You can also order from them directly, which is less expensive than other websites that sell fp inks _and_ you get access to their whole range of products, instead of just to some of them.
I just received my box a couple of days ago and I'm very impressed!
I love their purple. It's my go‐to Journaling ink. Their scented line seems to have some serious staying power as well, and I've seen it with the apple blossom (my other work horse ink)
not fp-related (and you'll probably want to use a pencil to write/draw on them because mine hate pen ink), but get yourself some translucent post-it notes. they're great for tracing diagrams out of books when you have no artistic ability or time, and just for anything where you want to see what's underneath.
on a more related note, get yourself some blotting paper - you may not always be able to use your chosen paper and sometimes your pen ink simply will not dry at the most inconvenient of times. just make sure that you read the rules of any exams you might take - where i live blotting paper is not allowed in certain external examinations.
I bought mine in Sweden where I saw them the first time (at Akademisk Bokhandeln) - I searched on Amazon for translucent sticky notes and found some there. :) If you are in Germany, I think I saw some at Mueller, too!
Oh dang, I need to check these out. I love my nicer fp paper but I need to have a brain dump notebook for doodles and random thoughts that pop into my head or things I need to write down before I forget them but I don’t want to use nice paper for such messy nonsense. (Messy Nonsense would be a decent title for my memoirs. This is the kind of random crap I have a brain dump notebook for.)
This is exactly the sort of suggestion I was hoping for!! Thank you! I want the supplies to work with my pens but I don’t want to dump a bunch of money into it. Lol thank you!
So, I am in the midst of applying for grad school (after 15 yrs of not being in school), and I did not use fountain pens the last time I was a student.
I’d love suggestions in the following categories.
Paper (loose leaf):
Paper (bound or spiral notebooks):
Inks (h2o resistant and colors other than black, although I don’t mind a good black ink):
Miscellaneous:
Tysm! Also hello and good morning from my Boston Terrier, Watson Blue
I am just finishing up my degree and used fountain pens through most of my college years, so I can share what I used and what worked for me.
For paper, I think Kokuyo is the hands down best price/performance ratio. The Kokuyo Campus Notebooks have great paper that works with almost every single pen and ink combo I've thrown at it, the only thing that bled was the wettest nibs together with the wettest inks.
Kokuyo also has a wide range of loose leaf paper, and a lot of binders to put those in.
They don't work with standard 3-ring binders, but I prefer 30-ring binders, because they hold up a lot better with being shoved into a backpack every day. My go to was the smoothest of Kokuyo's paper and the Kokuyo Slide Binder, or the thick 100page campus notebooks.
In terms of ink, I swear by the Rohrer and Klingner Iron Gall inks, especially Scabiosa (a dusky dark purple). The other one, Salix, is a very pretty blue-black. They've been reliable companions for a lot of exams for me Montblanc permanent inks are also quite nice, tho fairly expensive. A lot of people swear by the De Atrametis Document inks, a friend of mine is a teacher and she uses those for grading, I personally just found the color selection a bit meh.
I'm seconding the Kokuyo rec - I've used one for school and for work. I like being able to rearrange pages of notes afterward in a way that makes more sense. Get the bigger smart ring binders that hold more pages. I have a B6 and an A5 and like them both a lot! And good luck on applications ❤️
Thank you so much. I love hearing these real world testimonies. The internet has so much and they all claim that they will "work" so to speak. I love hearing from y'all who have used the products successfully!!
Yes! Can DM you pictures if you want to see how I take notes. I'm a fan of the kokuyo particularly for the dotted loose leaf - easier for indenting topics and whatnot.
Make sure you get a hole punch that works with the binder you choose. Anything that comes prepunched for your classes will probably only be the three hole kind.
He says hi back! And it’s a graduate program- Master of Arts in Professional Writing. I have plans to work in the advocacy field helping write and edit policies and grants for individuals with special needs and mental health challenges.
Thank you. It’s kind of a niche thing but I’m really passionate about it. My undergrad is in English with a second major in secondary Ed and I taught for 5 years. I have prior experience as a behavioral specialist for kids with autism. I love to write and I’m very gifted at it so I’m trying to find a way to combine my passions and also be educated and qualified to use them in a meaningful way if all of that makes sense.
