Help for picking fountain pens

[John in Covina]

Electrosol Powder to the rescue.

You mean this nice white french cuff shirt that now lives in my shoe polishing kit?

Ouch! THe usual ink remedies are: Ink-Nix or Amodex which are available at fine pen shops. The home remedy is to make a paste of the Electrosol powder used in kitchen dishwashers. Rub in let sit for a while launder and repeat.

 

[John in Covina]

Super long lasting staying power

Does this mean that the ink would last longer, in a journal, for instance?

Yes it should. Many regular Fountain Pen Inks can fade especilly if exposed to sunlight for a long time.

Many of the "good" inks for lasting power won't work in fountain pens, they are literally too gritty. Aurora Black ink from Italy it supposed to be a super black ink. They wrote on paper and let dry then stuck the paper out in the yard and watered daily, the best inks did not fade even after about 2 months of torture. Aurora ranked 3 after a couple of Asian inks.

Check out "John Neal Bookseller" on line they have caligraphy stuff and those asian inks you grind yourself, plus the iron gaul inks and real walnut inks and such. Iron gaul will eat the paper after a hundred years or so.

 

[John in Covina]

Bullet Proof AKA Eternal

I went to the source and for that they also use the term "bullet proof" for some inks that are permanent

http://www.noodlersink.com/WhatsNew.html

Here is the web site.

 

[John in Covina]

The trouble is in the Convertors, captain!

Thank you guys for all the above on fountain pens. Went to ebay and bought a Sheaffer Fountain Pen -green body, chrome cap - c 1950's. If anyone has any time and could explain to me the difference between a piston and converter I'd be grateful. How does a converter work? I have an old Wearever with the piston so I know how that functions. Anyway, thanks for the input on all the models. Maybe a Mont Blanc next.

***
Piston fillers use the body of the pen as the resourvior. Convertors may work in a similar fashion mechanically but the convertor can be slipped in and out of the pen so you can choose between cartridge or convertor to use bottled ink.

THere are early piston type fillers (sort of) that are called plunger type. Pelikan and others use a style where the piston is raised and lowered by turning the end opposite to the nib. Is is a screwed version of a syringe. Some convertors use this design in a seperate "resourvoir".

Most other pens in the vintage times used a rubber sack often refered to as a bladder with a variety of ways to press the sack and let it open much like an eye dropper works. Pilot uses a version of this bulb filler as their convertor.

Thus endeth the lesson.

 

[lagunie]

John in Covina - thank you very much for the explination. A gentleman and a scholar.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Thank you John, that information has always been confusing to me. I now finally understand.
Also thanks to all the guys for the ink information. I've been using Waterman blue because I love the color, but I can tell it's water based. It has that smudge factor that I'm assuming I won't get from a permanent ink. By smudge, I don't mean accidentally rubbing the writing with part of my hand as I write. What I do mean is the ink actually looks a little watery, I guess this is really bleeding. I like my lines to go from fine to a little less than medium. Certain letters, based on the pressure I use tend to get fatter, due to the bleeding of the ink, a few seconds after said letter is written.
Would a more permanent, non-water based ink bleed less, or is this a problem due to the pen or my writing?
I'll probably purchase the noodlers, and fill it in the bathroom sink and hope for no mess. I don't want to take the risk of having the writing in my journal fade. There's some very important information in there, and generations from now, people would be disaapointed if they found the journal of the great Daisy, and it was blank because she was a dope who used water based ink

 

[McPeppers]

Just picked up an old Mont Blanc (c.1970) Noblesse

Not the prettiest pen and its got a few minor dings (I wasn't worried because the body is stainless steel, a few dings is actually GOOD condition lol) but it is a cheap Mont Blanc and a fine addition to my collection Huge fan of the nib not being gold...dunno why but I prefer the silver.

Not sure if i want to stick with cartridges tho... opinions?

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Just picked up an old Mont Blanc (c.1970) Noblesse

Not the prettiest pen and its got a few minor dings (I wasn't worried because the body is stainless steel, a few dings is actually GOOD condition lol) but it is a cheap Mont Blanc and a fine addition to my collection Huge fan of the nib not being gold...dunno why but I prefer the silver.

Congrats on your purchase. Seems like you've got the bug too. I prefer the silver nib too, I just think it's a little less ostentaious. If you like Mont Blanc but don't want to pay full price, go to Levenger. They are selling a beautiful platinum and black fountain pen for nearly half price! It writes quite nicely too, I just didn't like the medium nib and they didn't have the fine at the store I was at.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Huge fan of the nib not being gold...dunno why but I prefer the silver.

Not sure if i want to stick with cartridges tho... opinions?

What about white gold???
Interesting pen. How does it feel when you write?

Personally, on Scott's advice, I switched to converters and I have not as yet looked back. There is just a certain romance... I know you all understand.

 

[McPeppers]

Well I havent gotten this particular pen but my father has a Noblesse aswell. It's a little weird getting used to because it is much smaller than any fountain pen i've used. However in the age of Bic its actually very comfortable and in the stainless it is always cool to the touch when you pick it up. Its easier for me in school because i dont have to constantly switch from thin to fat when going from my mechanical pencil to my pen.

I like it much lol

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Bic pens feel like writing with a rubber noodle now to me.

 

[McPeppers]

Well I meant it has the feel of it in terms of size and weightlessness (plastic is very light). However it writes like magic, very smooth flowing.

 

[scotrace]

What about white gold???
Interesting pen. How does it feel when you write?

Personally, on Scott's advice, I switched to converters and I have not as yet looked back. There is just a certain romance... I know you all understand.

Good man! Nothing like a bottle (or three) of ink on the desk...

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Yes, I've switched all of my fountain pens to the converters too. Unfortunately, the new Cartier that I bought is too small for a converter But it's still a beautiful pen. At least I think it is, I don't have it in posession yet.

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Hem, what were you doing trying to write with a rubber noodle in the first place?[huh]

Daisy, does your Cartier accept a converter at all? I believe converters come in a couple different sizes, though not all cartdridge pens will accept a converter.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Hem, what were you doing trying to write with a rubber noodle in the first place?[huh]

You know how that is, bink; you switch from a fine writing instrument to a standard pen and it feels flimsy in your hand.

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Yeah, but I'm still trying to figure out why you were trying write with a rubber noodle.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Yeah, but I'm still trying to figure out why you were trying write with a rubber noodle.

Because I could.

 

[Doug]

Go to an antiques fountain pen dealer and buy yourself a nice Parker Vacumatic from the 1930 or 40's. These pens were the ball points of their day. They were inexpensive, but were designed to be used a great deal. They write better than almost anything made today and hold more ink as well. I have carried one everyday for more than 5 years. You can get a very nice one for around $100.00. In addition, it has been my experience that when everyone is showing off their fountain pens at a party, pulling out a 1936 Parker impresses as much as a much more expensive new pen. If you have trouble finding one, try Vintage Fountain Pens in Columbus, Ohio.

 

[panamag8or]

In addition, it has been my experience that when everyone is showing off their fountain pens at a party, pulling out a 1936 Parker impresses as much as a much more expensive new pen.

I want to go to a party like that. I'm usually the only one I know that carries a FP.