Your Pen/ink Combinations For The Perfect Writing Experience

[truthpil]

  On 3/11/2018 at 5:57 PM, IndigoBOB said:

Well at least it's Wing Sung, or some type of it.

 

My translator doesn't work well enough on that page for me to see anything or navigate properly.

 

I think these have the potential to be pretty big pens, or maybe it's just me. It's basically a Piston Filling Lamy Vista with different color schemes, and with what seems to be the 698 Piston, which is a solid mechanism.

 

I wish they made an all clear color scheme, though, like the original 698. I agree with Chrisrap on the color scheme of these. It's somewhat all over the place. I'm not typically a purple kind of guy, but I do like the way the Purple scheme looks.

I was leaning toward the purple myself, but my wife said the green looked best so I just went with her judgment haha. Ordered the one on Taobao last night, so I'll let you know how it turns out. Can't lose for US$1.50!

[IndigoBOB]

  On 3/12/2018 at 12:12 AM, TruthPil said:

I was leaning toward the purple myself, but my wife said the green looked best so I just went with her judgment haha. Ordered the one on Taobao last night, so I'll let you know how it turns out. Can't lose for US$1.50!

 

 

OMG I'm so jeally Jealous right now ; ) I paid 5x that amount lolol... That's why I prefer Chrisrap52 to be more at the forefront and I follow further behind when the prices drop more. This is probably the first chinese pen I've ordered that wasn't at its lowest price.

 

You'll probably get it before me. I'm eager to hear about it. Cuz I tell ya, I returned my L2K-Fine because my 3008-Lamy.EF writing experience knocked the L2K out of the park and I wasn't going to keep a $170 pen while reaching for my $20 combo for a better writing experience, and the only thing holding my 3008 back is the overly stiff twist of the cap.

 

You were right about the purple.

 

If this one functions to sufficient standards for me, or you give me reason enough to, I'm pulling the trigger on the purple. I'll be a man with a beard, timberland boots, and a purple pen . *fingers crossed*

[truthpil]

  On 3/12/2018 at 12:46 AM, IndigoBOB said:

 

 

OMG I'm so jeally Jealous right now ; ) I paid 5x that amount lolol... That's why I prefer Chrisrap52 to be more at the forefront and I follow further behind when the prices drop more. This is probably the first chinese pen I've ordered that wasn't at its lowest price.

 

You'll probably get it before me. I'm eager to hear about it. Cuz I tell ya, I returned my L2K-Fine because my 3008-Lamy.EF writing experience knocked the L2K out of the park and I wasn't going to keep a $170 pen while reaching for my $20 combo for a better writing experience, and the only thing holding my 3008 back is the overly stiff twist of the cap.

 

You were right about the purple.

 

If this one functions to sufficient standards for me, or you give me reason enough to, I'm pulling the trigger on the purple. I'll be a man with a beard, timberland boots, and a purple pen . *fingers crossed*

 

The only reason it's so cheap for me is because I live in China and domestic shipping can be insane cheap.

If this green one turns out good, then I'll go for the purple too. I have tons of purple inks with no matching pen.

 

In addition to my wife's suggestion, I was a little leery of showing up to teach class with a purple and gold pen in my pocket haha. Students have loved getting papers graded in purple in the past though.

 

Good call about the L2K. If a cheaper combo works and feels great in the hand, then why pay more? I'm still kicking myself for buying this Montblanc 145 that writes worse than my $2 Jinhaos! For me, the price only becomes worth it when you're looking for a specific character to the line or a special kind of writing experience that can't be had with a standard nib (soft, semi-flex, etc.). I'll gladly pay for a vintage pen that offers a pleasant AND unique writing experience. I've got 2 vintage Pelikans on the way (comfort gifts to myself for losing my entire winter break to designing a new course) that I'm hoping will lead to more blissful events!!

 

Has the screw inside the cap of your 3008 started rusting? That's what made me buy this "B698" instead of the 3008 or 3009 (although I like how the 3009 is entirely clear).

