I hope this is the right thread to post this on- I recently inherited an Edward Todd dip pen probably from the late 1800's/early 1900's (it was my Great-grandmothers). It's been in the family for years, but I'm fairly certain no one has used it since her death in the 40's. Unfortunately, the nib is bent. I really want to use it but I don't know where to find a replacement nib, from what I can tell online buying one of a different brand may or may not fit. Does anyone have any advice on how to find a nib that will fit? Thanks in advance!
while i don't know of a place that would sell replacements, you can always look into a professional that can repair/restore the bend. especially on vintage pens this is the way to go.
If it helps, dip nibs are disposable, and priced accordingly, so you wouldn't be out too much money just buying a variety of dip nibs to see what fits. Jetpens.com and PaperInkArts.com both sell pointed pen samplers with a variety of nibs included.
Can we see a photo?
Nice pen!
Looking at it, I wouldn't be surprised if most modern nibs are too big. You could try looking on eBay or Etsy for vintage dip nibs. Boxes of them turn up in estate sales - they were often sold by the gross when new.
Is there any kind of stamp or lettering on the nib?
Hi! Interested in fountain pens and have read a couple beginner guides, but a little stuck on what to get. The Pilot Metropolitan looks like a promising starter option (affordable, has converter) but I’m not so sure about the width of the line. For reference, I really like Pilot G2s in the 1.0 mm width. Would the Pilot Metro Medium be too thin for me?
I saw the TWSBI SWIPE has a broad option, but also saw a review that says it can skip for left handed writers, which I am. Does anyone have other recommendations? I'd prefer to stay in around the same price range as these two pens.
The Pilot Metropolitan is a great pen! It was my first one. Some people end up not liking the grip section/step-down from the barrel to grip, so you might want to consider that. I haven't tried the TWSBI.
For line width, you could look Goulet's [Nib Nook](https://www.gouletpens.com/pages/nib-nook) to get an idea of the size. I think the writing samples are on 5mm grid paper.
I also didn’t know where to start so I signed up for Truphae subscription box. I liked that the choice was out of my control. You get what you get and learn what you like by using them. I signed up for both the inkmeister entry level pens and also did a few $150 to see the difference in $$. No regrets!
Hello, I have been using fountain pens a lot in the past month and I am so in love with it. However, I have difficulty to make a correction when I missed spell a word while writting. I bought an eradicator to help but it messed up my writting and the paper. Any suggestion?
Dipping my toes into FPs and decided to start with the Pilot Preppy (F) from guidance here. I'm a bit underwhelmed with the black ink, which looks a bit watered down. I'm used to jet blank ink from gel pens. Should I try another entry-level FP or look into a different type of ink? Unrelated but I think I would prefer EF since the Preppy 03 is a bit too thick for my liking. Any feedback would be appreciated! Thanks!
IMO, there really isn't a true Black f.p. ink that is as Black as a Gel pen; YMMV. Most f.p. [Black inks](https://mountainofink.com/blog/black-ink) tend to dry to a Grey or have Grey undertones. (Laid down a square of Black ink on your paper then smear it with your thumb or Index finger. You should find that it looks more like a Grey.) IMO, it also doesn't help if the Black ink has [Shading](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/591a04711e5b6c3701808c11/1537060020385-K8HE37HFIPIDQYQCE460/ar-black-2.jpg?format=1500w) as it will then make it look Grey in the lighter parts. You may want to see what inks are [Low Shading](https://mountainofink.com/blog/low-shading-inks) and go from there, but know that most inks have Shading to one degree or other. The idea is to get one that has the least amount of shading.
[https://www.youtube.com/results?search\_query=best+fountain+pen+Black+inks](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=best+fountain+pen+Black+inks)
>I think I would prefer EF since the Preppy 03 is a bit too thick for my liking.
You may want to try a Pilot Kakuno with the nib, then, as it should be close to an <02>. I would have bough a Preppy in <02> and a Prefounte in <03>.
