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welp I bought a Pilot Metro on a whim and spent a day at work with it. I am now officially on the fountain pen bandwagon and already looking into what kind of ink colors are available.
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Sep 26, 2019 03:12
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| # ¿ Apr 26, 2024 00:24 |
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 The Iroshizuku Shin-Kai in particular stood out to me. I'm not going to commit to anything until my starter cartridge runs low but I definitely like the way it looks.
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Sep 26, 2019 04:37
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So after a week of using my Metro I still really like it. One question though; little ink droplets keep cropping up on the nib and I have to wipe it clean several times a day. Google tells me that's normal for a fountain pen but is there any way to mitigate it?
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Oct 6, 2019 02:36
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grack posted:This can depend on any number of factors. Are they on the nib only after you take it out of your bag? Or do they show up even when the pen's been laying still? I carry it in my shirt pocket, but yes, I always notice them when I take it out. I just checked after a day of not using it and it looks like it's still clean from being wiped down at the end of yesterday. Jabarto fucked around with this message at 04:24 on Oct 6, 2019 |
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Oct 6, 2019 04:16
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Heath posted:What ink? At first, the black cartridge that came with it. Currently, I'm trying the Shin-Kai color from an Iroshizuku sample pack.
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Oct 6, 2019 05:23
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grack posted:It sounds like a bit of ink is splattering from the pen being jostled. It's not abnormal. Good to know, thanks. 
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Oct 6, 2019 06:53
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I haven't even had my pen for 3 weeks and I'm already exploring potential upgrades for down the line. :I
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Oct 8, 2019 00:18
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In all seriousness, I could use a recommendation. I want a pen that hits as many of these criteria as possible, in descending order of importance: 1. All or at least mostly metal body. 2. Fine or extra fine point. 3. 200$ or less 4. Good ink capacity. 5. Can be ordered off Amazon (I have a gift card balance there). Notably, the LAMY 2000 is almost exactly what I want in a pen. Almost; from what I've read it has a relatively broad point, the metal version is very expensive, and while it's not a huge deal I don't like how far the nib is recessed into the body, it just looks kind of odd. Are there better options for what I listed? If it matters, I probably won't pull the trigger until the new year, or pretty close to it.
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Oct 8, 2019 01:14
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The Metal Falcon looks like a great fit for me, and not too far out of my budget. I'll keep an eye on that one. I'm not too familiar with resin, but I generally hate the feel of plastic and related materials, and I prefer a heavier pen. I think I'd have to find a way to handle a resin pen myself before deciding on one, especially if I'm looking at high double/low triple digit prices. That was a super helpful post though, thank you.
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Oct 8, 2019 02:45
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MockingQuantum posted:I'm sure this is really useful info after you've already bought it, but just a heads up that the CON-40 (and really most Pilot converters currently in rotation) is pretty bad and small. Depending on the pen (and how much writing you do) you may not ever notice, but at least with my VP, I definitely had more dry starts, and eventually had issues writing at all once the converter was more than half empty. All the issues went away when I just switched to hand-filling cartridges. How's the Con-70? I'm still thinking of getting a metal Falcon and that comes with one.
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Oct 10, 2019 00:25
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The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards just getting a resin Falcon. It looks like even metal pens will usually have a plastic grip, and I don't even really think about the fact that my Metro already has one. Plus it's $100 less and still looks classy as hell. The metal one does have the better converter but honestly converters seem like a pain in the rear end to me, so I think just refilling cartridges with a pipette is the way to go.
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Oct 12, 2019 00:44
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So in a rather sudden turn of events I decided to get a Lamy 2000 instead of a Falcon. After spending a day at work with it I can't say I regret my choice. It writes very smoothly, and posting the cap takes it from slightly too small for my hand to a near perfect size and weight. I'm really gonna love the extra capacity on it, too. Can't say I like the hooded nib aesthetic, but I can overlook it in light of everything else. Honestly unless I feel like springing $350 for a solid steel version one day I don't really see much need to get any other pens. Jabarto fucked around with this message at 01:53 on Oct 17, 2019 |
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Oct 17, 2019 01:51
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howe_sam posted:The stainless steel Lamy 2k is trash compared to the base model. What's wrong with it?