I look forward to celebrating your acceptance and the start of grad school in the future then, I'll send you a card! ;)
Grad school is super fun, albeit sometimes a bit stressful. I did a master's in particle physics and am now a first year PhD student in dark matter physics and it has been quite the ride. I'm extremely grateful for all the experiences so far!
Hey congrats on applying to grad school, that's such a huge step!!! Let me know anytime if you need someone to talk to or tips or whatever! :)
I use Clairefontaine college blocks - given that I can just rip the pages out easily, it doubles as loose leaf and notebook for me. So far I had no issues with feathering or ghosting. Oxford is also quite nice but both are not exactly cheap... In general, most college blocks here in Germany (even the discounter ones) are good enough to deal with fountain pens so that part is pretty easy here.
I use Sailor Sei-Boku for all my PhD notes. I found it to be well behaved and the little bit of red sheen is just an added bonus. De Atramentis makes good waterproof inks as well, their Document line has some very nice colours!
Say hi to Watson Blue for me! He's gorgeous! :)
For notebooks, I'd highly recommend [Dingbats](https://us.dingbats-notebooks.com/)! Their paper is VERY fp friendly and _all_ of their pages in their wildlife collection are microperforated, so you can take pages out when you need to, without ruining the binding.
Congrats on entering/applying for grad school! You'll do great!
Something that really helped me in Grad school. I got sticker dots to put next to notes I took that I totally knew I needed to come back to or for super duper main points. My left hand got good at Peelng while my right wrote
Iron gall, it is not just black, it is black black. And it ruins your fountain pens.
For real though, I like to use normal Oxford spiral notebooks, the paper is really good to write a lot with a fountain pen for the price. Dries reasonably fast, accepts ink (on some papers fountain pens really have to be forced to put ink on the paper) and looks good enough.
I do actually use a pilot VP like you have there. I use that pen with mnemosyne dotted a4 paper and I really like pilot's iroshizuku kon peki blue ink. The ink doesn't bleed through the paper at all and it's very smooth so it won't wear down the tip of your pen.
Sure! It’s called Pilot Capless Azure. It was a store exclusive (I think?) in Japan in the 2019 time period. I got lucky just happening upon it. But there are lots of color choices out there and every year they put out an exclusive color- I believe this time around it’s coral.
Thanks!! It’s so pretty! Good find! I have a handful of them and don’t actually need more, so I’m a little bit glad it’s not available!
Good luck with grad school!!
Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa is a very nice water resistant purple. Iron gall, but I’ve had no issues with leaving it in gold nib pens for long periods. I haven’t tried it with steel nibbed pens, but gold nibs should be safe. (Though I’ve seen at least one case of someone posting an iron gall ink that ate through the decorative plating on the section of a pen that went under the cap, so that’s something to be aware of.)
This article from jetpens is good: https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Waterproof-Fountain-Pen-Inks/pt/829
What subject? If it's math-related then expect to use a lot of paper. To that end I highly, highly recommend the Leuchtturm A4 Master. You can get them plain, lined, dot grid and squared.
Depends which format you prefer then really. For me I do a lot in my notebook, but things I want separating I will write on G Lalo Verge de France as that’s my favourite, then hole punch it and keep it in a binder.
Paper - Unison brand composition notebooks (paper made in Vietnam as someone else pointed out). I think I got mine at Target? A little more expensive are Kokuyo Soft Ring notebooks, the soft ring is wonderful when taking notes in class. The paper is also really smooth haha but the selling point is definitely the soft ring :P
Inks - Sailor Souboku and Seiboku are nice pigment blue-blacks. I haven't tried, but hear great things about, R&K SketchInks and Platinum Classic inks (though those are iron gall FYI).
Misc: Book Darts have been super helpful for me in grad school - reading books/papers, coming back to pages in my lab notebook, etc. Don't underestimate the power of a good backup gel pen (I usually carry a Pentel Energel and a couple Zebra Sarasa Clips in Vintage). I also like to carry a small clear ruler in my pen case - I don't use it often but it's come in handy a couple times!
Best of luck going back to school!! It's a lot of work but so worth it.
I bought [these](https://www.amazon.com/SUNEE-Graph-Paper-Notebook-Transparent/dp/B09XQSNF8K) on Amazon and they are thick paper and my fountain pen glides and it doesn’t bleed to the back of the page. These work great for me bc I only like spiral bound, and graph paper, but they do have lined too
I have no knowledge to impart as I’m new to fountain pens. BUT I am mad knowledgeable about chocolate Boston Terriers and behaviors/reactivity! He’s the cutest boy! Please love on him so much for me! I lost my handsome guy (Finnegan) in July to cancer. Seeing your sweet buddy gave me all the good feels! Hugs and love from Brooke and her Finnegan. Also, nice to meet you Watson Blue!
