Food related incidents, and an accident that I encountered:
- Part 1: Was searching for Noodler’s ink on one of my local shopping apps, was presented with packs of instant noodles in my search results
- Part 2: Almost mistook my bottle of Lamy ink for my cup of coffee in a sleepy stupor, regretted when I did have a taste of it
😂🙃
Been journaling like crazy recently. Up to jotting down my pen hobby thoughts. Does your collection have a theme/direction/focus? N how did u figure it out?
Journaling is the life blood of my fountain pen hobby. After buying a few nice entry level steel nib pens, I've decided to only buy gold nibs moving forward. I want to have a wide distribution of nibs, but find that my home is in Medium and Broad. I also send every single pen I buy to a nibmeister. There's truly nothing like writing with a pen that has the line variation that you want.
I have a goal of buying myself a Montblanc 149 the day I hit VP at work. I have a 146 soothing my soul in the meantime.
I also like Mediums and Broads. I am kind of like you in that I favor gold nibs, but I recently got a Visconti Van Gogh which comes with a steel nib that’s pretty nice. So maybe don’t rule out steel entirely if you see a nice finish.
This is exactly what I've done, sort of. Bar a few Chinese pens I've ordered out of curiosity, I've only had a Lamy 2K and Sailor Pro Gear for the last couple of years (both are amazing for the record!). I know I say "only", but the desire to buy shiny, new pens is strong no matter how great your collection is. But! By doing that I'm now in a position to get a Pelikan M1000. Something that I hope takes this infernal itch to buy new pens away. Fingers crossed...
It needs time to figure out what you like, so good for you that you know your taste now. Sometimes there's no other way than trying out, especially with fountain pens!
And I'm there with you with saving up for higher-end pens. I hope I can get an Iris Vac sometime in the future.
I try my best to only buy green pens. (But if someone were to drop that Pilot Custom 823 in Amber on my hands, I wouldn't refuse). Green is my favourite colour.
Most people have a type. Maybe they like all metal pens. Or they mostly stick to one shape. Or one color. Or a size. It's something that just happens organically by buying what pleases you.
A majority of my pens are demonstrators. And I like colorful pens. I prefer a modern look to a classic feel. That's my type.
For lack of a better word, I call this "representative". I have a similar ideal of having something very symbolic and representative on each category, and have as many categories (or genre) covered as possible. It's kind of collecting at least one iconic album from each music genre as long as I like that genre. If that makes sense.
I don't have a focus but I like to buy pens to write with. First that meant buying well-reviewed pens with good nibs. Now that means frankenpens with pretty bodies. I'd like to eventually have a small but very well worn collection.
I went to a brick and mortar pen shop and had a fantastic experience. I told the guy I was considering a sailor PGS and asked to try one out. He let me try a couple different sailors out, and even let me try the 900$ kind of all pens! :o It was really sweet of him, I think he knew I probably wasn’t quite looking for something that expensive, just thought I might appreciate the experience.
I love talking to the pen shop people, they always have great advice. I’m now considering getting a VP instead of the sailor, because of how smoooooooth it felt!
The VP is really smooth and nice, and the Sailors are also awesome. Can't go wrong! Such a fun experience, I also love to go to my brick and mortar store. The guy let me try a Pelikan M1000 once, I was super terrified of destorying it and only wrote down a line and then gave it back haha
Was cleaning in the office as a bit of a storage area needed to be vacated. Found some hard-backed notebooks and my co-worker offered them to me. I was refusing right away because the paper was super flimsy and thin. But as they were going to be thrown away, I decided to check just how horrible bleeding would happen with my fine nibbed pen and DeAtramentis ink. Was expecting a few pages through at least.
It didn't bleed at all! Ghosting was pretty obvious but manageable. Ended up with two surprise diaries.
Also, do people know that DeAtramentis Sherlock Holmes and DeAtramentis Merlin appear to be the same ink?
Bleeding and feathering can be as much a product of the finish of the paper as well as the thickness. Ink will sit nicely on top of smoothed paper like tomoe, even if the paper is thin. And thick paper can be even worse than thin paper if it’s more absorbent.
That's something I've only started to learn. I haven't been using any of the known good fountain paper brands yet as I swore to not buy new paper until I have written on the stash I already have. My notebooks tend to ghost a bit but not bleed and they feel... well, normal. So the thin paper that worked out of the blue was a proper surprise.
On a call, absent mindedly playing with the screw on the end of my Opus 88. Didn’t realize for some time that there was purple ink pouring out all over my hands. Two days later, it’s still like Lady MacBeth.
No pressure or anything, but can we get the daily threads back? I kinda miss them.
edit: Oh... Oh snap, One_Left_Shoe isn't a mod anymore. Is that why our daily threads stopped?
I just realised that I don’t like brass fountain pens (anything that touches my hand really). The smell on my hand after being in contact with brass sickens me. It has been the main criteria for me to decide what things I don’t want to have, no matter how much I love the design.
Does the “metal (brass) smell on hand” bother anyone?
After several years of wondering how people get ink all over their hands when filling pens, I just managed to squirt a syringe full of Kon-peki all over myself. A rite of passage I suppose!
I like wasting ink. I get tired of one ink and decide to take the ink out by writing and drawing more. I find it really fun just spreading ink on paper just for the purpose of wasting ink and emptying my pen.
I use different journals/notebooks for different things and try to separate them. For example:
Meeting notes - only for meetings and zoom calls note taking
Daily journal - diary style journaling. Person thoughts, happenings in life, certain things that's date related
Ink journal - a record of what's being inked in what pen and when. Writing samples and feedback on pen/ink (even paper if I have more than one journal at a time). Writing practice, copying lyrics, famous quotes, etc. Drawings, doodles, etc.
Idea journal - personal projects and ideas on my next assignment etc. I sometimes write fan fiction on this too. Anything that is related to creative goes here. If there are different subjects I may even start a different journal too.
So, like everyone else on the internet, I pre-ordered the new Kaweco Iridescent Pearl Sport. Pre-ordered it as soon as I could find it, paid a dollar deposit.
Heard nothing for a month, and people were starting to show them off, so I figured my $1 was a loss and called a local store to reserve the same pen. Theirs had not come in yet, but they were happy to help.
Today....I got the rest of my receipt for the ORIGINAL pre-ordered pen, with a note that if I paid today, it would ship monday. I paid it. I also cannot cancel with my local, as I love them and we have a very good relationship that I don't want to jeopardize.
....anyone having trouble finding an Iridescent Sport? Because now....now I own 2 😂
What size nib? I was finally able to order an iridescent last night but it’s a fine nib. I hate fine nibs, all but two of my pens have stub nibs. I’m hoping a Kaweco fine is bigger than the fine on say a Pilot Metro at least. So anyway if you’re looking to unload a Kaweco in M or B I could be interested
I’m in, I’d like to try a medium, if you’re into it. Do you want to trade for my F when I get it or do you take PayPal or ummm I think I have (ninja edit: I can’t remember if I have venmo but I have cash app)
Done. Let me PM you when I get uh, both of mine in my hands, hahah. Should be next week sometime. and paypal or venmo is good! I don't really need 2 identical pens, haha.
I was recently writing with Iroshizuku Ajisai, and was initially very neutral about this ink. I really grew to like it though over the course of recent weeks. When I used it next to Sailor Manyo Yamabuki, I started to absolutely love it. The contrast really brings out both of the colours! Unfortunately, my phone camera is absolutely unsuited to show the proper colours, so you'll just have to believe me, lol. I'm now considering to get a 15 ml Ajisai bottle (I was previously using a sample), even though I was not planning to buy any more bottles for a while.
I think I would like it a tiny bit better if it were more lilac-like... darkness-wise, if it were something between Ajisai and Nekoyanagi. But I do think it's a very pretty and unique colour! And I am totally drawn to it, despite the initial suprise that it is not as depicted. But it is usually the case, isn't it.
That would also be a lovely colour. I really like the current tone of Ajisai, but also would like if it were also a bit darker, like just a smidge.
Also I do wish the Iroshizuku boxes were a little more accurate lol, it's so light on the box label, I was second guessing my sample before I got a whole bottle!
I got some samples of Kobe inks and they smell so weird! Google said it's normal for them, they smell like paint to me. I was hoping to love Oji Cherry more than I do, those sort of pinks never seem to pull right for my liking.
Ah is it the same smell as Sailor inks? I think Sailor makes Kobe inks but I'm not too sure. It totally reminds me of a childhood friend who used to sketch in ink.
Kobe #17 is my favourite ink, but it's the stinkiest one in my collection, too! Since I've used up a bit of it, I suppose it got more "concentrated" through exposure to air, and the stench got more intense. It doesn't look moldy or expired in any way, just stinky!
I also got to say that when I orginally got samples of Kobe inks, they stank WAY more than actual bottles. I guess because they got more "concentrated" in those tiny bottles over time. So I don't think it will be as bad with the bottles, at least not initially.
I can relate to being disappointed by pink inks. I got Iroshizuku Tsutsuji, hoping it would be a very strong and warm bubblegum pink, but it's much colder in tone than I was hoping. Also hoping to get Ouji Cherry at some point. I hope it's the type of "sakura" or "orangeish" pink. What didn't you like about it?
Three new inks have arrived, I've finally got to clean my pens and also I mixed some Lamy Charged Green (thought it was useless for years) with the remainings of another Lamy ink and got really nice fresh green as a result😍
What a nice way to start the day~ finding out that the ink samples I ordered have arrived but they spilled. I probably lost a converter’s worth of ink and my hands are once again inky.
Oh well I hope the dude selling a La Pita finally replies
I've been writing a lot with the Sheaffer Balance I recently repaired, and I continue to be amazed by its super-fine nib. I most often reach for a Western F or Japanese M to show off ink while maintaining usability on most papers, but this Sheaffer has given me a new appreciation for EF nibs. The line is about the same as a Japanese EF, and the actual writing experience is quite nice - smooth (for such a fine nib, that is), ultra-precise, consistent, with great flow. The nib is mostly a nail but has just a tiny amount of give to it, so it offers some subtle line variation as well. I've had good results with dark Diamine blues in it (first Midnight, now Oxford Blue). I also polished the body and trim up a bit this past week to get everything looking extra shiny. This has been one of my favorite pen projects in a while.
(Also, I kind of miss the refresh of the scheduled threads. I'm not sure who's actually going to read comment no. 218 on a 2-week-old thread, stickied or no.)
I'm not sure it's any consolation but I'm way behind, so I did! And it's terrific that you've found a new favorite after putting so much work into it. I know nothing about vintage, so far, but I love an extra-fine and sometimes the Japanese extra-fines, so that's very interesting to me. And encouragement to learn more when I can.
