What pen(s) are you using today?

[fpupulin]

4 hours ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

I've been looking for a good optical instrument, and bought several very cheap loupes, one forming a 3cm x 3cm stand with a 10x lens but considerable visual aberration at the sodes (see my Fude pic), and one hand-held BelOMO 10x. 

 

Do you, @A Smug Dill, or does anyone know what would be good lenses for a reasonable budget (say, <100€)?

 

I remember @fpupulin showing amazing magnified pics of Montblanc nibs, but he seems to have used professional gear for botanists. Maybe some cheap digital microscope could be similar - but which? 

I thank that with a Belomo 10x, which has a lens more than 20mm in diameter, you are fine as to observation. I was unable to find any information about color correction in this particular loupe, besides it is aplanatic.

An extraordinary loupe for observation is the Zeiss foldable 10x, which is aplanatic AND achromatic. Notwithstanding its small diameter (11mm if I remember well), it remains by far my best loupe for observation in this range of magnification. With a little search, you may find one close to the budget you have.

With A LOT of creativity and gimmicks, you may photograph through this loupe, as it is correct at least for two colors, so with limited ghost color fringes. It is not a simple challenge, however.

For true macro-photography, up to the realm of photomacrography - and guessing you already have a SLR camera -, the best and more economic way to go is buying a specialized lens. The best one, in my opinion, is a Zeiss Luminar 40mm. Not in the budget you have available, though.

[AGF]

 Inoxcrom Andreas, a beautiful jewel.

[inkstainedruth]

5 hours ago, mizgeorge said:

How strange. I have Chicago in a vintage Kaweco Kadett with a fine nib and a Pilot Plumix with a Penmanship EF, and whilst it isn't the wettest ink I own, it's certainly not dry to the point of being in any way troublesome. I like it a lot.

It may not just be the ink.  It may be a combination of the pen and the ink.  Both for what you used Chicago in, and what AmandaW used.

I tried a sample of Noodler's Walnut a few years ago and it was dry dry dry.  But it turned out the pen I had first put it in, a Platinum Plaisir, was a dry writer -- even with a medium nib.  When I put the same ink into an older Pelikan M400, with a fine nib?  Completely different experience.  The dry ink curbed the wet pen, and the pen in turn coaxed better flow out of the ink.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[dms525]

Today's carry ...

 

 

David

[OldTravelingShoe]

7 hours ago, fpupulin said:

I thank that with a Belomo 10x, which has a lens more than 20mm in diameter, you are fine as to observation. I was unable to find any information about color correction in this particular loupe, besides it is aplanatic.

An extraordinary loupe for observation is the Zeiss foldable 10x, which is aplanatic AND achromatic. Notwithstanding its small diameter (11mm if I remember well), it remains by far my best loupe for observation in this range of magnification. With a little search, you may find one close to the budget you have.

With A LOT of creativity and gimmicks, you may photograph through this loupe, as it is correct at least for two colors, so with limited ghost color fringes. It is not a simple challenge, however.

For true macro-photography, up to the realm of photomacrography - and guessing you already have a SLR camera -, the best and more economic way to go is buying a specialized lens. The best one, in my opinion, is a Zeiss Luminar 40mm. Not in the budget you have available, though.

Many thanks, @fpupulin, this is very helpful. Lots of things to ponder. Also, who knew that when talking pens, even the budget must show signs of flex 😄

[flybigj]

9 hours ago, mallymal1 said:

 

I take it you quite like this pen? 😁

 

Looks great! Congrats.

Beautiful pen.  Great photography.

[flybigj]

TWISBI Swipe - Chesterfield Sapphire Blue

[essayfaire]

14 hours ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

I've been looking for a good optical instrument, and bought several very cheap loupes, one forming a 3cm x 3cm stand with a 10x lens but considerable visual aberration at the sodes (see my Fude pic), and one hand-held BelOMO 10x. 

 

Do you, @A Smug Dill, or does anyone know what would be good lenses for a reasonable budget (say, <100€)?

 

I remember @fpupulin showing amazing magnified pics of Montblanc nibs, but he seems to have used professional gear for botanists. Maybe some cheap digital microscope could be similar - but which? 

Not sure if it's worth if internationally, but we have gotten reasonably-priced microscope from AmScope.  https://amscope.com

[essayfaire]

2 hours ago, dms525 said:

Today's carry ...

 

 

David

I think I would be afraid to take such a pen out of my house! Unless you're just carrying from room to room... Beauty.

[dms525]

16 minutes ago, essayfaire said:

I think I would be afraid to take such a pen out of my house! Unless you're just carrying from room to room... Beauty.

 

I inked it because it is short enough to fit safely in my shirt pocket. (The trend toward over-size pens has it's downside.) It had a little outing today, but it spends most of it's life in a Toyooka Craft pen case together with my other Aurora Optimas.

