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Tochiazuma posted:I gotta stop reading this thread because it makes me want to buy more pens and ink and nice paper and I've barely made a dent in the ink I've already bought A good friend who I got interested in FPs has been buying them up as he's on an extremely tight budget and while I've been supportive I've been a little bit suspicious until he gave me a couple. Some of them write rather well, and I'm talking $5 pens! They're obviously hit or miss but still, I think I'm going to expand my shopping horizons a bit.
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Apr 1, 2013 18:51
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iostream.h posted:You (and everyone) should try out some of the ultra-cheap Chinese pens off of eBay. I have had very mixed results with the Hero pens I've been buying, though I've been impressed with the 'good' ones. My 616 jumbo has been great to leave at work without it being a big loss should it walk off. I just bought 2 FPR Dillis from fountainpenrevolution.com, which I hope are nice. I'd love to have a 15 dollar piston-filler to recommend to people.
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Apr 1, 2013 20:10
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For what it's worth, the Chinese pens I've bought have all been terrible wastes of money, your experience may vary. All this talk of ink makes me want to buy some more. I'd love to try those Pelikan Edelstein inks, if only for that bottle 
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Apr 1, 2013 20:48
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I felt like the Chinese pens I bought were a good place to get started, if nothing else to learn what I didn't like in a pen. Having virtually no worth also meant that if I wanted to take them apart or gently caress around with the nibs, no great loss if I screwed them up. I actually got one of them writing a lot better after spending a little time on it with a nail buffer, although it's probably horribly screwed up and I just don't know it. 
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Apr 2, 2013 06:37
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I went a bit overboard on eBay, and now own about 40 pens of varying brands. The trick is sticking with reliable sellers and not buying ones that don't list company and model. Haven't spent more than a tenner a pen and ended up with some really great ones.
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Apr 2, 2013 18:31
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I'm thinking about picking up a TWSBI Diamond 580. Is there any good reason to get one of those TWSBI ink pots to go with it, or am I better off just saving the $25 and using my normal Noodler's bottles? Also, on the cheap Chinese pen front, I have to endorse this little beauty. It's essentially a fountain pen knock-off of the Parker Space Pen. It fits wonderfully in a pocket, mine writes well, and it looks good. The ink capacity leaves a bit to be desired, but that's understandable given its size.
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Apr 2, 2013 18:33
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alakath posted:Is there any good reason to get one of those TWSBI ink pots to go with it, or am I better off just saving the $25 and using my normal Noodler's bottles? I was going to ask if there were any sort of facilitation for filling with the TWSBI bottles. I was considering picking up a bottle to mix a couple of inks (a bulletproof color + bulletproof black) together, and to keep it at the office... but if there is a real benefit to having one, I'll definitely pick one up.
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Apr 2, 2013 21:45
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Synastren posted:I was going to ask if there were any sort of facilitation for filling with the TWSBI bottles. I was considering picking up a bottle to mix a couple of inks (a bulletproof color + bulletproof black) together, and to keep it at the office... but if there is a real benefit to having one, I'll definitely pick one up. If you unscrew the nib on a 5**/Mini series TWSBI (or stick a standard converter on the top) it plugs into the top of the inkwell, and you can completely fill your pen really cleanly.
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Apr 2, 2013 21:51
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Synastren posted:I was going to ask if there were any sort of facilitation for filling with the TWSBI bottles. I was considering picking up a bottle to mix a couple of inks (a bulletproof color + bulletproof black) together, and to keep it at the office... but if there is a real benefit to having one, I'll definitely pick one up. The only difference you'll have with the bottle for the 580 is you can unscrew the section and click the pen into a port on the top for filling. It'll make it easier to get a fuller full, and I guess keep ink off your nib if you're particular about that. I've been meaning for a while now to look for some small rubber tubing I could put onto that same port on the pen to make filling from sample vials really easy (the capacity on the 540/580 is perfect for a Goulet ink sample), but I still haven't got around to it.
