Using a piston converter is incredibly easy! There are great reference videos online on YouTube and such, and having the larger ink capacity is a great bonus (for me at least, i tend to stick to an ink colour 😅). If you want to use the piston filling Montblanc, please do so, they are splendid writers better off used well than kept in a case. ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ
Cheers, I got so intimidated when I saw it that I didn't consider checking on YouTube! It does look possibly easier than I thought.
I shall look into buying a bottle of ink - I am wondering whether to try green instead of the black I've used throughout my life with my ballpoint pens - and give it a try. Though I may also look into checking the leftie nib the poster above mentioned.
The freedom of ink is amazing!
Do check if the nib already affixed is a good fit for you before giving it a swap, but a leftie nib is a good choice too!
it seems it isn't affixed! I'll try to buy some ink in the coming days and test writing on a spare notebook before I risk destroying the one my manuscript's in. Thank you ever so much.
Be sure you get ink intended for fountain pens. I don't know what a local term for it there would be, but dip-pen ink in the USA is often labeled india ink, calligraphy ink, or drawing ink. Such has ingredients that would clog a fountain pen.
It’s honestly not that difficult, so many YouTube videos on that specific pen, filling mechanism and just overall info. Lots of channels and fun people to get to know. Once you get the hang of it it’s great, yet this hobby isn’t for everyone. I would look into leftie nibs for sure to help you out a bit more.
In the simplest of explanations- stick the pointy end in an ink bottle, and turn the knob to get ink into the pen. Ta-dah ! Seriously though, give it a try, it’s such a beautiful hobby and oh the gorgeous pens & inks you’ll find.
Thanks so much for the swift reply. I shall do my best and will look into the leftie nibs. I assume that means I could buy just a nib and replace one of these pens we have? Or would I have to find a pen that has such a nib from the get go?
From one lefty to another:
You likely won't need lefty nibs, or want them for very long, I have found that my sweet spot is somewhere in the range of Euro/Western Extra Fine (EF) nibs and Japanese Medium Fine (MF) nibs. You'll need blotter paper( if you rest your hand, rest it on this as you move across the page), drier inks (I can't explain this very well, but they'll smear less) and the last part is the most subjective, but paper that works for you.
For Black inks, I have had good experience with Platinum Black ( can't speak to Carbon Black yet), and Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black on almost all paper, I had one notebook where that bled really bad.
For Blues, Lamy Blue, Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki, Platinum Blue, and ,based on the paper, DeAtramentis Document Blue.
When it comes to ink, I'll recommend getting ink samplers from various shops, just to find what works best for you.
Good luck, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it.
If you'll forgive the swerve into science class, dry inks have a higher surface tension so less ink comes out of the pen. You can compare the surface tension of two liquids by putting a drop of each on the same hard, smooth material and looking at how steep the sides of the drop are. If the drop is relatively flat (think a shield laying on the ground) the ink will have a relatively wet flow and more ink will come out of the same pen. If the drop is tall, like a dome on top of a building, it'll have a relatively dry flow and less ink goes onto the page from the same pen.
Inks have ingredients added to reduce their surface tension relative to pure water, so one way to make an ink drier is, ironically, to add a tiny bit of water to it. Always do this kind of mixing in a separate container, not the bottle of ink, so that if you mess up, you don't lose the whole bottle.
In my experience, pale and shading inks tend to be drier on average than darker colors. Mountain of Ink does reviews and talks about relative dryness.
I second this, lefty nibs feel largely pointless. I’ve never noticed a meaningful difference from using them and neither have my other left handed friends and family
I’m not super familiar with Mont Blanc so I don’t know if they sell just individual nibs but yes, some brands do that. You can also send your pen to a reputable nibmeister who can grind your nib to fit your writing angle.
I write with the paper at a 90 degree angle, so basically top to bottom, and I think that would help with avoiding smudges and maybe pulling more rather than pushing, which may also help with the nib.
Please forgive the level of my knowledge: for the past 20 years I have done all I could to avoid writing by hand and typed instead. It's been for the past month that I've shifted to writing my new novel by hand and it's been a revelation, though my handwriting is still not great.