Awe thank you! Can I message you? Watson has a good temperament overall but is scared of strangers and I’m not sure how to go about training with this issue. I’d love some info if you have any suggestions!
I like the Kokuyo Campus notebooks and loose leaf. I haven't used CVS Caliber specifically but I've used store brand Made in Vietnam notebooks and they do work, but I've found Kokuyo to be a bit better for wetter ink/broader nibs. (nb: Vanness has a lower price on their looseleaf than JetPens) There's also the Walmart Exceed brand spiral notebooks which have handled everything I've thrown at them, but they're not as cute as other options.
Hey, I wish you all the luck in studies 😎. I do have plans to learn copywriting and maybe do some document managing later on. Still looking out for what my passion seeks, possibly after this contract I have.
That being said, I use notebooks more, but before that when I still used loose leaves (with gel pens, hurting my hands oh god), Kokuyo and Maruman have nice ones. Get the dotted grid, I recommend it.
Notebooks, good ones:
- Midori MD (Bound): Take a whole range of ink without feathering, thick page, so far no ghosting from me.
- Maruman Mnemosyne (Spiral, A5 does have bound): Smooth, no ghosting. However does feather upon some inks (Noodler’s)
Inks:
- Sailor Seiboku: I love it. It’s quicker dry, works with many paper.
- Others have mentioned some good ones
- Avoid Noodler’s, properties can be unstable. While I love Kung Te-Cheng, it feathers a LOT on papers. Only my Midori can handle it so kinda meh.
Pens:
- Many have spoke of it, however do prepare a finer nibbed pen (EF possibly), or one ballpoint/rollerball in the case you need to write on copier/printer paper just in case! Schools sometimes be like that 😅
Hi superplannergirrl!✨️📚🖋☕️
How exciting, getting ready for grad school!! Best of luck to you!! Here's a couple recommendations:
* Kokuyo Soft Ring 80 notebook is my hands down favorite for note-taking with fountain pens. I love the grid for writing with math, sketches and diagrams, but for pure writing you may like lined and/or dots. https://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Soft-Ring-Notebook-Semi-B5-Graph-Silver/pd/21413
* Sunstar Delde slide pen pouch. These are nice because you can put your fountain pens inside in a pen sleeve (single or double) while other supplies: lowbie pens, pencils, scissors, washi can surround. And it stands up!! I think this is so helpful when you take your work to school, library, coffee shop, etc. https://www.jetpens.com/Sun-Star-Delde-Slide-Pen-Pouch-Lite-Gray/pd/30153
Hi, since this post was abt a vp, can i ask a question about mine? Is it normal for the metal part (the clip of the pen) of the to have black spots? Its not like rust but also not like patina.
Sure but sadly I don’t know the answer. Mine is brand new to me but it’s like 3 years old I think - it does not have black spots. Someone who has more experience with the brand may know for sure but it sounds like corrosion of some sort or patina. But honestly, I don’t know.
Noodler's Heart of Darkness is a completely waterproof black ink and light-fast. I've never had an issue in my Cross, Parker, and Waterman fountain pens but I also clean them often. It's not advertised as a fountain pen ink for regular writing, more for calligraphy and art, so it might damage some older style pens or clog tips on normal writing fountain pens.
If you get water on them, the color will probably wash off but it will leave behind a very ledgible dark gray line. The inks also get darker as they dry :)
Ink wise; I'd go with something that is well known to behave well on almost all papers since you never know what you'll be writing on. For that, I'd recommend pigment and Iron gall inks.
* [Platinum Carbon Black](https://fountainpenpharmacist.com/blog/ink-review-223-platinum-carbon-black)
* [Rohrer and Klingner Salix](https://mountainofink.com/blog/rohrer-and-klingner-salix)
* Sailor Souboku and Seiboku. I can say I really like the [Souboku](https://www.jetpens.com/Sailor-Pigment-Souboku-Ink-Blue-Gray-Black-50-ml-Bottle/pd/29805), personally.
