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Close-up: Colour: Blue-black, as advertised; without being goes-down-blue, then-turns-black like iron-gall blue-black inks typically would, because as far as I'm aware this is a plain/standard dye ink without any iron-gall component (and with no water resistance) Flow: Slightly on the dry side of moderate, perhaps, on account of my being able to see a fainter line being left by the nib's slit along the broadest strokes Feathering: Not observed on Rhodia Dotpad 80g/m² paper, looking closely at the thinnest hatching lines, and words/glyphs ‘reverse-written’ with the nib upside-down (i.e. the bottom of the feed facing up) Show-through: Low to nil Bleed-through: Not observed Drying time: 11–12 seconds, which is relatively quick compared to most of the other inks I've tested or reviewed lately Smudging after fully dry: Didn't happen when I rubbed my thumb over the hatching/stippling panel and the largest Chinese hanzi characters Water resistance: So apparently poor that I don't think I need to soak some part of the sheet for an hour or so, to establish whether that would completely obliterate the marks made with this ink Shading: Moderate, without having too drastic a delineation between lighter parts and darker parts along the same pen stroke; can be seen even in very narrow ink marks (i.e. when writing with the equivalent of an Extra Fine nib) Sheen: None observed — and I checked with a loupe and a bright LED light Shimmer: None My thoughts: I can't imagine why I'd want to use a sombre blue-black ink that offers neither sheen nor water resistance, notwithstanding that this ink has a nice Delftware kinda colour as far as blue-black goes; but I suppose if someone wanted a blue-black that is cheap, and easy to clean from pens and/or after accidental spillage, this may well fit the bill nicely.

Here are a couple pictures of Skyline Gold Award pens side by side. The larger of the two is a "standard" (but it is an odd standard as it measures 5.5 inches capped). The smaller of the two is a demi, measuring in at 4 and 7/8ths (4.875) inches capped. The bigger of the two came with a nice fine (very) flex nib, the demi came with a more typical slight flex (almost miniscule flex) with a medium tip. It is worth noting that BOTH the body and the cap are longer on the standard Gold Award pens.

Hello, this is Victor. I recently received a cathat doric without cap. Is there any one has the cap to sell me? size is standard. I want to make it perfect Lol. Email is zelinwang222@gmail.com fell free to PM me or just email me if you have one. I appreciate that.

Some idea of why being practically the same pen, Major cost $ 8.75 and Standard only $ 7.50?

As the seller told me this peculiar vacumatic comes from a estate about 15 years ago in Bilbao (northern Spain). He could not remember the owner. It was discovered in a web ads in this condition, click here. Its 3 rings cap is smaller diameter and not compatible with 1st generation. I found this fpen with defects in the thread barrel, with a fault in "tart" of celluloid on cap (glued), star clip, a barrel emerald color but varying faded to yellow and even, less expected, with ringed jewel matching what is rarer still in vacs 3G. The jewel fits perfectly, measured 6.6 mm. in diameter and it is too small for a cap and too big for a blind cap 1G or 2G. That identify these "Standard" 3G is its cap and the color was excellent and it is now in perfect structural condition after polishing the "scar" of glue. http://s13.postimg.org/41v32qa0n/Parker_Vacumatic_3_G_Standard_emerald_view_Lazard.jpg http://s23.postimg.org/u1xhm8z63/Parker_Vacumatic_3_G_Standard_emerald_sides_Lazar.jpg http://s30.postimg.org/8u6lxckq9/Parker_Vacumatic_3_G_Standard_emerald_star_clip_j.jpg http://s7.postimg.org/ml4qlgofv/Parker_Vacumatic_3_G_Standard_emerald_jewel_Lazar.jpg http://s7.postimg.org/lp8960erf/Parker_Vacumatic_3_G_Standard_emerald_imprint_Laz.jpg

Hello all. I have limited knowledge about Sheaffer pens, but after a lovely lunch yesterday I found one in a consignment store I thought was worth picking up. It was quite dirty and the sac was obviously toast, but it was the nicest pen I had seen in the wild for a long time so I decided to pick it up. Here are some pictures after a gentle cleaning... It has no white dot above the clip, so it is not a lifetime model. It has the short clip with a hump and full ball, so that should put it in the 1932-34 range and the color was definitely available during that entire time. Then pen measures to me at 5 3/8 inches so I think it is the standard size, full girth model (and not the oversize I was hoping it was). I think this pen was referred to as a 500 (for the price), but it is not marked on the pen. There do not seem to be any cracks in the cap lip or anything. Typical brassing on the cap ring and the top of the clip ball. There is no personalization on the pen and the imprint is decent. I am curious as to why the pen has a monotone lifetime nib, but is not a white dot pen. I am guessing it is a replacement nib. (I would have expected on marked 5 - 30 for the price/warranty term). I would like to ask the more serious collectors, is this a replacement nib, or would this have been a nib original to the pen? Also, I don't trust myself to repair the pen. If it costs me say $40 to get it resacked, any thoughts on the pen's worth after? If it is not worth repairing, I will release it back into the wild for someone who can repair it themselves. Thanks for looking and for helping me figure out the nib.

