Curiosity Got Me to Peek Into the Nib, and Now it Begins

[SucKO]

Hello to everyone at the Nib! It appears the Nib Forum has caught me (I will admit, I didn't put up much of a struggle).

I am not a stranger to fountain pens. I had used a Sheaffer No-Nonsense fountain pen from sophomore year in highschool all through college. I had a highschool teacher tell me about how much easier and how much less strain there is taking notes with a fountain pen, and I found this was true. I stopped using a fountain pen when I starting working because I had to fill in 3 and 5 part forms so I needed to use a ball point.

So back to today, late on a Friday night, I was on the Forums and saw a recent post titled where to find Noodler ink. Now that was an interesting name, so I decided to scoot over to the Nib and check it out, just for curiosities sake. I read the posts and saw another post about low cost pen suggestions. Now I KNEW good entry level pens must cost 60 to 100 dollars and that these entry level pens would be cartridge or a messy pain to fill with ink. Also, good ink would be expensive. I was wrong.

Thanks (I think ) to the Nib Forum, I was directed to a great website (Goulet's) to purchase pens and ink and found a recommendation for an inexpensive beginners pen (Jinhao X450). So I went to Goulet's Pens and ordered a Jinhao X450 and some ink samples for only 26 dollars shipped. B&B is a bad influence.... there are no safe sub-forums to "peek" into.

But on the bright side, now if I ever take a purchase sabbatical on razors, I can still purchase pens!

Have a Great One!

 

[razorboi]

So True.
Badger & Blade is a veritable mine-field of acquisition syndromes!
Enjoy the new hobby.
Check out the web for pens shows coming to your area.
Stylus and Pen World are magazines for the hooked and hopeless.
Modern and vintage on-line pen retailers await your custom, and plenty of on-line pen repair/restoration specialist ensure that no good pen need be thrown away.
It is an industry of enthusiasts larger and older than that of shaving requisites.
And can I interest you in knives, wrist-watches, single-malts or cigars?

 

[bray144k]

Hello to everyone at the Nib! It appears the Nib Forum has caught me (I will admit, I didn't put up much of a struggle).

I am not a stranger to fountain pens. I had used a Sheaffer No-Nonsense fountain pen from sophomore year in highschool all through college. I had a highschool teacher tell me about how much easier and how much less strain there is taking notes with a fountain pen, and I found this was true. I stopped using a fountain pen when I starting working because I had to fill in 3 and 5 part forms so I needed to use a ball point.

So back to today, late on a Friday night, I was on the Forums and saw a recent post titled where to find Noodler ink. Now that was an interesting name, so I decided to scoot over to the Nib and check it out, just for curiosities sake. I read the posts and saw another post about low cost pen suggestions. Now I KNEW good entry level pens must cost 60 to 100 dollars and that these entry level pens would be cartridge or a messy pain to fill with ink. Also, good ink would be expensive. I was wrong.

Thanks (I think ) to the Nib Forum, I was directed to a great website (Goulet's) to purchase pens and ink and found a recommendation for an inexpensive beginners pen (Jinhao X450). So I went to Goulet's Pens and ordered a Jinhao X450 and some ink samples for only 26 dollars shipped. B&B is a bad influence.... there are no safe sub-forums to "peek" into.

But on the bright side, now if I ever take a purchase sabbatical on razors, I can still purchase pens!

Have a Great One!

It's a great bug to have been bitten by. Enjoy the journey. You'll know you've got it bad when you watch hours of Goulet videos on youtube.

 

[Doc4]

Thanks (I think ) to the Nib Forum

 

[Jut]

Welcome aboard!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Shave_Rat]

Welcome, and don't forget paper/notebooks. You won't get the best writing experience you can unless you are using some paper that is tried and true for fountain pen use.

 

[tankerjohn]

But on the bright side, now if I ever take a purchase sabbatical on razors, I can still purchase pens!

Yes you can! Heck, I should have signed up a sabbatical. I've only bought one puck of soap all year. But the pen cup on my desk sure is a lot fuller!

Welcome to the rabbit hole. There are so many fun tunnels to explore - nib grinds, inks, Japanese pens, German pens, vintage pens, notebooks, loose paper, colors, shapes, sizes, materials, cursive styles, calligraphy styles, it goes on and on...

 

[Slivovitz]

...B&B is a bad influence.... there are no safe sub-forums to "peek" into.

But on the bright side, now if I ever take a purchase sabbatical on razors, I can still purchase pens!

Have a Great One!

I have found fountain pens to be a deeper rabbit hole than wet shaving. I keep spreadsheets on my purchases, and while I won't give actual numbers, the fountain pens, along with dip pens, inks, papers, and a few accessories, have cost me much more.

On the other hand, although I appreciate a good shave, and am glad that I learned classic wet shaving methods, writing seems like a much more consequential activity than shaving. Whether you gradually acquire a collection, with ever more expensive pens, or just get a couple of reliable pens and use them regularly, this can be very rewarding.

By the way, my spreadsheets show that I have made exactly three shaving related purchases since 2012, the last a new boar brush in 2017. I'm making a real effort to slow down on the pens, inks, and paper, with some success, but decline to give details.

 

[Doc4]

I'm making a real effort to slow down on the pens, inks, and paper, with some success, but decline to give details.

Going from “profligate” to “spendthrift” is something, I guess ...

 

[tankerjohn]

I have found fountain pens to be a deeper rabbit hole than wet shaving. I keep spreadsheets on my purchases, and while I won't give actual numbers, the fountain pens, along with dip pens, inks, papers, and a few accessories, have cost me much more.