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Oct 17, 2019 02:15
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I ended up having to return my Lamy 2k. After using it some more I realized that it was way, way too dry; every single time I took the cap off I had to scribble with it for several seconds to get an ink flow, and I had to hold the nib almost sideways and move it about a quarter of an inch per second in order to lay down solid lines. From reading up on it there are a lot of quality control issues with the 2k so I'm not really willing to risk trying another one, either. Ah well, back to the Metro for now.
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Oct 24, 2019 05:43
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After getting a flop with the LAMY 2000, I decided not to replace it and instead look at something entirely different. The Diplomat Excellence A2 had caught my eye before, and since I wanted to go through a reputable dealer this time, I decided to order one from Goulet:  (the lighting sucks in my apartment right now, sorry. I might try for a better picture of the nib) After a few weeks of using it I've fallen in love with it. It's all metal, classy as hell, has a good flow, and unlike my Metro, it has good ink capacity and rarely leaks around the nib, if ever. It's pretty much everything I wanted out of a fountain pen. My only concern now is turning into Grack But With Diplomats; they make some pens in the $40-$80 range that I might want to collect later on.
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Nov 16, 2019 01:40
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I haven't posted in here for a while, but I'm still using my Diplomat A2 on a daily basis at my job. I work with an older demographic so it's always fun hearing, "Is that a fountain pen? I haven't seen one of those in years!". Anyhoo, I thought I would be satisfied with leaving it at that, but then Goulet had to go advertising a carbon fiber pen with rose gold accents so I had to order one of those tonight. And I figured that as long as I'm diversifying my collection a bit I should try some Diamine Ancient Copper ink since it would look great with my diplomat, and also get some basic cleaning supplies to maintain them all. But THIS time I''m pretty sure I'll be content with what I have.
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Feb 25, 2020 03:01
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PIlot makes great pens it seems but everyone harps on their crappy converters. Are you all refilling cartridges or are the converters worth the tradeoffs/not as bad as people say?
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Mar 2, 2020 02:00
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Incidentally I did get a cleaning kit off Goulet Pens when I ordered my newest pen (which just came yesterday ), and it came with syringes. I'm really give serious thought to just using/refilling the cartridges that came with the pens since it's so much neater than dunking the pen into an ink bottle.
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Mar 2, 2020 04:03
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I got my Diamine Ancient Copper ink bottle over the weekend, and fell in love with it for exactly one day before it clogged the everloving gently caress out of my pen. Can anyone recommend similar colors from another brand?
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Mar 5, 2020 02:53
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FFT posted:I've never had any flow issues with it even at Pilot-level EF. I'd recommend washing the pen out and trying again, first. I'm using a fine Diplomat Excellence A2, I washed the pen pretty thoroughly before putting the ink in. When I was using it at work today it would work for as long as it was on the paper and about 10 seconds after, then dry up completely. I tried priming the feed, and ended up emptying the entire converter without seeing a drop come out before realizing it was just pooling in the feed. So I emptied the rest, refilled it, and had the same issue. Tonight i just cleaned again it and put my Pilot ink back in, it works flawlessly. So I don't think it's the pen.
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Mar 5, 2020 03:15
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FFT posted:Well, that's unfortunate. I don't have any alternatives to suggest that I've used, though No worries, I appreciate the advice.
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Mar 5, 2020 03:22
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Thanks for the tips everyone. I got the Ancient Copper because it looks great with my pen, so while I could put it in my old Metro it would really work best in a brown pen, and oh god I don't need more pens don't tempt me. I had no idea that kind of effect was intrinsic to the colors, though. I might still try that Monteverde Copper Noire (or just get a sample pack like I probably should have done from the start).
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Mar 5, 2020 06:18
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Heath posted:Iroshizuku are basically perfect except that they're very, very not waterproof. A drop of water will wipe a sheet of Tomoe River clean. I love Iroshizuku, but it seems to leak out of the nib in a way that the other inks I've tried don't.
