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kim jong-illin posted:What other converters fit a Pilot Metropolitan? The squeeze bulb one holds far too little ink and requires twice daily refilling (I write constantly at work) and I don't want to make it an eyedropper because I'd rather not run the risk of a leak over original documents or in my pocket. You're in the UK, yeah? If you pick up a Pilot MR (which I believe is the European version of and functionally identical to the Metropolitan) then it takes international standard cartridges / converters. From the last few weeks of writing shitloads of notes while studying, I get about 20+ pages of A4 from a fill. I have no idea if this is any use to you, and your mileage may vary based on your writing style etc.
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Feb 11, 2014 14:23
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The Entire Universe posted:E: just how close are those Chinese Hero knockoffs? Close enough that you could get the Safari copy and just slap an authentic Lamy nib on it? I think the Lamy nib will fit on it, I can give it a shot with an extra one later. It's really close, the Lamy and Hero parts will screw together just fine. The Hero is just cheaper plastic that's drasticly lighter and doesn't fit together quite as nicely.
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Feb 11, 2014 14:30
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Feed and reservoir are pretty easy to get right, it's the precision in the nib that's tough in a $2 pen I imagine.
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A pretty inexpensive option for an italic pen that is an easy conversion to eyedropper fill is the Sheaffer No-Nonsense. They are/were sold in calligraphy sets and if you want the whole set you can get the pen plus all 3 nibs for like $10-$15 on ebay. I've heard the newer ones are to be avoided so stick to the vintage sets. I have one that I guesstimate is from the 80s(mostly based on when I got it, which was forever ago at a flea market when I was in high school) that was my very first fountain pen. It writes great but has always been a bit leaky even when I was using cartridges so it's probably not that suitable for carrying around. I keep it on my desk and I've left it for weeks without writing with it and it has never dried up. The barrel is pretty large so it holds a ton of ink. I like to use it for addressing envelopes at work.  It's the second one from the right in this photo: 
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Feb 12, 2014 00:14
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Everything Burrito posted:It's the second one from the right in this photo: What is the last pen (right-most) in the photo?
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Feb 12, 2014 03:12
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Can't get the nib off the Hero, tried with my fingers and tape but I don't care enough to screw with it further.
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Feb 12, 2014 03:48
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milpreve posted:What is the last pen (right-most) in the photo? Unmarked hard rubber so beyond that...I have no idea. Got it from ebay for about $25, has a gold flex nib and is pretty neat to write with. I decided I wanted a vintage pen and didn't want to deal with moving parts -- either I'd have to look at something refurbished which was then out of my price range or gamble on an unrestored pen writing at all, so I decided to only look at black hard rubber eyedroppers and found that one. I also got a Waterman #12 at around the same time that I keep put away for now because I'm more comfortable loving around with the mystery cheap one. Here's the unmarked pen (not great photos, sorry):   And the Waterman next to a Konrad: 
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Feb 12, 2014 05:13
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Semprini posted:You're in the UK, yeah? If you pick up a Pilot MR (which I believe is the European version of and functionally identical to the Metropolitan) then it takes international standard cartridges / converters. Are you sure? The Metropolitan only takes Pilot cartridges and converters, but I haven't handled an MR before.
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Feb 12, 2014 06:45
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breathstealer posted:Are you sure? The Metropolitan only takes Pilot cartridges and converters, but I haven't handled an MR before. I've got one of each, and (to my relatively untrained hand) there's no difference in how they write. But the MR definitely takes international standard. I found this out to my cost when I tried to fit a Pilot cartridge and spilled ink everywhere.
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Feb 12, 2014 10:03
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Just to pile on, what is the pen that is third from the left? Next to the Metro/MR.
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Feb 12, 2014 20:15
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Semprini posted:You're in the UK, yeah? If you pick up a Pilot MR (which I believe is the European version of and functionally identical to the Metropolitan) then it takes international standard cartridges / converters. That would be awesome if I hadn't gotten my Metropolitan from the US just to bring an order up to the minimum needed to justify shipping/customs costs. Useful information though, thanks.
