Intro: What is the Pilot Parallel Pen and why would you want to modify it?
Pilot Parallel Pens are beloved tools by many calligraphers and lettering artists. They are technically fountain pens and have a unique nib system in which two steel plates are aligned together in a parallel orientation to deliver constant flow of ink to the nib's broad writing edge. They have a long plastic taped body which allows for multiple holds and pen manipulations when writing or drawing flourishes with the pen. The section is a translucent, straight plastic cylinder which screws into the body, and the nib and feed unit is friction fit into the section. The pens can take Pilot Mixable Color Cartridges, Pilot proprietary converters, or can be, “eyedroppered,” by filling the body of the pen with ink and forgoing the use of a cartridge or converter at all. (Note: A bit of silicon grease is recommended on the threading if you do go the eyedropper route.)
Pilot Parallel Pens are also relatively inexpensive in the
United States, and up until the time of writing this guide have been available
for around $10-12 each when purchased on sale or in bulk. The pens come in six nib
sizes ranging from 1.5mm to 6mm, which each size having a unique cap and feed, “shell,”
(the plastic bit holding the nib and feed together). In my opinion, these pens
are great value, perfectly fine to use out of the box without modifications,
and are a true marvel of modern design and engineering.
So, what's wrong with them? In a word, nothing, really. However, there are several reasons that an artist or calligrapher might want to customize their Parallel Pen. The most common complaint I hear is that the stock pens are, “ugly.” I never had an issue with the appearance of the pen, but they are fairly basic and plain, and well, they look like a $10 or $15 pen. They definitely aren’t winning any awards for their beautiful design. If form over function isn’t your mantra, and you want a more handsome pen to write with, this is a perfectly valid reason to modify your Parallel Pen.
Another common issue some people have with these pens is that they feel they are too long and can’t fit them in a pocket or small bag. This is especially understandable for cases where someone may prefer to use a dip pen at home or in their art studio and only want to use a Parallel pen to take on the go and get quick practice sessions in. Perhaps someone just prefers the feel of a shorter pen or finds a different shaped section or size of pen more ergonomic. The good news is that, in either case, there are multiple options to make the pen shorter or (subjectively) more ergonomic. Finally, some people really don’t like not being able to see their ink level without opening their pen or not being able to post the cap. There are also several options for demonstrators or pens with ink windows, and most of the donor pen options post well. The bad news is that most of these options are not perfect, and you may have to compromise on certain features, such as possible pen holds and manipulations if you don't use the long original pen body, or other novel issues from using a modified pen.
What is a "frankenpen?"
Taken from the namesake of Mary Shelly’s famous 1818 body
horror novel, a “Frankenpen,” or Frankenstein-Pen, is a pen that is composed of
various parts taken from different “bodies.” This type of pen modification is
not unique to Pilot Parallel Pens, however for the scope of this article, we
will only be focusing on modifications for this type of pen. While some Frankenpen
assemblies are more complicated than others, for the most part, due to the
friction fit of the Pilot Parallel nib unit, most of these modifications are
very simple to achieve. Below, we will review some general information applicable to any of the potential modifications, as well as a review of the currently known Frankenpen combination possibilities for Pilot Parallel nibs with donor pen bodies.
"Life! Do you hear me? Give my creation... Life!" -Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, Young Frankenstein, 1974
General Information:
Unless otherwise noted, all of these mods only require a simple nib swap, in which the Pilot Parallel Pen nib and feed are friction fit into a donor pen. No tools or additional materials are required. Some users have tried adding additional o-rings to the feed to regulate ink flow for some mods. You will have to do your own research and experimentation to find out what works best for you. I find that these modifications generally work well with mega sheen or drier inks. Super lubricated inks may flow too much to work in these mods, especially eyedroppers. If the ink flow is too heavy, fill the pen with less ink and check for any cracks in the section, threading, etc. Keep in mind changes in temperature and pressure can cause your feed to flood or your pen to leak. If you put an eyedropper in your pocket, don't be surprised if it burps ink out inside the cap, or on your page when you go to write. Standard fountain pen usage and maintenance applies.
