What pen(s) are you using today?

[jandrew]

Ranga Bamboo / PO; CH 912 / PO; FC 20 / PO ... See? Three PO.

[mizgeorge]

48 minutes ago, jandrew said:

Ranga Bamboo / PO; CH 912 / PO; FC 20 / PO ... See? Three PO.

Groaning...

[PAKMAN]

Asvine V169

[inkstainedruth]

Today (so far) it's been:

Pelikan P22 "Moovie", F(?) nib -- Birmingham Pens Armadillo.

Noodler's Konrad Poseidon Pearl (I think -- might be the Hudson Bay Fathom), flex nib -- Noodler's 54th Massachusetts.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[TitoThePencilPimp]

On 12/4/2022 at 9:49 AM, USG said:

I've only seen pics of a Pilot Urushi Vermilion. Quite a pen from what I've seen.  Want to talk about it?🙂

 

Wow Pilot Elite EF...  Impressive, is it a real needle? Smooth? 🙂

I bought a fine in 2014 and only used it with a pocket notebook because it was very fine.  In Sept. of this year I decided I need a medium.  The fine was dry normal and the medium is wet. Both are smooth writers.  Enjoyable pens. 👍🙂

 

The Pilot Urushi is a nice pen, with a wonderful nib. Probably my favorite nib, cannot decide between the FA nib on my 823 or the Urushi (FM). A bit bigger than a Pelikan m1000, but perfectly balanced in my hand. I can see some people thinking its a bit too large. Much prefer it to the Sailor KOP. From daily use, it has held up extremely well, and I cannot detect a scratch on it. Highly overpriced in the west, but the prices from Japan are reasonable. I purchased mine from TokyoQuill.

 

The ef on the Elite is not needle small, its a bit smaller than the fine, but not by much. Both run a bit dry, but still smooth. Overall, I was very surprised how nicely the elite writes, and given the low price. This would be the pen I recommend people purchase when wanting a new pen. Hate the con 40, and thinking of trying out the Con B. I have a Con 20 (new) somewhere in the house, but cannot find it.

 

Oh, and writing for 6 hours. Its something I do almost every day (grad student). Especially now, since finals are in next week.

[TitoThePencilPimp]

Just now, TitoThePencilPimp said:

The Pilot Urushi is a nice pen, with a wonderful nib. Probably my favorite nib, cannot decide between the FA nib on my 823 or the Urushi (FM). The nib is soft, but not mushy. A bit bigger than a Pelikan m1000, but perfectly balanced in my hand. I can see some people thinking its a bit too large. Much prefer it to the Sailor KOP. From daily use, it has held up extremely well, and I cannot detect a scratch on it. Highly overpriced in the west, but the prices from Japan are reasonable. I purchased mine from TokyoQuill.

 

The ef on the Elite is not needle small, its a bit smaller than the fine, but not by much. Both run a bit dry, but still smooth. Overall, I was very surprised how nicely the elite writes, and given the low price. This would be the pen I recommend people purchase when wanting a new pen. Hate the con 40, and thinking of trying out the Con B. I have a Con 20 (new) somewhere in the house, but cannot find it.

I

hope to find a vintage elite with a posting nib. 

 

Oh, and writing for 6 hours. Its something I do almost every day (grad student). Especially now, since finals are in next week.

 

[lionelc]

conway stewart 85L blue herringbone broad nib

[A Smug Dill]

On 12/5/2022 at 4:49 AM, USG said:

Wow Pilot Elite EF...  Impressive, is it a real needle? Smooth? 🙂

I bought a fine in 2014 and only used it with a pocket notebook because it was very fine.

 

I had a Pilot Elite 95S in deep red with an EF nib. At one point, unthinkingly, I offered it to my wife since she seemed to like it and want it; but then I found myself missing it, so I ordered another, also in deep red but with an F nib, to replace it. It arrived, but I couldn't stand how much broader a line it seemed to put on the page; so I swapped with my wife and let her have the newer pen, since she doesn't ‘require’ as crisp a line as I do with her writing.

 

Since then, I discovered that the EF nib on the Elite 95S seems to be especially sensitive to which ink is used, more so than other Pilot gold nibs. Two different dark red inks could produce one to one-and-a-half nib width grade's difference in line width out of the same EF nib.

 

Here's another Elite 95S, again with EF nib, that I've purchased since then:

 

A Pilot Custom Heritage 91 with a size no.5 EF nib would probably put down significantly finer lines with the same ink.

 

[miwishi63]

New to me MB Meisterstuck 149 - reconstituted the ink (black) already in it with distilled water. Fine nib. Writes beautifully.

[USG]

On 12/5/2022 at 8:29 PM, miwishi63 said:

New to me MB Meisterstuck 149 - reconstituted the ink (black) already in it with distilled water. Fine nib. Writes beautifully.

 

I remember reading an article by the gentleman (can't recall his name) who developed the Parker Penman line.  He was commenting on reconstituting inks with water and he said that when an ink dries out, not only does it lose the water, but it loses all the other additives that go into making an ink flow properly and write smoothly.

 

Lazy me, I've never done more than add tap water.

 

What's the consensus on this??

 

[ParramattaPaul]

I have  to ask; what additives? Water only was added to dry matter in the two books i've read and a BBC show I've watched that discussed ink.

 

 

[jandrew]

1 minute ago, ParramattaPaul said:

I have  to ask; what additives since water only was added to dry matter in the two books i've read and a BBC show I've watched that discussed ink.

 

 

Modern inks often have surfectants/lubricants/biocides --- thus, reconsitituting with just water may result in a drier flowing ink which may also be more susceptible to biological activity.

[SpecTP]

2 minutes ago, jandrew said:

Modern inks often have surfectants/lubricants/biocides --- thus, reconsitituting with just water may result in a drier flowing ink which may also be more susceptible to biological activity.

 

like White Lightning product from Vanness?

[Penguincollector]

4 hours ago, USG said:

 

I remember reading an article by the gentleman (can't recall his name) who developed the Parker Penman line.  He was commenting on reconstituting inks with water and he said that when an ink dries out, not only does it lose the water, but it loses all the other additives that go into making an ink flow properly and write smoothly.

 

Lazy me, I've never done more than add tap water.

 

What's the consensus on this??

 

I start with filtered water and if it’s too dry writing, a tiny drop of dish soap. I have been using this method since the ‘80s with little to no issues. It’s usually for old cartridges from high school or that were included with NOS pens. I keep meaning to buy White Lightning and phenols to try but forget every time. 

[jandrew]

1 minute ago, SpecTP said:

 

like White Lightning product from Vanness?

That would be a surfactant (not sure if it also has any lubricant qualities).

[Penguincollector]

Oh, today it’s a royal blue Jinhao 51a  with Edelstein Tanzanite. It’s taking forever to get through this fill. 

[Zookie]

A Platinum Cool Balance, the clear one. Ink is Private Reserve Ebony Purple.

[ParramattaPaul]

5 hours ago, jandrew said:

Modern inks often have surfectants/lubricants/biocides --- thus, reconsitituting with just water may result in a drier flowing ink which may also be more susceptible to biological activity.

ta.

[USG]

For the moment, These

 

 

[PAKMAN]

Asvine V169