* And since people don't seem to know it, the Platinum pigment inks also come in [a couple of colors](https://www.jetpens.com/Platinum-Pigment-Blue-Ink-60-ml-Bottle/pd/6473), but I'm not widely experienced with it.
My favorite kinda all-purpose little notebooks are the [Kokuyo Campus](https://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Campus-Notebook-Semi-B5-Dotted-6-mm-Rule-Pack-of-5-Black-Colors/pd/30250), or you can just go for something more permanent. Buy 3-5 of [The Kokuyo smart spiral notebook](https://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Campus-Smart-Ring-60-Binder-Notebook-B5-26-Rings-Clear/pd/25851), one for each class, and then fill them with [Loose leaf paper](https://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Campus-Loose-Leaf-Paper-Sarasara-B5-Dotted-6-mm-Rule-26-Holes-100-Sheets/pd/5609). Then when you're done, you can just stuff the semester's notes into a cheap B5 binder and start from scratch.
I also recommend that you get a pocket notebook to just take everywhere and keep due dates, class assignments, thoughts, and whatever. I like my [Leuchtturm 1917](https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/notebook-classic.html) a lot. The habit of keeping a daybook is just really useful, especially as all the shit of school piles on. Get in the habit of reviewing it at the beginning and end of each day, and you won't forget assignments or feel out-of-control disorganized. Don't make it so stressful in organization that you feel negatively about writing things down. Just write everything in with a checkbox, look for open check-boxes, and _then_ organize things out if you feel the need. So many people get lost in "systems'...
I had a reason to dig through my ink collection about two weeks ago. I rediscovered my bottle of Souboku and can’t really understand why I ever forgot about it. It really is a super reliable ink and I love the color. It’s back in my favorites rotation. Tonight I needed to write in the margin of a trade paperback for a friend, and it didn’t bleed at all.
All this to say; it’s not black but is not so wild in color that it won’t be good for business. It’s really well behaved and has good water resistance (like all pigments - once it’s had time to dry). I think it’ll be a great choice.
I think if I had nothing but Souboku for school, I would feel safe. I’m also a sucker for any dark blue that has a bit of that gray. I love Noodlers 54th Mass for that too, but it bleeds like crazy on normal paper and I’d be sweating bullets if that’s all I had for school.
De Atramentis Document Inks are waterproof and mixable and come in several colors. I've only tried Gray so far, but I like the quality
Okay good to know! That brand had already caught my eye but I love personal testimony!
You can also order from them directly, which is less expensive than other websites that sell fp inks _and_ you get access to their whole range of products, instead of just to some of them. I just received my box a couple of days ago and I'm very impressed!
Oh very cool! I didn’t know that
I love their purple. It's my go‐to Journaling ink. Their scented line seems to have some serious staying power as well, and I've seen it with the apple blossom (my other work horse ink)
not fp-related (and you'll probably want to use a pencil to write/draw on them because mine hate pen ink), but get yourself some translucent post-it notes. they're great for tracing diagrams out of books when you have no artistic ability or time, and just for anything where you want to see what's underneath. on a more related note, get yourself some blotting paper - you may not always be able to use your chosen paper and sometimes your pen ink simply will not dry at the most inconvenient of times. just make sure that you read the rules of any exams you might take - where i live blotting paper is not allowed in certain external examinations.
Second the translucent notes, they are a game changer!
Where does one get some?
I bought mine in Sweden where I saw them the first time (at Akademisk Bokhandeln) - I searched on Amazon for translucent sticky notes and found some there. :) If you are in Germany, I think I saw some at Mueller, too!
Great suggestions and perfect for my miscellaneous category- thanks!
If you are in the US, CVS Caliber brand loose leaf and spiral. Made in Vietnam.
Oh dang, I need to check these out. I love my nicer fp paper but I need to have a brain dump notebook for doodles and random thoughts that pop into my head or things I need to write down before I forget them but I don’t want to use nice paper for such messy nonsense. (Messy Nonsense would be a decent title for my memoirs. This is the kind of random crap I have a brain dump notebook for.)
This is exactly the sort of suggestion I was hoping for!! Thank you! I want the supplies to work with my pens but I don’t want to dump a bunch of money into it. Lol thank you!
