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Rocko Bonaparte
Mar 12, 2002

Every day is Friday!
Would people generally consider Noodler's Burma Road Brown to be thin? I wrote back to the guy from which I got my Peerless that wants to glob up ink asking what to do, and he told me to switch to a thicker ink like Private Reserve. It just doesn't seem right.

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Zenostein
Aug 16, 2008

:h::h::h:Alhamdulillah-chan:h::h::h:
Kinda, yeah. Noodler's in general tends to gush out of pens, so if it's a generally wet writer, it'll be even wetter. That's also probably (at least in part) why Noodler's is one of the nib-creepier inks. It also doesn't stick to a dip-nib so well, compared to J. Herbin's fountain inks (or even something like Pilot Black). I can't speak for Burma Road Brown in particular, but assuming the V-Mail inks all behave similarly, it'll be a pretty wet ink (and take a dog's age to dry, too) based on my Aircorps BB.

Private Reserve is probably thicker, but [this is a sludge in the bottle joke]. If your pen's just super wet, then yes you should try a different ink, though. Really, if you're having pen troubles "try a different ink" is a pretty solid first step — especially if you have some first-party ink laying around: Pilot, Waterman, Parker, anyone who makes pens'll do.

Looking back at what you've said, what do you mean by "glob up?" If it's just a bit of ink on the nib, that's nothing to be terribly concerned about. But if you're uncapping it and getting a capful of ink, that's probably an issue.

Zenostein posted:



:toot:
The solution is to not worry about it. Especially not if it's a tiny bit of ink on the slit. Alternatively, get a safari with a black nib. Or something with a hooded nib.

Totally fine~ (Well, that's a bit of an extreme case, since I'd let it sit around for a week or so, but you get the picture. Nothing a tissue couldn't fix, at any rate. And yes, that's Noodler's.)

sephiRoth IRA
Jun 13, 2007

"Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality."

-Carl Sagan
Thanks you loving nerds, I just spent $60 at jetpens on two metros, diamine poppy red and onyx black ink, and a nice Rhodia notebook. Not that I needed an expensive new note-taking setup at work...

grack
Jan 10, 2012

COACH TOTORO SAY REFEREE CAN BANISH WHISTLE TO LAND OF WIND AND GHOSTS!

areyoucontagious posted:

Thanks you loving nerds, I just spent $60 at jetpens on two metros, diamine poppy red and onyx black ink, and a nice Rhodia notebook. Not that I needed an expensive new note-taking setup at work...

ONE OF US ONE OF US

Pixelante
Mar 16, 2006

You people will by God act like a team, or at least like people who know each other, or I'll incinerate the bunch of you here and now.

grack posted:

Well if you get over to the mainland on a regular basis the people who run the two big stores in Vancouver are much easier to deal with.

Ooh, what are their names? I'm heading up to the interior soon and could work in an afternoon in the city. I think I've scouted all the Victoria places and am likely better off with WonderPens.

quote:

Thanks you loving nerds, I just spent $60 at jetpens on two metros, diamine poppy red and onyx black ink, and a nice Rhodia notebook. Not that I needed an expensive new note-taking setup at work...

Rhodia's Classic Meeting Book is great for work or study notes, I'm finding.

grack
Jan 10, 2012

COACH TOTORO SAY REFEREE CAN BANISH WHISTLE TO LAND OF WIND AND GHOSTS!

Pixelante posted:

Ooh, what are their names? I'm heading up to the interior soon and could work in an afternoon in the city. I think I've scouted all the Victoria places and am likely better off with WonderPens.


Rhodia's Classic Meeting Book is great for work or study notes, I'm finding.

Vancouver Pen Shop and Perk's Pens. Perk's has really limited store hours but the owner Richard is a really nice guy and it's where all the Vancouver club meetings are.

