What pen(s) are you using today?

[USG]

2 hours ago, Mercian said:

I’d be amazed if they were weaker than the long Pelikan GTP5 cartridges are!

 

Those have really thin walls, and have to be handled very gently. In comparison, the similarly-sized and similar-capacity cartridges made by Parker and Lamy feel like they have been made to withstand incoming artillery 😁

 

2 hours ago, Mercian said:

It was in response to your earlier remarks about the great number of companies that make and sell c/c pens.

 

It was intended to show that companies generally have an interest in promoting the ink-in-cartridges filling-model over any other form of ink usage (including, it seems, NR’s reluctance to acknowledge the existence of its own converters that it makes for its own c/c pens).

i.e. to explain the reason for the phenomenon that you cited (that so many companies sell and market c/c pens).

 

You also said that most people are presumably buying and using cartridges all the time. That, too, is probably true.

But then, the usage pattern of most of what we may call ‘typical’ fountain pen owners is probably to own one (maybe two) fountain pens, and use them continually, with the same brand/colour of ink cartridge.

 

We here on FPN are ‘outliers’, in that many of us are ‘hobbyists’ who own many pens, and many inks, and like to switch between inks and pens as the fancy takes us.

Our pens are therefore more likely to sit unused for a while than is the sole fountain pen used continually with one type of cartridge by a more-typical fountain pen user such as, say, a school student.

And we hobbyists are certainly more likely to need to perform a more-thorough cleaning of our pens (e.g. when switching between different types/brands/colours of inks) than is a more-typical FP user, who just uses the same types of cartridges all the time.

 

In the ‘pen-cleaning regime’ discussions that occur here from time to time, several members have pointed out that the modern tendency for ‘obsessive’ or ‘excessive’ cleaning regimes is a new phenomenon, and that, back when fountain pens were typically in continuous use, many people never cleaned out their pens.

Even manufacturers only mentioned the idea of running tap-water through a pen’s feed/grip-section once every six months or so.

Again though, while that advice is perfectly fine for people whose ‘usage pattern’ is to use their pen continually, and with the same ink, or only switching inks rarely, it is less-appropriate for those of us ‘hobbyists’ who switch between pens and inks often.

 

Using converters in one’s pens does flush pens’ feeds more-effectively than does exclusive cartridge use (I think I remember Ron Z once saying that he advises his customers to use converters, and not cartridges, for this reason).

And for hobbyists who, like me, like to use iron-gall inks and pigment-based inks, it is important to keep the feeds of one’s pens as free from old ink residues as possible.

 

All good thought provoking stuff.  To be Continued....

[dms525]

 

David

[inkstainedruth]

So far today, it's been the 1980s era Pelikan P1 Twist that was NOS swag from last fall's Pelikan Hub, still with Edelstein Star Ruby.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ParramattaPaul]

7 hours ago, Mercian said:

It was in response to your earlier remarks about the great number of companies that make and sell c/c pens.

 

It was intended to show that companies generally have an interest in promoting the ink-in-cartridges filling-model over any other form of ink usage (including, it seems, NR’s reluctance to acknowledge the existence of its own converters that it makes for its own c/c pens).

i.e. to explain the reason for the phenomenon that you cited (that so many companies sell and market c/c pens).

 

You also said that most people are presumably buying and using cartridges all the time. That, too, is probably true.

But then, the usage pattern of most of what we may call ‘typical’ fountain pen owners is probably to own one (maybe two) fountain pens, and use them continually, with the same brand/colour of ink cartridge.

 

We here on FPN are ‘outliers’, in that many of us are ‘hobbyists’ who own many pens, and many inks, and like to switch between inks and pens as the fancy takes us.

Our pens are therefore more likely to sit unused for a while than is the sole fountain pen used continually with one type of cartridge by a more-typical fountain pen user such as, say, a school student.

And we hobbyists are certainly more likely to need to perform a more-thorough cleaning of our pens (e.g. when switching between different types/brands/colours of inks) than is a more-typical FP user, who just uses the same types of cartridges all the time.

