|
Does anyone itt have a TWSBI Diamond 580Al in Orange or Lava they'd be interested in selling? I guess even the re-release of Orange (Lava) sold out fast and now two years later they cannot be found 
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 00:37
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 28, 2024 13:43 |
|
|
Wonder Pens still has a gold mini if you decide to settle.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 00:50
|
|
|
Did the TWSBI Vac 700R actually get discontinued, or is that just a wild rumor I picked up somewhere? Its visibility/availability are kind of suspiciously limited at the moment, but I can't find anything that actually mentions it being axed from the TWSBI line-up.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 15:05
|
|
|
Trustworthy posted:Did the TWSBI Vac 700R actually get discontinued, or is that just a wild rumor I picked up somewhere? Aside from the broad nib, it looks like Goulet still has them in stock.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 16:51
|
|
|
Anderson has everything except for the stub, and Jet Pens has the full range in stock, but this does remind me I should pick one up to replace the Vac 700 I left at a bar.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 17:03
|
|
|
Question on general buying practices for fountain pen stuff: I've heard some people get kind of hit-and-miss results buying stuff on Amazon, what is safe to buy on amazon, and what should I stick to buying from specialized companies? I'm talking pens, ink, accessories, the whole gamut of stuff. I've bought all my pens (Safari, Metro, Preppy, Tasche) on Amazon and so far haven't had any issues, though I haven't actually gotten the Tasche yet. I've also bought ink cartridges on Amazon but I'm a little wary of buying Iroshizuku ink from there. And for small companies, any strong reason to go for Goulet vs JetPens or any other company? I'm in the US if that has any bearing on any of this.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 17:42
|
|
|
MockingQuantum posted:Question on general buying practices for fountain pen stuff: I've heard some people get kind of hit-and-miss results buying stuff on Amazon, what is safe to buy on amazon, and what should I stick to buying from specialized companies? I'm talking pens, ink, accessories, the whole gamut of stuff. I've bought all my pens (Safari, Metro, Preppy, Tasche) on Amazon and so far haven't had any issues, though I haven't actually gotten the Tasche yet. I've also bought ink cartridges on Amazon but I'm a little wary of buying Iroshizuku ink from there. I have had good luck with Pilot (pens and converters) via Amazon- no counterfeits and packaged ok. I bought some ink from Amazon once and I will never do that again: it arrived intact, but only through luck: a medium box, a few air pillows, and a bottle of Lie de Thé bouncing around. I'd buy cartridges if I was a cartridge buyer though. Hard to damage those. Lamy tends to have counterfeits mixed in the stock. All the small guys have gaps in their inventory coverage so I've shopped at every one of the main ones for stuff and I have had good experiences. Breakables are wrapped well and shipping is usually reasonable. In other news, I'm going through blue ink for my work pen as I want something brighter than Blue-black. Noodler's Legal Blue dries quickly (yay) but feathers (expected) and makes my EF nib into an F. Knowing me, I'll probably keep trying blues for months before going back to blue-black.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 17:54
|
|
Trustworthy posted:Did the TWSBI Vac 700R actually get discontinued, or is that just a wild rumor I picked up somewhere? It was a rumor, TWSBI stopped shipments because they are retooling their factory, people got confused and thought they were discontinuing the pen.
|
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 18:07
|
|
|
MockingQuantum posted:Question on general buying practices for fountain pen stuff: I've heard some people get kind of hit-and-miss results buying stuff on Amazon, what is safe to buy on amazon, and what should I stick to buying from specialized companies? I'm talking pens, ink, accessories, the whole gamut of stuff. I've bought all my pens (Safari, Metro, Preppy, Tasche) on Amazon and so far haven't had any issues, though I haven't actually gotten the Tasche yet. I've also bought ink cartridges on Amazon but I'm a little wary of buying Iroshizuku ink from there. Jetpens has always been excellent to me, but I don't really know about any of the others.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 18:10
|
|
effika posted:I have had good luck with Pilot (pens and converters) via Amazon- no counterfeits and packaged ok. Try Pilot/Namiki Blue, it's moderately quick drying, dark enough that you should not get complaints and is nearly water proof to boot.