 

David

[Lexus77]

On 5/13/2022 at 1:41 PM, OldTravelingShoe said:

Very nice collection, @Lexus77, both of pens and of inks. Thanks for sharing!

 

Would you like to share also some photos? This will "enable" some new buys, I'm afraid, but it will also be a very nice ending of the week. 

Of course, I will do my best. I'll get to it one of these days, and mention you when I post my pictures.

[Lexus77]

On 5/13/2022 at 1:41 PM, OldTravelingShoe said:

Very nice collection, @Lexus77, both of pens and of inks. Thanks for sharing!

 

Would you like to share also some photos? This will "enable" some new buys, I'm afraid, but it will also be a very nice ending of the week. 

 

I'm not the best photographer, and my phone cam isn't the best cam, but here are some pictures.
First is my Conklin Duragraph. I love this pen so much, I also bought it in amber, and I'm considering buying it in  one or two more colours. I love how hefty it is, and the look of the resin. It's also a very dependable writer, that writes very smoothly. Not a pen you post though, because it becomes a backheavy baseball bat.
 

Next is my Monteverde artista crystal.
A true beauty, with a nice weight to it. Also a very smooth writer, but with a bit of drag to it, which I don't mind. Somehow the drag makes it feel smoother, if that makes sense to anyone else but myself... I love the material and the colour on this. I remember seeing a picture of it on this forum, and instantly deciding I needed this in my life. I haven't regretted that decision.

Then my Monteverde Jewelria. Absolutely gorgeous. A bit on the thin side to my taste (as I like big and hefty pens)  but still very comfortable. As you may be able to see, this is a 1.1 mm stub nib. It's a smooth writer, but I do have to write deliberately and slowly or it will skip. Would have been better if it was a bit wetter, but it still finds its way into my rotation every so often.

My Parker 51. One of three in my collection, and I was able to date this one to the late 50s. A lot of feedback, as is my experience with all the 51s I've used, and definitely a narrow pen to my taste, but a pen I love nonetheless. They're wonderfully wet writers, in my experience. There's almost always a 51 in my rotation, as I'm very proud of owning these miracles of engineering and design, even if they aren't most comfortable for long writing sessions. Also I love the rich history of them, and I've actually held long monologues about it to peopel who were willing to listen. They're great for quick notes or journal entries. I also have one in green (that seems to be a bit younger) and a grey vacumatic that still needs a repair on the ink sack.

My TWSBI Diamond 580. Definitely the pen I love most (but don't let the other hear it!)
The weight and balance of it is just perfect in my hand, and it's a smooth writer with a very nice pencil-like feedback. I have to find a way to get some old inkstains out of the cap though. I'm considering buying an ultrasonic cleaner for this purpose. I love the filling mechanism and the huge ink capacity on this thing. Also, it seems to be very reliable, not even giving me a hard start after a long period of rest, and absolutely never skipping. The material on this is clearer and shinier than on the Eco I also have. It feels luxurious.

[mallymal1]

1 hour ago, Lexus77 said:

 

I'm not the best photographer, and my phone cam isn't the best cam, but here are some pictures.
First is my Conklin Duragraph. I love this pen so much, I also bought it in amber, and I'm considering buying it in  one or two more colours. I love how hefty it is, and the look of the resin. It's also a very dependable writer, that writes very smoothly. Not a pen you post though, because it becomes a backheavy baseball bat.
 

Next is my Monteverde artista crystal.
A true beauty, with a nice weight to it. Also a very smooth writer, but with a bit of drag to it, which I don't mind. Somehow the drag makes it feel smoother, if that makes sense to anyone else but myself... I love the material and the colour on this. I remember seeing a picture of it on this forum, and instantly deciding I needed this in my life. I haven't regretted that decision.

Then my Monteverde Jewelria. Absolutely gorgeous. A bit on the thin side to my taste (as I like big and hefty pens)  but still very comfortable. As you may be able to see, this is a 1.1 mm stub nib. It's a smooth writer, but I do have to write deliberately and slowly or it will skip. Would have been better if it was a bit wetter, but it still finds its way into my rotation every so often.

My Parker 51. One of three in my collection, and I was able to date this one to the late 50s. A lot of feedback, as is my experience with all the 51s I've used, and definitely a narrow pen to my taste, but a pen I love nonetheless. They're wonderfully wet writers, in my experience. There's almost always a 51 in my rotation, as I'm very proud of owning these miracles of engineering and design, even if they aren't most comfortable for long writing sessions. Also I love the rich history of them, and I've actually held long monologues about it to peopel who were willing to listen. They're great for quick notes or journal entries. I also have one in green (that seems to be a bit younger) and a grey vacumatic that still needs a repair on the ink sack.

