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My grandfather showed me his fountain pen collection yesterday. His usual "nice writing" pen (with which he freehands nearly perfect italic calligraphy) is some sort of cartridge-loaded Sheaffer with a 1.0mm stub and a window so one can see the cartridge. I can't find it on the Sheaffer website, but the top of the cap is angled and has an F printed on it in white. He also has a black Esterbrook J series that I am
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Jun 2, 2014 14:38
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| # ? May 11, 2024 13:24 |
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 Like those? Sheaffer Viewpoint. ~$5 at Staples or Michaels (probably other arts & crafts stores too)
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Jun 3, 2014 00:57
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pienipple posted:
That looks like the one, and the reviews complain about skipping and poor flow. He says his is a pretty hard starter too. What would I do to fix that? Is it possible/worth it to fix it?
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Jun 3, 2014 02:14
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They're really cheap pens and you could do better. For just $25 you could Buy A Metro and a Pilot Plumix and swap the nibs and that would give you the same width of stub while also being a much nicer pen. Those Sheaffers are pretty garbage and I don't think they're even tipped; they are just made to be cheap as hell.
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Jun 3, 2014 03:36
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Bertrand Hustle posted:That looks like the one, and the reviews complain about skipping and poor flow. He says his is a pretty hard starter too. What would I do to fix that? Is it possible/worth it to fix it? Take it apart and give it a good clean with ammonia water, run it through a sonic if you have one. That cleared up the flow issues mine had from ink drying in the feed.
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Jun 3, 2014 03:42
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Hey, just a question about popping a pen into an ultrasonic cleaner, how exactly do you do it? Like, should you take it apart first, or just drop the whole thing in? It's a totally theoretical question atm since I don't even have a pen yet, but I never see that explained when people say to do that. I've got one coming for some jewelry/glasses, but plonking pens in sounds pretty great too.
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Jun 3, 2014 03:57
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neongrey posted:Hey, just a question about popping a pen into an ultrasonic cleaner, how exactly do you do it? Like, should you take it apart first, or just drop the whole thing in? It's a totally theoretical question atm since I don't even have a pen yet, but I never see that explained when people say to do that. Take it apart and run the parts you want to clean through a cycle, generally the feed and maybe the converter if you get ink creep behind the piston.
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Jun 3, 2014 03:58
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You can just unscrew the nib section and drop that in. No need to put in the body and the cap can stay out unless you think there's some ink in it and it's bothering you. You can also disassemble the grip section as much as you're able, but the ultrasonic action makes that not necessary.
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Jun 3, 2014 03:58
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Yeah, my sailor pro-gear slim came today. It's an awesomely smooth writer. To be honest I was sort of surprised at how small and light it was (I like the weight and balance of the TWSBI mini better), but it's just such a beautiful writer and is so, so smooth.
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Jun 6, 2014 01:17
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 Anyway yeah, once it gets going it's nice and smooth but it takes some work to get it there. I'm not sure yet if I'm holding it wrong (left-handed side/over-writer so I deffo push the pen) so I'll give it a few days of trying to see. I am definitely already more legible than I am with any sort of ball-tipped pen though, so hooray!
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Jun 6, 2014 06:23
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Standard question, but: did you give it a good washing out? Pens fresh out of the factory can have oils and gunk left over from the manufacturing process in their nib and feed.
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Jun 6, 2014 06:38
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Has anyone tried the pilot/namiki falcon with a soft nib? They are way more than I usually spend, but a smooth, reliable flex nib (aka NOT Noodler's) might be worth it. Alternately, are there any sources for functional/refurbished vintage flex pens at around $80? Dr. Kloctopussy fucked around with this message at 06:59 on Jun 6, 2014 |
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Jun 6, 2014 06:55
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Kessel posted:Standard question, but: did you give it a good washing out? Problem appears to have been even simpler than that: it works perfectly from start if I just, oh, put the cap on between uses.
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Jun 6, 2014 07:24
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neongrey posted:Problem appears to have been even simpler than that: it works perfectly from start if I just, oh, put the cap on between uses.  Fountain pen ink is water-based, which means that it can and will dry out if exposed to the air. Even if you're only leaving it uncapped for a minute or two between jotting down notes, you may notice that it comes out somewhat more saturated when you start again, since some of the water has dried up and left a higher concentration of pigment.It's a slight inconvenience, I guess, but nobody gets into fountain pens for sane reasons. 
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Jun 6, 2014 07:38
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Dr. Kloctopussy posted:Has anyone tried the pilot/namiki falcon with a soft nib? They are way more than I usually spend, but a smooth, reliable flex nib (aka NOT Noodler's) might be worth it. I have a Falcon with an FA. You must know that it's semi-flex, not flex - it won't do the wonderful noodly thing vintage flex nibs do but it will allow you to impart some goodly amount of variation to your line width. If you want vintage flexy things, Greg Minuskin: http://gregminuskin.com/ but be aware that his stuff sells FAST.
