Any Fountain Pen Writers?

[Kasimir]

15 hours ago, Coolmint said:

Change of subject here too: Are we allowed to give away pens/inks in the forum?  I have an unopened bottle of Chelpark Blue and heard rumors that these were actually Parker inks.

Pretty sure you are. I do not recall if there are safety issues associated, since whoever it is would have to send their address, but I recall someone wanting to send Kipper some cool Sanderson swag forever ago (a T-shirt) and Wilson was telling Kipper he could use a PO box if he felt uncomfortable, so I'm guessing that's a yes, but use a PM to work out the logistics once you have a taker.

15 hours ago, Coolmint said:

First drafts of all my stories and poems.  I've read all the posts, and I hope your fountain pen and writing journey is going well!

I wish I could do that  I know Neil Gaiman does, but while I drafted parts of my MA thesis by hand, I mostly do worldbuilding and a few chapter drafts in pen. Have become a bit too used to a keyboard for my own good, I think!

[Cyclops]

17 hours ago, Coolmint said:

Change of subject here too: Are we allowed to give away pens/inks in the forum?  I have an unopened bottle of Chelpark Blue and heard rumors that these were actually Parker inks.

I got some ink from an individual here back in the wintertime.  There were no problems or issues mentioned by anyone else.

[Coolmint]

All right, then!  

Offered: one bottle of unopened Chelpark ink.  I think the label says Sapphire Blue.

CONUS only, PM me if you want this Chelpark ink.  I really doubt it's a batch of that sought-after Penman Ink.  The bottle's different.  

Meanwhile, I'm glumly obssessed with Parker 45s.  I accidentally pulled the feed right out of my Ariel Kullock 45 when cleaning it this morning.  Hope I can set it right.

Edited July 28, 2022 by Coolmint

[Kasimir]

On 7/28/2022 at 10:54 PM, Coolmint said:

Meanwhile, I'm glumly obssessed with Parker 45s.  I accidentally pulled the feed right out of my Ariel Kullock 45 when cleaning it this morning.  Hope I can set it right.

What nib? And hope you've managed to fix it! Believe it's friction fit so should be okay.

[Coolmint]

On 8/2/2022 at 1:11 AM, Kasimir said:

What nib? And hope you've managed to fix it! Believe it's friction fit so should be okay.

Thanks.  I just closed my eyes, crossed my fingers, and used the coverter to jam the feed back.  It's loaded with Iroshizuku Syo Ro now, and finally writing again.

 

[Cyclops]

I've been trying to upload at least one pic, that of one of my Wing Sung 3008 demonstrators.  I bought a 4-pack of them off Amazon early last year (during my maiden voyage down the FP rabbit hole).  I have to say that I am very impressed with the one I've been using.  When I got them, I inked them all up with different colors to try out.  Never ran one dry, always emptied, cleaned, and refilled qith something else.  I always liked how they wrote; very smooth, even on less-than-ideal FP-friendly papers.  Anyway, the one I'm using now, I filled with Diamine's Aurora Borealis, and writing in a JOT brand composition notebook.  I've written 86 of the wide lined pages, and still could probably get to at least page 100.  I'm going to buy some more if I can find them.  They've been much more reliable than the much more expensive Conklin All-American.  My Metropolitans, I'm glad to say, are still very reliable.  I'll post a pic of the Wing Sung if my phone will allow it.

[Coolmint]

1 hour ago, Cyclops said:

I've been trying to upload at least one pic, that of one of my Wing Sung 3008 demonstrators.  I bought a 4-pack of them off Amazon early last year (during my maiden voyage down the FP rabbit hole).  I have to say that I am very impressed with the one I've been using.  When I got them, I inked them all up with different colors to try out.  Never ran one dry, always emptied, cleaned, and refilled qith something else.  I always liked how they wrote; very smooth, even on less-than-ideal FP-friendly papers.  Anyway, the one I'm using now, I filled with Diamine's Aurora Borealis, and writing in a JOT brand composition notebook.  I've written 86 of the wide lined pages, and still could probably get to at least page 100.  I'm going to buy some more if I can find them.  They've been much more reliable than the much more expensive Conklin All-American.  My Metropolitans, I'm glad to say, are still very reliable.  I'll post a pic of the Wing Sung if my phone will allow it.

 Great!  I love the WS pison fillers, and have the 008, 009, and recently the 3011 (it has a Pilot-style nib).

Meanwhile, since no one talked me out of buying a Lamy Aion, it just arrived.  It's a good-looking pen and writes beautifully and being second-hand, was almost half the price of a new one.

[AquaRegia]

On 8/6/2022 at 3:17 PM, Coolmint said:

since no one talked me out of buying a Lamy Aion, it just arrived. 

I apologize profusely for my failure to talk you out of a pen purchase.  ;-)

It's interesting that you bring up the issue of peer-to-peer transactions on 17S, as I posted this a few months ago and it seems to have everyone, including Chaos, stumped.

