Do you use a fountain pen?
Discussion
ClockworkCupcake said:
I'm kind of done with the cheap Chinese pens now I think.
As Robbo said a while back, you tend to get to the point as a new collector where you slow down on just buying everything and start to find out what you like and what you want to collect.
Yeah, I've stopped now with I think 6 Jinhau's an a Baoer. The intitial plan was to work out what I like, and then buy a better pen in the that style. The trouble is I quite like all of them As Robbo said a while back, you tend to get to the point as a new collector where you slow down on just buying everything and start to find out what you like and what you want to collect.
The only conclusion I've really come to is I like a medium nib if I'm writing properly, but prefer a fine nib if I'm jotting down notes.
Desiato said:
Robbo, or anyone else, could you give me some advice regarding my Jinhao 159 please?
It writes lovely, but I keep having to turn the converter screw to force ink down towards the nib.
Any suggestions on why it is doing this and how to cure it please?
I have this problem with a few of my cheap pens, quick solution is keep a cup with a bit of water on the desk, and dip the end in it if I've not used the pen in a while and it's dried up a bit. I'll try CC's suggestion of giving it a good flush through next time one runs out of ink though.It writes lovely, but I keep having to turn the converter screw to force ink down towards the nib.
Any suggestions on why it is doing this and how to cure it please?
The symptoms as described are a little different from the nib drying out through not being used for a while.
The feed is running out of ink due to ink not flowing from the converter whilst the writer is part way through a paragraph.
Probable cause is an issue with the converter, that is why I suggested trying a cartridge and see if that fixes the problem, if it doesnt then there is a reason why the ink is not flowing down the pen and that could be to do with the feed chanels being part blocked. If they are okay then it is down to the relationship between the feed and the nib. Jinhao nibs are usually pretty good out of the box but if the tines are too close then ink will not flow down to the tip. If the nib is too far away from the feed caused by for example, too much pressure applied or it has been dropped. At worst, I would remove the feed and nib and reset it, moving the feed a little higher up the nib - so that there is less of the nib to be seen and there is more surface area contact between the feed and the nib.
All these are relatively easy fixes.
The first thing to check is to see if the ink is stuck at the top end of the converter. Hold the pen, nib down, unscrew the barrel and if the ink is all at the top of the converter you have found the problem. This is fixed in a number of ways, going to cartridges, flush through, pushing a tiny ball into the converter or, havent tried this for a while, a thin piece of wire, such as a fuse wire left inside the converter.
The feed is running out of ink due to ink not flowing from the converter whilst the writer is part way through a paragraph.
Probable cause is an issue with the converter, that is why I suggested trying a cartridge and see if that fixes the problem, if it doesnt then there is a reason why the ink is not flowing down the pen and that could be to do with the feed chanels being part blocked. If they are okay then it is down to the relationship between the feed and the nib. Jinhao nibs are usually pretty good out of the box but if the tines are too close then ink will not flow down to the tip. If the nib is too far away from the feed caused by for example, too much pressure applied or it has been dropped. At worst, I would remove the feed and nib and reset it, moving the feed a little higher up the nib - so that there is less of the nib to be seen and there is more surface area contact between the feed and the nib.
All these are relatively easy fixes.
The first thing to check is to see if the ink is stuck at the top end of the converter. Hold the pen, nib down, unscrew the barrel and if the ink is all at the top of the converter you have found the problem. This is fixed in a number of ways, going to cartridges, flush through, pushing a tiny ball into the converter or, havent tried this for a while, a thin piece of wire, such as a fuse wire left inside the converter.
In a brief change away from older pens, I picked up this Rotring Newton from ebay for £29 including delivery (which I thought was pretty reasonable).
It's surprisingly heavy and feels really well made - I understand it's a copper coloured lacquer over a brass body. They were apparently introduced in 2005, so it's certainly not an old pen.
It writes pretty well on dip testing - pretty rock solid nib, but I've yet to give it a good clean up and smooth the nib a bit.
