• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

An Intro to Fountain Pens

Status
Not open for further replies.

Bagels

You got Moxie, kid!
Massdrop has two-packs of Pilot Metropolitans again. $22.99 + $1.82 shipping in the US - about $5 off what you'd normally pay. You can pick from fine and medium nibs and all of the available body colors.

I always recommend the Metropolitan to anyone interested in trying a fountain pen, I have several that I use every day (they are especially nice to have for the J. Herbin Anniversary inks, pigment-based inks, basically any ink that you are worried may one day destroy your pen), and I end up giving them away pretty regularly as part of my fountain pen evangelism. I joined the drop so I have pens on hand to hook more unsuspecting fools into this hobby/cult.

Love you guys.

As has been noted in here before, if you want your pens, like, tomorrow, Massdrop is a poor choice. You get the lower price, but it takes them time to place their order, receive the item, and then turn around and ship it out to you. Jetpens' free shipping is ridiculously fast, if you need hot, fresh pens.
 

BorkBork

The Legend of BorkBork: BorkBorkity Borking
+1 for the Pilot Met. Ridiculously nice pen for the price. Good heft and writes beautifully, no fuss. It's a Japanese nib though so go one size bigger than usual if you're used to European ones.

Signed,
Member of Bagel's pen cult
 

A Fish Aficionado

I am going to make it through this year if it kills me
Old pic, but I fucking love this pen.
YgHWa4D.jpg

I have great friends.
 

Sera O

Banned
I just washed out a few pens that had been sitting around in that pitiful crusty state, and filled them with some colours I haven't tried in a while. There was a Goulet list of favourite shading inks that prompted me to unearth these from my ink crate. I coincidentally ended up with a colour combo that I really like - it's very cheerful and 70s-ish.


Do you guys have preferred colour combinations when inking your pens? I usually keep 3-4 in use, but I haven't given much thought to synergy (aside from avoiding the triple blue scenario). I'll be trying to think in terms of a palette, since I have an embarrassing awesome array of ink now. If anyone has colour schemes they like to use, I'd love to see them.

It's making me want to doodle a lot more at work, however, so there is definitely a downside.
 

tr4656

Member
For ink, I just primarily go with safer colors because that's just what I tend to use more and go with a more interesting color on demonstrators because you can see the ink on those and it looks nice.

On another note, it looks like this quarter's Field Notes have 70lb paper which should be decent for fountain pens. You seem to be only able to buy a pack of 6 at a time but it should be good. Found at http://fieldnotesbrand.com/workshop/
 

Sera O

Banned
There are now Pilot Vanishing Points available with bamboo wood barrels! They are niiiice. I like the cherry colour a lot, but I can't justify buying another VP after getting a raden galaxy.

For ink, I just primarily go with safer colors because that's just what I tend to use more and go with a more interesting color on demonstrators because you can see the ink on those and it looks nice.

I spent years using conventional black/blue all the time, so I get where you're coming from. Most of the writing I do is at work - notes from meetings/calls that are only meant for me to read. I eventually thought I should just go wild as long as I have one business-appropriate colour in the mix. Got to use up my ink collection somehow...
 
Has anyone tried the Emeral of Chivor 1670 Anniversary ink from J. Herbin?? Gasped when I saw it, green and gold looks amazing, that red sheen is wicked. Goulet is out of stock but I have no idea for how long it's been available. I can't wait to try it.
 

CheesecakeRecipe

Stormy Grey
Has anyone tried the Emeral of Chivor 1670 Anniversary ink from J. Herbin?? Gasped when I saw it, green and gold looks amazing, that red sheen is wicked. Goulet is out of stock but I have no idea for how long it's been available. I can't wait to try it.

It's actually not available yet, expected in stock sometime next month! Some bloggers have bottles, but it hasn't made it into the public's hands anywhere as far as I know.
 
Good to know. Was worried everyone had been bought out for a second lol. Finally decided to buy some of the ocean blue from them, then I see they've made it in green. I hope they do more colors, I'm still addicted to this line of ink.
 
So I'm pretty sure I fucked something up, but I'm never using a squeeze converter again. Was refilling a Pilot metro when *plop* the tip of the pen separated from the converter and fell into the pot of ink. Much wasted ink and hand soap and paper towels later I can't get the converter to stay on anymore.
 

CheesecakeRecipe

Stormy Grey
So I'm pretty sure I fucked something up, but I'm never using a squeeze converter again. Was refilling a Pilot metro when *plop* the tip of the pen separated from the converter and fell into the pot of ink. Much wasted ink and hand soap and paper towels later I can't get the converter to stay on anymore.

I've heard that the Con-50 (the piston converter) had issues with staying on, didn't think the Con-20 was capable of popping off like that. The seal would need to be compromised pretty badly. Though, they're quite simple machines, so anything's possible! Sucks to lose ink or need to worry about more upkeep than usual though.
 

Sera O

Banned
I'm very tempted to get a pilot/namiki falcon (I am generally really happy with Pilot pens). If anyone has had one for a while, has it stood up well to occasional flex writing (not too much pressure)?

Cheaper flex FPs are great, but I find the fine lines are still quite broad with the Noodler's nib. I end up writing much larger than I'd like. I am thinking the Falcon will be good in this sense since the pens I have with the finest line are pilots. It would be nice to have a good option for smaller print that isn't a dip pen.

Also, if anyone has had experience with EF and F in the falcon, is the EF scratchy? Seems like it might be best for maxing out variation but I am usually quite happy with how fine the pilot F is.

You sheen-aholics seen what Diamine are soon to release?: http://www.cultpens.com/i/q/DM45040/diamine-shimmertastic-ink

Most of them don't really appeal to me, but I saw a writing sample of the reddish-brown/gold one, and... damn...

Luckily, I am insulated from temptation by the fact that my usual ink vendor does not carry it! Dodged a bullet. There needs to be a 12 step program for this stuff.
 
I actually read this entire thread because before I ever took any interest in keyboards and typing, I use to write for no reason at all religiously. I loved practicing my penmanship and just plain making up stuff to write about. Writing to me always had this fantastic, almost majestic, feeling to it.

This thread literally reminds me of those days, and I will definitely go out and purchase myself a fountain pen as a result of this thread. Thanks for bringing back a bit of my childhood love of writing with a great pen. :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom