Search the Community

Are there any additive that could be added to an existing ink to make it feather less, beyond the usual thickeners, such as gum arabic? Has anyone measured their effects? Are any preferred for low pH, high pH inks? [According to the article referenced here, it was found that ink actually performs better without gum arabic, but only after it had been accidentally left out from the official government recipe.] @InesFposted an extremely detailed analysis of ink spreading and a theory on ink wetting. Some of the results are: Unfortunately the surface tension can't be increased easily (some salts increase surface tension marginally, but only in very high concentrations). I found one interesting patent that uses a different approach: To reduce the flow (wetness?), they increase the wetting angle of the ink/nib interface. This is done by adding a flotation agent, which also happens to reduce the surface tension. Feathering is then independently controlled by adding a colloid. https://patents.google.com/patent/US1932248A/en This is a highly alkaline ink, maybe the vintage Superchrome ink used similar ideas. The ink is made alkaline to quickly sink into the paper, but this leads to undesirable effects: They say that surface tension doesn't matter, but what matters is the wetting angle on the nib. To keep the ink from wetting the nib, they add amyl xanthate. Xanthates do lower the surface tension, see also Fig. 2 of https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ja01308a003#, but increase the wetting angle on the nib: They name a couple of alternative substances to increase the wetting angle: The ink will still feather, which is fixed by adding starch Finally, they add bentonite clay to improve the flow. I have no idea why this works.

Greetings All, Pardon the sloppiness (and embarrassing typos everywhere, even the first word ), but I wanted to get out this review as soon as possible because I'm so excited about this pen. I've had a lot of bad luck with Chinese pens (Hero's have been anything but my hero), but so far no Jinhao nib has ever failed me and their quality seems to be getting even better. Here are my comments and some writings samples about the new Jinhao 992. It's currently available in all colors on Ebay and probably places like Aliexpress as well. Writing sample on a cheap little notepad: Final Run-down Pros: - Quality construction - Superb converter that holds a good amount of ink - Toothless smooth nib - Flawless flow - Nib and feed easily removable for thorough cleaning (perfect for using those troublesome yet beautiful Noodler's inks) - Lightweight - Cap posts well (no slipping or popping off) - Screw on cap - Great color selection - The price! Cons: - Unbalanced when posted - Might be too small for larger hands when not posted [Addendum: Some pictures from the seller I bought from...]

Hello FPNers, It’s been a long time since I posted here, as I fell out of love with my many fountain pens for a while due to inky fingers. But I’ve recently returned to the fold and ordered a new pen, a Pelikan M600 in blue, fine point. I would have probably bought medium point, but fine was all the retailer had left in time for my upcoming birthday, so I went for it. I’ve been reading quite a bit since and discovered that Pelikan’s fine is wider than most, so perhaps it was serendipitous. In any case, to get the most out of my fine-point Pelikan, I’d like to know what brands of bottled ink are the wettest, so that my fine-point pen will write as juicy and broad as possible. Thanks in advance for your feedback. Gary

I am a university student in continental europe on a search for a very wet, very smooth writer. I want to have the feeling of writing on glass, and I don't want to have to worry about the ink flow, while I am feverishly taking notes during class. The paper is not the problem because I use Oxford 90 gsm paper. Does anyone have an idea how to make a feed bleed more? Can anyone recommend a reliable very smooth and very wet pen that I could ask for for my upcoming birthday in April? When I say very wet and very smooth, I think of my grandfather's Montblanc 149 with a F nib. This is however not my pen or a student pen. I also enjoy the writing experience of my mother's Pelikan M200 (1988-1997) with a B nib, however the piston mechanism doesn't work anymore and because it's the Old Style I don't know where to bring it to have it fixed. Last year, I was still able to use a Kaweco Sport with an EF nib, which is a smooth writer, but it didn't have the flow to back it up, i.e. even after an attempt or two to make the nib wetter, I gave up on the pen. This year, I have been using a PenBBS 355 with a Jinhao M/B (0.7mm) nib. This pen writes smooth as well, and I have been able to make the nib much wetter, but twice I have pushed the nib too far, spread the tines, and now sometimes when I put down too much pressure the tines will separate and no ink will flow. Luckily, I have two replacement Jinhao nibs, but for now I'll stick with the wet nib I have. In the first half an hour of use, the pen writes exactly how I want it to, and it exudes ink as freely as what might be considered too wet for the japanese market. However, the feed cannot keep up, and soon afterwards, I have to put down pressure to get the same amount of ink on the paper. This is an endless feedback loop of wetting the nib, spreading the tines, and then fixing the nib to make sure the nibs don't spread too much. Any tips, tricks, and suggestions for a better nib and pen would be greatly appreciated.