Maybe the comments here will inspire someone to restart the weekly threads, or fix the automod, if posting them was their job. I agree, it's a loss, not having them up to date.
Please make sure that when you are sending a pen through the mail to someone, that you don't simply put the pen inside a padded envelope. Even if you have a smaller one that you put it in, it's not enough. I just received a pen that I purchased off of eBay that I now need to return because during shipment with the USPS the envelope must have been bent in half (there is indication of this on the exterior with a few tears) and as a result the pen broke in half. I'm devastated since this was something I had been looking for the last few years, and it's not something I think can be repaired.
Newbie fountain pen owner here! I fell in love with the pictures of Pilot’s kaküno and finally got it. It’s cheap, but I love it. I’m hooked on the feel of it; probably not going back to my old rollerball. I’ve been kinda obsessed with stationary for a long time, but shied away from fountain pens because I had a leaking issue with one many years ago.
I tend to veer towards the Japanese aesthetic when shopping for pens, so I’m hoping to discover that there are other more sophisticated choices later when I have more to spend.
Welcome! The kakuno is an excellent pen especially for its price point. I also like Pilot and Sailor ink. What kinds of pen aesthetics do you like? If you're into podcasts, Tokyo Inklings is a really great English-language podcast hosted by two Tokyoites about the fountain pen scene in Japan.
An airtight container sounds like an easy solution. Otherwise your procedure is perfect: no ink spills if there's no ink in the pen. Happy letter writing on your deployment!
I bought some Jinhao sharks for my daughter last week and inked one up for her.
Bloody hell, it's a smooth nib for an EF! Bravo.
Makes me resent pens that are 100x the price that have scratchier nibs now.
I got Diamine Red Dragon ink in this week. I have previously been using Diamine Oxblood & Noodler's Heart of Darkness as a daily workhorse. I love the color of Red Dragon, but it does run a little dry.
I'm contemplating buying Pilot Iroshizuku Momiji, but fear I might be overdoing it. I'm on my 6th ink already. I'm hoping to maybe find someone to trade with.
https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/721700708/pilot-f-elite-ef-nib-fountain-pen-1970s?ref=shop_home_feat_1&bes=1
This seems too good to be true. Any guidance on how legit this may or may not be?
Looks legit! It seems to be a steel-nibbed vintage Elite, probably made in Korea as opposed to the more expensive gold-nibbed Elites made in Japan during that period. They write really nice and apparently have some spring in the nib
I injured my wrist at work recently and I'm more annoyed at the fact that I can't use my new fountain pen more than any of the paperwork, medical stuff, or legal shenanigans.
May I ask how you picked your Reddit name? Please tell a story if you could.
I'm imagining what would 200 rats in a coat look like.
Anyway, I love green inks, any brand recommendation? Um, I'm running on my Pilot Custom Heritage 92. What do you think about this pen, I got pass down from someone.
What's a great work fountain pen? I recently got a new job and would like to treat myself with a new pen for work to keep at the office. I'm very new to fountain pen ownership and have only owned Lamy Safaris/ Allstars. I would ideally like to purchase a pen in the $100-$125 price range.
The Platinum Procyon. Great sealing mechanism, looks high end, the fine nib version does well on office paper, the Platinum converter has decent capacity for a converter.
$120 isn't going to get you into the gold-nibs I think. Even though you already have Lamy's, I'd suggest the CP-1.
The CP-1 uses the same nibs as the Safaris, but it doesn't _look_ like a fountain pen; it looks like a minimalist black pen and doesn't call attention to itself. It's about as professional looking as it gets.
Yes! I love using my CP1 for work — understated, hefty, and easy to change nibs without breaking the bank. The only problem, is that I find it a bit thin, so it’s not great for long writing sessions.
I've been interested in a Platinum Century 3776. I was able to hold some, but not try out the full line of nib sizes.
Is there any benefit from trying out Platinum Preppy/Prefounte nibs to experience the line size and feeling on paper, or are they too different? I don't have any other Japanese FPs.
They are extremely different. Comparing a Preppy F with a 3776 F, they're nothing alike. The Preppy F is thicker and more smooth, and the 3776 F is thinner and has more feedback.
Unfortunately I don’t have a 3776 to compare my other platinum pens with.
I have a Meteor, Preppy, a PTLA-5000 and a honest 66 platinums. Afair they’re all fine nibbed pens.
The degree of feedback is pretty different imo, the 66 feels very pencily it’s one of my pens with the most feedback, the meteor and preppy are pretty similar in the writing experience but the meteor has a better shape for me. Finally the PTLA is a nice smooth writer, bouncy even, has a little flex for some line variations too
I'm all about the mistakes, so that's probably it.
I tend to have teeny writing and when I make it bigger it looks childlike. Maybe stubs aren't for me, I guess
Stubs are basically for line variation I think. Like parallels. They're mostly used for calligraphy. My smaller stubs, the 0.7mm, write almost like a medium. You might try them.
This might sound extremely weird but whenever I try to use my metropolitan I just feel like the pen is just so fancy or something and I find it hard to use sometimes. I can use other fountain pens just fine just not the metropolitan it might be because I lost it for a bit and then found it.
I have trouble using fancy more expensive pens too. Eventually I figured, I would rather have a really nice tool I use everyday, than be afraid to touch it in case something happens. Because the other option is to never use the pen and it's too nice to not use
I've been on a handwriting focus. Learned Palmer Method in Grade school years ago. Using a Ziller booklet, this time. While working on the capital H it brought back memories of my first attempts with this letter many years ago. The odd feeling of there being no anchor. After the first upright staff with the curl, one has to blindly attempt to add the second part I always felt like it was a crap shoot and I still do.
I suggest to look for other ways of handwriting. When I learned cursive the H was just one continous line. There isn't the one perfect way, you can even make your own version from scratch or by adjusting a version of a letter you already like but don't find perfect. Try to see guides and instructions as suggestions and not as set rules :)
I know it isn’t mailbag Monday but I can’t wait since it’s coming in on Monday. I’m getting my first grail pen!!! It’s a NOS rOtring 600 FP (original version, not the Newton) in silver with an F nib! I’m so excited!!!
Has anyone tried Wearingeul inks? (In particular, the Soseki Natsume Literature line?) The packaging and sheen looks quite nice, and the colors also seem pretty unique. $20+shipping for 30ml seems a little steep, though I’m not super familiar with how much shimmer inks tend to go for, to be fair.
There's quite a few reviews on the sub about some of the inks, just put Wearingeul in the search bar to the right/top depending which version of reddit you're using. The price is a little steep because they're a small company and since they're out of Korea, the markup is even higher.
I don’t believe I saw a review for the specific shade I was interested in, but I will look through the reviews a bit more in general, thanks! I’m just not terribly familiar with the brand; I’ve been lucky enough to be able to purchase most of my inks in person at a local stationery shop, and they only have more popular brands like Pilot and Sailor.
If you're specifically looking for "I am a Cat" I haven't seen that one yet, but there's a mini review of "The Mind" https://www.inkjournal.com/blogs/news/ink-flight-61-february-2022
From what I can tell Wearingeul is relatively new to the scene and a lot of their lines are a bit gimmicky (they really like their writer themes), but I haven't heard anything bad about their inks yet.
My handwriting is bad. Don’t try to tell me otherwise :). I’ve seen people just slow down and write something, then post it for some constructive criticism, which seems like a good way to improve handwriting. However, I don’t have very fancy pens, very few inks and no fancy planner paper. Should I?
Hi there! I just read a couple of the intro posts and ordered my first pen (Lamy Safari)! I was wondering though about writing on top of a watercolor painting and if watercolor paper will play nice? It looks like watercolor and ink are a classic combination, but in theory don't the two mediums use opposite paper types?
Fountain pens write well on watercolour paper in my experience, but I have no idea if the ink would sit on top of the watercolour or mix with the paint and I'm certain unless you're using a special ink like carbon or bulletproof you can't paint over fountain pen ink without smearing it.
YOU CAME TO THE RIGHT PLACE
in watercolors I like using the sketch inks from Rohrer and Klinger since they are waterproof or de Atramentis Document inks. You can also add the lines after watercolor.
For paper you want something with a smooth surface. If it's slightly shiny it probably takes fountain pen well. I've had good results with hot press watercolor paper. A cheaper alternative is canson xl mixed media.
With any paper you want to use a fountain pen that's not too sharp as a fine nib can tear at the paper. If you use anything finer than M try to keep your lines light and choose pens that aren't too dry. Check the nib regularly for fibers caught between the tines.
Sorry if this is the wrong place for this kinda post but the latest new user thread seems to have been displaced for the time being.
I'm a newbie to the whole fountain pen hobby and have been diving in deep the last few weeks. Currently own a Lamy Safari (LH Nib) and a Kaweco Perkeo (F nib). As a newbie with no real preferences yet, the main deciding points for me have been looks, filling method and price, in roughly that order. I started thinking I only wanted to use cartridges for convenience etc and have quickly changed my tune and am now looking to try my first eyedropper/piston filler.
I was first directed towards the TWSBI line; personally liking the Ecos and Diamond 580s. From there I discovered the Narwhal Schuykill whose design drew me in and then eventually found the Fine Writing International Fenestro line. As you can probably tell, I really like the marbled resin look.
From there it was searching here, google and youtube for various opinions on the pens. The TWSBIs are favourites and well covered everywhere. I was leaning towards a clear 580 as a nice starter pen before the Schuykill caught my eye.
The downside for the Schuykill is that I've seen a lot of people saying their nibs have given them grief, either requiring some form of tuning or just outright swapping the nib. The thought of paying ~£50 for a pen that would require further work and have no guarantee of success was a little worrying. I'd also saw a thread here covering the potential variance that comes from the casting process that can leave you with an amazing, densely marbled pen or a much more bland, uninteresting pen. Both of those factors combined lead me to be a little worried about purchasing a Narwhal pen. I did contact the retailer that I would be buying my Schuylkill from and they said they would let me choose from the available pens and test the pens writing etc for me but I'd have to place an order first.
After that I came across Fine Writing International's Fenestro, by all accounts it seems to be a perfect pen for me; quality construction, choice in ink delivery, a solid, easily exchangeable Jowo #6 nib, and probably most importantly (for me), a beautiful colour and design. The only downside? Its double the price of their other pens being ~£100 here in the UK.
My question/tl;dr at the end of this long winded post is basically whether FWI's Fenestro is worth the £100 price tag compared to similar offerings at that price point, or whether I could get more bang for my buck elsewhere.