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Feb 12, 2014 20:55
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By prying gently with a thin metal edge the nib popped off the Hero, it accepts Lamy nibs just fine! The stock one was just really jammed on there. Lamy 1.1 italic on the Hero  stock Hero F nib The Hero F seems to be comparable to my Pilot's M, so they seem to be using western sizing. Overall it's ok but there's nothing to really recommend it over either a Metropolitan (same price) or a real Lamy Safari (~$10 more) unless you desperately want a Safari in purple or green and are willing to compromise on the quality of the pen. The only major differences are materials, fit and finish, and the Hero takes international standard short cartridges or converters. It comes with a 6 pack of cartridges and a converter that apes the Lamy z26. The Lamy can balance on its clip but the Hero can't, it tips over because the cap is too light to counterbalance the weight of the ink. I'm happy with it because it's purple and I don't feel bad leaving it in my desk at work in case someone breaks it like a doofus.  The Hero and Sheaffer live at work, the Metro and the Lamy are my personal pens that go everywhere with me.  Pilot Metro M v. Hero 359 F
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Feb 12, 2014 23:46
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Lord Girlyman posted:Just to pile on, what is the pen that is third from the left? Next to the Metro/MR. Hero #395 Copper. It's heavy as poo poo so I don't write with it much but it looks really cool.  I think they're still in stock on isellpens.
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Feb 13, 2014 04:08
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Question: I'm currently using Noodlers Bullletproof Black, but I find that it takes way too long to dry. Even if i wait a day it still smudges when I rub it. Is there an archival Noodlers Black that dries quicker? I'm familiar with Bernanke Black, but its not UV resistant etc.
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Feb 13, 2014 11:30
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Otaku Alpha Male posted:Question: I'm currently using Noodlers Bullletproof Black, but I find that it takes way too long to dry. Even if i wait a day it still smudges when I rub it. Is there an archival Noodlers Black that dries quicker? I'm familiar with Bernanke Black, but its not UV resistant etc. I've never smudged Heart of Darkness when I used it to write chart notes on copy paper as long as it had a few seconds to dry. Only issues I had with it were pen related (eyedropper too empty, burping).
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Feb 13, 2014 15:13
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milpreve posted:I've never smudged Heart of Darkness when I used it to write chart notes on copy paper as long as it had a few seconds to dry. Only issues I had with it were pen related (eyedropper too empty, burping). Seconding Heart of Darkness. Bulletproof, but dries fairly quickly. (Not as quickly as, say, Private Reserve Ultra Black or Noodler's Borealis Black.) I found it to be a fairly messy ink, however.
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Feb 13, 2014 17:21
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Just switched my Kaküno to have the Dragon's Napalm in, which tends to be this reallllllly liquidy ink. I hated the drat pen until now. The fine point was making me crazy. All of a sudden, the pen is behaving very nicely. It didn't even behave this nice with the ink that came in the cartridge.
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Feb 13, 2014 19:54
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Thanks for the recommendations, I will try HoD next.
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Feb 13, 2014 20:09
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Otaku Alpha Male posted:Question: I'm currently using Noodlers Bullletproof Black, but I find that it takes way too long to dry. Even if i wait a day it still smudges when I rub it. Is there an archival Noodlers Black that dries quicker? I'm familiar with Bernanke Black, but its not UV resistant etc. Maybe dilute the ink a bit, Noodler's black is supposed to be a reasonably well behaved ink. Perhaps there is just too much pigment on the paper so it still smears a day later. I'd aliquot some ink into a separate container and then maybe dilute 1 water:10 ink? For blank ink recommendations, I love Sailor kawaguro nano black and use it daily in my Sailor EF. It's so dark and velvety. I've been rather lazy about my pens so it's nice that it comes in cartridges. jomiel fucked around with this message at 20:19 on Feb 13, 2014 |
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Feb 13, 2014 20:16
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jomiel posted:Maybe dilute the ink a bit, Noodler's black is supposed to be a reasonably well behaved ink. Perhaps there is just too much pigment on the paper so it still smears a day later. I'd aliquot some ink into a separate container and then maybe dilute 1 water:10 ink? Would this explain why Iroshizuki (particularly Kon-peki, Asa-gao and Syo-ro) will smear days later when used on a Red & Black tablet? It's really my only complaint about the ink to be honest, the colors have some really nice shading to them!
