All click pen FRUSTRATION - a simple solution

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thewishman

thewishman

Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
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Location
Reynoldsburg, Ohio, USA.
I have been making click pens for several years and came to a conclusion - they ALL STINK! I have a market for them and they look good, but every single time I make one I cringe and hold my breath.

"Will this one actually work?!" Click, cli. CRAP!!!:mad::mad:

Why do these pens always hang up! Why do so very few of them NOT have problems?

I have filed nib openings, stretched springs, replaced refills, sanded inside nib couplers and hardly ever get a pen that will perform reliably. I give each pen a 10 click performance test - almost 8 in 10 have problems that I try to fix.

Last night I examined another new batch and discovered a universal problem across almost all manufacturers components. One simple thing that caused the failures.

My beloved Schmidt Easy Flow 9000.:frown: These refills have made me money so well over the years. I use them in every pen that will fit the style.

The wrapper gets hung up on the nib coupler on every click pen I tested. When replaced with a non-wrapped refill the click mechanism works time after time.

I want my Schmidts! I will continue to use them in every non-click pen I make. Is there a way to get this wonderful refill in a non-wrapped version?

Now I have to contact my previous customers and hope they have not had trouble. Sending smooth refills to each one is going to be an expensive pain, but I want those customers to come back and to have the kind of well-functioning pen they paid for.
 
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that is an interesting conclusion, you could probably remove the wrapper, don't know if you could ream slightly the inside of the coupler.

Thanks for sharing!
 
I run into this same issue with click pens and Schmidt refills. I have removed the label from a few refills with mixed success. The glue is difficult to get off the refill, even with acetone/rubbing alcohol.
 
I've had the same problem with several cigar pen couplers. Ed Brown suggested that since we have no control over which refill the buyer may choose when they replace the refill, I would be better off slightly filling off a little of the inside of the coupler than removing the label off the PR refill.
 
Edit in: Mike Broberg entered while I was typing.

Look again, Smitty! When I first heard of this problem, I said the same thing--but there is a label stuck on the refill.

Chris, what is the WORST pen kit you have encountered, where you believe the refill is the problem? I will make one and adapt the pen to accept ANY Parker style refill, I will video the process.

Why not just give up on the Easy Flow 9000? Because your competition will be using it and blow you out of the water on every sale!! The 9000 is engineered to fit in "Parker style" pens worldwide--the refill is NOT the problem, the engineering of the kit is the problem--I contend I can FIX any kit that was not originally manufactured to tight enough standards to accommodate ANY Parker style refill. Yes, it will take me a couple extra minutes, but, like you I want to be certain my customers do NOT have problems with my pens, no matter where they buy their refills!!

So, who's got the worst pen kit? (Among the good manufacturers, Berea, CSUSA, Dayacom, PSI)

It will be fun!!

Ed
 
Last edited:
ed4copies said:
Edit in: Mike Broberg entered while I was typing.

Look again, Smitty! When I first heard of this problem, I said the same thing--but there is a label stuck on the refill.

Chris, what is the WORST pen kit you have encountered, where you believe the refill is the problem? I will make one and adapt the pen to accept ANY Parker style refill, I will video the process.

Why not just give up on the Easy Flow 9000? Because your competition will be using it and blow you out of the water on every sale!! The 9000 is engineered to fit in "Parker style" pens worldwide--the refill is NOT the problem, the engineering of the kit is the problem--I contend I can FIX any kit that was not originally manufactured to tight enough standards to accommodate ANY Parker style refill. Yes, it will take me a couple extra minutes, but, like you I want to be certain my customers do NOT have problems with my pens, no matter where they buy their refills!!

So, who's got the worst pen kit? (Among the good manufacturers, Berea, CSUSA, Dayacom, PSI)

It will be fun!!

Ed
Click to expand...
Learn something new every day, I never really looked before I just thought it was painted on....On the other hand the reason I never looked is that no customer has ever complained that a Schmidt EasyFlow 9000 did not work on any click pen I have ever sold and 90% of the ones I have sold went with a Schmidt easyFlow 9000.
 
The Long Click from Dayacom is my worst. I am hesitant to file away too much of the coupler, don't want there to be any wallowing around on the tube.

