>Topics appropriate for discussion- Pens, Pencils, and various other types of stationed equipment- Paper brands and types- Inks- Carrying Cases- Pen Design >Previous Thread -
>>18053134Make way for the king!Cope and seethe faggots lmao.
not ment in a rude way but why is this posted on fa? seems like there are multiple boards more suitable for this.
What's the point of a Pelikan? It's extremely plasticky and the nib selection is boring. Montblanc is a status symbol, and doesn't have that stripes design on the body that makes the Pelikan a little unpleasant to look at.
>>18053309Lots of people like their nibs and the way they look. Lots of people don’t like how Montblancs write. Most people who like fountain pens aren’t just buying them for wealth flexing.
>>18053322This.
>>18053209Pens are fashion.
>>18053333Damn. Look at those digits. I guess you are right.
>>18053333wrong, and your last 'general' died at 14 posts/thread
My daily drivers are my Sailor Pro Gear and my Pilot Vanishing Point. My favorite inks are Tsuki-Yo and Yama-Buda from Iroshizuku. Sailor's 21k nib is so goated. It's smooth like gold, but ginded in a way that it feels like graphite on paper. It gives you the fine control a mechanical pencil gives you.
>>18053309>What's the point of a Pelikan?Dunno. Lots of hype, but they seem overpriced to me. Do they even have gold nibs? For me it's 18k+ gold nib or I'd rather use my Parker Jotter.
>>18053356Yeah of course they do, The M800 comes with an 18k and the M1000 comes with a 21k nib.
>>18053355
>>18053355>>18053362nice, I've been eyeing one of the sailor seasonal editions. Got some Manyo Koke ink and some Date Gokoro it's a lovely dark purple.
>>18053356They make a very wide selection of pens from children’s models like the Pelikano through limited editions of their Souveraen line that cost thousands of euros.
>>18053363Sailor inks are my favorites. Iroshizuku have nice colors but are a little wet for my taste. I wish the nicer Sailor inks still came in big bottles though.
>>18053355looks nice, makes me want to get one, too, so I planned my collection further:>have two blue and silver pens in a blue case>have a gold and black pen, silver and red pen in a red casewant one pilot pen, so I need to decide on something else:>blue case, two blue/silver>red case, two red/silver (new red might be a sailor pro gear)>grey or black case: two black/silver, one would be a pilot, the other maybe pelikan)which leaves me with the black/gold one again...
>>18053209Some people are autistic enough/insecure enough that they need to overpay for a pen so they can take it out every 5 minutes in the vain hope that someone asks them about it. Autism/insecurity go hand in hand on /fa
>>18053428And you got angry enough about it to post here. Someone did something right.
>>18053366I like their colors but that smell is so fucking off putting.
>>18053438I don’t mind it. It’s like magic markers.
>>18053446It gives me headaches.
Any advice on how to deal with ink drying out? I have a vanishing point medium nib that I dont carry because it isnt consistent enough to quickly write my signature, for example. It has to be "primed" which is an instant boner killer when you whip out a fine writing instrument (you expect it to work better, not worse than a plebeian pen). I have tried a couple different inks, and have cleaned it with speedball, no change. Thoughts? btw I live in a dry climate so i know I might be fucked
>>18053819What ink is in it right now? What inks have you tried?
>>18053819i have an inkwell that holds water instead of ink, so I dip a dry pen to get the ink flowing. Since you're talking about signatures I assume that you wouldn't have access to your own water
>>18053846Pen is dry in storage atm, but I was using shin-ryoku iroshizuku cartridges. Before that I was using diamine bottled ink, which was marginally better.>>18053904Yeah thats what I ended up doing at home, which worked ok, but my main use case for a pen is on the go. It probably doesnt help that the vp is stowed tip up, due to the clip design, which is less messy, yes, but then gravity is working against you when it comes time to write.
>>18053819It could be anything. I had a Lamy that never wrote right, no matter what I did. I eventually did the brown paper bag trick until it kind of worked. Sometimes nibs have flaws. If the tines are even a fraction of a millimeter too far apart it can dry out.
>>18053151>poorfag calling himself a kingReally can't make this up
>>18055056he got rich by not falling for the expensive pen meme
>>18055078I got into fountain pens because they are much cheaper to refill than my preferred rollerballs.
>>18053209for me, /fa/ is fashion and general aesthetics
Anyone used these before?
>>18055126Eh they’re alright. The nibs are lackluster but I guess they’re built well.
>>18055126>Anyone used these before?Yeah, they're nice EDC pens in plastic. They're a little heavy in brass but, then again, they're for jotting down notes, not writing out full pages of text.Their gold nibs are definitely not a worthwhile upgrade it but their steel nibs are pretty decent.
Are type writers welcomed here?
>>18055288Bring it in!
>>18055288Hell yeah.I remember learning to type on an old Olympia Carrera.
>>18055288>>18055289>>18055298What is /wg/ process? I tend to write a basic idea with a ball point on a legal pad. After about a week or so I'll review the legal pad and type up anything I like and proof-read on my old Olympia (Not mine in the photo, just an example). I find that the physical aspect of the type writer is very enjoyable including the sound it makes. Plus I like it's all offline and not electronic.
>>18055126I have the brass one and it sucks as a writing tool. Way too heavy and unbalanced.
>>18055126What about the steel version?
>>18055380still heavy. just get the plastic one.
>>18055350Beautiful. For me it's a computer or a (fountain) pen.
>have one fountain pen for every one of my inksanyone else do this?
>>18055651>anyone else do this?I used to. Then the ink collection got too big.I've been able to cut down.One pen for an iron-gall blue-black for professional stuff that should be in permanent ink,one for the Iroshizuku Kon-peki that I do 90% of my writing in.Then a dip pen for all other inks. I can rinse it off and switch to a different ink in seconds.
>>18055651I have 3 pens and 4 inks. Montblanc royal blue, edelstein jade, platinum forest black, lamy blue black
>>18055350I usually scribble down notes on anything, envelopes, receipts, etc.Then, every few days, I review them and write them down by hand in my notebook if they still make sense to me.I do like typewriters, though. They force you to think about what you're writing before you write it since you can't delete and re-write text easily.
>>18055655dip pens don't hold enough ink for my taste, but they can be nice for calligraphy
>>18057718I usually get a sentence out of a single dip. You get into a nice rhythm.
>>18055655>iron-gall>permanent inkMy good manYou need something archivalIron gall ink will erode paper over time
>>18059274Properly formulated modern iron gall inks don't have tons of excess free acids like the old ones do so they won't literally burn through the page. They are "permanent" but modern pigment based permanent inks are probably a better choice overall for archvial writing.
>>18055655dip pen is based, especially if you can swap nibs easily. might consider this
>>18059274Diamine Registrar's Ink is an archive quality iron-gall ink.That's what I use.
Is there a nib type that produces narrow down strokes and wide side strokes?
>>18062021Yes kike of course there is. The Architect/Hebrew Nib
tthis thread is so beautiful
>>18062036Yeah this was really fun to read through. One of the best /fa/ggot threads in a while.
transparent Pilot Kakuno in Fine + CON-70 + Noodler's Black + cheap copy paper
>>18062182was designed for kids but I don't give a shit it just werks
>>18062182ToT
Not into calligraphy but I would like to improve my cursive handwriting any good places to start?
>>18062205If you’ve been taught cursive in school (and thus actually know all the letter forms) then all you need is patience and practice.
>>18062205I learned cursive in grade school with a 25 cent bic disposable. I have about $1k in fountain pens so if that makes me an authority take it from me, fancy pens have nothing to do with cursive. doesn't take away from the fun but it's like thinking you need a fp journe to tell time
>>18062182Looks cool
>>18062205If you really want to use a fountain pen to learn cursive you can get one of the dirt cheap noodler’s flex nibs. But they are known to smell like shit so keep that in mind.
let me guess, you need more
>>18062216A thousand dollar Montblanc won't write any better than a 20 dollar Lamy Safari, assuming the nibs are equally well tuned. However, I think any fountain pen will improve your penmanship compared to a ballpoint.
