Fountain Pen Fun


Guest LiterateParakeet
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Guest LiterateParakeet
On 9/27/2017 at 1:15 PM, mdfxdb said:

Montblanc is out of my price rance, but that is a really beautiful pen!  I love the nib.  Nice choice!

On 9/27/2017 at 3:31 PM, Grunt said:

I hate you.  I hate you so much.  My children will go hungry this week.

But you'll have nice pens....trade offs, you know.  There are always trade offs. :)  

18 hours ago, Just_A_Guy said:

I would prefer a deeper and bolder blue—maybe the “American blue” or “DC supershow blue” on the chart below.  And—

No.  NO!  You will not reel me into this madness!!!!!!!

Resistence is futile, you will be assimilated!   

16 hours ago, Carborendum said:

Actually, she's a secret agent for the NSA.  She's only doing this so she can compile our IRL names and addresses.  Beware of Sheathens bearing gifts!

These are not the droids you're looking for.  

12 hours ago, askandanswer said:

A topic about fountain pens?!?! I'm shocked that the rules of Mormon Hub allow for such an offensive and disgusting topic! Surely its time for a rule rewrite. And not only a topic, but some replies to it as well! Surely this must be the test that @The Folk Prophet was referring to. I note that when God wrote on the tablets of stone that he gave to Moses, He did not use a fountain pen and when Nephi engraved the plates of brass and when Moroni engraved the gold plates, they also did not use fountain pens. When Martin Harris and Oliver Cowdery scribed for Joseph Smith they did not use fountain pens. Clearly these men of God recognised them for the instruments of evil that they are. 

LOL!!!!   If only they had had fountain pens, their lives would have been twice blessed!

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On 9/29/2017 at 11:38 AM, Just_A_Guy said:

Looks kinda like this:  

35D06D2800000578-0-image-m-29_1467285276 

We've been having a nice discussion of this over on the fountain pen forums.  It appears to be a modified Savoy pen.  Per the source of this image, it was made during WWII for spooky purposes. :)  Per one forum member: "A similar dagger sold for approx £3,400 recently."  Sigh.  I wonder if someone would make a new one for cheaper.  Just have to find the right pen body to modify...  Maybe market them as letter openers.  I'm thinking we could have a business here...

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14 hours ago, zil said:

Yes, from carpal tunnel syndrome, inks to make you yawn, and paper that feels like driving down a poorly-maintained dirt road (at the end of the rainy season).

Well, my son took my Pentel Tradio.  He says, "whoa, mom!  This is a cool pen!".  He tried to take my Franklin Covey at first and I'm like, "No way, Jose!  Buy your own!".

Edited by anatess2
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41 minutes ago, Grunt said:

I hate you.  

3EEE69D4-9218-420D-B6A5-EC9DAAEFE0C0.jpeg

:D Congrats!  Nice pens.  What's that pen on the right?  A Zebra, maybe?  I don't recognize it.  Which nib (size) did you get on the Safari?  (I knew that was the Safari you'd choose, by the way.)  Have you inked them up yet?  How do like writing with them?  How's the 54th Mass - especially on whatever your normal paper is?

PS: @anatess2, we're still waiting for your review of the Franklin Covey.

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Crud.  I should have warned you, @Grunt - maybe it's not too late.  Noodler's fill their bottles literally to the brim - they want you to get as much for your money as possible (nevermind that you then get ink all over when you open it).  So, if you haven't opened that bottle, do it over a sink or a plastic tray or something.  (I made my own tray of heavy-duty aluminum foil.)

Generally speaking, Windex or a mix of 10 parts water with 1 part Ammonia plus a few drops of Dawn dishwashing liquid will clean ink off hard surfaces.  Washing your hair is a good way to get the ink off your fingers (though you'll know you've arrived when ink on your fingers is a point of pride).  Nothing will ever get that ink off of anything with cellulose or similar fibers, so keep it away from the clothing, carpet, and upholstery.

