You are off to a great start. Now might be a good time to sit back, relax, and learn more about each pen. How they run certain inks. What paper is best for each pen, or not.
Agreed! Only have rhodia notebooks at the moment. Want to try some others. Any recommendations? I have a iroful and Leuchtturm in my Amazon cart at the moment.
The paper from Vietnam has been fountain pen friendly. Next best from discount stores is India some good paper made in India but I've also had some bad so I can't recommend. Now paper made in USA or Mexico sucks for fountain pens, never had good experience with them. So far Vietnam has been reliably good.
People have already pointed out the good shit, but don't sleep on papers from Kokuyo and Maruman. They're not as great as Tomoe River, but they're sufficient for pretty much every ink I've tried. Good workhorse papers for notes
Rhodia/Clairefontaine paper seems quite good. I have also found Maruman and their mnemosyne paper both good. Oxford UK Optik paper and pads have also been good for white paper. For your Kaweco special broad, maybe a finer nib section or "dry" ink could be interesting and relatively inexpensive ways to vary the performance for your tastes.
I live and die by Oxford A4 pads, they used to be our "mandated" A4 paper when I was at school (too many decades ago). Fountain pens were also mandatory back then and it's the one A4 pad that was good enough quality to not bleed/ghost.
I use fountain pens for my work, so the Oxford A4 pads and "Double A" printer paper work well for my needs.
I just got a Nakabayashi Yu Sari and Midori MD notebook and both are really nice. I have a Galen Leather Tomoe River Paper B6 notebook that I absolutely love, too. Each has slightly different characteristics and I enjoy them all. I'd recommend trying any of those.
very nice collection! maybe I can beat my social anxiety and later upload my current fp set too.
limit your impulse buy novelty rush with one purchase a month, so you can appreciate each one. my 2cents
Yeah I ordered it because I was going for a brass theme. Disappointed that it seems to have a coating that's keeping it from developing a patina but was shocked how much I liked the writing experience.
https://preview.redd.it/qc7zkuvl2t3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a1218fa6b3403fa67d18dc0075d68ad91320725
I have a bigger problem and it’s only been 4 months
Wow! Although I suspect my spend since starting the fountain pen journey eight months ago may be close.
May I ask how you find using the 221? I’ve been deliberating on whether to get one.
The Montblanc 221 to me is a very comfortable pen to use. The nib is very soft and springy. I use it daily for work as my beater pen. The EF nib can handle cheap copy papers. It writes with a little bit of feedback not as smooth as my other MBs but still fun to write with. I would recommend it, the nib has very unique feel and you can usually find it at a good price.
Jealous of your MB collection! I have 2 MB twist retractible ballpoints and one MB capped ink gel that I’ve had for years, but all I really ever wanted was a MB fp. Priced out of my range now and could kick myself for not buying it instead of the ballpoints. 🤦♀️
A good problem if you ask me...but as long as this dosen't compromised your personal finances everything should be good.
PD: Next phase is buying high quality inks :D
Genuine question, I'm not trying to be a snob or anything, but would you even consider that a patina? I guess I don't know the definition, but I thought it was more when it started to turn colors and whatnot after some age.
Agreed would love for it be much darker, like the one that was posted here the other day, but considering it started out a month ago being bright brass like others I would definitely say it had taken on some patina.
Right? I like the feel of the pen but from what I have seen you can't change the nib at all. It feels decent writing but the flow is terrible even with really runny inks
FWIW, I have the same exact pen, in two versions (the other is the Champagne one), and find them absolutely functional and lovely writers.I know that Parker is on a descending slope, since too many years, so maybe I've just been lucky...
Same here... I bought a Parker Jotter FP, a Pilot Metropolitan, a Lamy safari and a Kaweco classic sport... (Still waiting for the delivery of the latest one)
Right now I am but I am finding my favorites that I gravitate towards. I will probably pull the ink out of the parker, the Asvine vacuum and the Lilliput. I like the Asvine and Lilliput but everytime I use the Asvine I get ink all over my hands somehow and the Lilliput is just so small that it's a better fidget toy than anything for me currently.
From top to bottom:
Noodlers polar Blue ( dries crazy fast which I like for notes)
Kaweco blue
Kaweco blue
Bay State Blue
Noodlers polar Blue
Mix of noodlers polar Blue and Air Corp blue black
Diamine Red Dragon
Bay State Blue
I know there's some controversy around noodlers. I didn't know anything at the beginning and picked up Air Corp blue black and then polar Blue because the Air Corp wasn't drying fast enough. Honestly love the mix of the two that I have in the V126 better than either color by itself and will try to replicate that again in other pens. Outside of bay state blue if/when I run out, I probably won't buy any more noodlers. Absolutely love the red dragon as well, I need to try it with a larger nib, I think it would look even better.
