What pen(s) are you using today?

[essayfaire]

On 3/18/2022 at 8:14 PM, dms525 said:

Actually, I use many pens almost every day.

I also use many pens almost every day.  Today one of those was this Pilot Metro F that was brought to me from Japan, and which I used with Yama-budo to grade. Mark Bacas tuned the nib for me last year.

[OldTravelingShoe]

Like @essayfaire, I have several pens inked and use them daily, for work. This leaves the weekend, when... I ink a few more, this time to try them out.

 

This weekend, I did mostly cleaning, but one unexpected thing happened: a battered Montblanc 242G, with stuck piston, started to work. It took more than a day of soaking to get this little pen to actually spread, rather than merely drop ink like a dip pen, and for its piston to draw in liquid, rather than stay indifferent.

 

Start of Saturday, the pen was still stubborn and difficult. I inked the nib and started to learn its ability to leave marls on paper; not bad. But I doubted I'd be able to make the whole pen work, also because I am just starting to learn how to clean fountain pens. Can't say I'm past 101, but at least perseverance paid off. 

 

By the end of Sunday, after hours of soaking with water at various temperatures, and after (literally) hundreds of tries to (gently) twist the knob, the pen agreed to cooperate. I finally inked it with Diamine Scarlet, to match its reddish ink view (the dried up ink I got out of the pen was actually blue), and did a few tests.

 

Figure 1 summarizes the results over these couple of days. Figure 2 shows the real hero in this pen, the OB nib. While not perfect, it has a fantastic range -- I'd estimate EF horizontal to B vertical, with almost all sizes in-between. (But then I'd stand corrected there is no such thing as EF or B 😄

) See for yourself, in Figure 3.

 

Figure 1. A Montblanc 242G with OB nib. 

 

Figure 2. The hero of this Montblanc 242G, its OB nib. 

 

Figure 3. Sample line range, alone or while writing proper words. This nib has strokes! 

 

Sometimes, a working pen is reward enough.

 

Thanks for reading! 

 

 

 

[mallymal1]

1 hour ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Like @essayfaire, I have several pens inked and use them daily, for work. This leaves the weekend, when... I ink a few more, this time to try them out.

 

This weekend, I did mostly cleaning, but one unexpected thing happened: a battered Montblanc 242G, with stuck piston, started to work. It took more than a day of soaking to get this little pen to actually spread, rather than merely drop ink like a dip pen, and for its piston to draw in liquid, rather than stay indifferent.

 

Start of Saturday, the pen was still stubborn and difficult. I inked the nib and started to learn its ability to leave marls on paper; not bad. But I doubted I'd be able to make the whole pen work, also because I am just starting to learn how to clean fountain pens. Can't say I'm past 101, but at least perseverance paid off. 

 

By the end of Sunday, after hours of soaking with water at various temperatures, and after (literally) hundreds of tries to (gently) twist the knob, the pen agreed to cooperate. I finally inked it with Diamine Scarlet, to match its reddish ink view (the dried up ink I got out of the pen was actually blue), and did a few tests.

 

Figure 1 summarizes the results over these couple of days. Figure 2 shows the real hero in this pen, the OB nib. While not perfect, it has a fantastic range -- I'd estimate EF horizontal to B vertical, with almost all sizes in-between. (But then I'd stand corrected there is no such thing as EF or B 😄

) See for yourself, in Figure 3.

 

Figure 1. A Montblanc 242G with OB nib. 

 

Figure 2. The hero of this Montblanc 242G, its OB nib. 

 

Figure 3. Sample line range, alone or while writing proper words. This nib has strokes! 

 

Sometimes, a working pen is reward enough.

 

Thanks for reading! 

 

 

 

 

Indeed it is. Good work.

 

Thanks for posting!

[mallymal1]

Parker Duofold Centennial. No. 85 Extra Broad nib. J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre ink.

 

[BlueJ]

1 hour ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Like @essayfaire, I have several pens inked and use them daily, for work. This leaves the weekend, when... I ink a few more, this time to try them out.

 

This weekend, I did mostly cleaning, but one unexpected thing happened: a battered Montblanc 242G, with stuck piston, started to work. It took more than a day of soaking to get this little pen to actually spread, rather than merely drop ink like a dip pen, and for its piston to draw in liquid, rather than stay indifferent.

