Do you use a fountain pen?

[AlexC1981]

Family shot I should get the ink colours to match the pens.

DSC01193b by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

[Robbo 27]

AlexC1981 said:

Family shot I should get the ink colours to match the pens.

DSC01193b by 1891CxelA, on Flickr

That 51 looks fantastic. Cannot remember the last time that I saw a Cocoa 51 for sale at a pen show, you have done very well.

How is the 17 holding up?

Cambridge Pen show is on Sunday, will you be going?

[ClockworkCupcake]

AlexC1981 said:

Family shot I should get the ink colours to match the pens.

Superb pic.

[AlexC1981]

Thanks Rob and CC.

17 is holding up thanks, though I didn't use it much last week because of the 51.

I'm going to the show at Cambridge, but I don't know if I will buy any more pens unless I see something really cool as I have a few awaiting restoration and I haven't been able to spend much time on them.

I have a small shopping list of a Waterman W5 box lever and a feed + nib for an old casein pen.

I've been using a free program called Photoscape to tweak the photos. Not to make them unrepresentative, but mainly to correct the white balance and to make the colours a bit more true to life. My camera often gives indoor photos a dull blue tinge on a dull day.

[Pints]

Robbo 27 said:

It is a tip to keep a pot of water on your desk, all you need do is to dip the tip of the nib under the water. you could perhaps use an old ink well like one of these.

This has proven a useful tip. It's meant I don't have to recap my pen if I don't use it for 5 minutes when getting distracted.

[Robbo 27]

AlexC1981 said:

Thanks Rob and CC.

17 is holding up thanks, though I didn't use it much last week because of the 51.

I'm going to the show at Cambridge, but I don't know if I will buy any more pens unless I see something really cool as I have a few awaiting restoration and I haven't been able to spend much time on them.

I have a small shopping list of a Waterman W5 box lever and a feed + nib for an old casein pen.

I've been using a free program called Photoscape to tweak the photos. Not to make them unrepresentative, but mainly to correct the white balance and to make the colours a bit more true to life. My camera often gives indoor photos a dull blue tinge on a dull day.

Some pics of the show would be good, John Sorowka doesnt like having his pic taken but not an issue for others. Be prepared to be amazed at the Sarj display, he is a one man pen show.

Best person to speak to about parts is Mark Catley, he usually has a large cardboad boxful of parts, just a case of sifting through. The main man to speak to is Ian Williamson, his stand is normally very close to the entrance, nice bloke. Quite a few of the people have a box of bargain bits, pens needing work. I usually look through these for Parker 51 caps or Parker 51s with bad faults and a good cap, they always come in useful, not worth buying a pen cap with a ding though. There is a scottish bloke called Eric Wilson, huge amount of knowledge especially in plastics. He may be there, obviously a long way to come from Edinburgh for a small sho, if he is there then he is worth treating to a coffee - if just for a chat.

If you are tempted to buy something, the ticket price is the starting point, they are usually prepared to haggle and especially if you want two items from the same stall, Parker 51 may be priced at £35 for example, offer £50 for 2.

The good thing about Cambridge is that it is small and people have time to talk. There is also a sort of break out area for a coffee and a chat to other show goers, people like to show what they have bought and what they are looking for.

Hope that you have a great day.

[AlexC1981]

Thanks, I'll let you know if I bring back any goodies.

[Low Pro]

What I use for my work, from left to right: WHSmiths generic pen - Parker 65 - Kaweco Sport Skyline

But I have wondered what is better to use with the Parker a ink well or refill cartridges?

[Robbo 27]

Low Pro said:

What I use for my work, from left to right: WHSmiths generic pen - Parker 65 - Kaweco Sport Skyline

But I have wondered what is better to use with the Parker a ink well or refill cartridges?

Parker cartridges are good and some would say that they prefer the convenience of cartridges. Using a bottle of ink and a converter gives you more choice, especially colour, than the limited colour range of Parker cartridges.

You also could refill your cartridges using a syringe.

If work says black or blue, and convenience is important then cartridges are the way to go, if you want to be able to use other brands and a broader range of colour then bottled ink is for you.

You have a huge range from a company such as the Writing Desk

https://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/fountainpenink.ph...


That 65 is very attractive by the way, obviously a cherished pen.

[Low Pro]

Robbo 27 said:

Parker cartridges are good and some would say that they prefer the convenience of cartridges. Using a bottle of ink and a converter gives you more choice, especially colour, than the limited colour range of Parker cartridges.

You also could refill your cartridges using a syringe.

If work says black or blue, and convenience is important then cartridges are the way to go, if you want to be able to use other brands and a broader range of colour then bottled ink is for you.

You have a huge range from a company such as the Writing Desk

https://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/fountainpenink.ph...


That 65 is very attractive by the way, obviously a cherished pen.

Thanks, that's a great help!
The Parker was a gift from my Auntie, I use it for the copious amounts of poetry I write!

