Looking For Advice! :)

[Atmos]

Hello!

 

I've been a lurker on this forum for about a month, but I finally decided to register about an hour ago. It looks like a great forum, and I hope to be an active participant in the discussions around here!

 

I'm relatively new to pens and everything lettering related, so my knowledge about these topics are still a deep shade of green. I had a few burning questions I wanted to ask before I really start to sink my teeth into learning about the wonderful world of lettering and calligraphy. And also some questions about long-term replacements for some pens and material (so that I won't have to buy cartridges and disposables all the time).

 

I currently own a Pilot Parallel 1.5mm (which I plan on buying a converter for), and a set of fine line "Artists Loft" felt-tipped pens (previously had used Prismacolors and played with a few Microns). I also have a Pentel medium-sized waterbrush that I had filled with ink, but I got rid of the ink and am using it as a watercolor brush now (I found that it was a bit too big for what I intended to use it for). But anyways, below are my ideas of what I plan on buying, and the questions. Any suggestions on anything is welcome!

 

For my graphics and everyday sketching, I'm looking for:

A refillable (or dip?) brush-tipped pen (something well suited for brush-script and regular sketch-y use) (Just something basic that can be refilled with ink so I don't need to keep ordering cartridges, which could get pricey. I was considering buying a finer tipped waterbrush, and filling it with ink- like I had done with my medium sized waterbrush, but I'm not sure if it would be ideal)

Refillable pen with tip like that of a Micron (preferably in different sizes if available?) (I have not found anything really like this yet. I'm also not adverse to a metal tip if there are any good ones out there. Essentially, I'm looking for a more long-term, refillable option that produces lines close to that of the Microns).

A refillable, "regular-use" fountain pen for general sketching (I was heavily considering the Pilot Penmanship Fountain Pen, but I'm wondering if there are better options out there that I'm not aware of)

 

I had been using Higgins Black Magic ink in the waterbrush- which from what I had heard, isn't very good? I heard great things about Noodler's ink, so I'd probably be refilling any refillable pens (unless a different ink must be used for a particular pen) with that. I'm also not against using converters or converting a pen to an "eyedropper pen".

 

 

And the list for my Copperplate endeavor (I'll probably be dabbling in some other hands as well):

Nibs:

*Zebra G Nib

*Brause 66EF Nib

*Hiro Crown Nib

*Leonardt Principal EF Nib

(I'll probably get a few other nibs to try out as well)

(I'm left-handed, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. From I've read from a few sources, I might need a different kind of nib that is more suited for left-handers. Is that true?)

 

Ink:

*Moon Palace Sumi Ink (or use up the existing Higgins Black Magic that I have?)

 

Holder:

Speedball or other basic holder (Would I need an oblique?)

 

 

Sorry for such a big, honking, loaded mix of questions! I'm just looking for some advice to make sure I'm going in the right direction (if I'm getting too ahead of myself, if this is way too much gear to start with or have, etc). I also don't want to buy garbage or use something that is less than ideal, that would make me develop bad habits, etc... which is why I came here to ask for some guidance.

 

I am open to any and all suggestions with all of this stuff I mentioned, and any response, tips, feedback, or advice would be greatly appreciated (heck, I appreciate anyone who actually read all of this)!

 

And again, I'm sorry about so many questions!

-Atmos

Edited October 11, 2013 by Atmos

[aenjin]

I'm not big on brushpens so I can't bring myself to be enthusiastic about them, but. The Kuretake no. 8 brushpen is about the same price as the Pentel Pocket brushpen but can take a converter like the Kuretake no. 13. You sacrifice looks but it's less expensive than no. 13. Your idea for using a waterbrush sounds fine to me though.

 

For the second type you're looking for you could try a sign pen like the Pilot Petit2 mini or the Platinum Preppy sign pen, but I think you won't find many options or small sizes in this category.

 

Lately I've been using a Tachikawa School G fountain pen converted into an eyedropper. There's no converter for it but the ink in the cartridges is a deep black and waterproof and the eyedropper conversion is not a hassle. You could use it with something like Platinum carbon black or if you don't need waterproof, something lower priced like Noodler's black or Pelikan India Fount (my pref). 

 

A caveat is that the pen is firmly on the scratchy side. It took me a while to "break" it in and it's prone to drying. I haven't used the extra fine, just the fine version.

 

The nib has the faintest suggestion of line variation but I would be leery of putting real pressure on it (quick sample below).

 

You might also consider the blue Sailor fude fp. I wrote up a

[aenjin]

Hm. The rest of the post should be, I wrote up a review of the green version:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/246580-sailor-brush-style-fude-de-mannen-fp-with-55%CB%9A-angle-nib/

 

I would rec it over the School G fp for sketching unless you usually go for a fine line and don't need the extra shading ability.

[Atmos]

Thanks for the responses, aenjin! The Petit or the Preppy look like good substitutes for the Micron style pens, I think I'll try a few of them, and convert them into eyedroppers if they work out well. I never heard of either of those pens, but they look like what I need!

