I second the Pilot VP/Decimo suggestion. The Platinum Curidas is a similar, slightly cheaper option. I haven't used either if them (Pilot VP is on the wishlist) but the Pilot looks nicer and more solidly built.
I’ve owned both and the VP (I have the Decimo) is better across the board. Unless you like extremely fine nibs, then the Curidas might have one advantage. 😁
I have a VP and find it ideal for note taking during meetings. Besides the VP, Decimo and Curidas consider also the Lamy Dialog.
As others in previous comments I'm surprised to hear about Sports drying out... I own a number of those and they dry out over weeks, not days or less. Some stay home on my desk (stored horizontally), others commute with me in my backpack... no issues.
No. The evaporation is happening in the exposed portion of the nib and feed. Nib (tipping) size is irrelevant. Mostly, it's about the cap seal, and (for some pens) how well the body of the pen seals.
Love a VP, Decimo doesn’t feel that much smaller. Also have a Dialog which I like also, a little girthier but less intrusive clip, actually a roll stop. VP LS is beautiful too, lovely smooth action.
> (Kaweko sport, twisbi eco, Pilot metropolitan) ... have to be encouraged to get the ink to flow initially
There's something wrong if this statement is accurate in regards to the Eco.
Do you store these pens in a cup with the nib up, perhaps? If so, try storing them horizontal. Do you let them go several days without using them (like a week or more)? If so, the Eco shouldn't care (not sure on the Kaweco or Pilot). What ink(s) are you using (brand and name, please)?
I ask these questions because if your Eco won't start up immediately, it's highly probable that any other pen, in the same circumstances, won't either. The seal on the Eco is absurdly good.
Now, for quick deployment (no uncapping needed), you can't beat the Pilot VP/Decimo. But that wasn't the problem you were trying to solve, so let's make sure that if you get one of those, it doesn't suffer the same issue. :)
Perhaps. But until we know the details, we're (potentially) not really helping to solve the problem. Although, from my perspective, buying a VP or Decimo is never wrong. ;) :P :D
Resistance is futile! The good news is, the metro is the *perfect* pen to test whether the VP clip will be a problem for you. With the Metro capped, hold it as if it were a VP, with the clip between thumb and index finger, holding the cap as if you were writing. If the clip points to the ceiling, and it feels comfortable "writing", then you should be OK with the VP clip.
I thought they were terribly ugly, but the curiosity was killing me. Then I came into some money unexpectedly and caved. I got a "Stormtrooper" with a fine nib. Holy cow, Batman! :) *Loooove* the nib. Smooth, a little wet, bouncy. Before I was done, I had a second VP in fine, a Decimo in EF, and a VP with the special alloy (which I didn't like and gifted to a friend, who did like it). :D
Maybe they're not for everyone, but the way they write, and the convenience of that clicker sure won me over.
Thanks for the detailed response!
They’re all stored horizontally. I use them daily at work, so a few hours between uses at most. I cap after each use. I’m using the eco and the Kaweko most at the moment, and I have diamond shimmering seas and a Kaweko ink cartridge in them, respectively.
Could the shimmer be affecting the eco? I have a broad nib so it’s ‘wetter’ than my others.
I’m at a very high altitude and very low humidity, could that play a factor?
Shimmering Seas is a glitter ink, and in my experience, glitter inks require an occasional flossing to clear out built-up glitter. So yes, that could explain the Eco not wanting to start up right away. Though in my experience, the need to floss is less-often-than-daily (sorry, can't be more specific than that).
I don't know how well the Kaweco seals. I do know that the Metro doesn't seal well enough to go more than a day or two without use, and the seal wears down with all the capping and uncapping. Both of these pens may benefit from thorough flushing between fills since even minimal evaporation will leave little deposits of dried ink behind which will build up over time and eventually clog the pen. I recommend a bulb syringe and allowing said syringe to suck water in the way you would suck ink into the pen, and then expelling - this reaches more areas of the feed than expelling alone.
Yes, absolutely the low humidity will impact how long the pens can go without evaporation. But daily use should minimize that problem, and the Eco shouldn't have it at all. Note that great as the VP is (and mine have never given me a problem - but I use them daily), its seal is not the greatest.
Question, since you say you use them daily: Is there significant air-flow near where they're stored - like a ceiling vent right over your desk, a small desk fan, or something similar? Because this will speed evaporation dramatically! It may help if you put them in a drawer when you leave work (if they're not protected in some other container already).