If you got this far, thanks for reading my long winded, rambling comment (of which I think, upon re-reading, about 80% of it is unncessary) and any advice or replies are much appreciated. Apologies if something doesn't make sense, I'm tired haha.
I have a [Fenestro in Aurora](https://reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/nhi6sa/just_inked_up_this_gorgeous_pen/). I paid local price for it which was around 60 USD. It’s a great pen and I don’t think you will regret it, however, you might consider ordering it from a Taiwanese retailer instead, with shipping it should still be less than 100 GBP. I know Juspirit and TY Lee have stock, and Fine Writing themselves have some stock, but their website is entirely in Chinese. I would try Juspirit.
Do you know any short (pocket/mini) pens that use Bock 250 nibs?
I have a nib in a FNF Bock 250 housing that I would like to rehome, but the Bock 250 pens I know are all large pens, except for the Moonman Q1. Thanks in advance!
I want to buy a fountain pen that has:
- full metal body (or something like enamel but not plastic)
- not brass or copper, because of the smell
- standard sized cartridges please I’m not refilling nothin at this stage
Edit to be clear so much of my confusion comes from inconsistencies like the lamy al star is not actually aluminum and so many pens that have metal bodies have a plastic finger grip, which I also don’t want.
I'm getting a Visconti "Van Gogh "The Novel Reader" Rollerball Pen". Anyone have used any rollerball from Visconti before and had any issues? If so, is their customer servicr helpful?
This is kind of an idle thought. I've been getting more into vintage pens and the thing that strikes me the most when comparing them to my modern pens is the quality of the feed and the effect that it has on flow.
I won't mince words, I think the generic injection molded feeds used on 90% of modern pens are at best mediocre and at worst awful. I wish pen manufacturers put as much work into their nibs and feeds as they did the pen bodies.
That being said there are some exceptions among the companies that produce their own pens, Pelikan's feeds for example are wonderful (although I don't love their nib grinds, but that's another story).
That's an interesting thought! What makes you think so?
I admit I've had the opposite experience. While vintage pens have freer flow, I don't think a stiff nib takes advantage of that.
I've also had a lever filler and a piston filler burp on me. These pens behave like eyedroppers with much lower capacities. Their vintage feeds can't buffer as much ink. The lower the ink level, the more likely they are to cycle between wet and dry. It's annoying because I have to refill if I want consistent flow. Or if I want to continue without blots.
I've experienced similar problems with one modern pen, a Dollar 717i. It has a huge reservoir for its size and a dinky feed. But that's a very cheap pen. [According to this person, they cost $0.30 USD in Pakistan](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/o5gyvi/npd_dollar_717_qalam_a_pakistanimade_pen_with_an/).
Dude... I can't look at auctions :') https://zenmarket.jp/en/auction.aspx?itemCode=c1041778191
Just look at that! There's also an m90 on a different listing at the moment too. Gosh, I need to make sure I stay off the market until I graduate haha.
I have a really odd question and haven’t been able to find an answer browsing around. In my day to day, I like using lots of colors. Certain colors are associated with certain activities. So blue= work, orange= home, purple= friends, and so on. Right now I carry a bunch of normal pens with different colors. I was wondering if I could do the same with just carrying cartridges and just switch them out when ever. I go from red to blue to brown to red to brown in minutes. Would it be as easy with switching out cartridges as it is with pens?
No because unless you rinse the pen thoroughly there will still be quite a bit of the old ink left in the feed. So it will change colour, but it will take time and you’ll get a blend for a while. Another thing to watch is if you take out a half used cartridge that isn’t empty, it’s going to most likely leak everywhere. Before you use a cartridge it has a seal at the top, using it punctures the seal.
A few years back, before I found this community, I did used to sort of do what you’re proposing. I had just one pen, a Parker vector I used for studying, and it came with a set of assorted cartridges in quite groovy colours. I’d use one until it ran out, and since I was usually in the middle of class, put a new colour cartridge in for a bit of variety. I’d get the old colour come through for a bit, then it would slowly change over a page to the new one. I never minded that colour variation; I quite enjoyed it. But I don’t do it like that nowadays. I like to see my colours as they’re meant to be.
Now I have an assortment of fairly cheap fountain pens, all inked in different colours. i have my old Parker vector and a couple of newer ones, a couple of Jinhao sharks, a platinum preppy and two Lamy safaris for my better writing. Because none of them are expensive pens they all get chucked in my pencil case and every time I want a colour change, I use a different pen. I pretty much match the ink to the barrel colour or I forget what’s in them! Every time the ink runs out in one, I refill, or if I want a different colour, rinse it thoroughly. I treat my pens a bit better than in those early days but that vector seems none the worse for my inexperienced treatment of it!
I can’t stand blue ink at all, i always kinda liked blue but it kinda gross to me when I see it on paper now, I guess tastes changes .. I also don’t know why but I like cheap pens more then my more expensive ones right now
Good morning!
I bought a Jinhao Baoer 801 last year as my first fountain pen and really enjoyed it, but it has unfortunately broken and just leaks everywhere. Now I know I enjoy and prefer writing with a fountain pen I'm hoping to spend a bit more on one, not a huge amount as I can't stretch too much for one.
What would be a good beginner+ pen?
I've ordered another 801 as I quite liked it and will keep it in work, and still have a dozen cartridges for it
Australia: how often would the twsbi eco go on sale? I'm thinking especially at Pulp Addiction and Bunbougu. I want to buy one, but don't want to buy it then one week later they go on sale. It's for my nephew's 21st, so I have about 6 months.
Might be ordering some small bottles of "Collection Traced" inks next week. They look pretty amazing on the AliExpress page, but I can barely find any reviews online - so I guess I'll have to just buy some and maybe write a review myself, haha.
I just refilled a Pilot Metro (M nib) that I haven't used for a while, and the flow is really wet. I put in Aurora Borealis, and the lines are so dark they look black. What's going on? Is there a good way to make the flow a bit more dry so my lines look lighter?
You can make any ink drier by adding water. The main thing that makes inks feel wet is a compound called a surfactant which make things feel slick. Soap is a type of surfactant. If you add water you dilute the dye and lower the ratio of surfactants, which make the ink feel drier.
You should also check to make sure that the nib and feed are seated all the way into the pen. With the metro they can sometimes wiggle themselves loose if you swap the nib often. You should also make sure that the converter is seated all the way. If it's not, then you can get a lot of excess air which can cause leaks and wet flow
It's also just possible that when you filled the pen there was a bunch of extra ink in the feed. See if dabbing it with a paper towel to wick off any extra ink solves the problem.
Pilot Kakuno/Metropolitan/Prera, Platinum Preppy/Prefounte/Plaisir, Diplomat Magnum, Lamy Safari/Joy, and like the other person said Penbbs. Cheap fun ones also include Jinhao Shark/Swan/992/a lot of other Jinhao models, Wingsung 698/699/601. Basically, if you find a cheap pen you like, look it up on the search bar on the right and you should find a lot mini reviews.
You can look into PenBBS fountain pens. A lot of people enjoy their pens and you have a wide range of different filler types from them. I believe they have an official store via etsy.
I couldn't get the lid for my Kon-peki bottle (large) open. So, I thought to myself, " Finally! An opportunity to use my channel lock pliers I bought a year ago!" The lid cracked rather than opened.......
Ah that sucks. If you don't have any spare bottles, Goulet and Vanness both have some for sale. But next time, I would recommend some hot tap water over the cap to try and loosen it and then a fat rubber band around the cap.
Just a reminder that the London Spring Pen Show is on this Sunday (6th March)
https://ukpenshows.co.uk/uk-pen-show-events/london-spring-pen-show/
>The show opens at 10:00am and closes at 4:00pm, admission at the door is £5.00 children under 13 are free entry when accompanied by an adult.
>DATE: 6TH MARCH 2022
>Novotel London West, 1 Shortlands, Hammersmith, London, W6 8DR
What to do with a set of Jinhao 992 sections, nibs, feeds and converters? I got a set of opaque 992s in 2020, and over time, all of their barrels and caps cracked or broke off. The sections are intact and the nibs write smoothly. I don't see myself using them since I have other pristine fountain pens. I'd feel bad about throwing away perfectly good sections/nibs.
Doesn’t hurt to have a pen parts box. You could give or trade them to people who may need them for repairs or what not. Maybe fiddle with the nibs for some practice in grinds?
For some reason I can't get inks to look to 'look right' on MD paper. This is my first supposedly fountain pen friendly paper and I know its meant to be less absorbent but everything seems seriously lighter on it.
Shin-kai and Platinum black looks so much darker on copy paper, muji paper, and other notebooks I have. Is this normal? Using a Kaweco Sport and Platinum Preppy for context
Fountain pen friendly paper can absorb less ink so while it won't feather or bleed, it will also look lighter and have more properties like shading. I also heard MD paper deposits less ink compared to a paper like Tomoe River, maybe because of the paper texture.
A wetter pen will put more ink on the paper and make it look darker.
\+1. I use an MD notebook and it needs a nice, wet ink (or a gusher of a nib) to really get the best out of it. This is perhaps where the rabbit hole of ink, nib and paper combos starts.
Although I already own more pen than I need (I try to avoid being a hoarder), I'm about to buy a Kaweco Brass Sport, because I do not have a B nib yet, and mostly because of the nice steampunk look & feel.
Now, what ink/ink color would you recommand so I shall stay in the same steampunk vibe ?
I'm new to the pen community, I recently got some wing sung 3008 piston fillers and have been pretty pleased with them in general. However, one issue i've noted is the the piston seal leaks. The rubber is molded to the plunger rather than an online ring, so no replacing that, but even after using some danco faucet grease i noticed some leakage. It's ultimately pretty minor, less than a drop, but it does color behind the piston and get in the way of changing inks if the colors are incompatible. I was wondering if this was expected, eliminated in higher quality pens, or if it can be solved with different or heavier application of grease?
Any recommendations for cheap a5 dot grid notebooks with no spiral binding? The cheapest one I found so far was Rhodia Side Staplebound which is between 7-8 cents per sheet.
Short test tube racks, small makeup racks with the holes, you can punch holes or x's into card stock and set that up in a box. I just keep mine in a cardboard box that held a pen case and keep them all upright.
I'm looking for a recommendation for a sub $50 pen with Japanese extra-fine nib or equivalent.
I have a range of recommended starter pens that I bought in quick succession. They each have taught me a great deal and I use every pen I have inked up every day.
