The Pilot Parallel Pen

[@sandrazern649]

I recently modified my Pilot Parallel pen using the same procedure only I used a Moonman M2 which is significantly cheaper than the Opus 88. I came across a website that suggested using the M2 because it's an eye dropper pen with a large ink reservoir and the threading on it matches the Pilot Parallel. Since I had the M2 in my drawer but stopped using it because it leaked all the time I decided I would try this and it worked! It never leaks now with the Pilot Parallel nib so the threads must be an even better fit??? The only issue I had in the process was that the M2 cap would no longer fit all the way on the Pilot nib because there were little plastic "wings" inside the cap that prevented it. To remedy this I just took my Dremel tool to the inside of the cap to sand the wings down a bit and now it fits perfectly. Sanding the inside of the plastic cap made the plastic cloudy and splotchy but I am more concerned with the functionality of my tools than the appearance of them so it works for me. I haven't yet modified the nib like you have but I plan on doing so in the future as I can see that there is even more variation in line weight that can be achieved vs just thin or thick. Thank you, Koosje, for your videos! I so look forward to them each Tuesday. I love your loose and carefree sketching style and that you encourage experimentation!

[@eileengoldenberg270]

I have quite a few opus 88 pens with the pilot parallel pen nibs. I also teach a class here in San Francisco about modifying the pilot nibs.. thanks for the video! Great job explaining!!

[@KoosjeKoene]

This is great info, and good news that there are cheaper options too! Thanks so much

[@mf--]

KZbinr Mystery Arts has a video where she found that the Pilot Spare Sign mostly threads into the Pilot Parallel by only switching out the barrel at a much more reasonable cost. It is possible that with silicon greese it could also be made into a barrel filler / eye dropper pen as threads are not a perfect match.

[@philnaunton7181]

I'm not artistic whatsoever, so I bought several Mahjohn M2s to use with Pilot Parallel Nibs widths and ink colors. The M2s are only $6 each, and work fine for me since I only write with them. I had heard about the Opus 88s but found the cash outlay prohibative for such limited use. The M2s are cheap comparatively, and I really can't stand the Pilot Parallel Pen bodies for long session writing. The M2 is probably not recommended for Every-Day-Carry pens, but fine for use at home. I also modified the Parallel nibs enough to make some useful contours with some success and failures. The nib material is not a happy metal for this undertaking, so take care. Expect some Nib loss if experimenting. The Parallel plates spaces are touchy and easy to compromise. I have a number of Parallel nibs in my fountain pen graveyard.

[@Randy_Batswinger]

What a great pen! I'd never heard of them until your video.

[@1683clifton]

Kids in the back of class disassembling their pens and reassembling them.

[@KoosjeKoene]

😆

[@alphonzosolorzano5011]

went down the YT rabbit hole of Parallel pen nib hacks thanks to you :D . From what I've found like others have stated, the Moonman M2/ Majohn M2 (26 euros) or Jinhoa 9019 (16 euros) will work & are much cheaper alternatives to experiment with. Thanks for exposing some of us newbies to the wonderful tools you use.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Thanks for going into the rabbit hole and sharing here what you found!

[@MarcoRuschkowski]

Chinese pen companies like Jinhao and Majohn make eye dropper pens like the Opus. Those aren't as nice as the Opus but a lot cheaper. Might be interesting to someone who just wants to try this. And just because I worry a lot, I would add some silicone grease to the nib before I put it into the new pen. Just to be sure it's sealed.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Thanks! I’d worry that the specific size of the nib wouldn’t fit but I guess that’s a question of trial and error.

[@davidea.7424]

To properly fill a fountain pen with a converter, you need to: 1 - fill it a first time 2 - while the nib is still inside the ink bottle, discharge all the ink in the converter (it is VERY important to keep the nib always under the ink level, to prevent air from entering) 3 - refill the pen a second time (if you did everything properly there will be no air left inside the converter) This is because the first time some air always gets stuck inside the converter, no matter what. In any case, I totally agree with you that refilling the cartridge with a syringe is the way to go! Thanks for your video!

[@KoosjeKoene]

Thanks!

[@edoughty]

Glory to the parallel pen! Besides rounding a corner off, I also put tape or a rubber band around the end of the pen, so I can keep the cap on the end. It drives me crazy when pens don't have a way to hold the cap while you're using them!

[@KoosjeKoene]

So smart! Thanks for adding this info, Eleanor!

[@davevanfunk8917]

Love the line quality, but I'm having unhappy memories of cleaning rapiograph pens and putting the nibs back together. Somewhere there is 000 graveyard.