Hekk
Oct 12, 2012

'smeper fi

I have a couple of Platinum Preppys, an aluminum Platinum Preppy, and a Pilot Metro. I think I'd like to look at what else is out there. I've been eyeballing a Custom 74 because the nib is 18k and is supposedly a little flexible and I can get one on Amazon for less than 80 USD. Is there anything European or American in the ~$100 price range that would comparable? My only experience is with Japanese pens and as much as I think they are great, I'd maybe like to see what other markets make too.

Heath
Apr 30, 2008

🍂🎃🏞️💦
I got a Lamy Al-Star last week and I'm quite liking it. The extra fine nib is comparable to a Fine on a Metro and it writes like butter.

grack
Jan 10, 2012

COACH TOTORO SAY REFEREE CAN BANISH WHISTLE TO LAND OF WIND AND GHOSTS!

Nostalgia4Ass posted:

I have a couple of Platinum Preppys, an aluminum Platinum Preppy, and a Pilot Metro. I think I'd like to look at what else is out there. I've been eyeballing a Custom 74 because the nib is 18k and is supposedly a little flexible and I can get one on Amazon for less than 80 USD. Is there anything European or American in the ~$100 price range that would comparable? My only experience is with Japanese pens and as much as I think they are great, I'd maybe like to see what other markets make too.

The Custom 74 is a great choice for a next step pen. The Pilot 91 is very similar in size and uses the same nib but is a flat-top pen and has rhodium plated trim instead of gold plated trim. You could also look at a Platinum 3776 which is the same size and also uses a 14k nib, but I personally like Pilot nibs better. Just be aware that the lower priced buying options on Amazon are Japanese import pens and won't come with converters.

Other options in the same price range would be something like a Monteverde Intima or Prima, a Faber-Castell Ambition, a Diplomat Esteem, a Lamy CP1 or Studio and a Kaweco Dia 2. Note that these pens will all come with steel as opposed to gold nibs but they're generally pretty good steel nibs.

Pixelante
Mar 16, 2006

You people will by God act like a team, or at least like people who know each other, or I'll incinerate the bunch of you here and now.
The J. Herbin 1670 inks are really, really nice to work with. They have some different challenges than my acrylic inks--shading is less controllable, and the amount of gold is difficult to keep consistent, and I had some start/skipping issues in all three pens. I couldn't see the red tinge that Emeraude supposedly gets, but that might be the paper (Pentalic Paper for Pens--very smooth, 110lb). It's very, very difficult to control the ink with a paintbrush, and I probably should have diluted it. Once it's on the page, it ain't moving. Acrylics usually let me shift heavier patches of wet ink if I'm careful--1670s just sink into the paper, so even coverage of larger space is impossible at full strength. However, the intensity and smoothness of the inks is worth all the rest. Drawing with a fountain pen is as smooth as my professional quality multiliners. I blame skipping on my terrible hand positioning and the gold dust.

The bottles the 1670s come in are art themselves.

Only registered members can see post attachments!

Pixelante fucked around with this message at 00:09 on Aug 2, 2016

Zenostein
Aug 16, 2008

:h::h::h:Alhamdulillah-chan:h::h::h:
It's kinda a shame that the caps themselves are so plain and kinda flimsy-feeling after the wax has come off. Also that you shouldn't just leave ink out in direct light, because those really are too nice-looking to just keep tucked away in a drawer.

Pixelante
Mar 16, 2006

You people will by God act like a team, or at least like people who know each other, or I'll incinerate the bunch of you here and now.

Zenostein posted:

It's kinda a shame that the caps themselves are so plain and kinda flimsy-feeling after the wax has come off. Also that you shouldn't just leave ink out in direct light, because those really are too nice-looking to just keep tucked away in a drawer.

I left the wax on, just twisted the top and they shifted without breaking. Hopefully they'll stay intact. Thanks for reminding me to keep them out of the sun!

e: Awww. I really like the wax tops. The Stormy Grey is already cracked.

