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Anyone use them for drawing and sketching? I have a heap of multiliners, but I like to switch up mediums to keep things interesting. In a pen I need consistent flow, and in ink I need to know how well it'll hold up to things being layered on it. I had to learn a medieval script for a course in manuscript studies, and ended up with quite a collection of interchangeable nibs, but it's all the kind of thing where you're carefully dipping or dripping ink into the nib. It's all very elegant and was fine for proving my mastery of English Caroline Minuscule but it's tedious controlling the flow when I'm freehanding drawings instead of individual letters.
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Jul 2, 2016 03:49
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Maybe when Canada Post is off strike I'll send one of you pen dorks some art paper samples to test. I have several kinds of marker paper for different things, and most of it is designed to prevent feathering and smearing of inks. Manga isn't my thing, but that fad has really helped improve availability of quality paper. Volunteers? All I'd want in return would be reviews with a couple kinds of ink or whatever seems relevant. Are pen inks usually alcohol based? Or water based? I have a bunch of semi to fully opaque acrylic ink for splashing around projects but I'm doubtful a fountain pen would be happy about it. Pixelante fucked around with this message at 00:29 on Jul 7, 2016 |
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Jul 7, 2016 00:14
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blowfish posted:It needs to be pointed out he's using the fake hipster version of a quill, not an authentic quil with the barbs cut to make it more usable as a pen I made one of those in the medieval class. Workable but tedious. Made a lovely cat toy. I picked up a cheap disposable Bic fountain pen but it's terrible. (Yeah, surprise, I know.) Ink flows freely but kinda too fast to write carefully, too thickly to write neatly, and makes my penmanship look like I'm drunk. It feathers on regular note paper.
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Jul 8, 2016 01:02
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Try being Canadian right now. Our postal service has been playing chicken with management for awhile now, and might strike/lock-out any time. I have refill ink for my Copic markers out there somewhere. 
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Jul 12, 2016 02:07
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Can anyone doodle out a comparison between a Pilot fine tip and medium tip, maybe on lined paper for scale?
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Jul 12, 2016 06:24
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I've had a pilot metro in my shopping cart for like two weeks now, and I keep getting distracted by other pretty things in the suggestions window. Are there any brands/models to steer away from? Jinhao has a lot of cheap stuff, as does Sipliv. What's the deal with Kakunos, other than the winky face on the nib? Also, thanks for the demo writing. I got a little worried a medium tip might be too wide for my style of writing. The cheapo disposables are impossible.
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Jul 15, 2016 05:46
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I ordered a metro. This was a sensible adult decision. Maybe. I picked Heart of Darkness, Diamine Ancient Copper, and J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary Stormy Grey to start off with. I figure I can art with them if I don't use the pen as much as I think I will. (Also ordered a sample of Blue Ghost. How far does a 2ml sample go, anyway? I'm guessing not far?) Pixelante fucked around with this message at 00:57 on Jul 19, 2016 |
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Jul 19, 2016 00:52
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KKKLIP ART posted:Heart of Darkness is a pretty awesome black. Like black black. ...and it comes with a free pen!
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Jul 19, 2016 01:30
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Any idea what this is? Googling SSteel gets me nowhere.
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Jul 20, 2016 02:25
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Zenostein posted:Well, it's a metro or an MR. How different is an MR from a metro? The price looks about the same as the metros online. I have one coming, but I got impatient and scouted what was available in town.
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Jul 20, 2016 03:27
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Questions! Can a Kakuno be filled with bottle ink, or does it only take cartridges? Do I need a particular sort of converter for it? Should I pass on a Pilot MR because of the different converter if I already have a couple Pilot Metros? Amazon has some of those neat animal print ones. Recommendations of inexpensive demonstrator pens that I can fill with bottled ink? Is an eyedropper pen just one you can unscrew and fill without a converter? What are some "next step up" pens from the Metro? I don't like the look of the Lamy much. The logo being so large on the pen seems tacky to me. Also, drat, that a hot pen. Pity most of my income goes to Copic supplies and tuition.
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Jul 24, 2016 03:04
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Anything special about the syringes they sell, or can I just get some from the pharmacy?
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Jul 24, 2016 04:01
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Should I be storing my ink pens up, down, or horizontal? A lot of my expensive art markers are fussy about that stuff, not sure about fountain pens.
