Returning to Fountain Pens

[JackJ]

I was a regular Fountain Pen user in high school and college, and I’m about to test the waters again, having ordered a Kaweco Sport and a couple of TWSBI’s. I was struggling with whether I’d use them enough to justify the purchase, but then came across the concept of bullet journaling, which sounds like it could help me stay better organized.

I’m a little wary of hanging out on pen forums for fear of the AD getting serious, so a few more newb questions here:

• Back in the day, my cheap pens would often stall on me, especially if they sat for a bit between uses and the ink in the nib would dry out. Are there particular pens/nibs/inks that are better suited to sporadic use? I’ve seen some advertised that way, but how about in the real world? Can a pen sit for a month and still be ready to write immediately?
• Leaks—hate ‘em. I remember a shirt that got ruined, and a bag that was badly stained. I can no longer recall the details on why these leaks happened, but want to avoid any mishaps. Are converters more likely to leak than cartridges? What about cartridges that have been refilled with a syringe? Do they seal less well with each reuse?
• Inks again: So many to choose from, but I’ve come across some warnings about some formulations not being compatible with some pens. Then there’s wet inks and dry inks and lubricated inks and I don’t know what all else. I’ll never write enough to justify buying lots of different kinds, so what are the good safe bets for quality inks that are universally compatible? I’d prefer bottled ink generally. And I think non-permanent (see above) but I don’t know what the trade-offs are.

Thanks for any insights! As someone who doesn’t need to write much offline, this is mostly an indulgence in cool, functional toys, much like my razor and edc knives hobbies. Hopefully the bullet journaling will take hold!

 

[dojpros]

Ok- I will have a go at it:

• Back in the day, my cheap pens would often stall on me, especially if they sat for a bit between uses and the ink in the nib would dry out. Are there particular pens/nibs/inks that are better suited to sporadic use? I’ve seen some advertised that way, but how about in the real world? Can a pen sit for a month and still be ready to write immediately?

I think letting most pens sit a month is asking a bit much. Having said that, My Lamy-Al-Stars seem to do quite well. When They are equipped with a converter, turning the knob forward presuming visable ink has me back in business if under a minute. I suspect the TWSBI will let you prime in a similar manner though I confess I do not own one.

• Leaks—hate ‘em. I remember a shirt that got ruined, and a bag that was badly stained. I can no longer recall the details on why these leaks happened, but want to avoid any mishaps. Are converters more likely to leak than cartridges? What about cartridges that have been refilled with a syringe? Do they seal less well with each reuse?

I have been blessed to avoid any mishaps you described. I suspect quality converters fit better than "disposable" cartridges as many have an O ring or other material designed to maintain a seal. I would run an odds v. stakes analysis and proceed accordingly i.e. I would not carry a fountain pen in the vest pocket of a creme tuxedo for a wedding. I would and do on a day in day out basis for my jacket and tie job but would not at a job interview etc.

• Inks again: So many to choose from, but I’ve come across some warnings about some formulations not being compatible with some pens. Then there’s wet inks and dry inks and lubricated inks and I don’t know what all else. I’ll never write enough to justify buying lots of different kinds, so what are the good safe bets for quality inks that are universally compatible? I’d prefer bottled ink generally. And I think non-permanent (see above) but I don’t know what the trade-offs are.

I am moving away from pen/ink brand matching ( Pilot Pen/Pilot Ink) and consolidating to Lamy inks because of availability, writability, value, bottle design that allows me to get the last drop and the integrated blotter tape roll is simply genius. Pelikan Black and Waterman Serenity Blue are two old school inks that enjoy great reputations as well behaved across a variety of pens and papers.

Bottom Line: Let us know what you do in the end.

 

[Ryanshh]

You are likely to get as many different answers as responses, but my $0.02 are here.

I've had good luck with my Platinum Pens with the Slip and Seal Cap. The Pilot Varsity I forgot on my desk at work last year when I thought we were just going to be out for two to three weeks started right up without any hesitation after almost a year standing upright. I feel like I've left ink in my TWSBI for a while and it was fine too. Aside from "oops" moments though, I don't leave a pen sitting for more than a couple of days without writing with them. I know I have some pens that dry out faster than others, but I can't remember which one(s) they are now.

