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Josef K. Sourdust posted:I used dip nibs a lot but was always frustrated by running out of ink early and cleaning every 15 min (using India ink). Also, using fine nibs on rougher paper (for drawing) is a nightmare with the tip snagging on fibre. Also it is hell writing anything at length if you are dipping every 1-2 lines. But in terms of flex and variety of line, yes, dip nibs are awesome. I feel your pain  I've seen a few reviews of this company which allows steel nibs to be added to a normal FP body for cheap(er) flex:http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/277216-the-desiderata-pen-company-isopen/ I've not ordered one myself, as I don't use dip pens that often, but it could be worth checking out.
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Dec 20, 2014 23:29
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I wish pilot did sell the metropolitan compatible nib separately. While I know I can just buy a cheapie import and use the nib from that it seems like a waste to have an extra pen with no nib in my collection. For all the talk of purchasing pens from India I got my order of the other day and I have to say it's incredibly disappointing. I would rather just get pens from China – hero pens are a lot better quality than these garbage Indian pens with horrible nibs. They include a bonus extra tiny pen and a bunch of extras but the pens are garbage and smell like poo poo. 20 bucks down the toilet. I finally got my Al-Star (late but what do you expect from mass drop?) with a B nib I have to say this pen is amazing. I think I like it better than the metro. The pen writes really smooth and it shades amazingly. Wish there was someway for it to have a larger reservoir. The cartridge that it came with was much larger than the converter I have. I usually write big and expressive so this nib is perfect for me. As an aside, I sure wish my iPhone text to speech recognized the word nib. So far it's used: Yep Deb dip neighbor and some racial slurs instead of the right word. Verdugo fucked around with this message at 23:40 on Dec 22, 2014 |
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Dec 22, 2014 23:37
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Bah goddammit, so way back when massdrop did the Falcon drop I ordered an SEF. That ended up not being available so I said ok I'll take an SM instead. Finally shipped out last week and I came home from a business trip today to find that they'd shipped me a vanishing point. 
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Dec 23, 2014 02:44
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Babby's first fountain pen just came in. I like it.
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Dec 23, 2014 03:42
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Noctone posted:Bah goddammit, so way back when massdrop did the Falcon drop I ordered an SEF. That ended up not being available so I said ok I'll take an SM instead. Finally shipped out last week and I came home from a business trip today to find that they'd shipped me a vanishing point. Merry Christmas and happy new years. Although does that mean free gift included with purchase? I wonder if CS works over holidays.
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Dec 23, 2014 04:40
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would be cool i suppose if they just said hey keep the VP for your trouble and we'll get that Falcon on it's way
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Dec 23, 2014 14:17
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Noctone posted:would be cool i suppose if they just said hey keep the VP for your trouble and we'll get that Falcon on it's way If it was like a Metro or Safari, they probably would. I ordered a poster from them that arrived all beat up and they're just sending a new one (or rather having the original company send a new one). Told me to just toss the damaged one.
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Dec 23, 2014 19:39
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It's almost Christmas! Let me have my pens already!
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Dec 23, 2014 21:13
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Is it a bad idea to leave my Metro uncapped for a while? Will it dry out?
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Dec 23, 2014 21:16
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Fountain pens use water-based ink, so they're all subject to drying out, unlike the paste inks found in ballpoints. That said, the worst that will happen if you leave it uncapped for a few minutes is that it might be a bit hard to start, but once it's flowing again it should be fine.
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Dec 23, 2014 21:25
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Mikl posted:It's almost Christmas! Let me have my pens already! Italy and South America are black holes AFAIK for shipping items and the only places I refuse to deal with due to missing packages. I've not had a FP stuck in customs yet ever from overseas yet. Hopefully, this trend will continue into the new years.
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Dec 24, 2014 00:31
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terre packet posted:Is it a bad idea to leave my Metro uncapped for a while? Will it dry out? Yeah it'll dry out, but if that happens it's an easy fix. Just grip the shaft and gently touch the tip against your moist tongue. You wind up either licking off or reliquifying the dry ink and can start writing right away. This has been standard procedure since the invention of the quill pen and the practice is so common you still sometimes see people doing it reflexively.