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Jul 27, 2016 22:52
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Can someone break down the steps of rinsing out a pen? I mean, I can't really force warm soapy water through a nib. I'm also not sure if the Metro cartridge is wedged really tightly in there, or if it's screwed in. I'm scared of breaking my new preciouses. On a related note, the 1670 anniversary ink comes in such a swanky bottle with the waxed lid that I can't quite bring myself to open it yet. (I am, however, liberally splashed with Ancient Copper at this point, which looks great with all the cat scratches I already have from my rear end in a top hat cat.) The Noodler Charlie pen keeps vomiting gobs of ink on the page but that might be because I haven't filled it all the way. Wanted to rotate through some samples in it before I pick my standard colours. Also, what's the real difference between a TSWBI Vac 700 and the mini Vac? Just length of the pen body? I think my next pen is gonna be a transparent one but It's hard to get a sense of the pen shape in the 2D pictures, and I don't think anyone sells them locally. I keep getting referred to the same men's luxury goods shop here in Victoria BC but it always comes with some variation of, "yeah, but the guy who runs it is an rear end in a top hat," or "he knows a lot, but he wants to make sure that you know that he knows a lot." He's also the go-to guy for leather driving gloves and artisan shaving tools. I look forward to finding out if he's autistic or just a dick. Incidentally, if anyone else is on Vancouver Island, Monks Office Supply carries reasonably priced Pilot Metros, but only the plain black, with medium nib. Pixelante fucked around with this message at 04:56 on Jul 28, 2016 |
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Jul 28, 2016 04:35
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I now have three pens (two Metros and the Noodler Charlie, which gobbed mercilessly until I shoved that nib in a lot farther--thanks for the tip!) and it's not enough pens. Super happy with the picks of Ancient Copper and 1670 Stormy Grey. I'm trying out a sample of the 1670 Emeraude and it's very shaded and sparkly in the right light. I want to try ALL TEH COLOURS AND ALL TEH PENS.
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Jul 29, 2016 02:17
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Did I buy a stupid? A local shop had some fountain pens that are made by "just this guy," who apparently buys pen parts from Germany and makes the wood casing himself. This one is purpleheart wood with a nib that says "iridium point Germany" on it. It's got weird threading on both ends--for capped and post--so it looks a bit naked when it's not posted. Pilot Metro for scale. e: Looks like "iridium point Germany" probably means, "made in China." The wood sure is pretty though! (Tag says "Sidona" which gives me a bunch of do-it-yerself pen kits. Inked up it's okay, but the converter seems like super cheap plastic and it's not as smooth writing as the Metro. More on par with the Noodler Charlie.) Pixelante fucked around with this message at 06:59 on Jul 30, 2016 |
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Jul 30, 2016 05:45
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CrimsonSaber posted:Did you pay $300 dollars for it? Then yes. You bought a stupid. In that case, I did just fine. It's not terrible to write with, though I'm new enough to this to not have discerning standards. I just can't post it while I write because it throws the balance off. Might end up giving it to my godkid to see if he likes it for taking notes at school.
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Jul 30, 2016 07:41
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Yeah, this Sidona nib is kinda crap. Probably didn't help that I put a 1670 ink in it. It starts rough and skips annoyingly. The ink is amazing though. I've heard about people tweaking nibs? Any suggestions of things I could try to improve smoothness and flow with this one? I wouldn't be heartbroken to make it worse by accident. I have jewellers pliers and sandpaper around already.
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Jul 30, 2016 22:39
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Solkanar512 posted:I ran into this guy on my honeymoon, and he is indeed an rear end in a top hat. The legends are true. * You want a Lamy. * I am the biggest marketer of fountain pens in Canada... haven't even heard of WonderPens... but here's a list of places in Toronto I'm better than. (We are nearly 3,000 miles away from Toronto.) What's a Goulet? No, don't answer that. I don't care. * Look at all the Lamys. * TWSBI is novelty trash I won't sell. They break because they're made with cheap materials. * No, Lamys don't look modern, they're classic. * J. Herbin 1670s are garbage that isn't permitted in this store, because I won't stock anything I wouldn't put in my $100,000 pen. * You want a demonstrator? Okay, here's a Lamy. * Why yes, I do have pens around $100-150. Here are some that cost $300+. Unless you want a Lamy? * I only sell the very, very best, so you'll have to go elsewhere if you want cheap junk. I got him to grudgingly open a box of Monteverdes after I told him three times I didn't want to look at Lamys. For a guy who claims to have tens of thousands of pens in stock, he was very uninterested in showing me very many. He made a lot of judgements about my wealth based on I dunno wtf because this is Vancouver Island, where the millionaires wear cargo shorts and sandals. He might be autistic, but he's definitely an utter tool. I was going to tell him his company email was broken but figured "gently caress it," and left.