Since I rotate my 8 pens and my 8 inks, there are many combinations of pen-ink. And then there's the 4 papers which I also rotate. Some combinations work better than others. I'm trying to make sense of this. I ask you to rate the 8 inks and the 8 pens in terms of wetness and dryness. Fountain Pens: Pelikan Souveran M805, Waterman Expert II, Waterman Phileas, Stipula Splash, Sheaffer Sagaris, Sheaffer Prelude, Sheaffer School pen and Sheaffer Cartridge Pen; inks: Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Schwarz (Brilliant Black), Pelikan 4001 Königsblau (Royal Blue), Edelstein Sapphire, Edelstein Onyx, Waterman Encre Bleu (Inspired Blue), Diamine Mediterranean Blue, iroshizuku (Pilot) ama-iro (Sky Blue), Montblanc Mystery Black Is there anything else I should know about these inks? Are there any other inks that belong in my collection? Blue or Black only, please.

i was going to asked if someone has tried to modify their plastic fountain pen feed, how did they do it. Extra bonus if it is a sailor

Are pigmented inks or inks with particles (glitter), wetter or drier than dye based ink (like iroshizuku inks) ? and why so (scientifically) ?

Is increasing the distance between nib and feed increase or decrease ink flow? Why?(concerned about sailors specifically)

What are/is the wettest pen/nib you own, share some information about it and your experience using it !

Hello again to all my FP-friends, Allow me to introduce to you the Jinhao 992’s oddly named and somewhat homely younger sister—the 991. This pen comes in both an EF (0.38) hooded nib and F open nib version. Since the nib, feed, housing, and converter on the F nib version are identical to that of the 992, it goes without saying that the 991 writes just as well and has the same smooth nib and flawless flow. All I had to do was put ink in the converter (I don’t like sticking my pens in bottles), put the converter back in the pen, and within just a few seconds the pen was writing a juicy medium-side-of-fine line. I can’t speak for the EF version because the black hooded nib was just too ugly to look at. Nib options: (Taobao) Color options: (Taobao) Appearance & Design There is no question as to where the design came from: The appearance is my least favorite part about the 991. Who would want to own a fountain pen that looks just like a disposable roller-ball?? The only saving factor is that it’s a demonstrator (and, of course, a fountain pen). The coffee brown tint on this model gives it an extra bit of class over the dull black Uni-ball. Looks aside, the matte finish on the cap and barrel adds a nice tactile feel. The whole pen is notably thinner than the 992 and almost as long as the X750. If you wanted a significantly thinner and lighter alternative to the X750, then you’ll probably enjoy using the 991. The section is long and slender and will be comfortable no matter where you grasp it. The design is utilitarian and comfortable, even if boring and unoriginal. I could easily write with this pen for hours on end with no fatigue. Construction I was at first concerned about the durability of the 991. The plastic is noticeably thinner and has just a tad more “give” to it than that of the 992. The thickness and strength of the plastic reminded me a lot of a Platinum Preppy (see below). In fact, I’d say the 991 is Jinhao’s answer to the Preppy (and a more cost-effective answer at that). Despite these initial concerns, after much squeezing of both barrel and cap on the 991 and a Preppy, the 991 is clearly more durable. If you like Preppies and use them regularly without cracking the cap or barrel, then you’ll love this pen! I’m just slightly more apprehensive with this pen than with the 992 about throwing it in my bag unprotected, but I don’t think you’ll have to wrap tape around the joints to prevent cracking the way I always have to with my Preppies. Jinhao 992 and 991: Jinhao 991 and Platinum Preppy barrels: And now the million yuan question, “Does it come cracked like the 992?” After examining the whole pen with a loupe for quite some time over two days, I can assure you that at least my specimen has NO CRACKS whatsoever. [What might appear to be cracks in the photos below are injection molding seams and a few scratches in the plastic.] I’ll give you an update after a few weeks of use, but I don’t foresee cracking as a problem. The end of the barrel does have a plug in it, but it is quite different than that of the 992. The plug takes up the whole end of the barrel, as is also the case with the finial on the cap. If you’re one of those brave souls who likes to eyedropperize pens, then this pen is worth your consideration. The seal on the barrel plug is airtight. I also filled the barrel with water and shook it vigorously for a while and there were no leaks. My only hesitation about using this as an eyedropper filler is that the pen is very slender and will probably heat up quickly from hand warmth and start burping, as might occur with a Preppy. Also note that, unlike the 992, this pen does not come with an O-ring, so you’ll have to supply your own and probably apply some silicone grease to the threads just to be safe. One nice point is that the threading is much finer than on the Preppy and thus provides a tighter seal. Weight & Dimensions Numbers mean little to me when I’m thinking about what is comfortable in my hand, so here are some comparison shots with other common pens to give you an idea of the physical dimensions of the 991. From left to right: Jinhao 992, Jinhao 991, Platinum Preppy 02, Jinhao X750, Parker 45, Parker 51, Lamy Safari The 991 is a very light pen. It has no heft at all when unposted and feels back-heavy and unbalanced when posted (at least for my small hands). Concluding Remarks Although the 991 lacks much of the appeal of the 992, it also lacks its problems. I’m not fond of the shape and general appearance of this pen, but it’s a pleasure to write with and extremely comfortable to hold (unposted, in my case). This pen was designed to write and write and write effortlessly, although some may be uncomfortable with the slender body and light weight. Nib options are limited to EF and F, but you can easily remove the nib on the open nib model and put in another. TWSBI ECO nibs fit well and perhaps a standard #5 would work as well. I’ll have to get back to you on that once my JoWo #5 architect grind arrives. I recommend the Jinhao 991 over the Platinum Preppy for the following reasons: (1) its nib is just as smooth as an 05 Preppy; (2) its material is sturdier; (3) it comes with its own converter that holds a lot of ink; (4) it comes in several colors with no painted on branding to remove; (5) it’s about half the price of a Preppy, depending on where you live. This pen is a perfect choice for your “fountain penvangelism” efforts and is just nice to have around for trying funky inks you may be afraid to put in nicer pens. This pen is so affordable that, if you can tolerate its underwhelming physique, it’s worth at least owning a couple.