[@Frieda_Kamstra]

You can also use a syringe with a blunt needle

[@aaronflanagan8090]

Love the paintings in the background too

[@KoosjeKoene]

Thanks!

[@ForrestLittle-gh3on]

This might sound absolutely barbaric. But I've had good luck filling the pipette with ink and using it as the cartridge. For high volume asemic writing.

[@mariabergman3813]

wow! Great tutorial! I think your modification is considered a 'Radius Cut'. Did you know that John Neal, Bookseller sells 'Radius cut' Pilot Parallel pens/nibs in various sizes for about $13 !! ??

[@KoosjeKoene]

I didn’t know that

[@newname4405]

They *did* sell those. They’ve been out of stock for quite some time as far as I can tell though.

[@julieduncan1996]

What cool pens! Oh, boy. Here I go spending money on art supplies again . . . ;)

[@monikaazariah9237]

😂😂😂 I know right

[@lauryreed7468]

Wow! Good info.

[@KoosjeKoene]

…sorry! 😂

[@albertine2169]

Not boring at all! But my goodness so far away from making a Christmas list 😂 I NEED one now 😊As always thank you Koosje, Tuesday mornings are such a highlight❤

[@KoosjeKoene]

Haha thanks Albertine!

[@mkbuike7895]

I've used the Parallel pen as an inkdropper (barrel) fill. Seems to work.

[@KoosjeKoene]

I would be afraid it would leak!

[@Diane_McDon]

I never even heard of a parallel pen :) This was fascinating ty

[@KoosjeKoene]

Welcome!

[@pedro4lola640]

Genius hack!

[@mariepaxson1699]

I love your Franken-pen! Lol. I’m new and wasn’t familiar with the parallel pen. I love the lines you created with the unusual nib. Thanks for sharing this with us

[@KoosjeKoene]

Franken-pen! Hah!

[@garymcguire8529]

This pen hack must now be known as the Opus Hack, I hope Opus take note of this.

[@giselesmith7795]

Nice hack! I would have been worried about leakage around the nib area. Obviously you didn't experience that problem! I am not quite bold enough yet to make "Frankenpens" but it is nice to know you can.

[@KoosjeKoene]

No problem whatsoever. I even took it on the plane with me, filled with ink. No leakage whatsoever.

[@AdeAitch]

Thanks for this. I'm tempted by the parallel pens, but the refilling process looks like a hassle.

[@KoosjeKoene]

If you don’t need the ink to be waterproof, you can just use their ink cartridges.

[@johnrevill1087]

I love my parallel pens not modified my own prefer the variety of make you can make with them as they are yes they use ink up quickly but I always full up plenty of cartridges before I start my project

[@mariabergman3813]

As a PS to my earlier post today-- I modified my 1.5 PPP following the PDF by Eleanor Doughty and the result is different from the Radius Cut I mentioned. Enjoying the feel and line variation! Thanks Koosje!

[@KoosjeKoene]

Ah! Good to know

[@nuthinmuffins5073]

This is so cool! I’m glad this happened to be in my recommended section, because, aside from myself, my life is full of artists, including my father, auntie, and my child who is interested in pursuing illustration as a career, and is currently attending the (public 💖) arts middles school. I’m also a writer, and I find a that a pen with a good flow can actually help my thoughts flow better too. I do plenty of typing also, but there’s something about the physical act of writing with a good pen that creates something like a meditative state. This is exactly the kind of pen I need!

[@KoosjeKoene]

Ah yes the flow of the pen leads to the flow of your thoughts, I love that!

[@aishwarya1740]

I've been SO curious about parallel pens and this was so useful! Thank you for sharing all this info!

[@KoosjeKoene]

Glad it was helpful!

[@SeanvanderM]

Oh might want to get that Opus pen and see if I can fit a Zebra G nib in it

[@KoosjeKoene]

I don’t know what the zebra pen looks like but Maybe you could find other eyedropper pens or piston pens that aren’t as expensive.

[@خالدالسيد-ص8و]

نستخدم القلم المائل فى الكتابة باللغة العربية

[@valericaskey2540]

I do not have near the experience of most people here but wanted to recommend the twsbi eco t fountain pen. It is brilliant. Easy to fill, holds a lot of ink. Great for drawing and writing with and considerably less expensive than the Opus. Thanks for the demonstration though! I hope to use these steps to make some other fountain pens I have usable.

[@KoosjeKoene]

I love the TWSBI pens too!

