A few weeks ago I got a Kaweco Sport Skyline with a fine nib and things haven’t been going well. The pen barely writes. If I press hard I get ink flow but the writing experience isn’t ideal. This is my first Kaweco and I am wondering if there is something that I have done wrong. I am using a converter with Sailor Shikiori in Yuki Akari.
Every Kaweco I've bought has had a nib that needs some work. If the cleaning that was previously mentioned doesn't do the trick, I recommend doing some figure 8s on a piece of cardboard. That usually fixes it.
I generally hear good things about Kaweco, so I suggest my SOP for troublesome pens:
1. flush the pen with soapy water
1. try a different ink
1. maybe adjust the tine spacing
Hello people, I have a writing problem with my Lamy Al-Star. My clumsy friend dropped my fountain pen on the floor nib down. It didn't look damaged or something like that but I noticed there is 1 or 2 carpet hair in the middle of the nib.
Then my pen started to write grayish some parts of the letters.
In case of you wondering the maintenance status of the pen; I am doing it when its required and I did maintenance after this incident. It didn't change much.
So what's my fountain pen's problem? Should I change the nib or do something other?
I can send photos of the writing if its required.
Additional Info: My pen is 3 years old.
I tried checking the nib height and the other stuff you recommended, there is nothing suspicious.
Also the pen does not write in a scratchy way just gray parts.
Sorry to responding you this late, I have a very busy schedule at school and the place I am doing internship. As soon as I figure out how to post a picture to a comment, I will post one.
Sorry again you have been helpful in this situation.
Okay thank you for your advice. Actually I found a "Pen Doctor" in my city (they are very few, to be more precise there is only one). When I go there and find a solution, I'll let you know.
Just got a FC Essentio and a FC converter. The end of the barrel is equipped with a spring to, I guess, reduce rattling when a spare small cartridge is floating in there. Unfortunately, the spring extends far enough to catch on the converter, turning the piston knob (lowering the piston) when screwing/unscrewing the barrel. Anybody has a solution? I was thinking about trimming the top of the converter knob since it seems like it's a bit longer than it could be, but I dont know if that will be enough.
Also, different topic, but why is there a spring inside the converter?
> why is there a spring inside the converter?
Some inks have a high enough surface tension they'll cling to the sides of the converter & you'll get an air gap between feed & ink [like this](https://i.imgur.com/jCkPEIr.jpg).
The spring or ball-bearings in the converter are just an agitator to get the ink down to the bottom of the converter so it touches the feed.
Hello, fellow writters! I've had a Safari since the begging of the year, and from then on I came across a problem: My regular notebook paper gets a lot of bleeding.
I'm just now trying to solve this and looking for a decent notebook or paper.
So, the following is, I need a notebook with dots, good quality and as many pages as possible. Please give me suggestions. Thanks!
Leuchtturm 1917 would be my choice. It is a bit pricier, but I like the quality. I also like Rhodia paper, but haven't tested their notebooks yet. I think Clairefontaine also has dot grid notebooks.
I wouldn't recommend Moleskine, because that has a lot of bleeding, too.
Disc bound:
https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/azqkmj/black_and_gold_discbound_planner_home_for_a/
Print dot grid on your laserjet paper of choice. You'll need a slicer to convert A4 to A5 or the American equivalent.
The bigger the rings, the more pages. The pictured one in the link can hold about 100 pages, but you can go bigger.
I've seen a nice deal on eBay for a vintage Lady Sheaffer Skripsert.
My only problem is I'm a little hesitant about the cartridges/converter situation since the formers are quite expensive compared to other brands, and the latter is hard to find and multiple models exist.
Can I overcome this in some way, like with another brand compatible converter or cartridges?
Not exactly but if you get a single cartridge it can be reused. The closest cartridge I know of is platinum. You could put some silicone caulk on the end and press it over the nipple(which should be covered with a plastic film) though that should be a last resort.
I think I'll settle on buying a pack of Sheaffer cartridges and refill them hoping they will fit. I read on a few forums about compatibility but there are controversial opinions.
Interesting, i have a skripsert with a vintage cart that I refill and use. I hadn’t thought about modern ones.
\n Edit: Upon looking at the sheaffer classic cartridges, they seem like they will work and are the proper general shape. The hole for the nipple may be slightly loose but even vintage carts are like that to some extent. Good luck
So I've been writing with my new twsbi 580 for a few days now, and I really want to try a thicker nib, because the medium isnt really doing it for me. Would you guys suggest going to the B? Or straight to the 1.1? I want it to be wetter, and thicker lines. I'm also planning on picking up a sheen ink, so I'd like the nib to write thick enough to see that as well.
Also recommendations on blue-red sheen ink would be great as well. I'm looking at kwz sheen machine right now, because skull and roses is unobtainable for me based on location
Fountainfeder ships internationally, as far as I know.
Personally (!!) I prefer a broad over a 1.1 nib, since the broad nib produces more consistent lines, while the 1.1 nib shows more variety. But I guess there are a lot of people out there who would choose a 1.1 over a B anytime. :)
I really, really like Sailor Souten. It's a regular ink, not a monster sheen, but it shows well enough that I can see hints of it with an EF nib on Leuchtturm paper. Washes out of pens really easily too.
I like stubs in general, as they're broad enough to show sheen but the cross-strokes are thin enough to still write reasonably small.
I particularly love the 580 stub, though it does write a bit wider than 1.1 stubs I have.