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Apr 2, 2013 21:56
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Are there any recommendations for good non-TWSBI ink pots? I hate the narrow-necked eyedropper pot that Heart of Darkness comes in and I can never refill without covering myself and my pen in ink, and covering a blotter with ink coming off of the eyedropper. I'd love to transfer some ink into, well, any other bottle.
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Apr 4, 2013 19:49
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alakath posted:Are there any recommendations for good non-TWSBI ink pots? You can get empty ink bottles from goulet for a few bucks, looks like from all/most the brands they carry
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Apr 4, 2013 19:59
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alakath posted:Are there any recommendations for good non-TWSBI ink pots? The Montblanc "shoe" style ink bottles are pretty highly regarded. They're very stable, got a wide opening, and have a little inner chamber to help fill the pen up more easily.
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Apr 4, 2013 20:50
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lady flash posted:You can get empty ink bottles from goulet for a few bucks, looks like from all/most the brands they carry I have two empty Lamy bottles that are great. There's a narrow reservoir in the bottom, so you can fill when ink level is low. It also comes with a roll of papers for wiping the nib after filling. Sailor bottles also have a similar plastic reservoir insert similar to the TWSBI ones. Both types can be bought from Goulet.
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Apr 4, 2013 20:58
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alakath posted:Are there any recommendations for good non-TWSBI ink pots? Do you have the 3oz bottle or is there some other size that they sell?
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Apr 4, 2013 20:58
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JP Money posted:Do you have the 3oz bottle or is there some other size that they sell? I have the 4.5 ounce eyedropper bottle, which looks like this:  I'll take a look at the empty bottles from Goulet, thanks for the recommendations!
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Apr 4, 2013 21:05
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Iroshizuku bottles are nice as well, they have a little divot in the bottom for your nib when the level gets low, and they're pretty!
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Apr 4, 2013 21:23
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I got a fountain pen and I can't find out anything about it. All I know is I traded my buddy an old safety razor for it. He might have got it in India? Anyway, I'm coming to you guys because I've looked all over and I can't find anything about D'Zario pens anywhere on the whole internet. I googled and ebayed and checked all of the pen links in the OP but I couldn't find anything like it except on some website that was principally in Cyrillic. Here are some pictures of the pen, I didn't know what parts were important so if you need a better or different picture let me know:    I'm having a pretty good time learning how to write with it. The other question I have is that my friend mentioned something about converting it, and I have no idea how to go about doing that. He included with the pen a small syringe he uses to refill the little plastic ink holder at the back, and that seems like a ridiculous way of going about things. Any ideas? Is this an alright pen or is this whole thing just a fool's errand?
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Apr 5, 2013 04:42
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Stalizard posted:I got a fountain pen and I can't find out anything about it. All I know is I traded my buddy an old safety razor for it. He might have got it in India? Anyway, I'm coming to you guys because I've looked all over and I can't find anything about D'Zario pens anywhere on the whole internet. I googled and ebayed and checked all of the pen links in the OP but I couldn't find anything like it except on some website that was principally in Cyrillic. Congrats on getting a fountain pen (the infection is spreading  ).D'zario is probably some random name slapped on the box because, hey, it sounds nice. It's a no name pen, but who cares if it's comfortable to write with? The little ink thingy in the back is an ink cartridge, your pen wil probably take international size cartridges. Refilling cartridges can make sense because a) bottled ink tends to be cheaper and b) bottled ink comes in more colours. Converting = using a converter that can pump ink into the pen from a bottle instead of cartridges. Linky. Note: I prefer syringe+cartridges to converters. But hey, they're cheap, give it a try.
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Apr 5, 2013 10:29
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I CANNOT EJACULATE WITHOUT SEEING NATIVE AMERICANS BRUTALISED!
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Good god. I never realized how fast cartridges burned up until I actually started using them. Burned through a 5-pack in a week. I have to get my rear end to the art supply store for ink, but...but they have shiny pens. NO! NO SHINY PENS! Anyway, what common inks are good for just regular lined paper? So shiny...