As I said, I use the Schmidt for every single pen that it will fit, I will continue to use it in non-click pens. If modifications work, I'll gladly put them to use.
 
Interesting timing, I was messing with a Civil War pen this weekend and couldn't figure out the cause. Sure enough it's got an Easyflow 9000 in it.

Generic refill works great. I tried a Schmidt P 900 and it works well too.

While the P 900 isn't as good as the EF9000 it's better than the standard supplied refills. May be a good option without having to mess with the components.

That being said, Ed a video sounds like it could be in the works, I'll be a viewer.
 
My personal pen is a Vertex with a S9000. Never a problem. The Stratis has the same mechanism and all I have made work perfectly with the S9000.
 
thewishman said:
The Long Click from Dayacom is my worst. I am hesitant to file away too much of the coupler, don't want there to be any wallowing around on the tube.

As I said, I use the Schmidt for every single pen that it will fit, I will continue to use it in non-click pens. If modifications work, I'll gladly put them to use.
Click to expand...


Just took a look at one, I have a hypothesis--expect will have a video by the end of the weekend.

Ed
 
ed4copies said:
thewishman said:
The Long Click from Dayacom is my worst. I am hesitant to file away too much of the coupler, don't want there to be any wallowing around on the tube.

As I said, I use the Schmidt for every single pen that it will fit, I will continue to use it in non-click pens. If modifications work, I'll gladly put them to use.
Click to expand...


Just took a look at one, I have a hypothesis--expect will have a video by the end of the weekend.

Ed
Click to expand...

I've had some Sierra Elegant Clicks that were a little sticky with 9000s. Now, if there's any question, I wrap a small punch with 500 grit and run it through the tip a few times--seems to smooth up the transition where the catch can occur.

Regards,
Michael
 
I hadn't made click pens for years because I was disappointed in all of the mechanisms. The only returns I ever had were click pens.

Then PSI came out with the Stratus and Vertex (Spartan as well, but I don't like the style as well.) Smoothest click mechanism I've seen. Nice long bodies, you can really show off wood or acrylic blanks. I sell quite a few of them now.

Gary
 
ed4copies said:
thewishman said:
The Long Click from Dayacom is my worst. I am hesitant to file away too much of the coupler, don't want there to be any wallowing around on the tube.

As I said, I use the Schmidt for every single pen that it will fit, I will continue to use it in non-click pens. If modifications work, I'll gladly put them to use.
Click to expand...


Just took a look at one, I have a hypothesis--expect will have a video by the end of the weekend.

Ed
Click to expand...

Ed

Did you ever post the video?

Larry
 
larryc said:
ed4copies said:
thewishman said:
The Long Click from Dayacom is my worst. I am hesitant to file away too much of the coupler, don't want there to be any wallowing around on the tube.

As I said, I use the Schmidt for every single pen that it will fit, I will continue to use it in non-click pens. If modifications work, I'll gladly put them to use.
Click to expand...


Just took a look at one, I have a hypothesis--expect will have a video by the end of the weekend.

Ed
Click to expand...

Ed

Did you ever post the video?

Larry
Click to expand...

No, I made several attempts at getting it to "hang up" and never succeeded. Can't fix a problem I can't replicate.
 
ed4copies said:
larryc said:
ed4copies said:
thewishman said:
The Long Click from Dayacom is my worst. I am hesitant to file away too much of the coupler, don't want there to be any wallowing around on the tube.

As I said, I use the Schmidt for every single pen that it will fit, I will continue to use it in non-click pens. If modifications work, I'll gladly put them to use.
Click to expand...


Just took a look at one, I have a hypothesis--expect will have a video by the end of the weekend.

Ed
Click to expand...



Ed

Did you ever post the video?

Larry
Click to expand...

No, I made several attempts at getting it to "hang up" and never succeeded. Can't fix a problem I can't replicate.
Click to expand...


Good old Murphy strikes again!
 
Ed, I apologize. He asked me to send him a pen that has this problem and I have not done that yet. I have not made a new click pen in a while. The lack of video is due to my procrastination, not Ed's.
 
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