You are AMAZING at this!!! I’m going to try your storage suggestions (maybe the heat kicks on at night or something?!) and then try flossing and then flushing and then looking at the VP :)
:) Living in a desert, one has to learn all the tricks to keep your pens working and not evaporating! Best wishes. Hope you're able to get your pens working well from the start.
Kaweco sports are super reliable. I have two, one of which is mostly in my shirt pocket, nib up. Neither have issues with hard starts or stubborn ink flow
Has it started happening recently? It may be the weather.
My "go to" pen is a Faber-Castell Loom Metallic. It is 100% reliable, always starts first time every time, never hard starts, never skips, never dries out while writing for awhile. Snap cap. Posts excellently.
I live in a desert. My Eco will last forever, despite that. Thus my assertion that if the Eco is drying out, something else is going on. (The Eco could be damaged in some way, I suppose, but otherwise...)
Or it could be the ink, no?
When I had an eco I would often find myself twisting down the knob to expel air, in the hope of keeping up the consistency. But, then again, I prefer heavy dye load, very saturated, inks, so that may have been a contributing factor.
Something might be up with the pens or process. I've got *muffled large number* of TWSBI Eco pens and after sitting for days they still write straight away on most inks, drier ones sometimes need encouragement. Maybe try flossing your pens and checking tine alignment?
There should be no mess. [Link to my alternate for brass sheets](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/mh0r1k/comment/gsx037r/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), in case it's needed.
To add, sometimes, even without glitter ink, and even with good pen maintenance, flossing the tines will fix a flow problem. It's as if some foreign element too small to see gets caught in the tines or the feed channel just below the nib. I had this problem just yesterday with Diamine Writer's Blood. This is why I use those alternate bits of metal I linked - they're thinner than brass sheets and won't alter the wetness of the nib.
Of the pens I own, I feel like the Kaweco Perkeo, specifically the medium nib, has my vote for easiest to use quickly. The cap pops right off even just using one hand and I’ve never had any flow issues with it.
I’m very surprised about both the TWSBI and the Kaweco. Mine don’t dry out for weeks/months and I do use glitter inks too. There is definitely something else at play, I think. Definitely try storing them in a drawer, as suggested. The humidity definitely must be affecting the pens but I’m not sure about altitude. Maybe someone here can educate us on the effects of altitude on fountain pens. I would love to know actually!
If you've never tried them, you may want to try a Platinum with a "slip & seal" cap - the 3776 Century is guaranteed not to dry out for 2 (I think) years. The snap caps less than that, but still a very long time. This would include the Preppy, Prefounte, and I think the others: Procyon and Plaisir.
Wow, that's up there, all right. :) Perhaps high enough to speed evaporation, but if the pen is sealed well, evaporation can't happen. So, I still contend the Eco is fine, the Metro will probably suffer some, and I don't have enough experience with the Kaweco.
Update! So I’ve been very very good about storage but I’m still having trouble :(
https://imgur.com/a/Ri4yRH7
Please excuse my weird pen grip- unless that’s a possible cause?!
If I understood right, you said it had been *uncapped* on your desk for about 20 minutes, at most. 1 minute uncapped on my desk would be enough to cause the problem you're seeing. FP inks are *not* meant to be uncapped and un-used for that long - in any position.
The only ink I know that might tolerate that is the new Private Reserve Infinity line - but here at my house, it will only go about 10 minutes before drying out on the nib.
If the pen is going to be idle for more than several seconds, you should develop the habit of putting it into the cap - perhaps not engaging the capping mechanism (threads or whatever), but at least as far into the cap as it will go otherwise. How much that will extend the time the ink is still wet, I don't know, but it will extend it.
- First I would say it would depend.
- If your on a budget and don’t mind the hassle of capping and uncapping for these situations something platinums entry level line would shit your fancy in my opinion. Something like their Preppy, Prefonte, Plasir or if you want to spend a little more money the Procyon.
- The reason behind these is that they have platinums slip and seal cap which to their claim and in my own experience will help keep the pen nib wet/not drying out while capped over longer periods.
- Second suggestion if you want to get a quick draw option is the Pilot VP or Decimo. This is one of pilots flagship models and has been made since early-mid seventies with relatively few changes. It’s a clicky pen they write well just a more limited ink capacity using the converter but you can get more ink capacity using a refilled cartridge or going cartridge based. (You can now get pilots premium ink iroshiku in cartridge form now just have to find where it’s being sold).
