reduction in the radius-of-curvature would require offsetting twisting adjustments to realign the tipping, especially if we're talking about a stub italic rather than a round fine point.

Jolltax
December 7th, 2014, 11:54 AM
Same goes big nose....

Ha! Touche

Jolltax
December 7th, 2014, 11:59 AM
EDIT : Found this review which suggests I won't have much luck changing the nib, not to worry, I still really like it

http://penhabit.com/2014/06/04/pen-review-kaigelu-316/

The review mirrors what I have heard from other sources. What I'd probably do, sounds like, is shorten a #6. I don't want to make this sound trivial, as it requires some relatively meticulous efforts, and any reduction in the radius-of-curvature would require offsetting twisting adjustments to realign the tipping, especially if we're talking about a stub italic rather than a round fine point.

Mm, thanks for the detailed reply - I am pretty happy with it as it currently is and that sounds a lot more involved than I am competent to attempt. I think I'll use it at work for a few weeks, thats usually the acid test of whether it takes a permanent home in my pencil case (yes I DO have one) or gets consigned to one of three piles :

1. Interesting but flawed, might try again some day or sell
2. Horrible but functional, give away to colleague / friend
3. No redeeming features, suitable only for assembly / diassembly until I break or fix it

Thanks for your replies all!

Joltax

john
December 17th, 2014, 07:44 AM
I grind my Kaigelu 316 medium nib into stub nib by myself, it writes very well.

oldstoat
December 17th, 2014, 08:13 AM
Joltax, if you're in the UK, you might try contacting Annie, who is a member here, and as you'll see from the London meetings thread, is a well respected nib -fettler. If you're near London, you could even come along and join in.

Flounder
January 1st, 2015, 02:51 PM
Richardandtracy managed to fit a #6 nib (http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/245065-kaigelu-316-acrylic-barrel-finial/) to his 316. If you stick a blob of blutack or chewing gum to the end of the Kaigelu nib, and screw the cap on, you'll see the clearance between the end of the tipping and the end of the cap is enormous. There should be no nib swapping problem in that regard.

With Chinese pen reviews, it's handy to keep in mind the lack of consistency that comes with the price/quality control. Matt had a disappointing nib, and had difficulty reseating the original nib and feed into the pen.

I have two of these pens. One had a great nib, and a sensible friction fit of the nib and feed in the section's feed sleeve. The other had 'only' a good nib, and the feed sleeve was simply too restrictive for the nib and feed to fit - it arrived with bent feed fins!! I sanded out that sleeve till everything fitted together properly.

ps I'm sure Matt did an update on his 316, though I can't seem to find it now.

pps I miss the PenHabit!

phzervas
March 11th, 2016, 11:18 AM
Hi, I know this is an old post, but there is a way how to upgrade the quality of the nib performance in 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. This is my first post in FP Geeks forum, Regards from Greece, Photios