Mister White, Mister Brown, And Mister Pink In Search Of A Reservoir... ...

[Dickkooty2]

As a total beginner and after looking at several references, I think that there may be pieces that attach to either the top or the bottom of Mr White, Mr Brown, and Mr Pink to create ink reservoirs. If there are, i do not have them. If the reservoirs are the indentations in the nibs, which are they?

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj157/dick168/nibs%20up_zpslwz9d8lc.jpeg

 

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj157/dick168/Scan_zpsr9wolwfo.jpeg

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpp5B5sXOpU

[smk]

Pointed pens do not have reservoirs. One can fashion a reservoir from wire, brass or wax but the nibs work fine without one. Reservoirs do increase the ink carrying capacity but dipping a nib in ink every few words is not really that big a deal.

 

You do need to take the protective coating off the nibs before they will hold ink properly. There are several ways this can be done but the one I favour most is to just wash the nib with toothpaste. You can tell if the nib is clean if it holds ink without it beading up and rolling off. Do not touch the tip of the nib after cleaning it as the oils on our skin can transfer to the nib requiring another clean. Some people use Windex to clean their nibs. You can also pass the nib through a flame a couple of times to burn the coating off. Be careful not to let the nib stay in the flame for longer than a couple of seconds on each pass.

 

When dipping the nib in ink, make sure you dip past the breather hole. This will ensure a proper loading of ink. Some nibs hold more ink than others.

 

I have a nib similar in design to Mr. White, a Mr. Willard if you will. Mr. Willard does not flex and easily holds enough ink for 2-3 lines writing before it needs to be dipped again.

 

Ink is another factor. Not all inks work the same, especially fountain pen inks. The surfactants added to fountain pen inks do not always work with dip pens, especially ones without a reservoir. Noodler's Black with about 40% water added to it works well for me with pointed-flexible nibs. You might want to add a bit less water if you are going to use it with non-flexible pointed nibs.

 

Salman

[Dickkooty2]

Pointed pens do not have reservoirs. One can fashion a reservoir from wire, brass or wax but the nibs work fine without one. Reservoirs do increase the ink carrying capacity but dipping a nib in ink every few words is not really that big a deal.

 

And much more needed information in his post above

 

Salman

Salman,

 

Thank you for the answers to my beginners problem of what (indeed) did i even have, let alone how to use the set. I have related how I received the dip pen, nibs and ink here:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/301287-scene-i-venice-a-street-enter-salanio-and-salarino/

 

I think I shall just try the sharps for a while (probably a long while) before I even think about the other forms of calligraphy with a dip pen. I am more interested in having the experience than producing a product. To see the beautiful examples of work shown on this blog is reward enough for me.

 

Thank you again. I remember licking steel points in grade school!

 

Dick

[smk]

You are most welcome Dick. I am sure you will enjoy using this set.

 

Licking a nib is a good way to start one - I do it all the time :-)

 

These nibs typically won't last very long. They are meant to be consumable and thrown away after they start catching on the paper. You will need to get more at some point. Fortunately there are many different types to experiment with. Some of the very popular vintage nibs are becoming very expensive but less well known nibs, while still excellent, remain quite affordable. There are also many different types in current production.

 

Watch out though - collecting holders and dip pen nibs can get just as addictive as fountain pens :-)

 

- Salman

[AAAndrew]

smk was right on the money in terms of handling the nibs. I would most respectfully quibble on one statement, some pointed pens have had reservoirs made for them. Now, they are not common, and not made for the really flexible nibs used in calligraphy, but in the late 19th-century, you had some pens that were called "fountain pens" that were really reservoirs made for, or even built into, dip pens. I don't believe the ones shown above were ever meant to have a reservoir. What you see as holes, especially in White and Pink, are there to increase spring in the nib, i.e. make it less stiff.

 

Here's an example of a reservoir made for one of the top selling dip pens of all time, the Esterbrook 048 Falcon.

 

 

From the announcement in 1882

"The Fountain Falcon Pen, advertised in another column, is the latest improvement in fountain pens, the patent being issued on October 10, 1882, to the inventor and patentee, J. Fred. Franklin, New York. The Esterbrook "Falcon" pen, to which the attachment is made, will write, it is said, from four to six times as much as the same pen without the attachment. Although the pen has only recently been placed before the public, the demand is said to exceed the supply, and it is thought that ti is destined to become a necessity to business men. The fountain attachment consists of a non-corrosive metal cup fitted under the pen. There is said to be no danger of its blotting, as the ink only flows down with the points of the pen are pressed apart. Henry Bainbridge & Co., 99 and 101 William street, New York, are the agents for this pen.

[smk]

You are absolutely right Andrew. I should have said that pointed pens do not 'generally' have reservoirs. I think I have come across one some time ago too :-)

 

- Salman