The parallel Frankenpens
Moonman / Majohn - Wancai Mini V2
This is my favorite of the Pilot Parallel Frankenpens. It’s
cute, it’s tiny, it’s an eyedropper, and it comes in a variety of colors (including
clear demonstrators which are my preference). Best of all it’s cheap! It also has a tapered section that I find to be ergonomic, however this pen might be a bit small if you have very large hands. The pen cap screws (posts) onto the back of the pen to make it a more usable length when writing, but when closed itcan
fit in a small bag or pocket. Like all eyedroppers it can leak or, “burp,”
due to changes in temperature or atmospheric pressure. I recommend not filling
this pen more than one third to one half of the way full to avoid it leaking or
writing too wet. There is no worse feeling than ruining a piece by having ink dump
on your page from a pen malfunction!
One of the drawbacks of this modification is that the feed fits very tightly into the section, and once you install a parallel feed, you may never be able to remove it without breaking something. A lot of people have told me that their pen is too wet or they broke the section or feed trying to remove the parallel nib unit for cleaning or swapping to another pen. For this reason you may want to avoid shimmer ink in this mod unless it has very fine pigment. If you must remove the feed, I would recommend using some dish detergent and warm water to lubricate the plastic and reduce friction. I have only used the V2 version of the Wancai Mini, but if you have tried the V1, or V3, please leave a comment and let me know if it worked for you!
I have gotten these as low as $0.99 on AliExpress during sales, but have seen them as high as $20 for discontinued colors of the V1 models.
Pros: Cute, inexpensive, demonstrator options available, pocket pen size, tapered section.
Cons: Very wet writer, eyedropper pens can leak or, "burp," section fit is very tight and parts may break if you try to remove feed, may be too small for some users, may not be good for shimmer or be hard to clean if ink dries in the pen.
Asvine V126
This is one of the prettiest of the Parallel Frankenpens and a decent option if you want a standard size fountain pen in a classic cigar shape and are OK with a demonstrator model. It appears to be heavily inspired by the Pilot Custom 823, though not a direct clone. The section is a bit wider and longer than the Wancai Mini. The cap unscrews in 1.5 turns, and it will post. The pen is natively a vacuum filler; however this can be kind of messy and not work very well with the Parallel nib unit installed. Fortunately, the section also unscrews (unlike a TWSBI Vac700r for example), and ink can be filled in the body with a pipette or eyedropper. The pen comes in several color ways with clear, frosted, and swirl patterned options, however all of them are demonstrators. Some of the color ways have gold colored furniture while some have silver, however all of the internal hardware is silver in color. If you don't like the look of mixed metals, this may bother you, however I don't really mind or notice, especially when the pen is filled with ink.
Unlike the Wancai Mini, the parallel nib is easy to remove for cleaning or swapping to another pen. The pen is also a bit heavier and sturdier feeling than the Wancai Mini. The Vacuum filler mechanism has a release valve that can be opened for additional ink flow, however in my experience it's a wet writer most of the time even when the valve is completely closed. If the pen is filled with a pipette or eyedropper, the pump can be used to gently flood the feed, however, be cautious as if you pull the pump back too far it will flood the feed completely and the pen will just firehose ink onto the page, clean lines be damned.
My biggest gripe with this modification is that due to the way the nib unit sits in the section, it feels a bit too flexible for me. Additionally, on a few occasions the feed has actually slipped loose in the section, and if this happens at the wrong time without being noticed, could cause you to mess up a word or drip ink on the page.
I have seen these available for $15-25 on AliExpress, but up to $30 from US retailers.
Pros: Classic cigar shape, demonstrator, easy to swap nib, sturdy body, section opens for easy cleaning and filling.
Cons: Wet writer, nib unit can slip loose, vacuum fill doesn’t work well with parallel nib unit (but this is offset by the section opening), gold furniture may clash with internal hardware or PPP nib on some colorways, only demonstrator models currently available.
Jinhao 9019
Looks can be deceiving... Seriously, the marketing pictures for this pen do not do justice to how much of a chonker this pen is. It's easily the fattest pen I own. It was also pointed out to me in a comment on Reddit that it looks like a vibrator, and well, now I can't unsee that. Besides the pen itself being huge, the section is also huge. I don't hatethe ergonomics of this pen, but I wouldn't call it comfortable for my hand size either. It hasn't prevented me from being able to use it, but a few of my colleagues have reported that they couldn't possibly write with this pen. The section does have a slight taper, but even at it's most narrow point it is the fattest section on any of the pens I own.
The pen is cigar shaped but with no attached finials, the cap and body are each one solid piece. I have seen some complaints about the injection molding divots at the tip of the cap and body, or marks and imperfections on the acrylic. I didn't notice any issues with the finish on mine.