I carry my pens in a pen roll and make sure the pen roll is oriented so that my nibs are facing up. I haven't had issues with major leaks. I also err on the side of caution and, after travelling very far, open my pens nib up over paper I don't care about. I've done the same techniques while flying and have yet to have any issues there either **knocks on wood**. That said, small amounts of leaking happen regularly and I see my multi-colored fingers as a feature at this point. I've heard that refilling and reusing cartridges can cause them to weaken over time, but I haven't done it enough to speak with any knowledge.

Inks are quite the rabbit hole. Pelikan (both the 4001 and the Edelstein lines), Waterman, Sheaffer Skrip, Diamine, and Pilot** inks are all brands I don't hesitate to put in any pen. Opinions/experiences will vary and a major issue with Diamine is that with so many inks, some are more likely to be staining than others so I would be cautious. I hear a lot of people say that if you want a safe, no-hassle ink that you should go with a brand that makes pens and has been in business for years. One of my favorite everyday inks is Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown as it is easy for me to read and makes it easy to see what I wrote when compared with other people. I also love Pilot Blue-Black which does have some water resistance. All that said, I haven't had major issues with any ink brands but I do an excessive amount of research before buying and typically avoid inks with bad reputations (that said, Noodler's Black is one of my favorites and that brand can be devisive.) Specific ink recommendations would be easier if you narrowed it down by color. One problem with online ink recommendations is that nibs and paper impact writing experience and what I use may be really different than what you use. If you want to avoid the rabbit hole, I would get some ideas, find samples of the inks you might be interested in, try them out, pick the one(s) you like, and then block all pen related forums from your life.

Alternatively, you could have more self-control than I do.

** Some people say that Pilot inks are more basic and not recommended for vintage pens with sacks, I don't have enough knowledge here to make a definitive statement either.

 

[Doc4]

I’m a little wary of hanging out on pen forums for fear of the AD getting serious, so a few more newb questions here:

Heh ... heh ... heh ...

Yeah, we won't lead you down the rabbit hole ...

Can a pen sit for a month and still be ready to write immediately?

Most likely no. Main question is the quality of the cap seal ... does the nib dry out inside the cap. Almost none are so perfect as to last a month and write no problem.

Hit the journal daily and you won't have this problem.

Are converters more likely to leak than cartridges? What about cartridges that have been refilled with a syringe? Do they seal less well with each reuse?

Every time you take the cartridge off, syringe in some more ink, and put it back on, the seal wears out a little bit. (The cartridge is designed for single use not re-use.)

I encourage you to look at a piston-fill pen. TWSBI is the standard "entry" piston filler, but Pelikan is the most spoken of high quality one. LAMY 2000 is another, and (IMHO) the Pilot Custom Heritage 92 is the best.

so what are the good safe bets for quality inks that are universally compatible?

This one:
Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies Registrars Ink Blue-Black With Iron-Gall

And I think non-permanent (see above) but I don’t know what the trade-offs are.

Depends on the ink. Deep rabbit hole here, with lots of different opinions and egos arguing back and forth. And it can depend on what you want from "permanent" ... just "waterproof" or "forgery resistant" or "last a thousand years in the direct sun"? Since you won't be writing the New Magna Carta in the next six months, don't fret this too much, and just enjoy using an ink or two. Try some samples, and see what is your preference.

Get an ink. Start writing. Learn slowly but continually, and add new inks slowly.

 

[JackJ]

Thanks for all this helpful info—just the sort of feedback I was hoping for. Couple more follow up questions.

• Is it best to store pens nib up between uses? I would have thought nib down to keep it saturated with ink, but I guess if the liquids evaporate leaving solids behind that clogging will ensue. Is that the principle?
• If stored upright, I might get one of those wooden test tube holders that many (including me) use for razors. Anyone have options they prefer for 6 pens or so?