[IndigoBOB]

  On 3/12/2018 at 1:50 AM, TruthPil said:

 

The only reason it's so cheap for me is because I live in China and domestic shipping can be insane cheap.

If this green one turns out good, then I'll go for the purple too. I have tons of purple inks with no matching pen.

 

In addition to my wife's suggestion, I was a little leery of showing up to teach class with a purple and gold pen in my pocket haha. Students have loved getting papers graded in purple in the past though.

 

Good call about the L2K. If a cheaper combo works and feels great in the hand, then why pay more? I'm still kicking myself for buying this Montblanc 145 that writes worse than my $2 Jinhaos! For me, the price only becomes worth it when you're looking for a specific character to the line or a special kind of writing experience that can't be had with a standard nib (soft, semi-flex, etc.). I'll gladly pay for a vintage pen that offers a pleasant AND unique writing experience. I've got 2 vintage Pelikans on the way (comfort gifts to myself for losing my entire winter break to designing a new course) that I'm hoping will lead to more blissful events!!

 

Has the screw inside the cap of your 3008 started rusting? That's what made me buy this "B698" instead of the 3008 or 3009 (although I like how the 3009 is entirely clear).

 

 

lol I can understand having a formal pen for professional occasions, instead of a jazzy purple. But I'm still glad you maintain some flavor with purple ink.

 

The Jinhao x750-Jowo.M was my first and has remained my mainstay pen and the reason I returned or refused to buy sooo many top pens from $100-$200 that are on everyone's lists.

 

Yes, the screw inside my cap has apparent and significant rust.

 

I didn't even know about the 3009. It's not on ebay over here. It looks lovely. If they made that screw cap on the 3008 better in the 3009 I'd be very happy about that. I like how the 3009 has faceted sections as well... makes it easier for me to hold, especially for longer writing sessions. I might have to give that one a try.

[truthpil]

After my first reams of Navigator copy/printer paper came today, I think I need to clarify a little about the OP.

In the OP I mentioned wanting to know more pen and ink combinations that make for the perfect zen-like writing experience on copy paper, but now I can clarify that a little to mean not only super bad copy paper.

 

This 80gsm copy paper from Navigator has an incredibly smooth surface that makes tons of my cheap pens instantly write better than on the generic Chinese copy paper my printer lives off of.

 

I also got some 120 gsm and the surface is quite similar, just less chances for show through because the paper is thicker.

 

No feathering or bleed through at all with a wet 1.1 OCI and the wet Herbin Emeraude de Chivor. It's been feathering on everything all day, but not on these papers.

 

Along with the paper came a new buddy (different shipment though)..... Pelikan P30 with 14K broad nib. I've only tried it with some dryish Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black, but wow....I foresee much blissful writing from this pen in the days ahead... super smooth and soft!

[IndigoBOB]

You got the good stuff.

 

You were right about the Noodler's Black. It smeared on the pages I wrote it on. I switched to Heart of Darkness. Fixed the problem.

 

I have heard a lot about 4001 Blue Black, both that it's loved and that it can be quite anemic without a wet writer.

[truthpil]

  On 3/13/2018 at 6:47 PM, IndigoBOB said:

You got the good stuff.

 

You were right about the Noodler's Black. It smeared on the pages I wrote it on. I switched to Heart of Darkness. Fixed the problem.

 

I have heard a lot about 4001 Blue Black, both that it's loved and that it can be quite anemic without a wet writer.

Among the Noodler's blacks, it seems like HOD is the best at absorbing fully into the page. I'm also curious about Manhattan Blackest Black, which is supposedly darker.

 

You're right about Pelikan Blue-black. It needs a wet writer to look right and that makes it perfect for vintage pens which are usually wet. It's got great shading and water resistance.