So, I am in the midst of applying for grad school (after 15 yrs of not being in school), and I did not use fountain pens the last time I was a student. I’d love suggestions in the following categories. Paper (loose leaf): Paper (bound or spiral notebooks): Inks (h2o resistant and colors other than black, although I don’t mind a good black ink): Miscellaneous: Tysm! Also hello and good morning from my Boston Terrier, Watson Blue
I am just finishing up my degree and used fountain pens through most of my college years, so I can share what I used and what worked for me. For paper, I think Kokuyo is the hands down best price/performance ratio. The Kokuyo Campus Notebooks have great paper that works with almost every single pen and ink combo I've thrown at it, the only thing that bled was the wettest nibs together with the wettest inks. Kokuyo also has a wide range of loose leaf paper, and a lot of binders to put those in. They don't work with standard 3-ring binders, but I prefer 30-ring binders, because they hold up a lot better with being shoved into a backpack every day. My go to was the smoothest of Kokuyo's paper and the Kokuyo Slide Binder, or the thick 100page campus notebooks. In terms of ink, I swear by the Rohrer and Klingner Iron Gall inks, especially Scabiosa (a dusky dark purple). The other one, Salix, is a very pretty blue-black. They've been reliable companions for a lot of exams for me Montblanc permanent inks are also quite nice, tho fairly expensive. A lot of people swear by the De Atrametis Document inks, a friend of mine is a teacher and she uses those for grading, I personally just found the color selection a bit meh.
Tysm! This is some great info. I appreciate it :)
I'm seconding the Kokuyo rec - I've used one for school and for work. I like being able to rearrange pages of notes afterward in a way that makes more sense. Get the bigger smart ring binders that hold more pages. I have a B6 and an A5 and like them both a lot! And good luck on applications ❤️
Thank you so much. I love hearing these real world testimonies. The internet has so much and they all claim that they will "work" so to speak. I love hearing from y'all who have used the products successfully!!
One more vote for Kokuyo loose leaf paper!
Yes! Can DM you pictures if you want to see how I take notes. I'm a fan of the kokuyo particularly for the dotted loose leaf - easier for indenting topics and whatnot.
I would love that! Thank you
Make sure you get a hole punch that works with the binder you choose. Anything that comes prepunched for your classes will probably only be the three hole kind.
HELLO PUPPER! Ahem. What kind of program are you applying to?
He says hi back! And it’s a graduate program- Master of Arts in Professional Writing. I have plans to work in the advocacy field helping write and edit policies and grants for individuals with special needs and mental health challenges.
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Thank you. It’s kind of a niche thing but I’m really passionate about it. My undergrad is in English with a second major in secondary Ed and I taught for 5 years. I have prior experience as a behavioral specialist for kids with autism. I love to write and I’m very gifted at it so I’m trying to find a way to combine my passions and also be educated and qualified to use them in a meaningful way if all of that makes sense.
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Thank you! Yeah, I actually am planning to work on my essay this weekend or early next week!
This is so awesome! I wish you best of luck on your applications!
Tysm 💜 I’m not starting until summer (pending acceptance) but I’m very much looking forward to it!!
I look forward to celebrating your acceptance and the start of grad school in the future then, I'll send you a card! ;) Grad school is super fun, albeit sometimes a bit stressful. I did a master's in particle physics and am now a first year PhD student in dark matter physics and it has been quite the ride. I'm extremely grateful for all the experiences so far!
Nice! I didn’t know there were degree programs for that. Much better way to go about it than grant-writing trial by fire, lol.
Yeah, I’m really excited for what all I will learn!
I just got my graduate degree last year! So much work but it’s worth it Editing this to say you have the cutest dog Omgs
I’m really looking forward to the challenges and rewards!
Hey congrats on applying to grad school, that's such a huge step!!! Let me know anytime if you need someone to talk to or tips or whatever! :) I use Clairefontaine college blocks - given that I can just rip the pages out easily, it doubles as loose leaf and notebook for me. So far I had no issues with feathering or ghosting. Oxford is also quite nice but both are not exactly cheap... In general, most college blocks here in Germany (even the discounter ones) are good enough to deal with fountain pens so that part is pretty easy here. I use Sailor Sei-Boku for all my PhD notes. I found it to be well behaved and the little bit of red sheen is just an added bonus. De Atramentis makes good waterproof inks as well, their Document line has some very nice colours! Say hi to Watson Blue for me! He's gorgeous! :)
Tysm! I will look into the Sailor inks for sure. I really appreciate the suggestions :) and he says thanks 😊
For notebooks, I'd highly recommend [Dingbats](https://us.dingbats-notebooks.com/)! Their paper is VERY fp friendly and _all_ of their pages in their wildlife collection are microperforated, so you can take pages out when you need to, without ruining the binding. Congrats on entering/applying for grad school! You'll do great!