Yup, that's what I'm looking for. It should be bright, well-shading, with excellent flow, not heavy or dry or sticky, readily attainable and inexpensive. I would ordinarily go right to Monteverde, but not until their contamination problems are well behind them. So what else would you recommend? Thanks!

So, I recently bought a Parker 51 from the flea market. It was in a pretty sorry state. I did a complete restoration.After removing the hood, cleaning the feed, collector, breather tube and so on, I went on and replaced the filler unit with a new one. Then I polished the exterior of the pen using a buffer and then some micro-gloss. All good so far. I started to write with the pen. It produced a very wet line and the writing experience was super smooth. Then this happened. After a few sentences the pen started to become very dry and after a bit more the ink flow completely stopped. I waited a bit and then it begun to write again. This was an endless loop. The first thought that crossed my mind was that I am dealing with a not so clean collector. I cleaned it. Still no luck. I tried a new collector. Same...the pen run dry. I tried a new nib, a new hood, a new feed nothing. And then I thought about the way that ink is delivered into the collector. THE BREATHER TUBE. It has a hole on top, which allows the user to fill ink without, removing it every time the filler is pressed. However there was no hole on the bottom (or at least mine didn't), to allow any ink to escape from the barrel and go back to the feed/collector. (In contrast with the aerometric breather tube that has one, for this purpose). This had to be it, there is no other logical explanation, I said to myself. So I picked up a dental hook, heated the end of the hook with a torch , and then opened a tiny hole just above the bottom of the breather tube. (It had to be smaller than the one on top, because if it wasn't then it would defeat the purpose of having a breather tube in the first place, which is to have more ink going in, than going out.) I then reassembled the pen and begun to write. That did the trick, the ink flow is now super consistent and pretty wet (Note that the size of the hole that is opened, determines the wetness of the pen. The smaller, the dryer). For anyone who will ask, no there are no leaks, no ink blots, just a very satisfying wet line.