ETA: It's the ammonia in Windex that makes it effective, so not just any spray cleaner works as well.

Edited by zil
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The pen on the right IS a zebra.   I bought it at the PX on a whim while waiting for the LAMY to arrive.  Both nibs are XF and both write dramatically different.  The Zebra is obviously cheap and writes “scratchy” but I like it.  The LAMY writes much larger and is very smooth.  

I haven’t tried the ink yet because both came with cartridges so I’m using those first.  I haven’t done much writing with the LAMY yet as it just arrived.  

Im thinking of getting something with a more traditional bib because I like the look.  We’ll see. I should have avoided this thread. 

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6 minutes ago, Grunt said:

I haven’t tried the ink yet because both came with cartridges so I’m using those first.

Oh good.  Now you've been forewarned about opening that bottle.

6 minutes ago, Grunt said:

I should have avoided this thread.

Unless, of course, all your writing experiences become much more enjoyable.  There's nothing wrong with making mundane tasks as enjoyable as possible.

I'd guess both pens will feel better writing with that 54th Mass - it's probably wetter / more lubricated than the ink in the cartridges.  Did the Zebra come with a converter?  (From my research, it doesn't.  You can use a blunt-tip syringe to clean and then fill the cartridge with the 54th Mass.)  Be sure to watch the pen-cleaning video and clean the pens between inks.

It's good to start with the cheap pens - you learn what you like and make better choices should you decide to get something more expensive.

If you want to smooth that Zebra, make sure the tines are aligned (if not, aligning them will likely fix it), and if they are, check out videos on nib smoothing. ;)

Here is the start of a good series on nib adjustments.  Goulet Pens, and SBRE Brown also give reliable information on tuning.

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2 hours ago, zil said:

:D Congrats!  Nice pens.  What's that pen on the right?  A Zebra, maybe?  I don't recognize it.  Which nib (size) did you get on the Safari?  (I knew that was the Safari you'd choose, by the way.)  Have you inked them up yet?  How do like writing with them?  How's the 54th Mass - especially on whatever your normal paper is?

PS: @anatess2, we're still waiting for your review of the Franklin Covey.

I love my Covey!  But, it definitely needs to be a larger barrel.  I've been writing a lot on it and I can feel it start to cramp on my fingers.  So, I'm just waiting for a day when I am in the mood to get dolled up and go back to that snooty store.  Yes, they do let you try the pens out which is why I'm wanting to put up with the snobbery over online purchase.  In the meantime, I've watched, I'd say a hundred hours of youtube videos on the thing.

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1 minute ago, anatess2 said:

I love my Covey!  But, it definitely needs to be a larger barrel.  I've been writing a lot on it and I can feel it start to cramp on my fingers.  So, I'm just waiting for a day when I am in the mood to get dolled up and go back to that snooty store.  Yes, they do let you try the pens out which is why I'm wanting to put up with the snobbery over online purchase.  In the meantime, I've watched, I'd say a hundred hours of youtube videos on the thing.

IMO, you should consider plastic pens - they'll weigh a lot less and therefore be easier on your hand.  It'll also be a lot cheaper to find a good plastic pen with a large diameter than a metal one with a large diameter.

Also, unless it somehow comes naturally to you (perhaps due to arthritis), you need to train yourself to relax your grip.  Since you don't have to push down to get the friction required for the ball to turn (since there is no ball), you don't need to grip the pen tightly.  Even last night, while doing lots of writing, I had to keep reminding myself to relax my grip - and it's already too relaxed to write with a ballpoint.  I've found that changing your grip helps.

Here are three pictures - the standard ballpoint grip (see how vertical and tight it is, pen in front of the knuckle?); a normal grip without being so vertical (pen behind the knuckle); and a more vintage fountain pen grip (pen resting in the web between thumb and forefinger, thumb back) - which I find makes it harder to grip tightly, and therefore you are naturally more relaxed:

1.thumb.jpg.16d2a627ca48b9598584645e8d448ae8.jpg

It's like a whole new world... ;)

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12 minutes ago, zil said:

IMO, you should consider plastic pens - they'll weigh a lot less and therefore be easier on your hand.  It'll also be a lot cheaper to find a good plastic pen with a large diameter than a metal one with a large diameter.

