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Brightman posted:I haven't heard anything about Quink doing damage, also it's not a bad ink by any means, just really basic: black, quick drying. Hell one of my better behaved inks was like 8 bucks I think. Sometimes I get nib creep with it, but it hasn't stained anything at all and it's a pretty vibrant blue-green. Excellent, thanks!
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Jul 26, 2013 19:02
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I like my plumix, but the nib is pretty scratchy compared to the lamy broad. Maybe a guy has to sand it down. I suppose they are not interchangeable.
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Jul 26, 2013 20:46
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How many of you in here have a Vanishing Point and what are your thoughts on it? I've been looking them over for a long time, but it's hard to commit that kind of money when I'm not sure how much I'll like or use it. So what do you like and dislike about your vanishing points?
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Jul 27, 2013 04:54
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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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jomiel posted:it got a bit drier over the weekend when I wasn't using it This is a known thing about VPs. If you intend to use one as your daily writer it's fine but if you just leave it for a while the nib will dry out, because the seal isn't perfect.
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Jul 27, 2013 08:20
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SnakesRevenge posted:How many of you in here have a Vanishing Point and what are your thoughts on it? I've been looking them over for a long time, but it's hard to commit that kind of money when I'm not sure how much I'll like or use it. I love mine. It's a fantastic pen for just jotting things down quickly thanks to it being retractable. The major downside to the VP is that it has a low ink capacity. 10 pages of US letter seems to be the limit from what I've found. I refill about twice a week under normal circumstances, but I probably needed another pen during exams week. Other notes about the Vanishing Point: some people hate the way the clip is. I came from an Al-Star so the clip wasn't a big deal for me. Also, the nib follows Western sizing rather than Japanese so size accordingly.
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Jul 28, 2013 16:17
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I am probably going to take the plunge and pick up a Pilot Metropolitan and some Noodler's Ink (Heart of Darkness or Borealis Black) in a week or two. I like using small notebooks to catch ideas on the go (grid or lined, I need some structure) but Moleskines have some iffy papers that bleed somewhat. Are there any recommendations for decent stationary?
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Jul 28, 2013 20:02
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Clairefontaine seems to be highly regarded and I've noticed a lot less bleeding in my cf notebook compared to the moleskine. You can buy Clairefontaine branded notebooks or get Rhodia pads/books with Clairefontaine paper from goulet.
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Jul 28, 2013 22:03
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Seconding the Clairefontaine paper. I got a couple of French ruled, cloth bound notebooks when I asked the same question in this thread. They're awesome, and they look pretty, too.
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Jul 28, 2013 22:36
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I may be alone here but I think that while Clairefontaine paper is very nice, you are paying a lot when you can get comparable or better paper for less cost from a Japanese maker. For instance, Kokuyo makes a line of notebooks with paper it calls Mio. http://www.jetpens.com/search?q=kokuyo+mio They're cheaper than Clairefontaine sheet for sheet and the paper is of a ridiculously high quality - I use these daily and get zero bleeding or feathering even with the very wet Visconti HS nib and a wet-flowing ink. Moleskine paper is, as you've mentioned, overpriced bullshit and you shouldn't get Moleskines. edit - forgot to mention. If you're really hardcore about your paper you can get Cyo-bo from Kokuyo: http://www.jetpens.com/search?q=kokuyo+cyo-bo gets you 100g paper (Clairefontaine is 90g), the texture of which is difficult to describe beyond "man this paper feels and writes expensive." Kessel fucked around with this message at 23:47 on Jul 28, 2013 |
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Jul 28, 2013 23:43
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I use and like Clairefontaine, Rhodia, and Original Crown Mill paper. The Rhodia and Clairefontaine papers have sizing on them, which means if you run your fingers along it you'll notice that they feel a bit coated. Note that though Clairefontaine makes paper for Rhodia, the paper in Rhodia pads is different from the paper in Clairefontaine pads; they're different weights. I find Rhodia and CF papers better for work with flex nibs or anything where you want thin lines to stay thin and not "spread"; OCM paper has a feel all its own that just screams "classy". I've not tried enough Japanese paper to be able to judge it, and I'm too short on money and well-stocked with Rhodia right now to be able to justify trying some.
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Jul 29, 2013 02:13
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Kessel posted:I may be alone here but I think that while Clairefontaine paper is very nice, you are paying a lot when you can get comparable or better paper for less cost from a Japanese maker. This is neat. I was looking locally since I live near Oakland and work in San Francisco CA so there are a couple of stationery stores that I am looking at to see if I can find these papers, but I think they're probably a bit too specialty to find them in local shops. This Midori Traveler's Notebook seems to be pretty overkill but I'd view it as an investment (also locally available). I might stop by this store on a long lunch break while I'm in the city to pick up some of the refills or some such, pick up a few things at that store I just linked (Maido Stationery).