Hi all. How do you adjust a very springy steel nib that resists adjustment? I'm trying to make my Visconti Rembrandt nib wetter but any effect I get is temporary as the nib eventually goes back to its original condition. Best regards

Hi everyone! I have a pen that writes too wet with Aurora Black and too dry with Waterman Black, so I am looking for an ink whose wetness is somewhere in between, although a bit closer to Aurora Black in terms of wetness. Also, if it is a really dark black that's a plus! Thank you all very much in advance!

Hello all, I took my first jump into vintage pens at the Triangle Pen Show with a user-grade Parker Vacumatic - 1945 Green Emerald Major. It's a fascinating pen and I am very much enjoying it, except I'm a little stunned at just how WET this pen is. After dipping and filling it at the show after purchase, the seemingly fine nib wrote a line closer to a western M (at least to me) than a fine. I prefer finer lines, and I had Deb Kinney grind it down to a western EF, and it seemed true to size initially, but after filling it with Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo at home, it has gotten gradually wetter and wider, and is putting down a prodigiously wet line of ink. I also recall feeling like the nib had some tooth when I tested it at the show, but now it is almost completely smooth, which I'm guessing is due to the lubrication from how much ink it's putting out. I've gotten to the point of wiping the feed and nib before writing with it to help it write a bit drier. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the bold line it writes, but it's a bit too wet and wide for my preferences, though I could live with it. I want to use it as a journaling pen but with the way it writes now it would be more suited as a correspondence pen since I write a bit smaller in my journal. I want to ask you all if this is just a normal characteristic of a Vacumatic, and if not, is there anything I should be concerned about? Is Iroshizuku ink a poor pairing for a Vacumatic or should I be concerned about the components?

Hello everyone. I'm new to this. Is there a permanent ink that does not clog or dry in the pen (nib?) if the pen is not used for a week or more? And, a permanent ink that flows well, is "wet", and easy to clean out of the pen? If I only use the pen several times a month for check writing, etc, is that enough? I have several Pelicans, a Sailor 1911, and a couple cheapies. Thanks so much for your help. Newbie here. Aloha jim

Hi I have 2 vanishing points in 18k Rhodium plated, one Medium and one Fine. The Fine one is a bit too thin, too dry, while the Medium is wet and on the broad side for me. Attached is comparison to a Metropolitan MR Medium which I like both as a line thickness and as wetness, crispness. Is there a way to modify the VP nibs to write like the Metropolitan, and how?

Aloha Everyone, Newbie here. I am starting to find out that I like an ink that flows well when writing. I guess that is called "wet"? because the ink is lubricated? I have the following inks, which ones are the "wettest". Aurora Black Aurora Blue Waterman Paris Black Diamine Majestic Blue I have 2 pelicans and a sailor. Any suggestions for an ink that flows better than what I have? Thanks so much for your help. mahalo jim

Hi everyone! I have a problem with one of my favorite pens. Every time I refill the converter with ink it writes way too wet (feathers and bleeds through a lot) for a few pages before becoming just write for the remainder of the ink in the converter (it's a piston "twist" converter). I know about pushing a few drops out of the converter after filling and I have experimented with it, but there's no amount of ink I can let out that seems to fix this problem for me. I have also tried to fix the problem by thoroughly cleaning the nib and feed letting them soak in dish soap and rinsing multiple times, but to no avail. Does anyone have a solution to this? Thank you all in advance!