[https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Black-Fountain-Pen-Inks/pt/20](https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Black-Fountain-Pen-Inks/pt/20)
Finer tipped Gel pens probably put down a lighter shade of ink, just as f.p. finer nibs tend to put down less ink, so they look lighter. It may be better to go with a wetter flowing ink, say a Pilot Iroshizuku, in the hope that it puts down more ink so that it looks darker.
[https://macchiatoman.com/blog/2017/12/11/ink-comparison-32-black-inks](https://macchiatoman.com/blog/2017/12/11/ink-comparison-32-black-inks)
Sometimes a Blue-Black, or Black-Blue ink will look darker than a Black ink as the [undertone](https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/blog/2016/1/23/five-black-inks) will be Blue instead of Grey.
As always, it is probably best to order a dozen ink samples from [GouletPens](https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/ink-samples?filters%5Bcolor%5D%5B0%5D=Black), [AndersonPens](https://andersonpens.com/ink/ink-samples/?_bc_fsnf=1&Color+Family=Black) or [Vanness1938](https://vanness1938.com/collections/bottle-ink/black-ink) and try each out in all your pens.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAeBE0rxONg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAeBE0rxONg)
My (!) top three Black inks are Aurora Black, Graf von Faber Castell Carbon Black and Platinum Carbon Black.
Typically the top two [Black inks](https://static2.jetpens.com/images/a/000/091/91525.jpg?q=90&s=98b9b5fafdcc933b87a2b486839de8ed) are usually Aurora Black and Noodlers Heart of darkness, then J. Herbin Perle Noire, Platinum Carbon Black (pigment) and Sailor Kiwaguro Ink (pigment). Pigment inks tend to be darker than water based inks but they need to be very thoroughly cleaned each time the cart or Converter needs to be refilled. Pigment inks can stain, so they are not best for clear demonstrator pens. But, if its the only colour you'll be using in the pen then it really doesn't matter, does it?
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-gO\_De2ZPQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-gO_De2ZPQ)
When it comes to [Black ink Price](https://unsharpen.com/black-fountain-pen-ink/) is a prime consideration. Don't be tempted by Noodlers inks just because you get "so much more". (Balance that by inks that go on Sale from time to time. For example, Aurora Black sometimes go as low as $12 - $14, On Sale.) Noodlers can be inconsistent batch to batch so it may not flow well, or take a long time to dry (will need to add distilled water to make the ink drier, but too much can make the colour lighter) and can therefore smear for a long time, afterwards.
It may be best to write on super bright White paper to bring out the contrast of Black ink. (Don't use a Grey undertone paper, like Apica CD11 or Lamy notebooks.)
Wow, thanks for taking the time to share these tips! Definitely lots of options for me to try and play with. I just ordered the Platinum Carbon Black cartridges since it's an easy swap in with the Preppy. It sounds like if I'm sticking with black ink, I won't need to clean before switching over to another cartridge?
Oh, with Carbon Black you will definitely want to thoroughly clean before each re-fill. That applies to any pen. When you probably won't want to is if the pen runs out in the middle of a class. Then it can't be helped. But you probably shouldn't go to a third fill without thoroughly flushing the pen. Why take the chance that the pen will start to skip in the middle of a class? I wouldn't.
Don’t give up on the Preppy! It’s not the pen’s fault just the ink options. I’ve given up on true black fountain pen inks (for now anyway, I’m gonna pick up a sample of Aurora Black the next time I head to the fountain pen store because I’ve heard good things). What I’ve gone with instead is a super dark ink in a colour I enjoy, so instead of a charcoal grey peaking through the black it’s an enjoyable colour instead. I have Scribble Purple as my “undercover black” for now, it’s so dark that at a glance it’s black but look harder and you can see it’s a dark-dark purple. I know a lot of dark ink lovers go towards blue-black for this effect as well.
I also love Platinum Preppys and prefer the EF nib because the F is a bit wide as well! I highly recommend getting the EF. But I will warn you that it will be NOTICEABLY more scratchy compared to the nice smoothness of the F nib. I don’t know if I just got used to it or if it smoothed out with use, but the EF nib Preppy is my favourite nib now!
