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CannedMacabre posted:Of course, if I ever saw somebody with a quill and ink well out in a Starbucks, I'd probably throw hot coffee on them. Chances are they'll be wearing a fedora, so it's ok
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# ? Sep 5, 2014 21:04 |
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# ? May 13, 2024 11:05 |
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CannedMacabre posted:Speaking of ink wells, I haven't used a dip pen or quill in some time. I generally only do so for drawing (my lettering isn't for the eyes of others.) Is there anyone here that uses them for calligraphy or journal writing? This is a correct response. Don't ever be this much of a fuckin' toolbox:
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# ? Sep 5, 2014 21:49 |
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He even has a cane I have a serious itch to get more pens and ink... Maybe I'll just get some samples from Goulet.
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# ? Sep 5, 2014 22:51 |
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What should I be saying to people who ask/reach for my pens at work and whatnot? I've noticed that since people always pass around cheap ballpoints without thinking, people will often reflexively reach for what is often a $200+ pen, which is something I'm not comfortable with (I don't think assuming that most people will gently caress up my pens without thinking is being a pompous rear end).
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# ? Sep 6, 2014 04:52 |
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Landsknecht posted:What should I be saying to people who ask/reach for my pens at work and whatnot? I've noticed that since people always pass around cheap ballpoints without thinking, people will often reflexively reach for what is often a $200+ pen, which is something I'm not comfortable with (I don't think assuming that most people will gently caress up my pens without thinking is being a pompous rear end). Take cheapo pens to work. I've passed my jinhaos and my pilot varsity around at work. People like them (chinese pen more than the Varsity), and if they get hosed up, it is a very, very minor loss. (So, always bring a cheapo backup)
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# ? Sep 6, 2014 05:08 |
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My Metro and Lamy Al-Star are the only two I own, and I bring them both to work. And quite honestly usually what happens when I hand them to someone to use is they look at it confusedly and then ask me for a pilot g2.
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# ? Sep 6, 2014 05:14 |
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I think part of the trick to keeping people away from your pens is to buy weird-looking ones. In that light I just got a Vac 700 with a B nib and am very happy with it. It fills the hand unlike my PiMet and the extra heft makes it a very comfortable writer. Still trying to master the feed cutoff though. It seems I have to unscrew the plunger and draw it out ever so slightly to ensure the nib doesn't dry up once the feed is exhausted. I'll probably just pop the O-ring off of the feed cut-off eventually because it's a minor hassle, but it is nice to know that unless I manage to crack the pen I won't have bulletproof black over everything especially since the pen holds about a gallon of the stuff. Question: Where should I be looking for replacement silicon lube, as the pen was used and came with none?
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# ? Sep 6, 2014 09:22 |
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Landsknecht posted:What should I be saying to people who ask/reach for my pens at work and whatnot?
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# ? Sep 6, 2014 09:28 |
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Soricidus posted:"That's a fountain pen, here's a biro you can use." Basically this. I carry like 4 or 5 of the cheap company ballpoints at work because invariably someone's going to need a pen for something. Last time I gave a fountain pen to a coworker I heard the most horrible scraping noise, and that was the end of that.
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# ? Sep 6, 2014 13:50 |
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EnsGDT posted:My Metro and Lamy Al-Star are the only two I own, and I bring them both to work. Solution: Get cheapo jinhaos
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# ? Sep 6, 2014 17:02 |
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Loucks posted:It seems I have to unscrew the plunger and draw it out ever so slightly to ensure the nib doesn't dry up once the feed is exhausted. The manual that comes with new pens says to do exactly that. For borrowing pens, someone snapped my Lamy Accent in half by pulling it apart like a snap cap (it's a screw off) and since then I just tell people, no, they can't borrow the one I'm using because it's delicate. If they actually want to try a fountain pen specifically I'll let them borrow a cheap pen with a stiff steel nib. The people I work with now know I'm into goofy pens though so it's usually not an issue. Having pens that don't look like regular pens helps too—I think the Accent fell victim because it looks pretty normal on the outside. No one is going to pick up one of my TWSBI's and think it's a ballpoint.
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# ? Sep 6, 2014 19:19 |
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powderific posted:The manual that comes with new pens says to do exactly that. Well that's good. I have the original box, spare O ring, disassembly tool, and a single sheet with diagrams for use, but no actual manual. I assumed that all I should have to do was unscew the tail end of pen to open the valve. Not an issue though, and I love that it won't vomit ink all over the place on flights. I have some Diamine Eclipse and a vac-20 bottle on the way. Also emailed TWSBI about buying grease for the plunger. If I'm lucky they'll just send me a little.
