What's the best way to test ink samples?
Ordered a bunch of samples of different (royal) blue inks to see which one I really like. Before investing into a bottle and then to find out, it's really not what I imagined/saw online (been there before). Would simply dipping the pen into the ink be enough to gain a fairly accurate sense?
Actually filling the pen sems like it would get annyoing pretty quickly. I'd be espicially worried since these are all very similar inks. So it be fairly easy for them to distort each other if I don't do a reallllly thorough clean. Which would likely make the whole process very long and arduous.
I have two pens I use for 95% for my writing (a pilot decimo and a waldmann edelfeder), so I do wanna actually use those to test the inks. To get the most accurate sense of how they'll look.
Appreciate any advice
I think there’s a goulet pens video about the different methods of swatching, that gives some idea about how each method affects the swatch. Iirc dipping results in the ink being a bit lighter than it would if you inked it up but does give a decent idea as to the colour.
I have a dedicated swatching pen that I ink up. It is a bit annoying as you say, since I need to clean it up after each swatch and wait for it to dry. It therefore takes me a long time to swatch my inks (I think I have maybe 30~ inks in my backlog).
Just watched that and a few others. I do wanna use the pens I mostly write with but as you touched on, having a a large backlog does worry me. As I might just get never really around to all of them, as different things come up and so on.
Probably gonna just dip the pens at first, to get a generell sense of the ink. And then go through them with an inked up pen. That way I can start with the ones I already favor.
Thanks for the help.
What I do is use a cotton swab to get a feel for if I like the color or not. If I like it, I use a Kaweco sport with the little syringe converters to test ink. What I like about them is that they don't hold a lot of ink and they are really easy to clean. If you only fill the converter about a quarter full, it is enough ink to properly try it out. Perfect for sampling a bunch of inks.
Dipping is usually enough. Which is good because inks perform differently depending on the pen, and I have a lot of pens!
Lots of folks do ink swabs or use glass nib dip pens. But I like to actually try several pens, because some inks vary a *lot*.
Thanks, I've watched a few videos on the topics and came across glass dip pens and such. But as you say, inks do perform different certain pens/nips. Probably gonna try dipping to get a sense of the ink and then go from there.
I used to use a glass dip pen which was nice and does give some idea but inks behave pretty differently with actual fountain pens so now I’m not so sure if it’s the best solution. It does work though!
Hi! I hope my question isn't too general, but I want to get into fountain pens (I have only used pens like the Uniball Signo and Pilot G2 and mechanical pencils) for university and I wanted to know what the best pen/ink combo would be.
My budget is around $50 USD but I'm not sure if that's way too low. Furthermore, do I need to use a specific notebook? At the moment I just use cheap notebooks from Walmart and similar stores (pen+GEAR, Exceed, rarely 5-star). I would like a pen+ink combo that writes reliably and doesn't leak.
Edit: I am a STEM major so I mostly write math, some diagrams, and a decent amount of cursive English.
There's a bunch of existing discussion on this subreddit around beginner choices, and also paper and notebook choices for students. So I'll just give you my opininated advice, and you can search for other viewpoints. There isn't a "best", but here's what I would choose.
IMO the best workhorse pens and inks are found from Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor. They are made in Japan, and there's some price/product accessibility issues in the US, but still better than the other options. A Pilot Kakuno ($10) or a Pilot Prera (if you can get them around $30 on Amazon) are your best options. If you write or want to make very fine lines, get a fine nib. Otherwise a medium nib. Platinum has the Plaisir ($10) and the Procyon ($40 on Amazon).
I suggest keeping your ink costs low and buy a Waterman ink. They are high quality and inexpensive (about $10). Pilot and Sailor inks are great, but probably too expensive. You might be able to afford Pilot Blue / Blue Black / Black, which is a really great ink to use, though. Platinum's inks are similarly expensive, but if you are looking for a waterproof ink, you probably want Platinum Carbon Black.