|
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 18:10
|
|
MockingQuantum posted:Question on general buying practices for fountain pen stuff: I've heard some people get kind of hit-and-miss results buying stuff on Amazon, what is safe to buy on amazon, and what should I stick to buying from specialized companies? I'm talking pens, ink, accessories, the whole gamut of stuff. I've bought all my pens (Safari, Metro, Preppy, Tasche) on Amazon and so far haven't had any issues, though I haven't actually gotten the Tasche yet. I've also bought ink cartridges on Amazon but I'm a little wary of buying Iroshizuku ink from there. I have used Goulet and JetPens, both have been fine, though Goulet packs things extremely well and has had great customer service when I have needed it. I know someone who bought a Pilot VP from them, hosed up the nib by putting the nib unit in wrong and Goulet replaced the whole pen at no charge even though it was user error on their part.
|
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 18:15
|
|
|
AVeryLargeRadish posted:I have used Goulet and JetPens, both have been fine, though Goulet packs things extremely well and has had great customer service when I have needed it. I know someone who bought a Pilot VP from them, hosed up the nib by putting the nib unit in wrong and Goulet replaced the whole pen at no charge even though it was user error on their part. Yeah I think I'm going to stick to one or the other for any pen above about $20-30 and ink, for sort of that reason. I asked a couple of friends who buy a ton of art supplies from JetPens and they both said they've had fantastic customer service from them as well, so I think I'll end up doing like a poster said above and kind of go to whichever has the selection I need at the time. I do really like that Goulet does ink samples though, I'll probably be getting a batch to try soon since I am skeptical of brightly colored inks. Another question (I swear I'll run out of them soon), what's a good option for a pocket notebook that works well with fountain pens? I'd like to avoid leather so as not to gross out my vegetarian wife, but I do need something that's rugged enough to not fall apart from literally being in the pocket of my jeans every day. I use Rhodia dot pads and love them, so I was probably going to go with a pocket sized Webnotebook, but any other strong contenders? I've heard good stuff about Leuchtturm notebooks but never used one myself.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 18:24
|
|
MockingQuantum posted:Yeah I think I'm going to stick to one or the other for any pen above about $20-30 and ink, for sort of that reason. I asked a couple of friends who buy a ton of art supplies from JetPens and they both said they've had fantastic customer service from them as well, so I think I'll end up doing like a poster said above and kind of go to whichever has the selection I need at the time. I do really like that Goulet does ink samples though, I'll probably be getting a batch to try soon since I am skeptical of brightly colored inks. I can't really help you there, I use a messenger bag for carrying my stuff around so I use a larger leather bound organizer.
|
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 18:35
|
|
|
MockingQuantum posted:Yeah I think I'm going to stick to one or the other for any pen above about $20-30 and ink, for sort of that reason. I asked a couple of friends who buy a ton of art supplies from JetPens and they both said they've had fantastic customer service from them as well, so I think I'll end up doing like a poster said above and kind of go to whichever has the selection I need at the time. I do really like that Goulet does ink samples though, I'll probably be getting a batch to try soon since I am skeptical of brightly colored inks. Check out some of the "fauxdori" Traveler's Notebooks out there. The real TNs are leather, but there's a lot of vegan-friendly (vinyl, veg leather, etc.) options made by other people/companies. I use a passport-sized TN for my wallet with just a single notebook and a card insert. It works great for shopping lists, jotting down ideas or notes, etc. as well as holding about 8 cards plus a pouch in back that holds a glasses cleaning cloth, a bandaid, some stamps, etc. Yet it fits easily in a hip or back pocket. I transfer the important stuff (writing ideas, etc) to my full-size TN which lives in my backpack (though it does fit in the back pocket of most of my pants, it kinda sticks out a lot and I have to take it out every time I sit down).