 

In the ‘pen-cleaning regime’ discussions that occur here from time to time, several members have pointed out that the modern tendency for ‘obsessive’ or ‘excessive’ cleaning regimes is a new phenomenon, and that, back when fountain pens were typically in continuous use, many people never cleaned out their pens.

Even manufacturers only mentioned the idea of running tap-water through a pen’s feed/grip-section once every six months or so.

Again though, while that advice is perfectly fine for people whose ‘usage pattern’ is to use their pen continually, and with the same ink, or only switching inks rarely, it is less-appropriate for those of us ‘hobbyists’ who switch between pens and inks often.

 

Using converters in one’s pens does flush pens’ feeds more-effectively than does exclusive cartridge use (I think I remember Ron Z once saying that he advises his customers to use converters, and not cartridges, for this reason).

And for hobbyists who, like me, like to use iron-gall inks and pigment-based inks, it is important to keep the feeds of one’s pens as free from old ink residues as possible.

All true.

 

However, I personally decline the label of 'hobbyist'.  I am in fact a 'Bowerbird'.

 

My collection of 50 (that's a WAG) or so fountain pens are the result of 'me like' or 'oh, shiny', and a desire to experience how a particular vintage or modern pen writes.  Inks, as said above, do not hold the same attraction, and for that reason, I cannot claim to be a 'hobbyist'.

[Baka1969]

[Mangrove Jack]

4 hours ago, Baka1969 said:

 

That's a lovely bright blue ink. What is it ? please tell us.

[AmandaW]

In honour of Valentine's Day: red! The pen is a 70s Sheaffer school pen recently acquired in an uncontested  lot. It took four goes through the ultrasonic to get the dried ink out of the nib unit... but only minutes with polish to make the rest of it shine. It's a small pen so I couldn't write with it for a long time, but it does write very well. Good for another 50 years, I think. ❤️

 

 

The nib is a medium and the ink Diamine Writer's Blood.

[Baka1969]

1 hour ago, Mangrove Jack said:

 

That's a lovely bright blue ink. What is it ? please tell us.

 

That's my love/hate relationship with Baystate Blue. 

 

Here's my thread discussing the evil ink:

 

Baystate Blue is Evil Yet I Can't Help Myself

[Misfit]

I’m using what I’m 95% sure is the discontinued Levenger True Writer Kyoto with a M nib. It’s filled with Midori Navy ink. I had to use a converter from another of my True Writers since the Kyoto did not come with one. There is a bright LED fixture in the basement. I used a laundry detergent cap to hold the pen, which worked well. 
 

 

[AmandaW]

1 hour ago, Misfit said:

95% sure is the discontinued Levenger True Writer Kyoto

Pretty pen, whatever it is!

[Misfit]

Thank you @AmandaW Ever since I got the Travelers Notebook Kyoto, I’ve wanted the fountain pen, knowing it was a discontinued version. I found this one on eBay without the Kyoto name. I spent time comparing it to the images of the TW Kyoto on two blogs. I overpaid a bit, but you never know when a discontinued pen will show up on eBay. 

[turbofish]

I might have too many inked up at the office. I will rotate them all throughout the day.

Work notes: not pretty, lots of me trying to figure out a problem. The solution is always SQL code.   

Top paper is Leuchtturm1917, bottom notebook is Tome River 52 gsm. Both gifts from my daughter.  The Tome River was sent from Japan in a weird bubble pack box that could have been ran over by my car and still be ok. It's actually 2 1/2 years old now. Underneath the Tome River, just out of sight is a Midori A5.
Ink is Diamine Oxblood and writers blood. Those are the two bottles left out at home next to each other and are fairly close in color. Great ink: Thanks Claes 
Pens: the blue one, Monteverde, one next to it I forgot - a cheap but good one filled with green ink which I also forgot, followed by another Monteverde. 
Bottom page, new Monteverde USA Super Mega Carbon Fiber, just delivered yesterday, Asvine P36 Titanium, TWSBI Diamond 580 

[Mangrove Jack]

11 hours ago, Baka1969 said:

 

That's my love/hate relationship with Baystate Blue. 

