Do you use a fountain pen?

Do you use a fountain pen?

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Discussion

Celtic Dragon

3,161 posts

234 months

Wednesday 18th October 2017
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Robbo 27 said:
If you wanted a pen case for the Parkers they are around for £6, I suspect that they are not geneuine parker but still look attractive

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PARKER-Double-Leather-Pe...

If you are putting the esterbrooks away I would unscrew the nibs and wash them out, the pens will be good to go for the next person.
Ones got a cracked insert where the nib screws in (radiating out from the hole), but the Demi dollor is is fine condition and still writes well, even if it does leak on occasions.

I intend on keeping then both.

Justayellowbadge

37,057 posts

241 months

Wednesday 18th October 2017
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Robbo 27 said:
Their inks are also excellent, perhaps the purse strings could be loosened just a little?
Popped in.

At current exchange rates, they wanted a smidge over £140 a bottle.

Popped out, sharply.

Robbo 27

3,605 posts

98 months

Thursday 19th October 2017
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Justayellowbadge said:
Popped in.

At current exchange rates, they wanted a smidge over £140 a bottle.

Popped out, sharply.
Good grief, £10 a bottle here.

syncrov6

54 posts

167 months

Friday 20th October 2017
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I’ve just acquired an Edison Pen Co. fountain pen. Looks really nice. Can anyone help identify the model?

Robbo 27

3,605 posts

98 months

Saturday 21st October 2017
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syncrov6 said:
I’ve just acquired an Edison Pen Co. fountain pen. Looks really nice. Can anyone help identify the model?
I dont know much about Edison pens, I think your model is called Edison Nouveau Premiere. The company brings out special editions of the plastics each year, some look superb.

Not sure of the pattern on yours, looks great though, an unusual pen.

dapprman

2,309 posts

266 months

Monday 23rd October 2017
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I think it might be a Pearlette - the Nouveau Premiere is a model exclusive to Goulet Pens in the US - and as mentioned, has a different acrylic option every quarter. Checking the website the material is Flecked- Crushed Shell

--Edit - added below--
I should add, I believe the acrylic is from Jonathan Brooks (Carolina Pen Company), who's blanks are also, I believe, used by Franklin-Christoph and Kanilea (and maybe also John Twiss). The nibs are JoWo, but hand tested and tuned (there are several options on purchasing). I can't remember if Brian Grey (owns Edison Pens) was taught by Richard Bender or Mike Masuyama. Not got one yet (unlike 3 Franklin-Christoph and 1 Twiss) but they're on my list.

Edited by dapprman on Monday 23 October 00:21

Robbo 27

3,605 posts

98 months

Monday 23rd October 2017
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The pattern is also called Cracked Ice.

The model could be the Herald.

Hope that you enjoy the pen, nice to have something a little different/

syncrov6

54 posts

167 months

Tuesday 24th October 2017
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Thanks for the information. I’m just starting to use fountain pens so have a lot to learn!

Robbo 27

3,605 posts

98 months

Tuesday 24th October 2017
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syncrov6 said:
Thanks for the information. I’m just starting to use fountain pens so have a lot to learn!
Always here to help.

You have a very distinctive pen to start you off, the great thing about this hobby is that it can take a number of different paths, whatever suits you best.

Some simply do it for writing, some to collect and some of the standards of restoration that we have seen on here are world class.



dapprman

2,309 posts

266 months

Wednesday 25th October 2017
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It's a good time for quality 'small maker' pens, though new they can cost as much for a steel nib (or with Kanilea a lot more) than some gold nibbed pens from the main manufacturers. I wish you could buy Franklin-Christoph products in this country, but at least you can with Edison and Karas-Kustom, and then we do have our very own John Twiss.

(Should add I wish we could buy a Shaun Newton or Ryan Krusac pen over here, but then they cost a lot more, and then there's Andy Lambrou - I've handled a LB5, but then gently put it back down again).

Edited by dapprman on Wednesday 25th October 16:19

mickjj

8 posts

78 months

Tuesday 31st October 2017
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Hi to Robbo27, I have been following this for some time and am awed at your knowledge and willingness to help others. I am a very small time collector, really just trying to piece together similar pens to the ones grandad had ( disappeared to who knows where). Along the way i have aquired a Parker slimfold with only the remains of the nib. I have dismantled and cleaned, but don't seem to be able to track down a replacement nib - would you be able to point me in the right direction please? Also, not fountain pens I know, and a bit "trashy", grandad used to have in the early 1960s a couple of retractable biros, one grey barrel, other maroon, which were all barrel, with a rounded silver top, out of which the clip moved up and down the L shaped slot to push refill out or retract. Memory tells me they were actually marketed as Biro (not anything special like Parker etc), but as I now see Biro disappeared into Bic in the 50s perhaps I was wrong, maybe they were Bic. I can find no trace of these anywhere, does your memory extend to these to be able to identify them properly so I can search better? All help appreciated, thanks, Mick.