[Cyclops]

4 hours ago, AquaRegia said:

I apologize profusely for my failure to talk you out of a pen purchase.  ;-)

It's interesting that you bring up the issue of peer-to-peer transactions on 17S, as I posted this a few months ago and it seems to have everyone, including Chaos, stumped.

Your question to admin seems to have been forgotten about.  P2P transactions must not be all that frowned-upon.

[+Slowswift]

I am so sorry it's taken me so long to get back about this. Did you know nibs are a pain to take pictures of if you don't have a macro lens?

Spoiler

These are the best pictures I was able to get. That being the case, I'll describe it too: the problem seems to be that the tip of the nib looks like a B instead of a D. Basically there's a little tiny gap at the tip of the tines which are otherwise aligned.

Edited August 28, 2022 by Slowswift

[Coolmint]

9 hours ago, Slowswift said:

I am so sorry it's taken me so long to get back about this. Did you know nibs are a pain to take pictures of if you don't have a macro lens?

  Hide contents

These are the best pictures I was able to get. That being the case, I'll describe it too: the problem seems to be that the tip of the nib looks like a B instead of a D. Basically there's a little tiny gap at the tip of the tines which are otherwise aligned.

Ohhhhh.  That's not right.  Sailor nibs should not look like that AND the tines appear to be a little bent to one side.   Is there any chance of returning this or exchanging it for one that doesn't have these problems?

[Kasimir]

10 hours ago, Slowswift said:

I am so sorry it's taken me so long to get back about this. Did you know nibs are a pain to take pictures of if you don't have a macro lens?

  Hide contents

These are the best pictures I was able to get. That being the case, I'll describe it too: the problem seems to be that the tip of the nib looks like a B instead of a D. Basically there's a little tiny gap at the tip of the tines which are otherwise aligned.

Slight Grand Canyon slit, isn't it? Definitely doesn't look right. If you get a chance to see a pen show, this might be worth a session with a nibmeister...

[+Slowswift]

15 hours ago, Coolmint said:

Ohhhhh.  That's not right.  Sailor nibs should not look like that AND the tines appear to be a little bent to one side.   Is there any chance of returning this or exchanging it for one that doesn't have these problems?

Given that I've had it for three years, unlikely.  The reason I didn't immediately return it is that it writes fine...kind of? On the right paper, at the right angle, with the right pressure, it's magic. But then I go a little too fast, or turn it too far one way, or use a different paper, and I'm like "...huh." The fact that Sailor nibs are famed for their unique feedback added to the uncertainty.

14 hours ago, Kasimir said:

Slight Grand Canyon slit, isn't it? Definitely doesn't look right. If you get a chance to see a pen show, this might be worth a session with a nibmeister...

That looks like it, yeah. I don't know if I can make it to a show, though I'd dearly love to. I know there are a few mail-order nibmeisters, though.

[Coolmint]

The feedback should be pencil-like, with a slight, pleasant hiss.  Yes, a nibmeister could probably set it right.

[+Slowswift]

10 hours ago, Coolmint said:

The feedback should be pencil-like, with a slight, pleasant hiss.  Yes, a nibmeister could probably set it right.

Mm. Got it. So, it does do that, but with added scratchiness that shouldn't be there.

Thanks everyone! I'll look into options for getting it fixed now that I definitely know something's wrong.

[Coolmint]

When Sailors are good they are very, VERY good.  Lots of nibmeisters to choose from, but some have long wait times.  Hope the pen comes back in fine fettle.

[+Slowswift]

15 hours ago, Coolmint said:

When Sailors are good they are very, VERY good.  Lots of nibmeisters to choose from, but some have long wait times.  Hope the pen comes back in fine fettle.

I don't doubt it. This pen is practically perfect in every other way; I can only image what it's like at full power. I'm thinking of inquiring with Mike Masuyama, as he's had a lot of experience with Sailor specifically--unless anyone has had a good experience with another nibmeister they'd like to recommend? And thank you! I look forward to it.

Edited August 30, 2022 by Slowswift

[Kasimir]

On 8/30/2022 at 0:59 PM, Slowswift said:

I don't doubt it. This pen is practically perfect in every other way; I can only image what it's like at full power. I'm thinking of inquiring with Mike Masuyama, as he's had a lot of experience with Sailor specifically--unless anyone has had a good experience with another nibmeister they'd like to recommend? And thank you! I look forward to it.

Sorry for the late response!

I can't speak for any US based nibmeisters, but I have several Masuyama nibs (grinds on JoWo) and they're incredible. Expect a long queue with Masuyama though!

[Coolmint]

5 hours ago, Kasimir said:

Sorry for the late response!

I can't speak for any US based nibmeisters, but I have several Masuyama nibs (grinds on JoWo) and they're incredible. Expect a long queue with Masuyama though!

