Don't Just Tell Us About The Pen You're Using, *show* Us! - 2016

[bobje]

Shannon, that Waterman is spectacular. Love the shimmering surface and the contrast with the black section. Nice find!

[Shannon]

Shannon, that Waterman is spectacular. Love the shimmering surface and the contrast with the black section. Nice find!

 

Thank you! It was a bit of a gamble -- the pictures weren't especially clear so I wasn't sure if it had nib issues or corrosion or dents or what. But a risk well worth the pay off.

[HalloweenHJB]

 

Hiro Leonardt 41 nib.

 

Hopefully I will soon be able to show something with elements that resemble hairlines and shading. Not sure if it is nib preparation or user error (or both), but so far I've only gotten it to write like a very wet nail. Anyway, working on it!

 

 

I have no doubt that you will have that nib just right to suit your elegant handwriting. Be sure to share your process with us —I'm sure it will be instructive to all!

 

HJB

[Inky.Fingers]

[perfaddict]

[mehandiratta]

Ratnam Tarpoda inked with Krishna Cool Breeze....

Reviewed here : LINK

 

 

 

 

[Rednaxela]

I have no doubt that you will have that nib just right to suit your elegant handwriting. Be sure to share your process with us I'm sure it will be instructive to all!

 

HJB

Thanks HJB, you're too kind!

 

Writing with this pen feels like four steps back at the moment, starting with the delicacy of the dip nib. And it isn't even known as a very sharp or flexible one, medium at best as I understand.

 

The ink is gorgeous by the way. Pitch black with a kind of silky look when dry. Though I feel it doesn't stick to the pen well enough yet. When the vent hole is filled with ink, there is too much on the tip too, resulting in too thick strokes. Getting rid of excess ink after dipping results in an empty vent hole, giving 'hairlines' yes, but only for one word and a half or so. Not sure what I'm doing wrong here. As far as I understand this nib/ink combination is very common at least in NL, so I'm a bit hesitant to blame the tools right away.

 

Anyway, so still a long way to go. However I'm enjoying it immensely!

 

 

 

 

Edit: eye -> vent hole. ('Eye' doesn't work, right?)

Edited May 16, 2016 by Rednaxela

[AAAndrew]

Sounds like you need to prep your nib (better, if you already did). Dip pens are coated with a varnish to keep them from rusting. It also prevents the ink from flowing well. There are lots of ways to prep. I go for the most time-efficient. I flame them. Some are horrified that I do this to delicate little nibs, but if you're careful, it works beautifully and I've never had problems with changing the temper, even on the most delicate nibs, and yours is, as you said, a medium, fairly durable and smooth nib. i.e. not delicate

 

The trick is to hold the nib (in a holder as it does get hot!) over the flame of a lighter, and moving the flame up and down the nib, for the count of "one-one-thousand", then pulling the nib out for a second or two, then another dip in the flame, moving for another second, then out, then back in. Three or four times is definitely enough. Then wipe off the nib with a paper towel or tissue and give it a few seconds to fully cool before dipping. This ensures that the melted varnish is wiped off and you don't hear the dreaded "hisss" of a hot nib in cold ink. Now that you've prepped the nib, don't touch the part of it where the ink goes. If you do, and the ink pools or doesn't flow right, just one second in the flame will do it.

 

For really delicate nibs, I try two seconds, keeping the flame off of the very sharp tip as much as possible, and see if it works. If it still needs a little more, I'll do another second but just within the middle part of the underside of the nib. (I did mention that you're holding your nib with the concave side down, right? Oh, sorry. Hold the nib with the concave side down.)

 

This prepping of the nib should help both with holding a decent amount of ink, as well as flow of the ink to the tip. Without good flow, you'll never be able to flex because the ink will just either not come to the paper, or will all come at once. With good prepping, it should flow smoothly and consistently.

 

As for nomenclature, I've not found a consistent name for the hole in the nib. In fountain pens it is sometimes called a vent or breather hole. I've heard it called a gravity well, or the "hole at the top of the slit." In a dip pen, it's only real purpose is to prevent the tines from splitting. It can sort of act as an ink holder, but it doesn't hold as much ink as a solid surface of the same area because surface tension tends to thin out the ink in the eye (think about a wand for blowing bubbles).

 

I'm liking the term "eye" as we already call the back end of the nib the "heel" and the main part the "body" so why not the "eye'?

 

The only other purpose for this hole is decorative. there are some fun shapes I've seen on nibs. My favorite is a shape like a woodsman's ax. But most of my pens are American and we don't get too fancy. I see much better ones on European nibs. (like the medieval battle ax I've seen a picture of)

[skysora]

[Uncle Red]

Skysora, Sweet Wahl

[line]

http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q794/china_line/til%20FPN_1_zpsx6v4ldzg.jpg

 

http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q794/china_line/til%20FPN_2_zpswkyvntx4.jpg

[Rednaxela]

[Inky.Fingers]

Line, beautiful penmanship and pen. How does one source an ebonite feed for pilot 823, 742?

[AAAndrew]

Got two new ones today. I got my first Swan pen! Granted, it's a dip pen holder, but it is from the Swan Pen Co. New York!

 

It's holding one of the rarest Esterbrook dip nibs you'll ever see. It's a #11 Albata pen. Three of us rabid collectors went in together and were just able to afford to buy a full box of them dating from around 1921 and they are wonderful. I won't be dipping these too often. If you have a box or two of them laying around, let me know. I know a few possible buyers who missed out on this one. (Expensive they may be, for Esterbrooks, but they're nowhere near the levels of some of the dream nibs, but I frankly find these as good as my vintage Gillott 303's, just a lot larger)

 

Having fun.

 

[SevenInkyFingers]

What type of pen and nib?

[Darkbulb]

I am really, really enjoying my Esterbrook J pen after I put a 9550 nib on it!

 

http://i68.tinypic.com/2usfs42.jpg

http://i64.tinypic.com/dpelpk.jpg

[sansenri]

a question was raised much earlier in this thread about a Montblanc with a 5 point star instead of the 6 point snow flake.

The matter has been discussed already here

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/87957-cap-star/?hl=149%20arab

It seems that Montblanc issued a 5 point star version of some of its pens for the arab market where the 6 point star could in some way resemble the Star of David...

I found this interesting...

 

here is my pen in use

it's a Pelikan p478, from the 70's in brushed steel, with an interesting OB nib

when capped it is vaguely "lamyish"...

[uemuraw]

Me, too. Were there actually any buses? If so, did they ever arrive? Lots of material for stimulating deep thought in a book like this. I would have bought it in a heartbeat.

Очен интересно. Это книга мне нравится.

[Inky.Fingers]

[Inky.Fingers]

Herlitz Bugatti

 

Got milk, on this one?