The cap comes off in 2 and a half rotations, posts decently well, and the clip is very stiff. It comes in a few classic colors as well as some conservative demonstrator colors. It was also fairly inexpensive. One of the best things about this model is that it comes with a "double size converter," which should by my calculations be around 1.7mL ink capacity. The converter is also screw fit rather than friction fit into the section, which is nice for peace of mind that it won't jiggle loose inside the pen and spill nearly 2 milliliters of ink everywhere. Additionally, the ink flow is more regulated on this pen, and performs about the same as the stock Pilot Parallel pen with installed cartridge.
I haven't attempted to remove the Parallel nib unit since I have installed it, but it feels like it's very tight in the pen, so may have the same issues as the Wancai Mini in this regard. I currently have a custom reverse flag grind Parallel nib installed, which I don't use as often as my other pens, but even if the feed is stuck, the nib itself can be swapped between Parallel feeds without needing to remove them from the pen. I have seen these go for between $4-13 on AliExpress.
Pros: Huge converter. Normal ink flow. Looks like a
vibrator. Demonstrator models available.
Cons: Section is huge. This pen is a major chonker and may
not be ergonomic for you. Gold furniture may clash with PPP nib
on some colorways. Looks like a vibrator.
Opus 88 demonstrator, omar, & jazz
(Edited 7/31/2025)
For Opus 88 pens, any model that houses a Jowo 6 nib should be compatible with the Pilot Parallel nib unit. Note that that the, "Koloro Demo," was at some point renamed the, "Demonstrator," and does house a Jowo 6 nib unit, however the, "Koloro," model houses a Jowo 5 nib unit and will not be compatible. So if you try to buy an old Koloro model to make a Parallel Frankenpen, make sure it's the, "Koloro Demo," model!
The Opus Minty will also take a Pilot Parallel nib unit as it uses a Jowo 6 nib. I was able to obtain the Pendemic x Goldspot Diamondcast Limited Edition secondhand, and have confirmed this works.
Opus 88 is a pen company located in Taiwan, and of course the models in question include Jowo nibs that are made in Germany. The Demonstrator model is fairly chunky and shaped like a cylinder, while the Jazz has a classic cigar shape, and the Omar is somewhere between the two, with a tapered look at flat finial on the cap. There are many colors and finishes available, many of which allow you to view the ink level inside the pen. Any of these pens will have a massive ink capacity to boot.
I have seen these pens as low as $50 used, and for between $120-$150 new from US retailers depending on model and color.
Pros: Large
ink capacity. Demonstrator options and many pretty color choices. Includes a Jowo 6 nib which could be used to upgrade another compatible pen or you can nib swap as you please.
Cons: One of the more expensive options, but you can also use it as a fountain pen. The compatibility with parallel nibs may be coincidental and it is not guaranteed that future models will be compatible. The nib also sits pretty deep in the feed, so it may take some adjustment if you are used to holding the section further from the nib.
Photo credit: Honhonhonbaguette via Reddit(u/Honhonhonbaguette)
Moonman / Majohn c3
I haven't tried this Frankenpen yet, but have heard it works well with a Pilot Parallel nib unit installed per this Reddit post. It is another translucent eyedropper pen that also comes with a converter. It's not clear if the converter will still work when the Parallel nib unit is installed, but I would plan for this not working if you want to try out this modification.
This pen looks pretty nice and at least some models still have the Moonman branding on a metal roll stop on the cap, which I prefer to the Majohn rebrand. The section is tapered but has some ridges at the tip, which look a bit uncomfortable to me. At 135mm in length it looks similar in size to a Pilot Metropolitan/MR. In eyedropper mode I am guessing this will be very wet writer.
If you have tried this modification, please drop a comment and let me
how it works and if the converter can be used, or if it's eyedropper
only!
Pros: Large ink capacity, demonstrator, roll stop on cap, Moonman logo is cool
Cons: No clip, possibly very wet writer like Wancai Mini, only demonstrator models available.
Photo credit: Logan Mackay via Reddit
Moonman / Majohn C4
The pen is another eyedropper demonstrator and has a large ink capacity. Users in the Reddit thread above have reported that the ink flow is actually some what restricted in this Frankenpen mod, and that adding an o-ring around the nib housing, inside the section, helped prevent ink from leaking out. This model also has a shutoff valve like the V126 which should help to regulate ink flow. The C4 also has a weird, short clip, that was certainly... a design choice.