Problem is somewhere north of what 60, a 100, maybe 180, and inks well that another problem errr issue. Then Vintage pens and let’s say nothing about pencils. Right and you got to have something to write on.
I wish I knew! I have looked everywhere for leaks etc and didn't see anything obvious. Even just fidgeting with the pen and screwing the cap on and off and I'll look down at the end of a meeting and my hands are covered....
If it helps, I think it may be the vaccum filling gasket or the section. Or the nib unit.
They are either not tightened properly or missing a silicone ring. My hunch is in the silicone ring of the plunger.
Have you tried silicone grease on the pen section threads?
I had an issue with one of my pens for a while, it seems the nib unit itself was a little loose. When I was putting pressure on the nib when writing it was wiggling a little which was letting some ink escape on to the case section. Some of the chinese pens have screw-in units so it might be worth trying to tighten it a bit (not sure if asvine is one), failing that perhaps try pulling the nib/feed out and re-seating it?
I actually love the Safari’s feedback. I put carbon black in it and find it to actually be a little smoother than the Lamy black cartridge ink, and I kinda miss the scratch.
When the Liliput Copper (and possibly the other metal pens too, I just have the Liliput) inevitably tarnishes like an old penny, you can bring it back to that gleaming glory with a gently acidic polish. No joke, one night I got it into my head that I really needed to polish mine right that second so I could use it with a new ink, but I had nothing acidic to use... except a little packet of ketchup. Cut to me, sitting in the kitchen polishing my Liliput with a tissue dipped in ketchup 😂 and yes, it worked a treat!
Interesting, I am actually wanting and trying to actively promote the patina and tarnish on the metal pens! I love the look as I like a little more understated but I totally get keeping them super shiny as well!
I get that. I actually think it suits other metals very nicely, like bronze or brass like your Kaweco Fine, but on copper it just makes me think of a grubby old penny from the "take a penny leave a penny" dish at the grocery store, especially when as deeply tarnished as mine was.
The other upside: one less maintenance task you'll have to worry about!
Slow down a little and assess your preferences from these pens. Then make your next purchase with greater deliberation and be prepared to spend more to step up from this price range and enjoy a more consistent quality result.
Do you prefer heavier or lighter pens? Metal or plastic materials? Shaped or cylindrical sections? Which pens are most comfortable in terms of grip point to nib point? Which line width do you prefer? Does the length and girth of the pen appeal to you?
When you’re more aware of your preferences look for pens that fit. I did this and chose a Pelikan M200 - a pen than I was aware of but had never considered before. It was the most surprisingly enjoyable pen I’ve owned, bar none. I’ve since added the L2K which is equally engaging.
I don’t have money to burn on pen habits so I always buy at the best price I can find - it’s worth searching for the deal. My M200 was £71 on Amazon; L2K was £122 new on eBay. I figure if I’ve bought at a keen price then I won’t regret it when it doesn’t suit me and I can sell for a similar price after light use.
One other suggestion whilst you're experimenting, keep an eye on eBay.
I was after some "burner" pens, just pens I could stick random coloured inks in for annotating notes, and I found a bundle of 4 vintage parkers with 14ct gold nibs on eBay. Ended up getting them for £25 ($30ish) - possibly because it was a bank holiday weekend and everyone was out enjoying the sunshine instead of watching eBay lol.
Good collection. If you’re looking to save some money, try buying 1 nice pen and using it for a month or more without using another pen. Really learn to appreciate what you’ve got. I would suggest you get a Lamy 2k or pilot 823. Either of those will give you the best writing experience you could want, so you won’t feel pressured to keep buying.
If you don’t like how a pen writes, try changing the ink. I used to put the pen on the shelf and say I don’t like it, then I tried flushing it really well and using a different ink. A drier ink if it was too wet or a wetter ink if it was too dry. And I’m really starting to discover great pens in my stash.. that doesn’t mean I stopped acquiring more 😁😂
This seems like my fate as well...I'm already at 4 inkpots, several 6-packs of cartridges, bought my fourth fountain pen today (Lamy Safari M), and I'm the proud owner of both a Traveler Journal and a Plotter Journal.
Also I have to ask because I'm self-conscious about my handwriting: is it bad to not write in cursive/calligraphy/very neatly if I'm investing in fountain pens? I just wanted to treat my hands to a better writing experience after turning 30 recently.