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Dec 24, 2014 01:20
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Simpler solution: Don't leave it uncapped.
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Dec 24, 2014 02:24
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Found a youtube channel some of you might like. Penmanship, fountain pens, a few other pens pencils etc. Well, actually, I didn't find it. I had a short chat with the owner of Desiderata pens and mentioned that I was trying to learn Spencerian with an Ahab (guess how that is going); he sent a link to the first video here. Second one  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGNjcJaWG1E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7J-yADVRY0 Incidentally, after some more emailing, I ended up ordering a pen for my birthday. 
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Dec 24, 2014 06:36
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cobalt impurity posted:The Fountain Pen Megathread: Just grip the shaft and gently touch the tip against your moist tongue
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Dec 24, 2014 09:27
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Pens got delivered this morning, just in time to pack them up in wrapping paper!  I take back my previous complaint about the delivery. I have, however, a new one! I had to pay import taxes (fair), and also a fixed amout of "postal dues" which, when I asked the delivery guy, is "when they check the packages to see if there's import taxes that need to be paid, you have to pay for the check. And before you ask, yes you have to pay it even if there are no import taxes." What? Why? 
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Dec 24, 2014 17:31
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Yeah in other countries that's called a "brokerage fee" and it (supposedly) pays the salary of the guy who sits there handling the paperwork and calculating the dues.
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Dec 24, 2014 22:51
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Sagebrush posted:Yeah in other countries that's called a "brokerage fee" and it (supposedly) pays the salary of the guy who sits there handling the paperwork and calculating the dues. I actually heard that dude just volunteers, and the money is changed out into two-dollar bills and used to snort cocaine while the customs workers laugh at the regular 9-5 schlubs getting scammed. (Generally this is the reason you have to pay any weird little extra fee. Because the people charging you have to pay somebody else that amount -or a little less than that amount-).
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Dec 25, 2014 00:02
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Lamy 2000 is backup on Massdrop for $105 Also, I had a seller get a fountain pen from Japan to me in Canada in 10 days during the Christmas rush with standard shipping. That's pretty close to "Christmas miracle" for me.
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Dec 25, 2014 01:37
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grack posted:Lamy 2000 is backup on Massdrop for $105 Ugh... I usually stick to the cheapass side of things when it comes to pens and this is a bit outside my range. ...but drat if I haven't been wishing I'd bought one since the last time it was on Massdrop. It just looks so nice.
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Dec 25, 2014 02:45
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 I spent some time dismantling the OMAS ogiva alba I got as an early Christmas present. Mostly because the nib wasn't aligned well out of the box. That, and I like to tinker with things. Anyways, this makes the alba a solid daily writer. It was fairly easy to take apart, which means cleaning won't be a massive pain in the rear end. The piston mechanism feels robust, and is remarkably simple. The cotton resin feels nice in the hand as well. All in all, not a bad pen. Thelonious Monk fucked around with this message at 18:04 on Dec 25, 2014 |
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Dec 25, 2014 17:59
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Due to this thread I got a cheap box of (6) Pilot Varsity on Amazon, and gave some out amongst the larger gifts, and kept a few for me. Just wanted to feel out this whole fountain pen thing before I get too deep into it. If I manage to use one of mine enough to run it out, I'll go buy something nicer with a good seal for travel; the Kaweco Sport seems pretty awesome. EDIT: The Liliput is also awfully cute:  TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 16:32 on Jan 7, 2015 |
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Dec 25, 2014 20:35
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Been playing around with my new Metro F. It's fuckin' unbelievable how fine the nib point is. I can write perfectly readable text that is literally 1 mm tall  I... I think I'm in love...
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Dec 25, 2014 22:48
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Thelonious Monk posted:Anyways, this makes the alba a solid daily writer. It was fairly easy to take apart, which means cleaning won't be a massive pain in the rear end. The piston mechanism feels robust, and is remarkably simple. The cotton resin feels nice in the hand as well. All in all, not a bad pen. Omas manufactures lovely FPs and I just read a few reviews of the exact model but their prices are kill me though  Someday their celluloid FPs will be mine.