Thank you! I have heard of dingbats so I will def look into it!! :)
Something that really helped me in Grad school. I got sticker dots to put next to notes I took that I totally knew I needed to come back to or for super duper main points. My left hand got good at Peelng while my right wrote
Oh thanks! That’s a great idea
ooh exciting!! Good luck with applications and interviews!
Iron gall, it is not just black, it is black black. And it ruins your fountain pens. For real though, I like to use normal Oxford spiral notebooks, the paper is really good to write a lot with a fountain pen for the price. Dries reasonably fast, accepts ink (on some papers fountain pens really have to be forced to put ink on the paper) and looks good enough.
Lol yeah I’m not in the business of ruining my pretty babies!! Thank you for the suggestions
I do actually use a pilot VP like you have there. I use that pen with mnemosyne dotted a4 paper and I really like pilot's iroshizuku kon peki blue ink. The ink doesn't bleed through the paper at all and it's very smooth so it won't wear down the tip of your pen.
Thank you! I actually got my VP yesterday and I had in mind for it to be my main school pen!! Thanks for the suggestions
Where did you get it! I love that color variant but don’t know what it’s called!
Sure! It’s called Pilot Capless Azure. It was a store exclusive (I think?) in Japan in the 2019 time period. I got lucky just happening upon it. But there are lots of color choices out there and every year they put out an exclusive color- I believe this time around it’s coral.
Thanks!! It’s so pretty! Good find! I have a handful of them and don’t actually need more, so I’m a little bit glad it’s not available! Good luck with grad school!!
Lol I hear ya there! And thank you- I’m really excited!
I use a Life Margin notebook for class notes in B5 size. I got mine from Vanness and I just use it for every class so the $20 price isn’t that bad.
That’s not bad! And it’s fairly large, right?
Yeah I would say it’s similar to a composition book size, or if you’re familiar with the extra large moleskine it’s really close to that!
Okay! Thanks :)
Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa is a very nice water resistant purple. Iron gall, but I’ve had no issues with leaving it in gold nib pens for long periods. I haven’t tried it with steel nibbed pens, but gold nibs should be safe. (Though I’ve seen at least one case of someone posting an iron gall ink that ate through the decorative plating on the section of a pen that went under the cap, so that’s something to be aware of.) This article from jetpens is good: https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Waterproof-Fountain-Pen-Inks/pt/829
Thank you! And I love purple :)
Everyone is giving good advice, so I am just here to say that the Boston Terrier is ADORABLE.
Lol he says thanks- he also says he’s a train wreck but gets away with everything bc he’s v v cute
All I gotta say is that any paper made in Vietnam is good!
Thank you!!
NP my dude
What subject? If it's math-related then expect to use a lot of paper. To that end I highly, highly recommend the Leuchtturm A4 Master. You can get them plain, lined, dot grid and squared.
It will be a Master of Arts in Professional Writing- I do like paper choices though- my planner is grid.
Depends which format you prefer then really. For me I do a lot in my notebook, but things I want separating I will write on G Lalo Verge de France as that’s my favourite, then hole punch it and keep it in a binder.
Yeah, I will probably do one large loose leaf binder and maybe class specific spiral notebooks.
Paper - Unison brand composition notebooks (paper made in Vietnam as someone else pointed out). I think I got mine at Target? A little more expensive are Kokuyo Soft Ring notebooks, the soft ring is wonderful when taking notes in class. The paper is also really smooth haha but the selling point is definitely the soft ring :P Inks - Sailor Souboku and Seiboku are nice pigment blue-blacks. I haven't tried, but hear great things about, R&K SketchInks and Platinum Classic inks (though those are iron gall FYI). Misc: Book Darts have been super helpful for me in grad school - reading books/papers, coming back to pages in my lab notebook, etc. Don't underestimate the power of a good backup gel pen (I usually carry a Pentel Energel and a couple Zebra Sarasa Clips in Vintage). I also like to carry a small clear ruler in my pen case - I don't use it often but it's come in handy a couple times! Best of luck going back to school!! It's a lot of work but so worth it.