>>18053134how often are people handwriting stuff nowadays?>>18053151this unironically, bic in backpack for rare case i need to handwrite
>>18064106not true. I am not arguing for the ,montblanc here but the Lamy Safari simply can't compete in the nib department to either of the pens in the OP's pic. A Safari's nib can be very smooth but it still won't feel as smooth or as bouncy/soft as the Montblanc or the Pelikan.
>>18064198>bouncy/softaren't modern nibs rather rigid?
>>18064263>aren't modern nibs rather rigid?They are. People are used to ball point pens. Very few companies still make flex nibs, while it used to be extremely common.
>>18064198That's why I said >assuming the nibs are equally well tuned.I've written with absolute dogshit nibs from extremely high end manufacturers but, on the whole, they are better tuned than a Lamy cranked out by a machine, where it's more of a lottery as to whether you get a good nib.If the Lamy has been properly tuned, it can easily write as nicely as anything else.And Montblancs these days are like writing with an overpolished nail. As a company, they've completely forgotten how to make good-writing pens.
>>18064286It seems that they are also using a lot of pressure? The difference in line variation that I see in video reviews and my own experience is very large, using the same pen and nib. I'd have to actively press the pen into the page on the downstroke to get this effect.
what do you need a pen collection for?
>>18066319>what do you need a pen collection for?You don't. It's something you want because you enjoy it, not because you need it.
>>18066319Most people posting in this thread don't seem to have a 'pen collection' even the OP only has 3 pens and says that he hasn't bought one in a couple years. People just like discussing their pens, inks and paper
>>18064106lamys are garbage and no amount of tuning can save themmontblanc is the bose of pens
>>18053151>the king!>>splotch master 5000I needed that
>>18066504>bosehaha sir in our indian language that means pussy
>>18066493>People just like discussing their pens, inks and paperWhat kind of paper do you guys use? Cheap notebook paper seems to make the ink bleed all over the place.
>>18067808Personally I use Midori MD and Leuchtturm paper.
>>18067947Thanks. I'll check out my local stationary store for them.
>>18066723Ok sir. Please leave now.
>>18066504No Saar.... Agni Icy gel is the boss.......
>>18053151these are great, for shoving up your mother's ass.
>>18067808I use Noodler's Black and fine Pilot nib or EF Jowo so I can use cheap copy paper without bleeding through.
Nice seeing a pen discussion going around. I have an extra fine kakuno with pilot's permanent black ink (name escapes me) that i use to scribble math notes, but i tend to reach for a mechanical pencil in similar width to EF because i find it to be less scratchy.The mechanical pencil i use the most is the pentel kerry 0.5 shown in the picture. Works great.
>>18070572I have this pencil too.
For me, it's Graf von Faber-Castell.(Although I do use an oblique nib holder every day, too.)
>>18072577My next fountain pen purchase is definitely going to be a GVFC Classic in Ebony. If that is your picture, I have to say that you have beautiful handwriting,
Sirs please consider finest india ebonite fountain penshttps://rangapens.com/No but seriously, lot's of em are ugly but the nice designs are kinda awesome for how cheap they are compared to your typical ebonite offerings.Pay the extra for a German nib, the Indian ones are a mess.Fair warning, a lot of them are fuckhuge
>>18053134I really wish It was possible to know when and where your making these threads. I honestly enjoy them and bump them quite often but i can't do that if i don't know where you're making them, I only saw your threads over a /lit/ after they died.I do find it funny that you made this thread on /fa/ tho. Oh how much people shat on moving this general /fa/ back over at /g/.I can't complain tho always happy to talk about pens and see a pen general wherever it may be.>>18053209We got punted off /g/ just like watches did, lit isn't interested enough to keep alive and sci is retarded so i think /fa/ was the last resort option left.>>18053309I've never owned a pelikan so i can't say about the plastic but their nib selection is pretty standard. nothing to really fault there, the only manufactures that offer non standard nibs are pilot, platinum and sailor (i think sailor stopped doing stacked nibs tho.)I will say that the new non-transparent barrels are lame.>>18053355>Pilot Vanishing PointExcellent choice my friend. VP is one of my favorite pen ever made.>>18062205https://archive.org/details/PalmersPenmanshipBudgetThe tried and true king>>18067947>>18067808>LeuchtturmI've had Leuchtturm bleed and ghost on me when the nib was B or higher. seems to have never happen to anyone else tho...I personally use Maruman Mnemosyne exclusively.>>18072577I swear i recognize those pens and that writing. you wouldn't happen to post in edc thread would you.>>18072751>GVFC Classic in EbonyIf they were ~100 cheaper i'd pick one up but i've always thought GVFC priced themselves a tad too highly, never see sales for them either.>>18066319>what do you need a pen collection for?It's fun to collect.My 100 pen box is almost full which makes me pretty happy since it was quite some work gathering all the pens. especially when they're hard to find pens.I wish i wasn't worried about posting pens doxx'ing me otherwise i'd make more pictures of my collection.
>>18065111I wonder what specific pen your talking about. I do know that pretty much no modern pen is even close to semi flex even when advertised as such (omniflex, ASC wahl superflex etc.)One thing that sellers i know for a fact do is that they over flex or force out more flex then they really should from a pen to give buyers the impression that the pen is flexible since it's better for their bottom line to do this. It's shady and unscrupulous but what can you do, it sells pens and it's what buyers want to see.Alot of people fall for it.As a general rule of thumb ALL modern pens nibs should be only thought of as "soft" rather than flexible regardless of what the maker or seller tells you.
>>18055126i have the aluminum one with a fine nib. great little pocket pen, BUT the section is super thin so if that's a dealbreaker don't do it
>>18073807>I swear i recognize those pens and that writing. you wouldn't happen to post in edc thread would you.yes, that's me.
For me, it's the Pilot G2 Limited
>>18073807>i think sailor stopped doing stacked nibs thoYeah, it was just one guy (Nagahara, I think his name was) that did them and he retired.
>>18073813it's a pilot falcon with a "soft fine" SF nib
>>18073807I am the OP and yes I made this on /lit/ too. It was interesting seeing people’s perspectives there too. I feel like other than /g/ this is the only other place where a pen general will last. Other subs like /lit/ will get tired of seeing a thread like this more than once a month so a general wouldn’t really work as well.
>>18073807>If they were ~100 cheaper i'd pick one up but i've always thought GVFC priced themselves a tad too highly, never see sales for them either.Keep an eye on Endlesspens. That’s what I’m doing. They have insane sales sometimes. Just last month a Graf Von Faber Castell Guilloche Fountain Pen about 60%.
>>18073916>retired 2011, passed 2015man i really am getting old. Can't actually believe it's been 13 years.I distinctively remember his son still working independent now as thenibshaper. Wonder if he does them as special request since i know he can make them.>>18073985>pilot falconah righto. Yes that nib isn't really intended for flex, it's quite deceptive how some people use that pen. It's intended to add some line variation to japanese writing hence the "soft" term. Most people in the pen community know that the nib needs to be pushed quite a bit to get the shades needed for western writing,One important thing to note, you wern't watching a modded pilot falcon were you?The Mottishaw grind (or spencerian customisation) offered by nibs.com and other people is somewhat prodominently gotten on the falcon. They grind away some of the gold to make the nib thinner and more flexable. i know alot of people like really like showing off that pen grind so whenever you see a falcon writing there is a chance it could be that. It's a $140 nib mod and personally i would not get it from nibs.com if possible.>>18073992We haven't hit bump limit in quite a while so it'll be nice to see if we get it here. interesting to see.>>18074001I always forget endless. Them being a grey market operation turns people off from recomending them it seems.I already scour like 4 different catalogues and several shops so i guess that's another to add if i can even remember.
