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TopherCStone posted:I have a handful of vintage Esterbrooks and some others. The reason I don't use them more is that they are inconvenient and messy to fill, and no matter what I do I always get massive ink stains on my hands. I did play with a Namiki Vanishing Point at the Fountain Pen Hospital which was cool though. Maybe you've got leaks between the sac and the section, like on my Esterbrook. A pen shouldn't make a mess unless it's broken.
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Mar 16, 2013 04:52
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I just got a bottle from Tokyu Hands for 1575 yen, and I saw Maruzen has the same price too. Remember to pack carefully! I once lost half a bottle of yuyake to breakage. Also be careful of restrictions on liquids in carry ons.
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Jun 8, 2013 05:23
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Captain Postal posted:b) the converter doesn't suck up any ink through the nib. At all. This is not normal. Are you sure the converter is seated properly and there's nothing blocking ink in the section? You also might not be dipping deep enough - the entire metal portion of the nib must be submerged. The grip will get inky but if you have tissue on hand it should be possible to keep your hands clean.
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Sep 17, 2013 08:11
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milpreve posted:Is pen cleaning any different from filling and emptying the converter until water runs clear through? The feed on a Metro should come out with a gentle tug, and running that under the faucet for a bit should get rid of a lot of trapped ink.
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Sep 18, 2013 05:16
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Xun posted:Any suggestions for a good slim pen? I'm thinking about moving up from my safari at some point but a lot of the suggested ones look too fat for my tiny rear end hands Sailor Chalana?
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Sep 21, 2013 10:33
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aldantefax posted:Hey. Tell me about vintage pens. Estebrooks, Watermans, Schaeffers, whatever. The local Pen Posse has told me that if I want to look into flexy nibs and italics that vintage pens are ones not to sleep on. I'm looking for durable, easy to maintain, sub 70 bucks, flexy nib. Suggestions? Find an Esterbrook with a 9128 nib if you can. They're quite sought after and increasingly rather pricy but should still be within budget. As far as steel flex nibs go they're amazing, and much better than the Ahab I think.
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Sep 26, 2013 05:28
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Can anyone post a picture of the Diamond 530 instruction leaflet, specifically the parts diagram? I need a replacement o-ring but I'm not sure how to describe it precisely. Thanks!
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Oct 22, 2013 13:45
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aldantefax posted:yeah okay one sec Thanks!
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Oct 29, 2013 03:01
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His Divine Shadow posted:Anyone else using a Pilot Parallel with 6mm wide nib for a highligther? I don't but that's the plan. I would if possible move the nib to some other pen as the standard body is quite ugly. I did this, using Pelikan highlighter ink. Jammed it in a 78G body but its not quite a good fit, let me know if you find something else!
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Dec 22, 2013 16:07
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The "cleaning converter" that comes with the Parallel is essentially a CON-20, so you can fill it with whatever. I used Pelikan yellow highlighter ink in it without problems, and the nib/feed come apart easily if you mess anything up.
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Feb 9, 2014 10:38
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Semprini posted:You're in the UK, yeah? If you pick up a Pilot MR (which I believe is the European version of and functionally identical to the Metropolitan) then it takes international standard cartridges / converters. Are you sure? The Metropolitan only takes Pilot cartridges and converters, but I haven't handled an MR before.
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Feb 12, 2014 06:45
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A Pilot Parallel makes for a good highlighter, if a little large.
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Jul 28, 2014 16:54
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gwrtheyrn posted:Is there a current production pen that writes similar to an esterbrook 9550 (posting nib)? I like the super-fine line it makes while also being smooth and relatively dry. The closest I've tried are pilot pens, but they seem a bit wider and lay down a lot more ink in my experience. I'd use the esterbrook more, but I think the pen body is too short and lever filling is kind of a hassle. I also need a Esterbrook replacement, sort of. I have a 9128 (flex!) in an M2 and the ink capacity is terrible. It'd be nice to put the nib into something more modern.
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Dec 2, 2014 17:03
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Xun posted:Can I use bottled ink with pilot parallel cartridges or does that somehow screw them up? Bottled ink in the Parallel's "cleaning converter" works just fine, no need to refill cartridges.
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Feb 15, 2015 03:06
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sonatinas posted:So, I haven't bought a pen since getting an Ahab in 2011. How are the new TWSIBI Vac 700 with the special ink well? I have an old 540 that I really don't use anymore. I most likely will put noodler's ink in it but if there is something else I should use let me know. I might be using it wrong but the inkwell has been pretty useless. After a couple fills the ink level is too low to cover the nib and feed. Pen is great though.