Robert Oster Signature Inks - Quick review of 11 lovely inks You can find Part 1 here. You can find Part 2 here. You can find Part 3 here. So we are doing Part 4 !!! http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/happy/jumping-for-joy-smiley-emoticon.gif This time we'll take a look at the following inks.. Yellow SunriseDirect SunRed OrangeRuby (Exclusive to Sakura)AquaTorquayMarineBlue SeaViolaPurple RockSummer Storm (added at the last minute)BLACK nRED These inks flowed quite well on this paper… They get along quite well… no bleed thru, no show thru and no feathering whatsoever.. I use a wet flex broad, my pen dumps a bunch of ink and the behavior was flawless. Yellow Sunrise: Very BRIGHT.. Very Yellow!!!. Big Bird would be proud.. ... If you all remember, I am a big fan of Yellow Sunset… especially because it darkens inside the pen. If Yellow Sunrise does the same it will be fantastic. If not, well.. a full page of this is color is kind of hard on the eyes. For the BRIGHT and LOUD color lovers out there. Direct Sun: If Red-Orange is a reddish-orange, Direct Sun is an orangey-red.. LOL... … Interesting and definitely a handsome color. I much prefer this kind of hues on cream paper… it makes them look vintage. Red Orange: This is a lovely color.. I am an orange lover, so chances were I was going to like this.. This is a more subtle hue that I was expecting. Beside Peach, this one is more saturated… but not as bright as Orange. I can see a full page written with Red Orange on a cream paper… Heaven!! Ruby (Exclusive to Sakura): SO EXCITED to get a sample of this!!!… I’ve been harassing Robert to get a dark red… So I guess I will still be harassing him.. LOL… But this is (to me) his best red. Is bright, crisp and clean. If you want Blood… this is the Oxygenated type of Blood Red.. LOL Aqua: Gosh.. his blues are so nice. Aqua is a gorgeous ink. Sheen, shades and behaves lovely… Torquay: This one, at first I thought it was too close to Australian Sky… big mistake, Australian Sky is much bluer. Torquay is a lighter Turquoise. Still a beautiful color. Marine: There is something about having too much green in your blue… Marine is just at the border… I do enjoy those teal colors. But a tad more green and it doesn’t work for me. For the Teal lovers out there… this is your ink !!!. Blue Sea: WOW.. this is .. WOW…a gorgeous Blue. I do love his Blues and I will say this is one of his best Blues. Shades and Sheens like MAD!!.. Viola: I definitely like my purples more darker and murkier… this is a lovely lilac. Definitely for those who love gentle, delicate colors. For sketching, is fantastic. Purple Rock: Another WOW moment… this one reminds me of Kobe Tamon Grey and KWZI Grey Plum… Purple Rock.. really ROCKS!!!... Summer Storm: You can see below what this ink can do in very capable and artistic hands.. (my artist-in-residence).. Is lovely for sure..... For writing, I take Purple Rock.. Sketch - Summer Storm Mermaid 2016.. RHODIA DOT PAD No bleed thru, no show thru and no feathering. TOMOE RIVER No bleed thru, some show thru and no feathering. MUJI Notebook No bleed thru, no show thru and no feathering. Please note, not all MUJI paper is fountain pen friendly. This one is the “black cover” notebook. They do quite well with ink, wet pens and they do show sheen. Summary Guys.. There is nothing new I can say that I have not said before. These are great inks.. and the huge line up of colors means everyone can find their favorite.. I am still impressed with the amount of shading and sheen I get on regular paper. So excited that I was able to get a sample of Sakura… It still not the red I am looking for, but is a lovely red and it will get lots of use in my pens and in my daughters pens and brushes. The real winners for me (in this line up) in order of appearance: Red-Orange, Aqua, Marine, Blue Sea and Purple Rock. Both Viola and Summer Storm remind me of the Hydrangea Twins (Kobe #56 and #57).. Great for sketching.. not so for writing. The other exciting news.. is that NOW you can find Robert Oster in the US !!! YAY!!!! http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/dancing/super-happy-dance-smiley-emoticon.gif ....... (Lucky yankees... ) Frank at Federalist Pens and the lovely people at Vanness are now carrying Robert Oster Signature Inks. For a distributor near you, check... www.robertoster.com.au I need to have a chat with WonderPens and TakeNote… we need them in Canada… Disclaimer: Not affiliated to Robert Oster.. yadda yadda…. C.