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Jun 6, 2014 07:52
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Dr. Kloctopussy posted:Has anyone tried the pilot/namiki falcon with a soft nib? They are way more than I usually spend, but a smooth, reliable flex nib (aka NOT Noodler's) might be worth it. As has been said, it's a 'soft' nib rather than a flex, so if crazy flexy writing is what you're after go for something vintage. I should mention though it is an absolute joy to write with mine, definitely one of my favorites in my collection.
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Jun 6, 2014 08:00
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404notfound posted:
Yeah the quick-dry ink was drying up, funny that, haha. Oh well, at least it was a problem with an easy solution. Oopsies.
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Jun 6, 2014 08:06
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Kessel posted:I have a Falcon with an FA. You must know that it's semi-flex, not flex - it won't do the wonderful noodly thing vintage flex nibs do but it will allow you to impart some goodly amount of variation to your line width. Any suggestions for sellers where I don't have to refresh their website every 15 minutes? (Also his most recent entry references a "journaling nib" and I have no idea what that means--do I have time to google it before it is sold?!) (I guess an explanation for how I can set up an RSS feed on his blog to send me a text message whenever he posts a new pen would also work, but argh?) SnakesRevenge posted:As has been said, it's a 'soft' nib rather than a flex, so if crazy flexy writing is what you're after go for something vintage. My understanding is that Noodler's are also semi-flex, so the "soft" nib should be comparable? I've never used a true "wet noodle" though I dream of the day.....
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Jun 6, 2014 10:37
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Hi FP thread long time no post! (Although I still read obsessively) I'm in Boston and the area for a few weeks and, other than a little stationary shop in Cambridge and the Montblanc boutique in Copley, are there any good FP shops around? Also, I'm STILL trying to find an original TWSBI Micarta without the clip, if anyone has one and wants to unload it.
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Jun 6, 2014 11:09
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Whats the consensus on a noodler konrad flex pen? Some of the reviews say it leaks ink but others seem perfectly fine.
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Jun 7, 2014 04:19
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Xun posted:Whats the consensus on a noodler konrad flex pen? Some of the reviews say it leaks ink but others seem perfectly fine. Consensus is sometimes it leaks ink, sometimes it's fine. Quality is really a mixed bag with all Noodler's pens, and often you're going to have to fiddle with them to end up with something that works well. If that's something you're willing to do, you can get one relatively inexpensively and have the freedom to mess around in more radical ways without as much risk as you'd have otherwise. If you want something that Just Writes Well, you'll want to go elsewhere.
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Jun 7, 2014 08:12
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SnakesRevenge posted:Consensus is sometimes it leaks ink, sometimes it's fine. Speaking of noodlers, will the inks nuke my pens to death? People frequently complain about them (especially baystate blue), and I've found that they are fairly pigment heavy so usually that means more pen maintenance/cleaning.
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Jun 7, 2014 20:01
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Baystate Blue/Cranberry are the only two that can really damage a pen. The rest are safe, albeit highly saturated, making them a bitch to clean out of a pen that's not taken care of properly. I'm looking at you, El Lawrence.
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Jun 7, 2014 20:07
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Lord Girlyman posted:Baystate Blue/Cranberry are the only two that can really damage a pen. The rest are safe, albeit highly saturated, making them a bitch to clean out of a pen that's not taken care of properly. Haha I use el lawrence and it's a great ink, but the associated processes seem to be these: - Clean nib before/after each session - After the pen is empty flush a few times with water/a tiny bit of ammonia - make sure there's no way in hell you get any on clothing Noodlers has cool inks with a shitload of cool features (and great prices), but they do require more maintenance so I'll probably stick to the plain, boring pilot, pelikan and sailor ones I have.
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Jun 7, 2014 20:59
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You should try a few Diamine samples. They make a bunch of neat colors (Salamander, Eclipse, Twilight) that clean easily and behave well. Fake edit: Apparently Sailor is discontinuing most of the current Jentle lineup, so now's the time to buy that lifetime supply of Epinard you always wanted.
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Jun 7, 2014 21:09
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Lord Girlyman posted:Fake edit: Apparently Sailor is discontinuing most of the current Jentle lineup, so now's the time to buy that lifetime supply of Epinard you always wanted. So are they discontinuing everything (including the blue, black and blue-black "business-style)" ink or are they just stopping with the weirder colours (grenadine, epinard, ultramarine, ski-high)? I'll probably have to go and waste even more money on inks again.
