Proper Filling Techniques?

[Scrawler]

If he can't be persuaded by a forum full of nutcases like us, I don't think anything will.

 

Personally, I don't understand what his hesitancy is about.

Shangas, sometimes a forum full of nutcases can be overwhelming and put people off with their wildly different opinions and experiences. It has taken you guys a lot of trial an error to get the ink with exactly the flow characteristics to match your nibs. Here we have an inexperience person and a number of variables that need to be accounted for. Maybe the nib has been adjusted in the past to flow quickly to make a signature pen. Maybe it was adjusted because the previous user liked dry inks. We live in a world where there no longer are many bricks and mortar shops where a newbi can go and try pens, nibs and inks. Maybe Pelikan ink, the natural choice for a newbi with a Pelikan pen are not readily available. There are a lot of variables and they all cost money and time. Not everyone has you or me sitting at their right hand with a thousand examples to try.

[olivier78860]

Be nice with the guy. He could get some money with a tool he doesn't like, and will probably get a tool that he will prefer (rollerball, ballpoint, whatever suits him). I also like the bic, I have some patheticaly cheap black ball points (the ones with retractable point) that I love writing with.

 

Another person will be happy to get his pen.

 

In the end, only world's entropy suffered from the regain of activity in this thread

[JakobS]

If he can't be persuaded by a forum full of nutcases like us, I don't think anything will.

 

Personally, I don't understand what his hesitancy is about.

Shangas, sometimes a forum full of nutcases can be overwhelming and put people off with their wildly different opinions and experiences. It has taken you guys a lot of trial an error to get the ink with exactly the flow characteristics to match your nibs. Here we have an inexperience person and a number of variables that need to be accounted for. Maybe the nib has been adjusted in the past to flow quickly to make a signature pen. Maybe it was adjusted because the previous user liked dry inks. We live in a world where there no longer are many bricks and mortar shops where a newbi can go and try pens, nibs and inks. Maybe Pelikan ink, the natural choice for a newbi with a Pelikan pen are not readily available. There are a lot of variables and they all cost money and time. Not everyone has you or me sitting at their right hand with a thousand examples to try.

 

Very well put! Though I love the euthusasium, and want to help, I can definitely see how this thread is a little overwhelming for the original question being asked, especially with someone who is new to this world of fountain pens.

 

If Weiss.ar does wish to continue with fountain pen use, now or at a later time, I would like him to know that since you are from Maryland, there is a great store in Kensington that sells quality fountain pen ink, and who are very respected called Bertram's Inkwell, their website is: http://www.bertramsinkwell.com/ . You can find their address or order online if you wish. All the inks they sell are fountain pen friendly.

 

As for cleaning the nib after filling, using a tissue, or paper towel to blot up any areas on the nib with ink is very effective. Some ink does tend to "creep", and this will be a process of trial and error to find what ink best works with your pen, most inks will work perfectly fine.

 

Good Luck!

Edited August 14, 2011 by JakobS

[andyk]

Hi,

 

Oh well if you have given up what can I say. Lots of good inks including Pelikan Waterman Parker, any ink made by a pen maker will be fine.

 

Personally I really don't understand the 'phobia' of ink on nibs, if you want a pristine nib avoid filling and using the pen.

 

Andy

[professionaldilettante]

Hi,

 

Oh well if you have given up what can I say. Lots of good inks including Pelikan Waterman Parker, any ink made by a pen maker will be fine.

 

Personally I really don't understand the 'phobia' of ink on nibs, if you want a pristine nib avoid filling and using the pen.

 

Andy

Yeah.... not a loss to this community I would have to say. Fountain pens were never meant to be fuss free and fast. It's a slow process, filled with tinkering. I think that's what draws a lot of us here, is the tinkering, tinkering with ink, with nibs, with paper, etc. Results can be found, and in 3 days, if i coudn't find ink, I'd say that one wasn't looking. Period. One google search on my end for "fountain pen ink" bring's up several vendors and brands, that one could pursuit. And none of thoes responses include Higgins. Ah well. None lost.

[Weiss.ar]

I would like to apologize for showing my frustration on the internet in a forum. I realize it's not the most becoming thing for a new member to do. I think that the world of fountain pens is a little overwhelming, and i was looking at it like something you use, not something you play with.

 

I think now that it's the means and not necessarily the ends that make using or owning a fountain pen enjoyable.

 

Thanks to those who had the patience to help, and apologies to those whom I offended. I hope to learn enough about this fun hobby to maybe help someone as obnoxious or uninformed as I am/was.

 

Cheers.

[WendyNC]

I think now that it's the means and not necessarily the ends that make using or owning a fountain pen enjoyable.

Cheers.

 

Weiss.ar, that's one of the most succinct and accurate descriptions I've ever read.

[USMCMom]

Happy to help if and when I can. I've had many people help me. There are several who had the patience of saints and I've not forgotten them. Sometimes it's difficult to be new at something and we all have been at one time or another.

[Stoneguard]

Weiss.ar, where i live there is one shop that sells fountain pens. just one, and it's in the city (i haven't been able to find any others) the date i signed up to this forum, was when i first started searching fountain pens on google. the only fountain pens i had were some cheap sheaffer calligraphy pens, i was watching some guy sketch on youtube with a fountain pen and he had a very thin line, and thats what sparked my interest, that maybe i could find one that wrote as fine as a ballpoint so i could use it for my everyday writing, and so i joined up here, i was up till like 5am just reading threads and reviews.

 

i have a thing for history, and i love how the nibs look. and i guess what you could say is "old technology" i have an Omega Seamaster watch, because i hate quartz battery operated watches, and love that inside my watch are many, many moving parts that work together to tell the time, i also love how the second hand sweeps, but i am getting off topic here.

 

Anyway, compared to almost every single FPN registered user, i know nothing. I am a complete noob. I just had the privilege of being able to go into a pen store and try pens. I decided to get a LAMY Safari, as it was relatively inexpensive and i got to try all the nib sizes, i decided to get an EF (Extra Fine) nib. as my handwriting is really quite small, and any bigger nib would make my handwriting look like a 8 year old with a texter Maybe your handwriting is small too and you may need a finer nib as was stated before.

 

I don't really know too much about ink, I've only got Waterman Black and Florida Blue. on my cheap Spirax notebook the line is a bit thick, so i brought some Rhodia notepads and the line is Thin, very thin, like a 0.5 Mechanical Pencil kind of line. and you have a much nicer pen than me! wish i found one of those laying around the house i assure you!

 

I know you may of not had an easy time getting set up, but i will leave you with one thing that i have learnt. (FPN users PLEASE forgive me for this) When i first signed up i read alot of posts on people knocking ballpoints, about them being so hard to write with, and inconsistent lines ect, and i was like, what are theese people on about. it all seemed crazy to me. After using my Safari exclusively for 13 days, if i was writing it was with the safari, i used nothing else.

it was so smooth to write with, and my hands didn't hurt (note: i write around 4-7 A4 pages a night) just last night i picked up a Ballpoint. just a standard everyday ballpoint. and WOW!! there is such a difference that you wouldn't even know, untill you have used a fountain pen for a while, for the first time in my life i could feel the ball rolling around when i wrote, it was such a weird experience and i did notice that on some of my letters if you looked there were little parts where the ink wouldn't quite roll on nicely, and that you did have to apply pressure. and it wasn't a nice writing experience, it was at that moment that i finally understood just what those guys/girls were talking about. i also have a Gel roller pen, which is much nicer than the ballpoint, but it's just not the same. So, if you enjoy writing, or do alot of it! and get a nib size that suits you, i think you will enjoy it, and i don't think you will ever look back. The choice is yours at the end of day. but i assure you, even tho there is alot i still haven't learnt. buying a fountain pen has been the best decision i have made.