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Jun 9, 2015 04:38
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Smythson paper is famously thin, yet still resistant to bleed-through. The only other paper like it that I can think of is Tomoe River, which can also be found in A5 pads but won't be particularly cheap.
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Apr 22, 2016 19:19
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grack posted:A lot of older Sheaffer pens, especially those with inlaid nibs, have pseudo-Waverly nibs as the tipping is bent upwards somewhat. Otherwise, outside of vintage, I think a Pilot Custom 742 or 912 is your best bet for a true Waverly. You could also try a cheap Fude nib. The intended effect of a fude nib is different though, isn't it? The fude nib gives line variation depending on pen angle, while the WA gives a consistent feeling no matter what angle you're using. The cheapest way to try a WA nib is to test one at a stationery store pen counter in Japan, though you'd have to get to Japan first...
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Jul 7, 2017 03:30
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Zenostein posted:You can get the FA[lcon] nib on the Falcon/(they have some other name that starts with an E elsewhere), and the triple-digit Custom pens, I believe. No, the Falcon/Elabo only has the SEF/SF/SM/SB soft nibs, which are distinct from the FA nibs. FA nibs come in size 10 (Custom 742, Custom Heritage 912) and size 15 (Custom 743, and the special order Custom 823 from Tokyo Pen Shop Quill). It's generally accepted that the size 10 flexes more than the size 15 FA, and both flex more than the Falcon/Elabo nibs. SEF should have the thinnest hairlines.
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Feb 25, 2018 02:02
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Zenostein posted:Is that why generally those videos full of insane-flexing flacons are all "custom" falcons? Yes. The first such video to go viral was pretty much an ad for John Mottishaw's Spencerian modification for Falcons. I suppose it's a testament to his work that the stock pens don't come anywhere near to the performance of the modified ones. I had him add more flow to my 743 FA and have been very happy with it since then - it railroaded lots before. By the way, I finally found a source for the oft-repeated statement that the Falcon is designed expressly for writing Japanese: http://www.pilot.co.jp/library/015/ (use Google translate)
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Feb 25, 2018 07:59
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Dogwood Fleet posted:Where's the best place to get a loupe? I use this one, available from a bunch of sellers. I picked it over the Belomo because of the LED - it's definitely worth having a light. http://m.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?isRe...146&_mwBanner=1
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Mar 9, 2018 02:42
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Kessel posted:We did up the final design for Musubi’s thing that isn’t a book today. It’s in the sample room undergoing refinement now and the final prototype will probably be ready in about two weeks’ time. Some of you saw it at the LA show, but - it’s a 1-or-2 pen sleeve. It’s a genuinely unique design with some very unusual traits that you would never expect of a fabric sleeve, and is done up in the quality you’d expect from us. Sounds good, I'm in!
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Mar 11, 2018 05:22
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inklesspen posted:I'm going to Tokyo shortly and I want to poke my head into a couple good fountain pen shops and maybe buy some nibs or some inks. (Looking for a nice #5 fine or extrafine nib to put in my wing sung 698.) Anyone have shops to recommend? I basically don't speak any Japanese, but my friend does, and also there's Google Translate. Itoya has already been mentioned. Maruzen, Kingdom Note and Bungubox will have shop exclusive inks (and perhaps some exclusive pens). For non-exclusive pens and inks, the best prices should be at Sekaido in Shinjuku - you might also find good deals at Yodobashi and/or Bic Camera. You should definitely go to Eurobox just to gawp at the vintage pens (there's a great video about them on Youtube). And then I hear that Fullhalter and Shosaikan are nice, but I've never been. I don't think you're likely to come across loose nibs for sale, however. Maybe try Eurobox? Oh and you can also try to make a booking at Ink Stand Kakimori to blend your own ink.
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Mar 23, 2018 01:04
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Zenostein posted:What could possibly be the point of welding three nibs atop each other? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TIj5853714U If you haven't tried one of these you haven't lived. Good luck finding one though, they seem pretty much discontinued!
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Apr 13, 2018 02:01
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Zenostein posted:That's kinda neat, but also seems as fiddly as one of those fude nib pens. In my experience they're much more forgiving than a fude nib. Feels a bit like a chisel tip Sharpie, but less squeaky.