Pixelante fucked around with this message at 00:29 on Aug 2, 2016

Remora
Aug 15, 2010

So... don't take off the wax?

Zenostein
Aug 16, 2008

:h::h::h:Alhamdulillah-chan:h::h::h:
My bottle is like four years old. That wax is significantly less durable than you seem to think.

NeurosisHead
Jul 22, 2007

NONONONONONONONONO

Pixelante posted:

The J. Herbin 1670 inks are really, really nice to work with. They have some different challenges than my acrylic inks--shading is less controllable, and the amount of gold is difficult to keep consistent, and I had some start/skipping issues in all three pens. I couldn't see the red tinge that Emeraude supposedly gets, but that might be the paper (Pentalic Paper for Pens--very smooth, 110lb). It's very, very difficult to control the ink with a paintbrush, and I probably should have diluted it. Once it's on the page, it ain't moving. Acrylics usually let me shift heavier patches of wet ink if I'm careful--1670s just sink into the paper, so even coverage of larger space is impossible at full strength. However, the intensity and smoothness of the inks is worth all the rest. Drawing with a fountain pen is as smooth as my professional quality multiliners. I blame skipping on my terrible hand positioning and the gold dust.

The bottles the 1670s come in are art themselves.



man I wish I had a talent

Noctone
Oct 25, 2005

XO til we overdose..

NeurosisHead posted:

man I wish I had a talent

it's never too late to take up shitposting ;)

long-ass nips Diane
Dec 13, 2010

Breathe.

NeurosisHead posted:

man I wish I had a talent

http://drawabox.com/

get on it!

Pixelante
Mar 16, 2006

You people will by God act like a team, or at least like people who know each other, or I'll incinerate the bunch of you here and now.

NeurosisHead posted:

man I wish I had a talent

A Zentangle book, some nice pens, and a lot of boring meetings/classes is an excellent substitute for talent, I find.

Lowness 72
Jul 19, 2006
BUTTS LOL

Jade Ear Joe

Pixelante posted:

A Zentangle book, some nice pens, and a lot of boring meetings/classes is an excellent substitute for talent, I find.

This looks pretty cool actually. What book do you recommend? Also are certain pens better for drawing? I have a Pilot Metro that's been beaten up a bit so thinking of getting a new pen.

Everything Burrito
Jun 2, 2011

I Failed At Anime 2022
whoa had no idea that the doodles I make during meetings had a fancy name. I could use some more pattern ideas since mine aren't nearly that nice, so it's nice to have a term to search.

Pixelante
Mar 16, 2006

You people will by God act like a team, or at least like people who know each other, or I'll incinerate the bunch of you here and now.

Lowness 72 posted:

This looks pretty cool actually. What book do you recommend? Also are certain pens better for drawing? I have a Pilot Metro that's been beaten up a bit so thinking of getting a new pen.

Any bookstore, art shop, library, and craft store probably has some Zentangle books tucked in next to the adult colouring books. Some of my friends' kids have been using them in high school art classes. However, Zentangle products are a very simple, very cleverly marketed product. The style is just picking a shape and doing it over and over again... which really is what art comes down to at the end of the day--lines and shapes, stuck together. The official books have lots of great ideas of patterns, mediums, and colours, but you can get all of that off Google Images with a little patience.

My Pilot Metros (M) are about the equivalent of a 0.1 multiliner, and were good to work with, though I had to be careful of the wet lines. Wider tips are easier for experimenting, I find. If you get a multiliner (Copic or Pigma are excellent) start with a 0.5. The benefit of multiliners over fountains is pretty much just the ink, I think. I colour a lot of my work with alcohol-based markers and I need lines that won't budge once they're dry. (Haven't tried Heart of Darkness yet.) I mostly work on smooth bristol, which is pretty cheap and sold all over the place. (I love Copic everything... except their aluminium body Multiliner SP pens. The disposables are less sexy, but work better.)