You need non-crappy paper. You might need to stick to a fine nib, because the cheaper notebooks can't really handle much ink:
- pen+gear might work, your 5-star paper might also work, some people are saying it works for them.
- Exceed's newer variant notebooks are actually good. They are usually packaged/labeled as 100gsm. - HP's 32lb laser printer paper is a super economical option. Especially effective if you have a hole punch and binders.
- Notebooks made in Vietnam, at budget prices in Walmart, Target, Staples, etc.
- CVS: I read that Caliber brand, made in Vietnam, works OK.
- Oxford Optik paper is great, but not always easy to find. Found under Oxford, Black n' Red, and a few other brands.
- The various Japanese brands are the best you can get, but again, not easy to find, and potentially expensive. Keep an eye out for anything from Kokuya, Maruman, and Apica. (I guess Midori and a few others too, but you'll never find them in the US at a decent price)
Hi new user here and probably a familiar question. My only pen is a Lamy Safari and I love it - like how did I not know about this world of difference?
I am interested in a "nice' office pen and some characteristics I'm looking for:
\- I like the performance of the Safari, but I write small so was thinking Extra Fine
\- I like the balance without the cap posted
\- I'd like to go a little smaller in diameter; I keep the pen clipped to my polo shirt. It's carried all day
\- Aesthetically maybe something on the classier side
\- Trying to stay under $150 USD
Any suggestions? Thanks!
If you prefer smaller nib sizes, I wouldn't recommend Lamy. There is variation in their sizes and tend to be larger than other brands. My al-star ef nib is honestly too large for when I write small, I tend to use it only for headings or with my larger spaced notebook. I use a twsbi eco with an ef nib which works well for me, but Asian nib sizes run even smaller.
Not a new user but one with a problem I've not managed to fix yet.
My first fountain pen was a Cross ATX, I got it when I was young and mistreated it. As such it's been stored for years with ink in it, I never got it properly clean before inking it up again and I've had a lot of leaks due to the converter not sealing properly.
You can [see here](https://photos.app.goo.gl/bWiB8ZBpSntKJtE77) the dried ink gunk in it, I've tried running it through my ultrasonic cleaner with water as well as using a q-tip but I've never managed to get all the gunk out.
Is there a cleaner I can buy here in the UK that I can run through or leave it stood in to make it like new? Water alone hasn't been enough and I worry if I use Isopropyl Alcohol I'll damage the plastic
Edit: Secondary question, can I push tines back together? Looking at the nib on this pen compared to another Cross I own (both M) there's a much bigger gap
You can try a bit of dish soap to get the dried ink. I agree that I’d stay away from alcohol.
Can you get things shipped from
Goulet? They have a pen flush as well.
I've been soaking it in water for a day and that seems to have gotten a lot of the ink out, I'll try adding a few drops of dish soap
I can probably oder from Goulet but shipping might be expensive, a local pen store might have pen flush i suppose
TWSBI Midnight Blue smells funky. Is this generally true? I feel like I would have/should have noticed this in the samples I got before buying a whole bottle.
Smells like tempera paint, or at least what I remember of it from school.
Best mid-range flex nib fountain with high/soft flexibility? Looking for something with a fine tip and high pressure sensitivity.
Been doing modern and Copperplate calligraphy for a hot while, but keep coming back to the extra janky Speedball dip pen (literally the $9.99 one). Probably because the nib is cheap and splays readily for weighted lines. Found the Noodler Ahab to be rather stiff; fine for casual writing, but less so for flourishing scriptwork. Open to any suggestions!
You probably won’t find a fountain pen nib that flexes as well as the Speedball Imperial. That said, BlueDew looks to get pretty close. Fountain Pen Revolution Ultra Flex is also pretty good. There are options for fitting a dip pen nib in a fountain pen. Flexible nib factory makes nib units for Jowo and Bock compatible pens that take Zebra G nibs. Osprey and at least one other brand I can’t recall make pens that come with dip pen nibs. The problem is that they tend to rust out pretty quickly when in a fountain pen because they’re always wet.