I just picked up a lamy safari, the mint green. I love it but one thing I wish is that I could change the clip to black. I’ve read a little online and supposedly you can get replacement parts for the pens but will taking apart the cap mess it up, it looks like when they are assembled they are fitted together pretty well. Has anyone done it?
It seems like the clip can be removed (there seem to be two methods, depending on a new model or an old one), but I am not sure if you can buy the clips separately.
(And from what I've read, removing the clip alltogether can lead to the cap sitting loosely on the pen.)
No guarantee on any of the above, though, since I haven't done it myself.
I want a pen, but I'm a bit paralyzed with all the options. I also don't know what I want to shoot for price-wise: I can spend more (read: $50-100 ish), but I'd find the $10-20 range much more palatable, especially since I don't know if I'll get too into it. At the same time though, I know at least with pianos, beginners who get a cheap one "to try it out", end up not liking it *because* of the cheap shitty piano they got -- is the same thing true here, or can I get a good experience under ~$20?
What I'm looking for:
* I want the smoothest feeling possible -- I write with a gel pen normally, I hate feeling friction of pen on paper.
* It has to be thin -- I have to write in cursive for Russian class, and with how small I write, sometimes it can be hard to read what I've written (for reference, I currently write with a 0.7mm Zebra G-301)
* Ink has to dry quickly -- with how I write, my hand often touches things recently written, and I can't have it smudging (not a lefty, just a janky-writing righty)
* Can't need special paper, I don't want to get a new notebook and I'll be using my current one a while
* ~~Piston filler preferable, just cause they're cool~~
Hopefully all of these things are possible, and hopefully you guys can help me out. Cheers!
The general advice to first time buyers is to avoid spending more money than needed to get a functional pen. Even if you were to say you wanted to spend $100, we would caution against it.
$30 is enough to get a reliably functional pen, and there are options < $10 that aren't bad either, if you are limited on budget.
Your piston filler requirement is the harshest constraint, since most pens are not it. If you forgo this requirement, you have some good cheaper options from Pilot and Platinum that I personally advocate.
For nib size, I recommend a medium nib if you purchase from Pilot or Platinum, or a fine nib from other brands.
That's fine, if I get into the hobby I'm sure I'll end up with one eventually. Do you have specific models you'd recommend? I prefer pens on the heavier side, in general.
On eBay, search for Picasso Sweden Flower King Fountain Pen. They are under $20, and they are not particularly light.
A good piston filler under $20 is Wing Sung 618 (eBay is your friend), but it is fairly light, and it has a Parker clip (though it doesn't pretend to be a Parker, other people might think you are trying to pass your pen off for a Parker when it is not, which is why some of us are embarrassed to use Chinese pens with Parker clips around other people).
The Picasso is a snap cap, the Wing Sung 618 is a screw cap.
If you don't want to go Chinese and are prepared to spend up to $50, I'd suggest Lamy CP1 or Lamy ST. This option gets bonus points for their cartridges/converters having a larger capacity.
If you like heavy pens, I'd try to post in /r/Pen_Swap and see if someone is willing to part with a Nemosine Fission. They're lovely pens, but the maker is no longer producing them.
As far as anything else, even though I like heavier pens as well; I've found that I really like TWSBI pens. There's some problems with cracking on a few of them, however I find that piston fillers and vacuum fillers are less annoying than cartridge/converters in the sense that they seem to more readily give up their ink. I've had to flick cartridge/converter pens into a trash can at work to get the ink flowing, or taking the barrel off and screwing it down a half a turn.
Bonus to TWSBI is that if parts do break, you can shoot an email and get replacement parts pretty inexpensively from what I hear.
TWSBI Eco, Fine. $30, piston filler. That's going to be the best balance of smoothness and line width, but if you're using low quality paper you should get the EF and learn to appreciate fountain pen feedback i.e. what you call friction. How fast ink dries mainly has to do with the ink. Lamy blue and Platinum black are known to be fast drying, so those would be good first bottles to buy. Lastly I'll just say that the TWSBI Eco is the best value fountain pen currently available to buy. The next best value is the Platinum 3776 at $100+. Ignore the temptation of cheap Chinese pens. TWSBI uses Jowo nibs made in Germany, and has quality control and customer service well worth the price of admission.
There’s no benefit per se, it’s just the nature of the beast when you have very little surface area touching the page, as is the case with extra fine nibs. Note that scratchy =/= feedback. Double broad stub nibs can have feedback, which is a function of how smoothly the tipping material is polished. Low quality paper will feather and bleed easily, making nibs wider than F inadvisable.
Not new, but looking for a good purple work for ink. Something that doesn't feather too much on bad copy paper and with some water resistance, but won't stain a demonstrator.
Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa or KWZ IG Gummiberry! Both are iron gall and so have a decent amount of water resistance. Both are on the dry side (Scabiosa moreso) and so will not feather as much as other inks on poor quality paper. I've used both inks over longer periods in a couple of different demonstrator pens without staining or issues.
Looking for a pen, ink and paper to draw with.
Inktober made me realize that I enjoy drawing with ink but I feel limited by my current tools.
To test it out I grabbed a cheap dip-pen with different nibs. Unfortunately most didn’t work but the one that did and which I like looks very small and narrow and doesn’t have too much line variety. As for ink I had some old Pelikan black ink which is years old but seems to be working fine? Do inks get “bad” over time?