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Jun 7, 2014 21:20
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Everything except blue, black, and blue-black. Which is a shame, because Epinard is just so good looking. Most shops still have the majority of the outgoing inks in stock, with the exceptions of Sky High and Epinard. The FPN thread has more information in addition to a bunch of nerds whose wallets are fatter than mine: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/267693-has-sailor-discontinued-epinard-grenade-sky-high-ect/
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Jun 7, 2014 22:11
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Lord Girlyman posted:Everything except blue, black, and blue-black. Which is a shame, because Epinard is just so good looking. I've ordered 3 bottles of sky-high, one of ultramarine and one of grenade (no more epinard at wonder pens), time to get my ink on. I've found that sailor makes fairly nice inks; they flow/write nicely and don't take as long to dry as most of the kaweco ones (whenever I'm using kaweco ink I find I look like and iraqi voter). I also saw that Levenger has a deal going that if you spend $100 you get a $50 credit and free shipping; while their selection/prices aren't as great as many dedicated pen stores they do have a lot of decent office stuff.
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Jun 7, 2014 23:59
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http://www.wonderpens.ca/category_s/1857.htm I think this just went up on Wonder Pens? I don't remember seeing them the other day, anyway. A $15 piston-fill sounds interesting, at least. e: googling suggests I may just have overlooked the listing. It still seems interesting, anyway! neongrey fucked around with this message at 06:07 on Jun 8, 2014 |
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Jun 8, 2014 06:04
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neongrey posted:http://www.wonderpens.ca/category_s/1857.htm I have two of these, and I absolutely hate them. Cheap, leaky garbage imho. If you need a piston, go for a TWSBI. vv: Nothing wrong with browsing, and maybe somebody else here has a different different opinion, but those are the only pens I have that I legitimately dislike (including my Jinhao and Hero pens) SnakesRevenge fucked around with this message at 06:16 on Jun 8, 2014 |
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Jun 8, 2014 06:07
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That's actually what I was browsing for in the first place, haha. I'm not ready to buy yet, I'm still getting used to my baby's first pen, but I do like ogling.
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Jun 8, 2014 06:08
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IMO most cheap pens (especially with a gimmick like piston fillers or flex nibs) are bad, or at least sub-par compared to something more expensive. With fountain pens I think the optimal price/utility ration is probably around $150-200; this is when you get into the stuff that's either got well built features, and you can get into nice 14k gold nibs. Pens like the Pelikan M200, Lamy 2000, mid-range Sailors, or a pilot/namiki falcon are all really great pens (and there are are many other brands). Once you go higher I think it starts to become like the difference between a seiko and a rolex; you're seeing performance/material improvements to some degree, but mostly it's status symbol all the way. The only difference between a $200 waterman and a $2000 waterman is that one will have a shitton more gold on it with a flashier nib. You can spend money all the way up to $10,000+ and all you're really getting is some artwork with utility or shiny-shiny. Conversely, once you go lower down stuff is ok, but not great. TWSBI seems to have a niche producing all around great workhorse pens with some nifty engineering (vacuum/piston fillers), and the lamy safari or al-star lines are affordable and look cool, with limited colours appearing every so often(I think of these as the swatches of pens). I'd also challenge you to find a better portable pocket/abuse pen than a Kaweco sport. But I've found a lot of brands which make stuff exclusively in this range don't do a great job, and the pens will either have QC issues or they just won't write great. You can easily get into pens at this pricepoint, but you won't want to stay here forever. Since these pens are by nature "luxury goods" at any pricepoint since most people use chinese-made ballpoints which they swiped from work you're always going to be paying a premium for anything.
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Jun 8, 2014 06:51
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Or you can go full pen-sperg and buy/restore a vintage pen as your first "real" fountain pen.
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Jun 8, 2014 12:18
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I have a couple of Noodler's Konrads and they both work fine. Smooth nibs and no leaks. I particularly like the ebonite model.
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Jun 8, 2014 12:42
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I'll be taking my pen with me to Europe. Should I drain/clean it first so it doesn't explode on the airplane or will it be fine? I plan on having it on my person and not checked.
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Jun 8, 2014 16:34
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Either you travel full or you travel empty, nothing in between. The alternative is to seal the pen in one of those tiny Nalgene bottles. Don't open the bottle in-flight!
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Jun 8, 2014 16:45
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To be totally safe, I usually keep my pens inside an empty plastic drink bottle during takeoff and landing. The idea is that it keeps them at a constant pressure. I don't know whether it actually helps or not but I've never had any problems.
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Jun 8, 2014 16:45
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Empty it if it's convenient or if you just want to be super careful. My flying experience is pretty much the same as Brian Goulet shows here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujg_uMkt7ww
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Jun 8, 2014 16:47
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neongrey posted:http://www.wonderpens.ca/category_s/1857.htm the FPR Dilli looks very similar to the Noodler's Konrad, I think they may be made in the same place.
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Jun 8, 2014 17:09
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| # ? May 11, 2024 13:24 |
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RustedChrome posted:Empty it if it's convenient or if you just want to be super careful. My flying experience is pretty much the same as Brian Goulet shows here:
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Jun 8, 2014 17:21
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