What pen(s) are you using today?

[mallymal1]

16 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

Thats a really attractive material that pen is made from.  I'm not familiar with the model at all.  What sort of fill system does it have?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

It's a lever filler, Ruth.

 

I see them advertised as Eversharp Kingswood pens, on eBay. As far as I know, they were produced by Parker, after they had bought out Wahl Eversharp.

 

The barrel imprint simply reads "KINGSWOOD" and "BRITISH MADE".

[mallymal1]

Parker 25, inked with Diamine Blue Black.

 

[OldTravelingShoe]

6 hours ago, N1003U said:

That is a lovely area, and you have created a lovely sketch!

Thank you for your kind words. Also, very nice to encounter fellow mountaineers. (Although the mountains I'm experiencing these days are smaller than in my youth. Legs are shakier, hehe.) 

[OldTravelingShoe]

TL;DR: A small set of pens is all one needs to draw a fox from the Harz Mountains. We encountered it on a slope. It startled and then it quickly traversed a road. I didn't even have time to get a photo, so now all I have to remember it by is this drawing. 

 

Figures 1 and 2 show the fox-like creature (my first, and not too well drawn) and the tools. Pens include an Opus88 Demonstrator with steel 1.5 mm stub nib inked with Sailor Kiwaguro black, a Platinum #3776 Century with Coarse 14k nib inked with Diamine Pumpkin orange, and a Parker 45 with F steel-or-gold (?) nib inked with Noodler's Harold's Hearse yellow-green. 

 

Figure 1. There was once a fox in the Harz Mountains. This is likely its cousin. 

 

Figure 2. The tools to capture a fox while it remains happily in its habitat. Someday I'll learn how to draw the full habitat as well. 

 

Enjoy the day! 

 

[InkyColors]

57 minutes ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

TL;DR: A small set of pens is all one needs to draw a fox from the Harz Mountains. We encountered it on a slope. It startled and then it quickly traversed a road. I didn't even have time to get a photo, so now all I have to remember it by is this drawing. 

 

Figures 1 and 2 show the fox-like creature (my first, and not too well drawn) and the tools. Pens include an Opus88 Demonstrator with steel 1.5 mm stub nib inked with Sailor Kiwaguro black, a Platinum #3776 Century with Coarse 14k nib inked with Diamine Pumpkin orange, and a Parker 45 with F steel-or-gold (?) nib inked with Noodler's Harold's Hearse yellow-green. 

 

Figure 1. There was once a fox in the Harz Mountains. This is likely its cousin. 

 

Figure 2. The tools to capture a fox while it remains happily in its habitat. Someday I'll learn how to draw the full habitat as well. 

 

Enjoy the day! 

 

Beautiful drawing!

[jandrew]

Franklin Christoph 20 with Kirk Speer PO nib

[Peter_H]

5 minutes ago, jandrew said:

Franklin Christoph 20 with Kirk Speer PO nib

 

Nice!  😁👏

 

 

Looks like today will mainly be my EDC, gifted to me at Christmas:

 

Kaweco Sport, EF nib, Bronze clip, Diamine Sapphire Blue

 

 

[taimdala]

12 hours ago, IThinkIHaveAProblem said:

@taimdala

 

re safe inks: 

http://www.richardspens.com/ref/care/inks.htm

http://www.richardspens.com/ref/care/care.htm

Waterman, Pelikan, Sheaffer and Parker (Quink only! Not Superchrome or “51” ink!) and most Diamine (non shimmer, non sheen ) inks are usually considered “safe”.  Generally, if a pen company made it, it should be ok. 

I DO use Noodler’s inks, but I’m careful which ink goes into which pen.

Ex: “51” aerometrics are battle tanks that i don’t worry about one bit. Twsbi eco? 54th Mass?.. let’s do this!  But i won’t put a “Bulletproof” Noodler’s ink in a Sheaffer with a visualated section or a vacumatic.  And since i do my own repairs (I’m weird, i find fixing snorkels to be relaxing…), if a sac gooifies, I’ll be annoyed but i can fix it, admittedly not everyone can do that.

