I got this pen today

[PithyProlix]

On 4/18/2022 at 8:51 PM, A Smug Dill said:

 

I've been using something like that, with a circular strip (i.e. a ring) of LED lights around the round opening in the box's ceiling instead of two straight strips, for the past year or so. They're serviceable and indeed handy, but (at least with mine) there are certain drawbacks:

1. The box panels are flimsy (in the name of being foldable and portable). The side panels on mine don't stay perfectly straight, just from the tiny bit of weight of the ceiling pressing down. That, and the way mine is erected, also means the floor may not stay perfectly flat (with or without using one of the supplied felt background drops/carpets); most of the time it won't matter, but if you're photographing a pen without using a pen holder, sometimes it's difficult to get the pen to stay put, with the nib scrollwork facing just the way you want it, instead of rolling towards the lowest point, and/or come to rest with the nib (being the heaviest component on the business end of the pen) facing down. 
2. Trying to shoot with my camera from directly above the subject is tricky, because the flap that usually seals the round opening in the ceiling is not hinged but simply folded back, and it keeps trying to return to a position where it would be obscuring the opening. Yes, the zoom lens would be in its way, and does a good enough job of preventing the flap from closing over the opening; but the amount of force the flap constantly exerts against the zoom lens is enough to push the lightweight and flimsy box out of perfect alignment or, in particular, upset the flatness and angle of the floor, such that the carefully placed pens may shift away from the desired orientation or positions.
3. The 18mm–135mm lens I use requires a certain minimum distance from the subject to focus at the 50mm mark (which is the minimum for macro mode), and that minimum distance ends up meaning the lens body is not low enough to block that flap (although an attached lens hood can), and the perimeter of the round opening obscures part of the frame.
4. The light from the ring of LEDs is not diffuse, and so when photographing pens with glossy finishes, I'd often capture undesirable reflections from the individual lights. Reflections also make photographing nib details quite difficult.

Because you guys have been talking about it and so the subject was (and the shortcomings of my ‘mini studio box’ were) fresh in my mind, I ended up buying a rather large, tripod-mounted ring light this weekend, the sort that seems primarily designed for lighting up one's face for video calling or filming talky presentations for posting on YouTube or TikTok. They'll all designed to illuminate the subject with soft, diffuse light, and the one I bought is nominally 14-inch (36cm outer diameter, 26cm inner diameter, and the lighted ring is 5cm wide), so shooting from above through the centre will not be a problem; and it's 36W appliance, not one of those that can be powered by a USB-A port (which maxes out at, what, 5W? 10W?), so it can get awfully bright when I need it to be. The rig — including a not-the-greatest tripod, which nevertheless does the job and manages not to topple over when the large ring light to positioned horizontally — cost me A$50 (so about US$37).

 

I used it for the first time today with the photos of the Dupont pen about 5 posts back. The floor seems to stay flat with this one. And the 'cutout' for the top hole is completely separate and is larger than the hole itself, with velcro to attach it over the hole when you are not taking pictures through that hole. 

 

The biggest problem with it, I think, as with yours, is that the lights need some kind of diffuser. You can see the reflection from the lights in the photos I posted of the Dupont. 

 

But it's still a significant step forward from what I was doing before. 

[PithyProlix]

1 hour ago, Number99 said:

A pen that you should never let go of. (Meaning your pen.)

 A relay game was established in Color and China.

 

Sorry, I don't understand the second sentence. (?) 

[mizgeorge]

On 4/20/2022 at 11:52 PM, Paul-in-SF said:

This Edison Menlo with flattened ends, draw filler, in McKenzie Blue/Teal Color Shift, and with a 14K flex nib. The photo does not quite do the material justice. 

 

phwoar....

[Number99]

4 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

 

Sorry, I don't understand the second sentence. (?) 

 

I'm very sorry.

Translation mistake?

 Temporarily delete and repost (or permanently delete). I don't have the language skills to tackle Google Translate.

😅

 

[Misfit]

I got the Monteverde Mountains of the World Denali with stub nib today. It joins the Kilimanjaro version I’ve had for several years. I figured North America needed to be represented.  Uh huh….

 

I almost ordered Everest, but the eBay Mother’s Day coupon did not work on it. What gives?  Some mothers want fountain pens for Mother’s Day. What mother actually wants a child to choose her next handbag? eBay’s 15% off coupon would work on those. 

[Misfit]

On 3/29/2022 at 11:22 PM, PithyProlix said:

To me, the pen looks as if it could be a clear demonstrator filled with dark honey. I started searching around for dark honey-colored inks that might be a good match and the closest I could find is Van Dieman's Leatherwood Honey Amber, but I think it would be much better with more brown and less yellow.

I ordered a sample of Van Dieman’s Leatherwood Honey Amber in a Pen Chalet order. 

[PithyProlix]

1 hour ago, Misfit said:

I ordered a sample of Van Dieman’s Leatherwood Honey Amber in a Pen Chalet order. 

 

Please let us know how you like it!

[Misfit]

I will @PithyProlix  I’ll need to write more with the Pelikan Cognac before I need the refill. But then, I don’t have the package yet. Either today or Tuesday. 