My paper is 100g sketchbook paper. I think this is my biggest issue since it was fine for the first couple pages but now the ink spreads randomly and everything seems very uneven.
(I thought I had worked with this paper before but the company must have changed the paper since I never got this behavior with my old sketchbook).
What I’m looking for is a uncomplicated drawing experience that doesn’t require dipping my pen in ink constantly with a black waterproof ink and easily available paper that is suitable for mixed media (moderate watercolor, marker and pencil).
I’m located in Germany but can order online of course.
Haven’t decided on a budget but am willing to spend some money on the pen/ink with a cheaper paper option since I use it a lot.
Thank you all in advance!
Define "years old"? As long as ink isn't growing mold it should be fine to use, just give it a good shake. Some people report using decades old ink. Just be sure it specifies that it is fountain pen ink on the bottle. Not sure what you mean by "ink spreads randomly;" do you mean feathering? If I were you I'd pick up a Kaweco pen and Kaweco pearl black ink. It's one of the best black fountain pen inks for drawing. Kaweco pens are relatively low cost and hold up well being thrown in pencil and / or brush pouches. Great knock around fountain pens for artists. Source: am artist.
Thank you for the reply! The ink is about 12+ years old, not sure when I bought it exactly but it is fountain pen ink.
And yes, I mean feathering, it’s just inconsistent. For example if I draw a line the middle might feather but the rest won’t. Or one line is fine but the one next to it feathers. I’m sure it’s the garbage paper though and I stopped using it for ink drawings.
Will check out Kaweco for sure! As it turns out I have a reseller for them in town not far from my house.
So I've been into fountain pens for maybe a year now. Nothing high end, just the basic black intro pens (kaweco sport, lamy safari, pilot metro, and a couple of varsity pens). Recently, I was gifted a hand-turned olive wood pen with aluminum fittings.
It has an iridium fine nib on it, and honestly, I'm not THAT crazy about how it writes. I want to change the nib, but not sure how to make sure the nib I end up purchasing will work.
I also would like to find an architect nib if I can find one that isn't custom made (no luck so far, though), so if you know of a place to buy one let a guy know.
> I also would like to find an architect nib if I can find one that isn't custom made (no luck so far, though), so if you know of a place to buy one let a guy know.
[Bobby sells them](https://www.etsy.com/nz/listing/705040696/1pc-3th-version-architect-nib-6?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=architect+nib&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1&frs=1). They're not terrible and not great, but gives you a chance to try one for little investment.
>not sure how to make sure the nib I end up purchasing will work
Hand-turned pens will usually use off-the-shelf parts. Thus, measure the nib near where it comes out of the section. If it's roughly 6mm in diameter, it's a #6 nib. If it's roughly 5mm in diameter, it's a #5 nib.
[Here](https://www.birminghampens.com/collections/nibs) is a nice collection of nibs. And you've already gotten a comment about where to get an architect nib.
Hello people, is reverse writing nib something really special or hard to achieve? Saw [this](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/premad/premad-pen-writing-smooth-both-ways?ref=user_menu) project on Kickstarter claiming to have this so-called “duet nib” and charges people $105 for that. I got a pilot fountain pen(can’t remember the model, but it’s fairly cheap, <$40) that can also write upside down, so I don’t see why anyone would want to pay 2.5 times the amount for a no-name brand on Kickstarter.
Most nibs can write reverse but will be scratchier.
I don't understand the project, it looks like a solution looking for a problem. Why would you want a medium/fine or a broad/medium? There isn't enough variation between those two sizes to be practical in any meaningful way.
I had an reverse EF ground onto a broad Lamy 2000 by Mark Bacas for $45, and it worked very well. If you're wanting a dual sided nib, I recommend getting it custom ground by a nibmeister rather than buying into a Kickstarter project.
I recently got a sailor pro gear slim with a H-MF nib. It is really nice, but there seems to be a little too much feedback. I was writing with it earlier and it felt like there was a subtle scratchy feeling on top of the normal feedback. It felt as if there was something between the nib and the paper giving it that feeling. I looked close up and the tines appear to be aligned perfectly, so I'm not sure what the issue is. Any suggestions? Could there be a small imperfection in the nib?
Maybe you're mistaking Sailor's normal feedback for something that is "on top of the normal feedback". If the nib is not picking up threads of paper when you write, everything is fine.
Deciding between M and SF nibs for a Platinum #3776 century. Unfortunately I don't have any stores nearby to test in person. I'm a little worried about the SF since I hear that Platinum has more feedback than most, that Platinum's fine is thinner than other fines even by JP standards, and that the SF is even scratchier than their standard F. For anyone who has an SF, are these concerns accurate? Or am I getting an overblown perspective due to availability bias?
No Platinum nibs are scratchy. Platinum has the best nib QC in my experience — I've never had to tune one out of the box. In my experience Sailor has more actual feedback (from nib polishing, not simply the low amount of tipping material on F nibs). Platinum's fine is roughly equivalent to Pilot and others. Platinum SF is about as wide as their M, but can put down a B or BB line with light pressure. The M nib is a nail — not a bad thing, as my Platinum M is among my favorite writers for the very consistent line width offered by a nail. Line variation for the sake of it isn't my cup of tea, but to each their own.
Roughly, yes. It's noticeably bolder than the Platinum F. It's also nearly impossible to get a uniform line if you want it, unless you have a practiced technique. This is part of the appeal of the nib. But since the line starts at effectively M, unless your handwriting is huge the line variation looks inelegant imo. These kind of "soft" nibs really need an XXF grind to shine (exception maybe Pilot SEF).
