What pen(s) are you using today?

[OldTravelingShoe]

8 hours ago, essayfaire said:

Ah, like changing the writing angle on a fude.

Exactly. The Sailor Concord is like a Fude rotated 180-degrees.

 

Personally, I like a bit better the Concord, but I'm not sure if I can explain why. Perhaps I find the control when using the tip to sketch is a bit more natural. Perhaps I find the way the Concord nib turn, closer to the feed rather than away, more secure. Perhaps... No, both Sailor Special Nibs are fantastic, this is really nitpicking. 

[A Smug Dill]

13 minutes ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Perhaps I find the way the Concord nib turn, closer to the feed rather than away, more secure.

 

Less likely with the Concord nib that one would inadvertently touch the feed to the paper surface when trying to put down a broad enough line. Also, writing text with a consistent narrower line — in either Chinese or English — by holding the pen with the nib in normal orientation makes more ‘sense’, and/or feels more natural, to me. 

[OldTravelingShoe]

3 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Less likely with the Concord nib that one would inadvertently touch the feed to the paper surface when trying to put down a broad enough line. Also, writing text with a consistent narrower line — in either Chinese or English — by holding the pen with the nib in normal orientation makes more ‘sense’, and/or feels more natural, to me. 

Ah, I recognize these reasons and they would apply to me too, especially that about the feed touching paper.

 

With all these reasons, why isn't the Sailor Concord structure more common? Or perhaps it is, but it's not named specifically whereas the Fude is, so then... Why? 

[A Smug Dill]

50 minutes ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

With all these reasons, why isn't the Sailor Concord structure more common? Or perhaps it is, but it's not named specifically whereas the Fude is, so then... Why? 

 

I don't know. Chinese fountain pen manufacturers do make far more ‘upturned’, ‘bent’, or ‘art’ nibs in the style of the Fude de Mannen nib, but usually with a much shorter triangular piece above the bend; I think it appeals to those who want to produce strokes with brush-like effect using a fountain pen.

 

Among Westerners, however, I can only conjecture that the difference in popularity, between nibs with an upward bend and alternatively a downward bend, is a combination of marketing and perception. The upward-bending nib looks like a brush bending under pressure (thus appealing to ‘soft’ and artistic), and the name “Fude de Mannen” sounds more exotically Oriental than “Concord”, thus cornering that style of nib as a way-out-there, circus-tricksy kinda specialty nib, with the normal orientation unconsciously defining what the nib is mean to do or deliver. The downward-bending nib looks (and is actually) ‘hard’, even more ‘nail‘-like than other ‘nail‘ nibs, and perhaps a lot of users cannot see the advantage and versatility in such a nib, but only see it as being unnatural or uncomfortable to use.

 

I personally look at it as a question of, “How often would I use <TITLE> or <H1>, <H2> tags in a piece of text in HTML? If normal, feed-facing-down orientation is what is more ‘natural’ an comfortable, do I want it to deliver normal body text or rarely needed special effects, as an everyday writing instrument?”, whereas perhaps others see it as, ”I wouldn't get a bent nib if I didn't mainly want it for the special purpose of producing brush-like strokes, so that's what it should be designed to do in normal orientation.”

 

Again, let me reemphasise, that is only my conjecture.

[Horseflesh]

 

Here's what I reach for in order. 

 

FPR Tangerine Dream has great shading but feathers if you don't use FP-friendly paper. 

 

Monteverde Fire Opal doesn't shade as aggressively, but also works a lot better on copy paper, including showing a little shading. (It's really great on really good paper.)

 

Diamine Syrah doesn't shade but it works OK on all paper and I really like the color. 

 

[inkstainedruth]

Today it's been the Sailor Pro Gear Slim Purple Cosmos, zoom nib, finishing a fill of diluted Sailor Sky High (old formula); and the Parker Vacumatic Green Shadow Wave, F nib, with Waterman Havana Brown.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[VersoFolio]

I know.. it looks like a 'wreck' of a fountain pen but...!