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Jul 31, 2016 03:51
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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.
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Aug 1, 2016 04:51
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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. Pixelante fucked around with this message at 00:09 on Aug 2, 2016 |
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Aug 2, 2016 00:07
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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 |
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Aug 2, 2016 00:23
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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.
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Aug 2, 2016 03:20
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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.
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Aug 2, 2016 05:41
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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'. 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!
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Aug 2, 2016 23:14
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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 |
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Aug 4, 2016 10:12
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I'd really love to get another couple Noodler Charlie pens for doodling with, but they don't seem to be available outside of purchasing a huge bottle of ink. Any suggestions other than converting Preppies? I'm not sure where to find the right size o-rings other than Goulets, and the Canadian exchange rate hurts right now. I found the 1670 Stormy Grey was making my Metro skip like crazy. Flushed out the nib and it didn't seem to help, but a whole lot of gold came off the nib when I dabbed it. Flushed out what was left of the ink and put in a non-sparkly grey. Works fine now, but I'm a little disappointed. Next time I load up a 1670 I'm probably gonna let more of the gold stay at the bottom of the bottle. The 1670 Emeraude still works okay, but it's from a sample.
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Aug 4, 2016 22:26
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von Braun posted:I've been looking at the Metro for a while, but shipping from US to Europe is very steep for such a cheap purchase. Is the MR and the Metro counterpart very different? I'm getting kinda confused here. No store carries it in Sweden, and even UK Amazon refuses to ship it to Sweden. Tried any Canadian stores? I asked the same Metro question a couple pages ago, and seems like the difference between MR and Metro is the converter they use--MR being the Euro equivalent of the US Metro.
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Aug 6, 2016 03:39
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How are you TWSBI folks enjoying your Vac pens? Definitely going to get a demonstrator in the $80-$100 range sooner or later.
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Aug 12, 2016 03:59
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Heath posted:My friend's birthday is coming up. She's a big time journal-keeper and she loves all things teal, but had never used a fountain pen, so I got her the retro pop blue-green Metropolitan and a bottle of Emerald of Chivor. It hasn't even gotten there yet and she's already mad at me for getting her into fountain pens. I've got Stormy Grey in the grey houndstooth pop metro.  I like it, but the Hematite Rouge is something altogether amazing. I'm messing around with a sample of Emeraude and find the red-sheen very paper specific. Doesn't show up on Rhodia at all, but amazingly dual-toned on some other paper.Any recommendations for a dark teal ink (may just get a bottle of Emeraude but I'm kinda tired of the gold particle skipping), and a legible dark yellow/light orange? Pixelante fucked around with this message at 03:07 on Aug 16, 2016 |
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Aug 15, 2016 22:21
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grack posted:Update: I GOT MY NIB BACK. Fucker was stuck in the crud in the u-bend, washing it out under pressure flushed it out. I definitely lost a dip-pen nib down the sink a couple years ago. I figure someone will have a "what the hell?" moment over it long after I'm gone.
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Aug 21, 2016 00:08
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I gave one of my pens to the teenage godkid, but I didn't have any ink bottles with me while I was visiting. Any one have good ideas of how to send an ink sample safely in the mail? Short of ordering a set of vials from the Goulets, or sending a whole bottle, I'm drawing a blank on how to ship that stuff. e: Pixelante fucked around with this message at 04:07 on Sep 1, 2016 |
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Sep 1, 2016 03:42
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NeurosisHead posted:Somewhat related, Massdrop has drops for a three pack of J. Herbin 1670, and a three pack of R&K inks right now. Woo! I have all the 1670s except the blue one. Emeraude and Hematite are gorgeous, but not remotely water-resistant. Stormy Grey and Caroube held up pretty well to a drip test, surprisingly. Definitely cause some skipping and I'm a little nervous to put them in my best pen, but the bottles are just gorgeous. I have the Ink Madness but I think I've sated it... for today. Fountain pens are a desperately tempting collision of my writing profession and artistic hobby. It's probably for the best that the nearest decent pen shop is on the other side of a ferry trip.
