|
I will also recommend Aurora black, it's really good.
|
#
?
Mar 13, 2023 17:30
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 06:47 |
|
|
I use the Sailor Kiwaguro as my daily ink (TWSBI Eco EF) but I specifically want the water resistance. It shades toward gray if I write too quickly or have the page tilted so the ink pools, but you really have to look for it, it's pretty dark! Dry time's kind of a pain but it's manageable, only an issue at page-turns in busy seminars. It's probably overkill but I give it a real good water flush every time I kill a barrel of ink.
|
|
#
?
Mar 13, 2023 20:14
|
|
|
Thanks for all the replies. I'll put aurora black on my to buy list if I can find it for cheap enough, seems to be at a big mark up here and/or out of stock in canada in the few shops I've seen it. I really don't need any special properties so I'd rather not deal with inks that require any amount of special care. Otherwise I think I'll go for Diamine Onyx Black if I want something cheaper. Or may be Pilot Take-Sumi since it's going to end up same price/slightly cheaper than aurora black and having another one of those pretty bottles is always fun.
|
|
#
?
Mar 13, 2023 21:35
|
|
|
KingColliwog posted:Thanks for all the replies. I'll put aurora black on my to buy list if I can find it for cheap enough, seems to be at a big mark up here and/or out of stock in canada in the few shops I've seen it. I really don't need any special properties so I'd rather not deal with inks that require any amount of special care. take-sumi is wonderful for writing but not super black, it leans towards grey a tiny bit. https://mountainofink.com/blog/pilot-iroshizuku-take-sumi
|
|
#
?
Mar 13, 2023 21:51
|
|
|
Oh cool the Pilot Custom 743 is finally available from North American retailers. That Falcon nib is a lot of fun, especially if you replace the factory feed with an aftermarket ebonite one.
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2023 16:50
|
|
|
You still get hosed by Pilot's silly North America pricing, though. I got mine from Japan on eBay for $220 shipped, rather than the $330 Nibs.com is asking.
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2023 17:01
|
|
|
Anyone have feedback on Scrivener Luxury Fountain pens? I searched and found nothing, so are they trash?
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2023 17:10
|
|
|
My Dad bought me one while he was looking for different pens. I have no complaints, it's one of the smoothest out of the box pens I've ever written with. I've never had a problem with nib creep or hard starts, though I've only had one ink in it. It comes with a converter and looks nice and business-like. It's a good mid-range pen, but there are plenty of options in this range that are more well-known.
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2023 17:55
|
|
|
Haven't tried them myself but an acquaintance picked one up as their first fountain pen and were pleased with it. Edit: One thing that gives me pause is the marketing copy focuses a lot of the aesthetics and trappings of the pen and not so much on the guts. You have to pay attention to find out the nib material and I don't think they mention anything about the feed. Basically, there's information I'm used to seeing in pens marketed to pen nerds, that I don't see with the Scriveiners. Seems like they're trying hard to position themselves as an entry-point to fountain pens. Doesn't make them bad necessarily, but it does feel a bit weird. SixteenShells fucked around with this message at 18:08 on Mar 23, 2023 |
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2023 18:02
|
|
|
It sounds like it may be a pen brand out of China or one that's at least made there. It's most likely a reselling operation. That's not to say they're bad. China has gotten really good at making pens (to the point where western brands actively try to sabotage them) so they're likely actually quite alright. As for the internals it sounds like they're just Schmidt nibs and feeds. That means they're likely good if a bit unexciting. The only question mark id have is how good A recent reddit I found with the same question (yours?) suggests Hong Dian Black Forest pens are also worth looking into.
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2023 19:08
|
|
|
Majohn released a copy of the faceted resin Vanishing Point called the A2. Some pretty cool colours. Esybuy has them on eBay for non-extortionist prices right now.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2023 16:11
|
|
|
I got a fancy box today it had a fancy pen in it  aka-tamenuri Decapod twist with absolute unit of a BB nib 
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2023 20:17
|
|
|
Gorgeous, howe_sam! One day I’ll get a Nakaya, if I can scrounge up that much money…
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2023 23:24
|
|
|
That's very pretty. Unfortunately, whenever I get the idea to spend that sort of money on a pen I inevitably end up with another Delta That reminds me, I haven't bought a Delta in over a month.
|
|
#
?
Mar 30, 2023 01:02
|
|
|
The month isn't over yet!
|
|
#
?
