|
Inspired by this thread I recently bought some cheap fountain pens: A Jinhao 599A and a couple of Platinum Preppys. The Jinhao isn't bad, but the threading isn't molded very well so it has a tendency to unscrew the barrel as I write and the nib occasionally needs a second or two before the ink flows and it starts writing. That's fine as I wasn't expecting much from a five dollar pen. It's a neat little pen and I can see myself using it on occasion. The Preppy is a completely different story and I am just in love with it. Smooth writing, the ink doesn't start and stop, and it's pretty well balanced for a cheap pen; it has completely replaced ballpoint pens as everyday writing instruments for me. My only real complaint about it is that it takes cartridges. I was thinking of converting it to an eyedropper pen but I'm worried about the pen leaking. Are leaks in an eyedropper pen common or are they no big deal? Also, if I love the Preppy, what's a good higher-quality option for around $30-$50 if I decide to dive deeper into this hobby? Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 20:18 on Aug 7, 2015 |
#
¿
Aug 7, 2015 19:26
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 10, 2024 08:40 |
|
|
I just wanted to say thanks thread for turning me on to fountain pens! Wound up buying two a year or so ago and just fell in love with how effortless writing and sketching became. If anyone is curious about waterproof inks good for sketching, Platinum's Carbon Black ink is out of this world. I've been using it heavily with watercolors for years and haven't had a run yet.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 4, 2016 20:18
|
|
|
This is a really specific request, but here goes nothing: Does anyone have a recommendation for a pen that has a large grip circumference, is a little more attractive than a Lamy, and under $100? My hands are so big that anything under 12mm makes my hand cramp after just a few minutes of writing which, unfortunately, seems to be the majority of the pens I've tried.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 9, 2018 03:11
|
|
|
 Hi pen thread! Recently got back into the fountain pen game with a new TWSBI ECO-T in this lovely coral color. Went with the fine nib, as I used to sketch with the Platinum Plasir pens I had about a year ago and the thinner nibs are so much nicer to draw with. Behind it is the other joy of my (tiny) collection: a Conklin Duragraph ballpoint pen. It was a gift from my mom after she found out I was getting back into pens and it is seriously ugly. The photo doesn't do justice to it's bizarrely thick iridescent silver streaks. I know it's not fancy or well built, but drat if it isn't amusing. How long can you leave a bottle of ink sitting around before using it again? I have a some Iroshizuku Yama-guri and Platinum Carbon Black that are about a year or more old now that I'd like to use again, but I don't want to put it in my pens if they're going to gunk up the works. Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 20:43 on Jan 22, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Jan 22, 2020 20:40
|
|
|
Thanks for the info, guys! I just filled the ECO with the Iroshizoku and had forgotten how nice it looks on the page. It was actually Tsukushi instead of Yama-guri, which I guess goes to show how long I haven't looked at these bottles.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 23, 2020 02:05
|
|
|
After writing with the ECO for a while now, I'm starting to remember why I liked fountains pens in the first place. I have only one extremely petty complaint about it: I'm not a fan of TWSBI's logo. It looks like something a metal head would have drawn in their high school algebra notebook or something. The red logo blends in with the coral nicely, at least.
Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 04:20 on Jan 23, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Jan 23, 2020 04:16
|
|
|
It's generally non-toxic and considered non-poisonous. The WHO has this to say: quote:Ink: ball-point pens, felt-tip pens, and fountain pens contain so little ink that there is not enough to cause poisoning if it is sucked from a pen. Some inks may cause soreness in the mouth. Large amounts of ink swallowed from a bottle could be irritant, but serious poisoning has not been reported. The NIH agrees, and says that you'd need to ingest an ounce or more before you'd feel ill effects. Even then they say you probably wont even need to go to the hospital and to just drink lots of water. Some inks do contain a small amount of chemicals like xylene or phenol, which can be dangerous in large amounts. However, even with those inks, you would have to be drinking literal bottles of them before even approaching dangerous levels of those chemicals. Edit: it should also be noted that ink cannot be absorbed through the skin, so getting ink on your body is completely safe. Just clean with soap and water. Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 06:03 on Jan 24, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Jan 24, 2020 05:52
|
|
|
Googling for info about the Platinum Curidas led me to this Japanese page that has photos. Shows one of the pens in hand and how the clip remover works. Looks really cool! I might have to pick one up when they get released stateside.
Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 02:59 on Jan 26, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Jan 26, 2020 01:57
|
|
|
They're fine. Only slightly larger than Pilot's CON-40 so the ink capacity is on the smaller side, but I've had no issues with them. Edit: atholbrose posted:The page for the Curidas is up at Pen Chalet. Retails for $80, discounted at $64. I will get one, definitely, at that price. Awesome! I didn't realize it was releasing so soon. I sent off an email to Jetpens asking if they were going to carry the Curidas before I read this, but I'm seriously considering placing a preorder at Pen Chalet now. Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 17:36 on Jan 27, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Jan 27, 2020 17:13
|
|
|
Just got back into this hobby and already made another purchase: a Sailor Procolor 500 in Stardust. Haven't put ink in yet, but I'm excited to put some Fuyu-syogun that a friend gifted me in it. Gonna try it out in a notebook I recently finished pressing. The pen's color is really something and sometimes I catch myself turning it in my hand to look at all the little reflective bits.   
Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 20:03 on Jan 29, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Jan 29, 2020 19:26
|
|
|
grack posted:New Delta day today! Old post, I know, but I just can't get over how pretty this pen is! Big fan of blue-greens in pen bodies. Is this one of your Amazon outlet finds? I can never find any good deals there. 
Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 00:04 on Feb 1, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Jan 31, 2020 22:53
|
|
|
Arcsech posted:Yeah, I hope this lights a fire under Pilot’s rear end to make a better converter, and hopefully a VP at a lower price point too. It's funny, Pilot does make a cheaper version of the VP called Capless but only for the Japanese market. You can find them sometimes on Amazon or eBay for around $80 if you're willing to import one. The pen has a steel nib instead of gold, but it's otherwise identical. Hopefully the Curidas will push Pilot to start marketing their Capless outside of Japan and maybe get some more companies to throw their hat into the retractable ring. Edit: Speak of the devil, I just got a package in from Japan. Can't wait to get home and open it! Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 18:10 on Feb 2, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Feb 2, 2020 17:56
|
|
|
Welp, went to go pick up my package from the post office and found that a bunch of pens arrived at the same time. Top to bottom: Monteverde Regatta Sport rollerball Jinhao 159 Moonman M600S Pilot Capless Moonman 80 Put some Old Man Winter in the Moonman 80 so far and am liking it. Well balanced and it's refreshing to not have a designated grip section. The only criticism so far is that the cap is really tight and takes a little force to remove, but it's not really that big a deal as I'm not planning on using it to take notes. I'm gonna wait to ink up the others, as I'm going on vacation for a week and don't want to leave them sitting around that long. Edit: Dad Hominem posted:Gonna quote myself here because it's not the case that Capless = steel. Weird pet peeve, I know, but we're all kinda weird here. Good to know. Didn't realize that the Capless was just a different name for the same pen, I thought it was a separate, 'budget-friendly' line. It's interesting that Pilot doesn't use a plain steel nib for their steel models and instead colors them gold. It would look better with a plain nib in my opinion. 
Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 21:17 on Feb 2, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Feb 2, 2020 21:02
|
|
|
Unfortunately I don't have a real Parker 45 to compare it against, but I will say that it is very pleasant to write with so far. Nib writes smoothly, if a touch dry, out of the box without any adjustment. It came with a converter that has a tiny spring for an agitator (which I guess isn't uncommon for Chinese pens), but it made some odd sounds when moving the pen around before I took a look. Once it's filled with ink it doesn't make a noise. Interestingly, the Moonman's parts are identical and interchangeable with the 45 according to some video reviews. So I guess if you didn't like the nib you could swap it out with a vintage one no problem.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 3, 2020 02:26
|
|
|
Is it wierd to want a Visconti just because you like the clip design?