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 19:04
|
|
|
If you buy from Goulet you also get a Tootsie Pop thrown in for free which is a nice treat. I've bought pens and ink from Amazon, but unless it's a phenomenal deal I'd rather buy from one of the speciality pen shops: Goulet, Anderson, Vanness, Pen Chalet, etc. for one thing it doesn't support Amazon's crappy work environment, and for another they have a better selection of items.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 19:15
|
|
|
I tend to use Jet Pens these days because their threshold for free shipping is very low and they have a good selection of office-supply style stuff that works well with fountain pens.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 20:54
|
|
|
Is the fountain pen market unusually fractured? No store carries all the brands I’m interested in, and I’m not talking about first– or second‐party goods. No two stores do.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 21:19
|
|
|
I prefer to buy from Goulet or other smaller specialty retailers. Goulet has great customer service, which is nice. Generally I want to spend my dollars with vendors that will turn that revenue around into their local communities as wages, and to support smaller specialty shops so that they don't fade away. Anything Japanese is painfully expensive though, so I'll often import through Engeika if I want Iroshizuku ink or something.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 21:30
|
|
|
Platystemon posted:Is the fountain pen market unusually fractured? I guess? Based on some things Brian Goulet's said in his Q&As sometimes a company/distributor has restrictions on what kind of store can carry their product -- like Mont Blanc only does business with brick and mortar stores-- sometimes a store can burn their bridges with a distributor -- like Goulet did with Itoya/Sailor -- and sometimes a store doesn't think a brand fits their customer base
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 21:47
|
|
|
Is there anywhere you can buy just a broad nib for a Safari? They seem to have vanished 
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 23:59
|
|
|
Eric the Mauve posted:Is there anywhere you can buy just a broad nib for a Safari? They seem to have vanished This is in stock: https://www.gouletpens.com/lamy-steel-nib-silver-broad/p/LMY-LZ50SL-B
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 00:25
|
|
|
Eric the Mauve posted:Is there anywhere you can buy just a broad nib for a Safari? They seem to have vanished Fontoplomo has them, if you have time to wait.
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 01:15
|
|
|
What happened with Goulet and Sailor?
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 02:43
|
|
Heath posted:What happened with Goulet and Sailor? IIRC Sailor wanted to change their agreement with their US distributors so that they would have to carry the full Sailor product line, Goulet felt that not enough of it would sell at the prices Sailor wanted to enforce so they dropped Sailor stuff from their store.
|
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 02:55
|
|
|
Heath posted:What happened with Goulet and Sailor? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyq393sM9vY
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 02:57
|
|
|
I'm a big fan of Goulet but have not actually shopped elsewhere. For me it's the mini Tootsie Pop, hand written thank you, and amazing sample collection that keeps me coming back.
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 04:44
|
|
|
Wonderpens and Stylo.ca are both great Canadian sites, I buy from Fontoplumo frequently though because of their selection and low prices... it just takes a month to get anything. Edit: Also, for those that have used/ use sealing wax, do you think that these cookie stamps would work with it?   I've thought about having a stamp made, but want the 3D effect that these stamps would provide... plus the designs are pretty awesome! Professor Shark fucked around with this message at 10:33 on Jan 24, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 10:17
|
|
|
Is there any place that sells the Monteverde Invincia Carbon Fiber Orange version other than the official Monteverde store? I'm guessing it's just out of production and not sold anywhere other than Monteverde, and for $110 I'd rather just hold out and keep an eye on Ebay.
MJP fucked around with this message at 17:27 on Jan 24, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 17:03
|
|
|
Professor Shark posted:Also, for those that have used/ use sealing wax, do you think that these cookie stamps would work with it? Maybe? I can't tell exactly how big those are but since they're for cookies, I imagine they're around 2" or more in diameter. That means that you'll need to melt a lot of wax to use them. My stamp is about 3/4" in diameter and it still takes a surprising amount of wax to build up a good dollop to press into. With that much wax, you might also run into the issue of having the first stuff you melted start to cool and harden before you get the rest melted. They would be cool stamps, though.
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 18:25
|
|
|
MJP posted:Is there any place that sells the Monteverde Invincia Carbon Fiber Orange version other than the official Monteverde store? I'm guessing it's just out of production and not sold anywhere other than Monteverde, and for $110 I'd rather just hold out and keep an eye on Ebay. I'd only pay $110 if they promised to sand that lovely Monteverde font off the band
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 19:14
|
|
|
Trustworthy posted:I'd only pay $110 if they promised to sand that lovely Monteverde font off the band The finish will likely all flake off in 3 months anyways.