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Jul 29, 2013 03:01
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aldantefax posted:This is neat. I was looking locally since I live near Oakland and work in San Francisco CA so there are a couple of stationery stores that I am looking at to see if I can find these papers, but I think they're probably a bit too specialty to find them in local shops. Well, I will second (or third, or whatever) Clairefontaine and Rhodia. I have some pads and notebooks of each. They all write extremely well, and I have had no bleedthrough, feathering, etc. I recently got a Midori Traveller's notebook. It is...expensive; I will not lie about that. Some people say that they do not like the paper or that it is does not do well with fountain pens. I personally love mine and have had no problems with it. Goulet Pens/Ink Nouveau have some good vids up reviewing it, as well as the various paper refills for it. There is the regular paper that comes with it. There is also a sketch paper refill. It has fewer sheets (only 48), but the paper is really thick. No ghosting and no bleed through. There is also a thin paper refill that you can order. It comes with way more pages. It shows some ghosting (mainly because the paper is so thin that you can almost see through it, not really because of how the paper takes the ink), and it did not show any bleed through. I have used the regular Midori paper that comes with it and had zero problems. I have ordered the sketch paper and the thin paper, but have not had a chance to try them out yet. I use the Midori notebook with the standard paper as my journal/"carry around and jot down random things" notebook. I personally love it and recommend it, but there are definitely people who would disagree and who don't like Midori paper.
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Jul 29, 2013 03:22
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I hope I don't come across as "that guy," but honestly, I've had no issues with moleskines. I've seen all the negative reviews, but they've played nice with my pens/inks (although, I should note that drat near all my pens are euro Fs, and at most an M). I've been using this cheap Staples notebook for three years without any real bleeding or anything (besides me needing to superglue the spine back on), so if you aren't using super wet inks/pens, maybe try that? They seem to be called "Virtuo. Then again, I haven't used the fancy stuff like Clairfeontaine. I guess it's less of a concern when you use smaller points, since I've used these pens on cheap filler paper with no real issues.
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Jul 29, 2013 03:48
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Actually, if you're in California Jetpens is based there and will get you your stuff FAST. Having used both Rhodia and the Kokuyo papers, I can say that they're comparable in quality with the Cyo-bo winning out by a hair in terms of drying time. However, when you look at the price difference - especially if you write multiple pages daily - the per-sheet lower cost of the Japanese paper makes it more economical.
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Jul 29, 2013 03:52
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Kessel posted:Actually, if you're in California Jetpens is based there and will get you your stuff FAST. So it is! I sent them an email to see if I can trick them into letting me come to their office (I don't think they have a physical store) so I can try out some pens as a day trip or some such.
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Jul 29, 2013 07:39
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I can't speak for the Midori paper, but having a traveler notebook is really great. I had never heard of them until the Goulets started carrying them and made blog posts about it. Looking at the price of everything made me cringe, so I just made my own knockoff and stuffed some Clairefontaine notebooks into it.  I use it as a portable notebook/journal/wallet sort of thing. I have a 3x5" notebook for general use, a couple of file folders I made myself out of old files using this guide, and even have a card sleeve and a tiny jotter notebook I use as a ledger. It's been really useful for keeping things organized and having a way to jot down ideas and everything while on the go.
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Jul 29, 2013 12:24
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Zenostein posted:I hope I don't come across as "that guy," but honestly, I've had no issues with moleskines. I've seen all the negative reviews, but they've played nice with my pens/inks (although, I should note that drat near all my pens are euro Fs, and at most an M). I've been using this cheap Staples notebook for three years without any real bleeding or anything (besides me needing to superglue the spine back on), so if you aren't using super wet inks/pens, maybe try that? I actually like my €0.99 ring books from the nearest supermarket - the paper is quite fountain pen friendly. By the way, what ink are you using on Moleskines?
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Jul 29, 2013 14:59
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I CANNOT EJACULATE WITHOUT SEEING NATIVE AMERICANS BRUTALISED!
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I don't really get what's so bad about moleskines. Occasionally there'll be a sort of waxy patch on the paper where the ink doesn't penetrate as deeply. But other that I haven't had any problems. I've used Quink, Mont Blanc Black and 3 Sailor Jentle inks (pomegranate, apricot and epinard)
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Jul 29, 2013 17:16
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I like Clairefontaine since it seems to be the only high-quality notebook I can easily find in French rule, which is awesome.