>>18063310If you are left handed these are fucking unusable
>>18053134Is that an m1000? I have an m800 and I probably should've gotten an m1000 but they changed the resin on the Pelikan and they look like shit now
>>18074610>pilot falcon that's the pen model, or am I confusing something here, because I failed to find it on their website. They offer a soft nib in M and F (SM, SF) that just is somewhat flexible, and the falcon nib (FA) that is advertised as feeling like a calligraphy brush. Did you mean the FA nib?
>>18074973>that's the pen model, or am I confusing something here, because I failed to find it on their website.Yes that's the model and I'm referring to it's nib. Its a pilot falcon (pen)>They offer a soft nib in M and F (SM, SF) that just is somewhat flexibleyes on the Heritage 912 and some other pens i believe. That's also what the nib on the pilot falcon is called but it's beaked instead of conventional.>and the falcon nib (FA) that is advertised as feeling like a calligraphy brushThe FA nib is different to the falcon (pen) nib which i talked about in the post you quoted.The falcon nib is beak shaped while the fa nib has notches cut into the side.That being said FA is still no where close to brush like that's a manufacturers exaggeration. The FA nib is more flexible than then Pilot falcon (pen) nib. Both the FA nib and the pilot falcon nib accept the grind i mentioned.As clarification the Pilot falcon (pen model) comes with the nibs that are also called SEF, SD, SM ...etc. BUT they are beaked. Which is different to the SEF, SF... nibs on other pilot pens like the 912.The pilot FA nib is NEVER referred to as falcon or similar within pen circles unless where it's very obvious you're talking about the nib since it causes confusion.
>>18074654>I have an m800 and I probably should've gotten an m1000It's best to try them both. I've owned both and only kept the 800. The 1000's nib is way too long and makes long writing sessions uncomfortable, even if you're used to a large/oversized nib.Also, because it's so long, it's a pain in the ass to fill. You need to transfer the ink to an inkmiser before the bottle is halfway empty.
What is the best place to buy fancy pens and pen accessories?
>>18075132If you want the fancy Japanese pens, eBay is usually a pretty good bet. They're usually half as expensive as they are on American sites.For the European pens, you have to look around. They usually control their prices more tightly.As for where to get paper and inks, they're all basically the same.
>>18075166>As for where to get paper and inks, they're all basically the same.This is absolutely not true.
>>18074654OP here. It is an M800. I find the M1000 to be too big for everyday usage.
>>18075132What country?
>>18075179>This is absolutely not true.Are you getting your panties in a knot over a few pennies?
>>18075182America. God Bless
>>18075186You can probably get really good deals in thrift shops or go to yard sales at rich retirement housing places. A lot of wives selling expensive pens for pennies.
>>18075184Nigga do you really believe composition books and stuff like Midori paper is the same thing?
>>18075189>Nigga do you really believe composition books and stuff like Midori paper is the same thing?He asked for what places to buy that stuff, not which items. The websites are all basically the same, and the prices are all basically the same, give or take.
>>18053134This is my latest purchase. The Scribo Piuma.The Sailor 1911L is for size reference.Scribo is the true resurrected OMAS. When OMAS died some Chinese guy bought the rights to the OMAS designs and trademarks, but the laid-off factory workers bought the actual machines used to make the nibs and feeds. Those workers started a new company called Scribo.It has, no lie, the smoothest, best writing nib I have ever used in a non-vintage pen. Just the perfect amount of feedback the way only the Italians know how to manage. These are old OMAS nibs and feeds in a new pen body.I would encourage anyone who likes Italian pens to try them out.
>>18075198Fair enough lil nigga
>>18075217Everyone else I have ever heard talk about it has said that Scribo is now trash with low qc, bad customer care and shitty practices.
>>18075187I feel like people over estimate thrift shops and yard sales. I'd turn the corner to take a peek if one is nearby but i wouldn't go specifically looking for them trying to find pens. >>18075166>>18075132>eBay is usually a pretty good bet.I'll add that if your looking on ebay for expensive pens to just be a tad weary of fakes. fake pens and location fraud isn't unheard of.>>18075217>OMASThe OMAS breakup was such a shit show i don't even know what's what anymore.ASC got the celluloid rod stock that they made their arco's out of which is quite iconic if i may add. The brand got sold to some chink who gave the rights to use the trademark to Ancora/ASC but didn't sell the actual brand.The tooling got sold to a group of employees who has the rights to OMAS gold flex nibs then started their own company making original pens....>true resurrected OMASHonestly it's all grey. I don't actually recall any of them claiming to be pre-2016 "OMAS"It's all a big marketing fluff "we're not OMAS but we're closer to being OMAS than the others" thing which is getting shady.All said i'd never touch ASC still tho.>I would encourage anyone who likes Italian pens to try them out.The only Italian pens i'll ever love is the Visconti wall street series, and by extension the Stilograph Corsani exclusive LE's based on the same rod stock.These look like good pens tho good on you>>18075242Sounds like your average Italian pen company :)
>>18075242>Everyone else I have ever heard talk about it has said that Scribo is now trash with low qc, bad customer care and shitty practices.That's the first I've heard of it. Maybe I just got really lucky.Then again, I also bought the simplest model on purpose. I wanted to try out the nibs to see if they really were the old OMAS nibs. They are.Then again, nearly every OMAS I ever owned had problems too, usually leaking or a poor set on the feed. Nothing I couldn't fix myself. Their QC was as bad as Visconti's is.The only Italian company I've never had a problem with is Aurora. They've always been perfect.
>>18072952If you buy a ranga, or any pen from india, it is NECESSARY that you disassemble it and wash the absolute literal shit off it. Because it WILL be covered in some kind of shit, whether actual poo or other crap.If you buy a dark colored one you might not notice it and think it's not filthy, but it is I assure you. Look at all the complaints people have of ranga/indian pens developing mold. Shit is shit encrusted. Disassemble, scrub with using an old toothbrush with some dish soap etc., especially on all those threads. If you buy a white or ivory acrylic model all of this will be self evident as you'll see the dark shit lines encrusting the threads. Take it apart, wash it and for fucks sakes don't dip it into a bottle of ink to fill lest you contaminate the whole bottle, unless you've bought some indian made ink to go along with it which will be so full of phenol that it'll be fine.Don't heed my warning at your own peril.
>>18075242I've never head this about scribo.What you've said can be ascribed to the likes of ASC, the other omas semi-offshoot. Perhaps that's the brand you mean?Visconti also, although it's always been shit.Pineider also, but it's a literal non-entity.In my own experience I'd lower Aurora way down from a decade ago, that's for sure but perhaps not at Visconti level, which is not at ASC levels of shit. The only italian brand that's IME gotten better over time is Leonardo.
>>18075315Saar, pls do the needful. The pens are pre-poo'd for convenience of the user
ayo FUCK Pilot
Bunch of proletarian fags larping as richfags with those fountain pens. Wanna know what kind of pen I carry? I don't. A pen is handed to me when needed and I don't even notice what kind of pen it is. Needless to say, I'm the richest person on this sorry excuse of a board.
>>18075315>Look at all the complaints people have of ranga/indian pens developing mold. Shit is shit encrusted. Disassemble, scrub with using an old toothbrush with some dish soap etc., especially on all those threads.I have a couple Rangas and a couple other Indian eyedropper pens and they all got moldy. I figured it was a problem with eyedropper pens or ebonite.
>>18075608>Having any kind of interest or hobby makes you poor.
>>18075630Not exactly. I have other ebonite pens and there's no issue. New, 80yrs old etc. The rangas are just filthy.I think ebonite these days, despite being polished smooth, is kinda porous by its very nature. Mold spores embed in there if it's made and stored in shit, which indian pens are. I have the torpedo 8B (?) in ebonite and acrylic which I immediately washed and only ever fill with indian brand ink from Krishna inks. I had an Emperor made which I didn't wash first up, just put it aside and it rolled off the desk and I forgot about it for less than a month. I think I'd filled the converter separately and shoved that into it.Eventually found it and it was all fluffy moldy shit when uncapped.Getting rid of mold in it won't be hard since it's a basic pen that's ebonite which handles the acidic mold killer easy (diluted white vinegar), but god help you if you get that shit in something like a pilot custom 823 or anything complex that shouldn't really be disassembled.