 

Well thats just my 2 cents.

[Solstice]

I think that the world of fountain pens is a little overwhelming

 

I encourage you not to give up and to hang on to the pen, especially since it sounds like you've already come through the hardest part of cleaning/prep. With all that you describe having to deal with in this thread, I would hate to see you not get any enjoyment at all out of the pen, or possibly regret having sold it.

 

I'm fairly new to FPs myself, and it took me time and practice to get used to filling from bottles. It's great when you fill a pen and everything goes right, but when there's barely any flow, geyserlike flow, or other issues come up, you have to troubleshoot and it's frustrating when all you want to do is write with the #*$&*^& thing But as you use and fill the pen more and more, and get used to how it acts, it won't be as much of a pain in the butt as it might seem now.

 

Like you, I got into FPs after I found a pen someone had apparently given me ages ago. It turned out to be a Waterman Expert. I never thought I'd get it clean, but I did, and then I never thought I'd be able to get ink into a converter, but I did that too and now confidently change inks at will when I feel like a new color. You too will get to that point, so please don't sell your pen! As you can see above, there are plenty of people on this forum who will help you at every step along the way.

[Ray-Vigo]

This thread is at Pennoyer v. Neff level. Some of the advice here is good, some of it is not. If you're in MD, you have local options and I suggest using them if you are able to, rather than spinning your wheels in the mud online.

 

In Rockville, Bertram's Inkwell in the Whiteflint Mall has inks and the store staff will be able to help you. When I lived in Bethesda I was out there once a month or so for refills. http://www.bertramsinkwell.com/contact-bertrams-inkwell.html

 

If you're closer to Baltimore, try the Pen Boutique in the Columbia Mall. http://www.penboutique.com/t-stores.aspx

 

When you go into the store, specifically name the ink attributes (water proof, not overly wet/fast flowing/color/whatever) you want and you will get something close to it. Also ask to examine or try a finer nib for your pen, if M is too wide (bring the pen with you if you'd like to show them).

[FLJeepGuy]

I'd like to add that someone in another thread mentioned that the Indy Pen Dance is selling Private Reserve inks for $4.75 a bottle with $1 total shipping. If you haven't picked up any other inks, this might be the place to start as it's about as good of a price as you will find anywhere. I just ordered a couple of bottles last night.

 

PR inks are well behaved for the most part and should work just fine in your pen.

[RainbowBright]

Hello, I'm brand new to this forum and brand new to owning a fountain pen. It seems when I was a young man I received a Pelikan from a family friend and never even knew about it. Twelve years later I found it and did some research to learn how I could start using it. I have not been able to identify the type of fountain pen that it is, but I did learn that it is a piston filled pen.

 

Whenever I dip the nib into the bottle of ink, I (obviously) get ink on the back of the nib (the shiny, smooth part). Even if I wipe the nib with a towel, ink still remains near the crest (if that's the right word for it) and I can't seem to get it off.

 

Are there any good techniques out there to clean your nib after filling it with ink (using a piston)?

 

Thanks for your help, and I apologize in advance if this question has been asked before. I tried the search ability several times but wasn't able to find what I was looking for.

 

Cheers.

 

After many frustrating occasions in which my pens would be a mess after filling, I now use a different method that allows me to fill the pen without even dunking the nib in the ink bottle.

 

What I do is this: I fill a syringe with ink and fill the converter, then insert it. Squeeze the piston a couple of times, or a couple of turns on the plunger, depending on the type of converter. This will push ink through the feed. Test on a piece of paper, if the pen is writing, the feed is full.

 

Remove the converter and top off the ink to fill it, then reinsert on the pen. If it's a plunger type, be sure to unscrew it back down before adding more ink. Voila, everything is clean as a whistle. Rinse the syringe and happy writing!

 

Not sure if anyone ever described this method here, I hardly believe I "invented" it, but it works wonderfully, and no messy pens/nibs to wipe down afterwards.

Edited August 20, 2011 by RainbowBright