Mar 30, 2023 02:37
|
|
|
Sankis posted:It sounds like it may be a pen brand out of China or one that's at least made there. It's most likely a reselling operation. That's not to say they're bad. China has gotten really good at making pens (to the point where western brands actively try to sabotage them) so they're likely actually quite alright. As for the internals it sounds like they're just Schmidt nibs and feeds. That means they're likely good if a bit unexciting. Thanks for the recommendation. I looked at Hong Dian and saw it had a Calligraphy tip. It was only  so I got it. It's a pretty nice pen for the money. Solid and sturdy, says it's carbon fiber. It's meatier than the all metal Procyon pen I have. But it's not too heavy at all. Feels good and counter-weighted with the cap on the end. Cap isn't screw on, but it stays in place nicely, unlike some plastic pens in the $ range. The nib is really smooth, black anodized (I think). I haven't used a Calligraphy nib before, but I really like it. Didn't come with any ink, but that's fine - I have plenty. I put some Tsuyu-kusa ink in it and really like the results. When I get the angle and pressure down, it makes really interesting lines.Photo tax: 
|
|
#
?
Mar 30, 2023 15:21
|
|
|
howe_sam posted:I got a fancy box today Lust for a Dorsal Fin 2 reignited. Unfortunately I just spent that money on teeth. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 30, 2023 16:40
|
|
|
Absolutely gorgeous. I still think about a Decapod or a Dorsal Fin from time to time. Maybe I'll try one at the next SF Pen Show.
|
|
#
?
Mar 30, 2023 17:38
|
|
|
I just started using fountain pens a little over a week and a half ago. Started with a Platinum Preppy in green, but now I've already upgraded to a Pilot Metropolitan. Is there a general consensus on the best converter for it? I'm cool with the one that came with it, but would prefer something I can actually see filling up. It's so hard to write with a ballpoint now. It just feels so bad.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2023 04:31
|
|
|
Doctor Hospital posted:I just started using fountain pens a little over a week and a half ago. Started with a Platinum Preppy in green, but now I've already upgraded to a Pilot Metropolitan. Is there a general consensus on the best converter for it? I'm cool with the one that came with it, but would prefer something I can actually see filling up. Con-40 you could see the ink. It does have a rather low capacity though (if you like changing your ink a lot this could be a plus). Con-70s hold more I think but I’m pretty sure they won’t fit in a Metro. One thing that is pretty popular with Pilots I think is cleaning out a used cartridge and then using a blunt-tipped syringe to put whatever ink in it. That will hold more ink than a converter, but is more involved. I don’t think you can buy empty Pilot cartridges, but washing them out with the syringe is pretty easy. Note: I’m assuming you aren’t in Europe. The Pilot “MR” version in Europe uses international standard; anywhere else uses Pilot proprietary.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2023 06:25
|
|
|
NiftyBottle posted:Con-40 you could see the ink. It does have a rather low capacity though (if you like changing your ink a lot this could be a plus). Con-70s hold more I think but I’m pretty sure they won’t fit in a Metro. One thing that is pretty popular with Pilots I think is cleaning out a used cartridge and then using a blunt-tipped syringe to put whatever ink in it. That will hold more ink than a converter, but is more involved. I don’t think you can buy empty Pilot cartridges, but washing them out with the syringe is pretty easy. Ah, yeah, I'm in the US, so it's proprietary cartridges for me. I think I'll probably just stick with the CON-B that came with it. The tradeoff for not being able to see the ink is having a solid ml of capacity, so I think that's fair. It's too bad the CON-70 doesn't fit, because that'd solve that equation pretty handily, but eh, I'll save it for when I inevitably buckle and buy a Heritage SE or something way down the line. The Metro writes really, really smoothly, though! I can definitely see this thing being a daily driver.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2023 07:24
|
|
|
NiftyBottle posted:One thing that is pretty popular with Pilots I think is cleaning out a used cartridge and then using a blunt-tipped syringe to put whatever ink in it. That will hold more ink than a converter, but is more involved. I don’t think you can buy empty Pilot cartridges, but washing them out with the syringe is pretty easy. I have done this for years and years and I'll never go back to Pilot's converters, I hate them so much and I can't even articulate why. I don't even bother with syringes, I bought one box of disposable plastic pipettes like a decade ago and I still haven't run out.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2023 14:25
|
|
|
blunt tipped syringes are really great for refilling ink, it took me years to get on board doing it that way and I regret not hopping on board immediately. It's much faster, easier, and cleaner than filling the converter directly in an inkwell. And you can actually fill the darn thing all the way up. Just make sure you flush the syringe out until the water in it runs totally clear, especially the last little squeeze to get the last bits of liquid out. That's more important if you have multiple colors of ink that you are alternating between on the regular, and you don't want to contaminate your inkwells with bits of the wrong color.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2023 14:34
|
|
|
Converters, especially Pilot's, are a dang scam
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2023 15:54
|
|
|
Con-50 was a perfectly cromulent converter so of course Pilot got rid of it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2023 16:38
|
|
|
Surprised that there aren't any Kickstarter or other third-party options for Pilot converters, given how universally displeasing they are to use
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2023 17:05
|
|
|
I always use either pippettes or an ink syringe on all my pilot converters. Also, having used both, I tend to prefer the syringe since some converters and cartriges can be a little tricker to fit the pippettes into (pippettes are a bit easier to keep clean or just dispose of if they get nasty though).