>>18076178>Krishna inksDo the indian inks get mold too?I've actually been looking at some Krishna inks myself. I wonder what the cow urine percentage content in them are...On another note about ebonite i do know know that they hold moisture better than other materials so maybe that's also a contributing factor.
pilot capless/vanishing point décimo is the most /fa/ pen of all time
>writing in pen>unironically using a fountain penProtip: It doesn't make your writing any better or your dick any bigger. If you wanna do calligraphy go ahead but that's closer to drawing than writing
>>18077306>Do the indian inks get mold too?Like I said, they're so full of old school biocide that I wonder what % is actual dye. Indian made inks reek of that chemical smell (phenol) that's been banned because>muh carcinogenic to retards that drink ink in usa/europe Some older japanese inks smelled the same though I've not encountered that in a while. Usually Sailor inks.I live in a tropical country so mold is an issue. Japan also gets very humid and hot in summer so they need a lot of biocide. The inks that've gotten moldy:>herbin>waterman>aurora>pelikan 4001>mb inkBasically, all the mild shit.I practice good pen hygiene so in some instance I believe the mold came from the factory but in any other location it wouldn't have developed into a problem but because of the humid heat where I live it grew into an issue. Eg. the aurora inks were little freebie bottles that came with some ltd ed. pens. I'd never even opened them. A year or so later I thought to try them and they were already moldy when I cracked them open for the first time. Problem from the factory? Or more prone to festering because of where I live? Dunno.Some brands have had bad batches like Herbin that have been known to be moldy everywhere, but that was nearly a decade ago. My bottle was one of my oldest ink bottles so it wasn't the factory's fault. Just not enough biocide in those french made inks. Private Reserve and Monteverde are also notorious for mold issues from the factory.I think Noodler's is full of some kind of biocide as some of my oldest bottles from like 15 years ago have zero mold at all, though it's not phenol. You can buy phenol from some art supply stores in the USA. I've been meaning to order a bottle and just put a drop as needed in my inks every year or so.Just in case. If you live in Arizona or something I don't believe you ever have to worry about mold in ink unless it's a shit batch from the factory itself.
Anybody use a visconti homo sapiens? Want to get one but I'm worried about how heavy it is. I really dislike heavy pens
>>18075393They are the best Japanese pen maker>823 based vac filler, perfect size and proportions >vanishing point is the best in class for the niche>the adjustable flex nib pensMeanwhilePlatinum>fucking boring convertor pens that write OKSailor>way overpriced piston fillers that are a larger size >convertor pens are too small and the nibs are overrated.
>>18077601>Anybody use a visconti homo sapiens?Used to have one.They are big, heavy pens, but pretty well-balanced so they're not actually that bad in terms of hand fatigue.The real problem with Visconti is their QC. I've never owned a Visconti that was 100% perfect out of the box. All of them had something wrong with either the nib/feed or they leaked and needed to be sealed. It's not a problem if you know how to tune a nib yourself, but it's inexcusable in any pen that costs what Visconti charges.
>>18077604I'm inclined to agree. I don't really care about pen bodies that much, just the writing experience and Pilot is tops among the Japanese. (Just talking about normal Pilot, not the Namiki pens.)Pilot has a great variety of nibs and they're always well set-up. (Picrel, my 823 with the uncommon Waverly nib) Sailor used to have great variety but nearly all of them were meme nibs that were so expensive they tripled the cost of the pen. Plus, the way they tune their nibs they are very, very position sensitive. Just changing your writing angle slightly and the pen goes from perfect to un-usable.Platinum's #3776 Century is a great nib/feed but that's basically all they make.Sailor's piston filler is actually worse than people realize because it's actually just a captive converter and so its ink capacity is not much better than their tiny converters.
>>18077604>pilot>the adjustable flex nib pensI'm sorry but the Justus is trash. There is just no way that pen is worth the msrp of $420 or even the commonly discounted price of $300It's pretty well known and reviewed at this point that the slider on the Justus has almost no effect on the nib. It's neither a manifold nor a semiflex pen point, It's just a soft nib always and you may as well buy an 823.If you want an adjustable save up and buy a vintage Wahl.I agree with your other options>PlatinumCan be justifiably bought if you really need the slip & seal cap for whatever reason. That being said i genuinely cannot think of a reason provided that you use your pen regularly.>Sailortbqh the thing i despise most about sailor is how they release year after year the same pen but with a different color scheme, call it an LE and then bump up the price.It's actually absurd how they do that and people (women) sap that shit up.
>>18077604>They are the best Japanese pen makerThey are. Even though my favourite maker is Sailor if only for nostalgia reasons.Pilot is the best all rounder. If you don't have very specific tastes (Sailor) then Pilot really is the best option, not just in the JP category but in all stationery world wide.QC, range of products etc.>>18077679>Plus, the way they tune their nibs they are very, very position sensitive. I feel that Sailor works best if you're writing kana or in chinese. With western cursive you're better off choosing something from Pilot instead unless you like that Sailor feel.>Sailor's piston filler is actually worse than people realize because it's actually just a captive converter and so its ink capacity is not much better than their tiny converters.I wouldn't call it that. If you want a literal captive converter look at the snake clipped MB rouge et noirs: just a MB converter permanently stuck in there. The thing with the Realo is that it was ridiculously, stupidly, over-designed.I can imagine that they just came up with a generic, Pelikan-style differential piston mechanism that basically everyone uses but some manager made them change it because they were afraid of getting sued by fucking no one. That or they gave the engineers carte blanche and they just over-complicated a very basic mech coz they could.Either way apparently the Realo is so complicated it costs Sailor more to make than what they profit because the failure rate on the assembly line is so high. There were rumours a few years ago that, amongst their other restructuring, the Realo was going to be discontinued.I wouldn't call it a captive converter however. It's a piston mechanism with a double jacket. Closer to the module piston that Schmidt sells that some indie pen makers (and Santini Italia) use.Not a trad pelikan piston, but not just a mere cap con. Nevertheless it's a pointless pen and you're better off with a standard converter sailor.
>>18078755Sailor's obviously been in some kind of monetary trouble, I mean more than the other makers. They spam those women-bait sparkly shitters because it works. They've scaled down everything nice they used to make, fucked up their logo with muh minimalism and simplified the nib design and scrollwork. All part of cost cutting. Basically started to go downhill when Nagahara died and the son stopped working directly with them, not that that was an excuse for all the other lazy shit they've been churning out. Their main business is industrial automation and like with Fujifilm's photography segment I feel like Sailor's fine writing section is just kept around as a relic because of tradition.>>18077679>>18078755Platinum is an enigma. I don't really get where it fits in the grand scheme of things. I believe it's the smallest of the big three JP makers.I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the century with the cap seal to anyone that wants a "nice pen" and if they're hung up about having a gold nib for whatever reason. As long as you buy the black ones. The white and some other colours are apparently more prone to cracking. Cost cutting.I don't recall any specific examples that could be construed as Pilot cost cutting.Of course I say this having just bought some of their shit on a recent Japan trip so i'm not going to tempt bad luck by riding their dick any further.
>>18078788> Nevertheless it's a pointless pen and you're better off with a standard converter sailor.I used to be a no-CC snob when I was younger but I came around to converters. I like being able to easily and completely tear down a pen for cleaning and re-sealing. I like switching inks. I like that the CC versions of pens are cheaper even if they still have the same nib. That said, Sailor’s converters are still comically small. A friend of mine has a King of Pen demonstrator and that huge pen is just nothing but empty space inside.
>>18078798> Platinum is an enigma. I don't really get where it fits in the grand scheme of things. I believe it's the smallest of the big three JP makers.I think Sailor is a smaller company. Platinum simply doesn’t pour tons of money into their high end stuff, but they make millions of ballpoints. Platinum also seems the least interested in the US/European market. They leave the highest-end stuff to their Nakaya workshop. That said the #3776 is a fine pen. They may be simple, but they work excellently.
