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Some FAQs http://www.gouletpens.com/Fountain_of_Knowledge_s/1130.htm Goulet Pens' store also has a fountain pen 101 youtube video http://nibs.com/Left-hand%20writers.htm John Mattishaw's page on the different ways left handed people hold fountain pens and how that factors in which type of nib you might look for http://www.richardspens.com/ Richard Binder's page has a good selection of faq, as well as stuff on vintage pens and how to do basic repairs on them If anyone is interested in trying out vintage pens, a really cheap one with good writing value is Esterbrook. http://esterbrook.net/ has its various series, and you can buy one on ebay for ~$20-30.
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Jan 31, 2013 03:35
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I've flown with fountain pens and most modern pens are fine with the altitude change. If you want to be careful I would not use it during take off and landing, but I've actively written with my pen during take off and had no problems. I would carry a spare tissue just in case.JP Money posted:I also had no idea you could only write maybe 5-10 pages per load of ink. I use Pilot G2 0.38mm pens for all my labwork / writing and I'd wager I could probably fill a notebook using one pen. They last forever and make a nice neat line that I really like. If I could get that kind of fine-line performance from a fountain I'd be very happy minus the consumption issues. The # of pages would depend on the nib width. I use Japanese Fs and EFs and could go for a week or two without reflling my Decimo (slimmer version of Pilot VP). I love the Pilot G2 0.38 too. If you are looking that performance I'd recommend you starting with F or EF in a Japanese/Chinese pen: TWSBI EF (twist cap), Pilot Vanishing Point (retractable), Pilot Prera (clip cap). The Platinum Preppy is a very cheap and good pen but I think its F is a little wide, it's more like a 0.5 mm.
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Jan 31, 2013 20:26
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I find Iroshizuku inks to have water-resistant properties. Water drop tests are great for my needs, since I'm much more concerned about bleeding when I spill a drink (I also do bleach & hand sanitizer tests). Noodler's ink properties depends on the series it is. "Eel" series is very lubricating but is not water resistent. Bulletproof is, and is also bleach resistent. However, since Nathan designed the some of the inks to change color if it has bleach (in line with his theory that check washing is the greatest personal financial threat  ), you have to read up a little on the inks to see if it will shed color (to detect tampering). http://noodlersink.com/noodlers-ink-properties/ has a great spreadsheet.J. Herbin ink is usually not water resistent. But it has beautiful watercolor like shading and is very gentle & not as pigmented so some people really like them for vintage pens. It's nice for vintage sac fillers so I'm not at the sink expelling little amounts of water for 5 minutes every time I need a color change. Lamy, Waterman, and Diamine inks in my experience is also not water resistent, except for the irongall blue-black ones. Nor is Montblanc except for the irongall blue-black. A lot of the popular brands like Lamy and Pelikan make a washable blue ink that's great for children or if you are clumsy and do not care for water-resistance. From what I've heard, these blues also fade after a couple of years. Pilot & Sailor are water-resistant enough that I can read my notebook if I spill water/coffee/tea on it. If I really want water, bleach, and alcohol proof then I use Sailor nano black & blue-black. They are dark and velvety, and dries super fast. Platinum also makes a pigment ink that's fantastic and comes in a great shade of medium blue. jomiel fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Feb 5, 2013 |
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Feb 5, 2013 18:58
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RustedChrome posted:I like the Pilot G2 a lot. For times when I can't use a FP, that was my go-to pen. Until I picked up the Zebra Sarasa Clip in Japan last spring. Those are some of the best cheap gel pens I've ever used. Unfortunately they don't sell them in the US, where I live. They sell a "Sarasa" but it's crap compared to the "Sarasa Clip" I'm pretty sure you can just take the reservoir out, I've heard of FPN members taking it out for their larger nib pens. Are you rotating your nib so that the nib face is down towards the ink? Sometimes when you do it at an angle it seems to help (like when I have to get the last drops out of an ink sample...)