 

Start of Saturday, the pen was still stubborn and difficult. I inked the nib and started to learn its ability to leave marls on paper; not bad. But I doubted I'd be able to make the whole pen work, also because I am just starting to learn how to clean fountain pens. Can't say I'm past 101, but at least perseverance paid off. 

 

By the end of Sunday, after hours of soaking with water at various temperatures, and after (literally) hundreds of tries to (gently) twist the knob, the pen agreed to cooperate. I finally inked it with Diamine Scarlet, to match its reddish ink view (the dried up ink I got out of the pen was actually blue), and did a few tests.

 

Figure 1 summarizes the results over these couple of days. Figure 2 shows the real hero in this pen, the OB nib. While not perfect, it has a fantastic range -- I'd estimate EF horizontal to B vertical, with almost all sizes in-between. (But then I'd stand corrected there is no such thing as EF or B 😄

) See for yourself, in Figure 3.

 

Figure 1. A Montblanc 242G with OB nib. 

 

 

What's interesting is that this appears to be a right-foot rather than left-foot oblique. Was there any special marking on the nib, blind cap or elsewhere to denote this, like "BO" rather than "OB"?

 

 

[amberleadavis]

8 hours ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

 

 

Sometimes, a working pen is reward enough.

 

Thanks for reading! 

 

 

 

 

That's beautiful and I love it!

 

7 hours ago, mallymal1 said:

Parker Duofold Centennial. No. 85 Extra Broad nib. J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre ink.

 

 

Very Beautiful!

 

[Helen350]

Pilot Custom 74 - B. nib.  Ink:  deAtramentis Adular Blue

Majohn/Moonman A1 - F. nib.  Ink:  Dryden Designs Blue/Black

[mallymal1]

Conklin Duraflex. Noodlers HOD. Think I got a good one. 🙂

 

[flodoc]

Aurora Primavera limited edition w/18K M nib and Private Reserve Blue Suede ink.

[DvdRiet]

19 hours ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Like @essayfaire, I have several pens inked and use them daily, for work. This leaves the weekend, when... I ink a few more, this time to try them out.

 

This weekend, I did mostly cleaning, but one unexpected thing happened: a battered Montblanc 242G, with stuck piston, started to work. It took more than a day of soaking to get this little pen to actually spread, rather than merely drop ink like a dip pen, and for its piston to draw in liquid, rather than stay indifferent.

 

Start of Saturday, the pen was still stubborn and difficult. I inked the nib and started to learn its ability to leave marls on paper; not bad. But I doubted I'd be able to make the whole pen work, also because I am just starting to learn how to clean fountain pens. Can't say I'm past 101, but at least perseverance paid off. 

 

By the end of Sunday, after hours of soaking with water at various temperatures, and after (literally) hundreds of tries to (gently) twist the knob, the pen agreed to cooperate. I finally inked it with Diamine Scarlet, to match its reddish ink view (the dried up ink I got out of the pen was actually blue), and did a few tests.

 

Figure 1 summarizes the results over these couple of days. Figure 2 shows the real hero in this pen, the OB nib. While not perfect, it has a fantastic range -- I'd estimate EF horizontal to B vertical, with almost all sizes in-between. (But then I'd stand corrected there is no such thing as EF or B 😄

) See for yourself, in Figure 3.

 

Figure 1. A Montblanc 242G with OB nib. 

 

Figure 2. The hero of this Montblanc 242G, its OB nib. 

 

Figure 3. Sample line range, alone or while writing proper words. This nib has strokes! 

 

Sometimes, a working pen is reward enough.

 

Thanks for reading! 

 

 

 

Wow! That is fantastic!! Congratulations on getting it going again. Sometimes, thankfully, all they need is a good, long, warm bath - not unlike the rest of us.  

[OldTravelingShoe]

1 hour ago, DvdRiet said:

Wow! That is fantastic!! Congratulations on getting it going again. Sometimes, thankfully, all they need is a good, long, warm bath - not unlike the rest of us.  

Haha, quite right you are! I feel like these are the stages every newbie has to traverse in this hobby. Experiencing different types of nibs, replacing nib units, now fixing simple issues with vintage pens. It's a lot to explore and a lot of fun. Plus it helps when the FPN community is so friendly and encouraging 😄 Many thanks to all! 