I consistently hear good things about his work.

Two new on-a-whim pens to report: a Wing Sung 629 (I THINK that is the model #) piston filler, and a Jinhao 159, but in resin so it's not too heavy for me.  The Wing Sung is supposed to be the size of a Montblanc 146; the Jinhao, the 149.  Both are quite whimsically filled with Montblanc ink.

[Cyclops]

Below is the 7-piece Preppy set I bought.  The black one is the only one I've inked so far.  Of course each pen comes with a cartridge of corresponding color to the pen itself.  I really like the Preppy pens; they write a lot better than I would have expected for the price.

I tried uploading a photo of my Wing Sung 3008s again, but it still wouldn't let me.  Don't know what's going on with that.  But in a previous post I said I thought I might make it to page 100 on one fill; well, it didn't quite.  I got a few lines down on page 92 before the pen ran out.

On another note, the Conklin I mentioned before is working a little better.  I used an actual flush on it rather than just water.  I also put a coat of sealer on the cap and barrel.  It writes better than it did, not drying out after an hour of sitting, but could still be better.  My Pilot Metropolitan is still my usual go-to for marathon writing.

[Coolmint]

On 20/09/2022 at 11:23 AM, Cyclops said:

Below is the 7-piece Preppy set I bought.  The black one is the only one I've inked so far.  Of course each pen comes with a cartridge of corresponding color to the pen itself.  I really like the Preppy pens; they write a lot better than I would have expected for the price.

I tried uploading a photo of my Wing Sung 3008s again, but it still wouldn't let me.  Don't know what's going on with that.  But in a previous post I said I thought I might make it to page 100 on one fill; well, it didn't quite.  I got a few lines down on page 92 before the pen ran out.

On another note, the Conklin I mentioned before is working a little better.  I used an actual flush on it rather than just water.  I also put a coat of sealer on the cap and barrel.  It writes better than it did, not drying out after an hour of sitting, but could still be better.  My Pilot Metropolitan is still my usual go-to for marathon writing.

The above seem to be newer models and look very nice.  

I like my Preppys (Preppies?) and have a number of them from back when they had color-plated nibs.  The blue was at some point filled with an iron gall ink that stripped the plating right off. Old or new, they are my go-to pens for travel or quick notes. 

[Cyclops]

20 hours ago, Coolmint said:

The above seem to be newer models and look very nice.  

I like my Preppys (Preppies?) and have a number of them from back when they had color-plated nibs.  The blue was at some point filled with an iron gall ink that stripped the plating right off. Old or new, they are my go-to pens for travel or quick notes. 

Being "financially challenged" as I am, I get JOT brand composition notebooks from Dollar (and a quarter) Tree to do a lot of my writing in.  And the black and blue/black Preppy inks are pretty good for the cheap paper (as is Diamine's Aurora Borealis and Monteverde Horizon Blue).

[Cyclops]

Last year I bought a Conklin All-American, olive wood, EF nib, and had nothing but trouble from it ever since.  I was highly disappointed in it, and I wouldn't have gotten a full refund because it had been inked.  No matter what I tried, the ink kept drying out.  I flushed it real good (using a flush, not just water), I put a sealer on the wood because I thought maybe the wood was breathing too much.  I wrapped the nib in saran wrap inside the cap.  The flush and wood sealer did the most good, which wasn't a whole lot.  The saran wrap just caused a big mess.  Then I got hit by a bolt of lightning right out of the blue:

At one point I had bought a 4-pack of o-rings for turning a few pens into eye-droppers.  Never did, so o-rings and silicone grease sat unused.  The idea that struck me was to put one of those o-rings on the grip section, rolled down to where it meets the wooden barrel.  If you look closely, you can see the o-ring on there.  Anyway, I screwed the cap back on and set it aside for a good 24 hours.  And that o-ring seemed to do the trick.  It's actually writing when I uncap it.

[Coolmint]

Yay!

Anyone else use fountain pens for sketching or doodling?  I started with fountain pens by being a sketch artist.

[+Slowswift]

On 9/19/2022 at 1:50 AM, Kasimir said:

Sorry for the late response!

I can't speak for any US based nibmeisters, but I have several Masuyama nibs (grinds on JoWo) and they're incredible. Expect a long queue with Masuyama though!

I don't exactly have any room to talk.  But thanks for the advice; noted!

On 9/27/2022 at 8:40 AM, Coolmint said:

Yay!

Anyone else use fountain pens for sketching or doodling?  I started with fountain pens by being a sketch artist.

My sister's the artist, and the couple times she's gotten into my ink the results have been impressive, to say the least. I use 'em for journaling, myself. One of these days I'd like to try a longer-form project with them, like drafting a novel or copying a text I like. 

@Cyclops Platinum nibs are amazing, no matter the price point. That set is delightful, glad you're enjoying them, and I'm happy to hear your Conklin's doing better, too!