[tropicalwitch]

Perfect combo for me is a Baoer 801 with Sailor Oku-Yama ink. I use cheap Daiso cream 6x8 spiral notebooks ($1.50ea.), and the combo writes so well, and just looks gorgeous.

[IndigoBOB]

I might have to try OMB. Reveiws look pretty good. I'll let you know if it smears on Tomoe River.

------------------------------------

 

You know, I do love the way Iroshizuku inks I've tried, especially Take-Sumi, behave on printer paper I've tried it on.

 

I have a sample of Take-Sumi in my Pilot Metro. I'm going to do a long term behavior test and see how it writes being left alone. I don't use my Metro often unless I really need some small EDC pen for short writing sessions.

-------------------------------------

I did ink up a Jinhao x750 with Blackstone Barrister Black (BBB) and it's performance on the same printer paper I used Take-Sumi on was not as good, and had some minor, but consistent feathering. I don't know how it would perform on the paper you are using, which I do believe is better quality that what I'm using.

 

My sample of BBB is a lovely rich black reminiscent of Kiwa-Guro and Heart of Darkness. It does flow wet. As a result there is some smearing on Tomoe River after about 2 minutes drying, but longer, after 4 minutes drying: I'm not seeing any smearing, unless I rub some oily or wet fingers on it. Still doesn't beat HoD, which simply doesn't smear.

 

I do know Blackstone has changed their inks in trying to make them better. Mine is only 1 sample I purchased about 6 months ago, and I don't know if it's representative in every quality I've touched on. One thing I can say is that they made a beautiful black ink, and like their other colors, has a lovely richness to it. Keep in mind, this is a wet ink sample and I used it in a wet pen (x750).

[truthpil]

  On 3/14/2018 at 2:50 PM, tropicalwitch said:

Perfect combo for me is a Baoer 801 with Sailor Oku-Yama ink. I use cheap Daiso cream 6x8 spiral notebooks ($1.50ea.), and the combo writes so well, and just looks gorgeous.

 

I'm always surprised at how good some inexpensive pens and paper work. I'm sure using a typically amazing Sailor ink helps too.

Other than the color and ease of writing, what else about this combination makes it just feel perfect when you use it? How does the nib feel?

[truthpil]

  On 3/14/2018 at 9:18 PM, IndigoBOB said:

I might have to try OMB. Reveiws look pretty good. I'll let you know if it smears on Tomoe River.

------------------------------------

 

You know, I do love the way Iroshizuku inks I've tried, especially Take-Sumi, behave on printer paper I've tried it on.

 

I have a sample of Take-Sumi in my Pilot Metro. I'm going to do a long term behavior test and see how it writes being left alone. I don't use my Metro often unless I really need some small EDC pen for short writing sessions.

-------------------------------------

I did ink up a Jinhao x750 with Blackstone Barrister Black (BBB) and it's performance on the same printer paper I used Take-Sumi on was not as good, and had some minor, but consistent feathering. I don't know how it would perform on the paper you are using, which I do believe is better quality that what I'm using.

 

My sample of BBB is a lovely rich black reminiscent of Kiwa-Guro and Heart of Darkness. It does flow wet. As a result there is some smearing on Tomoe River after about 2 minutes drying, but longer, after 4 minutes drying: I'm not seeing any smearing, unless I rub some oily or wet fingers on it. Still doesn't beat HoD, which simply doesn't smear.

 

I do know Blackstone has changed their inks in trying to make them better. Mine is only 1 sample I purchased about 6 months ago, and I don't know if it's representative in every quality I've touched on. One thing I can say is that they made a beautiful black ink, and like their other colors, has a lovely richness to it. Keep in mind, this is a wet ink sample and I used it in a wet pen (x750).

 

I've tried asking around about OMB, but didn't get any answers as to the smearing issue. I hope it's as insanely permanent as KTC!

Have you noticed feathering with HOD on copy paper? I know it's a wet one and most of my wet Noodler's permanent inks have been disastrous for daily use (e.g., Polar Blue makes a pen write at least one line width wider than the original nib and bleeds through like there's no tomorrow haha).