Celtic Dragon

3,161 posts

234 months

Tuesday 31st October 2017
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I've been a bit quiet on this thread recently. So time to change that and I need some help. I still need to charge the DSLR, so that I can get photos on here.

First up is mum's Parker 45, wow! Its a lovely pen to use with a gold medium nib, its found a home in the office replacing one of the X450's. It really is a pleasure to use, and is just the right weight in the and for me. As it turns out, its also the oldest of them all, made somewhere between 1964 and 69 as it has a black end cap which was dropped in 1970.

Dad's 45, I ran into an issue with this one, dad is a lefty, so the nib (fine gold) was stiff and scratchy for me as it had been used for at least 6 years when dad was at university. If I held the pen at the angle dad does then it wrote fine, so there was only 1 thing to do, buy a new nib for it. Dad did tell me he got it for uni so that places it firmly in 1969.

Battersea pens came to the rescue with a new unit for £15 (ordered yesterday mid afternoon, delivered today), ok its not gold, but as the whole pen is stainless, it doesn't look out of place. So now I have two 45's sat on my desk smile fully working and writing beautifully.

Now for the help, what notebooks do people recommend? The cheap ones work gets in bleed ink now I'm using the Parkers as they write wet as opposed to the 450's I was using seem to be a lot dryer.

Clockwork Cupcake

74,402 posts

271 months

Tuesday 31st October 2017
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Celtic Dragon said:
Now for the help, what notebooks do people recommend? The cheap ones work gets in bleed ink now I'm using the Parkers as they write wet as opposed to the 450's I was using seem to be a lot dryer.
I find Black n Red to be perfectly fine for general use. Their pads use 90gsm paper and don't suffer from bleed through.

Robbo 27

3,605 posts

98 months

Tuesday 31st October 2017
quotequote all
mickjj said:
Hi to Robbo27, I have been following this for some time and am awed at your knowledge and willingness to help others. I am a very small time collector, really just trying to piece together similar pens to the ones grandad had ( disappeared to who knows where). Along the way i have aquired a Parker slimfold with only the remains of the nib. I have dismantled and cleaned, but don't seem to be able to track down a replacement nib - would you be able to point me in the right direction please? Also, not fountain pens I know, and a bit "trashy", grandad used to have in the early 1960s a couple of retractable biros, one grey barrel, other maroon, which were all barrel, with a rounded silver top, out of which the clip moved up and down the L shaped slot to push refill out or retract. Memory tells me they were actually marketed as Biro (not anything special like Parker etc), but as I now see Biro disappeared into Bic in the 50s perhaps I was wrong, maybe they were Bic. I can find no trace of these anywhere, does your memory extend to these to be able to identify them properly so I can search better? All help appreciated, thanks, Mick.
Thank you for the kind words.

Parker Slimfold nibs are out there but they are just not easy to find and when they are for sale the seller will want almost as much as a complete pen.

If you dont mind the loss of originality then other nibs will fit, such as from the Jinhao 250.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gold-Trim-Fountain-Pen-...

I have a few nibs as spares, if I have a Parker nib that will fit, you can have it with pleasure, I will send you an email.



Robbo 27

3,605 posts

98 months

Tuesday 31st October 2017
quotequote all
Celtic Dragon said:
I've been a bit quiet on this thread recently. So time to change that and I need some help. I still need to charge the DSLR, so that I can get photos on here.

First up is mum's Parker 45, wow! Its a lovely pen to use with a gold medium nib, its found a home in the office replacing one of the X450's. It really is a pleasure to use, and is just the right weight in the and for me. As it turns out, its also the oldest of them all, made somewhere between 1964 and 69 as it has a black end cap which was dropped in 1970.

Dad's 45, I ran into an issue with this one, dad is a lefty, so the nib (fine gold) was stiff and scratchy for me as it had been used for at least 6 years when dad was at university. If I held the pen at the angle dad does then it wrote fine, so there was only 1 thing to do, buy a new nib for it. Dad did tell me he got it for uni so that places it firmly in 1969.

Battersea pens came to the rescue with a new unit for £15 (ordered yesterday mid afternoon, delivered today), ok its not gold, but as the whole pen is stainless, it doesn't look out of place. So now I have two 45's sat on my desk smile fully working and writing beautifully.