[PithyProlix]

These came in today, mostly project pens, and the photo is how they came, right out of the shipping box and unwrapped. Top, then left to right (semicolon means new line):

• Parker 25 (my first of this model Parker)
• circa 1950s Sheaffer Snorkel Crest (great condition except the filler needs repair)
• Pelikan M150, I think (?). Nib is trashed - anyone know where I can get a replacement at a reasonable price?
• Sailor lever-filler. Nib imprint: 14CRT.GOLD; Sailor; REGISTERED; PATENT OFFICE; 20. I think this one just needs a sac and it'll be ready to go.
• Pilot U200. Pretty rare pen with an odd filling system. 
• Four Japanese eyedropper pens:
  • Barrel imprint: LAKE PEN; M.B. CO. LT. Nib imprint: NEW STYLE; FINE; IRIDIUM
  • Clip imprint: TEXAS. Barrel imprint: "LAKE PEN"; M.S.Z. CO. Nib imprint: Special; "LAKE"; 25; M.B.K. I suspect the cap is from another pen but it fits.
  • This one has no identifying information except for the nib made by Steady, which I understand was a job shop that made very good nibs. Nib imprint: Steady; K14; [JIS symbol]; 4624; 2
  • Clip imprint: SPECIAL. Barrel imprint: ōMU [yes, the 'o' has a line on top]; NEW STYLE. Nib imprint: SURFACE; 14KT; GOLDEN; PEN; 4

The Sailor and the eyedroppers all have at least fairly flexy nibs.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 26, 2022 by PithyProlix
added image of nibs

[OldTravelingShoe]

19 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

Pelikan M150, I think (?). Nib is trashed - anyone know where I can get a replacement at a reasonable price

Great haul overall, @PithyProlix!

 

I don't know what could be called reasonable, because I do not know how shipping works from Europe or the US to Thailand, but here are several of the sellers of Pelikan wares I like and typically have loose nibs, in Europe, in particular DE: antik20202, martini.de, missing-pen, wasupen. 

 

Hope this helps. 

Edited April 27, 2022 by OldTravelingShoe
Updated the location of wasupen.

[OCArt]

1 hour ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Great haul overall, @PithyProlix!

 

I don't know what could be called reasonable, because I do not know how shipping works from Europe or the US to Thailand, but here are several of the sellers of Pelikan wares I like and typically have loose nibs:

1. US: wasupen
2. Europe, in particular DE: antik20202, martini.de, missing-pen

Hope this helps. 

I've purchased from Wasupen many times and have been very satisfied but I believe he is based in Germany, at least that's what his web site says and also based on the shipping costs he charges on eBay.

[Paul-in-SF]

18 minutes ago, OCArt said:

I've purchased from Wasupen many times and have been very satisfied but I believe he is based in Germany, at least that's what his web site says and also based on the shipping costs he charges on eBay.

 

wasupen does sell from Germany. I have purchased from him 5 times; the last time was not a good experience so I have not purchased from him since. 

[OldTravelingShoe]

12 hours ago, OCArt said:

but I believe he is based in Germany

Good point, @OCArt

, @Paul-in-SF ! I checked again my invoices and the many ongoing eBay listings. All state clearly Germany. 

 

I think I traced the source of my confusion: the prices are listed in US$, good to go if you are in the US or outside the EU, but in need of adding the VAT for European buyers. 

 

To conclude: @OCArt is right - wasupen is located in Germany. 

Edited April 27, 2022 by OldTravelingShoe

[JulieParadise]

If you placed your order around Easter you may factor in that the (Good Friday) Friday before and the (Easter Monday) Monday after the Easter weekend are bank holidays, also many post offices only open for 2-3 hours on the Saturday inbetween, which is why around that weekend shipping may have been not possible for the vendor.

[PithyProlix]

So, I'm finding prices of around $50 USD minimum, including shipping, for replacement nibs for the Pelikan M150, which is likely a little more than I want to spend on a nib I'm not sure I'll like since I generally prefer Japanese fine sizes or crisp italics. I'm wondering about expanding my search: does the M150 use the same nib unit as other Pelikan models? 

[OldTravelingShoe]

2 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

: does the M150 use the same nib unit as other Pelikan models

@PithyProlix: Indy-pen-dance has a nice chart, which I take continues the observations of Richard Binder. To quote, M1xx nibs fit:

Quote

M100, MC120, M150, M101N, M2xx, M4xx, M6xx, M7xx Toledo, M70xx Majesty, “1931” and “1935” LEs

 

[PithyProlix]

42 minutes ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

@PithyProlix: Indy-pen-dance has a nice chart, which I take continues the observations of Richard Binder. To quote, M1xx nibs fit:

Quote

M100, MC120, M150, M101N, M2xx, M4xx, M6xx, M7xx Toledo, M70xx Majesty, “1931” and “1935” LEs

 

 

Excellent - that expands the search considerably. Thanks!

[Misfit]

Woo hoo!  This Visconti Rembrandt in Eclipse arrived today. I also got a vintage Esterbrook in gray today that I won in an eBay auction.  It’s hanging out with my other Esterbrooks. 

[DvdRiet]

16 hours ago, Misfit said:

Woo hoo!  This Visconti Rembrandt in Eclipse arrived today. I also got a vintage Esterbrook in gray today that I won in an eBay auction.  It’s hanging out with my other Esterbrooks. 

 

That's a beautiful pen!

[Misfit]

@DvdRiet  Thank you. I don’t know if it’s the ink, or not writing on a solid surface, or the nib, but it seems it has a bit of line variation to coax out.