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2023 17:16
|
|
|
Once you get a 10 pack of blunt syringes off amazon to refill cartridges, you'll find the other 9 being used all over the house. Turns out the ability to get small, measured amounts of liquid into precise places is incredibly useful.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2023 17:29
|
|
|
Amazon? Pfft. I just go buy syringes from my favorite shady pharmacy and blunt the tips myself
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2023 00:17
|
|
|
howe_sam posted:I got a fancy box today The pen is sick, but where did the crab buddy come from?
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2023 03:44
|
|
|
I got mine from Goldspot, but they're available all over the internet.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2023 05:06
|
|
|
I've had an idea in my head for a pen rest akin to the crab one, but it's a possum. One of these days I'll try and sketch one out and carve it out of wood or something.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2023 16:12
|
|
|
SixteenShells posted:I've had an idea in my head for a pen rest akin to the crab one, but it's a possum. One of these days I'll try and sketch one out and carve it out of wood or something. I would also enjoy this. I've heard that ink can mold under bad conditions. I live in a pretty hot, humid area, so is that a more serious risk for me, or is it only if inks are kept in, like, really bad conditions?
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2023 04:23
|
|
|
Doctor Hospital posted:I've heard that ink can mold under bad conditions. I live in a pretty hot, humid area, so is that a more serious risk for me, or is it only if inks are kept in, like, really bad conditions? I live in a pretty humid place too and I don't get the impression that environment has much of anything to do with it. Moldy ink is mostly a matter of bad luck with the individual bottle IMO.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2023 04:54
|
|
|
The only instances of moldy ink I've heard about ended up being the result of a house that had an overall mold problem. I'm sure it can happen but the industry has had well over a century to solve it and they seem to have in most instances. I've had filled pens get kinda moldy but it was a brand with abysmal QA (Noodlers) and also the pen was not in a drawer or anything, just sitting on my desk.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2023 09:28
|
|
|
I had a bottle of Noodler's Nightshade that developed mold but I believe it got exposed when I accidentally forgot about some tea leaves in a pot left next to the bottle and they got moldy  I also had a pen that got mold in it because I put it in an old box I found at a thrift shop and it had fuzzies growing out of the nib. I was able to correct it with a sonic washer and some disinfectant.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2023 14:08
|
|
|
A Private Reserve ink I bought maybe last summer and used once, and tried to use it again a few weeks ago and my blunt syringe had some kind of goop hanging off it when I pulled it out. I don't think I saw any visible mold beforehand but I I wasn't looking for something like that, didn't know it could happen. I wanted to use it in a Jinhao x159 pen I bought, but anyways I'm pretty pleased with this budget pen; I wanted a larger sized pen, and this one is a big lad, comfortable and so far writes well. I flushed it when I first got it and some blue ink was in the water so they must've tested it too.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2023 19:21
|
|
|
Dad Hominem posted:I live in a pretty humid place too and I don't get the impression that environment has much of anything to do with it. Moldy ink is mostly a matter of bad luck with the individual bottle IMO.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2023 19:44
|
|
|
stealie72 posted:Or something going wrong at the manufacturer, like when all those Montverde bottles that Goulet gave away with diplomat pens went moldy. Yeah, the only time I've had mold in ink was from one of these Montverde bottles. A shame cause it was a lovely color, but I opened it to refill the pen and there were life forms floating at the surface. Very bizarre.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2023 23:07
|
|
thunderdome winner
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 06:47 |
|
|
Never had mold, but I did have a store-brand scented ink go off. Don't know how to describe it. It didn't seem to separate, but it's like the pigment just vanished and it became a very thin watery version of brown. I'll never finish my blue-black Noodlers lol.
|
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2023 13:25
|
|