Hey /wg/ I need a sturdy cheap pen, I don't really care writing nicely, I just need a pen that can withstand a physical workplace. I can get through 2 pens a day, just from them exploding in my pocket. I want something maybe metal and longlasting so I can save money in the long haul but I do not need nor want luxury.
>>18079276Pilot Metropolitan if you want a full dized pen or a kaweco sport aluminum for pocket pen
>>18079281Oops shoulda clarified I don't want a fountain pen, I prefer ballpoint or gel.
trying to get into art and I like the look of brush pensis this an ok one
>>18079257Damn that's nice. What kind of work do you do for them?
>>18079276>>18079286Pentel Energel Alloy, Pilot V7/V5, Uniball Jetstream (1.0) are pretty much as good as it gets.
>>18079282Is it really that bad? It's clean and simple. Definitely above average I'd say.
>>18079294Thanks anon, think I'm gonna get the Pentel.
>>18079286You need a fountain pen
You're all faggotsI use thisIt's #1
>>18079338Jetstream MOGS
Thoughts?
>>18079554Neat filling system, godawful nibs. Insanely expensive for the quality. Beloved by ink capacity aspies.
>>18079282Handwriting needs to be legible, not beautiful. I prefer to focus on what I'm writing, not how it looks
>>18079787Handwriting can be both and, with experience, you can express additional meaning and emphasis in your writing.Good handwriting is still considered a mark of breeding and education in the western world (though, that's rapidly changing.)>>18077427 's handwriting isn't bad but he could use some practice.
>>18078798>Platinum is an enigma. I don't really get where it fits in the grand scheme of things.I've only ever known them for 4 things really:1. Preppies2. Century3. UEF4. NakayaUnless we're counting pilot varsity then the preppy is I think the cheapest fountain pen from a maker of repute.I've always thought century was in an odd position being priced above it's direct competitors from Pilot and Sailor but i think it's not doing too bad so what do i know. Must be the seal and gold nib that draws people in I suppose.UEF is pretty important since i'm fairly sure they're the only pen maker who supplies needle point tips out the box. Otherwise you'd have to send your pen off and wait in line for 3 week or up to 6 month for a nibmeister to work on your pen. It's a niche for sure but i've definitely seen a non insignificant amount of people buy a platinum for their UEF's.Lastly they're basically sister companies with Nakaya which explains why they don't have super high end stuff.>>18079289That's a pretty decent brush cart pen iirc. >>18079893>>18079787>>18079282I honestly think that writing is very good. There's only so much you can do for block writing. You can nitpick slant and letter inconsistencies but it's not really reasonable since further improvement would require quite a significant time sink that just isn't possible for most people.
If you don't own a pen with a #8 nib yet get one of these cheapo chink ones.These things are absolute units with a big old ink converter inside. Way nicer then they have any business being for a $9 chink pen. Awesome nib feel. Also it mogs pretty much every fountain pen except the KOP and the XXL MontBlanc.https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256805797197209.html
>>18080758>Converter 1/3 size of penIt should be criminal to do this
>>18053355Vanishing Point and Iroshizuku. Expensive tastes anon, but very nicely chosen.
>>18053355Yama-Buda is great indeed, my first ink from that line
>>18080758The big Mac destroyed me
>>18053151QRD on the difference between these and Cristals? I was going to get a box of the latter>>18053209/g/ jannies hated it, and it makes some sense here.>>18053340fashion isn't just shirts and pants, dude.>>18075186based
>>18073807>all those beautiful doricsI always wanted one. Always thought that they were some of the most beautiful pens ever made. But I can't risk it, not with my climate. I couldn't bear having to see them shrink, crack and then crumble into dust.
>>18081683>Vanishing Point and Iroshizuku.That was my first "nice" pen and ink combination as well. I went with the Kon-peki cerulean blue.
>>18082974Post it at least
>>18078962>I used to be a no-CC snob when I was younger but I came around to converters. I've noticed that a lot of people that end up buying more than one fp go through this progression. It's like that watchthread thing about looping back to casio. When I wanted to replace my, at that time, first and only pen I wanted to avoid any C/C fillers and saw them as lesser when I learned that other filling mechs existed.15yrs later I no longer give a shit. Can't be bothered with the hassle of flushing inks out of an integrated filler. My most frequently used pens currently are C/C. Recently tracked down a stock stub unit for one of my Edson's. Pic was from a few years ago, I have more now. If I didn't use indelibles almost exclusively, or if I just had one fucking pen, an integrated filler would be great. As it stands I only use Waterman Serenity for testing new pens and everything else is waterproof. >That said, Sailor’s converters are still comically small. A friend of mine has a King of Pen demonstrator and that huge pen is just nothing but empty space inside.It's small but the KOP holds more ink than what's in the converter via that massive section and feed, if you fill via the bottle. One of my favourite inks is seiboku, so it's convenient that there's sailor carts of that ink. One of the few permanent ink carts that are made. It's the only cart I use. I've been travelling a lot over the past year or so and unlike in years past where I brought a bottle or that visconti inkwell, took instead one of my KOP's and a few carts. Less hassle than carrying a damned bottle of noodler's inside a ziplock, wrapped in a sock and then slipped inside a boot in my luggage for protection, hoping that the cellulose reactive shit wouldn't leak and ruin my clothes. No anxiety + the sailor carts hold more than the converter lol.
>>18083055I still haven't emptied the bottle but I'm getting through it. Using an EF nib probably has something to do with it.
>>18083380Beautiful
>>18082840>Always thought that they were some of the most beautiful pens ever madeAbsolutely, i feel like no other faceted pen comes close except maybe the corsani octa90nal.Here's a nice shot of one of my trays that i haven't posted before.>I couldn't bear having to see them shrink, crack and then crumble into dust.Some colors from the range are pretty safe. From both gens jet blank is 100% safe but it's a pretty boring color so i'd understand why you'd not be too keen on one. So other options for safety would be a first gen burma.The second gen doric colors are much more stable but the safest one would be silver shell.I honestly think you should jump on one if you have the money. A decent restored doric that isn't on the larger side without an adjustable nib should be under US$400.>>18083367If only pilot can make a decent converter that isn't the con-70That being said i'm not really fussed about filling systems as long as they fill. helps that i'm the type who only ever uses one ink.Also very nice pens, parker firedance is my personal favorite i think that series is underrated.
>>18084523>If only pilot can make a decent converter that isn't the con-70What's wrong with the CON-50? It doesn't have the most capacity but it's not too far off from the other Japanese brands' converters or the International Standard converter.I've had a bunch and they seem fine to me.
This is the coolest pen. You get a bunch of Japanese characters and the Mitsubishi logo. Is there something with more soul?
>>18083380I love the vanishing point but the grip is so slippery with the smooth metal. I have the matte which works better because it doesn't slip if your hands aren't bone dry. I need to pick up some transparent grip tape or something for my blue vp
uniball is better than pilot for casual commodity tier pens. seems like pilot just keeps getting shittier and shittier with their gel/fine point quality. have inkflow problems halfway through a cart or outright from fresh use
>>18084848I typically hold my pens very lightly so I've never noticed that issue with the VP.
>>18084740They stopped producing the Con-50 ages ago. The con-50 was fine except now you can't get it for a reasonable price readily unless you go back to 2017.All pilot pens that comes with the con-20 and 50 got replaced by the con-40That's where the problem is, the Con-40 is complete trash and never fills.
>>18085515I see. I didn't realize that. It's been a while since I bought a Pilot that didn't have a CON-70.
Does anyone have any experience with Aurora nibs, particularly their Italic nib? I'm interested in picking one up.
>>18077427>unironically using a fountain penyou mean unwilling to subject ones self to the disposable plastic trash writing utensil built for under 10 cents, that proves with every forceful stroke it is not fit for much more than filling out a form at the dmv.indeed.