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Apr 5, 2013 11:51
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Great Horny Toads! posted:Good god. I never realized how fast cartridges burned up until I actually started using them. Burned through a 5-pack in a week. I have to get my rear end to the art supply store for ink, but...but they have shiny pens. NO! NO SHINY PENS! My favourite "this will always work" ink (i.e. forms/exams/... on lovely printer paper that most inks feather/bleed through are a-ok; it's slightly water resistant) is Montblanc Midnight Blue. Note: it is iron gall based - you should rinse out your pen every month or so and if the ink is left to dry in the pen, it will clog the ink feed and be hard to clean with water. My favourite safe ink without the aforementioned downsides is anything from Waterman. These inks are also ok for all but the shittiest kinds of paper, feel very smooth when writing and they don't have Midnight Blue's issues (they're not water resistant in any way, though). Mix Waterman inks at will for awesome colours, starting with Violet and Florida Blue 
suck my woke dick fucked around with this message at 12:16 on Apr 5, 2013 |
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Apr 5, 2013 12:11
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Great Horny Toads! posted:Anyway, what common inks are good for just regular lined paper? Noodler's is my go-to ink, but it's certainly not the only one. I tried some Private Reserve, and holy poo poo it was terrible. I grabbed "Naples Blue" and it ran like crazy. I could place my hand on a dry sheet of notes and the ink would transfer all over. Ugh, it was such a nice color too.
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Apr 5, 2013 14:03
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I ordered a few empty bottles from Goulet Pens, so thanks for the tip. And I figured, hey, since I'm paying for shipping anyway, why not get a bottle of Noodler's 54th Massachusetts? And a Noodler rollerball? And why not a TWSBI too? Combined with the Hero 360 I bought on a whim last week, I've got a lot of new toys. So yay for new pens and ink, but boo for my bank account.
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Apr 5, 2013 18:35
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Which TWSBI?
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Apr 5, 2013 18:43
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I Bought some fountain pens when the last thread went up and Ive been loving hem, but I'm thinking about taking this poo poo to the next level. As far as antique pens are concerned, is there a good resource for the various kinds of pens, as well as a go-to place for finding the pens themselves?
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Apr 5, 2013 18:51
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Solkanar512 posted:Which TWSBI? The Diamond 580. I'd been eyeing it for a while.
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Apr 5, 2013 19:00
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w00tmonger posted:I Bought some fountain pens when the last thread went up and Ive been loving hem, but I'm thinking about taking this poo poo to the next level. Without knowing what kind of pen you're looking for it's hard to say which ones would be good for you. Esterbrooks are one of the most commonly used vintage pens, and are relatively cheap and have a myriad of compatible nibs. Parker 51s are also extremely good pens, though a bit more expensive than the Esterbrooks for a good one. You're best off looking up old manufacturers and seeing what they made, unless you have something specific in mind? As for buying them, naturally you can find some in antique stores, and if you're lucky and know what you're looking at you can get some amazing deals thanks to the little knowledge most people have with regards to vintage pens. Ebay is also pretty good for a lot of vintage pens, though that comes with the usual risks of not seeing what you are buying in the flesh before you receive it. The German site Martini Auctions is also great for vintage pens, each manufacturer having its own vintage pen section. I know they'll ship to other countries in Europe, but I'm not sure if they'll ship to anywhere else however.
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Apr 5, 2013 19:09
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w00tmonger posted:As far as antique pens are concerned, is there a good resource for the various kinds of pens, as well as a go-to place for finding the pens themselves? The easy way is to call/google antique shops in your area and say, "Hey, I was wondering if you have any fountain pens." They've already spent hours culling them from all the past estate sales. It's a better use of your time than going to the estate sales yourself. Also, some stores that have pens will say so on their websites. There's one an hour from me that's all like WE HAVE loving 100 PENS*, rear end in a top hat. COME GET ONE! but I don't have a car. *not exaggerating Also, ink report: I Waterman'd. The Mysterious Blue. It's good stuff, but I'm not used to how wet it's laying down. I also drooled at the few hundred new pens that were in the store. I gotta say, the Conklin Herringbone pens are a) huge, and b)  . The flat, side-view pictures on all the pen sites don't do them justice.