Hi. I got this pen for about $8 of an auction at Tradera (swedish eBay) I have tried to find som information about the pen without any luck. The thing i have found out is that the swan symbol should be the logo for Mabie Todd. Is that correct? The modell is a Standard Pen and is a piston filler with a nr. 4 Ero 14k F nib with some flex. Does anyone know something about this pen modell? Best regards Pether Olsson

Sailor 1911 Profit, Fine Nib, Ivory Body I realize there are several reviews of the Sailor 1911 Profit, but I don't seem to see many pictures of the ivory body. I decided to put in my two cents and also have some reference pictures available for anyone else who wants to check out the pen before buying. The pictures I have seen prior to receiving this pen made it difficult to determine whether or not the pen was a bright white or a true ivory. I can happily say that it's a lovely off white colour and that I am very pleased with it. What follows is my picture heavy mini review. I would highly recommend the pen, and it is honestly my favourite pen overall (I had a burgundy one that I have sadly misplaced). The pen came with a standard Sailor box, that seems price appropriate, a converter, two cartridges, and an instruction manual. The pen was a birthday present from my girlfriend, and I appreciate it a lot. She's far too kind to me and indulges my hobby. The Review: Appearance and Design: 8 The classic cigar shape of the pen is fitting, though admittedly uninspired. I very much like the ivory colour and I think it's a step up from white. It looks like a nice warm pen, and the gold trim only adds to the appeal. The clip is also classic and uninspired, but far from ugly. It fits with the pen and all in all it looks very classy. In my book, it does get bonus points for being ivory coloured. If you don't care for the colour as much as I do, I would say the design is a 7, since it's unoriginal but well executed. The Pen DSCF6769 by makey95, on Flickr The Trim DSCF6774 by makey95, on Flickr Construction and Quality: 9 The pen feels very well made, and is very sturdy. The threads where the cap screws on are smooth and rounded, and they never interfere with the grip. There's not a single loose part in the pen, and it seems sturdy enough to take drops while capped. The resin body feels durable, and nothing about the pen seems cheap. The nib and feed are friction fit, and they can easily be pulled out, but they're not loose at all and are a snug fit. Nib and Feed DSCF6777 by makey95, on Flickr Weight and Dimensions: 10 The pen feels like it's made to be posted, and once posted feels perfectly balanced. Unposted, it is a tad too short for my hands, and feels rather light. Capped the pen measures around 5.25" and uncapped it is about 4.625" unposted. Posted, the pen is about 6" long. The diameter of the grip seems to be around .375". It is a medium-light pen, but I can write with it for hours at a time without my hand tiring. Nib and Performance: 10 Honestly this is my favourite modern nib/favourite non-flex nib. I've tried a few flex nibs that come close to being the joy that this one is, but even they pale in comparison. It is honestly one of the most enjoyable writing experiences that I have experienced. For such a fine nib, it is extraordinarily smooth and has almost no feedback, but still enough to let you feel the paper enough to enjoy the ride. The feed does a superb job of keeping up and it never has any hard starts or skips. The nib wrote immediately, even after being left out to take the photographs. The Nib DSCF6783 by makey95, on Flickr The Feed DSCF6775 by makey95, on Flickr Filling System and Maintenance: 7 The pen uses a cartridge converter system, and despite that has great ink flow. The converter does not hold all that much, but it's certainly enough to last several days of note taking. Having a cartridge converter system makes maintenance easy enough, but the friction fit nib and feed makes cleaning out the pen a breeze. Just take it apart, wash it, dry it, and it's quick and easy to move from a black ink to say a light yellow-orange. Normally I would give cartridge converter pens a 5, utterly average, neither good nor bad, but the ease of maintenance warrants a higher grade. Cost and Value: 10 This tends to be highly subjective, but for a pen that I consider to be the best writing experience, with a marvelous fine nib, easy maintenance, and perfect balance, I would say that the $100 that my girlfriend paid for it was reasonable. I would be personally willing to pay the full U.S. price for this pen (with tax, around 180 dollars). Conclusion: Highly recommended, if you couldn't tell. A word of warning, every once in a while I do see a Sailor 1911/Pro Gear or two out of the box (I've worked with a few over the years) with misaligned tines, but that's usually a quick fix. I have never seen a Sailor 1911 Standard that, once aligned, does not write smoothly. The majority of Sailors that I have seen write perfectly out of the box. Writing Sample/First impression review (Muji Notebook) DSCF6787 by makey95, on Flickr Final Words: Thanks for reading, feel free to mention your own thoughts on the pen, the colour, or my pictures. I tried my best to accurately pick up the colour of the body. I cannot thank my girlfriend enough for the gift, and I know it will see a lot of use. The only thing that I'm worried about is staining the ivory body. I've been looking into leather pen slips/holders for this pen, and I would appreciate any cheap but durable recommendations. I would like around 10 dollars, 15 maximum for the holder. I hope the review was informative.