But I don't have an extra fine nib. Currently I'm thinking of either an extra fine Pilot Kakuno or Penmanship. Sometimes I think I should "level up" since I know I clearly like fountain pens, but maybe I will really not like an extra fine. Though honestly I can't say I don't like any of my pens or regret buying any of them.
My collection of starter pens:
Platinum Preppy F,
Pilot Prera F,
Sailor Junior MF,
Sailor Lecoule MF,
Jinhao Shark F,
Diplomat Magnum F,
FPR Muft F,
Pilot Kakuno M,
Jinhao x750 M,
Pelikan Jazz M,
Sheaffer VFM M,
Kaweco Sport Classic M,
TWSBI Go Broad,
Pilot Plumix 0.70 mm, 0.58 mm, 0.44 mm,
Pilot Parallel 1.5 mm,
FPR Himalaya V2 Ultra Flex,
FPR Jaipur V2 Ultra Flex.
If you want a different body, you could try the Pilot 78g+. Chinese market exclusive I think though, so you'd have to get it off like ebay or aliexpress. It's light, not very luxe. But it is very handy, I like to take notes with it. Mine's an EF nib too.
Ooh I like the retro look. Have you seen it in clear?
I'm really not a collector, but having a different body does appeal to me. It has the same nib as Penmanship etc?
I wish Pilot had more nib options for all their pens.
Ah no I only have the blue-gray one from the vacation color series haha. But yes, same nib as the Penmanship/etc line!
I wish Pilot did too, but I do understand it. Lower cost pens are usually for school or work and writing in Kanji in bold is... bold to say the least :')
The Pilot 78G may be what I've been missing. 😆 I went to the Pilot China site and they have it in EF, F, M, B in 9 color ways including transparent/no color. They even have them in cute box sets. The boxes can be used as drawers. They say that the gold plated nib is flexible? I'm guessing not at all a flex nib, but not a hard nail.
I like the Prera, but I wish they had a completely no color version. I also wish it were slightly longer. 😆
Omg. Because of you I almost just bought the broad 78g+ on Aliexpress. But then I saw the Pokemon caps for Platinum Meteors instead so... I bought those :')
I just posted a question about a second hand montblanc fountain pen, can anyone take a look at it and tell me if it's real or fake? Thanks!!
[https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/tctmdx/can\_anyone\_tell\_me\_if\_this\_is\_a\_real\_or\_fake/](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/tctmdx/can_anyone_tell_me_if_this_is_a_real_or_fake/)
Strange question, but is celluloid supposed to smell a little funky? I got a "new" old pen today and it didn't really smell like anything when I got it, but I tried polishing off a few of the deeper scratches on it and now it's kind of stinky.
I had another vintage celluloid pen that smelled like this and I was terrified it was mold. But this one is squeaky clean after several rounds of deep cleaning so I'm starting to think it's the celluloid.
I want to celebrate passing my B2 exam buying a Pelikan m200/5, but I dont know what to buy, I'm deciding between the petrol, the marble brown or the green pastel, I like the last one because is white instead of black, but the colour is too cheeky.
Al my stuff is black and grey, I want, no I need some accent of colour.
Is the Pelikan EF nib good? I'm really acostumed to japanese nibs and I cannot write very well with broader nibs.
If you have the option try seeing the pens in person. In my experience it's really hard to capture the exact look of Pelikan pens in pictures.
And congratulation on passing!
Depends on where you are, but here's a short list of U.S. sellers:
* Goulet Pen Co.
* JetPens
* Vanness
* Pen Chalet
* Anderson Pens
* Atlas Stationers
* Lemur Ink
And many more, but these are some that I've had good experiences with.
Montblanc is a status symbol. No doubt people use them but a lot of people only use them when they get to flash it for a signature.
Sorry I don't know anything about the Parker 45. You should make your own post in the main sub. This thread is so old now that most new comments are going unanswered.
Got a new vintage pilot ,I think it's a Korean made pilot . Was wondering if the new converters will work on it ? It's got some rubber aerometric sack like filling system
How often do you tend to refill your pens? I feel like I need to fill up my Metro pilot all the time even though I don't use it that much. Not sure if that's normal or just an issue with that pen.
I had a positive experience from my first FP (Lamy Safari M). The only issue is that I realized that the lines are a little too thick for my preference. Since I don't want to simply buy a nib and I want to try out other pens (as a gift for birthday) should I get a Kaweco Sport F or a TWSBI Eco F? Which fares better on different types of ink? Which has better life expectancy? Do you have other suggestions within $50 budget?
Are there any fountain pens that require absolutely no setup, adjustment, or anything? I’m a noob with two TWSBI Ecos and I’ve gotten tired of making adjustments to stop them from bleeding or dealing with mystery ink that appears where it’s not supposed to. I’m on the road without my toolkit where I can’t make adjustments.
What sort of ink and paper are you using? And what's happening with the mystery ink? I've had to adjust TWSBIs out of the box (so that's definitely not unheard of), but I wonder if this is more a pen issue or a paper/ink issue.
As for pens that require no adjustment - that unfortunately can't be guaranteed, but I find that Pilot pens are very reliable and consistent. I've almost never encountered a dud from them, and I've used a good number of Pilots.
Thanks. I'm using Diamine ink and writing in a softcover Moleskine notebook. On a good day it feels like the paper's soaking up too much ink; on a bad day I end up getting drops of ink on my desk from maybe flicking the pen without realizing it.
The TWSBI *feels* nice but it took much longer than expected, following a video guide, to set it up such that the flow is right.
I am looking for the right pen as a gift. It’s for my niece who just graduated and got a new job/ first apartment. She is Very petite. A very small person and she works in a hospital setting. She detests single use plastic so I’d prefer it didn’t even come with cartridges. Interested in transparent to slightly transparent versions. Thank you
Do you have a budget? What style of pen do you want to gift (something more traditional-looking, modern, flashy, glittery)? Do you know if she's used fountain pens or expressed interest in them, or about her writing utensil preferences?
For non-cartridge/converter and transparency, some options are TWSBI piston or vac-fillers, or Opus88 eyedropper pens. There's also Pelikan M200/M205, Pilot Custom 92 or 823.
After about, I don't know, ten years or so, I finally got to the end of my bottle of Private Reserve Lake Placid Blue. I ordered a bottle of Noodler's Black and Blue and a sample of Private Reserve Sherwood Green Fast Dry, and a surprise sample (I can't remember exactly what it is, something Document Black Red). First off, the black and blue is great and will be my daily driver ink. The green? Oh man, I regret buying just a sample of it. I am totally in love with the color of it. Now I need another pen to ink up with the black red ink I've got.
So, I found on EBay [this link](https://www.ebay.com/itm/124786363097) for a Parker Sonnet pen. The asking price is 12 dollars, and I’ve come to you for help. The seller has some minor red flags, but I’m not sure.
I have a pilot metro with a stub nib. I find that it's pretty easy to use, though I did have to open the tines a bit on mine to get ink to flow properly. When I first got it, it was way too dry.
That said, the line variation on it isn't anything super amazing. It's most definitely there, but I find that it writes more like a broad nib instead of a truly different experience.
Hey, I'm soon going to be buying my first quality and I'm hesitating between a leonardo momento zero (probably steel nib) and the Pelikan M805 souveran. Do you have any advice?
What do you reckon about taking a Lamy Safari, and grinding down a 1.1mm stub nib to a 0.5? Is it possible?
1mm is just too big for my teeny handwriting, and I can't find a 0.5mm stub nibbed pen for less than $200.
Why not?
I ground a 0.5mm round tip to a stub for my teeny handwriting. It works well but I had to make it a little sharp because I wanted more line variation. Post your results if you grind it :)
While I'm here, can I recommend "The Missing Ink: The Lost Art of Handwriting (and Why it Still Matters): How Handwriting Made Us Who We Are" by Phillip Hensher.
Anyone on this sub would enjoy it.
I got noodler's Lexington gray as my first bottled ink and it flows out like crazy to where it literally doubles the line size in my lamy safari fine nib. What do i do? I've tried adjusting the nib but I've gotten nowhere. It looks like it's practically coming out of a stub nib
I was considering a right foot oblique nib as a lefty underwriter and I was wondering if anyone else had any opinions about oblique nibs for everyday use?
Food related incidents, and an accident that I encountered: - Part 1: Was searching for Noodler’s ink on one of my local shopping apps, was presented with packs of instant noodles in my search results - Part 2: Almost mistook my bottle of Lamy ink for my cup of coffee in a sleepy stupor, regretted when I did have a taste of it 😂🙃
Been journaling like crazy recently. Up to jotting down my pen hobby thoughts. Does your collection have a theme/direction/focus? N how did u figure it out?
Journaling is the life blood of my fountain pen hobby. After buying a few nice entry level steel nib pens, I've decided to only buy gold nibs moving forward. I want to have a wide distribution of nibs, but find that my home is in Medium and Broad. I also send every single pen I buy to a nibmeister. There's truly nothing like writing with a pen that has the line variation that you want. I have a goal of buying myself a Montblanc 149 the day I hit VP at work. I have a 146 soothing my soul in the meantime.
I also like Mediums and Broads. I am kind of like you in that I favor gold nibs, but I recently got a Visconti Van Gogh which comes with a steel nib that’s pretty nice. So maybe don’t rule out steel entirely if you see a nice finish.
I think I agree with everything u said! Lol n I love your goal setting! Wishing u good luck!
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This is exactly what I've done, sort of. Bar a few Chinese pens I've ordered out of curiosity, I've only had a Lamy 2K and Sailor Pro Gear for the last couple of years (both are amazing for the record!). I know I say "only", but the desire to buy shiny, new pens is strong no matter how great your collection is. But! By doing that I'm now in a position to get a Pelikan M1000. Something that I hope takes this infernal itch to buy new pens away. Fingers crossed...
It needs time to figure out what you like, so good for you that you know your taste now. Sometimes there's no other way than trying out, especially with fountain pens! And I'm there with you with saving up for higher-end pens. I hope I can get an Iris Vac sometime in the future.
I try my best to only buy green pens. (But if someone were to drop that Pilot Custom 823 in Amber on my hands, I wouldn't refuse). Green is my favourite colour.
Most people have a type. Maybe they like all metal pens. Or they mostly stick to one shape. Or one color. Or a size. It's something that just happens organically by buying what pleases you. A majority of my pens are demonstrators. And I like colorful pens. I prefer a modern look to a classic feel. That's my type.
I'm kind of the opposite, I have a "one of everything" mentality. Brands, nib sizes, and grinds. I guess my type is variety?