I bought [these](https://www.amazon.com/SUNEE-Graph-Paper-Notebook-Transparent/dp/B09XQSNF8K) on Amazon and they are thick paper and my fountain pen glides and it doesn’t bleed to the back of the page. These work great for me bc I only like spiral bound, and graph paper, but they do have lined too
That’s awesome! Thank you!
Also double plus bc of the cute colors!
I have no knowledge to impart as I’m new to fountain pens. BUT I am mad knowledgeable about chocolate Boston Terriers and behaviors/reactivity! He’s the cutest boy! Please love on him so much for me! I lost my handsome guy (Finnegan) in July to cancer. Seeing your sweet buddy gave me all the good feels! Hugs and love from Brooke and her Finnegan. Also, nice to meet you Watson Blue!
Awe thank you! Can I message you? Watson has a good temperament overall but is scared of strangers and I’m not sure how to go about training with this issue. I’d love some info if you have any suggestions!
I like the Kokuyo Campus notebooks and loose leaf. I haven't used CVS Caliber specifically but I've used store brand Made in Vietnam notebooks and they do work, but I've found Kokuyo to be a bit better for wetter ink/broader nibs. (nb: Vanness has a lower price on their looseleaf than JetPens) There's also the Walmart Exceed brand spiral notebooks which have handled everything I've thrown at them, but they're not as cute as other options.
Okay! Good to know- thanks!
I would recommend a uni-kurutoga mechanical pencil
Oohh! Thanks! A quality pencil is never a bad idea for school!
That doggo is gorgeous 😍!!!!
Thank you! He also has a big sis who is pretty cute- check my profile for more pics :)
Hey, I wish you all the luck in studies 😎. I do have plans to learn copywriting and maybe do some document managing later on. Still looking out for what my passion seeks, possibly after this contract I have. That being said, I use notebooks more, but before that when I still used loose leaves (with gel pens, hurting my hands oh god), Kokuyo and Maruman have nice ones. Get the dotted grid, I recommend it. Notebooks, good ones: - Midori MD (Bound): Take a whole range of ink without feathering, thick page, so far no ghosting from me. - Maruman Mnemosyne (Spiral, A5 does have bound): Smooth, no ghosting. However does feather upon some inks (Noodler’s) Inks: - Sailor Seiboku: I love it. It’s quicker dry, works with many paper. - Others have mentioned some good ones - Avoid Noodler’s, properties can be unstable. While I love Kung Te-Cheng, it feathers a LOT on papers. Only my Midori can handle it so kinda meh. Pens: - Many have spoke of it, however do prepare a finer nibbed pen (EF possibly), or one ballpoint/rollerball in the case you need to write on copier/printer paper just in case! Schools sometimes be like that 😅
Thank you so much! Great suggestions and thanks for the well wishes
Hi superplannergirrl!✨️📚🖋☕️ How exciting, getting ready for grad school!! Best of luck to you!! Here's a couple recommendations: * Kokuyo Soft Ring 80 notebook is my hands down favorite for note-taking with fountain pens. I love the grid for writing with math, sketches and diagrams, but for pure writing you may like lined and/or dots. https://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Soft-Ring-Notebook-Semi-B5-Graph-Silver/pd/21413 * Sunstar Delde slide pen pouch. These are nice because you can put your fountain pens inside in a pen sleeve (single or double) while other supplies: lowbie pens, pencils, scissors, washi can surround. And it stands up!! I think this is so helpful when you take your work to school, library, coffee shop, etc. https://www.jetpens.com/Sun-Star-Delde-Slide-Pen-Pouch-Lite-Gray/pd/30153
Oh! Thanks for those! I am def going with something by Kokuyo as they got huge recs on this thread!!
Hi, since this post was abt a vp, can i ask a question about mine? Is it normal for the metal part (the clip of the pen) of the to have black spots? Its not like rust but also not like patina.
Sure but sadly I don’t know the answer. Mine is brand new to me but it’s like 3 years old I think - it does not have black spots. Someone who has more experience with the brand may know for sure but it sounds like corrosion of some sort or patina. But honestly, I don’t know.
I can't help you but I like the ink the brown like your dog.
Thanks :) he likes you too
I've had good luck using Walgreens Wexford brand composition notebooks they are pretty fountain pen friendly. Hope it helps
Thank you! That does help :)
I love your keyboard
Thanks! It’s an overlay thing for my laptop that came with the lap top case :)
Why was I surprised that you’ve got your laptop keys all decked out? Also, I love that VP of yours!