Also, unless it somehow comes naturally to you (perhaps due to arthritis), you need to train yourself to relax your grip.  Since you don't have to push down to get the friction required for the ball to turn (since there is no ball), you don't need to grip the pen tightly.  Even last night, while doing lots of writing, I had to keep reminding myself to relax my grip - and it's already too relaxed to write with a ballpoint.  I've found that changing your grip helps.

Here are three pictures - the standard ballpoint grip (see how vertical and tight it is, pen in front of the knuckle?); a normal grip without being so vertical (pen behind the knuckle); and a more vintage fountain pen grip (pen resting in the web between thumb and forefinger, thumb back) - which I find makes it harder to grip tightly, and therefore you are naturally more relaxed:

1.thumb.jpg.16d2a627ca48b9598584645e8d448ae8.jpg

It's like a whole new world... ;)

Hmm... yeah, I'm definitely on that ballpoint picture.  I'm gonna try loosening my grip and see how that works.

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1 minute ago, anatess2 said:

Hmm... yeah, I'm definitely on that ballpoint picture.  I'm gonna try loosening my grip and see how that works.

FPs are made to be used at the more shallow angle of the second and especially third pictures - more of the tipping material touches the paper, and it's usually a smoother experience, and may give a wider line too.  Curious how that goes for you.

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15 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

Ugh.  I'm drooling.   But dude, that tiny nib on the right is a fountain pen?

It's a hooded nib.  Quite common.  It's supposed to help keep it from drying out while uncapped.  (The ink being liquid, you can't just leave a fountain pen uncapped like you can other pen types, or the water in the ink will evaporate and the pen won't write.  Depending on how long it's uncapped, the solution will range from using multiple strokes to get it going again, to dipping the tip in water, to having to clean it out the hard way to re-dissolve the ink - assuming it's not a nano-particle ink.)

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23 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

Ugh.  I'm drooling.   But dude, that tiny nib on the right is a fountain pen?

PS: it's a given that when someone (such as a son) steals one of your fountain pens (such as your Pentel Tradio), you are thereafter allowed to replace it with one that's even better (to cover both the lost pen and the pain and suffering of the theft and betrayal). ;)

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41 minutes ago, zil said:

PS: it's a given that when someone (such as a son) steals one of your fountain pens (such as your Pentel Tradio), you are thereafter allowed to replace it with one that's even better (to cover both the lost pen and the pain and suffering of the theft and betrayal). ;)

Punitive Damages Pen!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Went to the snooty store and did some major damage to my bank account.  But man... I got the best pen on the planet.  Comes with converter and blue ink.  I bought a nice bottle of Lamy ink that is between blue and black (which I'm sure @zil will think boring).  I wish this ink bottle would be like nail polish where they put the color name on the bottle somewhere.  I don't know what the color is called.  It's a very elegant shade close to Navy blue.

lamy.jpg.921bacbdff51c72fc67df526334e705d.jpg

 

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2 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

Went to the snooty store and did some major damage to my bank account.  But man... I got the best pen on the planet.  Comes with converter and blue ink.  I bought a nice bottle of Lamy ink that is between blue and black (which I'm sure @zil will think boring).  I wish this ink bottle would be like nail polish where they put the color name on the bottle somewhere.  I don't know what the color is called.  It's a very elegant shade close to Navy blue.

Ha! Blue-black is one of my favorite colors!  I'm guessing this is what you got:

6ada1333-7d5e-425c-82e6-80ba3cf34c73

...?  If so, excellent choice - if I were going to buy a Lamy ink, this is the one I would buy (I may well buy it one day - I want that bottle).