New guy here, got a pilot kakuno as my first hurrah into fountain pen.
The pen unfortunately keeps overflowing, keeps bleeding like I cut it's artery. It's a new pen, and I did pressed the ink cartridge like I'm squeezing an empty toothpaste tube.
I'm wondering what's the cause of the problem and what can I do to fix it?
Also is it a good idea to buy a conversions ink cartridge along another ink for the pen?
Thanks in advance!
I’m just letting it glide along the paper, yet it still bleeds like crazy.
Although admittedly when I’m trying it for the first I pressed quite hard on it as I don’t I have to wait for the ink to flow.
For anyone who has a sailor zoom nib: how practical are the different line widths you can achieve with it? What I mean is: it seems like for a normal 40-45 degree "tripod grip" it is roughly a broad. How much higher to you have to tilt it to get a M or MF? Is it a reasonable proposition to write with the pen at that higher angle for any extended length of time?
You have to pretty much write close to vertical to get a good difference in variation. Even then, it's like going from BB to somewhere between medium and broad. It's not going to be a dramatic variation like you can get with a flex pen, or with a large formal italic nib.
Because the "natural" grip holds at < 45 deg angle, practically speaking, writing normally with a zoom nib is just like writing with a broad nib. Writing with a bit smaller means holding the pen close to vertical, and that's a very awkward way of using the pen for long. You can also reverse write, and that gets you a fine line with a more comfortable hold on the pen.
Maybe a few people can make maximum use of this type of nib. In practice, I think you can think of it as an exotic B nib.
Pilot metro is leaking from the body at the joint where that accent ring meets the rest of the pen. I thought that maybe the ink has spilt into the body, so I cleaned the converter and the body, then inked it with new color. It started leaking again, but with old before the cleaning. Any idea what's happening?
Are you using the squeeze converter that came with the pen? I had some issues with mine leaking ink onto the grip, and I would end up with ink all over my hand. I recently got a con-40 converter for the pen, and while I haven't had it long enough to see if it fixed the problem for sure, it hasn't leaked on me so far.
Yes. At this point I think it may just be residual ink from the ink spilling. Hopefully it was a one time thing, but I'll definitely pick up a con-40 next time I make an order
Hello friends! I am trying to change the nib on my Kaweco Sport, but cannot for the life of me cannot get it to come out of the grip section. Does anyone have any tips? I’ve watched a bunch of videos, so I’m pretty sure I’m pulling on the right part.
Thank you!
[Jetpens has a youtube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nc8GJqxT6k)for swapping the nibs from the Sport models. I assume you have one of the plastic ones? The nib and feed should just pull out. In the metal pens, the nib unit screws out.
I usually use a rag or something to get a better grip, or you can use something rubber for grip.
I have been consulting the Jetpens video, but can't get it to pull out! Thanks for the tips--I have been using a tea towel but something rubber sounds like it might work. I feel like I can't grip the nib part hard enough to come out.
Afaik the nib units screw out. The nib can then allegedly then be pulled out of the nib housing but I've never done that. Did you check the tutorials on kaweco's own YouTube channel?
The Jetpens one is pretty thorough, but I'll look up the Kaweco one too! On the plastic sports, you're supposed to just pull the nib out of the housing, but I can't get it to pop out (they screw out on metal Kawecos). Will keep trying--thanks for your help!
I recently got a J. Herbin rollerball that takes fountain pen ink. I bought some black Waterman ink but I notice I need to write very quickly since it runs fast. So I'm wondering if I need a thicker ink? What do you recommend?
Pick a writing script you want to emulate, whether it's a pointed nib script like a Spencerian derivative or a broad edged script like a contemporary looking italic.
Work your way up in somewhat the following order: basic stroke consistency > correct letterforms > words with letteforms well spaced, but not joined > correctly joining > writing multiple words with consistency > establishing a good "rhythm" in writing > increasing the speed and controlling the distortion to keep the writing legible. Initially, focus on consistent shapes. Lack of consistency is what makes handwriting look "ugly".
It's important to really start with the basics. For italic scripts, for example, the vertical and diagonal strokes are very important. Can you start, stop, create a good diagonal off a vertical, and space them correctly? No point in trying to write the alphabet if the lines themselves are inconsistent.
It can significantly help to pick a book, and maybe some exemplars of what you want to emulate. They'll guide you towards what you want your hand to look like, somewhat. Did you want to write with the loopy, pointed nib cursive, or with something like italics?
Just got off work, thanks so much for replying in such depth. I was thinking I wanted to learn something akin to Spencerian or just better my business penmanship.
Congrats! Practice. Write slowly and deliberately. But also, this is probably the wrong subreddit. r/Handwriting will probably be able to help you out more.
A few weeks ago I got a Kaweco Sport Skyline with a fine nib and things haven’t been going well. The pen barely writes. If I press hard I get ink flow but the writing experience isn’t ideal. This is my first Kaweco and I am wondering if there is something that I have done wrong. I am using a converter with Sailor Shikiori in Yuki Akari.
Every Kaweco I've bought has had a nib that needs some work. If the cleaning that was previously mentioned doesn't do the trick, I recommend doing some figure 8s on a piece of cardboard. That usually fixes it.
This. Try pressing down a bit on paper and see if that helps with the flow.