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Jul 29, 2013 17:34
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Prathm posted:I don't really get what's so bad about moleskines. Occasionally there'll be a sort of waxy patch on the paper where the ink doesn't penetrate as deeply. But other that I haven't had any problems. I used to use Moleskine because that's all I really knew about in that format, now I use Rhodia because they're incredible and a joy to write on and carry around.
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Jul 29, 2013 17:57
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It's actually quite illuminating if you look at Moleskine's very long prospectus paper released for its IPO earlier this year: http://www.mediobanca.it/static/upload/mol/moleskine-ipo-report-04-03-2013-mediobanca.pdf It includes the following florid marketing image that should tell you all you need to know about where the company's priorities lie. 
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Jul 29, 2013 18:20
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The only problem I ever had with moleskines was that the ink took an age to dry. If you're in the UK, Sainsburys have A5 lookalikes for a fiver that are absolutely fantastic. Only real downside is that the covers are quite soft and can get dented easily.
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Jul 29, 2013 18:22
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Clairfontaine is indeed great paper but, in my experience, it does have a very slow dry time. Using Noodlers black. I have found the Rhodia paper to be the best of all the worlds. Resilient paper with a great drying time without any bleed or feathering.
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Jul 29, 2013 19:54
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Rhodia products use Clairfontaine paper. 
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Jul 29, 2013 20:46
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They do, but, someone mentioned earlier that they are slightly different than the pads marked Clairfontaine on the cover. I have both, and both are high quality "shiny" paper, but the Clairfontaine pad seems to take a lot longer to dry. 
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Jul 29, 2013 21:09
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Reivax posted:The only problem I ever had with moleskines was that the ink took an age to dry. If you're in the UK, Sainsburys have A5 lookalikes for a fiver that are absolutely fantastic. Only real downside is that the covers are quite soft and can get dented easily. With every piece of moleskine paper I have ever tried, I had the problem of being able to use only a limited selection of inks in F nibs because otherwise, the ink would bleed through the page (and sometimes 2-3 pages below it). That wasn't just the case when using exotic inks, mind you, I had problems with some Pelikan and Waterman stuff.
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Jul 29, 2013 21:45
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I picked up a bottle of De Atramentis Johann Sebastian Bach http://www.gouletpens.com/De_Atramentis_Johann_Sebastian_Bach_p/da1106.htm from Goulet with my latest order. I was concerned about quality because the bottle was so inexpensive. I like the color, it's a burgundy brown that shades with hints of purple and black. Looks like vintage ink when it dries. My problem is it bleeds through whatever I put it on and feathers a little in my Ahab. No real nib creep though which is nice. Not anything I can't deal with, and it doesn't stain like crazy.
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Jul 29, 2013 22:01
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Kessel posted:I may be alone here but I think that while Clairefontaine paper is very nice, you are paying a lot when you can get comparable or better paper for less cost from a Japanese maker. Hey Kessel, I'm in Japan right now. Do you know any retailers in the Tokyo area who carry these notebooks, or if I can get Tomoe River paper in a shop anywhere?
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Jul 29, 2013 23:19
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In terms of spiral notebooks for jotting down stuff in class, are Clairefontaines generally considered the best choice?
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Jul 29, 2013 23:33
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RustedChrome posted:Hey Kessel, I'm in Japan right now. Do you know any retailers in the Tokyo area who carry these notebooks, or if I can get Tomoe River paper in a shop anywhere? Cyo-bo paper is harder to find, I think, but even the not-that-large mall bookstore in the smaller town where I live has Mio notebooks out the wazoo. I don't think you'll have to go to any specific store; probably any of the larger department stores will have a stationery section that stocks the notebooks. Less idea on the latter. As far as I can remember, Tomoegawa is just the company that produces the paper, which is then sold to a bunch of higher-end notebook and diary makers here (because personal planners and diaries are a thing in Japan) for use in their notebooks. I know that Tomoegawa does make their own notebooks but I've never noticed one in the stores. edit - one of the best places to get stationery in Tokyo is Ito-ya's Ginza store. 11 floors of poo poo you've never heard of, handmade paper, special fountain pens sold nowhere else, the works. official site: http://www.ito-ya.co.jp/store/itoya/ginza/ google maps: search for "ito-ya ginza". it should be near Tokyo station. Kessel fucked around with this message at 00:00 on Jul 30, 2013 |
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Jul 29, 2013 23:56
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Kessel posted:Cyo-bo paper is harder to find, I think, but even the not-that-large mall bookstore in the smaller town where I live has Mio notebooks out the wazoo. I don't think you'll have to go to any specific store; probably any of the larger department stores will have a stationery section that stocks the notebooks. Thanks, I've been to a few stationary departments but didn't know to look for "Mio." There was so much other stuff to see/buy. The Ginza Ito-ya is on my list. I went to the one inside the Ikebukuro Tobu and even it puts everything to shame in the states. The Nakaya fountain pens there make me want to totally blow my budget.