Depending on how smoothly it writes after this, it has every chance of becoming an often used "utility" pen.
RN1 by conradsphotos, on Flickr
RN3 by conradsphotos, on Flickr
RN4 by conradsphotos, on Flickr
The cap simply pulls off, but you have to line it up correctly to push it back on, which is no real problem.
An interesting "feature" is that to open up the pen itself, you have to hold the copper body and turn the knob at the end of the pen. The section then slides out/unscrews a bit like opening a lipstick.
RN5 by conradsphotos, on Flickr
It's surprisingly heavy and feels really well made - I understand it's a copper coloured lacquer over a brass body. They were apparently introduced in 2005, so it's certainly not an old pen.
It writes pretty well on dip testing - pretty rock solid nib, but I've yet to give it a good clean up and smooth the nib a bit.
Depending on how smoothly it writes after this, it has every chance of becoming an often used "utility" pen.
RN1 by conradsphotos, on FlickrRN3 by conradsphotos, on FlickrRN4 by conradsphotos, on FlickrThe cap simply pulls off, but you have to line it up correctly to push it back on, which is no real problem.
An interesting "feature" is that to open up the pen itself, you have to hold the copper body and turn the knob at the end of the pen. The section then slides out/unscrews a bit like opening a lipstick.
RN5 by conradsphotos, on FlickrThis dropped through my letterbox today from Bartholomew Gosse (that seller on Amazon Marketplace discussed earlier in the thread)
I confess I was surprised that anything arrived at all, and I feel almost churlish to put in a claim to Amazon that this (obviously) isn't what I ordered as it looks like a nice little pen.
I confess I was surprised that anything arrived at all, and I feel almost churlish to put in a claim to Amazon that this (obviously) isn't what I ordered as it looks like a nice little pen.
This looks like a direct copy of the Lamy Vista, as opposed to the Jinhao 599 which is similar to the lamy, it actually looks well made.
Amazon are readily giving refunds and this original seller has left amazon and has been replaced by 10 others, they work on the basis that Amazon pay them based on the despatch date and before claims for non delivery come in. major headache for amazon.
Amazon are readily giving refunds and this original seller has left amazon and has been replaced by 10 others, they work on the basis that Amazon pay them based on the despatch date and before claims for non delivery come in. major headache for amazon.
Snails said:
Can anyone recommend a new notebook? I really like my current Sigel 'Conceptum' as it has a pen loop and squared, rather than lined paper. The only thing i'm not keen on is ink being visible through the pages. Are there any alternatives I should try?
There are not many makers that have great paper and the pen loop, but if you can have a look at The Journal Shop site they have a good range of Rhodia notebooks.https://www.thejournalshop.com/notebooks-and-journ...
The only two brands that I would avoid are Moleskine and Leuchtturm, which is a pity because the notebooks are well made and readily available, both show bad bleedthrough to the following page.
A make that I like is Mnemosyne, they only have a limited range and strange layouts, and I want something a little better than staples to bind the book together, but the paper is excellent.
A friend of mine goes to New York quite a lot and has just bought a stack of notebooks from Lidl, they have an aerial view of New York, casebound thick plain high quality paper, with a pen loop and a pocket, all for £2. I dont know your work environment but these may not be suitable for a conservative office, very good as a travel journal though.
Many choices out there but I would look at Rhodia as a first option
Robbo 27 said:
Snails said:
Can anyone recommend a new notebook? I really like my current Sigel 'Conceptum' as it has a pen loop and squared, rather than lined paper. The only thing i'm not keen on is ink being visible through the pages. Are there any alternatives I should try?
There are not many makers that have great paper and the pen loop, but if you can have a look at The Journal Shop site they have a good range of Rhodia notebooks.https://www.thejournalshop.com/notebooks-and-journ...
The only two brands that I would avoid are Moleskine and Leuchtturm, which is a pity because the notebooks are well made and readily available, both show bad bleedthrough to the following page.