|
|
#
¿
Feb 3, 2020 19:28
|
|
|
Goulet has a blog post about this: Go vs Eco vs 580 Basically, the 580 is made of different, scratch resistant materials and the grip sections are round and interchangeable.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 3, 2020 19:40
|
|
|
Just a heads up if anyone is planning on importing anything from Japan: Apparently international packages from Asia are being delayed due to concerns over the virus.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 4, 2020 18:59
|
|
|
How do you guys store your pens for easy access at home? Right now, all of my pens are stored in their boxes in a drawer as otherwise they'll float around the desk and get lost.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 13, 2020 00:08
|
|
|
Recently I've become infatuated with Sailor pens and decided to reward myself with a nice one after getting through some tough work stuff. Got a Sailor Pro Gear in the 'Manyo' summer limited color, which is a really nice green. It has the first gold nib I've ever used and I can see why people like them. It is incredible to write with and the Pro Gear will most likely become my everyday writing pen. Also picked up a Wing Sung 699 to dip my toes into vac-fillers. It's a lot nicer than I expected. It's on the heavier side, and the nib writes very well even if the plating is a little off center. I'm a big fan of the clear brown. Makes it feel very '70's.   Here's the 699's nib, where you can see the plating/masking was a little off: 
Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 21:55 on Feb 14, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Feb 14, 2020 17:53
|
|
|
howe_sam posted:Sailor nibs are so drat good. You aren't kidding. I thought my Procolor was good, but this Pro Gear is in a league of its own. Might have to pick up another in a different color someday...
|
|
#
¿
Feb 15, 2020 22:24
|
|
|
Throwing my hat in with another recommendation for a Preppy. Loved sketching with the extra fine as it laid the thinnest line from any fountain pen I've used. If you want something a little nicer, you can spend about $10 more and get a Platinum Plaisir. It's the same pen as the Preppy but with an aluminum body and cap instead of plastic.
Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 01:37 on Feb 17, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Feb 17, 2020 01:32
|
|
|
My Moonman M600 has a really strong chemical smell coming from it. What's the best way to neutralize it?
|
|
#
¿
Feb 19, 2020 16:20
|
|
|
Dang, that's too bad. It's been sitting on my desk begging me to use it but the smell is really overpowering. I'll just have to be patient and let it air out.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 19, 2020 22:15
|
|
|
Got a super good deal so guess who has another Sailor on the way!
Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 18:26 on Feb 21, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Feb 21, 2020 17:47
|
|
|
So long as there isn't any air in the pen's ink chamber you'll be fine. Air expands as pressure decreases, so if the pen isn't full of ink the air inside will expand and push the ink out of the feed and leak. The only larger inlaid nib pen I can think of is a Sheaffer Legacy, but they're out of production now and are quite pricey. If you like stout pens the Jinhao 159 is an absolute unit of a pen but has a regular exposed nib. Here's my 159 next to a 601: 
|
|
#
¿
Feb 21, 2020 21:15
|
|
|
iospace posted:The biggest "shocks" are going to be rough roads, which are anywhere from "cobbled due to wear" to gravel to smooth as glass asphalt/concrete. Maybe a Wing Sung 699? It's a vacuum filler so you can seal the ink chamber from the section and it's made from some pretty thick plastic. The clip (at least on mine) is also nice and strong so it should be able to hold on pretty well. Anyone have a recommendation for a purple or green ink? Something nice and dark. I just placed an order for another Sailor (that makes two on the way now! God, this rabbit hole...) and would love to put some fun ink in it that's not a blue or gray.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 27, 2020 23:07
|
|
|
arrowdust posted:Have you tried Sailor Oku-yama? It's pretty much Oxblood with a pink undertone and better characteristics. I used to leave it in my Wing Sung 598 for weeks at a time without clogging issues. Nagasawa's Bordeaux (made by Sailor) is also a really nice oxblood-ish color. I keep some in a VP and it's become one of my favorite reds. Shame it's $30 a bottle, otherwise I'd have bought a couple by now.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 5, 2020 22:45
|
|
|
Jabarto posted:So I'm pretty sure my Diplomat is broken. Ink keeps blotting around the nib a lot more than it used to, and now even Pilot ink is doing that thing I mentioned where it just pools around the feed when I try to force it through with the converter. I'm really bummed that an $180 investment is giving me so much trouble. Is there any kind of troubleshooting I can do? I'm no expert when it comes to pen repair, but it sounds like there's air getting into the feed somewhere. Look around the pen for any micro-cracks or parts that aren't seated correctly. Hopefully it'll be a simple fix like the converter isn't engaged all the way or the nib unit isn't pushed/screwed in tightly. If it's more serious than that you might need to take it somewhere to get repaired. Both Sailors and a couple new inks arrived today! Impressive that they all showed up together as they came from different areas of the country with vastly different shipping times.  Sailor 1911 Standard in black with gold trim Sailor Professional Gear in a limited edition 'Lighthouse' colorway (slate grey and clear finials, rhodium trim) Nagasawa Green Tea ink Pilot Murasaki-shikibu purple ink So excited!