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Dec 25, 2014 23:08
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Alder posted:Omas manufactures lovely FPs and I just read a few reviews of the exact model but their prices are kill me though Oh bro then let me show you my OMAS Celluloids. http://m.imgur.com/a/fKrCK That's the old style Pearl Grey, Blue Royale and Bronze arco. The Pearl Grey was my daily writer up until I got the Alba. Those pens are probably the best pens ever made: they are quite lightweight, hold at least 1.6mL of ink, and the nibs are second to none. Yah they aren't as big as various oversize offerings, but at the same size as the Pelikan m800 it's still more than enough pen. The pistons on them aren't pelikan pistons, but they're plenty smooth enough if you unscrew the section and grease the piston. Plus, since the pistons aren't brass the pens aren't back heavy at all. They sure don't have that "about to break" feeling that my older montblanc 149 does. That they look quite nice is just the icing on the cake. They're pricey even on the used market (the only way to go with these pens, gently caress msrp), but man they reallly perform when it comes to putting ink onto paper. Thelonious Monk fucked around with this message at 00:39 on Dec 26, 2014 |
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Dec 26, 2014 00:35
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Due to this thread I got a cheap box of (6) Pilot Varsity on Amazon, and gave some out amongst the larger gifts, and kept a few for me. Just wanted to feel out this whole fountain pen thing before I get too deep into it. If I manage to use one of mine enough to run it out, I'll go buy something nicer with a good seal for travel; the Kaweco Sport seems pretty awesome. I like smaller fountain pens and the Liliput is totally on my list right now. Just need to earn some more Swagbucks first.
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Dec 26, 2014 00:57
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My sister gave me a Monteverde Invincia for Christmas. I will need to escalate and gift her something rather nice for her birthday.
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Dec 26, 2014 01:29
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Thelonious Monk posted:They're pricey even on the used market (the only way to go with these pens, gently caress msrp), but man they reallly perform when it comes to putting ink onto paper. Welp, pretty sure I commented on your post in the other place then =) I checked eBay because why not and I cringed at the prices even then for vintage or pre-owned. Someone brought in a variety of old Omas catalogs and the LE look very unique if not extremely rare. I think it's one of those moments where I wished I started following the hobby a few decades ago because the newer price tags are insane.
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Dec 26, 2014 02:07
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grack posted:I like smaller fountain pens and the Liliput is totally on my list right now. The Lilliput is a great little pen, and surprisingly comfortable to write with given its size, especially posted. I'd love to find a converter that works with it. Kaweco's cartridge colors are nice enough, but I wouldn't mind loading mine with Iroshizuku. It might just be too small for a converter, though.
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Dec 26, 2014 03:39
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You can always refill an empty cartridge with a syringe.
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Dec 26, 2014 04:50
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The TWSBI Mini is a nice little short pen too, and a piston filler!
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Dec 26, 2014 05:04
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NeurosisHead posted:The TWSBI Mini is a nice little short pen too, and a piston filler! And from a company plagued with manufacturing issues! I'm not getting a TWSBI any time soon.
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Dec 26, 2014 05:24
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Noctone posted:You can always refill an empty cartridge with a syringe. ...I don't know why I didn't think of that. Now I just need to find an excuse to write a cartridge's worth!
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Dec 26, 2014 07:52
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grack posted:And from a company plagued with manufacturing issues! Whenever TWSBI comes up, somebody says something like this and neglects the fact that they have already fixed the major issues that everyone complained about, like the cracking problem with the 580, and in any case their customer service is amazing and if you had any problems with one of their pens they'd almost certainly send you replacement parts for free. TWSBI is great and my only complaint is that the EF is a little bit thicker than I'd prefer.