[Robbo 27]

Low Pro said:

Thanks, that's a great help!
The Parker was a gift from my Auntie, I use it for the copious amounts of poetry I write!

It is interesting that you select that particular pen out of the three for a form of expression, I have heard this type of thinking before and it is perfectly understandable, the complete opposite of typing a poem or story on a computer, however more convenient that might be.

Edited by Robbo 27 on Monday 15th May 10:39

[ClockworkCupcake]

The Parker 65 is a lovely looking pen. I might have to add one to my collection at some time.

[AlexC1981]

I was just thinking how nice that 65 would look in my line up in place of the Vector!

I went to the Eastern Pen Show today in Cambridge. I was a lovely day for a walk round Cambridge afterwards. I didn't take any photos as no one else was and I felt a bit daft It was quite a site to behold and I did feel a bit overwhelmed. I can only imagine what the London one must be like. Everything looked so shiny and perfect and neatly on display that I didn't like to touch anything much!

I managed to get a replacement feed for my casein "B-B" pen and I bought a scrappy Waterman W5 so I can use the box lever from it in my W5. I don't like using donor pens, but this was much cheaper than buying the part on its own from the USA. It would be quite expensive to restore the scrappy one as the cap would need re-plating and the ball on the tip of one tine is missing. The barrel is not very good, but the section is better than mine and so is the internal bar that presses on the sac, so I will use those too. I was wondering if I could turn that broken nib into a stub? It's a lovely looking 14CT nib and it seems a shame for it to go to waste.

I didn't buy anything else, but I was eyeing up the Parker Vacumatics, particularly the white/grey ones with silver trim! The big ones commanded a high price, but there might be room in my budget for the smaller sized Vacumatic. I have also taken a shine to the Eversharp Skyline and those Sheaffers, there seem to be several models like this, but they are plastic with a white spot on the front of the cap above the clip and quite pointed at both ends and have a sort of wraparound nib a bit like the Parker 65.

[ClockworkCupcake]

AlexC1981 said:

and those Sheaffers, there seem to be several models like this, but they are plastic with a white spot on the front of the cap above the clip and quite pointed at both ends and have a sort of wraparound nib a bit like the Parker 65.

Are you talking about the Sheaffer inlaid nib as used on the PFM, Imperials, quasi-Imperials, and Targa, like the ones I've posted earlier in the thread?

For example

Targa, with the so-called "long diamond" style of inlay nib.


440 with the "short diamond" style of inlay nib.

[Robbo 27]

The Sheaffer might have been the Sheaffer Balance





With a Triumph nib



Just a guess.

In terms of what to do with the scrap nib, perhaps an oblique or a stub, perfect nib to have a go with, only question would be that Waterman nibs are usually quite flexible and flexy nibs and shaping to stubs/obliques dont usually work well. But on the other hand what else do you do with it?

[AlexC1981]

That's it, Rob's found the one.

I have an Imperial 777 with the type of inlaid nib Clockworkcupcake has showed. It was one of two pens I got from my dad. That and the Parker 45 Harlequin. I think I will give it another go actually. I initially put it away as it has a broad nib and I thought I could never write with something so broad, however my writing has been slowly getting bigger as I write more with fountain pens. I can't stand the fine nibs or ballpoints now, even if they are smooth ones.

Regarding the spare Waterman nib, it's flexible and gold, so it's probably going to wear out quickly, but like you said, what else to do with it.

[ClockworkCupcake]

I love the Sheaffer inlaid nibs. I've always had a thing about them, ever since my school days - a favourite teacher who greatly inspired me wrote with one, although I also love the aesthetics of them as a piece of design. That's why I was so overjoyed when my dad gave me that Targa recently.

[8Ace]

What's everyone using today? I get bored easily so usually rotate every few days.

My selection is:

Pelikan White Tortoise (F) with Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine
Parker 17 (M) with Diamine Oxblood
Lamy AlStar with Lamy Black
Pilot V-Pen disposable in pink.

My work notebook is magnificent.

[Robbo 27]

Your list sounds magnificent, a complete diversity.

Mine is very ordinary, a freebie Guinness cartridge pen, I changed the nib for something better.

Has Parker Black in the pen.

Supposed to take international cartridges but picking up on what an earlier poster mentionned, there seems to be different sized fittings, only some fit.

[AlexC1981]

Agreed nice selection. The Parker 17s seem like good little pens. The Guinness pen is nice too and would make a nice ice-breaker.

I've been using two hooded pens today; my Jinhao 911 to annotate spreadsheets because of the XF nib and using the Parker 51 to take meeting notes. I had to do a lot of smoothing to the 911 XF nib as it was like a needle when I got it. I wouldn't switch to XF for general writing, but the Jinhao nib can be made very smooth whilst retaining a fine line.

My pouches that C&C recommended arrived today. Very soft and will accommodate a decent sized pen comfortably. It is just the right size for a Jinhao 159, but nothing wider (is there anything wider?).