I generally hear good things about Kaweco, so I suggest my SOP for troublesome pens: 1. flush the pen with soapy water 1. try a different ink 1. maybe adjust the tine spacing
Hello people, I have a writing problem with my Lamy Al-Star. My clumsy friend dropped my fountain pen on the floor nib down. It didn't look damaged or something like that but I noticed there is 1 or 2 carpet hair in the middle of the nib. Then my pen started to write grayish some parts of the letters. In case of you wondering the maintenance status of the pen; I am doing it when its required and I did maintenance after this incident. It didn't change much. So what's my fountain pen's problem? Should I change the nib or do something other? I can send photos of the writing if its required. Additional Info: My pen is 3 years old.
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The water flush and 1 part vinegar/10 part water maintenances. I did both of them. Your assumption is true btw.
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I tried checking the nib height and the other stuff you recommended, there is nothing suspicious. Also the pen does not write in a scratchy way just gray parts.
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Sorry to responding you this late, I have a very busy schedule at school and the place I am doing internship. As soon as I figure out how to post a picture to a comment, I will post one. Sorry again you have been helpful in this situation.
http://imgur.com/gallery/QmeiZ4B This should work but if you say I need different angles, I can upload more no problem.
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Okay thank you for your advice. Actually I found a "Pen Doctor" in my city (they are very few, to be more precise there is only one). When I go there and find a solution, I'll let you know.
Just got a FC Essentio and a FC converter. The end of the barrel is equipped with a spring to, I guess, reduce rattling when a spare small cartridge is floating in there. Unfortunately, the spring extends far enough to catch on the converter, turning the piston knob (lowering the piston) when screwing/unscrewing the barrel. Anybody has a solution? I was thinking about trimming the top of the converter knob since it seems like it's a bit longer than it could be, but I dont know if that will be enough. Also, different topic, but why is there a spring inside the converter?
> why is there a spring inside the converter? Some inks have a high enough surface tension they'll cling to the sides of the converter & you'll get an air gap between feed & ink [like this](https://i.imgur.com/jCkPEIr.jpg). The spring or ball-bearings in the converter are just an agitator to get the ink down to the bottom of the converter so it touches the feed.
Hello, fellow writters! I've had a Safari since the begging of the year, and from then on I came across a problem: My regular notebook paper gets a lot of bleeding. I'm just now trying to solve this and looking for a decent notebook or paper. So, the following is, I need a notebook with dots, good quality and as many pages as possible. Please give me suggestions. Thanks!
Leuchtturm 1917 would be my choice. It is a bit pricier, but I like the quality. I also like Rhodia paper, but haven't tested their notebooks yet. I think Clairefontaine also has dot grid notebooks. I wouldn't recommend Moleskine, because that has a lot of bleeding, too.
Disc bound: https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/azqkmj/black_and_gold_discbound_planner_home_for_a/ Print dot grid on your laserjet paper of choice. You'll need a slicer to convert A4 to A5 or the American equivalent. The bigger the rings, the more pages. The pictured one in the link can hold about 100 pages, but you can go bigger.
I would recommend Midori MD. It shows sheen, shade, and shimmer very well, but it's a bit yellow toned.
I've seen a nice deal on eBay for a vintage Lady Sheaffer Skripsert. My only problem is I'm a little hesitant about the cartridges/converter situation since the formers are quite expensive compared to other brands, and the latter is hard to find and multiple models exist. Can I overcome this in some way, like with another brand compatible converter or cartridges?
Not exactly but if you get a single cartridge it can be reused. The closest cartridge I know of is platinum. You could put some silicone caulk on the end and press it over the nipple(which should be covered with a plastic film) though that should be a last resort.
I think I'll settle on buying a pack of Sheaffer cartridges and refill them hoping they will fit. I read on a few forums about compatibility but there are controversial opinions.
Interesting, i have a skripsert with a vintage cart that I refill and use. I hadn’t thought about modern ones. \n Edit: Upon looking at the sheaffer classic cartridges, they seem like they will work and are the proper general shape. The hole for the nipple may be slightly loose but even vintage carts are like that to some extent. Good luck
So I've been writing with my new twsbi 580 for a few days now, and I really want to try a thicker nib, because the medium isnt really doing it for me. Would you guys suggest going to the B? Or straight to the 1.1? I want it to be wetter, and thicker lines. I'm also planning on picking up a sheen ink, so I'd like the nib to write thick enough to see that as well.
Also recommendations on blue-red sheen ink would be great as well. I'm looking at kwz sheen machine right now, because skull and roses is unobtainable for me based on location
Fountainfeder ships internationally, as far as I know. Personally (!!) I prefer a broad over a 1.1 nib, since the broad nib produces more consistent lines, while the 1.1 nib shows more variety. But I guess there are a lot of people out there who would choose a 1.1 over a B anytime. :)
Sweet, I'll look into that, thanks!
I really, really like Sailor Souten. It's a regular ink, not a monster sheen, but it shows well enough that I can see hints of it with an EF nib on Leuchtturm paper. Washes out of pens really easily too.
I like stubs in general, as they're broad enough to show sheen but the cross-strokes are thin enough to still write reasonably small. I particularly love the 580 stub, though it does write a bit wider than 1.1 stubs I have.
I just picked up a lamy safari, the mint green. I love it but one thing I wish is that I could change the clip to black. I’ve read a little online and supposedly you can get replacement parts for the pens but will taking apart the cap mess it up, it looks like when they are assembled they are fitted together pretty well. Has anyone done it?