The author of the post linked above, u/Madormo, also shared a video of the nib fitting into the pen on Imgur. I've seen these go for around $20 on AliExpress. If you have tried this Frankenpen Modification, drop me a note and let me know how you like it!
Pros: Demonstrator, large ink capacity, nib shouldn't be difficult to remove for cleaning.
Cons: Huge section. Weird short clip detracts from overall look of pen. Gold furniture with steel internal hardware clashes if you don’t like mixed metals.
Photo credit: Madormo via Reddit
Moonman/Majohn T1
I haven't tried this Frankenpen mod, however, a user named Fountain Pen Treasury (u/Cool-Ad-9455) posted this in a reply to one of my Reddit posts and said
it worked great.
This pen is a piston filler half demonstrator, half aluminum pen. It's a nice looking pen and I have always wanted one of these, but remember hearing reports that it broke easily due to the combination of metal and plastic parts. To me it looks like if a TWSBI 580 and a
Kaweco Sport had a baby. There's also a brass version which is over twice as heavy, and I suspect even more likely to break. The section looks pretty comfortable, but I'm not sure if I would like the lip at the end or not without having one in hand. I'm guessing this pen also is probably better to use unposted. I don't know how the ink flow is, but I love piston fillers for the ease of priming the feed if the pen is running dry or skipping.
I'm seeing these on AliExpress for $22-$30 today, but I recall seeing these priced lower in the past.
Pros: Piston filler, pretty pen with nice colors, demonstrator.
Cons: There have been reports of the plastic barrel breaking
easily due to having half metal and half plastic hardware, putting extra stress
on the plastic parts.
Photo credit: Fountain Pen Treasury via Reddit
Tramol Demo
Pros: Demonstrator, looks decent.
Cons: No longer for sale, writes too wet when eyedroppered.
Photo credit: MPS via Reddit(u/MP0123456789)
Pilot Spare Sign Pen
Pros: Worked with standard Pilot cartridges, demonstrator models were available, looks more like a normal pen, the cap posts.
Cons: No longer available, section is not ergonomically different from the stock Pilot Parallel Pen.
Custom Artisanal Parallel pen holders
I have seen a few custom Parallel Pen holders on Instagram that are available from Etsy or vendors' individual websites but haven’t tried any personally. I have seen holders made of both wood and metal in this category. These holders usually go for between $100-200 each depending on materials and maker.
Pros: Handmade by independent pen makers. Should work with
standard parallel ink cartridges/converters. Some may be eyedroppers. Ergonomic
options.
Cons: Usually these are dedicated to only being used with Pilot Parallel nibs, making it an expensive niche upgrade and therefore there are not many options available on the market.
the black magic pen company
(Added to article on 7/31/2025)
After lots of experimenting with Frankenpens and not finding anything that truly satisfied me, there was only one option that remained, and that was making my own pen! Thus was born The Black Magic Pen Company, where all of my fountain pens are designed to be able to hotswap between Jowo and parallel nibs. To accomplish this I designed my own custom nib housing that is threaded the same as a Jowo 6 nib housing, but is precisely fitted for the parallel feed. I am a small maker, and one man shop, so these are not mass produced, but I will be making them to order as well as listing available pens on my new website: BlackMagicPens.com. The website is still under construction, however for now you can look out for pen drops on Instagram at Black.Magic.Pens or you can email me at Leonardo@blackmagicpens.com.
The Pilot parallel pen... itself?
Ok, so this one isn't technically a Frankenpen, but I did mention there were options to make the Pilot Parallel Pen shorter in the introduction. One of those options doesn't actually require a donor pen to accomplish, and in fact is a little known secret about the Pilot Parallel Pen itself. For some reason you won't find this in the manual that comes with the pen, but it seems to be a completely intentional feature built into the design of the pen. You can in fact convert the Pilot Parallel Pen into a pocket pen, and it even allows the pen to post! Here's how to do it:
1. Find the little grove towards the tail end of the Pilot Parallel Pen body and chop the tail off using heavy duty scissors or cut it carefully with a utility knife (make sure the pen barrel is clear first so you don't accidentally cut through a loose cartridge or converter).
2. Firmly press the freshly cut pen body into the cap of the pen, or in other words, post it!
3. Pull the pen out of the cap to discover a black thimble shaped object is now fitted like a finial on the end of the pen body. You now have a shortened Pilot Parallel Pocket pen!
Below is a picture I found of how to do this on Pinterest. The image links to a forum post on wetcanvas.com that no longer exists, and is not in the Wayback Machine. If anyone knows who made this please let me know so I can properly credit them!
