Any Fountain Pen Writers?

[+Slowswift]

5 minutes ago, Kasimir said:

Enjoy!

The reports I've seen were for Imperial Black but apparently you have to watch the inks you put in it, that's all. 

Will do!  

Ah, that sounds about right. Either way, this edition's not quite my thing either, but it's fun to see them make stuff like this.

Edited June 2, 2021 by Slowswift

[Kasimir he/him]

On 6/3/2021 at 6:16 AM, Slowswift said:

Ah, that sounds about right. Either way, this edition's not quite my thing either, but it's fun to see them make stuff like this.

Agreed! I'm actually on board with how many special editions they've been making - bound to find something I'll like eventually  

[+Slowswift]

4 hours ago, Kasimir said:

Agreed! I'm actually on board with how many special editions they've been making - bound to find something I'll like eventually  

I really liked that Wicked Witch one they did not too long ago, and Pro Gear-wise they've made a few up my alley (Graphite Lighthouse and Pillow Book). Sailors just aren't cheap enough to casually collect, unfortunately.  

[Kasimir he/him]

22 hours ago, Slowswift said:

I really liked that Wicked Witch one they did not too long ago, and Pro Gear-wise they've made a few up my alley (Graphite Lighthouse and Pillow Book). Sailors just aren't cheap enough to casually collect, unfortunately.  

Oh yeah, Graphite Lighthouse and Pillow Book are sweet. I loved Anderson Pen's Slate Grey but never got it. But the nice thing is if that sort of colour comes around again...

It's a double-edged Shardblade with Sailor really. On one hand, they have so many SEs you're eventually bound to find something you like, or the colour/design will crop up again. On the other hand, they aren't cheap and there are many nice ones  

Edit: Heads up that TR paper has ceased production. Another pandemic casualty I guess...

Edited June 5, 2021 by Kasimir

[+Slowswift]

On 6/4/2021 at 11:41 AM, Kasimir said:

Edit: Heads up that TR paper has ceased production. Another pandemic casualty I guess...

Welp.

On 6/4/2021 at 11:41 AM, Kasimir said:

Oh yeah, Graphite Lighthouse and Pillow Book are sweet. I loved Anderson Pen's Slate Grey but never got it. But the nice thing is if that sort of colour comes around again...

It's a double-edged Shardblade with Sailor really. On one hand, they have so many SEs you're eventually bound to find something you like, or the colour/design will crop up again. On the other hand, they aren't cheap and there are many nice ones  

You speak the truth. 

I, uh, did splurge on a Platinum limited edition, though...  Couldn't stop thinking about the 3776 Shiun, so I finally nabbed one from JetPens, B nib. Unusual for me, but I wanted to try something new and it was the only one they had left. 

It's storming gorgeous and it writes like butter.

Spoiler

(For some reason it's a bit blurry. Click on it to get the full res thing.)

 

[Kasimir he/him]

13 hours ago, Slowswift said:

I, uh, did splurge on a Platinum limited edition, though...  Couldn't stop thinking about the 3776 Shiun, so I finally nabbed one from JetPens, B nib. Unusual for me, but I wanted to try something new and it was the only one they had left. 

It's storming gorgeous and it writes like butter.

Oh man, that's one beautiful Shiun! I was so tempted by Kumpoo but in the end, didn't go for it, though I do regret that. Glad your experience with the B nib Plat has been good, some people comment on Plat feedback (though not as much as Sailor)  

[Cyclops]

Recently I ordered one bottle each of Noodler's X-Feather Black and Marine Green from Goulet.  When the package arrived at my house, it was sealed inside a USPS plastic baggie with their apologies for damage to my item.  The damage in question was the black ink was shattered inside.  Soaked almost the entire shipping envelope.  The label was washed off the green ink, but the bottle itself was unharmed.

I asked GPC what to do, whether I should start a claim against the snail mail folks.  They asked for photos of the damage, saw the extent of it, and sent me two new bottles at no charge.

I repeated that the green bottle was undamaged, just the label missing.  They said they would replace it all anyway.  It was a very quick response, and did more than they really needed to.  I told them that they have a customer for life.