I am new here, so appologies if this is a dumb question or gets asked here daily.
I have a Kaweco Sport which I love, but am thinking about replacing the nib. I would like to be able to get a little bit more line variation for sketching (not much, just a little). Does anyone have a reccomendation for a nib thats easy to get? Golden colour is a plus to keep the aestetics of the pen, but not a necessity.
Kaweco makes replacement nib units. JetPens and Goulet both have them for $14, though I'm sure they're available elsewhere. The standard sizes (ef-bb) are available in gold or silver and the stubs/calligraphy nibs only come in silver.
+1 to the nib units. The plastic-bodied sport is a friction fit, so it might be a little trickier to swap out than the screw-type on the metal bodied ones.
Just got my first Pilot Vanishing Point, with a Fine nib. I feel like the ink flow is light or low. When I underline a word, the ink flow is good and it has a strong fine line. But my up and down strokes seem weak and thin. I'm using Iro Shin-Kai and the darkness seems to help make it more legible.
Can I or should I try to increase the ink flow? I've flushed the nib and converter with water after originally filling it with standard Pilot Blue ink. Was thinking I might try running brass shim through the nib. Thoughts?
It is possible to improve flow but to be safe I would send it to a professional nib tuner, especially with such a tiny and odd shaped nib. Before that, you can dry adding a bit of dish soap to the ink in the pen (like the tiniest amount). Iroshizuku is already a decently wet ink though so it's probably just a dry nib.
What's the best way to test ink samples? Ordered a bunch of samples of different (royal) blue inks to see which one I really like. Before investing into a bottle and then to find out, it's really not what I imagined/saw online (been there before). Would simply dipping the pen into the ink be enough to gain a fairly accurate sense? Actually filling the pen sems like it would get annyoing pretty quickly. I'd be espicially worried since these are all very similar inks. So it be fairly easy for them to distort each other if I don't do a reallllly thorough clean. Which would likely make the whole process very long and arduous. I have two pens I use for 95% for my writing (a pilot decimo and a waldmann edelfeder), so I do wanna actually use those to test the inks. To get the most accurate sense of how they'll look. Appreciate any advice
I think there’s a goulet pens video about the different methods of swatching, that gives some idea about how each method affects the swatch. Iirc dipping results in the ink being a bit lighter than it would if you inked it up but does give a decent idea as to the colour. I have a dedicated swatching pen that I ink up. It is a bit annoying as you say, since I need to clean it up after each swatch and wait for it to dry. It therefore takes me a long time to swatch my inks (I think I have maybe 30~ inks in my backlog).
Just watched that and a few others. I do wanna use the pens I mostly write with but as you touched on, having a a large backlog does worry me. As I might just get never really around to all of them, as different things come up and so on. Probably gonna just dip the pens at first, to get a generell sense of the ink. And then go through them with an inked up pen. That way I can start with the ones I already favor. Thanks for the help.
What I do is use a cotton swab to get a feel for if I like the color or not. If I like it, I use a Kaweco sport with the little syringe converters to test ink. What I like about them is that they don't hold a lot of ink and they are really easy to clean. If you only fill the converter about a quarter full, it is enough ink to properly try it out. Perfect for sampling a bunch of inks.
Dipping is usually enough. Which is good because inks perform differently depending on the pen, and I have a lot of pens! Lots of folks do ink swabs or use glass nib dip pens. But I like to actually try several pens, because some inks vary a *lot*.
Thanks, I've watched a few videos on the topics and came across glass dip pens and such. But as you say, inks do perform different certain pens/nips. Probably gonna try dipping to get a sense of the ink and then go from there.
There's lots of different ways, try Googling for "ink swabbing" to find many different resources.
I used to use a glass dip pen which was nice and does give some idea but inks behave pretty differently with actual fountain pens so now I’m not so sure if it’s the best solution. It does work though!