Ok, so this one isn't technically a Frankenpen, but I did mention there were options to make the Pilot Parallel Pen shorter in the introduction. One of those options doesn't actually require a donor pen to accomplish, and in fact is a little known secret about the Pilot Parallel Pen itself. For some reason you won't find this in the manual that comes with the pen, but it seems to be a completely intentional feature built into the design of the pen. You can in fact convert the Pilot Parallel Pen into a pocket pen, and it even allows the pen to post! Here's how to do it:
1. Find the little grove towards the tail end of the Pilot Parallel Pen body and chop the tail off using heavy duty scissors or cut it carefully with a utility knife (make sure the pen barrel is clear first so you don't accidentally cut through a loose cartridge or converter).
2. Firmly press the freshly cut pen body into the cap of the pen, or in other words, post it!
3. Pull the pen out of the cap to discover a black thimble shaped object is now fitted like a finial on the end of the pen body. You now have a shortened Pilot Parallel Pocket pen!
Below is a picture I found of how to do this on Pinterest. The image links to a forum post on wetcanvas.com that no longer exists, and is not in the Wayback Machine. If anyone knows who made this please let me know so I can properly credit them!
Final Thoughts...
This list of Parallel Frankenpens may not be exhaustive. I am still searching for more pens that will fit Pilot Parallel nib units but there unfortunately isn’t a magic database to track every pen that could be compatible... If anyone discovers something like the Akashic Record exists please let me know!
On the other hand, some pens that I have tried that did not work with a simple friction fit include the Moonman C1, Nahvalur Schuylkill, and the Asvine P20. These pens are compatible with a more invasive modification by altering the internal nib housing to hold the Pilot Parallel feed, but usually the interior of the section is too loose, so tape must be used to increase the diameter of the feed, and eventually needs to be replaced, and can be messy to deal with.
Fully aware of my bias, my favorite Frankenpens are the ones I am now making, with Opus 88 being a close runner up. If you want a fully handmade, custom fountain pen that is made to work with parallel nibs, yet can easily revert back to a normal fountain pen, shoot me a line at leonardo@blackmagicpens.com or keep a look out for updates to The Black Magic Pen Company website or Instagram account, Black.Magic.Pens.
Good luck and have fun. Frankenpen at your own risk. Leonardo is not responsible for any broken pens or hearts. 🖤✨
Great article, apparently the Benu Euphoria is a screw in. Just take out the section from the PPP and screw it in. I’m pretty sure it’s the euphoria and not talisman, saw it on YouTube
Same video had some uber expensive pen from Etsy have the same thread count as a PPP which also was a plug and play
Thanks Hisham! That’s interesting. I’ve never heard about Benu’s taking Pilot Parallel nib units before. I will definitely research this further.
Update: I previously stated that the Asvine P20 nib housing was glued in, however I have discovered that it was actually just screwed in very tightly and after sitting for a while filled with ink, the nib unscrewed fairly easily. I have successfully modified the internal nib housing to hold a Pilot Parallel feed thanks to some advice from a colleague on Reddit. This modification should work on pens that use the same nib housing such as the Moonman C1, Narwhal Schuylkill (purchased before rebrand), and the Asvine V126, which should perform much better with this modification. I have edited this article to correct the misinformation about the P20 housing and will be posting a follow up to this article soon. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!
Whoa.
Great write-up. Thank you!
Now teach us that script. 😛
Thank you! If you mean the one from the title card it is slanted Fraktur based on an exemplar by Hermann Zapf. I do plan to add some script based posts in the future. Stay tuned! Thanks for reading!
Woah! This article is a really great idea and resource. In the short time between reading the article and posting this comment, I converted my 6.0 ppp into the pocket pen, something I didn’t previously know!!!
Thank you Pen-Dulge! I’m glad you found it helpful!
Write on,
Leo
I found I was able to do a direct feed/nib swap into the Jinhao X159 as well. Of course, then I bent the nib… I’ve ordered a few more to experiment with, as I have a pile of chinese pen bodies to work with. I know the Jinhao 9019 felt too large, I’m curious to see if I can get it to fit in the smaller 9016, for instance.
That’s good to know! Thanks for letting me know, Liam! Please keep me posted if you find any more compatible pens.
Write on,
Leo
I have been browsing online more than 3 hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me. In my opinion, if all web owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be much more useful than ever before.
Thank you! I’m glad you found this article helpful. I have a couple more articles comings soon!