[@roselynlecours4612]

for me I coated the screw thread with silicone grease as recommended for other fountain pens models and I can now use the Pilot pen as eye droppers. And of course the Opus 88 is the best especially with the stub nib 1.5 tip 😊

[@KoosjeKoene]

I would be so afraid it would leak though!

[@nav1984]

PARALLEL FRANKENPEN: OPUS88 koloro demo Opus 88 Omar Opus 88 Jazz moonman M2 moonman mini moonman C3 Penbbs 456 Majhon M2 Jinhao 9019

[@KoosjeKoene]

OK thanks

[@maisycakes1125]

Oh this is sooooo exciting ! I’m off to source pens and sandpaper etc etc to try it ....Thankyou !

[@KoosjeKoene]

Have fun!

[@SharonNolfi]

Very interesting demo and information. I've always wondered about parallel pens.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@pamgaylord2130]

Brilliant!

[@bbrachman]

Interesting how you need three different companies to get the pen you want. Pilot (nib) Opus 88 (Body) and Platinum (ink).

[@KoosjeKoene]

Haha I know right?!

[@AaronfromQueens]

Thank you for the shoutout at the end! I have been trying to put together my own demo video for modifying the 6mm pen, but my footage has all been kind of bad so far. And this is a great video!

[@mariabergman3813]

After watching Koosje's video went looking for a demo from you and happily found your Insta page!

[@KoosjeKoene]

I’m glad you like it, Aaron! Thanks for the visit.

[@TheShorterboy]

So it's like a fountain pen without the need for pressing to get the width features

[@KoosjeKoene]

Yes and different too. Because it’s two blades pressed together and there is no flexibility in the nib.

[@GeorgeGhines]

Video is deceiving

[@alicemlovegrove]

Ooh the sanding of one corner is such a great idea! I enjoy these pens but haven't done much with them yet apart from marvelling at how fun they are to mess about with! I think I made an error in buying the very widest version, which isn't as useful - I also have the yellow one as in your video, and have used it a lot more.

[@AaronfromQueens]

Hello, I modify the widest pen for drawing using the same method. I find it much easier to draw with the pointed tip, easier to control, and I can still draw the chunky big lines with it. It’s similar to a chisel-tipped sharpie. The smaller one does look even easier to control, though!

[@alicemlovegrove]

@@AaronfromQueens thank you! I'll give it a shot - might as well since I'm not really using it anyway.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Thank you @aaronfromqueens for replying here! You are after all the expert!

[@cognittie930]

Cool name

[@ChantelleArts]

This is so good, what an amazing idea ☺☺

[@KoosjeKoene]

😊

[@theresalowe1231]

Thankyou. I love my pilot parallel pens but get frustrated at the lack of time they give with their storage size. I bought 2 jinhoa 9019 pens cause they were nicely priced and I like 2 colour choices but they hold so much ink I can’t have both inked at the same time. I’m gonna try this with one of them. If it works I will have rocked two loves into one great pen. Thanks again

[@KoosjeKoene]

That’s great!

[@TheEudaemonicPlague]

The only modification I made was to use a converter, so I can put whatever ink in I choose, easily. I see no reason to mess up the nib in any way. I haven't used mine in a few years, perhaps I'll dig them out soon...I have an idea for something I want to draw. The only thing I don't like about them, is that the smallest nib is still pretty big--I'm not doing posters, so I have little need for huge nibs. I'm overdue for visiting the Art Coop, anyway.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Great! Have fun

[@zeus52452]

Besides the other pens mentioned in another comment, you're not limited to just the Demonstrator. What is key is the type of nib the other pen uses, and in this case it's a #6 size Jowo nib unit which the Parallel nib fits in perfectly without modifications. So one of the other Opus 88 pens you could use is the Omar or a Jazz.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Great, thanks for the additional info!

[@pmvincent]

I have both of these pens so loved your video. I find that converters for my fountain pens always hold less than I get if I refill cartridges and I do so using syringes with large needles (Amazon) which make it easy and far less messy. Love the hack for modifying the nib on the wider pen so I'll be doing that later today. If I love it, will look into investing in the Opus. Thank you!

[@KoosjeKoene]

Check the comments here, because there ARE cheaper alternatives than the Demonstrator.

[@KyrillosSke]

thank you so much for the information

[@KoosjeKoene]

You're welcome

[@denisejones1091]

This is exactly what I was hoping for! I love my parallel pen, but not the ink. Your hack is brilliant! Thank you!

[@KoosjeKoene]

Glad it’s helpful!