A make that I like is Mnemosyne, they only have a limited range and strange layouts, and I want something a little better than staples to bind the book together, but the paper is excellent.
A friend of mine goes to New York quite a lot and has just bought a stack of notebooks from Lidl, they have an aerial view of New York, casebound thick plain high quality paper, with a pen loop and a pocket, all for £2. I dont know your work environment but these may not be suitable for a conservative office, very good as a travel journal though.
Many choices out there but I would look at Rhodia as a first option
They've stopped stocking these in the stationary cabinets at work. PITA as I already save the company a fortune by using my own pens.
... said:
Wow, seriously impressed. Took delivery of this today...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jinhao-x750-Fountain-Pen...
With a small sample of Pelican sapphire blue ink.
It writes like a dream, so so smooth, I can't believe for only £4 delivered it writes so well!
Do gold nibs generally write even better?
Good choice on pen and ink, the prices are so low compared to any other well made pen, very good value.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jinhao-x750-Fountain-Pen...
With a small sample of Pelican sapphire blue ink.
It writes like a dream, so so smooth, I can't believe for only £4 delivered it writes so well!
Do gold nibs generally write even better?
The question on whether gold nibs work better than steel is open to opinion. Gold nibs are not found on low priced pens, you are probably looking at spending more than £100 for a gold nibbed pen and you would probably want some other characteristic besides a smooth pen with perfect ink flow. You might be wanting some flex or a different nib shape or simply something that suits the rest of the pen and that would all be part of the process of buying a more expensive and better made pen.
If all you want is a smooth nib that behaves itself you have really got to consider whether it is worth your while spending a lot more money.
Saddle bum said:
Just added a Parker 61 Cumulus f/p to my collection. Mint condition. Nib may be considered halfway between medium and fine. It will thicken up with use.
Very nice and very rare.
For the benefit of others, Parker produced a whole range of pens in rolled gold in their clouds series, very sought after now and very limited supply, some people collect this series and nothing else, stunning pen, thanks for posting.
Robbo 27 said:
... said:
Wow, seriously impressed. Took delivery of this today...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jinhao-x750-Fountain-Pen...
With a small sample of Pelican sapphire blue ink.
It writes like a dream, so so smooth, I can't believe for only £4 delivered it writes so well!
Do gold nibs generally write even better?
Good choice on pen and ink, the prices are so low compared to any other well made pen, very good value.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jinhao-x750-Fountain-Pen...
With a small sample of Pelican sapphire blue ink.
It writes like a dream, so so smooth, I can't believe for only £4 delivered it writes so well!
Do gold nibs generally write even better?
The question on whether gold nibs work better than steel is open to opinion. Gold nibs are not found on low priced pens, you are probably looking at spending more than £100 for a gold nibbed pen and you would probably want some other characteristic besides a smooth pen with perfect ink flow. You might be wanting some flex or a different nib shape or simply something that suits the rest of the pen and that would all be part of the process of buying a more expensive and better made pen.
If all you want is a smooth nib that behaves itself you have really got to consider whether it is worth your while spending a lot more money.
Parker 61s write beautifully, and one without the gold arrow ought to be very pretty cheap but has a lovely smooth gold nib.
I personally find that tha gold nib writes ever so slightly broader than a steel nib, perhaps due to flexibility but you're unlikely to get much line variation.
8Ace said:
I agree with Robbo - there are some beautifully smooth steel nibs available. However, if you want a gold nibbed pen then eBay is the place to go. While Parker 51s will set you back c. £50, a parker 17 should be yours for less than £20 and the Parker 45 is available with a gold nib too for a similar price.
Parker 61s write beautifully, and one without the gold arrow ought to be very pretty cheap but has a lovely smooth gold nib.
I personally find that tha gold nib writes ever so slightly broader than a steel nib, perhaps due to flexibility but you're unlikely to get much line variation.