My uninformed ink choices so far:

• Since I ordered two pens directly from TWSBI I thought going with their blue black was a good move. Reading up more today I see this is an iron gall ink, and that these can sometimes stain clear pens. But surely that should not be a problem here since TWSBIs are mostly clear and this is their own ink, right?
• Green ink is what interests me most, and I’ve got a bottle of Sailor Shikiori Pine Green coming from Amazon, plus the following from Goulet:

  • Sailor Ink Studio 964 - Ink Sample	1	$2.75
    1	Diamine Emerald - Ink Sample	1	$1.75
    1	Noodler's Forest Green - Ink Sample	1	$0.95
    1	Monteverde Malachite - Ink Sample	1	$1.75
    1	Sailor Ink Studio 967 - 20ml Bottled Ink

 

[mio_cuggino]

Those green inks are lovely.
Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[Rhody]

Late to the thread but looks like you’ve got some great stuff coming. Look forward to your updates on it.

 

[okiwen]

I love fountain pens and wish the bullet journaling worked better for me. Love my TWSBI and my Lamy. Glad to see this thread. Following your progress.

 

[tankerjohn]

Congrats on getting back into fountain pens! Sounds like you’ve got a good start into the hobby. Here’s a few thoughts on your inquiry from my perspective.

-Platinum’s “slip and seal” cap works a treat for keeping the nib wet during infrequent use. Most modern fountain pens have pretty decent seals and shouldn’t take more than a few squiggles on a scrap paper to get going again. Now if you are really planning to use a pen infrequently, like maybe a stub nib or something, I recommend an aerometric converter (squeeze type). They are by far the fastest and easiest to clean. Pilots ships a good one with the Metropolitan. Kaweco makes one that fits international standard pen. There are probably others.

-modern pens should be not leak, full stop, especially pens made in Germany or Japan. I carry my Platinum 3776 and Pelikan M200 in my nice suit jacket with zero concern. I have had far more trouble with ballpoint pens leaking on my clothes than fountain pens. However, I do always carry my fountain pens nib-up. I sometimes get ink on my fingers from nib creep, but that kind of comes with turf. Now, my Platinum nib never creeps, it’s the best I’ve seen in that regard.

- ink! Read Richard Binder’s ink guidehttp://www.richardspens.com/ref/care/inks.htm.

- on storing pens nib up, I keep my inked pens in a mug on my desk. Not super classy, but cheap and effective.

- TWISBI blue-black is a well regarded ink, so hopefully it should work great for you. As a good rule of thumb, pen companies sell ink that works best in their pens. Since TWISBI uses German nibs (JoWo), which tend to write wet, my guess is that their ink is on the dry side. I don’t have any personal experience with that ink, but I would also be surprised if TWISBI sold an ink that stains demonstrators.

- those green inks look awesome. Ink samples are lots of fun and a good way to keep the AD in check since they kind of scratch the itch, but aren’t terribly expensive.

 

[Lefonque]

Welcome back to the world of fountain pens.

 

[Doc4]

Is it best to store pens nib up between uses? I would have thought nib down to keep it saturated with ink, but I guess if the liquids evaporate leaving solids behind that clogging will ensue. Is that the principle?

The notion is that nib-down risks the ink slowly dripping out of the pen and into the cap. So when you open the pen, you get an handful of ink. This can take a while, and depends on the pen, but ... generally it's "nib up". Some pens can easily handle storage lying on their sides, others need nib-up.

Reading up more today I see this is an iron gall ink, and that these can sometimes stain clear pens. But surely that should not be a problem here since TWSBIs are mostly clear and this is their own ink, right?

Iron gall inks "ain't what they used to be". You will read a lot about all the nasty sort of things IG inks can do ... eating away paper, &c ...

... but the formulation has been improved & changed so the problems of the IG inks the way they made them hundreds of years ago are no longer an issue.

Some inks won't stain pens, some will stain a bit, some a bit more, and some a lot. Dunno about TWSBI inks, but perhaps your supposition makes sense.

 

[Rhody]

I’ll add that the importance of cleaning pens was so easily overlooked by me. I’ve been cleaning pens and discovered a Visconti fp I actually forgot I had but I let ink dry out in it and haven’t touched it in years. It took me so long to flush it out. Repeated soaks flushing four or five goes with pen flush. Moral of the story stating the obvious (not to me) is that these pens require some tlc.