My TWSBI Diamond 580. Definitely the pen I love most (but don't let the other hear it!)
The weight and balance of it is just perfect in my hand, and it's a smooth writer with a very nice pencil-like feedback. I have to find a way to get some old inkstains out of the cap though. I'm considering buying an ultrasonic cleaner for this purpose. I love the filling mechanism and the huge ink capacity on this thing. Also, it seems to be very reliable, not even giving me a hard start after a long period of rest, and absolutely never skipping. The material on this is clearer and shinier than on the Eco I also have. It feels luxurious.

 

Wonderful selection of pens. Many thanks for sharing.

[mallymal1]

Duke 209, with a really fun Fude nib. Inked with Robert Oster Lake of Fire.

 

 

Many thanks to @OldTravelingShoe for the heads up on this pen. 👍

[lionelc]

looks like i have been missing out - just tried an aurora 88k from 1956, surprised me by how good a hooded nib can be - semiflexible and it comes with a piston filling mechanism.  broke my no new pens in 2022 rule again but totally worth it.

 

 

 

 

[Lexus77]

Just now, lionelc said:

looks like i have been missing out - just tried an aurora 88k from 1956, surprised me by how good a hooded nib can be - semiflexible and it comes with a piston filling mechanism.  broke my no new pens in 2022 rule again but totally worth it.

 

 

 

 

Really a beauty! 
And don't worry about the no new pens rule. This one's vintage, not new.

[mallymal1]

4 minutes ago, lionelc said:

looks like i have been missing out - just tried an aurora 88k from 1956, surprised me by how good a hooded nib can be - semiflexible and it comes with a piston filling mechanism.  broke my no new pens in 2022 rule again but totally worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

Great pens. Congrats.

[lionelc]

enablers!!!  thanks @Lexus77, you are almost as bad as fountainbel and his new conid creations.  

[Lexus77]

3 minutes ago, lionelc said:

enablers!!!  thanks @Lexus77, you are almost as bad as fountainbel and his new conid creations.  

Sometimes we just need a little encouragement, don't we?
As my mother always said: It's better to regret the things you've done, than to regret the things you didn't.

[OldTravelingShoe]

2 hours ago, Lexus77 said:

 

I'm not the best photographer, and my phone cam isn't the best cam, but here are some pictures.
First is my Conklin Duragraph. I love this pen so much, I also bought it in amber, and I'm considering buying it in  one or two more colours. I love how hefty it is, and the look of the resin. It's also a very dependable writer, that writes very smoothly. Not a pen you post though, because it becomes a backheavy baseball bat.
 

Next is my Monteverde artista crystal.
A true beauty, with a nice weight to it. Also a very smooth writer, but with a bit of drag to it, which I don't mind. Somehow the drag makes it feel smoother, if that makes sense to anyone else but myself... I love the material and the colour on this. I remember seeing a picture of it on this forum, and instantly deciding I needed this in my life. I haven't regretted that decision.

Then my Monteverde Jewelria. Absolutely gorgeous. A bit on the thin side to my taste (as I like big and hefty pens)  but still very comfortable. As you may be able to see, this is a 1.1 mm stub nib. It's a smooth writer, but I do have to write deliberately and slowly or it will skip. Would have been better if it was a bit wetter, but it still finds its way into my rotation every so often.

My Parker 51. One of three in my collection, and I was able to date this one to the late 50s. A lot of feedback, as is my experience with all the 51s I've used, and definitely a narrow pen to my taste, but a pen I love nonetheless. They're wonderfully wet writers, in my experience. There's almost always a 51 in my rotation, as I'm very proud of owning these miracles of engineering and design, even if they aren't most comfortable for long writing sessions. Also I love the rich history of them, and I've actually held long monologues about it to peopel who were willing to listen. They're great for quick notes or journal entries. I also have one in green (that seems to be a bit younger) and a grey vacumatic that still needs a repair on the ink sack.

My TWSBI Diamond 580. Definitely the pen I love most (but don't let the other hear it!)
The weight and balance of it is just perfect in my hand, and it's a smooth writer with a very nice pencil-like feedback. I have to find a way to get some old inkstains out of the cap though. I'm considering buying an ultrasonic cleaner for this purpose. I love the filling mechanism and the huge ink capacity on this thing. Also, it seems to be very reliable, not even giving me a hard start after a long period of rest, and absolutely never skipping. The material on this is clearer and shinier than on the Eco I also have. It feels luxurious.

Thumbs up multiple times, thanks for sharing, @Lexus77!@Lexus77! True collection - each pen a story. 

 

(Don't worry about the pics, only professional photographers have truly different pics from the rest of us.)