Now for the help, what notebooks do people recommend? The cheap ones work gets in bleed ink now I'm using the Parkers as they write wet as opposed to the 450's I was using seem to be a lot dryer.
Pleased to hear about the Parker 45s, they are under rated as pen, built to last and work perfectly well. On the back of parker 45 nibs is F M or B. The vast majority were Medium nibs. I cannot remember off hand what the code would be for an oblique nib to suit a left hander, (either LH or just O) the nib itself would be shaped like / or like the toes on your left foot. If it is an oblique nib then it is worth a lot of money, much more than you paid for your new nib.

Edit: Just found a guide on the nib codes::



Posted 01 January 2011 - 13:44
Hi

Here is the chart that Old Griz posted.
Thanks go to him.

Posted Image

And here is a (not complete and maybe not 100% accurate) Parker 45 nib guide.


Needle (N) nib
Accountant (A) nib
Extra Fine (X) nib
Fine (F) nib
Medium (M) nib
Broad ( B ) nib
Double broad (BB) nib ?
Stub (S) nib
Extra Fine Italic ( ) nib ?
Fine Italic ( C ) nib
Medium Italic (D) nib
Broad Italic (E) nib
Fine Oblique (FO) nib ?
Medium Oblique ( R ) nib
Broad Oblique (Z) nib
Fine Oblique Italic (H) or (Y) nib ?
Medium Oblique Italic (J) nib

It is most likley that you will have a medium nib that has just become worn to your fathers writing angle but if its an oblique then you have done very well.

In terms of notebooks there is a huge range out there, my favourites are Rhodia/Clairfontaine

https://www.thejournalshop.com/notebooks-and-journ...

Well made and perfect paper.

If you want to spend much more money and have a notebook system then a lot of people like Midori notebooks, but you will need to be spending £50 plus for the attractive leather holder and inserts.

Two to avoid are Moleskine and Leuchturm, which is a pity. Both notebooks are well made but they have paper that allows bleedthrough.

If you want to buy something low priced then Lidl have two ranges of notebook, one pocket sized the other is A5, the pocket book is two for £3 from memory, the A5 is also £3. Both have excellent paper and nice touches like a pen loop, pockets and page ribbon plus elastic closer.



Edited by Robbo 27 on Tuesday 31st October 13:27

Celtic Dragon

3,161 posts

234 months

Tuesday 31st October 2017
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Thanks Robbo, dad's was a fine (I found the F and M on the nibs Saturday night, even if I did need my glasses to see it!)

Next up on the buying front is a pen case smile

Its a shame about Moleskines as they were lovely and I have 2 I'm using at the moment, 1 bleeds the other doesn't.

Robbo 27

3,605 posts

98 months

Thursday 2nd November 2017
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If you are looking to buy a pen, notebook or ink etc soon then tomorrow would be a good idea, spend £10 at the Writing Desk and they will include a free bottle of ink to mark National Fountain Pen Day

https://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/fountain-pen-day-...


dapprman

2,309 posts

266 months

Friday 3rd November 2017
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Robbo 27 said:
If you are looking to buy a pen, notebook or ink etc soon then tomorrow would be a good idea, spend £10 at the Writing Desk and they will include a free bottle of ink to mark National Fountain Pen Day

https://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/fountain-pen-day-...
Rats, spent about £27 with them last week.

Happy Fountain Pen Day - and a shameless plus for the London pen Club, which meets tomorrow, 12pm at the Bierschenke near Liverpool St station (I should be there, but there's a chance I won't make it).

Oh and what I took to work today:

Robbo 27

3,605 posts

98 months

Friday 3rd November 2017
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dapprman said:
A shameless plus for the London pen Club, which meets tomorrow, 12pm at the Bierschenke near Liverpool St station (I should be there, but there's a chance I won't make it).
I went to one of these in 2013, I am sure that it has improved since then.

CVP

2,799 posts

274 months

Friday 3rd November 2017
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dapprman said:
(snip)I wish you could buy Franklin-Christoph products in this country (snip)

Edited by dapprman on Wednesday 25th October 16:19
Franklin-Christoph are perfectly happy to post to the UK. I was struck by the Abditus 33 and ordered one with a customised stub nib. It was posted the same day and got here by DHL in 2-3 days with the bill from DHL for the VAT following shortly after.

http://www.franklin-christoph.com/model-33-abditus...

It's a lovely pen to write with and most people seem to think I'm getting a cigar out in meetings rather than my pen smile It's my most used pen

Would definitely buy from F-C again.

Chris