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Hi Everyone, new boy here

jim0505

Full Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Posts
33
Location
West Sussex
First Name
Jim
I live in West Sussex, am retired and been turning pens for about a year or so.

I am turning 70 soon and things are starting to annoy me easily now, so here's my problem:

I seem to be the only person having trouble with the Jnr Gentlemen's fountain pen. I have bought these from different suppliers in the UK and Australia and have had the same problem. When I explain it, I get advised that there isn't a problem, so, old age is really catching up with me and I get really frustrated because it certainly is a problem for me.

The problem:

It's to do with the cartridge refills, I can't find any that fit. The kit arrives with a Taiwanese, Chinese or whoever ,refill, which is quite thin and fits ok, but I can't find a supplier for them. Ok you say, use the international short refills. I've tried that and have found they don't fit. The chrome version of the pen has a smaller hole where you put the cartridge and it will not go in. The gold version has a slightly larger hole and sometimes, if you push hard enough, you can just squeeze it in. I have raised this with a couple of suppliers and they just suggest I buy the cartridges from another supplier. I have bought them from Smiths, Staples, Hobbycraft and Rymans and they still won't fit.

I feel such a putz, because no-one else has this problem and every Jnr Gent I buy won't mate with a cartridge. I make Barons, Castellars, SN Gents, ROman Harvest, Empoers, etc. and they all go together well and the international standard cartridge fit them all.

Please be gentle with me, because the answer is obviously very simple, because no-one else suffers from it.
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2014
Posts
2,253
Location
Mirfield
First Name
Dan
I'm looking forward to hearing the responses as well Jim. Hopefully we can find an answer. Good to see you here.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
 

Jim

Grand Master
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Posts
15,617
Can't say i have heard of the problem Jim, hopefully someone will be along shortly who will have the answer .. 70 is a good age, i would say that puts you in the middle age bracket compared to some of the dinosaurs in here .. :winking:
 

jim0505

Full Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Posts
33
Location
West Sussex
First Name
Jim
Hi All, nice to meet you all.

Could it be that once the pen is made, the supplied cartridge is fitted, and no more is thought about it. I really can't believe that no-one has tried fitting a standard cartridge. If anyone has a kit handy, especially the chrome one, try and fit an international standard cartridge and let me know your results, cheers Jim
 

bassethound

Executive Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2014
Posts
7,581
Location
East Sussex
First Name
Ted
Hello Jim, welcome to the Asylum mate, oh well, another youngster joining then?:whistling: have fun! from one of of the dinosaurs :thumbs:
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 22, 2014
Posts
2,253
Location
Mirfield
First Name
Dan
Hi All, nice to meet you all.

Could it be that once the pen is made, the supplied cartridge is fitted, and no more is thought about it. I really can't believe that no-one has tried fitting a standard cartridge. If anyone has a kit handy, especially the chrome one, try and fit an international standard cartridge and let me know your results, cheers Jim
I'm going to do exactly that once the little one is out of the bath. I will let you know the results

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
 

Woody

Registered
Joined
Jul 12, 2013
Posts
12,812
Location
at home
First Name
no
Hi young Jim and welcome I have found several problems with the J/G and I just dont buy them anymore although I did hind Dans premium J/G better than most and I have replaced them with Dans Omega
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2014
Posts
2,253
Location
Mirfield
First Name
Dan
Hi All, nice to meet you all.

Could it be that once the pen is made, the supplied cartridge is fitted, and no more is thought about it. I really can't believe that no-one has tried fitting a standard cartridge. If anyone has a kit handy, especially the chrome one, try and fit an international standard cartridge and let me know your results, cheers Jim
20ff45ef4955a84ff52b978a06e15c52.jpg


This was using a cartridge that comes with the omega which I understand to be a standard short international.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
 

jim0505

Full Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Posts
33
Location
West Sussex
First Name
Jim
Hi Dan,
Thank you for trying.
I have just copied your example and used an Omega refill. I managed to get it into your Jnr Gent, with a very strong push, however it didn't break the refill seal, so no ink flowed. my wife tried as well. I also tried the Omega refill with the Timberbits new JB (Jnr gent Mk2) And I couldn't even push it in.
So, in summary, the varying tolerances of refills, coupled with the varying production tolerances of the pen, make the success rate of mating the pen with a suitable cartridge, too risky for me to invest any more time and money in the Jnr Gent range of fountain pens. The rollerballs are ok. Thanks for your time folks.
I have just made my first Omega chrome rollerball and what a revelation it is in Padauk, beautiful.
 

jim0505

Full Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Posts
33
Location
West Sussex
First Name
Jim
Hello Woody,
Thanks for the welcome.
Yes, I have tried and tried to make the Jnr Gent work for me, but I got more woe than pleasure. Things like the cartridge, the difficulty of changing nibs and the unsatisfying feel to the finished article. I, like you, am liking the look of Dan's range of pens.
 

chas_41_uk

Registered
Joined
Mar 13, 2014
Posts
10,034
Location
Manchester
First Name
Chas
Welcome to the asylum Jim :thumbs:
I've only done a few Jr Gents and am not overly impressed with them. I find the Baron a better kit for that style of FP
I've never had an issue with refills as all of my customers prefer to use converters (pumps) :thumbs:
 

sfurini

Graduate Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2015
Posts
478
Location
United Kingdom
First Name
Stewart
Hi Jim
Welcome to the forum. I haven't had this problem with these kits but I'll have a look tomorrow morning as I think I have one that hasn't been made up. I'm Sussex based myself, so if you're not too far I could meet up and see the problem first hand.
 

Dalboy

Executive Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2014
Posts
7,679
Location
Kent
First Name
Derek
Hi Jim and welcome load of nutters on here but very helpful bunch
 

Grump

Grand Master
Joined
Aug 17, 2013
Posts
10,504
Location
Stevenage
First Name
Brian
Wotchya Jim and welcome to the nuthouse init?
Thanks for making me look.

Jewnowot I don't bought a cartridge nor inks since I was a school on the rare occasion I did go.
I have however made and got rid of hundreds of fountain pens and have quite a stock of cartridges that came with the kits.

I had never looked before or noticed that I have different types all in the same size so called international standard unless I am told otherwise.
Since taking this crap pic with my phone I have found a fourth but you can see they are three totally different cartridges, I have only ever bunged one in a pen and made it work not looking to see if it fits correctly, I just pushed harder if it was stubborn.

IMG_20151222_214116.jpg
 

Penpal

Grand Master
Joined
May 26, 2013
Posts
25,340
Location
Canberra AUSTRALIA
First Name
Peter
Tough welcome with the fountain pens I have kept out of them myself and have often asked on the forum do makers fettle them , check and write with them before selling to a no answer I have van idea why now.

Peter
 

Chrisd

Full Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2015
Posts
131
Location
East Sussex
First Name
Chris
Welcome from another Sussex lad! Lots of good guys on here to advise, comment and point you in the right direction!

Regards
Chris
 
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