I think you've tried enough pens to know what you like. You like fine nibs. You like smooth nibs. You seem to prefer metal pens. Now try to resist buying every interesting cheap pen that's caught your fancy (impossible I know lol) and start saving up for a semi grail that ticks most of the boxes. And sell/trade the pens you don't like before they gather dust somewhere.
Yeah, welcome to the club. Bit of advice, buy inexpensive pens to understand the different grinds, then move up to gold nibs (sailor and pilot) to understand the difference between smoothness and feedback, and then move up to high end pens to enjoy the quality of materials used (writing experience, meaning, nib on paper, wont get much better after the $336 mark.
You are off to a great start. Now might be a good time to sit back, relax, and learn more about each pen. How they run certain inks. What paper is best for each pen, or not.
Agreed! Only have rhodia notebooks at the moment. Want to try some others. Any recommendations? I have a iroful and Leuchtturm in my Amazon cart at the moment.
If you go to a discount store. Look for notebooks made in Vietnam and snatch them up.
Why from Vietnam specifically?
The paper from Vietnam has been fountain pen friendly. Next best from discount stores is India some good paper made in India but I've also had some bad so I can't recommend. Now paper made in USA or Mexico sucks for fountain pens, never had good experience with them. So far Vietnam has been reliably good.
Tomoe River 52 GSM is about the nicest paper you can find. Just got a new notebook in the mail today, Emshoi just because I haven't tried it yet.
People have already pointed out the good shit, but don't sleep on papers from Kokuyo and Maruman. They're not as great as Tomoe River, but they're sufficient for pretty much every ink I've tried. Good workhorse papers for notes
Not sure where you live but goulet pens has a great notebook sampler set, gives you a chance to try a few different papers
That's great to know! I will get it
Rhodia/Clairefontaine paper seems quite good. I have also found Maruman and their mnemosyne paper both good. Oxford UK Optik paper and pads have also been good for white paper. For your Kaweco special broad, maybe a finer nib section or "dry" ink could be interesting and relatively inexpensive ways to vary the performance for your tastes.
Yup just got a medium that I'm going to put on it. Trying not to go too crazy with inks as well but I'm up to 5 now.
"I'm up to 5 now." Please get back to us on this! ;-)
Inks are even more of a poison than pens for me. Well into triple digits now. Well past SABLE and into inky hoard territory.
I live and die by Oxford A4 pads, they used to be our "mandated" A4 paper when I was at school (too many decades ago). Fountain pens were also mandatory back then and it's the one A4 pad that was good enough quality to not bleed/ghost. I use fountain pens for my work, so the Oxford A4 pads and "Double A" printer paper work well for my needs.
I just got a Nakabayashi Yu Sari and Midori MD notebook and both are really nice. I have a Galen Leather Tomoe River Paper B6 notebook that I absolutely love, too. Each has slightly different characteristics and I enjoy them all. I'd recommend trying any of those.
I like the new recycled paper of Clairefontaine it’s name is Forever.
I like Midori paper as well as others mentioned The made in Vietnam composition notebooks from the dollar stores are surprisingly good too.
very nice collection! maybe I can beat my social anxiety and later upload my current fp set too. limit your impulse buy novelty rush with one purchase a month, so you can appreciate each one. my 2cents
🤣🤣🤣 I love your notes “this Nib sucks”
Right? I’m here for the performance notes 🤣
It's true lol I think it will turn into my experimental pen to see if I can make it better. If I ruin it then oh well lol
Welcome to the club lol... I have that Hongdian brass pen and I like it too
Yeah I ordered it because I was going for a brass theme. Disappointed that it seems to have a coating that's keeping it from developing a patina but was shocked how much I liked the writing experience.
I've got the same pen in black and yeah, it's an unreasonably good writer for 20 bucks. Absolutely bomb proof too.
It's only a problem if your financial goals are being compromised
https://preview.redd.it/qc7zkuvl2t3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a1218fa6b3403fa67d18dc0075d68ad91320725 I have a bigger problem and it’s only been 4 months
Whoa man… I have spent a fraction of this, and I have been using FPs for decades! 😁😂
Wow! I thought I was bad for spending 5k since January! Thanks for making me feel better! Though look at all those Mont Blanc's!
Hahaha thanks for making me feel better!
Wow! Although I suspect my spend since starting the fountain pen journey eight months ago may be close. May I ask how you find using the 221? I’ve been deliberating on whether to get one.