>>18079276lamy
>>18086043For me, using a fountain pen is no different than using a safety razor instead of an electric shaver, or wearing a hand-winding watch instead of just using my phone, or even baking my own bread instead of buying it from the store.The old ways may not be the most efficient, but if you have the luxury to take your time to do something, they can be enjoyable in their inefficiencies.
>>18077427>>18086093the only reason I bought a fountain pen was because ballpoint pens are trash to write with, and refilling a fountain pen is much cheaper and less wasteful than refilling a rollerball
>>18077427also not only are pencils ballpoint tier in terms of writing comfort, having to constantly sharpen/extend your pencil lead sucks
>>18077427>If you wanna do calligraphy go ahead but that's closer to drawing than writingAlso also, there is nothing more /fa/ than line variation, and you don't need a calligraphy pen to get it. But you're sure not getting it from a pencil.
>>18086005Closest I've had is their stub, which was great. Not had good experiences with Aurora's nibs and general QC for several years now. They're not the same as they were a decade ago. Last Optima I bought through a dutch seller I had them tune and stubify a broad nib, just in case. Just don't trust them to have decent nibs OOTB. Recall hearing that their stock Italic is quite sharp, close to a real formal italic so keep that in mind.>>18084523They truly are beautiful and you have a wonderful collection. I've toyed with the idea of getting a black one but the real gems are the other colours. Except for "modern" plastic things like the 51 and later English Parker aerometric Duofolds, I'm staying clear of vintage pens these days. I have too many sac-based fillers and I no longer live in a climate that is good for rubber sacs nor celluloid. Until I get around to learning how to resacc this stuff myself I'm not buying any more older pens. And I'm never satisfied with the tipping on vintage nibs: fun for a while but they've just been worn in by someone else. Eg. I have some celluloid Meisterstueck and their damned tines are wonky because whoever used them should've bought an oblique nib instead of messing up a regular nib. Irksome, that kind of thing. The corks have all dried in my old MB's now too. Too much shit that needs repair, and I live too far from the world's remaining repairers. >That being said i'm not really fussed about filling systems as long as they fill. helps that i'm the type who only ever uses one ink.What ink?>Also very nice pens, Parker firedance is my personal favorite i think that series is underrated.Thank you. Funny thing is I never really wanted a Sonnet due to the stories of shitty QC, firedance being a slight exception. I got this only because the auction had a box set with an ink bottle. I had a hunch I knew what that ink was and I had to have it. Turns out I was right and scored a nice Sonnet to go along with it.
>>18086005Aurora Italics don't feel like normal Auroras. They're pretty smooth and don't have that normal Aurora toothiness.Like the other anon said, it's pretty sharp too. If you're used to stubs, you'll get used to this pretty quick. If you've never written with any nib like this though, prepare for a learning curve.
>>18085007picked up some uniball one 0.7s today and i can definitely agree. pilots write slightly smoother but their gel quality really doesn't hold up over time
>>18077427my dick is 7 inches, it doesn't need to be any bigger
>>18075393G2s are pretty good
uniball ones are really nice
>>18055126I actually bought their highlighter. Medium nib. Pretty fun but the body is super cheap feeling. It was an alright buy for 20 something bucks.
I have these and Pilot Betters scattered all over my apartment and in every bag I use. If I'm signing or writing something that needs to be scanned, I'll find a G2.
>>18088353What ink do you use in it?
>>18053134Some people don't seem to like the refills on these but the 849 is the most fun pen I've used. Something about the sleek pencil-like shape
>>18078755>Can be justifiably bought if you really need the slip & seal cap for whatever reason. That being said i genuinely cannot think of a reason provided that you use your pen regularly. I only use Platinum pens because of Slip & Seal.I really love fountain pens but I don't have many occasions to use them at work, writing is not my hobby and the few times I actually need to write something down are very spaced in time, so for a fountain pen a seal mechanism is crucial.I hate that no other manufacturer makes something similar. The Pilot Elite 95s would be my EDC pen if not because every time I want to use it it's completely dry. Even if I use it every day, it has a hard start every time.Platinum also has very beautiful and affordable maki-e pens which I didn't find anywhere else. They're not handmade, for the purists out there, but who cares.
What's up with platinum preppy's being recommended as cheap starter pens? I have 3 and all 3 suck (scratchy, poor ink flow).A $20 Lamy is infinitely better.
>>18088459>$20compared to a $4 preppy that's way too expensivepeople coming from shit cheap bics won't pay that much
>>18088400Are the refills in these proprietary or something? Can you not just use a Parker style refill?
>>18088491They use proprietary refills with larger volumes but you can fit a Parker style refill by clipping the plastic cap at the end. Otherwise they come in too long for the barrel.
>>18085515what do you mean? i fill my con-40 with no problems.
>>18084821you know it's not the same Mitsubishi, right?
>>18088424It's not advertised, probably because they don't want to get sued by platinum, but the sailor realo and the KOP line also have this slip seal type cap. They're the only Sailor's that have it. I had a KOP filled with a carbon nano ink for maybe 7+ months without use and it wrote first try when I needed to take it on a trip. After a year of use I finally thought it best to flush it with Rohrer&Klinger Reiniger since it's the only purpose built cleaner for particle inks but I could've just keep going, or leaving it idle, because of that cap regardless of the dangers posed by the ink. The Century's tested to 24months without a dryout.
>>18053134these are the 2 fountain pens i use daily. a parker 75 on the right that stays home and the parker vector that i take to the office. i've also got 3 schaeffer pens from 2 holiday releases in the 70s. since those were gifts i am hesitant to use them.
>>18088381just get some jetstreams honestly
I work for Richemont so I get them with a generous discount. I use the wooden fountain pen as my daily driver and the blue ballpoint when I travel. The other ballpoint and rollerball I keep in my work bag.
>>18086181>Until I get around to learning how to resacc this stuff myself I'm not buying any more older pens.>I live too far from the world's remaining repairersI actually learned how to do pen repairs myself because anyone of repute publicly in the pen repair business has ques of at least 3 month. It's actually pretty insane, just checked Ron and he has a turn around time of 16 weeks right now...so even if you lived next door you'd still be waiting.Unfortunately my repair pic is an old one i took for the wiki.>What ink?Pilot Kon-peki, I do admit though that very occasionally I'll switch to Edelstein Topaz or Pilot Juro Jin for a bit of fun depending on the mood.>I had a hunch I knew what that ink was and I had to have itVery nice, congrats on the grail find. Sadly it's an ink I'd shy away from using, A tad too saturated for my tastes.Are you currently using the bottle or do you have it unopened still for safe keeping?
how do i improve my handwriting? i've been writing down random stuff for the past few weeks and even though it has changed a bit, i feel like this won't yield lasting improvements
>>18091843practice practice practice.
>>18091843Improve your writing position if you haven't already. You'd be amazed at how much of an impact the following have before any talk of pens, inks and papers types:>sitting posture>height of table/chair is right for you>enough space on the table for your to write comfortably>position of the paper relative to your hand/pen>writing with the whole arm rather than with the hand and fingers and not gripping the pen so hardThe latter in particular is vital if you ever have to write for a long duration like for an exam paper as it allows you to write for a long time without fatigue or pain. This goes for any kind of pen btw.It's obvious not to do it when you see the handwriting of someone with an insanely tight grip on the pen and they write with their fingers. It looks like crap, and there's all these little jitters in their lines and letter forms. When you write boldly and fluidly with your whole arm with a looser pen grip the little micro jitters disappear as you're not carving the letters into the paper. Cbf looking for examples right now.Pic related: the left is generally how people were taught to write with the paper at such an angle, but everyone is different. I have it tilted to a slightly greater degree than what's depicted as that's more comfortable for me.
I have autism and the sensation of titanium soothes me. Are there any reasonably priced titanium ballpoints? I've only found a Ridge one. I just want something that doesn't stand out.