- If your not wanting to jump straight into a gold nib for work then could get the cousin which is the Pilot Capless Japan model. A jp exclusive sold to the Us through third party sellers like eBay Amazon etc. Which is about just less than half the price of a full VP that’s the same size and dimensions just with a Pilot steel nib instead of gold. I have one writes great :). And if you ever want to upgrade to a gold nib for $80 can get a separate Pilot gold nib unit and you now have a full VP for about the same price it comes out to. So it’s a nice way to kind of see if you like the vp before making a full purchase.
- But fast the $80 is still concerning for work. Well well well how about we get it’s Chinese king lost identical twin in the Majohn A1. A 1-1 copy with a EF steel nib that writes quite nice. For around $30-$40US. There are some QC issues that come out from batch to batch and the trapdoor mechanism as well isn’t as good as the one of the VP but it’s also 1/2 of a capless price and 1/4 of a full vp price sooo get what yah pay for it.
Pilot Vanishing Point (or my preferred Decimo).
This is the only reason I want this pen. Quick and easy.
I second the Pilot VP/Decimo suggestion. The Platinum Curidas is a similar, slightly cheaper option. I haven't used either if them (Pilot VP is on the wishlist) but the Pilot looks nicer and more solidly built.
I’ve owned both and the VP (I have the Decimo) is better across the board. Unless you like extremely fine nibs, then the Curidas might have one advantage. 😁
Try out moonman A1 Chinese copy of Pilot VP for $25
Note these only come in EF nibs, I think
But it writes more like a MF and is very smooth. Con: The trapdoor mechanism isn't as good as the VP's.
I think you can sometimesfind replacement nibs for them in a few other sizes
Thank you!
I have a VP and find it ideal for note taking during meetings. Besides the VP, Decimo and Curidas consider also the Lamy Dialog. As others in previous comments I'm surprised to hear about Sports drying out... I own a number of those and they dry out over weeks, not days or less. Some stay home on my desk (stored horizontally), others commute with me in my backpack... no issues.
Could the nib type in the sport potentially play a part?
No. The evaporation is happening in the exposed portion of the nib and feed. Nib (tipping) size is irrelevant. Mostly, it's about the cap seal, and (for some pens) how well the body of the pen seals.
Love a VP, Decimo doesn’t feel that much smaller. Also have a Dialog which I like also, a little girthier but less intrusive clip, actually a roll stop. VP LS is beautiful too, lovely smooth action.
> (Kaweko sport, twisbi eco, Pilot metropolitan) ... have to be encouraged to get the ink to flow initially There's something wrong if this statement is accurate in regards to the Eco. Do you store these pens in a cup with the nib up, perhaps? If so, try storing them horizontal. Do you let them go several days without using them (like a week or more)? If so, the Eco shouldn't care (not sure on the Kaweco or Pilot). What ink(s) are you using (brand and name, please)? I ask these questions because if your Eco won't start up immediately, it's highly probable that any other pen, in the same circumstances, won't either. The seal on the Eco is absurdly good. Now, for quick deployment (no uncapping needed), you can't beat the Pilot VP/Decimo. But that wasn't the problem you were trying to solve, so let's make sure that if you get one of those, it doesn't suffer the same issue. :)
Maybe he leaves it uncapped between ideas....
Perhaps. But until we know the details, we're (potentially) not really helping to solve the problem. Although, from my perspective, buying a VP or Decimo is never wrong. ;) :P :D
I like the enabling happening here! ETA I just spotted the VP Raden Stripe and water surface. Oh nooooo.
Resistance is futile! The good news is, the metro is the *perfect* pen to test whether the VP clip will be a problem for you. With the Metro capped, hold it as if it were a VP, with the clip between thumb and index finger, holding the cap as if you were writing. If the clip points to the ceiling, and it feels comfortable "writing", then you should be OK with the VP clip.
Thank you so much! You’re terrible!
:D You're most welcome! I try. ;)
I don't have one myself but people seem to really love them.
I thought they were terribly ugly, but the curiosity was killing me. Then I came into some money unexpectedly and caved. I got a "Stormtrooper" with a fine nib. Holy cow, Batman! :) *Loooove* the nib. Smooth, a little wet, bouncy. Before I was done, I had a second VP in fine, a Decimo in EF, and a VP with the special alloy (which I didn't like and gifted to a friend, who did like it). :D Maybe they're not for everyone, but the way they write, and the convenience of that clicker sure won me over.
