Fountain pens and ink aplenty!!!

[Casaluz]

[/QUOTE]
I have not used the

I have been wanting to branch out from my current inks-on-hand and try some new colors. I came across the Pilot Iroshizuku mini fountain pen ink sets on Amazon. Decided to go with this choice of three inks:

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And, of course, with all these new inks I needed new fountain pens to use them in . So, I went with a set of four individually boxed Jinhao X450 pens with medium nibs.

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The pens arrived today but the ink set is not due on my doorstep until Tuesday .

Curious to know if anyone else has these Jinhao pens and whether you like how they perform and hold up to use.

Tim

I have not used those pilot inks, I have Noodlers and waterman and wonder how different they would be. Care to sgare some thoughts?

 

[tsellati]

What would be a good entry level pen to experiment with either flex nib or a soft fine nib?

Not that I have years of experience with fountain pens but I would say that for the price outlay you cannot beat these Jinhao x450 fountain pens. You can pick up a set of four for just under $20. They come with a medium nib that sets down too fat a line for my tastes by ymmv.

If you are like me you can pick up Fountain Pen Revolution #6 fine nibs (only $12 for a pack of 3) and I now have an awesome set of pens for under $10 a piece filled with different colors of Iroshizuku inks.

Oh, and don't let my sloppy writing influence anyone's decision about these pens or the ink. I am definitely in need of 'cleaning' up my penmanship.

And to think, decades ago I had a cursive writing style that rivaled the penmanship books we learned from.

Tim

 

[tsellati]

I have not used the

I have not used those pilot inks, I have Noodlers and waterman and wonder how different they would be. Care to sgare some thoughts?
[/QUOTE]

I am no connoisseur of fountain pen inks as I don't have enough experience. However, in addition to my new Iroshizuku inks I have used Noodler's The Heart of Darkness and Liberty's Elysium ink. In my experience they all flow smoothly and evenly out of the pen. I have never done a timed drying test on them but suspect they all dry at roughly the same rate. At least, I have not noticed that I smudge the Pilot inks more or less so than the Noodler inks.

Hope this helps.

Tim

 

[trentr]

Not that I have years of experience with fountain pens but I would say that for the price outlay you cannot beat these Jinhao x450 fountain pens. You can pick up a set of four for just under $20. They come with a medium nib that sets down too fat a line for my tastes by ymmv.

If you are like me you can pick up Fountain Pen Revolution #6 fine nibs (only $12 for a pack of 3) and I now have an awesome set of pens for under $10 a piece filled with different colors of Iroshizuku inks.

View attachment 1239700
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Oh, and don't let my sloppy writing influence anyone's decision about these pens or the ink. I am definitely in need of 'cleaning' up my penmanship.

And to think, decades ago I had a cursive writing style that rivaled the penmanship books we learned from.

Tim

I have VERY little FP experience. I have an x450 and like it. It is very smooth, but picky about its paper...I guess. It likes to feather and bleed through. I had heard of changing to a fine nib but did not know which to get. You have given me the nib .... could you perhaps tell me how to get the DANG THING OUT! I read online. Tried fingers. Tried gently with pliers. Nope. It ain't coming out.

Also, if mine sits more than a day or so, I have to give the converter a turn or 2 to get ink flowing. My parker is not that way. NOt a big deal really, but a bit annoying. I do how ever love the looks of the 450 and the heft.

 

[Doc4]

I have an x450 and like it. It is very smooth, but picky about its paper...I guess. It likes to feather and bleed through.

The feathering and bleed-through is down to the individual ink, rather than the pen. (Okay, a pen that lays down a particularly wet line of ink can help that ink exacerbate the ink's feather/bleed tendencies but ... )

A different ink in that pen will provide a different result.

 

[Casaluz]

Not that I have years of experience with fountain pens but I would say that for the price outlay you cannot beat these Jinhao x450 fountain pens. You can pick up a set of four for just under $20. They come with a medium nib that sets down too fat a line for my tastes by ymmv.

If you are like me you can pick up Fountain Pen Revolution #6 fine nibs (only $12 for a pack of 3) and I now have an awesome set of pens for under $10 a piece filled with different colors of Iroshizuku inks.

Oh, and don't let my sloppy writing influence anyone's decision about these pens or the ink. I am definitely in need of 'cleaning' up my penmanship.

And to think, decades ago I had a cursive writing style that rivaled the penmanship books we learned from.

Tim

This is fantastic advice, thank you Tim

Ernesto

 

[Lefonque]

+2

 

[tsellati]

I have VERY little FP experience. I have an x450 and like it. It is very smooth, but picky about its paper...I guess. It likes to feather and bleed through. I had heard of changing to a fine nib but did not know which to get. You have given me the nib .... could you perhaps tell me how to get the DANG THING OUT! I read online. Tried fingers. Tried gently with pliers. Nope. It ain't coming out.

Also, if mine sits more than a day or so, I have to give the converter a turn or 2 to get ink flowing. My parker is not that way. NOt a big deal really, but a bit annoying. I do how ever love the looks of the 450 and the heft.

Wow, if fingers and gentle use off needle nose pliers does not work to remove the nib and filler assembly I am not sure what else to suggest tool-wise. I wonder if there is some ink that has dried in the pen and is keeping the nib in place. If so, perhaps running some warm water of the nib or soaking the pen in warm water will loosen it?

I am interested to hear what advice long-time users of fountain pens might have to share.

Tim

 

[Geordon]

Wow, if fingers and gentle use off needle nose pliers does not work to remove the nib and filler assembly I am not sure what else to suggest tool-wise. I wonder if there is some ink that has dried in the pen and is keeping the nib in place. If so, perhaps running some warm water of the nib or soaking the pen in warm water will loosen it?

I am interested to hear what advice long-time users of fountain pens might have to share.

Tim

If soaking the nib and assembly in water (perhaps overnight) doesn't work, get some "pen flush" from somewhere. Amazon has some by Monteverde, but you can also get some from one of the pen suppliers like Goulet Pens or JetPens.

 

[trentr]

I have only filled the converter twice I think. And never had a cartridge in it. Surely it is not gunked up and glued in. But who knows. I do prefer the fine (or possibly extra fine) nibs in my dip pens, and I really like the x450. So if I could make the fine nib happen, I would like it that much more I bet!

 

[Rhody]

If soaking the nib and assembly in water (perhaps overnight) doesn't work, get some "pen flush" from somewhere. Amazon has some by Monteverde, but you can also get some from one of the pen suppliers like Goulet Pens or JetPens.

On my list is pen flush. Goulet has a nice setup and a helpful video up.