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Apr 15, 2018 04:44
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Kessel posted:Hermes Nautilus. You won’t like the price, probably, but it’s an utterly mesmerising pen That's made by Pilot though, so I don't think it helps him much. Definitely mesmerizing all the same!
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May 3, 2018 18:37
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Kessel posted:If you walk up with some variant of the stairs question I’m doubling your prices. One of the pen bloggers in my city was telling me about meeting you, and the sentence was halfway out my mouth before I had to cut off at "oh that guy, he also hangs out on...uh, some website".
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May 4, 2018 20:03
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Kessel posted:SA has grown up enough that we no longer need to feel shame about hanging out here — the misogyny and bullshit of yesteryear is mostly under control. It’s the shame of hanging out on a decade-old forum that’s the real issue. Sure, but you try to do a respectable one line summary in polite company. "You see, a bunch of people got together online to fund a hot dog stand..."
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May 5, 2018 04:54
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stealie72 posted:Got it. Buy a Metro. Ordered another color Metro today so I can have two ink colors at once, along with a smattering of $2 pens from China The vast majority of my pens are vintage and most of them write just fine. Before you know what you're doing (and don't worry, one day you will!) you can stick to buying from established dealers with a warranty. I've personally had good experiences with gopens.com and penamie.co.uk, and I'm sure others in the thread will have good things to say about big names like Main Street Pens, Indy Pen Dance and the like. Eventually you'll be able to evaluate pens from blurry auction pictures and figure out which ones are more likely to work. Better yet, you might be able to spot pens that are marked down for a problem that you know how to fix, and score a bargain like that. But that's all in the future - there's no rush! quote:I'm looking at the Cocoon as another pen but the only difference I can see is that it's titanium and comes in better colors. I don't think it's titanium. Cocoon is just the name that the Metro/MR is sold as in Japan, and they have some different colors.
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May 8, 2018 03:31
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Yuns posted:Yesterday I rolled my desk chair back over my Namiki Falcon that I purchased years ago crushing the body (front of body and nib and cap are fine). Is there any way to get a replacement body? You can try contacting your local Pilot distributor and sending it in. I have had no direct experience of this but a number of posts online say good things about Pilot USA's service department.
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May 20, 2018 02:27
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grack posted:I haven't inked up the Woden yet, but here's the Niole Are the cork seals in the back intact? It's a bit of a tricky operation to replace them, but not impossible as some people might tell you. Let me know if you need some pointers.
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May 29, 2018 01:14
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May I ask where you got them? I don't see Japanese eyedroppers offered for sale in restored, usable condition often - certainly not on Yahoo Japan, which is where I get all of mine.
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May 29, 2018 02:03
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grack posted:There's a seller in Alberta, Canada that puts up a couple of vintage Japanese pens 2-3 times a year. This is the seller: https://www.ebay.ca/usr/jondole54?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2754 Oh hey that is some good stuff and some good prices. Do note that the JIS mark on the Niole nib dates it to 1955 or after, though many prewar pens turn up with postwar nibs. I'd also expect a NOS 1940s pen to have the wartime government price control tag on it (a circle with a 公 in it) but I don't know if they appeared on every pen. Eyedroppers with similar designs were produced up to the mid-90s so it's hard to put definitive dates on things.
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May 29, 2018 02:44
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That sure is a nice pen! I know the date isn't hugely important to a user but it does bug me that the seller seems to list everything as 30s-40s when a few quick searches will show that that estimate is way off. The JIS mark is a big hint, and another is price tags - before the war prices were in the single digits of Yen, and after they were in the hundreds.
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May 29, 2018 04:41
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tater_salad posted:I'm looking for a place to buy a nib puller and a #16 ink sac (or two in case i gently caress up). You will need sacs, a bottle of shellac, and a bag of talc. I think you should be able to get the lot for less than the price of a restored Esterbrook, though you might as well buy sacs in bulk and then start buying up all the dead lever fillers you find. If you only do the one pen, what're you gonna do with the rest of the shellac? Apart from the three mandatory items above, you might find it useful to have a hairdryer or heat tool, dental picks, and long round brushes. These are often sold with other pen repair supplies. Off the top of my head you can shop at Indy Pen Dance, vintagepens.com, pentooling.com or pendemonium.com, among others. It's often the case that one site will only sell part of what you need so do take your time looking around first.