I have been buying euro/standard cartridges from "majus74" on eBay for years. Several other cartridge sizes/formats are available, so do some exploring on the 'seller's other items' link to find what you need. The ink is of high quality, fresh, and available in many colours. They say "acid-free", "archive quality". OK. I say "smudge-proof" and "fast drying". Never a disappointment after hundreds of cartridges. Several other sizes/formats are available, so do some exploring on the 'seller's other items' link. Each listing typically provides a comprehensive list of compatible pens. If for no other reason, this provides a comprehensive x-reference for those oft-repeated questions about which cartridge fits which pen. I have settled on purple (refer to Mr. Ferrari on Wikipedia for an interesting historical tidbit). Rotring, Montblanc, Jinhao, Stypen, etc. My business partner uses the green exclusively and is also extremely satisfied. Montblanc and a few others. The customer service is excellent. Shipping is fast and secure. I was even asked once regarding the temperature and altitude of the destination so appropriate steps could be taken in preparing the shipment. Never one failure. Totally dependable. Highly recommended. The cartridges I receive are sourced in Germany. The first several shipments I received in earlier years were shipped from Poland. However, I believe a family member has relocated to the States (evidenced by recent eBay listings). It has been fun to see their business grow. Price? I think you'll find it satisfactory, to say the least. PS: this listing is for blue but check the other product listings for this vendor to find what you need... or contact them directly. http://www.ebay.com/itm/80-German-Fountain-Pen-Ink-Cartridges-refills-in-BLUE-for-your-Montblanc-pen-/380761751758?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58a72b40ce Again, the vendor is "majus74" In closing, I find a cartridge system to be preferable when I am carrying my pens. So simple and convenient. My pen case always has a few spares and I have yet to ever run out of ink. Best regards, Blah blah no affiliation blah happy customer blah

I've seen a few "is this pen the right size for me?" questions. While everyone has his/her own preferences, I heard there is some correlation between hand size and preferred pen size, and it appears that the appropriate pen size for the hand is flummoxing quite a few of the new FP users. And since some of us can't just make a dash to the nearest brick-and-mortar pen shop, I thought to compile a comparison of hands against favoured pens. Here are the rules: Post a picture holding the pen you write the most with (the pen you feel the most comfortable writing with). There must be a picture of a hand, spread (this is for the purpose of comparing finger length and width to the pen ONLY). It is advisable to also have a picture holding the pen, as you'd write. The pen must be fairly well-known (even if your grandmother's maker-unknown pen is the best thing in the world, it'd help the rest of us if the picture had a pen we're all familiar with). PLEASE include the manufacturer and the model of the pen! If there are any characteristics to your hands for any reason (for example, my fingers curve this way and that, owing to long years of playing an instrument), please include them. Here are mine... Pen: Lamy Safari Demonstrator http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w614/GabrielleduVent/DSC_02591_zps75699550.jpg?t=1371191408 http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w614/GabrielleduVent/DSC_02561_zps6068984c.jpg?t=1371105195 http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w614/GabrielleduVent/DSC_02572_zps94b551ce.jpg?t=1371105512 I'm really hoping this would catch on (otherwise I have just revealed that I have man hands to the rest of the world for no good reason).

Hi, i just purchased a pack of Waterman pink rose (large) cartridge. It was ordered from an online shop. I think something is just not right. But as this is my first Waterman cartridge, i need help. The pack that i received seems to be almost half empty. Hence a picture of your new cartridge will be highly appreciated. As i will be able to question the seller. And it was not purchased from eBay. Rather a reputed online portal in India. Regards, Chayan