 

There's a reason why I've yet to have a perfect writing experience with any pigmented inks....the Japanese pigmented inks can often be a little dry (of course it depends a lot on the pen), yet oddly enough it seems like all the non-Japanese pigmented inks are too wet and prone to feathering. I've found that to be the case with the De Atramentis Document inks and the R&K versions seem to have the same issues (not sure about the Montblanc Permanent inks since they are pricy). Maybe the Blackstone Barrister inks are feathering because of the combination used to make the pigments work. It'd be nice to compare the earlier IG Barrister Blue with the newer pigmented version. Their black has always been pigmented.

[IndigoBOB]

I do get a little bit of feathering with HoD on the same copy paper I tested Take-Sumi (Worked great! using a Pilot Metro-M) and Blackstone Barrister Black (Not good with Jinhao x750-Goulet-F). The HoD was written with a TWSBI Eco-EF.

For me, it's not good enough to take out and have confidence in using it on whatever paper is out there. I use it because I like black ink and if the paper is halfway decent it works, but on this cheap copy paper it's not very good.

 

Like you the only ink I've found all around that works all around is a Japanese Nano pigment (Kiwa-Guro) and that darn ink is a pain in the @$$ to find a pen that works well with it that doesn't cost an arm and a leg or is relatively close to my preferences and not too small.

 

I saw one review outside fountainpennetwork that described OMB not smearing on Rhodia. I ordered a bottle so I'll definitely let you know. If it doesn't smear on Tomoe it doesn't smear on anything *fingers crossed*. I'll test it out on this copy paper, too.

 

I'd be surprised if it had the same water resistance as KTC, but I do hope so since it's supposed to be Bulletproof I believe. I tested KTC out the other day under running water on Tomoe River and it was completely and simply permanent. It was funny because it was almost like the ink became more vibrant reminding you of its staying power as the comparing inks on the same paper faded away. KTC is amazing and it actually wrote better than my HoD on the same copy paper with very minimal feathering. I expected my HoD to perform better on cheaper paper than it has.

Edited March 15, 2018 by IndigoBOB

[truthpil]

  On 3/15/2018 at 2:05 AM, IndigoBOB said:

I do get a little bit of feathering with HoD on the same copy paper I tested Take-Sumi (Worked great! using a Pilot Metro-M) and Blackstone Barrister Black (Not good with Jinhao x750-Goulet-F). The HoD was written with a TWSBI Eco-EF.

For me, it's not good enough to take out and have confidence in using it on whatever paper is out there. I use it because I like black ink and if the paper is halfway decent it works, but on this cheap copy paper it's not very good.

 

Like you the only ink I've found all around that works all around is a Japanese Nano pigment (Kiwa-Guro) and that darn ink is a pain in the @$$ to find a pen that works well with it that doesn't cost an arm and a leg or is relatively close to my preferences and not too small.

 

I saw one review outside fountainpennetwork that described OMB not smearing on Rhodia. I ordered a bottle so I'll definitely let you know. If it doesn't smear on Tomoe it doesn't smear on anything *fingers crossed*. I'll test it out on this copy paper, too.

 

I'd be surprised if it had the same water resistance as KTC, but I do hope so since it's supposed to be Bulletproof I believe. I tested KTC out the other day under running water on Tomoe River and it was completely and simply permanent. It was funny because it was almost like the ink became more vibrant reminding you of its staying power as the comparing inks on the same paper faded away. KTC is amazing and it actually wrote better than my HoD on the same copy paper with very minimal feathering. I expected my HoD to perform better on cheaper paper than it has.

 

Aww nuts, HOD's feathering is what I was afraid of. It's just the nature of wet but fast drying, permanent inks to feather. I wrote a lot on cheap copy paper and legal pads today using Platinum Carbon Black in an old 03 Preppy. It makes the pen write broader, but the line isn't notably feathery. The ink is absolutely permanent with water, but it smears a little when run over with a highlighter. Platinum Carbon black with a somewhat dry nib seems to be working as a great go-to waterproof EDC combination.