 

for threads here about safe inks?…

use this as your google search:

safe inks site:fountainpennetwork.com
 

tl;dr. Massive can of worms that often, but not always, degenerates into Noodler’s lovers and haters yelling at each other  
 
i am by no means an authority on this stuff. (Or anything for that matter…) I’m just a dude, who likes pens, and reads about them… a lot.

So i advise you to do a lot of reading too and draw your own conclusions.  

 

re storage of your Sheaffer:

Your pen is made of celluloid (i think). Celluloid needs to breathe. The link below is excellent. I suggest the “storage” section of the page

http://dirck.delint.ca/beta/?page_id=16#FEEDING

here’s another:

http://www.richardspens.com/ref/care/dos_donts.htm

 

Both Dirck and Richard’s pages are AMAZING resources. You can (and I HAVE) spend literally hours and hours reading them and learning

 

re esties: I would be a bigger fan of current esterbrook if the would restart manufacturing of the old style nibs. They ARE a finite resource…

Also since the colours are what drew you in, google “icicle esterbrook” if you don’t already know what they are. (I’m sorry for the damage i just caused your wallet…)

 

WOW!  Thank you so much, @IThinkIHaveAProblem.  This is such a generous post. Youvve given me a lot to dive into, yay! 

 

(If I don't resurface by Sunday, send in the Marines. 😉 )

 

I didn't know that celluloid needed to breathe. My Sheaffer is in a woven nylon zip case of a somewhat heavy denier--the French term "den-YAY", not the English word "den-EYE-er"--that I think will breathe sufficiently.

 

So it should be safe.

 

I remember reading somewhere that celluloid is flammable and that gun cotton is closely related to it. However, I *think* the form of celluloid used for pen bodies is much more stable/inert.

 

It's not like we're carrying nitroglycerine or phosphorus-tipped matches in our pockets or anything.

 

(Although I can definitely see a MacGyver episode where with shavings from a vintage celluloid pen barrel and a magnifying lens focusing sunlight, you could create life-saving fire in the wilderness. It's not as far-fetched as some.of the other MacGyverisms I've seen.)

 

(And yes, I prefer the 80s version of the show, although I also liked the expanded cast of the 21st century revival.)

 

Re: My Wallet

 

Awww, no worries! It has a shopping addiction and gets cranky if it can't come out and play every so often.

[taimdala]

1 hour ago, jandrew said:

Franklin Christoph 20 with Kirk Speer PO nib

 

PO nib?

 

I know this must be a silly question but I'll ask anyway:

 

PO = Posting nib, right? And if so, what makes a posting nib different from other nibs? Places online where I've seen the abbreviation defined have so far failed to describe the nib's sepcialized function.

 

I assume "posting" does not mean posting in the manner of putting the pen cap on the rear of the pen, but instead refers to writing on envelopes/things to be posted in the mail?

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

@taimdala

 

you’re welcome

 

my two favourite uses of celluloid are pens and guitar picks. 
 

the celluloid used in pens is in fact quite flammable from what i understand.  
LOTS of warnings in the repair forums WRT heat and celluloid pens…

i have not yet had the misfortune of finding out for myself. 
 

not to step on @jandrew‘s toes but Posting nibs can be read about here:

http://www.richardspens.com/ref/gloss/P.htm (“Post” #3)

[jandrew]

16 minutes ago, taimdala said:

 

PO nib?

 

I know this must be a silly question but I'll ask anyway:

 

PO = Posting nib, right? And if so, what makes a posting nib different from other nibs? Places online where I've seen the abbreviation defined have so far failed to describe the nib's sepcialized function.

 

I assume "posting" does not mean posting in the manner of putting the pen cap on the rear of the pen, but instead refers to writing on envelopes/things to be posted in the mail?