|
|
#
¿
Mar 7, 2020 18:02
|
|
|
The Eco T is a great pen. Its ink capacity will blow your mind if you've only used cartridges/converters before. Super easy to disassemble for cleaning, too. Also, sad to hear that Conklin isn't great anymore. My grandfather had a small collection of them from the early '20's that he loved, but I think they got thrown out after he passed because no one knew what to do with them at the time. I've been thinking of picking up a modern version for nostalgia but I dont really want spend the money and wind up with an expensive display-only pen.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 10, 2020 15:04
|
|
|
What a shame. I guess it's to be expected that a company would buy the Conklin name and slap it on some cheaper products for a quick buck. Oh well. Are the crescent fillers the only ones made in Italy? They look interesting but seem like they would be really heavy.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 11, 2020 15:08
|
|
|
I tried a couple of the Sailor Studio inks at Dromgoole's when I was in Texas and I think #123 might be just what you're looking for. It's a grey ink that has some wild color shift going on. Itll shift between grey, green, and purple all on the same line. I've never seen anything quite like it. Use with a wide nib to make the effect really prominent. The #162 is also really neat: it's a kind of pastel green with a purple sheen. Very unique looking and I liked it a lot, but it might not be for you if you dont like softer colors. The #150 is quite nice too, it's a purple that shades pink. I'm also a fan of the #450 which is a super-saturated purple, but it doesn't have much shading or sheen. It's just a really nice color. In terms of nibs, Sailor has a specialty nib called a Zoom that is really interesting. It's like a stub but it has a triangular tip, so you can get some really crazy line variation just by what angle you hold the pen to paper. I dont think you can buy a replacement nib though, so if you wanted to have one you'd have to buy a new pen. Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 16:10 on Mar 12, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Mar 12, 2020 16:07
|
|
|
That's true, if you use it like a normal pen it wont look much different than a stub. They do have more line variation if the pen is held like a calligraphy brush. Makes for a good sketching nib (at least in my experience).
|
|
#
¿
Mar 12, 2020 19:07
|
|
|
I know Monteverde makes one as I wound up the owner of the ballpoint version. It's a terrible pen as the grip section is way too small to be comfortable, but it looks interesting at least. Pilot also has a VP in carbon fiber as well, though it may have been wrapped around the regular VP body instead of made from it.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 14, 2020 17:05
|
|
|
Do you want a sketchbook or a journal you can sketch in? Are you going to use ink washes and/or paints? Edit: I think I latched onto the art aspect a little too much. When people talk about sketching I kinda gloss over the rest because I went to art school and man do I have opinions about paper. If you want something that can take a little more abuse (heavy washes, watercolor, marker), sketchbooks by Canson, Stillman and Birn, or Bee Paper will fit the bill while also being smooth for writing. There might be a touch of feathering depending on how toothy the paper is, but I've never had a problem otherwise using any of my fountain pens on them. Bee Paper Super Deluxe sketchbooks were my favorite for a long time, but I think they were recently discontinued and are being price gouged to hell on Amazon, unfortunately. I used to write and draw comics in them all the time and would do heavy black ink washes without a touch of bleed through. For something that's more of a notebook, I've been partial to the Stalogy Editor's Series notebooks lately. The paper is very thin, but I haven't had any bleed or feathering when writing with my fountain pens. Heavy ink use will cause a little bleed, so be aware of that, but it can take lighter washes just fine. The pages are gridded with a very, very light grey 4cmx4cm grid pattern, but I don't find them to be a hindrance when writing or drawing. If you've used a Hobonichi Techo, these are very similar in paper quality. Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 21:54 on Mar 19, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Mar 19, 2020 15:56
|
|
|