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Feb 13, 2014 20:59
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Maybe? FPN seems to complain about Noodler's and Private Reserve smearing like that several days later if they are too pigmented and the ink just lays on the paper not being fully absorbed, and especially if you use nicer paper that takes longer for the ink to dry. In my experience Iroshizuku is very well behaved but I almost always use F or EF nibs on the dry/medium side...
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Feb 13, 2014 21:55
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jomiel posted:Maybe? FPN seems to complain about Noodler's and Private Reserve smearing like that several days later if they are too pigmented and the ink just lays on the paper not being fully absorbed, and especially if you use nicer paper that takes longer for the ink to dry. In my experience Iroshizuku is very well behaved but I almost always use F or EF nibs on the dry/medium side... I'm going to have to give it a try. Additionally, the addition of vegetable glycerin is how you can lubricate your inks.
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Feb 13, 2014 23:16
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Stalking the thread for a while now since I got a couple of Rotring 600s in M and EF as well as a Lamy Safari in red for the little missus. I bought this at a second hand store for a few Shekels and wanted to see if anyone can identify it for me. It was uninked and the ring close to the nib came off as you uncapped it. I glued it in place and put some private reserve velvet black in. It writes really nice with a variable line width which was unexpected. It came with a ballpoint pen which doesn't write. The cartridge of the ballpoint hasn't got any markings on it. Inside the barrel of the fountain pen was what must be factory mini cartridge of blue ink. I suspect it's a Waterman but don't know. There's the number 6 imprinted on the top of the threads (I guess QC number?). On the feed mechanism there's embossed the number 3 which I suppose is the nib size. The nib says Iridium Point Germany. The barrel and cap are made from a metallic substance, it's definitely not resin or plastic as it is cold to the touch. The feed/nib part is plastic. I thought the logo was Waterman but I guess it looks more like Motorola so it might be a promotional/executive/company pen. Here's pics:   The logo is somewhat off-center, isn't it?  This pic is from before I glued said ring in place- now there isn't that gap.
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Feb 14, 2014 23:44
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"Iridium Point Germany" means that the iridium probably came from Germany, but the nib itself was most likely manufactured in China. They vary wildly in quality. Some people get them and say they're amazing. Others have some that are absolute garbage. I had one on a $7 Chinese pen that wrote fine but the feed sat frustratingly off-center forever.
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Feb 15, 2014 02:39
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Hellbeard posted:Stuff Yup that'd definitely not a Waterman, it's a Motorola logo. It was probably some sort of promotional material they gave out at some event. Like Bertrand Hustle said, the IPG nib was probably made in China. Though not a definite rule, the pen being made of some metal, probably enamelled brass, would usually indicate the pen was made in China too.
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Feb 15, 2014 11:22
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Hmm. Ok cool. A chinese generic company/promotional pen. Still a nice pen, though. Thanks yous guys!
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Feb 15, 2014 13:45
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Just want to chime in here that Brian Anderson is a great guy. Really helpful, especially for a relative pen newbie like me who wants to repair a nice Estie 9556 nib with a cracked collar. Even explained how to replace the collar. Also, my manager at work is (or used to be) into fountain pens and when I showed him my first Esterbrook (the red LJ) he was blown away. He used to love Sheaffer's when he was younger.
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Feb 15, 2014 14:51
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I'm about to take the plunge and get my first fountain pen since the cheap ones I used to make a mess with in school. I'm probably going to start off with a Lamy Safari. The only thing I need to know is if I should go with a medium or fine nib. My writing tends to be rather small, so I'm leaning towards the fine.
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Feb 15, 2014 16:53
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I've emailed Brian Anderson about it, but does anyone here have any experience with the Esterbrook CX-100 and substituting a cartridge or adapting one to fit it? I can't seem to find any Estie cartridges on eBay.
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Feb 16, 2014 01:21
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I just picked up a Rotring Rapid Pro and a Lamy Safari to mess around with, and had a question: anyone know of good resources centered around improving penmanship? Mine isn't absolutely terrible, but my legibility takes a major hit when I have to jot things down quickly (which, unfortunately for people who have to read my writing, is happening more and more), and figured I should work on remedying my doctor-esque scrawl while I'm still a student. (Dunno if this is the best thread to ask, but I figured since it's about pens it'd be a good place to start)
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Feb 16, 2014 07:46
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A while back I decided my handwriting needed work and this is the book I got. It's a nice, straightforward, workbook for grownups with sections on print, cursive, and (I think) calligraphy. I took the book apart and scanned all the pages so I could do pages again later if I wanted. It worked well for me. It's five years later now and even though I no longer practice every day, my handwriting is still improved over how it was before. Amazon has some preview pages so you can see if you like the writing style it teaches.