Posting nib is typically very fine (EF or needlepoint) and often has a characteristic downturned nib --- this geometry makes the nib relatively stiff and inhibits microflexing of the tines. Such a nib allows a fine line with no line variation, and can function well on less than ideal paper.

[OldTravelingShoe]

2 hours ago, jandrew said:

Franklin Christoph 20 with Kirk Speer PO nib

Very nice nib and pen, @jandrew. Love the drawing too 😄

[taimdala]

52 minutes ago, jandrew said:

Posting nib is typically very fine (EF or needlepoint) and often has a characteristic downturned nib --- this geometry makes the nib relatively stiff and inhibits microflexing of the tines. Such a nib allows a fine line with no line variation, and can function well on less than ideal paper.

 EF is my preferred nib. Yay! 

 

Going by impressions based on the word choice, is microflexing a bad thing?

[taimdala]

1 hour ago, IThinkIHaveAProblem said:

@taimdala

 

you’re welcome

 

my two favourite uses of celluloid are pens and guitar picks. 
 

the celluloid used in pens is in fact quite flammable from what i understand.  
LOTS of warnings in the repair forums WRT heat and celluloid pens…

i have not yet had the misfortune of finding out for myself. 
 

not to step on @jandrew‘s toes but Posting nibs can be read about here:

http://www.richardspens.com/ref/gloss/P.htm (“Post” #3)

 

Oh good! I've seen Richard's site but haven't delved into it just yet. It was a bit hard to choose where to go first! But now I have a map pin sunk in it, thanks to your link. I'll check it out on my break. 

 

Thank you, @IThinkIHaveAProblem!

[taimdala]

Re: Flammability of celluloid pens

 

I'll make sure to keep my pens away from open flame and other heat sources. Thanks for the warning!

[jandrew]

5 minutes ago, taimdala said:

 EF is my preferred nib. Yay! 

 

Going by impressions based on the word choice, is microflexing a bad thing?

I wouldn't say a bad thing --- I mean, people pay a premium for ultra flexy nibs. However, for nice fine lines, a stiff, non-flexing nib can give a more uniform writing/drawing experience, even when writing/sketching quickly or using less than perfect paper.

[A Smug Dill]

2 hours ago, taimdala said:

PO = Posting nib, right? And if so, what makes a posting nib different from other nibs? Places online where I've seen the abbreviation defined have so far failed to describe the nib's sepcialized function.

 

https://www.pilot-custom.jp/en/feature/nib.html

 

If I recall correctly, the size #5 EF nib on my Pilot Custom Heritage 91 produces marginally finer lines that the size #10 PO nib on my Pilot Custom Heritage 912.

 

51 minutes ago, taimdala said:

Going by impressions based on the word choice, is microflexing a bad thing?

 

If nothing else, micro-flexing of the tines would lead to increased and/or uneven ink flow when the user presses down, which isn't what you'd want when drawing very fine lines with uniform width and (lack of) shading. On the other hand, if you're trying to produce 'small' Songti (or Mingti) style writing to fit a 5mm or even 3.5mm square grid, then the ability to micro-flex the tines is a useful thing. 

[essayfaire]

9 hours ago, jandrew said:

Franklin Christoph 20 with Kirk Speer PO nib

I see what you do with this beautiful pen and feel woefully inadequate.  Lovely.

[Helen350]

HongDian 100 Piston FP - F. nib.  Ink:  Chesterfield Xircon

[dms525]

I took advantage of the recent Ranga group buy for their new oversize Samurai model. It arrived yesterday, and I inked it today. I am finding it very comfortable to write with. It is very light for its size, being made of ebonite. I had the section threaded to take a #8 Bock nib and had the nib ground to CI by fpnibs for this pen.

 

 

 

To give you a better sense of this pen's size, here it is with a Pelikan M800, Kanilea Pen Company Lewa Lani and a Leonardo Momento Zero Grande.

 

 

David