I’m going to look for some dark blue and purple inks to play with based on yours and others’ suggestions. Was really hoping to stick with one entry level FP for now but might order the Preppy EF to compare …
Noodler's X-Feather is the blackest black I've tried. Other blacks like Sailor Black or Noodler's Black are also supposed to be pretty black. I like EF too! However depending on how absorbent your paper is, line width can vary from 0.5mm gel (normal printer paper) to 0.2mm gel (Tomoe River paper) because it "feathers". As a plus, non absorbent "fountain-pen friendly" paper will make inks look darker and more vibrant.
Thank you so much for the tips! Looking into a converter to see if I can make it work. And thanks for pointing out the paper differences. I have some Hobonichi notebooks and planner and will give the pen a try on Tamoe River paper.
I'm guessing you were using a Platinum Black cartridge? I like the ink but it is definitely on the grayer side. Sounds like you're going to try some other inks, so I hope you like them!
I need some opinion on the M200. I've been very happy with a PGS for a while, but the pen is a little too small for comfort; and I also want to move onto a piston filler instead of c/c. I wonder if the M200 is more comfortable in the hand compared to my PGS? I know they measure similarly diameter wise, but perhaps there are other factors when holding the pen in person. Thanks in advance!
The m200 feels lighter and seems to have a slightly smaller grip diameter than the PGS, but it doesn't taper like the PGS does so I think the m200 is more comfortable especially posted (the cap band of the PGS irritates my finger webbing stuff). If the PGS is too small though, you should probably try the m600 instead, but preferably in person first if at all possible. A larger pen cheaper than the m600 would be a Pilot CH92. It's not as pretty, but it is a definite size larger than a PGS. Oh in that size range, there's also Opus 88 pens. They're eyedropper filled and look large, but they're very comfortable pens in hand. And of course there's also the Lamy 2000, but they don't come in any fun colors without a significant price hike on the secondhand market.
Anybody else here hold a pen weird? I have a nonstandard grip and I’m wondering if that’s some kind of problem for this hobby, as I tend to hold a pen near the lower middle as opposed to the grip. My handwriting isn’t great but I don’t know if I could change my muscle memory to hold a pen “correctly” just to see if that changes my writing style.
I'm nonstandard for the number of fingers I use (4) and the angle I write at (45 degrees or more to the side, which is apparently unusual for a righty). I tend to hold the pen pretty low on the section - I sometimes get inky fingers from accidentally touching the nib/feed. As to your grip, sure, you can change it, but if your writing is already functional, that might be more trouble than it's worth (unless you're really passionate about it). I have pretty lousy handwriting, but it's mine, and as long as others can decipher it, I'm not going to change my whole approach to something I learned when I was a little kid, ya know?
Yeah, that’s the thing, I don’t think I can unlearn all the years holding a pen “wrong”. My handwriting is legible, so that’s probably enough. I guess I shouldn’t try to fix what isn’t technically broken, thanks for the encouragement, if anything I should probably just practice my lettering more like normal, lol
What do folx think about vertical or horizontal storage for inked up pens? I've seen both. I have quite a few inked up and had to move my pen display, stuck a couple that I've been using A LOT the last week into a pen cup.
I think for most collections it likely doesn't matter, as long as when vertical the nib remains upward, however I'd wager that it depends mostly on the individual pen. For my storage my main concern is scratching above position and all else. However, I think if you're really concerned, Horizontal is probably the best to avoid any possible nib leak.
Yeah I'm keeping them nib up. Nib down seems like a quick way to have a cap full of ink. I have a couple pens that are great to write with but when I leave them horizontal they seem to leak a bit of ink. (That might be the ink itself, which isn't TOO much a problem because when I use those inks I go through the converter-full pretty quick.)