Sankis posted:Goulet is carrying Sailor stuff finally! Hooray. As weird as their fanbase can be, they're still my go to store since I've had nothing but wonderful experiences with them. Sailor have some of the best nibs I've used. Their naming conventions for the US market are kinda confusing, but I've never had a pen from them that I didn't like. Sankis posted:Haha, yeah. I mostly just want something that'll take a lot of fountain pen ink from flexing or whatever. If it can handle sumi ink or other dip inks that'd be a great bonus. Art stuff will be limited to my (very poor) calligraphy attempts. In that case, these would probably fit the bill: Aventura Notebook. They're basically a much better version of the Molskine Cahier notebooks. The one I linked is the blank version, but they also come in lined, dot, and grid page varieties. The paper is nice and thin but holds up really well to laying down some ink. If you want a more classic-looking notebook, the Kokuyo Campus series of notebooks and loose pages are really nice and aren't that expensive. They can take ink like a champ, though there will be a little ghosting with very dark inks. They're a little more money, but the Stillman and Birn Epsilon sketchbook also makes for a great journal, though it has a lower page count due to the thicker paper used. I used these as a daily planner and doodle repository for years and loved them. The paper is thin yet thick enough that there's no ghosting and smooth like butter. Really nice to write on. Anyway, thought I'd share this incredibly sweet package I got this morning with you guys: When she she was getting ready to move to a new town for college, my grandfather handed his daughter (my mom) one of the Conklins from his collection and told her to write him every day. Apparently, they kept in touch this way for years before my mom started her own family and got swept up in the hustle and bustle of taking care of two young kids. The pen was lost during some move, and my grandfather's collection was sold or junked after his passing. After I got back into the fountain pen hobby, my mom and I would have a conversation here and there about his old collection and I started thinking about doing the same thing he did with my mom. I'd buy each of us a Conklin and start writing letters to each other. Well, it turns out my mom had the same idea and she beat me to the punch. A Conklin Duragraph arrived with a really nice handwritten letter. It's not the fanciest pen, but god drat if I'm not going to use it every day. 
|
|
#
¿
Mar 20, 2020 16:13
|
|
|
KentuckyFriedBonBon posted:That's a lovely story and a lovely pen. Jiru posted:drat, that is a cool looking pen, and with a great story to it. Hope it serves you well and for many years Thanks! Inked it up with some nice orange ink and drew a little sunrise on my first letter to her. Feels good to restart this little family tradition  KentuckyFriedBonBon posted:I have this cheapo Jinhao I found at a local secondhand place, and I love the look of it, but it writes like absolute dogshit. Does anyone know offhand what my cheapest option would be for a pen that looks like this, but actually does its job? If you're set on getting a new pen, something from Moonman or Wing Sung will generally have better quality control. They usually run about $20-$30 if you get them on Amazon. Buying from China can get them cheaper, though you'll be waiting a few weeks before getting it in the mail. If you'd like, I've got a Moonman M600S you're welcome to have. Nothing's wrong with it, just have other pens in my collection that I find myself using more often. Shoot me a PM if you want it and I'll mail it out sometime next week.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 21, 2020 21:51
|
|
|
Yep, but it's not a bad thing. Sailor and a bunch of other brands use phenol in their inks which is a strong-smelling chemical that prevents them from going moldy.
Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 15:03 on Mar 26, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Mar 26, 2020 15:01
|
|
|
Decided to give the pens a thorough cleaning today since work has slowed down and we're all stuck inside. Now my pens are all nice and squeaky clean. It also made me really appreciate the ingenuity of Sailor converters. They don't use any glue in their construction, so everything screws together and can be taken apart with just a simple twist. Also took the opportunity to finally take a pen collection photo:  Left column, top to bottom: Wing Sung 699 Sailor 1911 Standard Sailor Professional Gear Sailor Professional Gear Slim Sailor Procolor 500 Right column, top to bottom: Pilot Capless Wing Sung 601 Platinum 3776 Conklin Duragraph TWSBI Eco-T (inked up with tsukushi before photo was taken) Moonman 80
|
|
#
¿
Mar 27, 2020 19:49
|
|
|
Something like a Tactile Turn Gist or a Ystudio Brassing might be what you're looking for. I've never seen anything quite like the Gist; it's machined from a block of metal to have shallow ridges running the length of the pen. It's quite nice to hold, comes in a couple different metals, and feels really solid. The Ystudio is much more modern looking and machined from solid brass, but it's definitely a desk pen so if portability is something you need then it's not a great option. It certainly makes a statement, though. Here's a couple Jetpens links: Tactile Turn, Ystudio I love my Sailor pens (their nibs are to die for), but if they aren't doing anything for you then you might want to wait on getting one. They occasionally release special editions in metal. Chip McFuck fucked around with this message at 16:35 on Apr 8, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Apr 8, 2020 16:00
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 10, 2024 08:40 |
|
|
For dip pens, you can get a quart of Black Cat or Speedball India ink for around $15. Sometimes cheaper on Amazon.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 17, 2020 23:02
|
|