What pen(s) are you using today?

[essayfaire]

44 minutes ago, dipper said:

Frankenpen today ...

 

An ebonite Konrad, that originally had a less than pleasing Noodlers nib.

And a damaged Parker Slimfold, with a lovely springy broad 14K nib and excellent wet feed.

 

Combined..

 

Since the first test, above, the Pentel "adaptor" has been cut shorter in stages, checking nib stability and free air bubble movement into ink chamber - to maintain wetness.

Today the Frankenpen is just about perfect. Front of adaptor is now flush with end face of pen grip section. Back end is cut so the sleeve is about 1mm shorter than the back face of the feed.

 

Very impressive. 

[dms525]

 

 

I forgot about the lovely red sheen Tsuki-yo has on smooth paper. 

David

[peroride]

1 hour ago, dipper said:

Pentel "adaptor" has been cut shorter in stages, checking nib stability and free air bubble movement into ink chamber - to maintain wetness.

Wow. 😀 Brilliant Franken! Would have never thought of using the soft plastic cartridge as a nib housing shim. 

[Topgunbai]

ASC Studio Green Grasshopper with modified ebonite feed and Bock 250 titanium nib, reground to XXF and added flex.

[Gloucesterman]

19 hours ago, Topgunbai said:

ASC Studio Green Grasshopper with modified ebonite feed and Bock 250 titanium nib, reground to XXF and added flex.

Would love to see a writing sample given your comment about "flex" and the titanium nib material.

really like the "subtle" color LOL!

Enjoy...

[N1003U]

Today a standard Makrolon Lamy 2000 (recent impulse purchase). The pen is proving to be quite the compelling daily driver. It's not flashy, but it definitely is a solid performer. 

[AgedAndFine]

Today I am using a Jinhao X159 Jumbo pen, Fine nib, brown/burgundy, with Yama-duri.  Absolutely love it.

 

Also, an FPR Darjeeling, in Pink with an Architect FPR nib, filled with Tsut-suji.  Seriously good writer.

 

Both pens cost me $10 each.  Both pens write better than my previous acquisition, a Pilot Custom 74 Soft Medium.

[Topgunbai]

17 hours ago, Gloucesterman said:

Would love to see a writing sample given your comment about "flex" and the titanium nib material.

really like the "subtle" color LOL!

Enjoy...

 

Thanks. Here's a writing sample.

 

I don't have too much experience in vintage flex, so I could not comment on issues like "snap back", etc. While this nib+feed modification is definitely far from perfect, at least it meets all my needs for an "everyday" flex pen.

[PAKMAN]

Parker Premium 51 in teal.

[Gloucesterman]

13 minutes ago, Topgunbai said:

 

Thanks. Here's a writing sample.

 

I don't have too much experience in vintage flex, so I could not comment on issues like "snap back", etc. While this nib+feed modification is definitely far from perfect, at least it meets all my needs for an "everyday" flex pen.

                                                                                           Impressive! Thanks for posting the writing sample.

[Penguincollector]

On 10/19/2022 at 6:07 PM, dms525 said:

 

 

I forgot about the lovely red sheen Tsuki-yo has on smooth paper. 

David

That custom ground nib writes so beautifully, and your pen is gorgeous!

[jandrew]

Pilot CH 912, PO nib, blue-black ink mix.

[chromantic]

I used three of my M300s last night - black, ruby and orange.

[essayfaire]

2 hours ago, jandrew said:

Pilot CH 912, PO nib, blue-black ink mix.

This is much better than the arachnid.

[jandrew]

11 minutes ago, essayfaire said:

This is much better than the arachnid.

Glad you approve ... now we'll await posts from members who may have been ornithologically traumatized from childhood viewings of Hitchcock's The Birds  

[inkstainedruth]

15 minutes ago, jandrew said:

Glad you approve ... now we'll await posts from members who may have been ornithologically traumatized from childhood viewings of Hitchcock's The Birds  

 

As for me?  Today -- so far -- it's been the Pelikan 120, M nib, with Edelstein Olivine, and the recently acquired black Parker 45, B nib, with Waterman Serenity Blue.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[essayfaire]

1 hour ago, jandrew said:

Glad you approve ... now we'll await posts from members who may have been ornithologically traumatized from childhood viewings of Hitchcock's The Birds  

I used to have nightmares but it never became a phobia!

[Ceilidh]

1 hour ago, jandrew said:

Glad you approve ... now we'll await posts from members who may have been ornithologically traumatized from childhood viewings of Hitchcock's The Birds  

(chuckle)

[TitoThePencilPimp]

Lamy Emporium. This been has been sitting there for a few months, after emptying a bottle of RK Black. I did not like the m nib it came, but the price was too hard to pass up ($160? new). Had a bottle of Akkerman 10 which I never opened, and decided to fill the emporium with it. Wow, the ink is an amazing color, and it makes my Lamy write like a european f. I am so happy!

 

 

[OldTravelingShoe]

On 10/17/2022 at 2:10 PM, A Smug Dill said:

 

The Sailor Hocoro pen with the Fude nib is doing a good job of reminding me why I've long maintained that Sailor's Fude de Mannen pens with steel nibs are pretty terrible, and the Sailor HiAce Neo steel nibs aren't good either. The metal nib body is thin and not stiff enough, but when one or both of the tines bend ever-so-slightly (only in elastic deformation, not being sprung), a sharp corner or edge is exposed and starts damaging the paper surface. Furthermore, it kinda vibrates(?) for a split-second when the downward pressure is released, to produce a droopy or wobbly tail at the end of my pen strokes where I'd want a decisive and sharply ending upward curve or tick. Obviously, one could argue that the user should not press down on the pen, but I can't make a satisfactory broad line with this nib at speed without doing so.

 

So, I'm not enjoying using the pen much at all, and it's proving to be much less versatile in the range of ink marks that it can produce for me.

 

Edit:

I think I understand what's causing that wobbly tail issue now.

 

Unlike a screw-in nib unit, or a friction-fit nib with direct support (from a perfect-fitting feed, or the central structure inside a traditional dip pen handle) under it and pressing against it, the short snap-in nib unit in the Hocoro pen has a little bit of give. The otherwise expected behaviour of the metal nib, upon release of downward pressure that is applied to it, is retarded by this tiny bit of movement between the plastic parts, which causes the tip of the nib to wobble at the end of certain exit strokes.

 

Ouch. Both statement and the explanation make me not want to buy this Sailor Hocoro pen. 

 

As a side-note, for sketching I find the steel-nibbed Sailor Fude De Mannen to be good value-pens for sketching. (My sketches do not have the same characteristics as your (excellent) writing samples.) But, to me, they're not the best fude nibs even among common off the shelf instruments - I find both Duke and Moonman nibs better. Because of the way their feed is positioned, I also like much more for my sketching the 45-degree Sailor steel-fude than the stricter 55-degree; any mistake and you may touch the paper with the feed rather than the nib, leaving a very broad smudge.  The extra wobble you mention would be an additional negative.