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# ? Sep 7, 2014 02:04 |
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Loucks posted:Well that's good. I have the original box, spare O ring, disassembly tool, and a single sheet with diagrams for use, but no actual manual. I assumed that all I should have to do was unscew the tail end of pen to open the valve. Not an issue though, and I love that it won't vomit ink all over the place on flights. I have some Diamine Eclipse and a vac-20 bottle on the way. It's not the same liquidy stuff you get with a TWSBI pen, but you can buy silicone grease at any hardware store or home center. It's in the plumbing section. That's the same kind of stuff Goulet and I Sell Pens sell, but for like $3 you'll get more than you'll ever need in your life. I've used it on all my pens just fine, you just need to apply it with your fingers or a cotton swab.
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# ? Sep 7, 2014 02:29 |
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Visconti + Corsani collab: Homo Sapiens shape, celluloid body. http://fpgeeks.com/2014/09/the-visconti-corsani-90th-anniversary-is-the-love-child-of-the-homo-sapiens-and-wall-street-le/
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# ? Sep 7, 2014 15:00 |
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cobalt impurity posted:This is a correct response. That's not a very good quill
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# ? Sep 7, 2014 22:04 |
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Went to Blackberry Farm here in Aurora Illinois today and toured the one room school house that was built in the 1850s. It had a tour guide dressed in the finery of a school teacher of that time, and on her desk was an ink pot with turkey and goose feather quills she made herself paired with a parchment journal, bound in leather she bought at a renn fair
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# ? Sep 8, 2014 02:01 |
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Looking for a decent, cheapish flex pen. Are the Noodler's Ahab pens worth a shot?
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# ? Sep 8, 2014 12:31 |
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The fountain pen world came together and asked 'how can we get a cheap flex pen people can buy by the dozen and throw them away?' Noodler answered the call with the Ahab flex pens.
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# ? Sep 8, 2014 14:15 |
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I have two Ahabs. One of them had a lot of superficial flaws right out of the box, the other has a nib that's so shoddily made as to be unusable. But they're and come in a poo poo load of colours so knock yourself out!
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# ? Sep 8, 2014 14:51 |
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Any other suggestions? I had a cheap flex that I liked writing with but I lost it ages ago. Can't remember the name of the brand.
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# ? Sep 8, 2014 15:06 |
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Konrads are a little slimmer and easier to post for the same price.
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# ? Sep 8, 2014 16:23 |
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I got this Massdrop group buy for some more Metros, but where the hell are they!? I think my next big ticket buy is going to be a Pilot Metal Falcon with a soft extra fine nib. The converter that it supports, the CON-70, is absolutely massive and a button filler, so it meets all my criteria of having a very fine nib (can make dots finer than a Rhodia pad!), huge ink capacity, and being a pleasure to write with (probably - I might have to stop by Maido in SF to see if they have one I can fiddle with). Here's Goulet demonstrating and comparing the pen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX1Ad2lSxtw edit: also an instrumental demonstration of only the Metal Falcon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-9LwJfGvQ4 aldantefax fucked around with this message at 17:26 on Sep 8, 2014 |
# ? Sep 8, 2014 17:23 |
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I have an Ahab and I can't really say a bad thing about it. Expectations were low. I just wanted a demonstrator and a flex to play with, and I've never had any issues with it whatsoever. I use it often since the huge ink capacity means I can get through a work day reliably without having to refill.
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# ? Sep 8, 2014 18:34 |
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I had an Ahab that literally smelled like poo poo and broke when I was trying to adjust it.
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# ? Sep 8, 2014 19:27 |
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I got a demonstrator Konrad and swapped the flex nib for one of Goulet's italic nibs. It dries out really quickly compared to my other pens so I tend to not keep ink in it and just use it when I'm trying samples out. I like being able to completely dismantle it (it's sitting in pieces on my desk at the moment from the last time I cleaned it), and it does look neat being totally clear although unfortunately one of the samples I used a while back stained it.
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# ? Sep 8, 2014 19:30 |
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Landsknecht posted:What should I be saying to people who ask/reach for my pens at work and whatnot? I've noticed that since people always pass around cheap ballpoints without thinking, people will often reflexively reach for what is often a $200+ pen, which is something I'm not comfortable with (I don't think assuming that most people will gently caress up my pens without thinking is being a pompous rear end). Usually shout "SCREW CAP" as they're trying to yank the cap off of one of my TWSBIs. Ok, not shout, but you know. Once the cap is off they see what they're dealing with. But in all seriousness, I love letting folks try them out. They're usually too afraid of them to come close to damaging the nibs. But then again, I usually bring my $50ish pens to work, not the M600. Solkanar512 fucked around with this message at 19:48 on Sep 8, 2014 |
# ? Sep 8, 2014 19:41 |
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I got one(an Ahab) and didn't like it and it had a crack in the cap out of the box and a funny smell (that I perversely like). Don't waste your money on it. Get a TWSBI.