[+Slowswift]

15 hours ago, Cyclops said:

Recently I ordered one bottle each of Noodler's X-Feather Black and Marine Green from Goulet.  When the package arrived at my house, it was sealed inside a USPS plastic baggie with their apologies for damage to my item.  The damage in question was the black ink was shattered inside.  Soaked almost the entire shipping envelope.  The label was washed off the green ink, but the bottle itself was unharmed.

I asked GPC what to do, whether I should start a claim against the snail mail folks.  They asked for photos of the damage, saw the extent of it, and sent me two new bottles at no charge.

I repeated that the green bottle was undamaged, just the label missing.  They said they would replace it all anyway.  It was a very quick response, and did more than they really needed to.  I told them that they have a customer for life.

Goulet are some of the best. Sorry you had you find that out the "hard" way, though.  

17 hours ago, Kasimir said:

Oh man, that's one beautiful Shiun! I was so tempted by Kumpoo but in the end, didn't go for it, though I do regret that. Glad your experience with the B nib Plat has been good, some people comment on Plat feedback (though not as much as Sailor)  

Isn't it, though?  I was late to the game and missed the Kumpoo, but looking at it now, it's a nice one! (For me, the one that got away was the Rokka.)

I actually have another 3776, the Nice with a fine nib, and that has some delightful feedback. I was actually surprised this one didn't! Platinum's nibs are so good that I don't mind either way, though. ETA: I wanted to mention that I was thinking about getting it stubbed if I didn't like it, but in a pleasant surprise, this B is actually just slightly stubby already! Only a little, but it lends it some character that I really like. (I want to get my hands on a Waterman M nib for the same reason.)

Edited June 7, 2021 by Slowswift
Typos!

[Kasimir he/him]

On 6/7/2021 at 4:03 AM, Slowswift said:

Isn't it, though?  I was late to the game and missed the Kumpoo, but looking at it now, it's a nice one! (For me, the one that got away was the Rokka.)

I actually have another 3776, the Nice with a fine nib, and that has some delightful feedback. I was actually surprised this one didn't! Platinum's nibs are so good that I don't mind either way, though. ETA: I wanted to mention that I was thinking about getting it stubbed if I didn't like it, but in a pleasant surprise, this B is actually just slightly stubby already! Only a little, but it lends it some character that I really like. (I want to get my hands on a Waterman M nib for the same reason.

Oh, I understand that! The Rokka is definitely nice, though not quite my thing in the end

I might get my C nib stubbed after all, it's a bit wonky so one way or another, I'd need to get it seen to by a nibmeister, but it's otherwise a good pen for a good price  Waterman M I must warn doesn't seem to be stubby, judging from my Carene, but could be wrong  It does have a definite sweet spot though.

[+Slowswift]

4 hours ago, Kasimir said:

I might get my C nib stubbed after all, it's a bit wonky so one way or another, I'd need to get it seen to by a nibmeister, but it's otherwise a good pen for a good price  Waterman M I must warn doesn't seem to be stubby, judging from my Carene, but could be wrong  It does have a definite sweet spot though.

I think mine's slightly wonky, too--I noticed that at the tip, the tines just barely don't touch. It writes fine for the most part, but it hard starts more than it should and that's probably why.

Really? That's interesting. The review that sold me on the Carene (more that I already was) mentioned it was slightly stubby. Guess it's just inconsistencies in finishing, maybe?

[Kasimir he/him]

6 hours ago, Slowswift said:

Really? That's interesting. The review that sold me on the Carene (more that I already was) mentioned it was slightly stubby. Guess it's just inconsistencies in finishing, maybe?

Let me test it again  I used it a couple days ago and with a dryer ink. I'll get a photo of the results and report back.

6 hours ago, Slowswift said:

I think mine's slightly wonky, too--I noticed that at the tip, the tines just barely don't touch. It writes fine for the most part, but it hard starts more than it should and that's probably why.

Wow, that's rare for a Plat. Normally the tines are too tight, which is the problem with mine :/

[Iarwainiel I she/her]

So happy that this thread is thriving! 2021 has been crazy-busy for me at work, which is great for our small business but bad for me keeping up here on the Shard!

My latest pen purchase was a Kaweko Frosted Sport - I got the Mandarine color because it looks just like orange sherbert (yum!). It's a nice pen, but the one I bought as a gift for a friend writes smoother than mine does, with the same size nib. So it seems like the nibs do vary a bit, but it's a $30 pen not $300, so no complaints.