Here's a page from Zen Doodling. You can even find official Zentangle branded kits in places like Michael's, but really they're just a couple Pigma pens, some cardstock, and a template of patterns in a pretty box. Jelly pens are great for this stuff too, and usually opaque enough to layer over things.

Only registered members can see post attachments!

Edmond Dantes
Sep 12, 2007

Reactor: Online
Sensors: Online
Weapons: Online

ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL
Hah, I thought "this would be a really nice present for a friend" and went to see if I could find a couple books here, and they're all either listed under 'self-help for women' or marketed as 'spiritual meditation'.

Not bashing the method or anything, I think it's really cool and I'm totally getting a book to doodle along, I just found how they were pitching them funny.

/edit:

A Lamy 2000 Massdrop just launched

/edited link

Edmond Dantes fucked around with this message at 19:36 on Aug 2, 2016

NeurosisHead
Jul 22, 2007

NONONONONONONONONO

Edmond Dantes posted:

Hah, I thought "this would be a really nice present for a friend" and went to see if I could find a couple books here, and they're all either listed under 'self-help for women' or marketed as 'spiritual meditation'.

Not bashing the method or anything, I think it's really cool and I'm totally getting a book to doodle along, I just found how they were pitching them funny.

/edit:

A Lamy 2000 Massdrop just launched

god drat it I just bought a Conklin Heritage button filler (which is not a traditional button filler but it does have a button on it so whatever I like the acrylic) on Massdrop yesterday, ugh

Edmond Dantes
Sep 12, 2007

Reactor: Online
Sensors: Online
Weapons: Online

ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL

NeurosisHead posted:

god drat it I just bought a Conklin Heritage button filler (which is not a traditional button filler but it does have a button on it so whatever I like the acrylic) on Massdrop yesterday, ugh

It doesn't seem to be that deep a discount though, does it? Sure, it's 80 bucks off MSRP, but I see it going for ~125 over at Amazon, 160 in Goulet and 146 in jetpens. Hell, the price difference between the massdrop discount "tiers" is 3 bucks.

Dr. Despair
Nov 4, 2009


39 perfect posts with each roll.

Probably because massdrop is actually pretty awful for most things.

cobalt impurity
Apr 23, 2010

I hope he didn't care about that pizza.

Nostalgia4Ass posted:

I have a couple of Platinum Preppys, an aluminum Platinum Preppy, and a Pilot Metro. I think I'd like to look at what else is out there. I've been eyeballing a Custom 74 because the nib is 18k and is supposedly a little flexible and I can get one on Amazon for less than 80 USD. Is there anything European or American in the ~$100 price range that would comparable? My only experience is with Japanese pens and as much as I think they are great, I'd maybe like to see what other markets make too.

I love my Custom 74. Even with a fine nib it's a nice smooth writer and the purple demonstrator with rhodium trim is gorgeous. My only complaint is that it doesn't have the heft of my Vanishing Point.

Edmond Dantes
Sep 12, 2007

Reactor: Online
Sensors: Online
Weapons: Online

ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL

gently caress, I copied the link from Massdrop and it copied with a referrer in there; sorry all (and especially to whoever just registered using that link), I wasn't trying to be sneaky. :(


Mr. Despair posted:

Probably because massdrop is actually pretty awful for most things.

I got a rhodium-accented Falcon for... I think 80 bucks? So I thought they had good stuff, but I'm realising otherwise.

Magnus Praeda
Jul 18, 2003
The largess in the land.

Edmond Dantes posted:

gently caress, I copied the link from Massdrop and it copied with a referrer in there; sorry all (and especially to whoever just registered using that link), I wasn't trying to be sneaky. :(

I do that all the drat time with Amazon because I always forget to check if it's there or not.

Edmond Dantes posted:

I got a rhodium-accented Falcon for... I think 80 bucks? So I thought they had good stuff, but I'm realising otherwise.