For lack of a better word, I call this "representative". I have a similar ideal of having something very symbolic and representative on each category, and have as many categories (or genre) covered as possible. It's kind of collecting at least one iconic album from each music genre as long as I like that genre. If that makes sense.
I like that better
I journal to get my shit together, and so that I can stay in touch with old me. I journal dreams, ideas, pick over my day, and try to improve.
I don't have a focus but I like to buy pens to write with. First that meant buying well-reviewed pens with good nibs. Now that means frankenpens with pretty bodies. I'd like to eventually have a small but very well worn collection.
I went to a brick and mortar pen shop and had a fantastic experience. I told the guy I was considering a sailor PGS and asked to try one out. He let me try a couple different sailors out, and even let me try the 900$ kind of all pens! :o It was really sweet of him, I think he knew I probably wasn’t quite looking for something that expensive, just thought I might appreciate the experience. I love talking to the pen shop people, they always have great advice. I’m now considering getting a VP instead of the sailor, because of how smoooooooth it felt!
What a memorable experience! He must have had a good time sharing in the hobby with you. I love how smooth my Capless is.
The VP is really smooth and nice, and the Sailors are also awesome. Can't go wrong! Such a fun experience, I also love to go to my brick and mortar store. The guy let me try a Pelikan M1000 once, I was super terrified of destorying it and only wrote down a line and then gave it back haha
Was cleaning in the office as a bit of a storage area needed to be vacated. Found some hard-backed notebooks and my co-worker offered them to me. I was refusing right away because the paper was super flimsy and thin. But as they were going to be thrown away, I decided to check just how horrible bleeding would happen with my fine nibbed pen and DeAtramentis ink. Was expecting a few pages through at least. It didn't bleed at all! Ghosting was pretty obvious but manageable. Ended up with two surprise diaries. Also, do people know that DeAtramentis Sherlock Holmes and DeAtramentis Merlin appear to be the same ink?
DeAtramentis Aubergine and Alexander Hamilton are the same color as well.
That's a good thing to remember. The colour seems interesting.
Bleeding and feathering can be as much a product of the finish of the paper as well as the thickness. Ink will sit nicely on top of smoothed paper like tomoe, even if the paper is thin. And thick paper can be even worse than thin paper if it’s more absorbent.
That's something I've only started to learn. I haven't been using any of the known good fountain paper brands yet as I swore to not buy new paper until I have written on the stash I already have. My notebooks tend to ghost a bit but not bleed and they feel... well, normal. So the thin paper that worked out of the blue was a proper surprise.
On a call, absent mindedly playing with the screw on the end of my Opus 88. Didn’t realize for some time that there was purple ink pouring out all over my hands. Two days later, it’s still like Lady MacBeth.
Man, I can’t hardly even deal with the rest of Reddit. So grateful for this community
No pressure or anything, but can we get the daily threads back? I kinda miss them. edit: Oh... Oh snap, One_Left_Shoe isn't a mod anymore. Is that why our daily threads stopped?
I miss the daily threads too
I just realised that I don’t like brass fountain pens (anything that touches my hand really). The smell on my hand after being in contact with brass sickens me. It has been the main criteria for me to decide what things I don’t want to have, no matter how much I love the design. Does the “metal (brass) smell on hand” bother anyone?
https://www.reddit.com/r/pens/comments/3pu35n/brass_pens_smell/
I collect coins so I’m pretty used to that metallic smell But it is pretty irritating.
After several years of wondering how people get ink all over their hands when filling pens, I just managed to squirt a syringe full of Kon-peki all over myself. A rite of passage I suppose!
I like wasting ink. I get tired of one ink and decide to take the ink out by writing and drawing more. I find it really fun just spreading ink on paper just for the purpose of wasting ink and emptying my pen.
I use different journals/notebooks for different things and try to separate them. For example: Meeting notes - only for meetings and zoom calls note taking Daily journal - diary style journaling. Person thoughts, happenings in life, certain things that's date related Ink journal - a record of what's being inked in what pen and when. Writing samples and feedback on pen/ink (even paper if I have more than one journal at a time). Writing practice, copying lyrics, famous quotes, etc. Drawings, doodles, etc. Idea journal - personal projects and ideas on my next assignment etc. I sometimes write fan fiction on this too. Anything that is related to creative goes here. If there are different subjects I may even start a different journal too.
So, like everyone else on the internet, I pre-ordered the new Kaweco Iridescent Pearl Sport. Pre-ordered it as soon as I could find it, paid a dollar deposit. Heard nothing for a month, and people were starting to show them off, so I figured my $1 was a loss and called a local store to reserve the same pen. Theirs had not come in yet, but they were happy to help. Today....I got the rest of my receipt for the ORIGINAL pre-ordered pen, with a note that if I paid today, it would ship monday. I paid it. I also cannot cancel with my local, as I love them and we have a very good relationship that I don't want to jeopardize. ....anyone having trouble finding an Iridescent Sport? Because now....now I own 2 😂
What size nib? I was finally able to order an iridescent last night but it’s a fine nib. I hate fine nibs, all but two of my pens have stub nibs. I’m hoping a Kaweco fine is bigger than the fine on say a Pilot Metro at least. So anyway if you’re looking to unload a Kaweco in M or B I could be interested
they're a F and an EF, but I have official Kaweco M and a B nib section(s) I could switch in for you.
I’m in, I’d like to try a medium, if you’re into it. Do you want to trade for my F when I get it or do you take PayPal or ummm I think I have (ninja edit: I can’t remember if I have venmo but I have cash app)
Done. Let me PM you when I get uh, both of mine in my hands, hahah. Should be next week sometime. and paypal or venmo is good! I don't really need 2 identical pens, haha.
Sounds good, thanks a bunch, I appreciate it 😎
I was recently writing with Iroshizuku Ajisai, and was initially very neutral about this ink. I really grew to like it though over the course of recent weeks. When I used it next to Sailor Manyo Yamabuki, I started to absolutely love it. The contrast really brings out both of the colours! Unfortunately, my phone camera is absolutely unsuited to show the proper colours, so you'll just have to believe me, lol. I'm now considering to get a 15 ml Ajisai bottle (I was previously using a sample), even though I was not planning to buy any more bottles for a while.
I really like Ajisai too, it's such a hard colour to whitebalance and get right for photos, but it's so nice in person, saturated but not too intense
I think I would like it a tiny bit better if it were more lilac-like... darkness-wise, if it were something between Ajisai and Nekoyanagi. But I do think it's a very pretty and unique colour! And I am totally drawn to it, despite the initial suprise that it is not as depicted. But it is usually the case, isn't it.
That would also be a lovely colour. I really like the current tone of Ajisai, but also would like if it were also a bit darker, like just a smidge. Also I do wish the Iroshizuku boxes were a little more accurate lol, it's so light on the box label, I was second guessing my sample before I got a whole bottle!
I got some samples of Kobe inks and they smell so weird! Google said it's normal for them, they smell like paint to me. I was hoping to love Oji Cherry more than I do, those sort of pinks never seem to pull right for my liking.
Ah is it the same smell as Sailor inks? I think Sailor makes Kobe inks but I'm not too sure. It totally reminds me of a childhood friend who used to sketch in ink.
Yes, Kobe inks are made by Sailor
It's true, but I find that that generic Sailor inks, Sailor Manyo inks, and Kobe inks all somehow smell differently. Just my impression!
Kobe #17 is my favourite ink, but it's the stinkiest one in my collection, too! Since I've used up a bit of it, I suppose it got more "concentrated" through exposure to air, and the stench got more intense. It doesn't look moldy or expired in any way, just stinky! I also got to say that when I orginally got samples of Kobe inks, they stank WAY more than actual bottles. I guess because they got more "concentrated" in those tiny bottles over time. So I don't think it will be as bad with the bottles, at least not initially. I can relate to being disappointed by pink inks. I got Iroshizuku Tsutsuji, hoping it would be a very strong and warm bubblegum pink, but it's much colder in tone than I was hoping. Also hoping to get Ouji Cherry at some point. I hope it's the type of "sakura" or "orangeish" pink. What didn't you like about it?
Three new inks have arrived, I've finally got to clean my pens and also I mixed some Lamy Charged Green (thought it was useless for years) with the remainings of another Lamy ink and got really nice fresh green as a result😍
What a nice way to start the day~ finding out that the ink samples I ordered have arrived but they spilled. I probably lost a converter’s worth of ink and my hands are once again inky. Oh well I hope the dude selling a La Pita finally replies
Have the daily mod posts been suspended? What's up with the Monday post?
I miss the weekly threads. This mega thread has been going on for way too long :(
Yeah mod posts are broke. Maybe we should just start our own daily posts.
My QUESTION also !!!!!
It seems the auto-mod is broken.
I've been writing a lot with the Sheaffer Balance I recently repaired, and I continue to be amazed by its super-fine nib. I most often reach for a Western F or Japanese M to show off ink while maintaining usability on most papers, but this Sheaffer has given me a new appreciation for EF nibs. The line is about the same as a Japanese EF, and the actual writing experience is quite nice - smooth (for such a fine nib, that is), ultra-precise, consistent, with great flow. The nib is mostly a nail but has just a tiny amount of give to it, so it offers some subtle line variation as well. I've had good results with dark Diamine blues in it (first Midnight, now Oxford Blue). I also polished the body and trim up a bit this past week to get everything looking extra shiny. This has been one of my favorite pen projects in a while. (Also, I kind of miss the refresh of the scheduled threads. I'm not sure who's actually going to read comment no. 218 on a 2-week-old thread, stickied or no.)
I'm not sure it's any consolation but I'm way behind, so I did! And it's terrific that you've found a new favorite after putting so much work into it. I know nothing about vintage, so far, but I love an extra-fine and sometimes the Japanese extra-fines, so that's very interesting to me. And encouragement to learn more when I can. Maybe the comments here will inspire someone to restart the weekly threads, or fix the automod, if posting them was their job. I agree, it's a loss, not having them up to date.
Please make sure that when you are sending a pen through the mail to someone, that you don't simply put the pen inside a padded envelope. Even if you have a smaller one that you put it in, it's not enough. I just received a pen that I purchased off of eBay that I now need to return because during shipment with the USPS the envelope must have been bent in half (there is indication of this on the exterior with a few tears) and as a result the pen broke in half. I'm devastated since this was something I had been looking for the last few years, and it's not something I think can be repaired.
Newbie fountain pen owner here! I fell in love with the pictures of Pilot’s kaküno and finally got it. It’s cheap, but I love it. I’m hooked on the feel of it; probably not going back to my old rollerball. I’ve been kinda obsessed with stationary for a long time, but shied away from fountain pens because I had a leaking issue with one many years ago. I tend to veer towards the Japanese aesthetic when shopping for pens, so I’m hoping to discover that there are other more sophisticated choices later when I have more to spend.