 

As for a fountain pen, I'm now looking at an Double-Ended Ackerman. I checked out the other two pens you mentioned, but you mentioned that they are scratchy- something I don't particularly like. With the Ackerman, I like the idea of being able to change out the nibs, and the price seems pretty good. I'm even more interested in it due to the fact that I could use the other end of the pen as a brush tip. I'm wondering if that would work as well (or better) than a dedicated brush pen like a Kuretake or waterbrush filled with ink?

 

 

Thanks for the suggestions, it definitely helped!

[WirsPlm]

If you like nib swapping, Lamy pens or the cheaper Pilot pens are nib-swappable.

 

Lamy: Lamy Safari, Joy, Vista, others I don't know. You can buy nibs separately and swap.

 

Pilot: 78G, Metropolitan/MR, Penmanship, Knight, Prera. Nibs are interchangeable but you can't buy them separately.

 

Any of those work well for every-day carry pens. I prefer the 78G over the MR/Metro because of the weight, and because it's cheaper. 78G comes in F, M and B (an italic), MR/Metro comes in F (through Hong Kong) and M everywhere else. Penmanship is EF only, and I find it a little too scratchy.

Edited October 12, 2013 by WirsPlm

[aenjin]

As for a fountain pen, I'm now looking at an Double-Ended Ackerman. I checked out the other two pens you mentioned, but you mentioned that they are scratchy- something I don't particularly like. With the Ackerman, I like the idea of being able to change out the nibs, and the price seems pretty good. I'm even more interested in it due to the fact that I could use the other end of the pen as a brush tip. I'm wondering if that would work as well (or better) than a dedicated brush pen like a Kuretake or waterbrush filled with ink?

 

Happy to help! I've definitely thought about getting an Ackerman pump pen but I'm afraid I've not given it a go yet. But if you search around there are a couple of reviews around that might help like this one: http://www.parkablogs.com/fr/content/review-ackerman-pump-pens-pens-using-hunt-101-g-nibs-crowquill-nibs-and-more

 

 

The scratchiness of the School G isn't any more or less scratchy than dip pen nibs btw, if that's a concern, but definitely something like the Ackerman or regular dip nib holders will let you use a bigger variety of inks.

 

My first instinct would be to get a dedicated brush pen, but if you end up going for a double-ended Ackerman I'm sure people on the forum would be interested in hearing about how it performs.

[aenjin]

Sorry, I remembered something I wanted to mention -- you're interested in trying out different nibs for copperplate? In that case I think you might as well start with a cheap dip pen holder (maybe with a cork grip, they're more ergonomic in than the plain plastic Speedball ones) and figure out what you like. Since the Ackerman pens will lock you into specific sizes and is more of an initial outlay.

[Atmos]

Thanks aenjin and WirsPlm for the responses!

 

Thanks for linking me to the article about the Ackermans, I didn't know they had issues with shipping. I'm still a bit interested in eventually trying it out and giving a review on the Double Ended one, but probably not for a while. I did see that most of the complaints about shipping were from earlier this year and prior- so perhaps they are getting shipped out in a more timely manner now?

 

My next choice is to pick up either a Lamy Safari, or a Platinum Carbon desk pen (I would convert it and use either Noodlers or Carbon ink), and pair it up with a decent brush pen. I've read favorable reviews about the Platinum for sketching and inking, so I'm leaning towards it a bit more. And in the bigger picture of things, I don't think I have an immediate need for a fountain pen with swappable nibs, but possible down the road.

 

I like the idea of doing this option instead of getting an Ackerman (as interesting as that pen seems). It seems wiser to not be locked into specific sizes anyway like you mentioned, so I think I'll stick to a dip pen to try out different nibs for now.

 

Thanks again for the advice, I think I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with this search for some pens!

-Atmos

[Atmos]

**I did just notice that the Platinum Desk pen has to be kept upright (hence the name "desk" pen I assume). It doesn't seem like a big deal for me, so I'll probably just pick up a Preppy fountain pen to have something more convenient to carry around.**

 

 

*I also wanted to add that there seems to be a few other pens similar to the Platinum Carbon Desk pen. I noticed the Sailor HighAce and the Sailor EF desk pen. Do these pens have any significant differences or advantages over the Platinum that may (or may not) be desirable? One of the main differences I read was about the extreme fineness of the nib on the Platinum. Is it possible the Platinum could be too fine and cause issues, and would it be a better option to go with something a bit thicker like the Sailor EF or HighAce?

 

Thanks again!

-Atmos

Edited October 12, 2013 by Atmos

[aenjin]

I've heard that the shipping times for the Ackerman pens have improved, but in any case you can't go wrong with starting out with some basic dip pen holders.

 

I haven't used desk pens much so don't have real advice on that front, but good luck getting set up with your new tools!