 

[DSR]

Thanks for all this helpful info—just the sort of feedback I was hoping for. Couple more follow up questions.

• Is it best to store pens nib up between uses? I would have thought nib down to keep it saturated with ink, but I guess if the liquids evaporate leaving solids behind that clogging will ensue. Is that the principle?
• If stored upright, I might get one of those wooden test tube holders that many (including me) use for razors. Anyone have options they prefer for 6 pens or so?

My uninformed ink choices so far:

• Since I ordered two pens directly from TWSBI I thought going with their blue black was a good move. Reading up more today I see this is an iron gall ink, and that these can sometimes stain clear pens. But surely that should not be a problem here since TWSBIs are mostly clear and this is their own ink, right?
• Green ink is what interests me most, and I’ve got a bottle of Sailor Shikiori Pine Green coming from Amazon, plus the following from Goulet:

  • Sailor Ink Studio 964 - Ink Sample	1	$2.75
    1	Diamine Emerald - Ink Sample	1	$1.75
    1	Noodler's Forest Green - Ink Sample	1	$0.95
    1	Monteverde Malachite - Ink Sample	1	$1.75
    1	Sailor Ink Studio 967 - 20ml Bottled Ink

Some lovely inks there...
If you’re interested in green inks, I would recommend Noodler’s Air-Corp Blue Black. Despite the name, it’s not a typical blue-black ink, it dries to a very nice dark green/ teal. I find it’s a very interesting unique ink, the colour can vary slightly depending on the paper and nib size.
You can find lot of reviews and writing samples if you search for it.

 

[tankerjohn]

Some lovely inks there...
If you’re interested in green inks, I would recommend Noodler’s Air-Corp Blue Black. Despite the name, it’s not a typical blue-black ink, it dries to a very nice dark green/ teal. I find it’s a very interesting unique ink, the colour can vary slightly depending on the paper and nib size.
You can find lot of reviews and writing samples if you search for it.

Nice! I love a good teal-tinged blue black. Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo, Diamine Twilight, Parker Blue-Black also excellent in that color family. I tried Noodler's Massachusetts 54th and wanted to like it, but couldn't get on with it. Nice color, but the ink was very ill-behaved. It made the nib run two sizes wide and feathered like a bird on any paper except Clairfontaine.

 

[Lad]

Diamine inks have always performed well for me. Noodler's too. I've stayed away from Monteverde ink since I opened a new bottle and it contained mold! I've read that they've had some quality control issues. Hopefully things are better now. They replaced the bottle no questions asked. I passed it on to friend who wanted it.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

Nice! I love a good teal-tinged blue black. Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo, Diamine Twilight, Parker Blue-Black also excellent in that color family. I tried Noodler's Massachusetts 54th and wanted to like it, but couldn't get on with it. Nice color, but the ink was very ill-behaved. It made the nib run two sizes wide and feathered like a bird on any paper except Clairfontaine.

Given that I’m a Neophyte to bottled ink, but I was shocked when I opened the bottle of Noodler’s Black Eel. It was full to the brim. There wasn’t any air in the bottle at all. Perhaps that is the way they all are, or perhaps the bottle I received was an outlier.

 

[Ryanshh]

Given that I’m a Neolithic to bottled ink, but I was shocked when I opened the bottle of Noodler’s Black Eel. It was full to the brim. There wasn’t any air in the bottle at all. Perhaps that is the way they all are, or perhaps the bottle I received was an outlier.

You are not alone, nor are you being targeted by this abundance. According to Nathan Tardif

Noodler’s Ink is an ink company, not a glass manufacturer. We have recently polled many retailers about this issue – and they overwhelmingly believe that the industry is prone to fill bottles and cartridges at too low a level instead of maximizing a bottle’s utility by filling it to the top meniscus. We will continue to utilize the glass bottle that is part of your purchase to its full capacity. In conclusion: if opening a new bottle of Noodler’s Ink, beware that it is a FULL bottle of ink!