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# ? Sep 9, 2014 16:11 |
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Hellbeard posted:Get a TWSBI. I can't reiterate this strongly enough. TWSBI makes fantastic pens. I love my Diamond 580 and I use it daily. This is a bit off of that subject, but yesterday I had to fill out a form and the TWSBI wasn't in reach, so I was pleased to see that after months of neglect, my Esterbrook LJ still writes like brand new. I only had to wipe a bit of dried ink off the nib. If you ever get the opportunity to buy a vintage pen for cheap and restore it, do so.
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# ? Sep 9, 2014 16:41 |
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Bertrand Hustle posted:I can't reiterate this strongly enough. TWSBI makes fantastic pens. I love my Diamond 580 and I use it daily. I have a 540 and a 700 right here on my desk and they're both amazing.
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# ? Sep 9, 2014 16:47 |
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TWSBI's strength isn't even their pens, it's their loving incredible customer service. I think the only thing they haven't replaced free, without question, on my original ROC 540 is the nib.
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# ? Sep 9, 2014 17:02 |
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I have an Ahab that someone got me for a secret santa present last year and it works fine, but i didn't have any weird smells or cracked cap. It had a cool drawing that came with it too!
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# ? Sep 9, 2014 17:32 |
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Hellbeard posted:I got one(an Ahab) and didn't like it and it had a crack in the cap out of the box and a funny smell (that I perversely like). Don't waste your money on it. Get a TWSBI.
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# ? Sep 9, 2014 18:36 |
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I'm having a lot of problems with my platinum preppy blotting and I'm not sure if it's me, if it's the paper, if it's the pen.. I write on cheap composition notebooks. around every 4 pages of notes I get at least one large blob. It seems to get a lot wetter right before it blobs, and sometimes I can catch the blob hanging out on the back of the nib and wipe it off on something other than my notes. is my cheap paper sucking the ink out too fast? I keep the pen pretty much completely full everyday, to try and rule that out. am I writing too slowly or something..? everything I've seen says "keep the pen full" and "use thicker inks", I'm using Noodler's HoD, which I thought to be thicker than average? I don't mind modifying the feed but don't want to mess it up if it's me and not the pen.
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# ? Sep 9, 2014 19:48 |
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shallowj posted:I'm having a lot of problems with my platinum preppy blotting and I'm not sure if it's me, if it's the paper, if it's the pen.. It's the pen. The Platinum Preppy simply isn't as good as the hype. It's cheap. That's the only thing special about it. It will blob out ink, a lot, if you are using it as an "eyedropper" instead of cartridges. The most common response is that you have to keep it almost completely full of ink at all times to minimize the amount of air inside that can heat up from your hand and expand to push out the ink blob, with makes the pen very un-functional for common use.
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# ? Sep 9, 2014 20:33 |
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I had exactly the same issue with HoD, and keeping it filled up solved the blob issue, but it's not a pen I'd carry around; I usually just keep it on my pencil case on my desk and reach for it if I don't have any of the other pens around. It writes well enough for a free pen, I guess.
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# ? Sep 9, 2014 21:06 |
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My credit card decided to trigger fraud protection on the Hobonichi store. If anyone can snag the newly-restocked Onett 2 cover + pencil board bundle I'd be more than happy to slide a few extra bucks your way via PayPal (or whatever) to cover your trouble, postage and time. They're supposed to ship mid-December, but I'd of course slide you the funds immediately.
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# ? Sep 10, 2014 04:47 |
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Edmond Dantes posted:I had exactly the same issue with HoD, and keeping it filled up solved the blob issue, but it's not a pen I'd carry around; I usually just keep it on my pencil case on my desk and reach for it if I don't have any of the other pens around. It writes well enough for a free pen, I guess. HoD has never blobbed on me. I modified my own pen, though, and I am using a real, branded Preppy. If anything, it writes a little dry. I repaired a crack in the cap with some duct tape, and the rubber gasket is super fat, but it's actually my favorite desk pen. No way does that pen go in my purse unless it's in a plastic bag in the pen care.
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# ? Sep 10, 2014 13:28 |
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Oh, I didn't mean the ink itself was causing the issues, I was just echoing shallowj's issues with the preppy that came free with HoD. I've never actually used the pen with another ink, to be honest, as it'd be a bitch to fill without an eyedropper and it carries so much ink that I won't need refilling it for about 5 more years. On re-reading my post, though, it does read like I'm complaining about the ink, so sorry about the mixup.
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# ? Sep 10, 2014 14:02 |
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Soricidus posted:Surely the whole reason we're talking about Ahabs is because someone wanted a cheap flex pen? And TWSBI nibs, for all their virtues, are about as far from flex as you can get. Hmmm... I still can't recommend it. I did not find the Ahab flex to make much difference. Dip pens got some pretty wicked flex nibs and are very inexpensive.
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# ? Sep 10, 2014 14:10 |
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# ? May 13, 2024 11:05 |
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iostream.h posted:My credit card decided to trigger fraud protection on the Hobonichi store. Sent you a PM if you are still having trouble.
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# ? Sep 10, 2014 18:37 |