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Mar 6, 2020 02:22
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So I'm pretty sure my Diplomat is broken. Ink keeps blotting around the nib a lot more than it used to, and now even Pilot ink is doing that thing I mentioned where it just pools around the feed when I try to force it through with the converter. I'm really bummed that an $180 investment is giving me so much trouble. Is there any kind of troubleshooting I can do?
Jabarto fucked around with this message at 05:05 on Mar 6, 2020 |
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Mar 6, 2020 04:13
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Mr. Bad Guy posted:Goons please tell me this carbon fiber and rose gold Monteverde Innova is a garbage pen for idiots. Well I just got that exact pen a few weeks ago so I guess I'll find out the hard way.  Are there any other makers that use carbon fiber like that? I really like the look.
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Mar 14, 2020 06:22
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My brother got me a Diplomat Traveller for my birthday, which I love and will probably be my everyday carry pen. The only thing is that the Traveller is a medium point and my Excellence A2 is a fine, and I've discovered that I much prefer the medium point. Google tells me the Excellence A2 would accept a Jowo #6 nib but I don't know how to change them and I'm not comfortable experimenting on a $180 pen. Is there any way I could get a complete assembly to swap out or something without buying a whole new pen?
Jabarto fucked around with this message at 04:44 on Apr 22, 2020 |
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Apr 22, 2020 04:41
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We all joke about it in this thread but I'm genuinely surprised by how my interest in this hobby has grown in 8 months. When I first started out I bought a Pilot Metro on a whim and figured I'd maybe get one nicer pen if I ended up liking it, then call it good. I insisted on a metal body, finest point possible, with no interest in fancy inks or paper or what have you. Fast forward to today. I just unboxed my fifth pen, along with 7 sample-sized vials of shimmering ink, to go along with the multiple different colors of standard ink I already had. I'm starting to handwrite letters for my family so I can use it all more often, and I have some Clairefontaine paper on order along with some broad and medium-point replacement nibs for my nicest pen now that I know how to swap them out. I'll probably get a stub nib in the not too distant future, too, so I can try my hand at calligraphy. You all warned me this would happen, but I didn't listen.
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Jun 19, 2020 01:01
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Does anyone have opinion on BENU pens and this line in particular? - https://www.gouletpens.com/products/benu-briolette-fountain-pen-milky-way They're gorgeous, and I'd love to used one with the shimmering ink that I'm becoming fond of, but they're just expensive enough that I'd rather not do a blind purchase.
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Jun 21, 2020 19:00
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grack posted:Get the Parrot pen If, like me, you didn't know what this is referring to, do yourself a favor and GIS it. Jabarto fucked around with this message at 06:32 on Jun 22, 2020 |
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Jun 22, 2020 05:59
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Heath posted:I get why Benu pens are appealing to some people but man their pens are polar opposite to my tastes Honestly I'm the same way. I keep talking about my Diplomat A2 because it's an overbuilt piece of metal with an almost anachronistically conservative look, and I love it. But I that specific dark purple one I linked is fun and colorful without going into full-on unicorn barf territory, plus I just love jewel tones in general. The other ones are too over the top for me, especially that tye-died looking one with the honeycomb pattern on the barrel (well, and the Parrot pen, but I actually kinda want one because it looks like something Indiana Jones would loot from a temple).
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Jun 23, 2020 01:51
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I have friend who likes fountain pens but doesn't own any herself, so I got a Pilot Metro for her birthday. She's been watching my forays into fountain pen madness since the beginning so I can't shake the feeling that I'm enabling a blossoming addiction here.
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Jun 25, 2020 01:09
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| # ¿ Apr 26, 2024 00:24 |
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Welp I bought a stub nibbed Metro and a calligraphy handbook since I guess 5 months without a new pen was just too long. Also I might actually be turning into Grack But With Diplomats as I predicted earlier, because I keep wanting to get another Excellence A2 now that they have a version with a two-tone gold nib. And maybe an Esteem for everyday carry.
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Jan 24, 2021 22:34
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