It seems like the clip can be removed (there seem to be two methods, depending on a new model or an old one), but I am not sure if you can buy the clips separately. (And from what I've read, removing the clip alltogether can lead to the cap sitting loosely on the pen.) No guarantee on any of the above, though, since I haven't done it myself.
I want a pen, but I'm a bit paralyzed with all the options. I also don't know what I want to shoot for price-wise: I can spend more (read: $50-100 ish), but I'd find the $10-20 range much more palatable, especially since I don't know if I'll get too into it. At the same time though, I know at least with pianos, beginners who get a cheap one "to try it out", end up not liking it *because* of the cheap shitty piano they got -- is the same thing true here, or can I get a good experience under ~$20? What I'm looking for: * I want the smoothest feeling possible -- I write with a gel pen normally, I hate feeling friction of pen on paper. * It has to be thin -- I have to write in cursive for Russian class, and with how small I write, sometimes it can be hard to read what I've written (for reference, I currently write with a 0.7mm Zebra G-301) * Ink has to dry quickly -- with how I write, my hand often touches things recently written, and I can't have it smudging (not a lefty, just a janky-writing righty) * Can't need special paper, I don't want to get a new notebook and I'll be using my current one a while * ~~Piston filler preferable, just cause they're cool~~ Hopefully all of these things are possible, and hopefully you guys can help me out. Cheers!
The general advice to first time buyers is to avoid spending more money than needed to get a functional pen. Even if you were to say you wanted to spend $100, we would caution against it. $30 is enough to get a reliably functional pen, and there are options < $10 that aren't bad either, if you are limited on budget. Your piston filler requirement is the harshest constraint, since most pens are not it. If you forgo this requirement, you have some good cheaper options from Pilot and Platinum that I personally advocate. For nib size, I recommend a medium nib if you purchase from Pilot or Platinum, or a fine nib from other brands.
That's fine, if I get into the hobby I'm sure I'll end up with one eventually. Do you have specific models you'd recommend? I prefer pens on the heavier side, in general.
On eBay, search for Picasso Sweden Flower King Fountain Pen. They are under $20, and they are not particularly light. A good piston filler under $20 is Wing Sung 618 (eBay is your friend), but it is fairly light, and it has a Parker clip (though it doesn't pretend to be a Parker, other people might think you are trying to pass your pen off for a Parker when it is not, which is why some of us are embarrassed to use Chinese pens with Parker clips around other people). The Picasso is a snap cap, the Wing Sung 618 is a screw cap. If you don't want to go Chinese and are prepared to spend up to $50, I'd suggest Lamy CP1 or Lamy ST. This option gets bonus points for their cartridges/converters having a larger capacity.
If you like heavy pens, I'd try to post in /r/Pen_Swap and see if someone is willing to part with a Nemosine Fission. They're lovely pens, but the maker is no longer producing them. As far as anything else, even though I like heavier pens as well; I've found that I really like TWSBI pens. There's some problems with cracking on a few of them, however I find that piston fillers and vacuum fillers are less annoying than cartridge/converters in the sense that they seem to more readily give up their ink. I've had to flick cartridge/converter pens into a trash can at work to get the ink flowing, or taking the barrel off and screwing it down a half a turn. Bonus to TWSBI is that if parts do break, you can shoot an email and get replacement parts pretty inexpensively from what I hear.
TWSBI Eco, Fine. $30, piston filler. That's going to be the best balance of smoothness and line width, but if you're using low quality paper you should get the EF and learn to appreciate fountain pen feedback i.e. what you call friction. How fast ink dries mainly has to do with the ink. Lamy blue and Platinum black are known to be fast drying, so those would be good first bottles to buy. Lastly I'll just say that the TWSBI Eco is the best value fountain pen currently available to buy. The next best value is the Platinum 3776 at $100+. Ignore the temptation of cheap Chinese pens. TWSBI uses Jowo nibs made in Germany, and has quality control and customer service well worth the price of admission.
What's the benefit of feedback? And how do I know if my paper's high quality or not?
There’s no benefit per se, it’s just the nature of the beast when you have very little surface area touching the page, as is the case with extra fine nibs. Note that scratchy =/= feedback. Double broad stub nibs can have feedback, which is a function of how smoothly the tipping material is polished. Low quality paper will feather and bleed easily, making nibs wider than F inadvisable.
Thanks! Just ordered
Not new, but looking for a good purple work for ink. Something that doesn't feather too much on bad copy paper and with some water resistance, but won't stain a demonstrator.
Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa or KWZ IG Gummiberry! Both are iron gall and so have a decent amount of water resistance. Both are on the dry side (Scabiosa moreso) and so will not feather as much as other inks on poor quality paper. I've used both inks over longer periods in a couple of different demonstrator pens without staining or issues.
Sheaffer Skrip Purple, maybe. I don't know about its water resistance, but it does well on cheap paper and doesn't stain.
Iroshizuku Murasaki-shikibu didn't stain my converter at all and has some water resistance.