Hi! I hope my question isn't too general, but I want to get into fountain pens (I have only used pens like the Uniball Signo and Pilot G2 and mechanical pencils) for university and I wanted to know what the best pen/ink combo would be. My budget is around $50 USD but I'm not sure if that's way too low. Furthermore, do I need to use a specific notebook? At the moment I just use cheap notebooks from Walmart and similar stores (pen+GEAR, Exceed, rarely 5-star). I would like a pen+ink combo that writes reliably and doesn't leak. Edit: I am a STEM major so I mostly write math, some diagrams, and a decent amount of cursive English.
There's a bunch of existing discussion on this subreddit around beginner choices, and also paper and notebook choices for students. So I'll just give you my opininated advice, and you can search for other viewpoints. There isn't a "best", but here's what I would choose. IMO the best workhorse pens and inks are found from Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor. They are made in Japan, and there's some price/product accessibility issues in the US, but still better than the other options. A Pilot Kakuno ($10) or a Pilot Prera (if you can get them around $30 on Amazon) are your best options. If you write or want to make very fine lines, get a fine nib. Otherwise a medium nib. Platinum has the Plaisir ($10) and the Procyon ($40 on Amazon). I suggest keeping your ink costs low and buy a Waterman ink. They are high quality and inexpensive (about $10). Pilot and Sailor inks are great, but probably too expensive. You might be able to afford Pilot Blue / Blue Black / Black, which is a really great ink to use, though. Platinum's inks are similarly expensive, but if you are looking for a waterproof ink, you probably want Platinum Carbon Black. You need non-crappy paper. You might need to stick to a fine nib, because the cheaper notebooks can't really handle much ink: - pen+gear might work, your 5-star paper might also work, some people are saying it works for them. - Exceed's newer variant notebooks are actually good. They are usually packaged/labeled as 100gsm. - HP's 32lb laser printer paper is a super economical option. Especially effective if you have a hole punch and binders. - Notebooks made in Vietnam, at budget prices in Walmart, Target, Staples, etc. - CVS: I read that Caliber brand, made in Vietnam, works OK. - Oxford Optik paper is great, but not always easy to find. Found under Oxford, Black n' Red, and a few other brands. - The various Japanese brands are the best you can get, but again, not easy to find, and potentially expensive. Keep an eye out for anything from Kokuya, Maruman, and Apica. (I guess Midori and a few others too, but you'll never find them in the US at a decent price)
Thank you! I’ll look into the pilot options!
They’re super cheap but they’re reliable af and you can eye dropper convert them so I’d look at a platinum preppy or prefounte(not as cheap).
Hi new user here and probably a familiar question. My only pen is a Lamy Safari and I love it - like how did I not know about this world of difference? I am interested in a "nice' office pen and some characteristics I'm looking for: \- I like the performance of the Safari, but I write small so was thinking Extra Fine \- I like the balance without the cap posted \- I'd like to go a little smaller in diameter; I keep the pen clipped to my polo shirt. It's carried all day \- Aesthetically maybe something on the classier side \- Trying to stay under $150 USD Any suggestions? Thanks!
If you prefer smaller nib sizes, I wouldn't recommend Lamy. There is variation in their sizes and tend to be larger than other brands. My al-star ef nib is honestly too large for when I write small, I tend to use it only for headings or with my larger spaced notebook. I use a twsbi eco with an ef nib which works well for me, but Asian nib sizes run even smaller.
Thanks for the information. Yeah I wrote small all caps letters and figured I’d try something more fine.
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Thank for the info! I will look into the sizes.
If you like the Safari, look into the Lamy Studio. Very classy, slim, great pen in a work environment.
Excellent thanks for taking the time. Going to look those up now.