They do, sometimes. I've gotten several things through Massdrop that ended up being great deals. The issue is that you need to cross-shop every deal they post at several different websites and take shipping into consideration.

Pixelante
Mar 16, 2006

You people will by God act like a team, or at least like people who know each other, or I'll incinerate the bunch of you here and now.

Edmond Dantes posted:

Hah, I thought "this would be a really nice present for a friend" and went to see if I could find a couple books here, and they're all either listed under 'self-help for women' or marketed as 'spiritual meditation'.

Not bashing the method or anything, I think it's really cool and I'm totally getting a book to doodle along, I just found how they were pitching them funny.

It gets the yoga moms, who are the bigger demographic, I think. It really is a nice thing, though. With very little effort you can make pretty doodles, and expand from there, which is roughly what I did. There are some studies that legitimately show how these things are good for stress management. I think it's because you make a whole bunch of decisions while you're drawing/colouring, but they're not stressful ones. With that practice, when you're confronted with higher-stakes choices, you're less likely to be upset with having to choose. Using fountain pens is probably good for your brain, too!

Rocko Bonaparte
Mar 12, 2002

Every day is Friday!
Pen problems:

Here's the Peerless that globs up ink. This is less crazy day with the pen. The ink will bubble out of the breather hole if I squeeze on the pen just a little bit. It'll ultimately pool in a blob that I can smear across a full width of a conventional sheet of paper. I'm having a hard time coming to terms with "use a different ink" because it worked fine for a month with Burma Road Brown:


I found out this other one has a crack. My mother-in-law originally got it for her husband, but he never used it. She gifted it to me. She didn't really have high expectations of it. It's not a very reputable brand, and I've had to pull the tines apart to get it to write at all. I noticed my fingers would get gross using it. I found a hairline crack at the end. On the right, I try to point it out, but it's pretty hard to photograph:


Any ideas for these pens? "Buy new pens" doesn't count this time. ;)

NeurosisHead
Jul 22, 2007

NONONONONONONONONO

Rocko Bonaparte posted:

Pen problems:

Here's the Peerless that globs up ink. This is less crazy day with the pen. The ink will bubble out of the breather hole if I squeeze on the pen just a little bit. It'll ultimately pool in a blob that I can smear across a full width of a conventional sheet of paper. I'm having a hard time coming to terms with "use a different ink" because it worked fine for a month with Burma Road Brown:


I found out this other one has a crack. My mother-in-law originally got it for her husband, but he never used it. She gifted it to me. She didn't really have high expectations of it. It's not a very reputable brand, and I've had to pull the tines apart to get it to write at all. I noticed my fingers would get gross using it. I found a hairline crack at the end. On the right, I try to point it out, but it's pretty hard to photograph:


Any ideas for these pens? "Buy new pens" doesn't count this time. ;)

I have never in my life seen that much ink on the back of a nib, I don't know what the gently caress. If you have too much ink coming out of a pen, it's because too much air is going into the pen. I'd try stopping up some of the fins with wax to limit the air exchange. If the filling mechanism involves a sac, it could be a crack allowing air into the barrel causing additional displacement as well.

As for the cracked section, you have two options. Depending on the fitting, it might be easy to just lathe a new section out of acrylic or ebonite. Barring that, you can remove the nib and feed, and detach the section and barrel. Fill the crack with two part epoxy, let it dry, and sand it flush with high grit sandpaper and a loupe for vision. Good luck!

Rocko Bonaparte
Mar 12, 2002

Every day is Friday!

NeurosisHead posted:

I have never in my life seen that much ink on the back of a nib, I don't know what the gently caress. If you have too much ink coming out of a pen, it's because too much air is going into the pen. I'd try stopping up some of the fins with wax to limit the air exchange. If the filling mechanism involves a sac, it could be a crack allowing air into the barrel causing additional displacement as well.