 

Here's my thread discussing the evil ink:

 

Baystate Blue is Evil Yet I Can't Help Myself

 

Thank you. I don't have the guts to use it. But I love the colour. 

[Baka1969]

3 minutes ago, Mangrove Jack said:

 

Thank you. I don't have the guts to use it. But I love the colour. 

 

You can do it!!! lol 

 

Half the fun is finding the right pen that'll work with it.

[pan101]

An old and dull Mabie Todd Swan No1 in not great condition but the nib makes it one of my faves.

[ParramattaPaul]

On 2/13/2024 at 2:38 AM, Mercian said:

It was in response to your earlier remarks about the great number of companies that make and sell c/c pens.

 

It was intended to show that companies generally have an interest in promoting the ink-in-cartridges filling-model over any other form of ink usage (including, it seems, NR’s reluctance to acknowledge the existence of its own converters that it makes for its own c/c pens).

i.e. to explain the reason for the phenomenon that you cited (that so many companies sell and market c/c pens).

 

You also said that most people are presumably buying and using cartridges all the time. That, too, is probably true.

But then, the usage pattern of most of what we may call ‘typical’ fountain pen owners is probably to own one (maybe two) fountain pens, and use them continually, with the same brand/colour of ink cartridge.

 

We here on FPN are ‘outliers’, in that many of us are ‘hobbyists’ who own many pens, and many inks, and like to switch between inks and pens as the fancy takes us.

Our pens are therefore more likely to sit unused for a while than is the sole fountain pen used continually with one type of cartridge by a more-typical fountain pen user such as, say, a school student.

And we hobbyists are certainly more likely to need to perform a more-thorough cleaning of our pens (e.g. when switching between different types/brands/colours of inks) than is a more-typical FP user, who just uses the same types of cartridges all the time.

 

In the ‘pen-cleaning regime’ discussions that occur here from time to time, several members have pointed out that the modern tendency for ‘obsessive’ or ‘excessive’ cleaning regimes is a new phenomenon, and that, back when fountain pens were typically in continuous use, many people never cleaned out their pens.

Even manufacturers only mentioned the idea of running tap-water through a pen’s feed/grip-section once every six months or so.

Again though, while that advice is perfectly fine for people whose ‘usage pattern’ is to use their pen continually, and with the same ink, or only switching inks rarely, it is less-appropriate for those of us ‘hobbyists’ who switch between pens and inks often.

 

Using converters in one’s pens does flush pens’ feeds more-effectively than does exclusive cartridge use (I think I remember Ron Z once saying that he advises his customers to use converters, and not cartridges, for this reason).

And for hobbyists who, like me, like to use iron-gall inks and pigment-based inks, it is important to keep the feeds of one’s pens as free from old ink residues as possible.

All true.

 

However, I personally decline the label of 'hobbyist'.  I am in fact a 'Bowerbird'.

 

My collection of 50 (that's a WAG) or so fountain pens are the result of 'me like' or 'oh, shiny', and a desire to experience how a particular vintage or modern pen writes.  Inks, as said above, do not hold the same attraction, and for that reason, I cannot claim to be a 'hobbyist'.

 

That said, I using the Onoto Excel.  I'll change it out for one of the Scholars once I have used up1 the ink in the converter.

[Baka1969]

58 minutes ago, pan101 said:

An old and dull Mabie Todd Swan No1 in not great condition but the nib makes it one of my faves.

Great line variation. 

[ehardy]

[inkstainedruth]

2 hours ago, pan101 said:

An old and dull Mabie Todd Swan No1 in not great condition but the nib makes it one of my faves.

OOOOH!  And now I want to try the ink.... Oh, the enablers on this forum! 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

[pan101]

4 hours ago, Baka1969 said:

Great line variation. 

Thanks, EF to BB, soft and wet, it is such a good nib.