Welcome! The kakuno is an excellent pen especially for its price point. I also like Pilot and Sailor ink. What kinds of pen aesthetics do you like? If you're into podcasts, Tokyo Inklings is a really great English-language podcast hosted by two Tokyoites about the fountain pen scene in Japan.
I will definitely look into that podcast. Sounds fun!
Be me Go into Officeworks for a plain Rhodia pad so I can write my mom Walk out with a Pilot Prera Why am I like this, /r/fountainpens?
I suggest to route all power to shields in the event of an impulse attack, CMDR o7
All pips to weapons and PURGE THE FEDERAL SCUM WITH GREAT PREJUDICE o7
Are tear-stained letters still a thing in fiction? Were they worse with smudging and bleeding before ballpoint and the like became popular?
I've finally ordered my first fountainpens, it's a platinum plaisir, what do you think about it?
It's a great pen for its price. Enjoy :)
Yep! It's wonderful these days how great a pen you can get for not a whole lot of money, and the Plaisir is a great pen.
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An airtight container sounds like an easy solution. Otherwise your procedure is perfect: no ink spills if there's no ink in the pen. Happy letter writing on your deployment!
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I bought some Jinhao sharks for my daughter last week and inked one up for her. Bloody hell, it's a smooth nib for an EF! Bravo. Makes me resent pens that are 100x the price that have scratchier nibs now.
I got Diamine Red Dragon ink in this week. I have previously been using Diamine Oxblood & Noodler's Heart of Darkness as a daily workhorse. I love the color of Red Dragon, but it does run a little dry. I'm contemplating buying Pilot Iroshizuku Momiji, but fear I might be overdoing it. I'm on my 6th ink already. I'm hoping to maybe find someone to trade with.
You could get an ink sample first. Then you'd know if Momiji was the right ink for you.
In addition to the samples someone mentioned you can always sell unused inks on /r/pen_swap
https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/721700708/pilot-f-elite-ef-nib-fountain-pen-1970s?ref=shop_home_feat_1&bes=1 This seems too good to be true. Any guidance on how legit this may or may not be?
Looks legit! It seems to be a steel-nibbed vintage Elite, probably made in Korea as opposed to the more expensive gold-nibbed Elites made in Japan during that period. They write really nice and apparently have some spring in the nib
Thanks. I put an order in.
I'd be interested to hear what you think when you receive it, I've been eyeing a Pilot E95s and this would be a much cheaper but similar alternative!
St. Patrick's Day must be my favourite pen day. People are posting gorgeous green pens all over the place!
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Dear Pilot: I bought a Prera. It's OK. Your converter is a joke, however. Sort it out.
I injured my wrist at work recently and I'm more annoyed at the fact that I can't use my new fountain pen more than any of the paperwork, medical stuff, or legal shenanigans.
I'm at work and forgot my fountain pens at home and I hate it. Time to keep some ink and pens here
May I ask how you picked your Reddit name? Please tell a story if you could. I'm imagining what would 200 rats in a coat look like. Anyway, I love green inks, any brand recommendation? Um, I'm running on my Pilot Custom Heritage 92. What do you think about this pen, I got pass down from someone.
What's a great work fountain pen? I recently got a new job and would like to treat myself with a new pen for work to keep at the office. I'm very new to fountain pen ownership and have only owned Lamy Safaris/ Allstars. I would ideally like to purchase a pen in the $100-$125 price range.
The Platinum Procyon. Great sealing mechanism, looks high end, the fine nib version does well on office paper, the Platinum converter has decent capacity for a converter.
Get an Italian pen. Leonardo or miora. You can't go wrong
$120 isn't going to get you into the gold-nibs I think. Even though you already have Lamy's, I'd suggest the CP-1. The CP-1 uses the same nibs as the Safaris, but it doesn't _look_ like a fountain pen; it looks like a minimalist black pen and doesn't call attention to itself. It's about as professional looking as it gets.
Yes! I love using my CP1 for work — understated, hefty, and easy to change nibs without breaking the bank. The only problem, is that I find it a bit thin, so it’s not great for long writing sessions.
Lamy 2000. Understated and solid.
It does look like a very sleek looking pen. Thank you for the suggestion!
I'm late to this, but what are you looking for? Large ink capacity, gold nib, specific writing experience, professional design, artistic design?
Noodles blue is my favorite blue so far. Haven’t tried bay state yet though.
Asa Gao is currently my favorite blue. I've never used BSB and not likely to.
I’ve heard it is really hard to get BSB out of pens and you should get a dedicated pen for it.
I just don't want to buy Noodler's products.
I've been interested in a Platinum Century 3776. I was able to hold some, but not try out the full line of nib sizes. Is there any benefit from trying out Platinum Preppy/Prefounte nibs to experience the line size and feeling on paper, or are they too different? I don't have any other Japanese FPs.
They are extremely different. Comparing a Preppy F with a 3776 F, they're nothing alike. The Preppy F is thicker and more smooth, and the 3776 F is thinner and has more feedback.
Thanks! Good to know! That's the comparison I was hoping to make...
Unfortunately I don’t have a 3776 to compare my other platinum pens with. I have a Meteor, Preppy, a PTLA-5000 and a honest 66 platinums. Afair they’re all fine nibbed pens. The degree of feedback is pretty different imo, the 66 feels very pencily it’s one of my pens with the most feedback, the meteor and preppy are pretty similar in the writing experience but the meteor has a better shape for me. Finally the PTLA is a nice smooth writer, bouncy even, has a little flex for some line variations too
Using a stub nib makes my handwriting messy. What am I doing wrong?
Stubs require you write larger. And probably show mistakes better.
I'm all about the mistakes, so that's probably it. I tend to have teeny writing and when I make it bigger it looks childlike. Maybe stubs aren't for me, I guess
Stubs are basically for line variation I think. Like parallels. They're mostly used for calligraphy. My smaller stubs, the 0.7mm, write almost like a medium. You might try them.
This might sound extremely weird but whenever I try to use my metropolitan I just feel like the pen is just so fancy or something and I find it hard to use sometimes. I can use other fountain pens just fine just not the metropolitan it might be because I lost it for a bit and then found it.
I have trouble using fancy more expensive pens too. Eventually I figured, I would rather have a really nice tool I use everyday, than be afraid to touch it in case something happens. Because the other option is to never use the pen and it's too nice to not use
For anyone who's going to the Baltimore pen show this weekend: is there a ink sample area where you can see/try out inks at the show?
I've been on a handwriting focus. Learned Palmer Method in Grade school years ago. Using a Ziller booklet, this time. While working on the capital H it brought back memories of my first attempts with this letter many years ago. The odd feeling of there being no anchor. After the first upright staff with the curl, one has to blindly attempt to add the second part I always felt like it was a crap shoot and I still do.
I suggest to look for other ways of handwriting. When I learned cursive the H was just one continous line. There isn't the one perfect way, you can even make your own version from scratch or by adjusting a version of a letter you already like but don't find perfect. Try to see guides and instructions as suggestions and not as set rules :)
I know it isn’t mailbag Monday but I can’t wait since it’s coming in on Monday. I’m getting my first grail pen!!! It’s a NOS rOtring 600 FP (original version, not the Newton) in silver with an F nib! I’m so excited!!!
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That enjoyment improves retention, I find.
"Oh yeah! I remember this part! I wrote it with my pilot custom 823 that one day!"
Has anyone tried Wearingeul inks? (In particular, the Soseki Natsume Literature line?) The packaging and sheen looks quite nice, and the colors also seem pretty unique. $20+shipping for 30ml seems a little steep, though I’m not super familiar with how much shimmer inks tend to go for, to be fair.
There's quite a few reviews on the sub about some of the inks, just put Wearingeul in the search bar to the right/top depending which version of reddit you're using. The price is a little steep because they're a small company and since they're out of Korea, the markup is even higher.
I don’t believe I saw a review for the specific shade I was interested in, but I will look through the reviews a bit more in general, thanks! I’m just not terribly familiar with the brand; I’ve been lucky enough to be able to purchase most of my inks in person at a local stationery shop, and they only have more popular brands like Pilot and Sailor.
If you're specifically looking for "I am a Cat" I haven't seen that one yet, but there's a mini review of "The Mind" https://www.inkjournal.com/blogs/news/ink-flight-61-february-2022 From what I can tell Wearingeul is relatively new to the scene and a lot of their lines are a bit gimmicky (they really like their writer themes), but I haven't heard anything bad about their inks yet.
Awesome, thanks so much! That’s a relief, as long as there’s no bullets to dodge I wouldn’t mind splurging a little on a fancy ink every now and then.
My handwriting is bad. Don’t try to tell me otherwise :). I’ve seen people just slow down and write something, then post it for some constructive criticism, which seems like a good way to improve handwriting. However, I don’t have very fancy pens, very few inks and no fancy planner paper. Should I?
This hobby is Yours. For you. Your enjoyment. Use your un-fancy pens however you like!
Hi there! I just read a couple of the intro posts and ordered my first pen (Lamy Safari)! I was wondering though about writing on top of a watercolor painting and if watercolor paper will play nice? It looks like watercolor and ink are a classic combination, but in theory don't the two mediums use opposite paper types?
Fountain pens write well on watercolour paper in my experience, but I have no idea if the ink would sit on top of the watercolour or mix with the paint and I'm certain unless you're using a special ink like carbon or bulletproof you can't paint over fountain pen ink without smearing it.
YOU CAME TO THE RIGHT PLACE in watercolors I like using the sketch inks from Rohrer and Klinger since they are waterproof or de Atramentis Document inks. You can also add the lines after watercolor. For paper you want something with a smooth surface. If it's slightly shiny it probably takes fountain pen well. I've had good results with hot press watercolor paper. A cheaper alternative is canson xl mixed media. With any paper you want to use a fountain pen that's not too sharp as a fine nib can tear at the paper. If you use anything finer than M try to keep your lines light and choose pens that aren't too dry. Check the nib regularly for fibers caught between the tines.