[@SpiritPhoenixRose]

Slightly off topic: What's the music during the Opus nib change? Plz and thx Xx

[@KoosjeKoene]

No idea. It was something I selected from the soundtracks in my editing program Final Cut Pro

[@antoniomonteiro1203]

Luky me I have an Opus 88 Demonstrator! Thes rest is the cheapest and funniest part!... :P

[@KoosjeKoene]

That is indeed very lucky!

[@rayvirgoe7231]

😊😊😊😊

[@lindathaxton1994]

Love how innovative you are! Life is so much better when we make our personnel tweaks ❤️. Thank you for sharing 🙏

[@KoosjeKoene]

It really is!

[@brienzee]

You can also just use some silicone grease and an o-ring on the pilot and fill the back up with ink

[@KoosjeKoene]

I would be afraid it would leak though…

[@recoveringsoul755]

I've seen people use these pens as dip pens after the supplied ink ran out. I didn't realize it was water soluble. I still want to keep my eyes out for one.

[@KoosjeKoene]

That’s also a solution. But not so great when on the go.

[@Omegawerewolfx]

Thank you for this video! I was curious about these pens and had a lot of questions.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Good!

[@lorenzoemmepi3302]

Hi! as suggested in an other comment, the majohn /moonman brand offers various compatible pens, able to convert the parallel pen in an eyedropper, from the M2, to the C1 and c4 for example =) I also used an even cheaper version of the M2 that i paid about 4€, to convert my parallel pen, wish you good drawings!

[@KoosjeKoene]

Thanks for the info!

[@lorenzoemmepi3302]

@@KoosjeKoene I also just recently discovered your channel and I'm really enjoying your contents by the way!

[@graham3377]

Koosje thank you soooo! Much. I bought the 3.8 model two weeks ago and I totally love the pen especially the scratchy aspect. I was so close to buying a convertor for my pen as being the larger nib it runs away with the ink but thanks to you I won’t bother. I will continue to syringe fill the pen until I take your lead and buy and adapt to another pen. I’d love to try the 6mm largest in the range pen but those tiny cartridges just won’t hold enough ink for that nib. Once again thanks your timing was perfect.

[@KoosjeKoene]

I’m so glad!

[@graham3377]

After a wait my Opus 88 Demonstrator arrived today and I have made the conversion which is truly superb. I love the whole idea of the bottom tail which unwinds to allow air into the pen to make the ink flow freely. I tried the pen with the EF supplied nib and instantly feel the pen is superior to my regular pen which is the TWSBI-ECO so the dilemma now is what nib to keep in the pen. Maybe I just swap out nibs according to the subject.

[@MrMrfeenstra]

converters are just a pain...

[@zytr0x108]

Why?

[@KoosjeKoene]

Depends on the pen/converter, I think.

[@bethg7026]

I am a fountain pen user, and prefer converters to cartridges. You can completely fill the cartridge using a syringe with a blunt tip needle (goulet pen company sells these), the same way that you would refill your cartridge. I never fill a converter the standard way (through the pen nib) - my hands are too unsteady and I make a mess every time I do that! I find converters to be nice because they clean out easily, last longer than cartridges, and if your nib dries out you can easily force some ink through it by twisting the piston a bit.

[@KoosjeKoene]

But it would still give me the problem that I run out of ink before I finished my drawing

[@bethg7026]

@KoosjeKoene yes if the converter holds less ink than the cartridge, absolutely

[@harryhellerman474]

Not boring.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Whew!

[@MaryPothoven]

Thank you, this was very interesting! ❤

[@KoosjeKoene]

Thanks for watching!

[@JoAnneSmith-di8ok]

Thank you for showong me this pen.

[@KoosjeKoene]

You’re welcome!

[@eileenreillyarts1229]

Yeah, I went to some effort to get the converter and hated it so I just reuse the old cartridges

[@KoosjeKoene]

I made even a bigger mess than with a syringe. It was terrible and I didn’t even manage to fill it up all the way. And the container is so tiny!

[@eileenreillyarts1229]

@@KoosjeKoene Yes you waste too much ink with them with that mess and then get very little in return in the actual converter😂I had a syringe meant for refilling my ink cartridges in my printer so it was perfect.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Perfect!

[@eileenreillyarts1229]

@@KoosjeKoene I bought a non Sailor branded fude pen a while ago and it came with a converter-like cartridge and never seemed to work properly, always skipping. I've finally got around to changing it out today with a spare cartridge from some other pen and already much better.