I have decided on an ink that's "my color" (at least for the time being) - it's Jacques Herbin Bleu Austral which is similar to their Emerald of Chivor but without the glitter and sheening. (Wish I could use sparkling inks, but my fine lefty-nibs get clogged too quickly. Oh well, you can't have everything.)

I don't really have a grail pen, and as a fairly new homeowner I need to save for things like a new garage door or a sofa, but I am sorely tempted to splurge on one of the Sailor Pro Gear Slim FPs from the upcoming The Sound of Rain series - they are all so pretty! Particularly the Summer Rain one ... but, garage door ...

Edited June 19, 2021 by Iarwainiel

[+Slowswift]

2 minutes ago, Iarwainiel said:

I don't really have a grail pen, and as a fairly new homeowner I need to save for things like a new garage door or a sofa, but I am sorely tempted to splurge on one of the Sailor Pro Gear Slik FPs from the upcoming The Sound of Rain series - they are all so pretty! Particularly the Summer Rain one ... but, garage door ...

Sailor really needs to stop it with the pretty pens. I saw those and had a similar reaction. 

[Iarwainiel I she/her]

@Cyclops - IDK if you've addressed your challenge with using highlighters already, but if not, I agree with whoever suggested using colored pencils instead. You can usually buy colored pencils one at a time at art supply stores and they're not very expensive - maybe less than $1.50 apiece. That way you can have a consistent color and choose something that gives the contrast you want.

How awesome that you're writing longhand! (And aren't we all glad that Brandon doesn't?! We'd be waiting decades between Stormlight books: 3 years feels like an eternity!)

[Cyclops]

2 hours ago, Iarwainiel said:

I don't really have a grail pen, and as a fairly new homeowner I need to save for things like a new garage door or a sofa, but I am sorely tempted to splurge on one of the Sailor Pro Gear Slim FPs from the upcoming The Sound of Rain series - they are all so pretty! Particularly the Summer Rain one ... but, garage door ...

My "grail" pen is a Montegrappa Hemingway Fisherman.  I'll never ever be able to afford one.

I just placed an order for a bottle of Noodler's X-Feather Blue and some silicone grease from Goulet.  And for the leather-bound, deckle-edged paper journal that I bought a few weeks ago I ordered two Hong Dian pens in EF, a Matte Black Forest and a Dark Blue Forest.  I have the Silver Forest already.

Aye, 'tis madness, though there be method to it.  The black and blue pens will have the X-Feather black and blue inks, respectively.  I'm going to borrow a page from Neil Gaiman's book and use alternating inks for alternating days of writing.  I'm saving that particular journal for a particular story.

For other writing projects, HP Premium32 paper works great with fountain pens.  I'll be buying more.

[Cyclops]

2 hours ago, Iarwainiel said:

@Cyclops - IDK if you've addressed your challenge with using highlighters already, but if not, I agree with whoever suggested using colored pencils instead. You can usually buy colored pencils one at a time at art supply stores and they're not very expensive - maybe less than $1.50 apiece. That way you can have a consistent color and choose something that gives the contrast you want.

How awesome that you're writing longhand! (And aren't we all glad that Brandon doesn't?! We'd be waiting decades between Stormlight books: 3 years feels like an eternity!)

I found a set FP-friendly highlighters at JetPens.  They work pretty well.  So far, anyway.

[Kasimir he/him]

11 hours ago, Iarwainiel said:

I have decided on an ink that's "my color" (at least for the time being) - it's Jacques Herbin Bleu Austral which is similar to their Emerald of Chivor but without the glitter and sheening. (Wish I could use sparkling inks, but my fine lefty-nibs get clogged too quickly. Oh well, you can't have everything.)

Bleu Austral looks amazing! Local pen group warned it's a pigment ink though I see it's not according to Goulet, but that's why I was leery about getting it, though I might eventually  

11 hours ago, Slowswift said:

Sailor really needs to stop it with the pretty pens. I saw those and had a similar reaction. 

Preach, bro  The only thing that saved me is I do not usually like gold trim on a pen.

Oh, and as promised, my Carene. Did a brief handwriting sample but I suspect it's not demonstrative as my handwriting isn't great. I did do the up and downstrokes so you can see though. Be warned that Stone Road of Gion is not an especially wet ink.