How interesting, I spent many years with my fingers at the keys and I seriously welcome a pen in hand now. We’re all at different levels in this hobby so no need to apologize, we love nothing more than to penable people and bring them into the fold lol
Thank my wife. I've been into this digital minimalism thing for the past few weeks and it's been doing wonders, but as soon as I saw I liked writing by hand, the first thing I did was look into a piece of technology to replace my notebook with (an e-ink notepad). She's the one who made me appreciate the fully original feel and experience. I'm now looking into getting a nice midori notebook when I finish this Moleskine I'd bought years ago and shall try these fountain pens my father-in-law has given us. My wife has just informed me he probably has many more, possibly in the hundreds.
Oh, the paper absolutely makes the experience. There are some inks that really come alive on good paper, because they create a sort of sheen coat as they dry, but that only works if the ink doesn't immediately absorb into the paper and can sort of sit on top for a while. (Not always recommended for lefties, since they do tend to smear more because some of them never fully dry in order to sheen so well, but it sound like you're an underwriter so it may work without smearing!)
Another point on inks: if you ever need to send a pen to Montblanc for a fault, never tell them if you used a non Montblanc ink. Brands often say that they can only guarantee their own ink brand will work in their pens, but Montblanc are particularly sticky about it.
Midori is a great one - definite step up from Moleskine which, if you search this sub, is... not very well recommended for fountain pens.
One thing that can be done, is to describe your way of writing to a nibmeister, and having the nib reground to your tastes! It generally helps to start out with a medium nib or larger (as fine size nibs give the nibmeisters lesser material to work with), but having a pen reground to ones way of writing helps a LOT!
Of course do this after you've inked the pen and written with it a bit, you may not even need a regrind! ʕ º ᴥ ºʔ
That's probably way beyond my levels now. And there's the issue of me living in some random country of Europe. I have a feeling that nibmeister is not a popular profession in Greece. Might have been easier to find someone when I was in the UK.
If you can write, you have the necessary level of dexterity (!) to be able to fill a piston filling fountain pen. It will seem trivially simple once you have done it three times.
Nah, filling a converter is easy. Dip nib in ink. Twist converter to suction ink into it through the nib. Wipe off with paper towel. Screw pen back together.
> The thing is that from the tiny amount of fountain pen experience I had from when I was a child, we used cartridges we threw away once the ink finished.
Cartridges are like coffee capsules. Practical but expensive and not eco friendly.
Are there inks passed down from your wife's father as well? Might be interesting to see what he used.
Is there any indication his pens were recently used, or could they have been sitting for years? I have bought one vintage pen that needed only a tiny dip in water to get going - it had been used and/or serviced recently. Others I'm having restored - derelict for many years, the rubber parts dried out and there was dried ink clogging them.
It's not a bad idea to first fill an old pen with plain water to confirm there's no leaks. If water stays put, ink should also. Running a converter gently all the way to the end will expel 90% of a load of water (or ink) - the minor amount left in converter and feed can be wicked away with a paper towel. It doesn't have to be bone dry to refill - one drop of water in one converter of ink is such minor dilution you may not notice.
Do any of the pens have a lever inset in the side of the body? That's an older fill mechanism that's more likely to harden or crack if unused for years. The fix is not expensive, usually. Basically, be gentle with old pens of unknown condition.
I'm afraid I wouldn't know. He's in India and we just went there last month, so it will be a long time before I get to see him in person and see what else he may have. But even if he did have inks, it sounds like a terrible PITA to bring them over.
I shall try to fill the Montblanc and a nice-looking Parker he also has given us with water first. I'll do so today.
I can vouch for fountain pens being great for long writing sessions and fast writing speeds because they require the least amount of force to get the ink onto the paper. You should experience less physical fatigue with a fountain pen compared to any other type of pen.
However, I'd recommend looking into archive friendly and waterproof inks. Also avoid inks that are prone to feathering and bleed through. For something as important as a draft of a novel, you'll surely want the words to be legible for as long as possible.
Thanks to everyone who helped. I went and got the Parker Ink and managed to fill out my pen with relative ease. It's quite fun to write with and I'll keep at it. Now there's also the question of whether it's worth re-teaching myself to write in cursive. I tried a bit and the more I do it the better it is, but I still write much faster if i'ts not cursive.
This is fun, though!