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Feb 7, 2013 04:03
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Is it possible to refill the cartridges with a blunt-tip needle syringe? I even fill converters with the syringe because I get less ink on my hands that way You could also search the Pen Repair threads on FPN for cartridge hacks. I seem to remember a couple of threads where they cut the converter in half & cut open a rubber sac (replacement parts from a lever-filler pen). Then they glue the main body of the rubber sac to the very bottom of the converter so it becomes a squeezable cartridge/converter thing. There are only a few glues which will stand up to being next to inks all the time, but I think it was mentioned in the thread which kind you can buy. Superglue and stuff won't work being wet.
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Feb 9, 2013 01:32
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Rhodia is awesome, and I also have HP paper. However, at work I use the Office Max Schoolio quad-ruled composition book and it works just fine with fountain pens. It has a tiny bit of see-through but no bleeding or feathering at all. Fantastic for under $1. Moleskine really depends. I have the field notes type which did well, but even my Japanese Fs bleed through in the regular Moleskine book  But that's okay since I use it for gym and I'd rather use a G2 and not get my fountain pens all dirty.
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Feb 13, 2013 19:55
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You might post in the Fountain Pen Network, there are definitely people who are interested in converting to eyedropper so you might receive more info.
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Feb 15, 2013 20:08
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http://www.lamyusa.com/warrantyinfo.php I'm going to send my 2000 in too, I dropped it nib down and though it's kind of pushed back into the place it's writing badly.
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Apr 16, 2013 18:38
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TWSBI Fs are still finer than Lamy or Pelikan Fs though.
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May 16, 2013 00:09
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I use Sailor nano pigment inks in their EF nib for things that won't bleed through (stupid Moleskine notebook). It does have a little bit of show on the opposite page, but about the same as a Pilot G-2 0.38mm.
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May 22, 2013 17:41
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zerox147o posted:Has anyone used the Noodler's Ink White Whale to create blends? I'm tempted to buy some and experiment with mixing it with their Red-Black or Antietam to find a nice correspondence color. I'd be interested in the results!
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Jun 11, 2013 21:26
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cobalt impurity posted:That's quite a handsome pen! Comes with a converter and is packaged in a leather slip instead of a box, so the container is also a carrying case. Really neat ideas there! The only thing I notice that I don't like is that the cap threads are right there on the grip section, right where I'd put my fingers. That would drive me nuts and I feel like it's the only thing keeping me from loving this pen entirely. The threads on the grip is the only reason I don't use my Pelikan m205 with its sweet 0.6mm stub & 0.4mm cursive italic nibs from Richer Binder  Thankfully, the nibs fit into my TWSBI and Noodler's creeper.
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Jun 13, 2013 22:56
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Depends if you post your pens or not. 580 isn't designed to be posted, so although it's longer capped, it'd be a bit shorter in your hand unposted. If you prefer to post, the similar weight would be TWSBI mini, which I like a lot. Instead of using ammonia to clean your pens, I've been using the JB pen flush that Goulet carries. I bought it on a whim but it does really clean the ink off even after I think the pen has been adequately cleaned!
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Jun 19, 2013 16:52
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xilixliadon posted:If I were to mix up a dark, dark green, like black with green undertones, would it be usable for legal stuffs? Noodler's Zhivago.
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Jul 15, 2013 19:33
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I impulse bought another TWSBI mini, this time in 1.5mm stub nib, along with the awesome lavender purple Iroshizuku ink I've been eyeing forever. I'll post pics soon! The nib is stiff, very buttery, and pretty forgiving of hand position.
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Jul 16, 2013 18:38
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I also use HOD in EFs on cheap paper since that's my preferred nib width. Speaking of good quality cheap notebooks, I actually really like composition notebooks that are like $2 from Office Max. There is some show-through but no feathering. How is X-Feather? I have a few B nibs I'd love to use more often but on cheap copy paper my inks feather like crazy.