[Gloucesterman]

6 minutes ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Haha, quite right you are! I feel like these are the stages every newbie has to traverse in this hobby. Experiencing different types of nibs, replacing nib units, now fixing simple issues with vintage pens. It's a lot to explore and a lot of fun. Plus it helps when the FPN community is so friendly and encouraging 😄 Many thanks to all! 

Your recognition and appreciation is noted.

 

Also, please recognize that as part of this community you share in the process of enhancing it with your presence and, I might add, your presents.

Be aware that your contribution can / does take many forms. It can come in the form of active assistance as well as simply reading and acknowledging the contributions of others. Although the financial aspects of FPN are not flaunted or aggressively promoted they are still an important part of our/its existence. Eac person chooses their own way of supporting our community.

 

Enjoy your presence here as one of our community and thank you for being here.

[amberleadavis]

36 minutes ago, Gloucesterman said:

Your recognition and appreciation is noted.

 

Also, please recognize that as part of this community you share in the process of enhancing it with your presence and, I might add, your presents.

Be aware that your contribution can / does take many forms. It can come in the form of active assistance as well as simply reading and acknowledging the contributions of others. Although the financial aspects of FPN are not flaunted or aggressively promoted they are still an important part of our/its existence. Eac person chooses their own way of supporting our community.

 

Enjoy your presence here as one of our community and thank you for being here.

 

 

What a lovely way to express how important contributions can be, and how contributions like help, take more than one form.

[amberleadavis]

2 hours ago, mallymal1 said:

Conklin Duraflex. Noodlers HOD. Think I got a good one. 🙂

 

 

2 hours ago, flodoc said:

Aurora Primavera limited edition w/18K M nib and Private Reserve Blue Suede ink.

 

 

Very nice.

[Gloucesterman]

3 hours ago, amberleadavis said:

 

 

What a lovely way to express how important contributions can be, and how contributions like help, take more than one form.

Thank you Amber. It is truly a pleasure.

 

In fact, that is one of the many things I have learned from you and your participation here on FPN. Of course there are so many others that fulfill the true essence of the FPN community yet to be acknowledged.

[essayfaire]

At the moment I am using a blue carbonesque F Vanishing Point, permanently paired with Tsuki-yo, that is engraved on the clip so that the engraving won't mess with the finish.

 

The nice thing about the carbonesque is that it hides the dents the pen has gotten from rolling off my lap, being dropped, etc.  I absolutely adore this pen, I use it almost every day. The only drawback is the crappy capacity of the ink reservoir.

[ParramattaPaul]

I had paperwork to do today, so three pens have been put to the task.  An Onoto Magna, a Conway Stewart, and a Stilform.

 

[amberleadavis]

1 hour ago, Gloucesterman said:

Thank you Amber. It is truly a pleasure.

 

In fact, that is one of the many things I have learned from you and your participation here on FPN. Of course there are so many others that fulfill the true essence of the FPN community yet to be acknowledged.

 

 

🥰

[essayfaire]

1 hour ago, ParramattaPaul said:

An Onoto Magna, a Conway Stewart, and a Stilform.

Details on the Stilform in hand, please!  Which nib size? You seem to have a classic to modern day today.

[ParramattaPaul]

1 hour ago, essayfaire said:

Details on the Stilform in hand, please!  Which nib size? You seem to have a classic to modern day today.

I bought the Stilform last year -- actually and more correctly pre-ordered it in December 2020 -- when they were looking for start-up capital.  I liked the uniqueness of an aluminium pen that uses magnetism to secure a slip-on cap.  A mid-June delivery was promised, but it wasn't delivered until August.  It's nicely made.  I chose a broad nib that has proved to be comparable in line width and smoothness to more expensive pens.  The nib appears to be a Bock.  The one significant issue I've had is that it didn't like the Blackbird Inks Blackbird Black or Diamine Regency Blue inks that I tried initially.  Both inks seemed to have flow problems after a day of non-use.  That said, the pen feeds Registrar's Blue-Black well. 

 

I have to admit that I like the pen more now that I have it filled with Registrar's ink.  Previously, given the flow issue with Blackbird or Diamine, it rivalled my Lamy Safari as my most disliked pen.