Robert Oster Signature Inks - Quick review of 7 lovely inks You can find Part 1 here. You can find Part 3 here. You can find Part 4 here. So I am back with some more Robert Oster Signature Inks !!!.. Yeah, Yeah.. I can’t seem to get enough of his inks… Those lucky Ozzies.. between Robert Oster and BlackStone… why would you buy anything else…. If this is the first time you are reading about Robert Oster Signature Inks, he is a lovely Australian gentleman and produces high quality Fountain Pen Ink. You can find it in eBay-AU: http://www.ebay.com.au/usr/osteralia For international orders, please use his email: Signature@RobertOster.com Ok so… this time I got: Blue BlackSchool BlueMossCopperOrangeClaretYeah, I totally forgot about Barossa Grape… but that one is currently on its way… Without further delay: BLACK nRED These inks flowed quite well on this paper… They get along quite well… no bleed thru, no show thru and no feathering whatsoever.. I use a wet flex broad, my pen dumps a bunch of ink and the behavior was flawless. Blue Black: This is a GORGEOUS Blue Black… Goes down wet and shiny and dries with a high saturation.. Lovely color School Blue: I like blues… I am NOT crazy about blues as most people seemed to be. I do LOVE dark blues. But Blues in general are just “Fine” by me. School Blue, is a “regular” blue that looks AMAZING on paper. The shading is quite dramatic.. and I don’t think it shows too well because of my wet pen. If you maximize the pic, you will see it goes from very light turquoise to a very dark blue (almost Blue Black). Really amazing looking color. And don’t forget the sheen. Robert Oster must have a very sheeny blue dye. All his blues sheen wonderfully. Moss Green: If you know anything about me, you know I like my greens very much. Especially the darker, mossy type… (the murkier the better). Moss green is not murky, but is a lovely “moss” green… lol. The name is quite right. I do love it. I also love that it does shift the hue depending on paper. It looks more olive on cram paper (Muji paper below) Copper: Now, this is a very interesting color. I think this is what people call “Puce”… Is brownish/pinkish.. very hard to describe. I do like it. It flows well and unless my eyes need adjusting (which I believe they do by the way.. I got my first pair of reading glasses three weeks ago) it seems to leave a “border” on each stroke. Not really sheen, but a darker border. I find this color very vintage looking and handsome. Not sure if copper is the correct name thou. Orange: NOW.. this IS ORANGE !!!... I think sometimes we think what orange is, and then this one comes an SMACK you in the face and says..” HEY .. I am the real ORANGE”.. Lol.. Honestly, I love my oranges, and this is a beautiful orange.. BRIGHT, but not NEON.. (which I dislike). Royal Red: This is a nice “subdue” red. I wish it was darker. Beside the Fire Engine Red it looks orangey. Robert.. if you are reading, we need a dark-blood-type red. Claret: OH WOW!!.. This goes down almost BLACK!!.. and dries to a WONDERFUL purplish /mauve color.. but is quite intriguing.. You need to see when is drying, it seems to change to grey/plum/purple/mauve.. Is almost like a chameleon… Amazing looking ink. RHODIA DOT PAD No bleed thru, no show thru and no feathering TOMOE RIVER No bleed thru, no show thru and no feathering MUJI Notebook No bleed thru, no show thru and no feathering. Please note, not all MUJI paper is fountain pen friendly. This one is the “black cover” notebook. They do quite well with ink, wet pens and they do show sheen. All the inks flowed well, and they seem quite wet. I am sure some are wetter than others, but in general.. they are on the wet side. While writing this, I went to his eBay site to grab the link, I just found out some newly release inks.. Blue Sea, Viola and Direct Sun !!!.. Should I go for more?... Is my birthday coming up?.. Well, yes.. in 2017.. LOL.. http://i.myniceprofile.com/478/47831.gif I guess is time to make a Toronto Posse Group Buy !!. C.