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Sep 4, 2016 21:50
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How many pens do you guys keep inked up at any point? I've got six and it's starting to feel a little obsessive.
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Sep 7, 2016 19:04
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Okay, next question: How many inks do you have? I'm at six bottles (3 of the 1670s because I'm an idiot for bling, HoD, Ancient Copper, and a turquoise) and 8-9 sample vials from WonderPens. I will probably buy Noodler's "Swan in Austrailian Roses" (black/maroon) and "Lexington Grey" when I get bored again.
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Sep 8, 2016 21:47
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I covet your inks. Have you mailed anything to Canada in the last while, to have a rough idea if the cost of shipping is merely insane, or outright obscene? I'd have a lot of fun swapping you for a goon-curated box of wonder, but I get to do that in the GBS secret santa, later. Probably not worth it if the shipping exceeds the retail price of the inks, though. TL:DR: If it's too much nuisance, that's cool, but keep me in mind if there aren't easier options. I can send $$ if you don't want Canadian treats. e: FYI Canadians, it looks like Pilot Iroshizukus are pretty easy to find on Amazon.ca for $21-ish CAD. Seems like a good deal to me, given that it's less than the Goulet price pre-conversion. Pixelante fucked around with this message at 00:58 on Sep 12, 2016 |
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Sep 11, 2016 22:51
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Keetron posted:I send you a detailed pm, all shipping costs are taken from the website of the local postal service and we can do it based on actual cost. My dependant brother managed to brick his computer, so there goes my disposable cash for awhile. Sorry. Inks are back up for grabs, then. Keetron offered a really nice deal on them, with very reasonable shipping to North America. The anniversary set are in triangular bottles and make a really pretty glass circle when you arrange them together, which will appeal to anyone with magpie tendencies.
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Sep 12, 2016 22:08
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Is there ever a fountain pen secret santa? We do one with the nail polish community and it's always gone really well. I don't know what the restrictions are on mailing ink across borders, though. With polish, we have to be careful to mark things as "craft supplies," etc. I loathe the holidays, but I do enjoy gift exchanges. Question: is the quality of the TWSBI Eco nib less than the TWSBI Vac/580 nib? I've held all three of them, and the Eco does feel economical, but I'm not sure if that frugality extends to the nib. I want a demonstrator for godkid, but also something that won't hurt to lose, because teenager. Also open to other suggestions of demonstrators that aren't $$$. Question: anyone know of a charcoal grey that's darker than Noodler's Lexington or the 1670 Stormy Grey? I'd like to find an ink that shades from black to grey. The Goulet swatches online make Lexington look like one of the darkest, but when it's not smeared on the page with a swab, it looks like HB pencil, with some shading. And to keep the lovely conversations going--what's your #1 ink(s) and why? I'm new to fountain pens and have ink ADD but my favourite pen always has Diamine Ancient Copper in it. Not particularly water resistant, but it shades between rust and near-black. Sometimes needs a little help starting again if I pause to read with the lid off, but it always comes back with a quick scribble. Helped me grind through five pages of notes, last night. Do you have any disappointing inks that you regret buying?
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Sep 12, 2016 22:45
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grack posted:I'd be up for a secret santa type dealie Cool beans. If the OP is okay with it, I'll post something around the start of November for sign-ups. With enough interest, we'll go forward with it. I anticipate the great ink-sample migration of 2016. Thanks for the helpful answers, guys. Another question for you: are there any wider nibs that fit a pilot metro? I find that I'm using my TWSBI broad for all my notes because it's the most fun to use. The metro Ms aren't as satisfying to scribble with for hours. v: Agreed, but that thing is almost $800USD. Pixelante fucked around with this message at 22:54 on Sep 13, 2016 |
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Sep 13, 2016 20:59
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Premature ejacula- posted:I'd be keen for a fountain pen secret santa but shipping to Australia could be a bit pricey. You might not be the only Australian, and sometimes people want to have a Santee who lives someplace vastly different than they do. I'd try to match people up, but it's possible some regions would be too difficult to include. Still, won't know til we try! If you get a chance, maybe ask your post service what it would cost to send a small box with the weight of a couple ink bottles just to get a ballpark idea of the cost on your end. It'd be helpful, I think. I'll do the same for Canada. Pixelante fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Sep 14, 2016 |
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Sep 13, 2016 23:17
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