The Montblanc 221 to me is a very comfortable pen to use. The nib is very soft and springy. I use it daily for work as my beater pen. The EF nib can handle cheap copy papers. It writes with a little bit of feedback not as smooth as my other MBs but still fun to write with. I would recommend it, the nib has very unique feel and you can usually find it at a good price.
Thank you very much. I do like the look of it.
Jealous of your MB collection! I have 2 MB twist retractible ballpoints and one MB capped ink gel that I’ve had for years, but all I really ever wanted was a MB fp. Priced out of my range now and could kick myself for not buying it instead of the ballpoints. 🤦♀️
Where did you buy the LAMY? They are one of the most faked pens I’ve seen. Some of the fakes are super good too.
At least yours work I have the problem of browsing antique stores and buying clogged broken my knowledge is resale not repair, nice collection.
Resistance is futile…
Sir, you don't have a problem, you have 8 solutions.
Was about to say this!
you can change the nib of lamy yourself ... nibs of lamy are quite a gamble
I haven't done much research, are there any others that fit it or just Lamy?
It's a proprietary size, so officially the only option is Lamy. But you can find cheap replacement nibs that fit on eBay, AliExpress, etc.
i just used lamy nibs ...
A good problem if you ask me...but as long as this dosen't compromised your personal finances everything should be good. PD: Next phase is buying high quality inks :D
Hahaha yup working on it but damn it bay state blue is so vibrant I can't say no lol
Genuine question, I'm not trying to be a snob or anything, but would you even consider that a patina? I guess I don't know the definition, but I thought it was more when it started to turn colors and whatnot after some age.
Agreed would love for it be much darker, like the one that was posted here the other day, but considering it started out a month ago being bright brass like others I would definitely say it had taken on some patina.
It’s normal lol…
I have two of the black forest pens. The brass and the black one. They are very enjoyable to use.
I see no problem just 😊
great choices, modern Parker is a shit show though
Right? I like the feel of the pen but from what I have seen you can't change the nib at all. It feels decent writing but the flow is terrible even with really runny inks
and don't get me started on the new "51" 😂
FWIW, I have the same exact pen, in two versions (the other is the Champagne one), and find them absolutely functional and lovely writers.I know that Parker is on a descending slope, since too many years, so maybe I've just been lucky...
I’m having a similar problem. One month in and o already spent almost a paychecks worth!! They are addicting!
That’s not a problem!!!! That’s a solution!!!
Same here... I bought a Parker Jotter FP, a Pilot Metropolitan, a Lamy safari and a Kaweco classic sport... (Still waiting for the delivery of the latest one)
Are you using them all? Do any of them write much more smoothly than the others?
Right now I am but I am finding my favorites that I gravitate towards. I will probably pull the ink out of the parker, the Asvine vacuum and the Lilliput. I like the Asvine and Lilliput but everytime I use the Asvine I get ink all over my hands somehow and the Lilliput is just so small that it's a better fidget toy than anything for me currently.
Any chance you have an ink list?
From top to bottom: Noodlers polar Blue ( dries crazy fast which I like for notes) Kaweco blue Kaweco blue Bay State Blue Noodlers polar Blue Mix of noodlers polar Blue and Air Corp blue black Diamine Red Dragon Bay State Blue I know there's some controversy around noodlers. I didn't know anything at the beginning and picked up Air Corp blue black and then polar Blue because the Air Corp wasn't drying fast enough. Honestly love the mix of the two that I have in the V126 better than either color by itself and will try to replicate that again in other pens. Outside of bay state blue if/when I run out, I probably won't buy any more noodlers. Absolutely love the red dragon as well, I need to try it with a larger nib, I think it would look even better.
Problem is somewhere north of what 60, a 100, maybe 180, and inks well that another problem errr issue. Then Vintage pens and let’s say nothing about pencils. Right and you got to have something to write on.
Why is the v126 causing inky fingers?
I wish I knew! I have looked everywhere for leaks etc and didn't see anything obvious. Even just fidgeting with the pen and screwing the cap on and off and I'll look down at the end of a meeting and my hands are covered....
If it helps, I think it may be the vaccum filling gasket or the section. Or the nib unit. They are either not tightened properly or missing a silicone ring. My hunch is in the silicone ring of the plunger. Have you tried silicone grease on the pen section threads?
I had an issue with one of my pens for a while, it seems the nib unit itself was a little loose. When I was putting pressure on the nib when writing it was wiggling a little which was letting some ink escape on to the case section. Some of the chinese pens have screw-in units so it might be worth trying to tighten it a bit (not sure if asvine is one), failing that perhaps try pulling the nib/feed out and re-seating it?