Robert Oster Signature Inks - Quick review of 7 lovely inks You can find Part 1 here. You can find Part 2 here. You can find Part 4 here. I AM BAAACK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!.. And I have some more Robert Oster Inks for your pleasure… If this is the first time you are reading about Robert Oster Signature Inks, he is a lovely Australian gentleman and produces high quality Fountain Pen Ink. You can find it in eBay-AU: http://www.ebay.com.au/usr/osteralia For international orders, please use his email: Signature@RobertOster.com You can find more reviews of his inks in the links provided above. (Part 1 and Part 2) On Part 3, the list of inks reviewed will be: · Barosa Grape · Pinky · Peach · Ever Green · Spearmint · Tranquility · Dark Chocolate I have never mentioned the packaging... The inks come in wrapped in a gold foil paper... like the treasure they are. Is fun to remove the wrapping and unveiled the jewel inside. Now to the inks... BLACK nRED These inks flowed quite well on this paper… They get along quite well… no bleed thru, no show thru and no feathering whatsoever.. I use a wet flex broad, my pen dumps a bunch of ink and the behavior was flawless. Barosa Grape: (don’t confuse with Barbosa) LOL. Gorgeous Purple. A must have to any purple lover.. Shading, Sheen, … on a wet pen it looks like Ink of Witch.. very dark, Pinky: You can’t call me a pink lover….. but Pinky is really the kind of pink I don’t mind. Is not retina-searing (which I dislike) and it has a vintage look without being chalky. A lovely pink. Peach: Similar to Pinky, as in a more subdue color… with a vintage feel. Is not in your face Orange.. Is so soft and delicate, you almost want to touch the “fuzz”… Ever Green: This bright green will please all straight green lovers… (I am more of a “murky” green lover) .. reminds me of MB Irish Green. Bright and cheery. Spearmint: This one surprised me… I don’t know why I was expecting a more delicate green (you can tell I am no gardener..lol)…. Is a lovely green and more in my style of “dark” greens. Sheen is amazing on this one. Tranquility: YAY!!... Deep Sea younger sister…. Lol. The hue is the same, but this one is more delicate. The darker areas might look the same.. but Tranquility is lighter and you can tell in the lighter areas. The shading is spectacular. The sheen is not too shabby either… Dark Chocolate: Is very interesting… Is a chocolate with mauve undertones. I remember finding Rober Oster Chocolate with pink undertones… so not surprised this one (Dark Chocolate) has also some other tones. I personally love when ink looks different with different lighting. Nothing wrong with that. This makes it a lovely ink for sketching. RHODIA DOT PAD No bleed thru, no show thru and no feathering. TOMOE RIVER No bleed thru, no show thru and no feathering. MUJI Notebook No bleed thru, no show thru and no feathering. Please note, not all MUJI paper is fountain pen friendly. This one is the “black cover” notebook. They do quite well with ink, wet pens and they do show sheen. Summary What can I say, I am still very impressed with Robert Oster Signature Inks. Can’t say I am head over heels with all his colors, he still needs a DEEP RED… and a straight BROWN.. but the range and quality of Blues and Greens is just MAGNIFICENT…. I personally like his purples, oranges, amber… and odd colors (Copper for example) I’ve been told there is an exclusive Red (exclusive to SAKURA) .. and I am trying to get a sample of that for comparison sake. So, hopefully I am not done with Robert Oster anytime soon. Hope you guys have enjoyed another quick trip through Robert Oster Signature Ink heaven.. Disclaimer: Not affiliated to Robert Oster.. yadda yadda…. C. .

Robert Oster Signature Inks - Quick review of 16 lovely inks You can find Part 2 here. You can find Part 3 here. You can find Part 4 here. Exciting news.. a new PLAYER has enter the Ink World.. Robert Oster Signature Inks !! I was quite excited to see quick reviews of these inks. You all know how much I love new inks. New colors are always exciting to me. Looking at the line up of Robert Oster, it seems that he has been busy. More than 30 colors are currently available at his eBay store. (31 inks on eBay and maybe 7 more.. total of 38) In any case, I was dying to get my eager paws on some of his creations.. so I went ahead a selected a few colors then some more oh well. Someone might have gone a little overboard But hey!!... couldnt resist a good deal. I got: Yellow SunGreen OliveKhakiLight GreenLime GreenJadeEmeraldDeep SeaTurquoiseAustralian SkyBondi BlueBlue DenimBlue NightFire Engine RedBurgundyChocolateThey come in these cute bottles that are quite misleading.. they contain 50ml of inks and dont look much bigger than the Diamine plastic bottles. I believe Robert Oster's bottles are of a much better plastic; they are quite sturdy and the caps closes tightly. Not one spill, not even a drop of ink crept out. Mr. Oster was having a special of adding a pen (Jinhao) for every bottle you purchased. I believe that offer was for the Australian market (the weight of the pens will definitely be costly for international shipping).. In any case, he was so sweet to add 4 pens for me to try out. I never experienced this specific model of Jinhao, but I am quite happy to check them out. I LOVE broad, flex, wet pens You can imagine that I run into problems almost everywhere I go (unless sticking to the best paper). I did not bother testing with the worst paper possible. Most of us try our best to use at least decent paper. If you are forced to use bad paper, then stick to very fine nibs with medium to dry flow and you should be ok. For the purposes of this compendium-review, I use 4 types of paper. Two of them are decent fountain pen friendly (most of the time), one is excellent and the last one is not really meant for fountain pens but I happen to use it to create my swatch cards. Regular Decent Paper Black nRedRegular Decent Paper Rhodia Dot PadFantastic Paper Tomoe RiverAbsorbent Paper Maruman MnemosyneMy regular notebook is the Black nRed, I use Rhodia only for testing and Tomoe River is mostly for fun, doodling and testing inks. A great ink just looks FANTASTIC on Tomoe and because of the way it lets inks pool on the surface.. if an ink has the ability to sheen, Tomoe River will show it. To start, these inks are WET. Really wet. I do enjoy wet inks, but since most my pens are wet pens wet+wet.. is a tad too wet. I believe these inks will work much better on medium nibs and they will also help a dryish pen. Colors are nicely saturated and most of them display very nice sheen. BLACK nRED This is paper works 90% of the time. I tend to use extremely wet pens (broads and flexs) and this paper will sometimes fails me. Only very few inks misbehave on this paper. I enjoy the sturdiness of the hardbound cover and the whiteness of the paper enhances the color of the inks. I do enjoy using this paper and I was gladly surprised that NONE of the Robert Oster inks bleed, showed or feathered on this paper. Some of these inks display a nice amount of sheen on this paper