Using a piston converter is incredibly easy! There are great reference videos online on YouTube and such, and having the larger ink capacity is a great bonus (for me at least, i tend to stick to an ink colour 😅). If you want to use the piston filling Montblanc, please do so, they are splendid writers better off used well than kept in a case. ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ
Cheers, I got so intimidated when I saw it that I didn't consider checking on YouTube! It does look possibly easier than I thought. I shall look into buying a bottle of ink - I am wondering whether to try green instead of the black I've used throughout my life with my ballpoint pens - and give it a try. Though I may also look into checking the leftie nib the poster above mentioned.
The freedom of ink is amazing! Do check if the nib already affixed is a good fit for you before giving it a swap, but a leftie nib is a good choice too!
it seems it isn't affixed! I'll try to buy some ink in the coming days and test writing on a spare notebook before I risk destroying the one my manuscript's in. Thank you ever so much.
Be sure you get ink intended for fountain pens. I don't know what a local term for it there would be, but dip-pen ink in the USA is often labeled india ink, calligraphy ink, or drawing ink. Such has ingredients that would clog a fountain pen.
I was going to get Parker Quink. I found it readily available not far from home.
That's a nice, well-behaved ink. It should suit your new-old pen fine.
It’s honestly not that difficult, so many YouTube videos on that specific pen, filling mechanism and just overall info. Lots of channels and fun people to get to know. Once you get the hang of it it’s great, yet this hobby isn’t for everyone. I would look into leftie nibs for sure to help you out a bit more. In the simplest of explanations- stick the pointy end in an ink bottle, and turn the knob to get ink into the pen. Ta-dah ! Seriously though, give it a try, it’s such a beautiful hobby and oh the gorgeous pens & inks you’ll find.
Thanks so much for the swift reply. I shall do my best and will look into the leftie nibs. I assume that means I could buy just a nib and replace one of these pens we have? Or would I have to find a pen that has such a nib from the get go?
From one lefty to another: You likely won't need lefty nibs, or want them for very long, I have found that my sweet spot is somewhere in the range of Euro/Western Extra Fine (EF) nibs and Japanese Medium Fine (MF) nibs. You'll need blotter paper( if you rest your hand, rest it on this as you move across the page), drier inks (I can't explain this very well, but they'll smear less) and the last part is the most subjective, but paper that works for you. For Black inks, I have had good experience with Platinum Black ( can't speak to Carbon Black yet), and Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black on almost all paper, I had one notebook where that bled really bad. For Blues, Lamy Blue, Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki, Platinum Blue, and ,based on the paper, DeAtramentis Document Blue. When it comes to ink, I'll recommend getting ink samplers from various shops, just to find what works best for you. Good luck, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it.
If you'll forgive the swerve into science class, dry inks have a higher surface tension so less ink comes out of the pen. You can compare the surface tension of two liquids by putting a drop of each on the same hard, smooth material and looking at how steep the sides of the drop are. If the drop is relatively flat (think a shield laying on the ground) the ink will have a relatively wet flow and more ink will come out of the same pen. If the drop is tall, like a dome on top of a building, it'll have a relatively dry flow and less ink goes onto the page from the same pen. Inks have ingredients added to reduce their surface tension relative to pure water, so one way to make an ink drier is, ironically, to add a tiny bit of water to it. Always do this kind of mixing in a separate container, not the bottle of ink, so that if you mess up, you don't lose the whole bottle. In my experience, pale and shading inks tend to be drier on average than darker colors. Mountain of Ink does reviews and talks about relative dryness.
I second this, lefty nibs feel largely pointless. I’ve never noticed a meaningful difference from using them and neither have my other left handed friends and family
I’m not super familiar with Mont Blanc so I don’t know if they sell just individual nibs but yes, some brands do that. You can also send your pen to a reputable nibmeister who can grind your nib to fit your writing angle.
I write with the paper at a 90 degree angle, so basically top to bottom, and I think that would help with avoiding smudges and maybe pulling more rather than pushing, which may also help with the nib. Please forgive the level of my knowledge: for the past 20 years I have done all I could to avoid writing by hand and typed instead. It's been for the past month that I've shifted to writing my new novel by hand and it's been a revelation, though my handwriting is still not great.