Fantastic warning/notice to people looking to get in to Noodler's ink or with Noodler's ink on the way. Especially if it is one of the more permanent offerings. I like many of the Noodler's offerings and I love Air-Corp Blue Black. It lives in my Petrol Safari and is one of the few inks I always have inked. As much as I love it, I have found it to be on the slightly more difficult to clean side of things.

@JackJ , I look forward to hearing how your return to pens continues, and if you have any favorites among the inks you ordered.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

You are not alone, nor are you being targeted by this abundance. According to Nathan Tardif



Fantastic warning/notice to people looking to get in to Noodler's ink or with Noodler's ink on the way. Especially if it is one of the more permanent offerings. I like many of the Noodler's offerings and I love Air-Corp Blue Black. It lives in my Petrol Safari and is one of the few inks I always have inked. As much as I love it, I have found it to be on the slightly more difficult to clean side of things.

@JackJ , I look forward to hearing how your return to pens continues, and if you have any favorites among the inks you ordered.

I missed that autocorrect changed neophyte to Neolithic! I tried turning autocorrect off once, but the number of times that I use contractions made it hell. I kept having go back and plug in the apostrophes.

 

[JackJ]

OP here. I've been on a spree, thanks to the helpful enablers at JetPens and Goulet. Here's the collection as it stands. Having a number of real winners here, I don't see myself acquiring anything else for a while, as I've got plenty to play with.

At the bottom left are my two old pens. The gold one is a Schaeffer given to me in '82 as a high school graduation present by a dear friend and mentor. Honestly, I've never cared much for the style--not a big fan of gold generally, and it's too narrow to comfortably hold for any prolonged writing. I've cleaned it recently, but have yet to ink it again. Below that is an inexpensive Waterman that I think I bought about 30 years ago. As I recall, it was a hard starter, but after a thorough cleaning it is performing extremely well for me.

Proceeding counter-clockwise to the lower right: Pilot Petit1s. These have been a revelation. Incredibly inexpensive ($3 - $5 USD) and perfect performance. I started with a black and a blue black, and since both wrote flawlessly for me, added the blue, the red, and the apple green. I love most things "mini", so the pocket form factor is right up my alley. And once posted, there's no significant trade-off compared to a full size pen. My only gripe is that the clip doesn't grip. There are offset counter-facing little nubs on the inside of the clip and the cap that are intended to grab whatever it's clipped to, but on a typical shirt pocket, there's almost no friction. I will probably lose some because of that. But at this price, it's not a huge concern. And these lay down ink just about perfectly for me: not one dry start or skip yet, but not wet. There's no choice in nibs, but these have a nice fine line perfect for notes. Not sure if there's a converter that fits these little things, so I plan on refilling the cartridges with a syringe.

Top right: Kawecos. Started with the green Sport and love the form factor. Fine nib, which was giving me some dry starts, but after some slight tine aligning it's working well. I think this will remain my daily pocket pen. The Brass Sport and Ice Sport Highlighter just arrived yesterday. I put the tiny Kaweco converter in the Brass and filled it with Diamine Oxblood. It writes superbly. The weight is nice; a bit top heavy when posted, but that's a minor quibble. Looking forward to it developing a patina. I've got the bronze clip on it, and I like the two tone look.

So far the Ice Sport Highlighter is the only major disappointment in my purchases. It's got a wide 1.9 stub nib on it, and while I didn't expect it to be an easy operator like a regular nib, it barely writes at all. There's almost no flow to the "point" unless you shake, splay, and/or bleed the thing. Haven't taken the loupe to it yet to see if I can diagnose the problem. Not sure if I want to return it or mess with it. I do occasionally use a highlighter, so thought this might be a fun, if rarely used, component of going "all fountain." But right now fun is not in the equation.

Center top: the Preppy. Got it because it's green and it's cheap. Have barely used it, but so far nothing to displease. It's got a much better clip than the Petit1, but the form factor is just too generic to interest me much.

And finally, the TWSBI trio. A Mini Vac, a Go, and an Eco. Started with the last two. The Go has a medium nib, and was a bit of a dry starter due to the tines touching, but I've got that mostly sorted out. The Eco is a "Fine", and works perfectly. I like the Lego aesthetic of these, and the built-in filling mechanisms. But both are bigger than I thought they'd be. Just a little too chunky for my taste.