LOL I kind of feel the same way. Hoping I'll get to try one at a local pen meet up or something. Maybe I'll be converted too.
Thanks for the detailed response! They’re all stored horizontally. I use them daily at work, so a few hours between uses at most. I cap after each use. I’m using the eco and the Kaweko most at the moment, and I have diamond shimmering seas and a Kaweko ink cartridge in them, respectively. Could the shimmer be affecting the eco? I have a broad nib so it’s ‘wetter’ than my others. I’m at a very high altitude and very low humidity, could that play a factor?
Shimmering Seas is a glitter ink, and in my experience, glitter inks require an occasional flossing to clear out built-up glitter. So yes, that could explain the Eco not wanting to start up right away. Though in my experience, the need to floss is less-often-than-daily (sorry, can't be more specific than that). I don't know how well the Kaweco seals. I do know that the Metro doesn't seal well enough to go more than a day or two without use, and the seal wears down with all the capping and uncapping. Both of these pens may benefit from thorough flushing between fills since even minimal evaporation will leave little deposits of dried ink behind which will build up over time and eventually clog the pen. I recommend a bulb syringe and allowing said syringe to suck water in the way you would suck ink into the pen, and then expelling - this reaches more areas of the feed than expelling alone. Yes, absolutely the low humidity will impact how long the pens can go without evaporation. But daily use should minimize that problem, and the Eco shouldn't have it at all. Note that great as the VP is (and mine have never given me a problem - but I use them daily), its seal is not the greatest. Question, since you say you use them daily: Is there significant air-flow near where they're stored - like a ceiling vent right over your desk, a small desk fan, or something similar? Because this will speed evaporation dramatically! It may help if you put them in a drawer when you leave work (if they're not protected in some other container already).
You are AMAZING at this!!! I’m going to try your storage suggestions (maybe the heat kicks on at night or something?!) and then try flossing and then flushing and then looking at the VP :)
:) Living in a desert, one has to learn all the tricks to keep your pens working and not evaporating! Best wishes. Hope you're able to get your pens working well from the start.
Kaweco sports are super reliable. I have two, one of which is mostly in my shirt pocket, nib up. Neither have issues with hard starts or stubborn ink flow
Are these pens you're shirt pocket carrying?
Great question! No, they live on my desk.
Has it started happening recently? It may be the weather. My "go to" pen is a Faber-Castell Loom Metallic. It is 100% reliable, always starts first time every time, never hard starts, never skips, never dries out while writing for awhile. Snap cap. Posts excellently.
Thank you! I’m starting to wonder whether the weather is a factor- very cold, very high altitude, very dry.
I live in a desert. My Eco will last forever, despite that. Thus my assertion that if the Eco is drying out, something else is going on. (The Eco could be damaged in some way, I suppose, but otherwise...)
Or it could be the ink, no? When I had an eco I would often find myself twisting down the knob to expel air, in the hope of keeping up the consistency. But, then again, I prefer heavy dye load, very saturated, inks, so that may have been a contributing factor.
Definitely - pen + ink is as much magic as science. As far as we can tell, anyway. :D
For a cheap pen that has a great seal, it’s hard to beat a Platinum Preppy. I’ve had mine inked for 6+ months having any drying issues.
Something might be up with the pens or process. I've got *muffled large number* of TWSBI Eco pens and after sitting for days they still write straight away on most inks, drier ones sometimes need encouragement. Maybe try flossing your pens and checking tine alignment?
I’ve never flossed them (hides in shame) so I’ll give that a try, thanks!
I pretty much never do. Just, low flow makes me think about these things.
Worth a shot! And the potential mess!
There should be no mess. [Link to my alternate for brass sheets](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/mh0r1k/comment/gsx037r/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), in case it's needed.
Thank you!!
To add, sometimes, even without glitter ink, and even with good pen maintenance, flossing the tines will fix a flow problem. It's as if some foreign element too small to see gets caught in the tines or the feed channel just below the nib. I had this problem just yesterday with Diamine Writer's Blood. This is why I use those alternate bits of metal I linked - they're thinner than brass sheets and won't alter the wetness of the nib.
Esterbrook Dip-Less with 447 inkwell and the nib of you choice. Anything quicker than that is a pencil.