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Dec 26, 2014 12:12
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Bertrand Hustle posted:Whenever TWSBI comes up, somebody says something like this and neglects the fact that they have already fixed the major issues that everyone complained about, like the cracking problem with the 580, and in any case their customer service is amazing and if you had any problems with one of their pens they'd almost certainly send you replacement parts for free. And whenever complaints about TWSBI come up, somebody feels the need to show up and try shouting them down. I've owned two TWSBIs. The first, a 540, showed up at my door with a cracked barrel and took not one, not two but three replacements from the company before the I finally got one that wouldn't crack within a month. I also bought a Classic that leaked all over my hands when I tried to write with it and ended up having to get a replacement section for that as well because trying to seal the joint threads with silicone grease didn't work. I don't give a right middle poo poo if the customer service is amazing, their manufacturing and quality control is absolutely, staggeringly awful. I'd rather have a pen that works properly the first time than spend 3 months waiting for replacement parts to be shipped to me and hoping against hope it doesn't vomit ink all over the place every time I pick the damned thing up. Hell, even my $5 Chinese pen collection has had substantially fewer problems. So yeah, I've had more than enough experience with the brand to form my own opinion, thanks. I don't need someone to tell me how wonderful they are, I'm not buying (another) loving TWSBI any time soon grack fucked around with this message at 16:09 on Dec 26, 2014 |
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Dec 26, 2014 16:06
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I don't get the love for TWSBI either. At 50 bucks they're not cheap enough for a throwaway pen, and they sure as hell do not perform much better than a metropolitan or a safari. Yet if you top up a few bucks you can get a very nice preowned pen which will blow any twsbi out of the water. What's the point? I suppose the main draw is the user serviceable piston. Don't get me wrong, I've owned a diamond 580 for like almost a year now, but after the initial honeymoon phase I hardly ink it up. The wrench that the pen comes with sees much more use than the actual pen itself. I'd rather have spent that 50 bucks on several true daily beaters. edit: also the cuff that holds the nib and feed snapped on my 1.1 stub after 1 cleaning session, while I pull plastic and ebonite feeds from other pens all the time and they've never failed. There IS a problem with whatever materials they use, and I don't get why they can't just get it right so that they don't have to be known for their customer service. 50 bucks gets you a metropolitan and a bottle of iroshizuku, which I would gladly trade my 580 for. Thelonious Monk fucked around with this message at 17:22 on Dec 26, 2014 |
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Dec 26, 2014 17:15
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I bought a 580AL because it's a nice looking demonstrator in my school colors, and it wasn't super expensive as far as these things go.
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Dec 26, 2014 17:21
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grack posted:And whenever complaints about TWSBI come up, somebody feels the need to show up and try shouting them down. Hi, as somebody actually interested in the manufacturing issues with the TWSBI still existing or not but in no way interested in tying my ego to a pen enough to get in an argument about it, would you mind mentioning when you bought the pens that broke? The post you're replying to mentions that there were issues that have been addressed, and I am curious as to whether your experience was before or after they apparently fixed the problems so that I can factor that into my purchase. Also, you may want to consider being less angry about pens if you actually are trying to argue a point/convince people, you come off a little irrational in that post. E: Holy poo poo the imgur gallery finally loaded for me, those omas are gorgeous. Based on the discussion I don't even want to look at what they cost though
surc fucked around with this message at 17:28 on Dec 26, 2014 |
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Dec 26, 2014 17:23
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surc posted:Hi, as somebody actually interested in the manufacturing issues with the TWSBI still existing or not but in no way interested in tying my ego to a pen enough to get in an argument about it, would you mind mentioning when you bought the pens that broke? The post you're replying to mentions that there were issues that have been addressed, and I am curious as to whether your experience was before or after they apparently fixed the problems so that I can factor that into my purchase. 540s were 18 months ago, the Classic this year. As for my post I very much dislike being talked down to. I don't think that's unreasonable
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Dec 26, 2014 18:44
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grack posted:540s were 18 months ago, the Classic this year. I didn't mean for it to come across that way at all. I apologize. I bought my 580 after reading that they had resolved the cracking issue by switching, I believe, to a different type of plastic, and the only problem I had with it was probably my own fault either for dropping it or taking it into a commercial walk-in freezer at -2°F one too many times or for too long. Got my replacement parts in a couple of days. I still think they're a pretty good first "real" pen and the ink capacity is fantastic compared to most cartridges and converters.
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Dec 26, 2014 19:01
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