>>18091843Write with a fountain pen. It allows less leeway and demands more discipline. Take your time, practise single letters, starting with minuscules. You don't necessarily need to practise much, but ideally every or every other day, to condition your motivity.
Pretty happy with my Waterman Allure.
What do you guys think of Visconti?
>>18092482>What do you guys think of Visconti?A frustrating brand.Their entry-level pens are overpriced. Their "good" pens are wildly overpriced. But, damn, don't they look cool? When you pull out one of the oversized Viscontis to sign a document with, that makes a statement.Price notwithstanding, the biggest issue with Visconti is and always has been their quality control. In short, it's horrific. There's no other brand that I know of where you have NO idea what the pen is going to write like. Wet, dry, scratchy, overpolished, perfect, who knows?When they are well-tuned, they are great writers but if you're buying one, just assume that after paying a thousand bucks for a pen you're going to pay extra to get the nib tuned. If you don't have to, you got lucky.
>>18092482Horrid QC. I feel the urge to consooom sometimes but then come to my senses and recall the myriad accounts from buyers and dealers on just how shit they are. It's not even the industry-wide epidemic of bum nibs so it's not a mere matter of buying from a dealer that will fiddle but things like barrel parts coming apart because they were assembled using crap glue.Every pen youtuber that used to fellateshill visconti as they got into this consooomer trap,"hobby", of accumulating overpriced stationery all now no longer mention the brand. Strongly avoid. Every single visconti is made on a friday afternoon before a long weekend by someone that's going to retire and hates the company and all that buy their wares. This last can apply to varying degrees to all italian brands, no exceptions.I say all this and yet every time the dutch do a sale I feel like buying another bronze homo. What stops me, besides all the stuff I just ranted about, is that they no longer have that pd nib selling point.>>18092571>But, damn, don't they look cool? When you pull out one of the oversized Viscontis to sign a document with, that makes a statement.A couple of years ago I was signing a lot of contracts. Big contracts. In every instance in which I felt like whipping out a pen, at that time either a 146/9 or a m8/1k, I stopped myself because everyone else just used the flunky provided ball/roller. The paper these contracts were printed on would also likely not handle most liquid inks all that well and I didn't want to make a fool of myself shitting up the paper with a bleedy ink. I suppose it depends on what the nature of the contract is; if you're in some kind of flamboyant industry like showbiz or high fashion whipping out something typical from visconti wouldn't raise any eyebrows and would provide >muh conversation piecebut with business, govt and military contracts you do not want to stand out in such a fashion. It wouldn't be appropriate, at least IME.
>>18092482here's my take:Visconti is one of those brands that you absolutely must buy from a good dealer. A dealer can generally resolve most of the issues and complaints that the other anons mention. Shoot an email and have them check the nib and pen body before shipping, A dealer also responds faster to warranty related issues.You should try and avoid buying at full retail.It's is sad that they only really have the Homosex pen and it's variants to their name but can't even make it properly but what can you do. desu the only pens they make outside of hs that i genuinely thought was good and worth full retail was some of their LE pens made for specific dealers but i digress. If you do buy a Visconti pen one thing i will note is that most owners don't use them as their main workhorse pens. In fact most visconti owners that i know of use a pelikan or montblanc (or pilot to a lesser degree) everyday and only use their visconti's occasionally even when they say they like the pen. Most just don't see them as reliable.
>>18093153They used to have the opera masters too, but they were finicky with the redundant double reservoir and now when they do release something like them they've cheapened them with that plastic hook lock threading that wears out compared with the old ones that were metal.Buying from a good dealer that will actually give them a once over is mandatory, but it won't help you when the glue gives out or when those silver inlays on the divina slide out after a few months. Then it's the tedious back and forth with warranty work.It's for this reason that retailers would stop selling visconti; too many shitters in the batches they were sent leading to too many warranty returns from angry customers. I recall one instance where some brick and mortar penshop years ago tested maybe 30/40 visconti pens in their stock and only 10 or so actually had functioning nibs. They stopped selling visconti and this was their justification.I like their experimental materials like the homo basalt, the marble and I like the look of the acrosilk in the medici line. Just don't trust them to function.
>>18093463Ironically, the best luck I (or, rather, my wife) has had with Visconti is with their absolute cheapest model: the Rembrandt.She liked it so I got her one for her birthday. (Yes, I know there are much better pens out there and 160 dollars for a steel, Bock nib, plastic body, C/C pen is bonkers, even if their steel nibs feel very nice.)She uses it daily and has for a couple years so the nib is perfect for her hand now. But even then, out of the box, it was perfect. Just pure luck.But yeah, Italian pens are a crapshoot and are best avoided until you've decided you like the abuse.
>>18093510You seem like an NPC. My reason for believing this is because I'm pretty sure the real people don't have sex. They always call you pieces of dirt, or dogs, or vomit, or pieces of shit. It's a joke because nobody wants to see you guys die, but you do die in extremely painful ways. And it doesn't matter supposedly, because you aren't real bud. You're just an NPC in hell
What do you guys think of Montblanc?
>>18093517huh?
>>18093556Get a used one and enjoy it. Only get their piston filler models though.
>>18093560He is going to rape your wife on the 8th of December. I hope you prepare yourself before that day comes. Also make sure to reinforce her uterus and asshole. Maybe even yours too. You never know what a man with a prurience that intense could do to you...
>>18093556They are both well made and also extremely overrated. They are the Rolex of the pen world.Their modern nibs are made for people who didn't grow up writing with fountain pens. They are made very stiff, because people are used to writing with ballpoint-levels of pressure; and are over-polished, because that makes them seem smoother when being demo'ed in stores.If you can get an older one though, 80s/90s, it will write beautifully.
>>18093510The 3 people I've known personally that own/have owned the rembrandt all had issues with the magnetic cap. Rust was a common issue. I don't buy pens with mag caps. Those whose pens do write well absolutely love them however. Shame it can't be for all.>>18093556There's nothing to be said about their non-fp offerings since they just use a disposable cartridge that likely comes from schmidt anyway. Some say the MB roller/ball carts are "smoother". I don't know. Just buy a Schmidt or Schneider aftermarket refill for whatever ballpen or roller you have and get the same deal or better. I think uniball even sell a jetstream refill for parker-style ballpoints now too.The only ones worth considering IMO are the 149 and the "legrand" 146. The special editions have been dogshit fugly for years, though I kinda like the look of the Louis Stevenson pirate one but I have a predilection for cream/ivory pens.Unless you're overflowing with disposable cash, there is absolutely no need to buy a new MB fp; the used market is flush with standard line MB's. If buying try to get the older ones with an ebonite feed from before the early 90's. Aesthetically they are the generic blackgold cigar style that everyone else copies (Japanese, Chinese) or reacts to (Pelikan). They didn't originate the style but it's most associated with them in modern times so unless you want this standard template at higher cost I don't see them offering anything that you cannot get elsewhere usually cheaper or better. What the other anon said about their nibs is true. It's kind of neat though that they still offer such a range of nib widths for the 146/49 when everyone else cept Pilot and Platinum has cut back on choice. Incidentally it's more appropriate to pull out a MB ball/roller to sign something than some sparkly celluloid Italian. An insipid choice, straight from the in-flight dutyfree catalog, but uniform and boring as serious things should be.
>>18093738>when everyone else cept Pilot and Platinum has cut back on choice.Aurora still offers a pretty decent selection.EF, F, M, B, Double BroadFlex FineItalic, StubObliques of various widths both left and right cuts.Something called "Goccia" in various widths which behaves sort of like an architect grind.