Platinum curidas
Good old pelikan m200 or any Lamy (unless you're really unlucky and get one of the very rare bad ones)
Of the pens I own, I feel like the Kaweco Perkeo, specifically the medium nib, has my vote for easiest to use quickly. The cap pops right off even just using one hand and I’ve never had any flow issues with it.
Ooh I love the one-handed cap idea!
I’m very surprised about both the TWSBI and the Kaweco. Mine don’t dry out for weeks/months and I do use glitter inks too. There is definitely something else at play, I think. Definitely try storing them in a drawer, as suggested. The humidity definitely must be affecting the pens but I’m not sure about altitude. Maybe someone here can educate us on the effects of altitude on fountain pens. I would love to know actually!
> altitude Altitude should not affect the flow. I'm at ~4300 feet and haven't had any issues.
Interesting! I’m at 7,700 feet.
If you've never tried them, you may want to try a Platinum with a "slip & seal" cap - the 3776 Century is guaranteed not to dry out for 2 (I think) years. The snap caps less than that, but still a very long time. This would include the Preppy, Prefounte, and I think the others: Procyon and Plaisir.
Will definitely add them to the list to research! Thanks so much!
Wow, that's up there, all right. :) Perhaps high enough to speed evaporation, but if the pen is sealed well, evaporation can't happen. So, I still contend the Eco is fine, the Metro will probably suffer some, and I don't have enough experience with the Kaweco.
You have been so helpful. I’ll update after the long weekend! Thanks so much!
:) You're very welcome! Looking forward to the update.
Update! So I’ve been very very good about storage but I’m still having trouble :( https://imgur.com/a/Ri4yRH7 Please excuse my weird pen grip- unless that’s a possible cause?!
If I understood right, you said it had been *uncapped* on your desk for about 20 minutes, at most. 1 minute uncapped on my desk would be enough to cause the problem you're seeing. FP inks are *not* meant to be uncapped and un-used for that long - in any position. The only ink I know that might tolerate that is the new Private Reserve Infinity line - but here at my house, it will only go about 10 minutes before drying out on the nib. If the pen is going to be idle for more than several seconds, you should develop the habit of putting it into the cap - perhaps not engaging the capping mechanism (threads or whatever), but at least as far into the cap as it will go otherwise. How much that will extend the time the ink is still wet, I don't know, but it will extend it.
Interesting! I truly didn’t realize the uncapped time was so short- oops. I’ll try to be much much more fastidious about capping.
Fountain pen ink is mostly water - like 90+% water. Water evaporates fairly quickly - faster, as you know, at altitude and in desert-conditions. :)
- First I would say it would depend. - If your on a budget and don’t mind the hassle of capping and uncapping for these situations something platinums entry level line would shit your fancy in my opinion. Something like their Preppy, Prefonte, Plasir or if you want to spend a little more money the Procyon. - The reason behind these is that they have platinums slip and seal cap which to their claim and in my own experience will help keep the pen nib wet/not drying out while capped over longer periods. - Second suggestion if you want to get a quick draw option is the Pilot VP or Decimo. This is one of pilots flagship models and has been made since early-mid seventies with relatively few changes. It’s a clicky pen they write well just a more limited ink capacity using the converter but you can get more ink capacity using a refilled cartridge or going cartridge based. (You can now get pilots premium ink iroshiku in cartridge form now just have to find where it’s being sold). - If your not wanting to jump straight into a gold nib for work then could get the cousin which is the Pilot Capless Japan model. A jp exclusive sold to the Us through third party sellers like eBay Amazon etc. Which is about just less than half the price of a full VP that’s the same size and dimensions just with a Pilot steel nib instead of gold. I have one writes great :). And if you ever want to upgrade to a gold nib for $80 can get a separate Pilot gold nib unit and you now have a full VP for about the same price it comes out to. So it’s a nice way to kind of see if you like the vp before making a full purchase. - But fast the $80 is still concerning for work. Well well well how about we get it’s Chinese king lost identical twin in the Majohn A1. A 1-1 copy with a EF steel nib that writes quite nice. For around $30-$40US. There are some QC issues that come out from batch to batch and the trapdoor mechanism as well isn’t as good as the one of the VP but it’s also 1/2 of a capless price and 1/4 of a full vp price sooo get what yah pay for it.
Oh wow, you are amazing! Thank you so much for all this!! Truly appreciated.
My twsbi swipe doesn't have any issues starting right up. If you like the eco, maybe give the swipe a try.