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Feb 16, 2014 09:32
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After a lot of advice here and trying one in person, I ended up buying a TWSBI Vac 700 EF and a set of the Permanent Blacks from Goulet. The pen's wonderful and I love it, but the sample size from goulet won't allow me to submerge the pen so that I can use the vacuum filling feature. I end up dipping the pen, and it pulls enough into the tip that it's fine for writing, but is there a way I can fill the pen with the tiny sample size? I guess I could open up the back and pour it in, but that seems foolish.
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Feb 18, 2014 07:00
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QuantumNinja posted:After a lot of advice here and trying one in person, I ended up buying a TWSBI Vac 700 EF and a set of the Permanent Blacks from Goulet. The pen's wonderful and I love it, but the sample size from goulet won't allow me to submerge the pen so that I can use the vacuum filling feature. I can post a picture in the morning if need be. I open the plunger a little and unscrew the nib and grip from the rest of the pen, then I just dump the ink in and screw it back together. This is easier with a syringe, but one is not necessary to make it work.
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Feb 18, 2014 07:36
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milpreve posted:I can post a picture in the morning if need be. I open the plunger a little and unscrew the nib and grip from the rest of the pen, then I just dump the ink in and screw it back together. This is easier with a syringe, but one is not necessary to make it work. I didn't know it came apart there. I'll try that! Edit: Worked like a charm! Thanks! QuantumNinja fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Feb 18, 2014 |
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Feb 18, 2014 19:14
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QuantumNinja posted:I didn't know it came apart there. I'll try that! This might be obvious but, on most pens like this, don't fill the pen from the back. It screws up the pressure and the ink will just run out the front. The TWSBI family of pens is super awesome and I love my TWSBI 540. It is now my daily writer. I usually fill it with Noodler's Polar Blue or Dark Matter since I have to sign a lot of HR forms at work.
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Feb 18, 2014 19:24
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Verdugo posted:This might be obvious but, on most pens like this, don't fill the pen from the back. It screws up the pressure and the ink will just run out the front. I watched the Goulet video on disassembly and the piston mechanism, so it seemed that filling it from the back was a Bad Idea, which was why I posted. I'm trying out some Platinum Carbon Black right now, which I love the color of but it seems to bleed a lot, and the rest of the sampler pack I got is a bunch of Noodler so I'm pretty pumped to try it all.
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Feb 18, 2014 19:34
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My Jinhao 950 finally showed up. Holy poo poo, this is a heavy pen. Writes well, with the occasional skip, though. I think the tines are slightly out of alignment, and the line is much too broad for my liking. Does the 950 take #6 nibs like the X450 and X750? I kind of want to swap in one of Brian Goulet's EF nibs.
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Feb 18, 2014 20:22
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My girlfriend got a new planner and cap for her Twsbi after it sheared at the threads. She's a happy camper now.   I really want a Pilot Custom 74 with a Con-70 converter for work but moneyyyyyyy 
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Feb 19, 2014 07:22
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Yep. Gonna have to buy that now.
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Feb 19, 2014 12:10
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I am really disappointed with the F nib on my Vac 700. I wanted the 1.1, but I wanted the Smoke color more, and that was not an available combo. The F is just not as juicy as I want it to be (Pilot M nibs). I tried the Goulet nib on it, but I still can't get it to write nicely. Any tips?
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Feb 19, 2014 16:55
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milpreve posted:I am really disappointed with the F nib on my Vac 700. I wanted the 1.1, but I wanted the Smoke color more, and that was not an available combo. The F is just not as juicy as I want it to be (Pilot M nibs). I tried the Goulet nib on it, but I still can't get it to write nicely. Any tips? I ended up switching to a TWSBI issue Broad on my VAC700 and it's suiting my needs well. You could probably just buy a B or 1.1 and reseat the nib and feed in the smoke-coloured section.
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Feb 19, 2014 17:17
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