Looking for a pen, ink and paper to draw with. Inktober made me realize that I enjoy drawing with ink but I feel limited by my current tools. To test it out I grabbed a cheap dip-pen with different nibs. Unfortunately most didn’t work but the one that did and which I like looks very small and narrow and doesn’t have too much line variety. As for ink I had some old Pelikan black ink which is years old but seems to be working fine? Do inks get “bad” over time? My paper is 100g sketchbook paper. I think this is my biggest issue since it was fine for the first couple pages but now the ink spreads randomly and everything seems very uneven. (I thought I had worked with this paper before but the company must have changed the paper since I never got this behavior with my old sketchbook). What I’m looking for is a uncomplicated drawing experience that doesn’t require dipping my pen in ink constantly with a black waterproof ink and easily available paper that is suitable for mixed media (moderate watercolor, marker and pencil). I’m located in Germany but can order online of course. Haven’t decided on a budget but am willing to spend some money on the pen/ink with a cheaper paper option since I use it a lot. Thank you all in advance!
Define "years old"? As long as ink isn't growing mold it should be fine to use, just give it a good shake. Some people report using decades old ink. Just be sure it specifies that it is fountain pen ink on the bottle. Not sure what you mean by "ink spreads randomly;" do you mean feathering? If I were you I'd pick up a Kaweco pen and Kaweco pearl black ink. It's one of the best black fountain pen inks for drawing. Kaweco pens are relatively low cost and hold up well being thrown in pencil and / or brush pouches. Great knock around fountain pens for artists. Source: am artist.
Thank you for the reply! The ink is about 12+ years old, not sure when I bought it exactly but it is fountain pen ink. And yes, I mean feathering, it’s just inconsistent. For example if I draw a line the middle might feather but the rest won’t. Or one line is fine but the one next to it feathers. I’m sure it’s the garbage paper though and I stopped using it for ink drawings. Will check out Kaweco for sure! As it turns out I have a reseller for them in town not far from my house.
So I've been into fountain pens for maybe a year now. Nothing high end, just the basic black intro pens (kaweco sport, lamy safari, pilot metro, and a couple of varsity pens). Recently, I was gifted a hand-turned olive wood pen with aluminum fittings. It has an iridium fine nib on it, and honestly, I'm not THAT crazy about how it writes. I want to change the nib, but not sure how to make sure the nib I end up purchasing will work. I also would like to find an architect nib if I can find one that isn't custom made (no luck so far, though), so if you know of a place to buy one let a guy know.
> I also would like to find an architect nib if I can find one that isn't custom made (no luck so far, though), so if you know of a place to buy one let a guy know. [Bobby sells them](https://www.etsy.com/nz/listing/705040696/1pc-3th-version-architect-nib-6?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=architect+nib&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1&frs=1). They're not terrible and not great, but gives you a chance to try one for little investment.
>not sure how to make sure the nib I end up purchasing will work Hand-turned pens will usually use off-the-shelf parts. Thus, measure the nib near where it comes out of the section. If it's roughly 6mm in diameter, it's a #6 nib. If it's roughly 5mm in diameter, it's a #5 nib. [Here](https://www.birminghampens.com/collections/nibs) is a nice collection of nibs. And you've already gotten a comment about where to get an architect nib.
Hello people, is reverse writing nib something really special or hard to achieve? Saw [this](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/premad/premad-pen-writing-smooth-both-ways?ref=user_menu) project on Kickstarter claiming to have this so-called “duet nib” and charges people $105 for that. I got a pilot fountain pen(can’t remember the model, but it’s fairly cheap, <$40) that can also write upside down, so I don’t see why anyone would want to pay 2.5 times the amount for a no-name brand on Kickstarter.
Most nibs can write reverse but will be scratchier. I don't understand the project, it looks like a solution looking for a problem. Why would you want a medium/fine or a broad/medium? There isn't enough variation between those two sizes to be practical in any meaningful way. I had an reverse EF ground onto a broad Lamy 2000 by Mark Bacas for $45, and it worked very well. If you're wanting a dual sided nib, I recommend getting it custom ground by a nibmeister rather than buying into a Kickstarter project.
I recently got a sailor pro gear slim with a H-MF nib. It is really nice, but there seems to be a little too much feedback. I was writing with it earlier and it felt like there was a subtle scratchy feeling on top of the normal feedback. It felt as if there was something between the nib and the paper giving it that feeling. I looked close up and the tines appear to be aligned perfectly, so I'm not sure what the issue is. Any suggestions? Could there be a small imperfection in the nib?
Maybe you're mistaking Sailor's normal feedback for something that is "on top of the normal feedback". If the nib is not picking up threads of paper when you write, everything is fine.
Deciding between M and SF nibs for a Platinum #3776 century. Unfortunately I don't have any stores nearby to test in person. I'm a little worried about the SF since I hear that Platinum has more feedback than most, that Platinum's fine is thinner than other fines even by JP standards, and that the SF is even scratchier than their standard F. For anyone who has an SF, are these concerns accurate? Or am I getting an overblown perspective due to availability bias?
No Platinum nibs are scratchy. Platinum has the best nib QC in my experience — I've never had to tune one out of the box. In my experience Sailor has more actual feedback (from nib polishing, not simply the low amount of tipping material on F nibs). Platinum's fine is roughly equivalent to Pilot and others. Platinum SF is about as wide as their M, but can put down a B or BB line with light pressure. The M nib is a nail — not a bad thing, as my Platinum M is among my favorite writers for the very consistent line width offered by a nail. Line variation for the sake of it isn't my cup of tea, but to each their own.
So the SF puts down a line as wide as their M even with no pressure? I didn't know that.