So did you get the Studio on the left (assuming so based on your comments) or the Al-Star on the right, or both? :D  Either way, good pens, hard to go wrong.  I take it they let you write with it first - that's one really nice thing about a brick & mortar store.  Congrats!  Here's a picture and drawing of my Al Star:

AlStar.jpg

(That's an old picture, his baby brother arrived long ago.)

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10 minutes ago, zil said:

Ha! Blue-black is one of my favorite colors!  I'm guessing this is what you got:

6ada1333-7d5e-425c-82e6-80ba3cf34c73

...?  If so, excellent choice - if I were going to buy a Lamy ink, this is the one I would buy (I may well buy it one day - I want that bottle).

So did you get the Studio on the left (assuming so based on your comments) or the Al-Star on the right, or both? :D  Either way, good pens, hard to go wrong.  I take it they let you write with it first - that's one really nice thing about a brick & mortar store.  Congrats!  Here's a picture and drawing of my Al Star:

AlStar.jpg

(That's an old picture, his baby brother arrived long ago.)

That's the one!  So, it is called Blue/Black!  The lady said it's blue/black and I thought she just meant to say it is between blue and black (which it is when she lined it up with the blue and black bottles!).  

Oh yeah, I got both.  And a Crane & Co stationary (I know, I know, it's overpriced as heck but it has this cute little sun-face stamped on it so I can't resist).  The Studio was the PERFECT barrel size and weight!  The All-Star had that angled grip that was super cool and unique.  I couldn't decide which one I wanted so I walked out of the store with both.  I'm going back to get my kids their own All-Stars so they'll leave my pens alone.  They've been taking my pens over and I had to lay the No-touch Law on my Studio.

 

 

Edited by anatess2
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2 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

That's the one!  So, it is called Blue/Black!  The lady said it's blue/black and I thought she just meant to say it is between blue and black (which it is when she lined it up with the blue and black bottles!).  

Oh yeah, I got both.  And a Crane & Co stationary (I know, I know, it's overpriced as heck but it has this cute little sun-face stamped on it so I can't resist).  The Studio was the PERFECT barrel size and weight!  The All-Star had that angled grip that was super cool and unique.  I couldn't decide which one I wanted so I walked out of the store with both.

:crackup: Hooray!  Another true believing FP user!  Now you can have three colors at once.  And when you get bored with them, it's only $14 to get another nib - e.g. a stub nib like the one in my picture - and the nib will fit both pens.  Huh, I'm curious, what size nibs did you get?  Lamy have EF, F, M, B in round tip (normal); and 1.1, 1.5, and 1.9 in stub nibs (strongly recommend you go with the 1.1 if you're gonna try a stub).

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4 minutes ago, zil said:

:crackup: Hooray!  Another true believing FP user!  Now you can have three colors at once.  And when you get bored with them, it's only $14 to get another nib - e.g. a stub nib like the one in my picture - and the nib will fit both pens.  Huh, I'm curious, what size nibs did you get?  Lamy have EF, F, M, B in round tip (normal); and 1.1, 1.5, and 1.9 in stub nibs (strongly recommend you go with the 1.1 if you're gonna try a stub).

I got both pens in M.  I tried the others but the B was too thick and the others were too thin.  I didn't know to ask to try the stub nibs!  I'm wanting to get a reddish ink.  One should have a black, blue, and red ink in my opinion.  Hah hah.

P.S.  I now have 5 pens since @LiterateParakeet started this thread.

Edited by anatess2
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6 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

I got both pens in M.  I tried the others but the B was too thick and the others were too thin.  I didn't know to ask to try the stub nibs!  I'm wanting to get a reddish ink.  One should have a black, blue, and red ink in my opinion.  Hah hah.

I really recommend getting ink samples rather than full bottles (although for basic colors it's less risky).  Anywho, here's a page with all the reds they have at Goulet Pens.  If you like some, let me know and I'll look up reviews on it - red inks can be tricky.  I personally recommend against Noodler's (the brand), others like them, but I find them problematic.

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