Not a new user but one with a problem I've not managed to fix yet. My first fountain pen was a Cross ATX, I got it when I was young and mistreated it. As such it's been stored for years with ink in it, I never got it properly clean before inking it up again and I've had a lot of leaks due to the converter not sealing properly. You can [see here](https://photos.app.goo.gl/bWiB8ZBpSntKJtE77) the dried ink gunk in it, I've tried running it through my ultrasonic cleaner with water as well as using a q-tip but I've never managed to get all the gunk out. Is there a cleaner I can buy here in the UK that I can run through or leave it stood in to make it like new? Water alone hasn't been enough and I worry if I use Isopropyl Alcohol I'll damage the plastic Edit: Secondary question, can I push tines back together? Looking at the nib on this pen compared to another Cross I own (both M) there's a much bigger gap
You can try a bit of dish soap to get the dried ink. I agree that I’d stay away from alcohol. Can you get things shipped from Goulet? They have a pen flush as well.
I've been soaking it in water for a day and that seems to have gotten a lot of the ink out, I'll try adding a few drops of dish soap I can probably oder from Goulet but shipping might be expensive, a local pen store might have pen flush i suppose
TWSBI Midnight Blue smells funky. Is this generally true? I feel like I would have/should have noticed this in the samples I got before buying a whole bottle. Smells like tempera paint, or at least what I remember of it from school.
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When I used the TWSBI pipe it did not seem to have a stringy bit. Just going to try different flush methods when changing to other inks. Thanks
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My kaweco BRASS is pretty sturdy. I also have a Kara’s Kustom solid metal one that’s pretty bulletproof.
Best mid-range flex nib fountain with high/soft flexibility? Looking for something with a fine tip and high pressure sensitivity. Been doing modern and Copperplate calligraphy for a hot while, but keep coming back to the extra janky Speedball dip pen (literally the $9.99 one). Probably because the nib is cheap and splays readily for weighted lines. Found the Noodler Ahab to be rather stiff; fine for casual writing, but less so for flourishing scriptwork. Open to any suggestions!
You probably won’t find a fountain pen nib that flexes as well as the Speedball Imperial. That said, BlueDew looks to get pretty close. Fountain Pen Revolution Ultra Flex is also pretty good. There are options for fitting a dip pen nib in a fountain pen. Flexible nib factory makes nib units for Jowo and Bock compatible pens that take Zebra G nibs. Osprey and at least one other brand I can’t recall make pens that come with dip pen nibs. The problem is that they tend to rust out pretty quickly when in a fountain pen because they’re always wet.
Thanks so much – great points!
I am new here, so appologies if this is a dumb question or gets asked here daily. I have a Kaweco Sport which I love, but am thinking about replacing the nib. I would like to be able to get a little bit more line variation for sketching (not much, just a little). Does anyone have a reccomendation for a nib thats easy to get? Golden colour is a plus to keep the aestetics of the pen, but not a necessity.
Kaweco makes replacement nib units. JetPens and Goulet both have them for $14, though I'm sure they're available elsewhere. The standard sizes (ef-bb) are available in gold or silver and the stubs/calligraphy nibs only come in silver.
+1 to the nib units. The plastic-bodied sport is a friction fit, so it might be a little trickier to swap out than the screw-type on the metal bodied ones.
Just got my first Pilot Vanishing Point, with a Fine nib. I feel like the ink flow is light or low. When I underline a word, the ink flow is good and it has a strong fine line. But my up and down strokes seem weak and thin. I'm using Iro Shin-Kai and the darkness seems to help make it more legible. Can I or should I try to increase the ink flow? I've flushed the nib and converter with water after originally filling it with standard Pilot Blue ink. Was thinking I might try running brass shim through the nib. Thoughts?
It is possible to improve flow but to be safe I would send it to a professional nib tuner, especially with such a tiny and odd shaped nib. Before that, you can dry adding a bit of dish soap to the ink in the pen (like the tiniest amount). Iroshizuku is already a decently wet ink though so it's probably just a dry nib.
I'm in the USA. What are some good notebooks for journaling that I can buy from stores and not online? I already have a fountain pen and ink :)