The Mini Vac arrived yesterday, and I love it. I got it with a 1.1 stub installed, and bought an additional F nib for it. The filling mechanism works fine, though it's less interesting than I imagined. But the 1.1 stub is a delight. I'm writing fancy with no extra effort! And the size suits me better than its bigger brethren.

I'll review my inks at some point, but for now: Monteverde Malachite is the stuff!

 

[Lad]

OP here. I've been on a spree, thanks to the helpful enablers at JetPens and Goulet. Here's the collection as it stands. Having a number of real winners here, I don't see myself acquiring anything else for a while, as I've got plenty to play with.

View attachment 1250765

At the bottom left are my two old pens. The gold one is a Schaeffer given to me in '82 as a high school graduation present by a dear friend and mentor. Honestly, I've never cared much for the style--not a big fan of gold generally, and it's too narrow to comfortably hold for any prolonged writing. I've cleaned it recently, but have yet to ink it again. Below that is an inexpensive Waterman that I think I bought about 30 years ago. As I recall, it was a hard starter, but after a thorough cleaning it is performing extremely well for me.

Proceeding counter-clockwise to the lower right: Pilot Petit1s. These have been a revelation. Incredibly inexpensive ($3 - $5 USD) and perfect performance. I started with a black and a blue black, and since both wrote flawlessly for me, added the blue, the red, and the apple green. I love most things "mini", so the pocket form factor is right up my alley. And once posted, there's no significant trade-off compared to a full size pen. My only gripe is that the clip doesn't grip. There are offset counter-facing little nubs on the inside of the clip and the cap that are intended to grab whatever it's clipped to, but on a typical shirt pocket, there's almost no friction. I will probably lose some because of that. But at this price, it's not a huge concern. And these lay down ink just about perfectly for me: not one dry start or skip yet, but not wet. There's no choice in nibs, but these have a nice fine line perfect for notes. Not sure if there's a converter that fits these little things, so I plan on refilling the cartridges with a syringe.

Top right: Kawecos. Started with the green Sport and love the form factor. Fine nib, which was giving me some dry starts, but after some slight tine aligning it's working well. I think this will remain my daily pocket pen. The Brass Sport and Ice Sport Highlighter just arrived yesterday. I put the tiny Kaweco converter in the Brass and filled it with Diamine Oxblood. It writes superbly. The weight is nice; a bit top heavy when posted, but that's a minor quibble. Looking forward to it developing a patina. I've got the bronze clip on it, and I like the two tone look.

So far the Ice Sport Highlighter is the only major disappointment in my purchases. It's got a wide 1.9 stub nib on it, and while I didn't expect it to be an easy operator like a regular nib, it barely writes at all. There's almost no flow to the "point" unless you shake, splay, and/or bleed the thing. Haven't taken the loupe to it yet to see if I can diagnose the problem. Not sure if I want to return it or mess with it. I do occasionally use a highlighter, so thought this might be a fun, if rarely used, component of going "all fountain." But right now fun is not in the equation.

Center top: the Preppy. Got it because it's green and it's cheap. Have barely used it, but so far nothing to displease. It's got a much better clip than the Petit1, but the form factor is just too generic to interest me much.

And finally, the TWSBI trio. A Mini Vac, a Go, and an Eco. Started with the last two. The Go has a medium nib, and was a bit of a dry starter due to the tines touching, but I've got that mostly sorted out. The Eco is a "Fine", and works perfectly. I like the Lego aesthetic of these, and the built-in filling mechanisms. But both are bigger than I thought they'd be. Just a little too chunky for my taste.

The Mini Vac arrived yesterday, and I love it. I got it with a 1.1 stub installed, and bought an additional F nib for it. The filling mechanism works fine, though it's less interesting than I imagined. But the 1.1 stub is a delight. I'm writing fancy with no extra effort! And the size suits me better than its bigger brethren.

I'll review my inks at some point, but for now: Monteverde Malachite is the stuff!

I love my Kaweco Brass Sport. Like you said, the weight is nice. I use it most days at some point, but always unposted.