Sucked in!

[Chrispy73]

Somehow I got sucked in over here and I found this beautiful pen at an antique vendor who makes pens and de razors. Today I saw this beauty and laid down the 20 for it. Now my question is now what do I do? I don't know where to get ink or how to load it even! Any advice would be fantastic!

 

[Nightshade18]

Congratulations on your first purchase!
First step is to get some ink. Your pen can draw ink from a bottle or take a cartridge, but I'd suggest a bottle. You'll probably find one at your local stationers or you can order online.
See that black tab at the end of the filling mechanism? That slides back and forth to move a plunger and draw ink into the pen.
You can try with water to see how it works - submerge the nib and move the slider back to fill. The opposite direction will expel.

 

[Whiskey Badger]

That's a pretty pen!

It looks like it came with a converter so all you need is some ink.

From the picture it's hard to see the converter put it looks like a piston, so it might pump or twist to move the piston inside?

Videos are always available on line!

 

[Chrispy73]

It does slide like night shade said

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

Looks like a Parker slide converter. If it is, it will take Parker cartridges. I refill my Parker cartridges (with a syringe) because they hold more ink than their converters.

As for ink, do you have a Staples store near you?

 

[lishijia]

Congratulations! Enjoy your pen and dive into the ink-pool! I'd recommend getting a basic blue or black ink (in a bottle) and then some samples from Goulet Pens to pick other colors and variations. (Just blues alone can fill a shelf!) Testing different brands and colors will help you figure out what characteristics you like in your ink (flow, lubricity, sheen, etc., etc.). The ink reviews on fountainpennetwork.com (FPN) are extensive and really informative. Almost any ink you could possibly find anywhere will have a review or three or twenty on FPN.

Good first blue or black ink brands (my order of preference):

Pilot / Namiki (don't splurge on the Iroshizuku inks yet)
Waterman
Aurora

(Although Noodlers are good inks, some of their inks can be a real nightmare so until you know which inks to avoid, don't get a random Noodlers.)

 

[Chrispy73]

Thanks for the tips guys, is there a good/cheap perhaps even small amount of ink I could get so that I can try this without dumping loads into it? as to the Staples question no im in a small community

 

[Nightshade18]

You could try the samples from here
http://www.gouletpens.com/ink-samples/c/21

 

[Whiskey Badger]

The Goulet random ink sample package is a good way to start if you don't know what you are looking for, or a fun way to try something you didn't know you'd like. I think it's about 10 bucks for 8 samples at about 2ml ea.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

Nice looking pen. Welcome to the club! as a couple of members have already mentioned, Goulet Pens is a great place to get some ink samples to start with.

 

[FoolishMortal]

(Although Noodlers are good inks, some of their inks can be a real nightmare so until you know which inks to avoid, don't get a random Noodlers.)

Such as...? I am using Eel Blue and just bought some Polar Blue Eternal. I didn't find any bad reviews about the PBE, so I'm curious which Noodler's inks could/should be avoided.

BTW, I'm really enjoying the Eel Blue in my Pilot Metro. My only issue at this point is that it's definitely not waterproof, so I have to make sure my tea doesn't hit the paper. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of.

 

[lishijia]

Such as...? I am using Eel Blue and just bought some Polar Blue Eternal. I didn't find any bad reviews about the PBE, so I'm curious which Noodler's inks could/should be avoided.

BTW, I'm really enjoying the Eel Blue in my Pilot Metro. My only issue at this point is that it's definitely not waterproof, so I have to make sure my tea doesn't hit the paper. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of.

This is not meant as Noodler's bashing (which can, and does, happen among some FP addicts), as I have and use occasionally several Noodler's inks myself. I simply feel that new FP users should not pick Noodler's "at random" because there are a few "mines" in that field. Baystate Blue is the real nasty one — it has a well deserved reputation for staining pens (and almost anything else it touches!). The other “Baystate” inks are also suspect. But some others are very high maintenance as well — requiring meticulous pen hygiene to avoid clogged nibs and the like. For any Noodler's I'd think about buying I would look at FPN for reviews before​ purchasing.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

Such as...? I am using Eel Blue and just bought some Polar Blue Eternal. I didn't find any bad reviews about the PBE, so I'm curious which Noodler's inks could/should be avoided.

BTW, I'm really enjoying the Eel Blue in my Pilot Metro. My only issue at this point is that it's definitely not waterproof, so I have to make sure my tea doesn't hit the paper. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of.

I've heard that Liberty's Elysium can stain pens and can be finicky. I have some, but haven't tried it yet. 54th Massachusetts can have issues, but I have a bottle any haven't experienced anything bad with it yet.

I have a few Noodler's inks (plus, a bunch of their samples), and have found that as long as you research the inks before you buy them, you should know what you're getting in to.

 

[FoolishMortal]

Thanks, guys. I read up on the Polar Blue on FPN (just now - thanks for the link, @lishijia) and I'm in the clear. I did not buy the 54th Mass, and it seems like that was a good choice, but now I feel the need to track down some Polar Black.

@Chrispy73, I hope this feels helpful and not like a thread derailment!

 

[airmech]

PM me your address and I will get you a couple of samples!

Tom

 

[PMT]

Nice bro!

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

PM me your address and I will get you a couple of samples!

Tom

Awesome gesture, Tom!

 

[stoop]

That pen is beautiful!

 

[kcore]

That is on beautiful pen really like the blue color congrats on the great score

 

[purerockfury]

Nice looking pen, congrats. Welcome to the madness.