 

No fancy brand name to rescue it from anonymity yet here it is, more than 50 years since production, bringing joy to this humble writer!

 

'Made in Italy' no name. Syringe filler. P51 inspired. The remains of a gold plated overlay 'saddle' on the grip section. Simple 'guilloche' motif on cap.

 

1960's feel to it and meant to be cheap and cheerful I would guess.

 

"99" Torpah? PATENT

 

 

 

Pale.Ink.Tom

[Misfit]

@Pale.Ink.Tom I love your description of the pen. It looks like a lovely pen. 

[VersoFolio]

Hi again @Misfit Nice to meet again in a topic.

 

In my quiet little backwater I have managed to fish up some sparkling minnows😊

 

You are very kind to comment. Thank you.

 

We come for the pens and stay for the companionship wouldn't you say?

 

I hope all is going well with you today.😀

 

P.I.Tom

[lionelc]

pilot custom 743 today, fa nib and a fill with namiki blue

[Penguincollector]

Navy blue Sheaffer’s Compact II cartridge pen with Quink black. Today is the first day that it was used, it has a nice broad 14k nib. It’s like the PFM’s less complicated younger sibling.

[ZiggyTsarDust]

Ended up with a lot of my Japanese pens today. 
Pilot 823 (M) w/ Diamine Syrah: The Pilot has seen better days. A crack formed at one ends thread. I truly love it dearly as it was the first pen I bought in person at the NY FPH on a trip with my SO. It has seemingly survived after I wrapped duck tape over the crack. Is it reliable? No clue. I usually keep it in a place of honor on my desk crab, but decided it needed some workplace love again. Inked with Diamine Syrah which, alongside Writers Blood, have quickly become two of my favorite inks. The burgundy pairs well with the amber and gold of the 823. 

Sailor 1911s (MF) w/ Platinum Carbon Black: My go to stiff nib sketch pen and ink combo. Pleasant feed back for drawing, the Sailor's finer helps keep my linework a lot more clean. 

Pilot 743 (FA) w/ Diamine Red Dragon: The nib makes this pen fun, the ebonite feed helps ensures everything is nice and saturated. I enjoy swapping the ink in this pen out frequently. I enjoy Red Dragon a lot more in very wet pens. The Lamy Safari I have inked with the red is just unsatisfying and feels washed out for some reason. 

Pilot Decimo w/ Pilot Blue: Has for some time been set to the side, the nib was unpleasant but after I worked it a bit, it has seemingly returned to a much smoother state. The Pilot Blue came with the 823 and is still not empty!

 

[jandrew]

Midori MD pen this morning

[PAKMAN]

Vermeil MB 144 with OM nib.

[ParramattaPaul]

Christmas cards equalled writing, and that meant Onoto. Hence liberal use of the Scholar until it ran out of ink and then liberal use of the Magna.  The Conway Stewarts get a turn tomorrow.  That will mean a re-inking session that night.

[chromantic]

Today it will be my new Sailor Shikior Manleaf (Dark Green), inked with Shirakashi.

[PAKMAN]

Wrote a message in a birthday card with my Asvine 169 Skelton.

[ruby.monkey]

I'm trying out a couple of Majohn C4s that arrived today, but my main pen is my Mabie Todd Swan 1500:

 

XTFA1355 by Jean-Yves, on Flickr

 

XTFA1360 by Jean-Yves, on Flickr

 

XTFA1353 by Jean-Yves, on Flickr

 

XTFA1366 by Jean-Yves, on Flickr

[Mark from Yorkshire]

Journal entry this evening 

 

Lamy Safari and TWSBI Swipe

[USG]

I have these guys out today.... the Blues have fine nibs and the Greens have Mediums.

Inks:

M800 Blue [F] - Pelikan blue with a couple of drops of Diamine Sapphire for color.

M800 Green [M] - Aurora Blue

Aurora Primavera Green [M] - Diamine Sapphire Blue

Aurora Mare Blue [F] - Aurora Blue

 

 

Yesterday was the battle of the #6 nibs -