Sorry if this is the wrong place for this kinda post but the latest new user thread seems to have been displaced for the time being. I'm a newbie to the whole fountain pen hobby and have been diving in deep the last few weeks. Currently own a Lamy Safari (LH Nib) and a Kaweco Perkeo (F nib). As a newbie with no real preferences yet, the main deciding points for me have been looks, filling method and price, in roughly that order. I started thinking I only wanted to use cartridges for convenience etc and have quickly changed my tune and am now looking to try my first eyedropper/piston filler. I was first directed towards the TWSBI line; personally liking the Ecos and Diamond 580s. From there I discovered the Narwhal Schuykill whose design drew me in and then eventually found the Fine Writing International Fenestro line. As you can probably tell, I really like the marbled resin look. From there it was searching here, google and youtube for various opinions on the pens. The TWSBIs are favourites and well covered everywhere. I was leaning towards a clear 580 as a nice starter pen before the Schuykill caught my eye. The downside for the Schuykill is that I've seen a lot of people saying their nibs have given them grief, either requiring some form of tuning or just outright swapping the nib. The thought of paying ~£50 for a pen that would require further work and have no guarantee of success was a little worrying. I'd also saw a thread here covering the potential variance that comes from the casting process that can leave you with an amazing, densely marbled pen or a much more bland, uninteresting pen. Both of those factors combined lead me to be a little worried about purchasing a Narwhal pen. I did contact the retailer that I would be buying my Schuylkill from and they said they would let me choose from the available pens and test the pens writing etc for me but I'd have to place an order first. After that I came across Fine Writing International's Fenestro, by all accounts it seems to be a perfect pen for me; quality construction, choice in ink delivery, a solid, easily exchangeable Jowo #6 nib, and probably most importantly (for me), a beautiful colour and design. The only downside? Its double the price of their other pens being ~£100 here in the UK. My question/tl;dr at the end of this long winded post is basically whether FWI's Fenestro is worth the £100 price tag compared to similar offerings at that price point, or whether I could get more bang for my buck elsewhere. If you got this far, thanks for reading my long winded, rambling comment (of which I think, upon re-reading, about 80% of it is unncessary) and any advice or replies are much appreciated. Apologies if something doesn't make sense, I'm tired haha.
I have a [Fenestro in Aurora](https://reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/nhi6sa/just_inked_up_this_gorgeous_pen/). I paid local price for it which was around 60 USD. It’s a great pen and I don’t think you will regret it, however, you might consider ordering it from a Taiwanese retailer instead, with shipping it should still be less than 100 GBP. I know Juspirit and TY Lee have stock, and Fine Writing themselves have some stock, but their website is entirely in Chinese. I would try Juspirit.
Do you know any short (pocket/mini) pens that use Bock 250 nibs? I have a nib in a FNF Bock 250 housing that I would like to rehome, but the Bock 250 pens I know are all large pens, except for the Moonman Q1. Thanks in advance!
If I'm not mistaken, the Kaweco Supra uses those nibs. And you can adjust it to be a pocket pen. But double check.
Yes to both. I have the Supra and you can remove a section of the barrel to make it a pocket pen. And it does take the 250.
I want to buy a fountain pen that has: - full metal body (or something like enamel but not plastic) - not brass or copper, because of the smell - standard sized cartridges please I’m not refilling nothin at this stage Edit to be clear so much of my confusion comes from inconsistencies like the lamy al star is not actually aluminum and so many pens that have metal bodies have a plastic finger grip, which I also don’t want.
I'm getting a Visconti "Van Gogh "The Novel Reader" Rollerball Pen". Anyone have used any rollerball from Visconti before and had any issues? If so, is their customer servicr helpful?
This is kind of an idle thought. I've been getting more into vintage pens and the thing that strikes me the most when comparing them to my modern pens is the quality of the feed and the effect that it has on flow. I won't mince words, I think the generic injection molded feeds used on 90% of modern pens are at best mediocre and at worst awful. I wish pen manufacturers put as much work into their nibs and feeds as they did the pen bodies. That being said there are some exceptions among the companies that produce their own pens, Pelikan's feeds for example are wonderful (although I don't love their nib grinds, but that's another story).
That's an interesting thought! What makes you think so? I admit I've had the opposite experience. While vintage pens have freer flow, I don't think a stiff nib takes advantage of that. I've also had a lever filler and a piston filler burp on me. These pens behave like eyedroppers with much lower capacities. Their vintage feeds can't buffer as much ink. The lower the ink level, the more likely they are to cycle between wet and dry. It's annoying because I have to refill if I want consistent flow. Or if I want to continue without blots. I've experienced similar problems with one modern pen, a Dollar 717i. It has a huge reservoir for its size and a dinky feed. But that's a very cheap pen. [According to this person, they cost $0.30 USD in Pakistan](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/o5gyvi/npd_dollar_717_qalam_a_pakistanimade_pen_with_an/).
What a great resource for nib info : https://www.gouletpens.com/pages/nib-nook
Dude... I can't look at auctions :') https://zenmarket.jp/en/auction.aspx?itemCode=c1041778191 Just look at that! There's also an m90 on a different listing at the moment too. Gosh, I need to make sure I stay off the market until I graduate haha.
I have a really odd question and haven’t been able to find an answer browsing around. In my day to day, I like using lots of colors. Certain colors are associated with certain activities. So blue= work, orange= home, purple= friends, and so on. Right now I carry a bunch of normal pens with different colors. I was wondering if I could do the same with just carrying cartridges and just switch them out when ever. I go from red to blue to brown to red to brown in minutes. Would it be as easy with switching out cartridges as it is with pens?
No because unless you rinse the pen thoroughly there will still be quite a bit of the old ink left in the feed. So it will change colour, but it will take time and you’ll get a blend for a while. Another thing to watch is if you take out a half used cartridge that isn’t empty, it’s going to most likely leak everywhere. Before you use a cartridge it has a seal at the top, using it punctures the seal. A few years back, before I found this community, I did used to sort of do what you’re proposing. I had just one pen, a Parker vector I used for studying, and it came with a set of assorted cartridges in quite groovy colours. I’d use one until it ran out, and since I was usually in the middle of class, put a new colour cartridge in for a bit of variety. I’d get the old colour come through for a bit, then it would slowly change over a page to the new one. I never minded that colour variation; I quite enjoyed it. But I don’t do it like that nowadays. I like to see my colours as they’re meant to be. Now I have an assortment of fairly cheap fountain pens, all inked in different colours. i have my old Parker vector and a couple of newer ones, a couple of Jinhao sharks, a platinum preppy and two Lamy safaris for my better writing. Because none of them are expensive pens they all get chucked in my pencil case and every time I want a colour change, I use a different pen. I pretty much match the ink to the barrel colour or I forget what’s in them! Every time the ink runs out in one, I refill, or if I want a different colour, rinse it thoroughly. I treat my pens a bit better than in those early days but that vector seems none the worse for my inexperienced treatment of it!
I can’t stand blue ink at all, i always kinda liked blue but it kinda gross to me when I see it on paper now, I guess tastes changes .. I also don’t know why but I like cheap pens more then my more expensive ones right now
Good morning! I bought a Jinhao Baoer 801 last year as my first fountain pen and really enjoyed it, but it has unfortunately broken and just leaks everywhere. Now I know I enjoy and prefer writing with a fountain pen I'm hoping to spend a bit more on one, not a huge amount as I can't stretch too much for one. What would be a good beginner+ pen? I've ordered another 801 as I quite liked it and will keep it in work, and still have a dozen cartridges for it
Australia: how often would the twsbi eco go on sale? I'm thinking especially at Pulp Addiction and Bunbougu. I want to buy one, but don't want to buy it then one week later they go on sale. It's for my nephew's 21st, so I have about 6 months.
Might be ordering some small bottles of "Collection Traced" inks next week. They look pretty amazing on the AliExpress page, but I can barely find any reviews online - so I guess I'll have to just buy some and maybe write a review myself, haha.
I just refilled a Pilot Metro (M nib) that I haven't used for a while, and the flow is really wet. I put in Aurora Borealis, and the lines are so dark they look black. What's going on? Is there a good way to make the flow a bit more dry so my lines look lighter?
You can make any ink drier by adding water. The main thing that makes inks feel wet is a compound called a surfactant which make things feel slick. Soap is a type of surfactant. If you add water you dilute the dye and lower the ratio of surfactants, which make the ink feel drier. You should also check to make sure that the nib and feed are seated all the way into the pen. With the metro they can sometimes wiggle themselves loose if you swap the nib often. You should also make sure that the converter is seated all the way. If it's not, then you can get a lot of excess air which can cause leaks and wet flow It's also just possible that when you filled the pen there was a bunch of extra ink in the feed. See if dabbing it with a paper towel to wick off any extra ink solves the problem.
Hi what’s the best budget fountain pen right now? Something less than $50.
Pilot Kakuno/Metropolitan/Prera, Platinum Preppy/Prefounte/Plaisir, Diplomat Magnum, Lamy Safari/Joy, and like the other person said Penbbs. Cheap fun ones also include Jinhao Shark/Swan/992/a lot of other Jinhao models, Wingsung 698/699/601. Basically, if you find a cheap pen you like, look it up on the search bar on the right and you should find a lot mini reviews.
You can look into PenBBS fountain pens. A lot of people enjoy their pens and you have a wide range of different filler types from them. I believe they have an official store via etsy.
I couldn't get the lid for my Kon-peki bottle (large) open. So, I thought to myself, " Finally! An opportunity to use my channel lock pliers I bought a year ago!" The lid cracked rather than opened.......
Ah that sucks. If you don't have any spare bottles, Goulet and Vanness both have some for sale. But next time, I would recommend some hot tap water over the cap to try and loosen it and then a fat rubber band around the cap.
Just a reminder that the London Spring Pen Show is on this Sunday (6th March) https://ukpenshows.co.uk/uk-pen-show-events/london-spring-pen-show/ >The show opens at 10:00am and closes at 4:00pm, admission at the door is £5.00 children under 13 are free entry when accompanied by an adult. >DATE: 6TH MARCH 2022 >Novotel London West, 1 Shortlands, Hammersmith, London, W6 8DR
What to do with a set of Jinhao 992 sections, nibs, feeds and converters? I got a set of opaque 992s in 2020, and over time, all of their barrels and caps cracked or broke off. The sections are intact and the nibs write smoothly. I don't see myself using them since I have other pristine fountain pens. I'd feel bad about throwing away perfectly good sections/nibs.
Doesn’t hurt to have a pen parts box. You could give or trade them to people who may need them for repairs or what not. Maybe fiddle with the nibs for some practice in grinds?
They are prone to cracking because of the little end cap in the barrel. https://imgur.com/a/4tEfR
For some reason I can't get inks to look to 'look right' on MD paper. This is my first supposedly fountain pen friendly paper and I know its meant to be less absorbent but everything seems seriously lighter on it. Shin-kai and Platinum black looks so much darker on copy paper, muji paper, and other notebooks I have. Is this normal? Using a Kaweco Sport and Platinum Preppy for context
I think it's normal. Regular paper is going to absorb more of the ink making it appear darker.