 

Looking forward to your report on OMB! Many on here seem to love it for the color, permanence, and writing experience.

 

Ohh KTC, such an enigmatic ink! In some ways it's more like paint than ink, but that's what makes it so totally bombproof. I'm still scraping some KTC stains off my desk from the insane ink explosion that happened a couple weeks back.

[IndigoBOB]

  On 3/15/2018 at 2:37 PM, TruthPil said:

 

Aww nuts, HOD's feathering is what I was afraid of. It's just the nature of wet but fast drying, permanent inks to feather. I wrote a lot on cheap copy paper and legal pads today using Platinum Carbon Black in an old 03 Preppy. It makes the pen write broader, but the line isn't notably feathery. The ink is absolutely permanent with water, but it smears a little when run over with a highlighter. Platinum Carbon black with a somewhat dry nib seems to be working as a great go-to waterproof EDC combination.

 

Looking forward to your report on OMB! Many on here seem to love it for the color, permanence, and writing experience.

 

Ohh KTC, such an enigmatic ink! In some ways it's more like paint than ink, but that's what makes it so totally bombproof. I'm still scraping some KTC stains off my desk from the insane ink explosion that happened a couple weeks back.

 

Yes, my HoD is a wet ink. It's one of the few Non-Sailor-jentle inks I have that allows me to use Finer nibs that require a little lubrication. Right now it is my Daily Carry/Writer ink in my TWSBI 580-F and Eco-EF.

 

Platinum Carbon Black has been on my mind to try. I might give it a try if the OMB doesn't work out and my Pilot CH 92 doesn't come back from the nibmeister, Mark Bacas, to work well with Kiwa-Guro.

 

Yes, I was quite impressed with the reviews with OMB. I'm looking forward to it *fingers crossed*. I've seen it as a favorite black or many.

[tropicalwitch]

  On 3/14/2018 at 11:55 PM, TruthPil said:

 

I'm always surprised at how good some inexpensive pens and paper work. I'm sure using a typically amazing Sailor ink helps too.

Other than the color and ease of writing, what else about this combination makes it just feel perfect when you use it? How does the nib feel?

 

Same here! I ordered it expecting to get a cheap pen I'd "tinker" with and probably end up throwing in a drawer, but now I use it daily. The downside is that with cheap pens like this, you never know if the second one you order will perform as well or at all.

 

What makes it really perfect for me is that I seem to have found a pen/ink combo that can keep up with my endless note taking - and, as a lefty, no dry time issues. Sailor inks, oku-yama in particular, allow me to write really fast without a lot of drag, and the pen overall isn't too heavy or difficult to grip so it feels comfortable to use for prolonged periods. The ink and pen together feels almost like having a metal paintbrush, very fluid and quick, without rendering my writing to scratch. The nib itself is also really small, so maybe that helps keep the pen from drying out. As for the paper, it's surprisingly good with wet nibs, despite being cheap, so not a lot of bleed through and it has stiff covers that make it easy to write anywhere. And deep red on cream is just so pleasing on the eyes.

[Cheetah]

My favorite combinations on dotted Rhodia paper :

 

- My Pelikan M405 Medium nib + Pilot Kon Peki : gives me a smooth writing with a very nice shading

- My Sailor Pro Medium nib + Pilot Yama budo : gives me a wet writing with a deep and wonderful colour

- My vintage Montblanc 144 Fine Flex + Diamine Oxford : due to the flex of the nib the variation in colour is really lovely

[truthpil]

  On 3/16/2018 at 7:52 PM, Cheetah said:

My favorite combinations on dotted Rhodia paper :

 

- My Pelikan M405 Medium nib + Pilot Kon Peki : gives me a smooth writing with a very nice shading

- My Sailor Pro Medium nib + Pilot Yama budo : gives me a wet writing with a deep and wonderful colour

- My vintage Montblanc 144 Fine Flex + Diamine Oxford : due to the flex of the nib the variation in colour is really lovely

 

Those are some nice pens and inks, thanks for sharing! I'd love to get my hands on a vintage MB 144 someday.