>>18053134Idk about recent very expensive models, but the difference between any modern fountain pen I've tried and an old one from the 20s/30s with 14kt gold flexible nib is incredible. My cursive improved just by trying one, you can really feel how the hand movements were invented specifically for a flexible nib, widening and thinning at every stroke, which is completely lost on modern pens
>>18094379Old, softer nibs aren't for flexing in the modern sense but it's just as you say the natural way of going about it. People buying a regular vintage pen with a regular, non manifold nib that just happens to be softer compared with modern slop should stop flexing the shit out of them>ZOMG SO FLEXIUBL3E!!as if they're doing calligraphy and spreading the tines till they railroad and then the microcracks finally triumph and it fucking dies.I blame one pen youtuber for this and that's that dutch faggot. He's the one that started the flexing every single nib out there for muh line variation crap. A stiffer nib is better for fast writing however.
>>18095690You're right, I just write normally and it flexes enough to have an effect like picrel. I don't expect to write in uncial lol
Are Montblanc rollerballs supposed to be good? I have a 164 that was gifted to me and it is kind of meh to write with.
>>18096304~Ballpoint, not rollerball
>>18093579>If you can get an older one though, 80s/90sIf you do plan on going for an older montblanc you should look into the burgundy color that they used to make them in. I personally prefer that color over the boring black
Got my first vintage gold nib pen, it's a pleasure to write with
>>18097697Just don't "flex" it like a disposable dip pen nib like a retard.
>>18094379>>18095690People aren't taught cursive anymore and definitely aren't taught to use a fountain pen. I was probably one of the last age groups to learn to write with a fountain pen. (Picrel, my student Pelikano. I still have it, though I haven't inked it up in years.)If you're taught the fine motor control necessary to write with a fountain pen, then you can appreciate the bounce of a softer nib. If you've only ever used a biro, then you need to learn it. (This goes to what another anon was saying about Montblancs now being for people who've never written with a fountain pen)I don't necessarily think what the Dutch guy is doing is a bad thing. He's not saying everything is a flex nib nor saying you should try to use everything as if it is. He's trying to show how flexible the nib is instead of just saying "It's soft" or "It's a nail."
I just want to shout out my lil nigga.>dark as fuck (brown undertone)>cheap>doesn't feather or bleed on cheap paper, even with a flooded flex nib>practically waterproofI don't need more.
>>18098014Doesn't Noodler's fuck up your pens?
>>18098035It depends on the ink and the pen. Noodler's Black should be fine in any modern pen. Baystate Blue is infamous for staining things but it also bleeds like crazy on cheap paper so I don't use it.
>>18098014>>18098035>>18098149The guy who owns and operates Noodlers is also a pretty intense guy. He never made a secret of being conservative, politically-speaking. He stepped in it when he made some color called Bernanke Red that had some supposedly antisemitic imagery and another one called RINO which also was a poke in the eye of mask mandates.So far, so based, right? Naturally, there's uproar. After the uproar, he apologizes and makes a donation to the Anti-Defamation League.I don't think he's a racist. After all, one of his inks is named after the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. But I think the coof may have sent him into the parts of the internet full of pilled Boomers.
>>18098168I can forgive anyone who starts as a libertarian because they generally have good intentions, they are just a bit autistic.
Thought on a Kaweco Sport or Liliput for a first fountain pen?
>>18098217Neither Kaweko sucks cocks and balls. Get a Lamy, a Platinum or a Pilot you hoe ass nigga
>>18098168He seems to be well read and intelligent. He does love making inks and seems to be incredibly autistic about the process(Look up his YouTube channel). Probably doesn’t want to lose his livelihood and passion all because of this
>>18098230If I eventually get a Jap pen it'll be a pro gear with one of the meme nibs or a vanishing point. Why would Lamy be better than Kaweco? Does Kaweco not have good nib options?
>>18064198>>18064106>>18066504in germany fountain pens are mandatory in school Lamy safari is probably the most popular one, after a pencil in 1 and a Lamy ABC in 2 grade i got a Lamy safari and wrote probably close 10k Pages with it. i think i replaced the nib once not from wear but from abuse kek. and one got broken in half by the school bully in a fight so he had to buy me a new one. high quality paper is way more important than the pen anyways.
>>18098014This feathers like hell though what the fuck are you smoking? X-feather does not feather though
>>18098168The 'antisemetic' imagery that people got mad about was fucking bullshit. The only thing he did was put devil horns on bernanke because he was partially responsible for the 2008 financial crisis. But people twisted that into this insane narrative that he is antisemetic because bernanke is jewish and supposedly it is a common antisemite trope to put devil horns on jews
>>18098486I tried both on different brands of copy paper. X-feather feathered and regular did not.
>>18098581>X-feather feathered and regular did not.or maybe x-feather bled through I don't remember.
>>18098508Holy plebbithttps://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/um4uih/i_would_never_buy_noodler_ink_tw_antisemitic/?rdt=44487
>>18098671being Jewish is a great life hack so nobody can ever suggest you are evil without answering to the NPC army
>>18066504I really like mine.
>>18098241Kaweko nibs are simply not good or well tuned.
>>18098672In current year you just have to say "zionist" instead of "jewish" and the wokists not only won't attack you, they'll think you're one of them.
>>18098035No lolStop reading reddit.
>>18075393Pilot is the best.
>>18098733Incorrect. Noodler's has a line called "Baystate" (in blue, purple, and dark red) and those, unlike all the Noodler's inks are NOT pH balanced. Those will corrode some plastic feeds and damage some pens' sacs, in addition to staining goddamn near everything it touches.The other formulations are all safe.Perhaps you should stop reading reddit, since you seem to go there just to reflexively do the opposite of what they say.
>>18098897>Those will corrode some plastic feeds and damage some pens' sacs, in addition to staining goddamn near everything it touches.Okay dipshit, the feeds that bsb killed were defective lamy feeds and pilot feeds from a decade ago. Defective as recognized by the manufacturers. Unless you're buying old stock of student grade pens bsb isn't going to do shit. >rubber sacRubber sacs killed by bsb were also killed by>waterman florida blue>pelikan royal blueaka the most generic "safe" inks imaginableand sacs have been killed by>waterModern rubber sacs are a junk and one american manufacturer has had known bad batches. Rubber sac pens went extinct for a good reason. >stainingNot destruction.The baystate line is one line amid all the other lines of noodlers, That's 4/100+ inks. So I will reiterate: noodler's doesn't destroy pens and all the shit you're peddling is halftruths and misinfo parroted on places like that horrible fp leddit and fpn.Go back
>>18098907Reading comprehension>>18098897>The other formulations are all safe.Retard.
Looks like we've reached that part of the thread where it stops being comfy and one angry little man has decided that he's the resident subject matter expert. Anyone disagreeing with him is "reddit".
>>18098907That's why I said SOME feeds and SOME sacs. It's a fine ink otherwise. I actually use BSB as a daily ink. But it is not pH-neutral. That's a fact. It is a highly staining ink. That's a fact. No one disputes this. Stop getting so pissy. It's just fountain pens.
>>18098388>in germany fountain pens are mandatory in schoolStill? I figured they would have ended that. I don't know why. I assumed when they swapped to Grundschrift.I always thought it was a good way to teach children responsibility. American school children get cheap pencils and lose them constantly. I remember very few instances of one of my classmates losing their pen. (Running out of cartridges was another matter.)
Does anyone actually use a stub for daily writing?
>>18099065Sure. I use a stub for daily writing. Once you get used to it, it's as easy as writing with any other nib and gives your handwriting a little flair. It's not as difficult to use as a sharp nib like an oblique or italic. You have to be careful with those.I've been told that it's easier to make a stub smooth than a normal nib because the pen maker knows exactly how the nib will be oriented compared to a normal nib.
>>18098949It probably depends on which of the 16 states you go to school. And i dont know if there is a official rule for ink or if its a school thing or just the teacher that makes the rules. I didnt know about grundschrift untill now, but i have to say i like the concept of it. it its much closer to how everyone writes now in reality. I know no one that writes anything close to Lateinische Ausgangsschrift i had to learn. I want to note that Ausgangsschrift is just meant to be learned once and then developed to a /fa/ unique personal script.Which we never did in school, we had to make these leters in perfection for 2 years and then the teachers said fuck it you can now write however you want with any pen. So most went back to block letters.
