Don't Just Tell Us About The Pen You're Using, *show* Us!

[Tas]

Thanks cybaea, I love my Vac 700 and it's gone straight to No. 3 of my sketching pens list, just below the Namiki Falcon and my all time fave the Eversharp Skyline.

Sorry to hear you're having so much trouble with those Franklin-Christophs. They look STUNNING and should perform so.

[akustyk]

Thanks cybaea, I love my Vac 700 and it's gone straight to No. 3 of my sketching pens list, just below the Namiki Falcon and my all time fave the Eversharp Skyline.

 

Sorry to hear you're having so much trouble with those Franklin-Christophs. They look STUNNING and should perform so.

 

 

I think that the issues with FC, TWSBI, etc., come from the Jowo nib/feed units. I do not like these nibs and have had problems with them. They are made of a huge chunk of steel, making them more suitable to be weapons than nibs. I think the Japanese companies (Sailor, Platinum, Pilot) have found a better alloy and better overall nib design for their steel nibs. Even the cheapest Varsity has a steel nib with some softness to it. Flow is very good, too. My two 78Gs with fine nibs are fantastic writers. My Platinum Carbon pen (EF) writes perfectly every time. Flow is consistent.

 

Cybaea is right that the sample size is too small to draw conclusions. I do know that Jowo nibs can be decent. In fact, the nib/feed unit on my TWSBI Mini (EF) is very good, but many of them have issues.

 

To conclude, we are not able to draw definitive conclusions about problems with FC and TWSBI nibs, but we can and should, I think, express our subjective opinions based on our personal experience. Mine, overall, has not been good.

[bluebunny]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7342/10907866913_dd20248d30.jpg

today's pen by bluebunny, on Flickr

[tringle]

 

 

 

 

Edited November 17, 2013 by tringle

[JuliBee]

 

Still new and navigating where to go, thanks for your patience.

Edited November 17, 2013 by JuliBee

[loudkenny]

Today's pen is one I bought yesterday morning from a case at a local antique mall. I found it helping a buddy pick up a wing chair he bought. It was dark green and cheap, so that was all I needed to know.

 

It'a a 1940's Waterman Taperite with a flexy gold fine nib and a 14K gold filled slip cap, and I finished restoring it last night. The ink is 1940's Quink Blue (my goto vintage pen ink). I always wanted a 51 that flexed, and I think this is about as close as I'm going to get.

 

I have one question... It looks great and writes even better, so why doesn't this pen get much love?

 

ken

Edited November 17, 2013 by loudkenny

[kpyeoman]

 

I think that the issues with FC, TWSBI, etc., come from the Jowo nib/feed units. I do not like these nibs and have had problems with them. They are made of a huge chunk of steel, making them more suitable to be weapons than nibs. I think the Japanese companies (Sailor, Platinum, Pilot) have found a better alloy and better overall nib design for their steel nibs. Even the cheapest Varsity has a steel nib with some softness to it. Flow is very good, too. My two 78Gs with fine nibs are fantastic writers. My Platinum Carbon pen (EF) writes perfectly every time. Flow is consistent.

 

Cybaea is right that the sample size is too small to draw conclusions. I do know that Jowo nibs can be decent. In fact, the nib/feed unit on my TWSBI Mini (EF) is very good, but many of them have issues.

 

To conclude, we are not able to draw definitive conclusions about problems with FC and TWSBI nibs, but we can and should, I think, express our subjective opinions based on our personal experience. Mine, overall, has not been good.

 

Hmm...I'm wondering if this is my issue as well. I have a TWSBI 540 with the pre-Jowo nib (Bock, I believe?) and from day one I've been only able to write a few paragraphs before the pen would dry up and stop working. I've flushed it with a drop of dish soap in water and sent it back to TWSBI to be looked at. Recently had it returned and there was no change. I was thinking it was an issue with the feed, but just in case, I swapped out the nib for a Sailor 1911 standard nib and it's been writing like a champ today. The writing experience is awesome, and is exactly what I wanted from my TWSBI to begin with. I doubt the Sailor nib is going to stay on it, but I'll be looking for some other alternatives.

[cybaea]

 

Hmm...I'm wondering if this is my issue as well. I have a TWSBI 540 with the pre-Jowo nib (Bock, I believe?) and from day one I've been only able to write a few paragraphs before the pen would dry up and stop working. I've flushed it with a drop of dish soap in water and sent it back to TWSBI to be looked at. Recently had it returned and there was no change. I was thinking it was an issue with the feed, but just in case, I swapped out the nib for a Sailor 1911 standard nib and it's been writing like a champ today. The writing experience is awesome, and is exactly what I wanted from my TWSBI to begin with. I doubt the Sailor nib is going to stay on it, but I'll be looking for some other alternatives.

 

Sailor nibs fit the TWSBI diamond? How very nice. I will have to try that....

[ISW_Kaputnik]

Enjoying this thread as always.

 

http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt221/mapn/Pens/20131118_182757_zps9285e7a7.jpg

 

[Prvt. Toter]

 

 

 

 

and my cleaned pens...

[KrazyIvan]

 

 

No offense but that looks like a Jinhao x750.

[ruben50]

[akustyk]

http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag32/akustyk/IMG_7765_zpsafe531bb.jpg

[tringle]

Todays pen is my reconditioned MB 149 - Had a great experience at the MB Boutique in Scottsdale.

 

[Prvt. Toter]

No offense but that looks like a Jinhao x750.

LOL... KrazyIvan.. no offence taken.... and you are entirely correct... the 159 is a beast in comparison...

Thanks for catching....

 

And for comparison, here is the 159 along side...

 

AND a bottle of R&K Salix came today.... Joy!

Edited November 20, 2013 by Prvt. Toter

[mhphoto]

http://i1315.photobucket.com/albums/t595/fivecatpenagerie/28B36812-C2CF-483D-B18F-F834A20B58EC-22972-000003892955BF3F_zps008d2bae.jpg

 

http://i1315.photobucket.com/albums/t595/fivecatpenagerie/D8C13874-58F8-4433-8B26-0D648E953BAA-22972-000003892D96627F_zps61d6bbcb.jpg

[KrazyIvan]

Todays pen is my reconditioned MB 149 - Had a great experience at the MB Boutique in Scottsdale.

 

I am in Phoenix this week. Where is the MB Boutique located?

[KrazyIvan]

LOL... KrazyIvan.. no offence taken.... and you are entirely correct... the 159 is a beast in comparison...

Thanks for catching....

 

And for comparison, here is the 159 along side...

 

AND a bottle of R&K Salix came today.... Joy!

Whew. I did have to do a double take to make sure I had the correct pen.

[Grwilliams86]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/GRWilliams/2013-11-201132081_zps70fb3bf1.png

 

[attika89]

Todays pen is my reconditioned MB 149 - Had a great experience at the MB Boutique in Scottsdale.

 

I need to find me a MB Boutique like that one

__

I've been doodling with Diamine Amber more likely the Sepia (see post below) today.

http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu/131120/P1170385_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg

Edited November 20, 2013 by attika89