What's your favorite combination for use on everyday copy paper or legal pads?

[Cheetah]

  On 3/17/2018 at 12:15 PM, TruthPil said:

 

Those are some nice pens and inks, thanks for sharing! I'd love to get my hands on a vintage MB 144 someday.

What's your favorite combination for use on everyday copy paper or legal pads?

 

 

Honestly? My favorite is my MB 144 vintage + Oxblood ink.

[truthpil]

  On 3/17/2018 at 2:29 PM, Cheetah said:

 

 

Honestly? My favorite is my MB 144 vintage + Oxblood ink.

 

I don't blame you, but when I use cheap paper Oxblood with anything broader than a fine nib tends to bleed and feather too much.

It's a great color!

[IndigoBOB]

OK, so I've had some time to test out Noodler's Old Manhattan Black:

 

First Impressions (some subjectivity): It's Bleepin' black.

• Beady-eyed, relentless, saturated, cold black.
• Not warm like Noodler's Black nor Heart of Darkness.
• I'd call it more vivid than vibrant, and as a result I wouldn't call it rich, but simply vivid and saturated.
• Take-Sumi is a cooler black too, but because it's more toned down/less saturated I like it more.

 

Smearing: (Tested on Tomoe River Paper using a WS.3008-Lamy-EF and a Jinhao x750-M-Dipped, both wet writers)-

• Not a problem with dry fingers rubbing over.
• Did get smearing with barely damp or oily fingers rubbing over.
• Not recommended for lefties as much as HoD.
• Only ink I use that can withstand wet or oily rub without smearing is Kung Te-Cheng.

 

Feathering on cheaper copy paper: (examined under 10x-Goulet Loupe to verify using the same pen combos)

• Minimal feathering, but present, maybe 1 offshoot per word at best.
• Noodler's Black in my TWSBI Eco-M performed better, Flawlessly.
• Take-Sumi in my Pilot Metro-M performed better, Flawlessly.
• Kiwa-Guro in a TWSBI Eco-F performed better, Flawlessly, but wrote too dry for me, and brings out the less than preferential deviations found in this nib, which has been troublesome with all inks (have another Fine nib on the way).

Conclusion:

• That is my initial experience with Noodler's OMB.
• A solid ink over all with average performance on cheapest copy paper.
• Is the ink a recommendation of mine? IMO it's more of a niche ink for those who are looking more for the blackest color of this type of cool/cold hue, for a good value, and have better than ordinary cheap copy paper.
• I thought the inkflow was good, not too wet, but certainly not dry and I'd qualify it has having above average wetness.
• For myself, I much prefer the color Heart of Darkness and even Noodler's Black. I prefer the behavior of Noodler's Black in my dry writing TWSBI Eco.
• I prefer the behavior of Kiwa-Guro across all paper types, but am still looking for a pen to use it with that can be comfortable for long writing sessions. It's a tricky ink because it works well in mediums, but is too lubricated and makes them too smooth often, but it can be too dry in Finer nibs for me... Like Kung Te-Cheng, it is an ink I'm determined to find a proper pen for.

 

For myself, I'm going to stick with waiting for my Pilot CH92 to arrive from Nibmeister Mark Bacas to see how that works with Kiwa-guro and my present selection of inks.

Also, I am looking forward to the Wing Sung B698 to see how that performs with Kiwa-Guro and others since I'm a large Lamy Safari/Vista/Al Star fan, but I dislike how dry those Lamy pens do write with my preferred inks on above average paper, and I do like the quality of writing Wing Sung is able to create for the price.