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Jul 18, 2013 18:17
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I have the Decimo which is a slimmer version of VP. It is my go-to pen for work. It is a clicky pen so very useful for stop and go writing, general scribbling of notes. I usually load my F nib with a drier blue-black, and it writes very closely to a Pilot/Sailor EF. When I load it with a wetter ink like HOD, then it writes more like a F. I think I've had it for about 3-4 years now. I have dropped it on the floor, including out in the parking lot, and it still looks fantastic. I have the metal body one though (smokey gray?), so if you get a laminated VP I don't know what the wear would be like on that body. I don't really need to buy a second one since at home I don't do stop and go note writing, so it doesn't bother me to use pens with screw caps. I like having a variety of different pens and nibs. I had a stub B nib that was custom-ground and loved it, but I sold it on FPN since the primary usage of my pen is notes, so I prefer F/EFs for that. The nib is a tad soft, so it has a tiny bit of give that is pleasant to write with. I like Sailor's stiff nibs too, though. The cons: The converter sits really far into the nib assembly inside, so you can't really see how much ink is remaining. But I can tell when the ink is ending, since the pen will write drier. It's easy to clean the nib assembly and the converter, but it's a bit harder to clean the pen body itself. I will stick a Q-tip in there and swab around a bit, but I imagine it will never be perfectly clean in there, which is okay. If you swing your pen around, no ink will drip from the end. But I have loaded the pen with a super dry real iron gall ink, and it got a bit drier over the weekend when I wasn't using it. It rinsed out fine--but the nib assembly is like 99% sealed, so you may be more careful with an ink that is more prone to drying or need more care. Depending on how you hold your pen, you may or may not write comfortably with how the clip is. The clip is directly where you'd place a finger. Some people write with their thumb over the clip, some people write with a forefinger over the clip. I grasp the pen so that the clip jussst fits between my thumb and forefinger. e: If anyone lives close to a pen show, I highly recommend it! It was a really interesting experience, just walking around and seeing all these nib masters and store owners there. At last year's show, I attempted to fix 2 pens, neither of which were quick fixes, but that's okay, it was great to talk with everyone. I also got a nib ground by John Mottishaw, watched a few other nib masters work, and bought some inks. Also I got a free canvas tote bag with my ticket, haha! jomiel fucked around with this message at 06:39 on Jul 27, 2013 |
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Jul 27, 2013 06:33
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I have an ink syringe and use it for converter refills, since I can get the converter much fuller and also it's less messy.
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Aug 7, 2013 21:39
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In addition to Pelikan blue-black, Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo also is a tealish gray, a little grayer than Pelikan. I think MB blue-black is close to Pelikan's, but I don't have a bottle of that myself. Blue-black is my favorite color  My favorite pigmented blue-black is Sailor seiboku, when it's very wet it gets a nice teal blue that almost flashes purple.
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Aug 13, 2013 00:25
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SnakesRevenge posted:While we're matching colors, can anybody recommend a close equivalent to El Lawrence from Noodler's? It's one of my favorite inks, but it stains everything it touches pretty severely. I'd go nuts over a similar color that I wouldn't have to worry so much about actually filling my pens with. Yes, I love El Lawrence's color too! It's such a smoky olive green brown dirty oil color. I'd suggest diluting it with some water to get it a bit less pigmented, and probably keeping it in a converter-only pen so it doesn't stain the pen body of a piston pen...
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Aug 13, 2013 18:44
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Minenfeld! posted:I'd like to post my gratitude to this thread--I've purchased my first ever fountain pen (gold Pilot Metropolitan with zig-zags) and I absolutely love it. It's made writing a wonderful experience. On that note, I'd like to ask for ink recommendations. I wanted a green-black ink and bought Noodler's Zhivago. I'm ambivalent towards it. It's a drab green color with black. I'm looking for a more emerald-black kind of color. I'm using Diamine's emerald for now. Does anyone have a good green-black ink recommendation? Try diluting it a bit with water? You can probably try 1 water : 4 ink and go from there. Noodler's is really pigmented and I dilute several of his inks.