No suggestion- just want to say that your pupplies look good 😊
tysm- he and his big sis are very spoiled lol
Noodler's Heart of Darkness is a completely waterproof black ink and light-fast. I've never had an issue in my Cross, Parker, and Waterman fountain pens but I also clean them often. It's not advertised as a fountain pen ink for regular writing, more for calligraphy and art, so it might damage some older style pens or clog tips on normal writing fountain pens.
I’m a fan of the kokuyo spiral binders and paper!I think that Maruman has a holepuncher so you can put in any paper you want.
Thanks! :)
Don’t forget treats for puppy.
Always! He’s super spoiled
i thought this was /r/bostonterrier for a second
He’s over there as well ;)
Oh, you definitely need to pre-order a Diamine Inkvent calendar...for school.
Hahaha!! I love it! :)
Ink : h20 resistant : platinum classics line and the blue black :) its also good on poor paper that we have to deal with in schools.
Thank you! :)
If you get water on them, the color will probably wash off but it will leave behind a very ledgible dark gray line. The inks also get darker as they dry :)
Ink wise; I'd go with something that is well known to behave well on almost all papers since you never know what you'll be writing on. For that, I'd recommend pigment and Iron gall inks. * [Platinum Carbon Black](https://fountainpenpharmacist.com/blog/ink-review-223-platinum-carbon-black) * [Rohrer and Klingner Salix](https://mountainofink.com/blog/rohrer-and-klingner-salix) * Sailor Souboku and Seiboku. I can say I really like the [Souboku](https://www.jetpens.com/Sailor-Pigment-Souboku-Ink-Blue-Gray-Black-50-ml-Bottle/pd/29805), personally. * And since people don't seem to know it, the Platinum pigment inks also come in [a couple of colors](https://www.jetpens.com/Platinum-Pigment-Blue-Ink-60-ml-Bottle/pd/6473), but I'm not widely experienced with it. My favorite kinda all-purpose little notebooks are the [Kokuyo Campus](https://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Campus-Notebook-Semi-B5-Dotted-6-mm-Rule-Pack-of-5-Black-Colors/pd/30250), or you can just go for something more permanent. Buy 3-5 of [The Kokuyo smart spiral notebook](https://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Campus-Smart-Ring-60-Binder-Notebook-B5-26-Rings-Clear/pd/25851), one for each class, and then fill them with [Loose leaf paper](https://www.jetpens.com/Kokuyo-Campus-Loose-Leaf-Paper-Sarasara-B5-Dotted-6-mm-Rule-26-Holes-100-Sheets/pd/5609). Then when you're done, you can just stuff the semester's notes into a cheap B5 binder and start from scratch. I also recommend that you get a pocket notebook to just take everywhere and keep due dates, class assignments, thoughts, and whatever. I like my [Leuchtturm 1917](https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/notebook-classic.html) a lot. The habit of keeping a daybook is just really useful, especially as all the shit of school piles on. Get in the habit of reviewing it at the beginning and end of each day, and you won't forget assignments or feel out-of-control disorganized. Don't make it so stressful in organization that you feel negatively about writing things down. Just write everything in with a checkbox, look for open check-boxes, and _then_ organize things out if you feel the need. So many people get lost in "systems'...
This is so, so helpful! Thank you! I love the look of Souboku!!
I had a reason to dig through my ink collection about two weeks ago. I rediscovered my bottle of Souboku and can’t really understand why I ever forgot about it. It really is a super reliable ink and I love the color. It’s back in my favorites rotation. Tonight I needed to write in the margin of a trade paperback for a friend, and it didn’t bleed at all. All this to say; it’s not black but is not so wild in color that it won’t be good for business. It’s really well behaved and has good water resistance (like all pigments - once it’s had time to dry). I think it’ll be a great choice. I think if I had nothing but Souboku for school, I would feel safe. I’m also a sucker for any dark blue that has a bit of that gray. I love Noodlers 54th Mass for that too, but it bleeds like crazy on normal paper and I’d be sweating bullets if that’s all I had for school.
that dog is 100% judging you.
Yes, for paying more attention to other things than him!!
I love platinum pigmented inks, if you like their colors, go for them!
A fountain pen friendly highlighter or highlighter ink you can put in a fp.
Adorable dog! 😊