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Jun 5, 2018 16:46
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grack posted:If we're talking grail pens, for me it's the Vermilion Emperor. If you're comfortable with Yahoo Auctions Japan you can get a red urushi Ban-ei from the late 80s early 90s for a fraction of the price (though still not cheap). The team of four craftsmen who made those pens were commissioned by Pilot to make a prototype for the Emperor, so there's a direct linkage to the one you're after. Danitrio and Visconti also commissioned runs of Ban-ei pens in the 90s, which now tend to be much more expensive than the domestic market ones. For, I dunno, 30,000-50,000 JPY (varies greatly depending on condition and packaging), you get a handmade oversize urushi pen with known provenance, a big gold nib (roughly Pilot 15 or 20) handmade (not just tuned) by nibmeister Kabutogi Ginjiro, and something which is still pretty usable day to day. Since the pens are relatively recent you might not need to change the cork seal, and if you do, they come apart much easier than something 50-60 years old.
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Jul 19, 2018 11:50
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Moral_Hazard posted:My grail pen is probably something urushi. I like the Namiki Yukari Royale in Vermillion, but really want something in the dark red urushi. I'm hoping to find something to fit the bill at the DC pen show. If I hit lotto, I'd also get a MB blue hour. Those are something special as well. Regardless of how expensive a pen I may buy, I will want to use it. I'm kinda repeating my last post but if you're into vermillion urushi you've really got to look into stuff like: https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g269170341 (auction complete, no relation to seller) There's not much information about them online in English but that way you can read the entire existing body of knowledge in an evening!
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Jul 19, 2018 18:08
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grack posted:How would you suggest buying? Direct or through an agent? Also what are the best ways/keywords to search for? I think you'll have to use an agent like Fromjapan, Buyee or White Rabbit - they all have different pricing structures so do have a look to see what suits you best. Ban-ei pens almost never have branding on them so you'll have to learn to recognize them by sight. Sellers often don't label their auctions precisely. If you can find your way into the fountain pen section you can then run searches for "挽栄" (Ban-ei), "warranted" (not unique to Ban-ei, but they often have this on the nib), "GK" (Kabutogi Ginjiro often - but not always - signed his nibs, which tends to be the only brand identifier on these pens), "酒井" (Sakai, the name of the lathe master and leader of the team), or "土田" (Tsuchida, the name of the guy who did final assembly and another name for the pens generally). There are a couple threads on FPN and some posts on Bruno Taut's estilofilos.blogspot.com which should help get you started identifying your targets. Good luck!
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Jul 20, 2018 01:25
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Sankis posted:What's the deal with the modern day old pen brands of Parker, Shaeffer, Waterman, etc? They've been around for ages but I never hear about their current crop of pens. Everyone talks about their vintage stuff but I never see anyone talk about their current stuff. All 3 hit hard times in the past couple decades and went through a buyout or two. Waterman and Parker are now owned by Newell Rubbermaid and Sheaffer was sold by Bic to Cross last year. Neither of the parent companies seem to put much priority on making nice fountain pens. Sheaffer now no longer sells anything with a gold nib - the last lines that pen nerds might've been interested in, the Legacy and the Heritage, got cut I think with the Cross buyout. Parker's nice stuff, the Duofold and the Sonnet, date to 1987 and 1994 respectively. Waterman has a bit of buzz still (the Carene seems popular in the usual places online) but is at best stagnating. There's nothing new to talk about with any of these brands. Edit: I should add that Cross seems to think of itself as a big deal (despite having a much shorter history as a fountain pen maker than Sheaffer), and has much fancier fountain pens on offer than Sheaffer. I personally find their designs pretty uninteresting, and as far as I can tell the most impact they made on the Internet pen community was when they got Sailor to do the nib for the Peerless 125. Dad Hominem fucked around with this message at 09:51 on Jul 25, 2018 |
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Jul 25, 2018 09:34
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Sankis posted:Well, gently caress me. Only a couple repairers weld nibs and it will most likely be uneconomical. You're best off sending the pen to a repairer for a replacement nib, or trawling eBay for a loose nib. I don't really recommend the latter, though, since it's tricky to get the size right just going off auction pictures.
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Aug 2, 2018 06:09
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atholbrose posted:(Seriously, I'm jealous. I've been keeping half an eye out for a vintage Pelikan for a little bit now. I'll probably just go to the Ohio Pen Show to get one. And that looks a lot like 4001 blue.) There are pretty good deals on German eBay pretty much all the time. 80-90 Euros should be enough to get, say, a 400NN with a fancy nib like a bold oblique that's ready to write immediately.
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Aug 8, 2018 01:11
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