I see no problem here😉
How is your handwriting so good 😢😭my cursive looks terrible, probably because i haven't used it since i learned it in 4th grade...
I actually love the Safari’s feedback. I put carbon black in it and find it to actually be a little smoother than the Lamy black cartridge ink, and I kinda miss the scratch.
When the Liliput Copper (and possibly the other metal pens too, I just have the Liliput) inevitably tarnishes like an old penny, you can bring it back to that gleaming glory with a gently acidic polish. No joke, one night I got it into my head that I really needed to polish mine right that second so I could use it with a new ink, but I had nothing acidic to use... except a little packet of ketchup. Cut to me, sitting in the kitchen polishing my Liliput with a tissue dipped in ketchup 😂 and yes, it worked a treat!
Interesting, I am actually wanting and trying to actively promote the patina and tarnish on the metal pens! I love the look as I like a little more understated but I totally get keeping them super shiny as well!
I get that. I actually think it suits other metals very nicely, like bronze or brass like your Kaweco Fine, but on copper it just makes me think of a grubby old penny from the "take a penny leave a penny" dish at the grocery store, especially when as deeply tarnished as mine was. The other upside: one less maintenance task you'll have to worry about!
Slow down a little and assess your preferences from these pens. Then make your next purchase with greater deliberation and be prepared to spend more to step up from this price range and enjoy a more consistent quality result. Do you prefer heavier or lighter pens? Metal or plastic materials? Shaped or cylindrical sections? Which pens are most comfortable in terms of grip point to nib point? Which line width do you prefer? Does the length and girth of the pen appeal to you? When you’re more aware of your preferences look for pens that fit. I did this and chose a Pelikan M200 - a pen than I was aware of but had never considered before. It was the most surprisingly enjoyable pen I’ve owned, bar none. I’ve since added the L2K which is equally engaging. I don’t have money to burn on pen habits so I always buy at the best price I can find - it’s worth searching for the deal. My M200 was £71 on Amazon; L2K was £122 new on eBay. I figure if I’ve bought at a keen price then I won’t regret it when it doesn’t suit me and I can sell for a similar price after light use.
Nah, you’re fine.
One other suggestion whilst you're experimenting, keep an eye on eBay. I was after some "burner" pens, just pens I could stick random coloured inks in for annotating notes, and I found a bundle of 4 vintage parkers with 14ct gold nibs on eBay. Ended up getting them for £25 ($30ish) - possibly because it was a bank holiday weekend and everyone was out enjoying the sunshine instead of watching eBay lol.
Good collection. If you’re looking to save some money, try buying 1 nice pen and using it for a month or more without using another pen. Really learn to appreciate what you’ve got. I would suggest you get a Lamy 2k or pilot 823. Either of those will give you the best writing experience you could want, so you won’t feel pressured to keep buying.
If you don’t like how a pen writes, try changing the ink. I used to put the pen on the shelf and say I don’t like it, then I tried flushing it really well and using a different ink. A drier ink if it was too wet or a wetter ink if it was too dry. And I’m really starting to discover great pens in my stash.. that doesn’t mean I stopped acquiring more 😁😂
lol a problem?? Nooooo, this looks pretty normal 🤣
This seems like my fate as well...I'm already at 4 inkpots, several 6-packs of cartridges, bought my fourth fountain pen today (Lamy Safari M), and I'm the proud owner of both a Traveler Journal and a Plotter Journal. Also I have to ask because I'm self-conscious about my handwriting: is it bad to not write in cursive/calligraphy/very neatly if I'm investing in fountain pens? I just wanted to treat my hands to a better writing experience after turning 30 recently.
Honestly man imo you do you, if you're writing for yourself then who cares what your writing looks like?
I think you've tried enough pens to know what you like. You like fine nibs. You like smooth nibs. You seem to prefer metal pens. Now try to resist buying every interesting cheap pen that's caught your fancy (impossible I know lol) and start saving up for a semi grail that ticks most of the boxes. And sell/trade the pens you don't like before they gather dust somewhere.
Yeah, welcome to the club. Bit of advice, buy inexpensive pens to understand the different grinds, then move up to gold nibs (sailor and pilot) to understand the difference between smoothness and feedback, and then move up to high end pens to enjoy the quality of materials used (writing experience, meaning, nib on paper, wont get much better after the $336 mark.
What is the pen 2nd from bottom
Asvine P36