As for the cracked section, you have two options. Depending on the fitting, it might be easy to just lathe a new section out of acrylic or ebonite. Barring that, you can remove the nib and feed, and detach the section and barrel. Fill the crack with two part epoxy, let it dry, and sand it flush with high grit sandpaper and a loupe for vision. Good luck!

I think I'm in denial that the Peerless (the top one) needs a new sac, but I'll pump a bit of a sample of J. Herbin 1670 ink I have since that's apparently thick stuff. If that oozes out, then I guess it's the sack.

Now that I know about the crack on the bottom one, I suppose I should be shameless in taking it apart. What kind of epoxy are you talking about here specifically? I have used a two-part epoxy to fix a pool crack before, but I somehow think I shouldn't use that for the pen.

grack
Jan 10, 2012

COACH TOTORO SAY REFEREE CAN BANISH WHISTLE TO LAND OF WIND AND GHOSTS!
If you want to check for a hole in the sac just fill it with water and hold the pen upside down. If there's water dripping out or pooling on underside of the nib around the feed there's a hole. You don't need to fill it up with ink.

NeurosisHead
Jul 22, 2007

NONONONONONONONONO

Rocko Bonaparte posted:

I think I'm in denial that the Peerless (the top one) needs a new sac, but I'll pump a bit of a sample of J. Herbin 1670 ink I have since that's apparently thick stuff. If that oozes out, then I guess it's the sack.

Now that I know about the crack on the bottom one, I suppose I should be shameless in taking it apart. What kind of epoxy are you talking about here specifically? I have used a two-part epoxy to fix a pool crack before, but I somehow think I shouldn't use that for the pen.

I patched an old beater of a pen with basically exactly that. Mixed a dab of it, used a toothpick to get it where I wanted it, let it set and sanded it manually under magnification. Worked well enough, and it wasn't usable as it stood.

sephiRoth IRA
Jun 13, 2007

"Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality."

-Carl Sagan
New pens should be arriving today or tomorrow. When the op says to flush the pen, it's just the nib, right? I don't have to give it a thorough cleaning with a soak etc? Just a few flush-throughs with water?

grack
Jan 10, 2012

COACH TOTORO SAY REFEREE CAN BANISH WHISTLE TO LAND OF WIND AND GHOSTS!
Put the converter in the pen, stick the pen nib down in a cup of tap water, squeeze the converter four or five times.

Heath
Apr 30, 2008

🍂🎃🏞️💦
I ordered a bottle of Noodler's Borealis Black because I need a good reliable black, and it comes with a free pen that I understand has a flex nib. Is it a decent quality pen?

Pixelante
Mar 16, 2006

You people will by God act like a team, or at least like people who know each other, or I'll incinerate the bunch of you here and now.

Heath posted:

I ordered a bottle of Noodler's Borealis Black because I need a good reliable black, and it comes with a free pen that I understand has a flex nib. Is it a decent quality pen?

I think it's gonna be a Noodler Charlie pen (eyedropper) or a Platinum Preppy that's been converted to an eyedropper. I have the former (came with Noodler Heart of Darkness) and it's surprisingly pleasant to write with. Holds a shitton of ink. It bled big gobs of ink at first, but someone in the thread suggested pushing the nib further in and bingo--works like a charm now. Not a flex, though.

Pixelante fucked around with this message at 22:17 on Aug 4, 2016

NeurosisHead
Jul 22, 2007

NONONONONONONONONO
If you've got a nib creeper I believe you can fit the flex nib from that in the Charlie, but it does not come with its own flex nib. The nib on the Charlie is super nice though, I've been shocked by mine.

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unkle77
Sep 9, 2009

Please prepare me one of these... Chocolate Egg Creams.
Pilot Custom 74 in medium is on its way, and I don't know what to ink it up with first. This will be my first real foray into the next step pens considering I've only done Metros, & my TWSBI Eco and 580. Anyone else got a 74?

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