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Apr 5, 2013 21:31
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Just ordered a 1.1 calligraphy nib for my Lamy Safari. Can't wait.  I thought I'd like my TWSBI for mathematics, but as I'm finishing up my undergrad I am completely out of math courses to take and even so I like my Falcon and my Safari way better.  How much do you guys speculate I could sell my TWSBI Diamond 540 for? It's in great shape and the nib was professionally reworked from a B to a Japanese EF by Mike-It-Work (~$75 job) and could write smoothly and legibly on a grain of rice. It's also a #5 nib so you could put the unit in a Sailor if you really wanted to.
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Apr 5, 2013 23:26
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Are there anything like glass nibs out there for ink filled fountain pens? Could've sworn they existed...
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Apr 6, 2013 07:48
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Oh, I have a question. What's the deal with Namiki Falcon's "soft nib"? Is it a flex nib? Is it meant for calligraphy? Is it just meant to be more forgiving of weird grips and angles? Will my left-handed rear end love it dearly? Okay, that was several questions.
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Apr 6, 2013 08:20
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PC LOAD LETTER posted:Are there anything like glass nibs out there for ink filled fountain pens? Could've sworn they existed... There are glass dip pens, but I've never heard of a glass nib for a fountain pen. Great Horny Toads! posted:Oh, I have a question. What's the deal with Namiki Falcon's "soft nib"? Is it a flex nib? Is it meant for calligraphy? Is it just meant to be more forgiving of weird grips and angles? Will my left-handed rear end love it dearly? It's a flex nib, but not as flexy as vintage flex nibs or even the Noodler's flex nibs. You could use it for calligraphy since the amount of pressure makes bigger lines. I have no idea how it will do with a left-handed grip, but I imagine it would be the same as any other pen. Left handers feel free to correct me on that!
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Apr 6, 2013 08:36
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It isn't really a flex nib-- more of a soft nib, as the name suggests. It's every so slightly springier than a normal nib, a feature I like a lot. It's worth trying in person first but it's by far my favorite pen. Has the same body size as a Sailor, and having used a regular 1911, I'd say the build quality is a bit better too.
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Apr 6, 2013 08:42
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PC LOAD LETTER posted:Are there anything like glass nibs out there for ink filled fountain pens? Could've sworn they existed... They definitely exist, though they're usually very old and kind of hard to acquire. They pop up on ebay now and again. Vitamins fucked around with this message at 15:08 on Apr 6, 2013 |
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Apr 6, 2013 12:12
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That looks like a retractable dip pen. Where is the ink stored?
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Apr 6, 2013 15:01
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My bad you're right, the description said eyedropper but looking at the photos there's no way to get ink into it. Seems it's just a dip pen! This however, is one with an internal ink reservoir!
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Apr 6, 2013 15:11
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Beautiful thanks. I've tried various fountain pens before in the past but never a glass one. I've heard they write the smoothest, better even than the best ball points.
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Apr 6, 2013 15:12
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I've never tried a glass one before either. I'm considering ordering one of the ones from the Goulets as something cheap to experiment with now!
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Apr 6, 2013 15:24
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PC LOAD LETTER posted:Beautiful thanks. I've tried various fountain pens before in the past but never a glass one. I've heard they write the smoothest, better even than the best ball points. I have one. They're not as smooth as some fountain pens, and some people say they need to be sanded down when you get them. I find that the process of dipping and getting rid of the excess ink takes just long enough to interrupt my train of thought, but maybe I just need a thicker ink. But they look really pretty, and dipping is lots of fun. Why should you settle for 19th century technology when you can get 18th?
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Apr 6, 2013 21:36
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The one I have I mostly just use for trying out ink samples because it's quicker and easier than cleaning out a regular pen. I wouldn't want to write with it for any length of time at all.
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Apr 7, 2013 06:11
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Okay, I need a reliable pen with a big ol' ink tank. My Safari does the job, but I have to refill a lot more often than I'd like. Suggestions?
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Apr 9, 2013 20:54
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