Spoiler

 

[Kasimir he/him]

Caved and got a stealth Leonardo Momento Magico >> Oh no.

Spoiler

 

[+Slowswift]

13 hours ago, Kasimir said:

Caved and got a stealth Leonardo Momento Magico >> Oh no.

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

On 6/19/2021 at 7:23 AM, Kasimir said:

Oh, and as promised, my Carene. Did a brief handwriting sample but I suspect it's not demonstrative as my handwriting isn't great. I did do the up and downstrokes so you can see though. Be warned that Stone Road of Gion is not an especially wet ink.

This is very interesting. (Still a beautiful pen, though!  Nice ink, too.)

[Kasimir he/him]

5 minutes ago, Slowswift said:

 

It's wet and light, and I prefer piston to c/c (narrowly), so very happy  Though of course, I got a Broad nib...

6 minutes ago, Slowswift said:

This is very interesting. (Still a beautiful pen, though!  Nice ink, too.)

Thanks! It's basically become my dedicated Gion pen for the moment  

[Kasimir he/him]

Due to circumstances largely out of my control and a windfall - may be getting a Nakaya soon. If I do, it'll be the last major acquisition I make, I think. I'm currently very happy with the pens I do have, and I feel that anything else would be extra.

The Nakaya I might be able to get will likely be quite significant to me if they're doing the design I'm interested in, so there's that too  

[Cyclops]

3 hours ago, Kasimir said:

Due to circumstances largely out of my control and a windfall - may be getting a Nakaya soon. If I do, it'll be the last major acquisition I make, I think. I'm currently very happy with the pens I do have, and I feel that anything else would be extra.

The Nakaya I might be able to get will likely be quite significant to me if they're doing the design I'm interested in, so there's that too  

I've been getting a few more things here and there (okay, a lot more things), feeding my habit...I mean building up my collection.  I bought X-Feather blue and black inks, a Black and Dark Blue Forest Hong Dian pens, and a leather-bound journal for a specific story I'm going to write.

My favorite everyday-use ink so far is Noodler's Bad Black Mocassin.  I keep my Metropolitan in my office inked with it for writing my sermons and manuscripts, and a Wing Sung 3008 filled with it in the living room for jotting down notes and such.

I guess now I need the Green Forest to finish out the collection of Hong Dian pens.  I'm waiting to get either a TWSBI Swipe or a Go.

I also recently got a grey Share-a-Shark set from Goulet Pens, and a Nebula notebook by Colorverse.  Not used it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Sorry for the long post.  I lost the link to post here, so I had to wait until someone else did.

[Kasimir he/him]

10 hours ago, Cyclops said:

I've been getting a few more things here and there (okay, a lot more things), feeding my habit...I mean building up my collection.  I bought X-Feather blue and black inks, a Black and Dark Blue Forest Hong Dian pens, and a leather-bound journal for a specific story I'm going to write.

Dark Blue Forest looks really good  The fact they even blue the nib is amazing. The habit is definitely a thing.

10 hours ago, Cyclops said:

I also recently got a grey Share-a-Shark set from Goulet Pens, and a Nebula notebook by Colorverse.  Not used it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Jinhao Shark?

10 hours ago, Cyclops said:

Sorry for the long post.  I lost the link to post here, so I had to wait until someone else did.

No worries, this thread has essentially become random drop-in anyway  

[Cyclops]

7 hours ago, Kasimir said:

 

Jinhao Shark?

Yes, the Jinhao.  The one gripe I have (if you want to call it a gripe) is that I'm a lefty, and for me to hold the Shark and still write with it, I have to angle it in such a way that the indentations aren't under my fingers.  It's not a deal breaker for me, but it is slightly awkward.  Other than that I'm fine with it.  It's currently inked with Lexington Gray, which I use for some underlining in my sermon notes.  Along with a few other colors.

[Cyclops]

Apparently I'm allowed only one photo per comment.  So here's the other one I tried to upload.

It's also the first time I have ever used any fountain pen specialty paper.  I have a few reams of HP Premium32 paper which works great, but the Clairefontaine notebook is good too.  I still haven't tried that Colorverse Nebula notebook yet.  But I'll get to it.