On the other hand, although I appreciate a good shave, and am glad that I learned classic wet shaving methods, writing seems like a much more consequential activity than shaving. Whether you gradually acquire a collection, with ever more expensive pens, or just get a couple of reliable pens and use them regularly, this can be very rewarding.

By the way, my spreadsheets show that I have made exactly three shaving related purchases since 2012, the last a new boar brush in 2017. I'm making a real effort to slow down on the pens, inks, and paper, with some success, but decline to give details.

That's an interesting perspective. I've probably got more money into my shaving stuff than writing stuff at this point, but I could see that changing as I get more into pens and inks. I can see how the fountain pen/stationary rabbit hole goes deeper than shaving, as extensive as that one is already. There are so many different aspects of the hobby. As I have progressed, I noticed that I prefer certain pens or nibs for work, others for personal correspondence, and still others for journaling. Also, different pens work best with different inks. Its not hard to amass a sizable collection just by having different pens and inks for different purposes. And that's not even getting into the pure collecting aspect, let alone special editions and the like.

With shaving, I'm pretty well past my exploratory phase and have settled into the routine whereby I derive more enjoyment from predictable shaves with gear and software that I know and like than the thrill of always trying something different. Maybe I'll get there with pens eventually too.

 

[Shave_Rat]

For me it's a deeper rabbit hole mostly because I can write things all day long, using different pens, inks, paper.. and go through more ink and paper compared to daily shaving with one razor a day and using way less soap/AS per month than ink and paper. So that makes me more inclined to buy into more items for my nib related hobby.

 

[SucKO]

For me it's a deeper rabbit hole mostly because I can write things all day long, using different pens, inks, paper.. and go through more ink and paper compared to daily shaving with one razor a day and using way less soap/AS per month than ink and paper. So that makes me more inclined to buy into more items for my nib related hobby.

I can see that, with a pen, there are not limits to how often you can use it. Well, got it yesterday in the mail! Overall, considering the price point, you get alot of pen for the money! My only criticism is on the pen cap, it doesn't seem to have a very snug fit. Loaded it up with Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki from a sampler and took it for a spin.

Man, I really enjoyed using a fountain pen again, the angle, the pressure, the movement speed, it all came back to me like I had never stopped using a fountain pen.

Well here is a pic:

Looking forward to getting re-acquainted to using (as one of my old teachers would say) "A Proper Writing Utensil".

Have a Great One!

 

[Jut]

That's a nice looking utensil! Enjoy!

 

[Vacumatic]

Pleased that you are enjoying the Jinhao. the cap should close with a really good click, it can rotate whilst on the pen and still be secure. if it doesnt close with a click I would ask Goulet pens as to your options.

If you do not object to waiting a little longer for delivery than from a US seller you can obtain Jinhao pens very cheaply, not all are as good as the 450, the 159 is a big Montblanc size pen, the 750 is also good. All three use the same Jinhao large nib.

There is some affinity between a using a fountain pen and a DE razor, taking you back to a time of doing things the old way, with some care and thought.

I was using a Gillette tech today, I couldnt help but think this is the Parker 51 of shaving, a razor made in huge numbers, very well designed and made, simple and straightforward, and unfortunately no longer made.

 

[SucKO]

Pleased that you are enjoying the Jinhao. the cap should close with a really good click, it can rotate whilst on the pen and still be secure. if it doesnt close with a click I would ask Goulet pens as to your options.

Oh, it does click but I am grousing about it being a magnetic lock verses a mechanical lock. I understand that a precisely machined mechanical lock is not possible for a pen at this price point, but overall it was the only thing I could complain about

For a sub 10 dollar pen, the fit and finish look and feel great! The pen actually has some weight to it, things have come along way since the '70s.

The Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki ink flows very well through it, not too wet, not too dry, no excessive bleeding on copy paper and there is no scratchiness when writing, just a nice smooth glide.

I found great advice on the Nib for the choice of pen and inks. AND that is how the rabbit holes start on B&B. People give out helpful and great advice, you follow it and have a frustration free, happy experience. Then comes the "well, if you like this, then check out that" and so you do and guess what? You do end up liking it.... and then the hole gets deeper but, its a good thing and I am not complaining.

Have a Great One Everyone and My your pens never run dry!

 

[bray144k]

Have a Great One Everyone and My your pens never run dry!

And when they do you have this rabbit-hole to go down The Converter is Empty - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/the-converter-is-empty.280658/

 

[maxman]

I forgot how much fun fountain pens can be. This post is inspiring me to get back on it and fill up those pens!

 

[Shave_Rat]

I forgot how much fun fountain pens can be. This post is inspiring me to get back on it and fill up those pens!

 

[Alacrity59]

Oh no . . . I knew I should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque.

I too am filling some pens.

 

[Cepasaccus]

I have found fountain pens to be a deeper rabbit hole than wet shaving.

I come from the fountain pen side and yes it is a deeper rabbit hole. Fountain pens have many different filling mechanisms, objectively determineable nib properties, different materials and really different styles. And if someone likes he can use a fountain pen the whole day and not just once or twice a day for 30 minutes. A straight razor is to dangerous for me now, a SE razor to unusual and to much work for my shaves. That leaves me with the DE razors and they are really all just Gillette clones. I have now 15 DE razors for shaving, testing and having a bit diversity. I don't see any other razor I would like to have and I don't see any point in diversity with cosmetic products.

I have attached a photo of the pens I use in my office. A Waterman 44 safety pen (safety pen and safety razor matches well) with Italian Koska 14k overlay and a fine very flexible nib, and a Platinum Preppy Hello Kitty! pen with converter.