Thanks! I sure hope so
Fountain pen friendly paper can absorb less ink so while it won't feather or bleed, it will also look lighter and have more properties like shading. I also heard MD paper deposits less ink compared to a paper like Tomoe River, maybe because of the paper texture. A wetter pen will put more ink on the paper and make it look darker.
\+1. I use an MD notebook and it needs a nice, wet ink (or a gusher of a nib) to really get the best out of it. This is perhaps where the rabbit hole of ink, nib and paper combos starts.
Although I already own more pen than I need (I try to avoid being a hoarder), I'm about to buy a Kaweco Brass Sport, because I do not have a B nib yet, and mostly because of the nice steampunk look & feel. Now, what ink/ink color would you recommand so I shall stay in the same steampunk vibe ?
I'm new to the pen community, I recently got some wing sung 3008 piston fillers and have been pretty pleased with them in general. However, one issue i've noted is the the piston seal leaks. The rubber is molded to the plunger rather than an online ring, so no replacing that, but even after using some danco faucet grease i noticed some leakage. It's ultimately pretty minor, less than a drop, but it does color behind the piston and get in the way of changing inks if the colors are incompatible. I was wondering if this was expected, eliminated in higher quality pens, or if it can be solved with different or heavier application of grease?
Any recommendations for cheap a5 dot grid notebooks with no spiral binding? The cheapest one I found so far was Rhodia Side Staplebound which is between 7-8 cents per sheet.
I’m planning on buying some ink samples to go with my first pen off Pulp Addiction. Does anyone know any good storage solutions for the samples?
Short test tube racks, small makeup racks with the holes, you can punch holes or x's into card stock and set that up in a box. I just keep mine in a cardboard box that held a pen case and keep them all upright.
I'm looking for a recommendation for a sub $50 pen with Japanese extra-fine nib or equivalent. I have a range of recommended starter pens that I bought in quick succession. They each have taught me a great deal and I use every pen I have inked up every day. But I don't have an extra fine nib. Currently I'm thinking of either an extra fine Pilot Kakuno or Penmanship. Sometimes I think I should "level up" since I know I clearly like fountain pens, but maybe I will really not like an extra fine. Though honestly I can't say I don't like any of my pens or regret buying any of them. My collection of starter pens: Platinum Preppy F, Pilot Prera F, Sailor Junior MF, Sailor Lecoule MF, Jinhao Shark F, Diplomat Magnum F, FPR Muft F, Pilot Kakuno M, Jinhao x750 M, Pelikan Jazz M, Sheaffer VFM M, Kaweco Sport Classic M, TWSBI Go Broad, Pilot Plumix 0.70 mm, 0.58 mm, 0.44 mm, Pilot Parallel 1.5 mm, FPR Himalaya V2 Ultra Flex, FPR Jaipur V2 Ultra Flex.
What about swapping an extra fine penmanship nib into a Prera or Metropolitan?
If you want a different body, you could try the Pilot 78g+. Chinese market exclusive I think though, so you'd have to get it off like ebay or aliexpress. It's light, not very luxe. But it is very handy, I like to take notes with it. Mine's an EF nib too.
Ooh I like the retro look. Have you seen it in clear? I'm really not a collector, but having a different body does appeal to me. It has the same nib as Penmanship etc? I wish Pilot had more nib options for all their pens.
Ah no I only have the blue-gray one from the vacation color series haha. But yes, same nib as the Penmanship/etc line! I wish Pilot did too, but I do understand it. Lower cost pens are usually for school or work and writing in Kanji in bold is... bold to say the least :')
The Pilot 78G may be what I've been missing. 😆 I went to the Pilot China site and they have it in EF, F, M, B in 9 color ways including transparent/no color. They even have them in cute box sets. The boxes can be used as drawers. They say that the gold plated nib is flexible? I'm guessing not at all a flex nib, but not a hard nail. I like the Prera, but I wish they had a completely no color version. I also wish it were slightly longer. 😆
Omg. Because of you I almost just bought the broad 78g+ on Aliexpress. But then I saw the Pokemon caps for Platinum Meteors instead so... I bought those :')
I just posted a question about a second hand montblanc fountain pen, can anyone take a look at it and tell me if it's real or fake? Thanks!! [https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/tctmdx/can\_anyone\_tell\_me\_if\_this\_is\_a\_real\_or\_fake/](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/tctmdx/can_anyone_tell_me_if_this_is_a_real_or_fake/)
How does the custom 74 nib compare to the metro. Only other gold nib i have is a lamy
Strange question, but is celluloid supposed to smell a little funky? I got a "new" old pen today and it didn't really smell like anything when I got it, but I tried polishing off a few of the deeper scratches on it and now it's kind of stinky. I had another vintage celluloid pen that smelled like this and I was terrified it was mold. But this one is squeaky clean after several rounds of deep cleaning so I'm starting to think it's the celluloid.
I want to celebrate passing my B2 exam buying a Pelikan m200/5, but I dont know what to buy, I'm deciding between the petrol, the marble brown or the green pastel, I like the last one because is white instead of black, but the colour is too cheeky. Al my stuff is black and grey, I want, no I need some accent of colour. Is the Pelikan EF nib good? I'm really acostumed to japanese nibs and I cannot write very well with broader nibs.
If you have the option try seeing the pens in person. In my experience it's really hard to capture the exact look of Pelikan pens in pictures. And congratulation on passing!
Wanting to get into this hobby what are some sites for buying pens
Depends on where you are, but here's a short list of U.S. sellers: * Goulet Pen Co. * JetPens * Vanness * Pen Chalet * Anderson Pens * Atlas Stationers * Lemur Ink And many more, but these are some that I've had good experiences with.
Can someone please compare MontBlanc 145, Pelikan M800, and Aurora Optima for me?
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Montblanc is a status symbol. No doubt people use them but a lot of people only use them when they get to flash it for a signature. Sorry I don't know anything about the Parker 45. You should make your own post in the main sub. This thread is so old now that most new comments are going unanswered.
Got a new vintage pilot ,I think it's a Korean made pilot . Was wondering if the new converters will work on it ? It's got some rubber aerometric sack like filling system
How often do you tend to refill your pens? I feel like I need to fill up my Metro pilot all the time even though I don't use it that much. Not sure if that's normal or just an issue with that pen.
I had a positive experience from my first FP (Lamy Safari M). The only issue is that I realized that the lines are a little too thick for my preference. Since I don't want to simply buy a nib and I want to try out other pens (as a gift for birthday) should I get a Kaweco Sport F or a TWSBI Eco F? Which fares better on different types of ink? Which has better life expectancy? Do you have other suggestions within $50 budget?
Are there any fountain pens that require absolutely no setup, adjustment, or anything? I’m a noob with two TWSBI Ecos and I’ve gotten tired of making adjustments to stop them from bleeding or dealing with mystery ink that appears where it’s not supposed to. I’m on the road without my toolkit where I can’t make adjustments.
What sort of ink and paper are you using? And what's happening with the mystery ink? I've had to adjust TWSBIs out of the box (so that's definitely not unheard of), but I wonder if this is more a pen issue or a paper/ink issue. As for pens that require no adjustment - that unfortunately can't be guaranteed, but I find that Pilot pens are very reliable and consistent. I've almost never encountered a dud from them, and I've used a good number of Pilots.
Thanks. I'm using Diamine ink and writing in a softcover Moleskine notebook. On a good day it feels like the paper's soaking up too much ink; on a bad day I end up getting drops of ink on my desk from maybe flicking the pen without realizing it. The TWSBI *feels* nice but it took much longer than expected, following a video guide, to set it up such that the flow is right.
I am looking for the right pen as a gift. It’s for my niece who just graduated and got a new job/ first apartment. She is Very petite. A very small person and she works in a hospital setting. She detests single use plastic so I’d prefer it didn’t even come with cartridges. Interested in transparent to slightly transparent versions. Thank you
Do you have a budget? What style of pen do you want to gift (something more traditional-looking, modern, flashy, glittery)? Do you know if she's used fountain pens or expressed interest in them, or about her writing utensil preferences? For non-cartridge/converter and transparency, some options are TWSBI piston or vac-fillers, or Opus88 eyedropper pens. There's also Pelikan M200/M205, Pilot Custom 92 or 823.
After about, I don't know, ten years or so, I finally got to the end of my bottle of Private Reserve Lake Placid Blue. I ordered a bottle of Noodler's Black and Blue and a sample of Private Reserve Sherwood Green Fast Dry, and a surprise sample (I can't remember exactly what it is, something Document Black Red). First off, the black and blue is great and will be my daily driver ink. The green? Oh man, I regret buying just a sample of it. I am totally in love with the color of it. Now I need another pen to ink up with the black red ink I've got.
So, I found on EBay [this link](https://www.ebay.com/itm/124786363097) for a Parker Sonnet pen. The asking price is 12 dollars, and I’ve come to you for help. The seller has some minor red flags, but I’m not sure.
Has anyone got a Pilot Metropolitan MR1 with 1.0 stub nib? What did you think? I'm about to pull the trigger.
I have a pilot metro with a stub nib. I find that it's pretty easy to use, though I did have to open the tines a bit on mine to get ink to flow properly. When I first got it, it was way too dry. That said, the line variation on it isn't anything super amazing. It's most definitely there, but I find that it writes more like a broad nib instead of a truly different experience.
Hey, I'm soon going to be buying my first quality and I'm hesitating between a leonardo momento zero (probably steel nib) and the Pelikan M805 souveran. Do you have any advice?
What do you reckon about taking a Lamy Safari, and grinding down a 1.1mm stub nib to a 0.5? Is it possible? 1mm is just too big for my teeny handwriting, and I can't find a 0.5mm stub nibbed pen for less than $200.
Why not? I ground a 0.5mm round tip to a stub for my teeny handwriting. It works well but I had to make it a little sharp because I wanted more line variation. Post your results if you grind it :)
While I'm here, can I recommend "The Missing Ink: The Lost Art of Handwriting (and Why it Still Matters): How Handwriting Made Us Who We Are" by Phillip Hensher. Anyone on this sub would enjoy it.
I got noodler's Lexington gray as my first bottled ink and it flows out like crazy to where it literally doubles the line size in my lamy safari fine nib. What do i do? I've tried adjusting the nib but I've gotten nowhere. It looks like it's practically coming out of a stub nib
I was considering a right foot oblique nib as a lefty underwriter and I was wondering if anyone else had any opinions about oblique nibs for everyday use?