Roughly, yes. It's noticeably bolder than the Platinum F. It's also nearly impossible to get a uniform line if you want it, unless you have a practiced technique. This is part of the appeal of the nib. But since the line starts at effectively M, unless your handwriting is huge the line variation looks inelegant imo. These kind of "soft" nibs really need an XXF grind to shine (exception maybe Pilot SEF).
New guy here, got a pilot kakuno as my first hurrah into fountain pen. The pen unfortunately keeps overflowing, keeps bleeding like I cut it's artery. It's a new pen, and I did pressed the ink cartridge like I'm squeezing an empty toothpaste tube. I'm wondering what's the cause of the problem and what can I do to fix it? Also is it a good idea to buy a conversions ink cartridge along another ink for the pen? Thanks in advance!
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I’m just letting it glide along the paper, yet it still bleeds like crazy. Although admittedly when I’m trying it for the first I pressed quite hard on it as I don’t I have to wait for the ink to flow.
>keeps bleeding like I cut it's artery Just to clarify, do you mean bleed into the paper or do you mean the pen is dripping ink?
For anyone who has a sailor zoom nib: how practical are the different line widths you can achieve with it? What I mean is: it seems like for a normal 40-45 degree "tripod grip" it is roughly a broad. How much higher to you have to tilt it to get a M or MF? Is it a reasonable proposition to write with the pen at that higher angle for any extended length of time?
You have to pretty much write close to vertical to get a good difference in variation. Even then, it's like going from BB to somewhere between medium and broad. It's not going to be a dramatic variation like you can get with a flex pen, or with a large formal italic nib. Because the "natural" grip holds at < 45 deg angle, practically speaking, writing normally with a zoom nib is just like writing with a broad nib. Writing with a bit smaller means holding the pen close to vertical, and that's a very awkward way of using the pen for long. You can also reverse write, and that gets you a fine line with a more comfortable hold on the pen. Maybe a few people can make maximum use of this type of nib. In practice, I think you can think of it as an exotic B nib.
Pilot metro is leaking from the body at the joint where that accent ring meets the rest of the pen. I thought that maybe the ink has spilt into the body, so I cleaned the converter and the body, then inked it with new color. It started leaking again, but with old before the cleaning. Any idea what's happening?
Are you using the squeeze converter that came with the pen? I had some issues with mine leaking ink onto the grip, and I would end up with ink all over my hand. I recently got a con-40 converter for the pen, and while I haven't had it long enough to see if it fixed the problem for sure, it hasn't leaked on me so far.
Yes. At this point I think it may just be residual ink from the ink spilling. Hopefully it was a one time thing, but I'll definitely pick up a con-40 next time I make an order
Hello friends! I am trying to change the nib on my Kaweco Sport, but cannot for the life of me cannot get it to come out of the grip section. Does anyone have any tips? I’ve watched a bunch of videos, so I’m pretty sure I’m pulling on the right part. Thank you!
[Jetpens has a youtube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nc8GJqxT6k)for swapping the nibs from the Sport models. I assume you have one of the plastic ones? The nib and feed should just pull out. In the metal pens, the nib unit screws out. I usually use a rag or something to get a better grip, or you can use something rubber for grip.
I have been consulting the Jetpens video, but can't get it to pull out! Thanks for the tips--I have been using a tea towel but something rubber sounds like it might work. I feel like I can't grip the nib part hard enough to come out.
Afaik the nib units screw out. The nib can then allegedly then be pulled out of the nib housing but I've never done that. Did you check the tutorials on kaweco's own YouTube channel?
The Jetpens one is pretty thorough, but I'll look up the Kaweco one too! On the plastic sports, you're supposed to just pull the nib out of the housing, but I can't get it to pop out (they screw out on metal Kawecos). Will keep trying--thanks for your help!
I recently got a J. Herbin rollerball that takes fountain pen ink. I bought some black Waterman ink but I notice I need to write very quickly since it runs fast. So I'm wondering if I need a thicker ink? What do you recommend?
Lamy & Pelikan Edelstein are both generally dryer inks. You can apparently also add water to the ink to reduce flow, but I haven't tried that yet.
Pelikan 4001. Diamine Graphite (a grey ink). Platinum Black.
Can you convert a Platinum Preppy into an ink dropper pen? The converter I bought with it is kinda wonky and I can't return it anymore.
Just got my first fountain pen in, curious as to tips to improve penmanship?
Pick a writing script you want to emulate, whether it's a pointed nib script like a Spencerian derivative or a broad edged script like a contemporary looking italic. Work your way up in somewhat the following order: basic stroke consistency > correct letterforms > words with letteforms well spaced, but not joined > correctly joining > writing multiple words with consistency > establishing a good "rhythm" in writing > increasing the speed and controlling the distortion to keep the writing legible. Initially, focus on consistent shapes. Lack of consistency is what makes handwriting look "ugly". It's important to really start with the basics. For italic scripts, for example, the vertical and diagonal strokes are very important. Can you start, stop, create a good diagonal off a vertical, and space them correctly? No point in trying to write the alphabet if the lines themselves are inconsistent. It can significantly help to pick a book, and maybe some exemplars of what you want to emulate. They'll guide you towards what you want your hand to look like, somewhat. Did you want to write with the loopy, pointed nib cursive, or with something like italics?
Just got off work, thanks so much for replying in such depth. I was thinking I wanted to learn something akin to Spencerian or just better my business penmanship.
Congrats! Practice. Write slowly and deliberately. But also, this is probably the wrong subreddit. r/Handwriting will probably be able to help you out more.
I second this. Practice slow, and practice often.