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Aug 14, 2013 04:30
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ChickenOfTomorrow posted:You're not a fan of iron gall? Tell me more. Oh hey I have that German pharmacist's iron-gall blend too! I didn't realize he has more colors now. I have the standard vintage iron-gall one, it lays down a very nice tealish blue-black color and after a few days the ink settles into a grayish blue-black.
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Aug 16, 2013 19:19
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aldantefax posted:I'm going to a pen posse in San Francisco this Sunday! I'm not sure what to expect other than maybe someone from this thread showing up. I'm going to eat a bunch of Chinese food. I'd love to come but for some strange reason I'm always busy the day that they pick. Maybe next time we can have a goon meet up e: Sweet pens, Chicken of Tomorrow!! jomiel fucked around with this message at 18:35 on Sep 19, 2013 |
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Sep 19, 2013 18:25
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I have some homemade iron gall made by this German pharmacist from FPN forums. I use it quite frequently in my Pilot Decimo (slim version of VP) and it has been just fine. I've seen people use homemade tea ink on FPN as well, it's fine. What you don't want to do is load it up with this ink and then forget about the pen for a few weeks. I ruined my previous TWSBI by doing exactly that but with cuttlefish ink from Hakase The ink dried all around the piston and I couldn't really get it clean.What you don't want to use is India ink. jomiel fucked around with this message at 18:20 on Sep 24, 2013 |
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Sep 24, 2013 18:17
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I would press it carefully and firmly on a sheet of paper in the opposite direction. Do it slowly and go a little bit at a time. It will take a few tries to get it exactly aligned back into the original position. You might also need to flip the nib over and press down that way as well.
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Oct 3, 2013 22:29
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Oh man, I know what pen and ink to get--Pilot Justus and Noodler's Zhivago--but hmm~~~~
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Oct 9, 2013 19:59
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HoD is a pretty wet ink so it's probably a property of 54th drying out a bit faster. I don't usually leave pens uncapped if setting it down for this reason. For VP/Decimo which doesn't completely seal though, I keep a tiny spray bottle at my desk and will spray the nib the next day over a tissue. Or you can lick it, both ways will make the ink wet again.
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Oct 15, 2013 04:40
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Ah I wish I could have made it! Next time
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Oct 15, 2013 19:21
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I have the AS Manhantanner cat pen that is a few releases prior to the Sailor Clear Candy and I use their standard converter in it, it's all the same plastic body shape. The release prior to the Clear Candy one was these nice primary colored bodies, with the Sailor symbol on the pen end cap similar to how MB stamps their pens.
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Oct 23, 2013 20:22
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I had the original Prera and TWSBI. The Prera will have more nib feedback so if you want smooth writing the TWSBI is the better option. The Prera is pretty short even when posted, it's should be about the same length as the posted TWSBI mini, I believe. Prera is a converter/cartridge pen. And although the friction-fit cap is handy or quick writing, I find I would get ink inside the cap sometimes. I think Prera is a great and nice looking little pen but TWSBI is a better value being a piston filler. The weight of the TWSBI is also heavier and it's a bit fatter as well. I would take your current pens onto consideration to figure out what will work better in your hand. For example, I am thinking about selling my Lamy 2000 because it's too short and light unposted, but way too long and heavy at the back if posted. It's just not a comfortable writer for how I use it, so although it's a great pen that I got special ground into a nice thin cursive italic, I rarely reach for it.