Hi- So, I'm new and I'm hoping you all can offer some help. I started picking up pens this last year and, like my son with caterpillars, I seem to find them EVERYWHERE. Also like my son and caterpillars, I can't leave them where I find them. I hear their little voices and imagine them left to fend for themselves on the internet, in boutique pen stores or (gasp!) pen mills. So far I have avoided the pen rescue booths that I am sure are set up on Saturdays outside pen stores, but it is only a matter of time before I bring home some sad-looking brown and white fella who's been beaten up a little and just needs a break. Anyway -- not the point. My first rescues were Viscontis. One was a Pininfrina carbongraphite. It's a stub nib and wrote great at first. But then it went south on me. Instead of a nice sweet multi-characteristic line, it dropped gushers. Big, thick crappy lines with little to distinguish them from my 3rd grade writing samples (lines which Mrs. Pratt thoughtfully told my parents at parent-teacher conferences were "not yet satisfactory," thereby earning me a prohibition on watching "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "Happy Days" until improvement... which occurred some 10 years later). It was a disaster. Relief came -- oddly enough -- when the thing dried up. Which happened every time I used it. I'd seal it back up in its retractable little house, wait about a couple of hours, try it again and.... nothing. Zip. Nada. Zilch. No line at all. Enough that Sergeant Schultz' knowledge would seem plentiful. A quick rinse under water, an absorbent cloth and VOILA! Back to writing....nice lines (but just for a while). So now I have a pen that writes lousy, dries out, requires CPR to get started and I'm running out of absorbent cloth. And then it ends where I don't want to be. Any ideas? Problem #2 -- I followed problem #1 with a purchase of Visconti's beautiful Jacques DeMolay set. Also a stub, I've not used it (for obvious reasons). Should I sell it? I'm not a fan of wet and sloppy lines, so I don't want to throw money into fixing the unfixable, especially if that's just that nature Visconti. Ideas?

Ladies and gentlemen, I checked the repair Q&A forum but my questions are a bit more general I think so I decided to post here. Background: I'm new to "proper" fountain pens, used a fountain pen for decades as a kid and young adult, always liked that smoothness and speed featherweight pressure facilitates. Now I use Pilot Metropolitan - Fine nib. I was using Pilot black ink (see picture attached) that I got with it. Works like a charm. Extremely light pressure, high speed writing is a breeze and smooth. I saw the Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue which I used for decades is still made and around so I promptly got a bottle and to my surprise, it caused a lot of problems. Issue: Pen required a lot more pressure all of a sudden. Really heavy pressure to the point of severly slowing down my writing. Even having to repeat some characters because they just got lost. Terrible to the point of uselessness. With medium pressure it would manage extremely thin lines or none at all. It would work okay if I flush it (with a drop of water still in the system) and a refill. I use a rubber bladder converter that came with the pen. Nib is fine. I checked it, it's fine and changed ink back to pilot black and everything is smooth again.Is this normal, is the Pelikan 4001 ink just so "dry"/thick it just won't work with this type of pen?Is this pen generally known to be so sensitive? (because I doubt products like this Pelikan ink would stay on the market if most pens didn't work with it)or do I have a different problem with the pen that I haven't addressed?If's this pen being fussy, any recommendations on more ink-tolerant pens?If I have to limit my choice of ink to only the most wet ones, any recommendations? Looking for blue/blue-black. Thanks in advance, z. edits: clarity