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 19:21
|
|
|
I'm just in it for the carbon fiber and nice shade of orange cap. I don't mind keeping the Ebay alert alive for an extended period of time, or just seeing if someone can custom-turn a CF pen and a similar cap somehow.
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 21:48
|
|
|
Ok, so I've been lurking this thread for a bit and finally pulled the trigger on a Pilot Metropolitan. I love writing with it, but I have a question. There seems to be a little bit of ink that shows up on the top of the nib, but whatever that is I suspect is dumping ink into the cap. Whenever I write with it, I end up with ink all over my fingers. So am I doing something wrong? I should note that I'm using the cartridge that came with the pen.
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 22:07
|
|
|
honestly happens to me too, with my metro and my lamy safari too. One of the reasons I tend to stick to my twsbi eco and pilot VP instead, poo poo just stays cleaner for some reason (better sealing/radical design differences probably)
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 22:14
|
|
|
Has anybody hired a nibmeister to tune their pens before? My Pelikan seems to have a very small sweet spot which may/may not be related to the tines being slightly unaligned. I’d like to get that smoothed and sorted out, so all in all very light corrective work (I assume?) Anyone have recommendations on some good ones?
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 23:09
|
|
givepatajob posted:Ok, so I've been lurking this thread for a bit and finally pulled the trigger on a Pilot Metropolitan. I love writing with it, but I have a question. There seems to be a little bit of ink that shows up on the top of the nib, but whatever that is I suspect is dumping ink into the cap. Whenever I write with it, I end up with ink all over my fingers. I think you got a dud, my Metro does not pull that sort of poo poo, though I carry my pens in my shirt pocket, so maybe if you carry it in a bag or pants pocket it's more likely to do that?
|
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 23:44
|
|
|
AVeryLargeRadish posted:I think you got a dud, my Metro does not pull that sort of poo poo, though I carry my pens in my shirt pocket, so maybe if you carry it in a bag or pants pocket it's more likely to do that? Basically the ink is mobile. If you’ve ever seen a movie where someone sprays ink from a pen by swinging it it’s a fountain pen. If the pens get bounced around enough the ink can get flung off the nib into the cap, and if it’s on the lower part of the cap that contacts the barrel of the pen it’ll transfer ink to where your fingers rest. My Falcon is especially bad about losing ink just unscrewing the cap, or at least it was initially - it seems fine now, although I usually unscrew it holding it vertical.
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2018 23:50
|
|
|
Magnus Praeda posted:Maybe? I can't tell exactly how big those are but since they're for cookies, I imagine they're around 2" or more in diameter. That means that you'll need to melt a lot of wax to use them. My stamp is about 3/4" in diameter and it still takes a surprising amount of wax to build up a good dollop to press into. With that much wax, you might also run into the issue of having the first stuff you melted start to cool and harden before you get the rest melted. They would be cool stamps, though. I wasn't sure about the size so I went to their website... 3", wayyyyy too big! It's a shame, because that 3D bee is awesome, and as far as I can tell there aren't any seal makers who do 3D. I guess I could always get one of the Chinese custom sellers on Etsy to make the honeycomb pattern, at least. 
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2018 01:32
|
|
|
AVeryLargeRadish posted:I think you got a dud, my Metro does not pull that sort of poo poo, though I carry my pens in my shirt pocket, so maybe if you carry it in a bag or pants pocket it's more likely to do that? Maybe it’s a dud. It doesn’t travel with me at all. It stays mostly horizontal capped at my desk. Maybe I need to keep it vertical?
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2018 01:52
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 28, 2024 13:43 |
|
givepatajob posted:Maybe it’s a dud. It doesn’t travel with me at all. It stays mostly horizontal capped at my desk. Maybe I need to keep it vertical? You can try that, I used to just leave my pens lying on their sides on my desk before I got something to hold them with and they still never leaked or had ink come out by accident. Speaking of pen storage, I got this thing recently and it's been great, technically it's for storing toothbrushes but it works great for pens, I modified it slightly by cutting a piece of paper to size and putting it in the larger hole so I could store some cheaper pens that I am not worried about getting scratches on like my Metro and Eco.
|
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2018 02:10
|
|