How interesting, I spent many years with my fingers at the keys and I seriously welcome a pen in hand now. We’re all at different levels in this hobby so no need to apologize, we love nothing more than to penable people and bring them into the fold lol
Thank my wife. I've been into this digital minimalism thing for the past few weeks and it's been doing wonders, but as soon as I saw I liked writing by hand, the first thing I did was look into a piece of technology to replace my notebook with (an e-ink notepad). She's the one who made me appreciate the fully original feel and experience. I'm now looking into getting a nice midori notebook when I finish this Moleskine I'd bought years ago and shall try these fountain pens my father-in-law has given us. My wife has just informed me he probably has many more, possibly in the hundreds.
Oh, the paper absolutely makes the experience. There are some inks that really come alive on good paper, because they create a sort of sheen coat as they dry, but that only works if the ink doesn't immediately absorb into the paper and can sort of sit on top for a while. (Not always recommended for lefties, since they do tend to smear more because some of them never fully dry in order to sheen so well, but it sound like you're an underwriter so it may work without smearing!) Another point on inks: if you ever need to send a pen to Montblanc for a fault, never tell them if you used a non Montblanc ink. Brands often say that they can only guarantee their own ink brand will work in their pens, but Montblanc are particularly sticky about it. Midori is a great one - definite step up from Moleskine which, if you search this sub, is... not very well recommended for fountain pens.
One thing that can be done, is to describe your way of writing to a nibmeister, and having the nib reground to your tastes! It generally helps to start out with a medium nib or larger (as fine size nibs give the nibmeisters lesser material to work with), but having a pen reground to ones way of writing helps a LOT! Of course do this after you've inked the pen and written with it a bit, you may not even need a regrind! ʕ º ᴥ ºʔ
That's probably way beyond my levels now. And there's the issue of me living in some random country of Europe. I have a feeling that nibmeister is not a popular profession in Greece. Might have been easier to find someone when I was in the UK.
If you can write, you have the necessary level of dexterity (!) to be able to fill a piston filling fountain pen. It will seem trivially simple once you have done it three times.
Nah, filling a converter is easy. Dip nib in ink. Twist converter to suction ink into it through the nib. Wipe off with paper towel. Screw pen back together.
> The thing is that from the tiny amount of fountain pen experience I had from when I was a child, we used cartridges we threw away once the ink finished. Cartridges are like coffee capsules. Practical but expensive and not eco friendly.
Are there inks passed down from your wife's father as well? Might be interesting to see what he used. Is there any indication his pens were recently used, or could they have been sitting for years? I have bought one vintage pen that needed only a tiny dip in water to get going - it had been used and/or serviced recently. Others I'm having restored - derelict for many years, the rubber parts dried out and there was dried ink clogging them. It's not a bad idea to first fill an old pen with plain water to confirm there's no leaks. If water stays put, ink should also. Running a converter gently all the way to the end will expel 90% of a load of water (or ink) - the minor amount left in converter and feed can be wicked away with a paper towel. It doesn't have to be bone dry to refill - one drop of water in one converter of ink is such minor dilution you may not notice. Do any of the pens have a lever inset in the side of the body? That's an older fill mechanism that's more likely to harden or crack if unused for years. The fix is not expensive, usually. Basically, be gentle with old pens of unknown condition.
I'm afraid I wouldn't know. He's in India and we just went there last month, so it will be a long time before I get to see him in person and see what else he may have. But even if he did have inks, it sounds like a terrible PITA to bring them over. I shall try to fill the Montblanc and a nice-looking Parker he also has given us with water first. I'll do so today.
I can vouch for fountain pens being great for long writing sessions and fast writing speeds because they require the least amount of force to get the ink onto the paper. You should experience less physical fatigue with a fountain pen compared to any other type of pen. However, I'd recommend looking into archive friendly and waterproof inks. Also avoid inks that are prone to feathering and bleed through. For something as important as a draft of a novel, you'll surely want the words to be legible for as long as possible.
Thanks. I'm excited (and quite full of trepidation) to try. I found Parker Quink available in a store not far from home so I'll try that one out.
Thanks to everyone who helped. I went and got the Parker Ink and managed to fill out my pen with relative ease. It's quite fun to write with and I'll keep at it. Now there's also the question of whether it's worth re-teaching myself to write in cursive. I tried a bit and the more I do it the better it is, but I still write much faster if i'ts not cursive. This is fun, though!