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Oct 25, 2013 07:27
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Vitamins posted:It's extremely black. I'ts also a completely neutral black too, with no red or green tones like a lot of blacks out there. Aurora only make blue and black inks, preferring to make two very good inks rather than a lot of possible mediocre ones, and it really shows. I have been using my sample of Aurora blue for the past 2 weeks and I agree it's an excellent ink. It's been very smooth, smoother than my beloved Iroshizuku inks. It also performs extremely well in my VP/Decimo that I use at work which has a tendency to dry out over the weekend. It's a very lovely saturated blue that leans toward violet. I'm totally going to order the full size bottle
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Nov 7, 2013 00:36
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quote:Telephone Number | Email Address #1 The illegible field is "mobile number"
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Dec 25, 2013 08:22
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Otaku Alpha Male posted:Question: I'm currently using Noodlers Bullletproof Black, but I find that it takes way too long to dry. Even if i wait a day it still smudges when I rub it. Is there an archival Noodlers Black that dries quicker? I'm familiar with Bernanke Black, but its not UV resistant etc. Maybe dilute the ink a bit, Noodler's black is supposed to be a reasonably well behaved ink. Perhaps there is just too much pigment on the paper so it still smears a day later. I'd aliquot some ink into a separate container and then maybe dilute 1 water:10 ink? For blank ink recommendations, I love Sailor kawaguro nano black and use it daily in my Sailor EF. It's so dark and velvety. I've been rather lazy about my pens so it's nice that it comes in cartridges. jomiel fucked around with this message at 20:19 on Feb 13, 2014 |
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Feb 13, 2014 20:16
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Maybe? FPN seems to complain about Noodler's and Private Reserve smearing like that several days later if they are too pigmented and the ink just lays on the paper not being fully absorbed, and especially if you use nicer paper that takes longer for the ink to dry. In my experience Iroshizuku is very well behaved but I almost always use F or EF nibs on the dry/medium side...
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Feb 13, 2014 21:55
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The regular covers are finally back in stock and my hobonichi techo is complete! with my Sailor mini Sapporo god I love the stencil board so much
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Feb 20, 2014 22:36
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The paper is Tomoe River paper. It has a bit of ghosting even with an EF nib but it's so much nicer paper than other planners. I love the grid layout and how it lays out absolutely flat. The stencil boards are made for EF or F pens though, it's really hard to use the stencil with the tip of a highlighter.... I haven't been very creative with my planner though, it's just appointments and to do lists, so boring. I've pasted in some flight schedules but that's about it.
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Feb 21, 2014 00:51
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I have some HP 32lb laser paper and I would say it's a bit luxurious for everyday writing. It is nice and smooth, thicker than copy paper, and really shows off shading well for juicy fat nibs. Which is a great thing but I think next time I'll buy 28lb paper for general writing. I've found Moleskines to be inconsistent within different notebooks and even in the same bound notebook. Some pages will be great, some pages will bleed everywhere and look like I dripped ink, and some pages feel waxy and my ink would not lay down properly. I like their construction and portability but I have a Leuchtturm1917 from Goulet Pens when my current Moleskine notebook is done. However all my Moleskine notebooks are the small pocket volumes, and I have also bought some of the smaller Field Notes notebooks, so maybe your larger notebooks are different?
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Feb 21, 2014 06:12
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RustedChrome posted:The owner is really nice and let me try some awesome vintage flex pens. He also has some custom Sailor Jentle inks that were made just for his store. A green that he says matches the discontinued Mont Blanc "British Racing Green", a bright blue that reminds me of "Kon-peki" and one that I bought called "Utsurigi" that writes black but dries with sepia shading. I can't wait to try it out! Definitely worth a visit if you happen to be around that part of the world. http://www.pen-land.jp/index.html Ohhh I'd be interested in the green and sepia ink if anyone makes a visit 
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Apr 2, 2014 19:48
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tsc posted:http://www.amazon.com/Zebra-H-301-Stainless-Highlighter-Refill/dp/B004CLMP8S I use the Preppy line of highlighters since I can also buy tip refills. The tips are always smooshed after a few months so it's nice to be able to change in a new one. Preppys can also be converted into an eyedropper so it's great if you do a lot of highlighting
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Apr 27, 2014 20:22
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blowfish posted:The answer is to get a Pilot with an EF nib My Sailor EF writes a bit finer than a 0.3 rollerball.
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May 13, 2014 18:49
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