Thats a good point, I was thinking new pens in terms of pricing rather than older.Parker 61s write beautifully, and one without the gold arrow ought to be very pretty cheap but has a lovely smooth gold nib.
I personally find that tha gold nib writes ever so slightly broader than a steel nib, perhaps due to flexibility but you're unlikely to get much line variation.
The Parker 17 is undervalued, very often a very smooth nib, especially if you can find a broad, only problem is that the plastic is a bit fragile.
The 61 doesnt look good when the arrow is missing but you only pay 50% of the price of a complete pen. Its just annoying when you are naturally looking down at this point as you write. It can be improved by smoothing the recess with a nail block, the final result looks like a Parker 51. Someone tried to con me at the last pen show by telling me that such a pen had been 'de-arrowed'.
Give over.
craig1912 said:
Clairefontaine own Rhodia (they bought them in 1997), however the 2 papers are still different.Both have extremely good resistance to bleed-through, and apparently the Clairefontaine paper tends to be whiter, smoother and more glossy, with the Rhodia giving a little more feedback and slightly better ink colour.
Personally, I'm using Rhodia and very happy with it, but both are very good papers.
The Rhodia is also available in a square dot pattern
In terms of the lack of a pen loop, if you use the elastic that holds the notebook shut, but fold it behind the notebook diagonally, it crosses the open side of the notebook and can be used to hold a pen in this way.
See youtube explanation
Edited by C&C on Thursday 3rd August 12:55
8Ace said:
Black and Red books are good too, I don't get any bleed through on these.
They've stopped stocking these in the stationary cabinets at work. PITA as I already save the company a fortune by using my own pens.
Yes, I use Black n Red also. It's 90gsm and doesn't bleed through on any of my fountain pens. They've stopped stocking these in the stationary cabinets at work. PITA as I already save the company a fortune by using my own pens.
Pukka pads used to be quite resistant to bleed through and I used to buy them in bulk from Costco. However, the latest batch bleed terribly - I don't know if I just got a bad batch or if they have changed the paper formulation.
8Ace said:
I agree with Robbo - there are some beautifully smooth steel nibs available. However, if you want a gold nibbed pen then eBay is the place to go. While Parker 51s will set you back c. £50, a parker 17 should be yours for less than £20 and the Parker 45 is available with a gold nib too for a similar price.
Parker 61s write beautifully, and one without the gold arrow ought to be very pretty cheap but has a lovely smooth gold nib.
I personally find that tha gold nib writes ever so slightly broader than a steel nib, perhaps due to flexibility but you're unlikely to get much line variation.
Agreed.Parker 61s write beautifully, and one without the gold arrow ought to be very pretty cheap but has a lovely smooth gold nib.
I personally find that tha gold nib writes ever so slightly broader than a steel nib, perhaps due to flexibility but you're unlikely to get much line variation.
If you do go for a Parker 61 (with or without arrow), I'd go for the later aerometric fill version (bottom) rather than the capillary fill (top), as it's more reliable and less hassle.
parker61-fills by conradsphotos, on FlickrAlso, regardless of what other pen you go for, it's worth learning a little about nib smoothing/adjustment as often a pen with a slightly rough feel can be totally transformed into something that writes really smoothly with very little effort.
Robbo 27 said:
This looks like a direct copy of the Lamy Vista, as opposed to the Jinhao 599 which is similar to the lamy, it actually looks well made.
Amazon are readily giving refunds and this original seller has left amazon and has been replaced by 10 others, they work on the basis that Amazon pay them based on the despatch date and before claims for non delivery come in. major headache for amazon.
Indeed. Which is why I was surprised they bothered sending anything at all. Amazon are readily giving refunds and this original seller has left amazon and has been replaced by 10 others, they work on the basis that Amazon pay them based on the despatch date and before claims for non delivery come in. major headache for amazon.
If I'm required to post it back at my expense I'll probably keep it (perhaps that's the scam) because it's actually quite a nice little pen.
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