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Jul 30, 2013 02:29
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blowfish posted:I actually like my €0.99 ring books from the nearest supermarket - the paper is quite fountain pen friendly. Various bulletproof Noodler's (mostly Legal Lapis, Red-Black) and some Herbins. But yeah, sometimes they do take forever to dry, and as it turns out, I'm not very patient, so there's some ink spots on facing pages. However, a quick look at my notes says that Zhivago dried nice and quick!
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Jul 30, 2013 04:38
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At least in my experience, Noodler's inks seem to take a little longer to dry than some of the other inks I've tried out (Diamine, Iroshizuku, Private Reserve). I have Clairfontaine, Rhodia, and some of the Maruman Mnemosyne paper (here: http://www.jetpens.com/Maruman-Mnemosyne-Inspiration-Notebook-A5-5.8-X-8.3-Unruled-70-Sheets-Bundle-of-3/pd/4120) and I think the Mnemosyne has been the best for me as far as dry times. Rhodia takes a little longer than that, and Clairfontaine the longest (it's certainly shinier/smoother than my Rhodia dotpad). I have some old Moleskine sketchbooks laying around and I know that at least one of them wouldn't take fountain pen ink at all. It just couldn't start on that paper to the point I thought there was something wrong with my pen until I tried it on other paper and it was fine. I've since switched to Handbook sketchbooks as my usual note and drawing books (http://www.dickblick.com/products/hand-book-artist-journals/). They're cheaper, have more versatile paper, and more sheets than a Moleskine sketchbook does. It's a bit thirsty with FPs because it can take light watercolor washes, but I'm never going to buy another Moleskine as long as I can get the Handbooks.
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Jul 30, 2013 17:38
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I got an eyedropper converted Platinum Preppy for free when I ordered some Noodler's ink. This pen has slowly been working its way into my "take to work"/"carrying around" work horse pen rotation, because it rights decently and was cheap/free (if it gets damaged/lost/stolen, I won't be heartbroken and it's easily replaced). However, I have been having trouble finding information on how to clean and flush it. All of my other pens have converters, so cleaning this one is kind of throwing me for a loop. I assume I can just use an eyedropper with water or pen flush to get most of the ink out of the body, but I am unsure what to do about getting the nib and feed bits clean. None of the videos that I've found for the Preppy really addressed this. Any ideas?
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Jul 31, 2013 13:17
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If you grip the nib in a pinch on the top and bottom sides, then pull straight out, you'll pull the nib and feed assembly out all at once and can just rinse it off with water and ammonia. You can then also just run water straight through the grip section, or let it soak in a cleaning solution for a little while and run clean water through it after that. Those Preppies are really great pens for being so cheap (or free)!
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Jul 31, 2013 13:23
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laertes22 posted:I got an eyedropper converted Platinum Preppy for free when I ordered some Noodler's ink. This pen has slowly been working its way into my "take to work"/"carrying around" work horse pen rotation, because it rights decently and was cheap/free (if it gets damaged/lost/stolen, I won't be heartbroken and it's easily replaced). You might also consider going to a pharmacy or drug store and picking up one of those rubber blub aspirators for small children. A great way to gently force water through the feed/nib of just about any pen. I love it for my Scheaffer 300, because I just can't get the nib removed!
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Jul 31, 2013 13:46
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Got my Hero 616 the other day. I must have lucked out because it writes nice. The included converter SUCKS however. A silicone bladder and really crappy metal housing over it. Took forever to get it filled to a decent level. If it didn't have a tiny hole in the end I'd be tempted to convert it to an eyedropper pen.
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Jul 31, 2013 14:05
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Verdugo posted:Got my Hero 616 the other day. I must have lucked out because it writes nice. The included converter SUCKS however. A silicone bladder and really crappy metal housing over it. Took forever to get it filled to a decent level. If it didn't have a tiny hole in the end I'd be tempted to convert it to an eyedropper pen. I have the best luck pulling the housing off and just giving that ink sack 5-6 good squeezes.
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Jul 31, 2013 14:57
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Hot drat, I got my TWSBI Vac 700 today and the nib sizing is wack. I ordered a 1.1 italic stub and the line it produces is closer to a Lamy 1.8 italic. Utterly gorgeous pen and beautifully smooth writing action but the enormous nib width makes it pretty wet and it feathers a fair bit even with inks that usually don't feather at all.
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Jul 31, 2013 15:39
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