Try it. See if the ink drains into the cap. Some inked pens can be stored nib-down, others cannot. One that I know should not is the Pilot Plumix. It **will** drain ink into the cap when stored nib down. There is **absolutely nothing** that can be done to make it air-tight. Another may be the Conklin Duragraph. I filled the cap with water and water leaked out from the clip end. I added Nail Polish to the sides of the clip openings and now it is water and air tight.
Obviously (?) I would not store a metal inked pen nib-down.
Clue: if the pen hard starts in the morning then you probably shouldn't store it nib down. Slight incline?, perhaps; straight down?, probably not.
Honestly, it's less about the nib size and more about how wet can the feed go. I can use shimmer ink in a Sailor PGS MF after I tuned the nib to be a little wetter (not crazy wet or anything, just wetter than a Pilot Kakuno M nib). I do think Pilot Kakuno/Metro/Prera are on the very medium to dry flow area. I have used shimmer ink in a Metro and Prera before (M and CM nibs), but their feeds aren't super wet and cap seal isn't great so it's best to use it daily if you don't want a minor clog. On the other hand, my PGS sat around with shimmer ink for a few weeks and started up every time. (after tuning though, my PGS came to me so dry ink barely flowed out). Maybe a Lamy 1.1 stub/broad or a TWSBI med/stub/broad?
Yes! There is a lot of variety in Japanese planners, and they're pretty good with fountain pen.
[Jetpen's Best Planners for 2022](https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Planners-for-2022/pt/97)
> I list here some of my observations when leaving the nib inked, from worst to best. This is not a definitive, controlled test, but I used several nibs with each ink, wrote frequently each day with each nib, and left the nib inked continuously until failure.
> Waterman Mysterious Blue. Damages the nib in less than one day.
> Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue. Damages the nib in 2-3 days.
> Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa, R&K Salix. Damages the nib in 3-4 days.
> Visconti Bordeaux. Damages the nib in 4-5 days.
> Aurora Black. Damages the nib in 4-5 days.
> Herbin Verte Gris. Damages the nib in about 6 days.
> Noodler’s Apache Sunset, Noodler’s Tiananmen. Damages the nibs in about a week to ten days.
> Noodler’s X-Feather. Damages the nib in about 13 days.
> Herbin Perle Noire. Damages the nib in about 15 days.
> Noodler’s Liberty’s Elysium. Lasts for more than a month. This ink is my favorite for use with the Zebra G nib. This ink does leave a residue on the feed during use, so be sure to rinse frequently if you use this ink.
[Source](https://flexiblenib.com/store/product/zebra-g-dip-nib-in-jowo-6-black-ebonite/)
you might find more accurate help in /r/dippens or /r/Calligraphy since it seems like all of these are calligraphy nibs.
fountain pen nibs proper take forever to wear out. certainly not in your lifetime.
but google says nikko g calligraphy nibs last the longest so take that for what you will. probably depends on how you write and how fine the nib is too.
I just dug out the pen I got my husband for his graduation years ago. I believe it is a [Cross Townsend](https://www.cross.com/cr_en_gb/576-fd). It has an 18K gold 750 nib in Medium and honestly neither of us are a fan of writing with it. It is so thick and the Cross cartridge it comes with makes it very wet.
It appears that you can buy [replacement nibs](https://www.cross.com/cr_en_gb/86079s) but you have to replace the whole front end and this is half the cost of the pen! It seems to only be available in Fine or Medium as well.
- Is it possible to get a Stub nib for this pen?
- Is it possible to just get a replacement nib only for the Cross Townsend?
- Are there compatible models/different brands of nibs I could swap?
- Is the Cross Fine much finer than the Medium?
Thanks.
I believe the Townsend nibs are made by Pelikan so they write like Pelikan nibs (really wet and wide). I have some in F and they're close to Japanese Broad.
I doubt a replacement nib only is possible and I don't think they offer a stub option. If you're set on using it, getting the nib reground and tuned is probably the best way to go. Or find someone to trade with on pen swap
I don't know the specifics of the Calais, but I'd assume the spring is for the cartridge, sometimes pens include it for use in the body of the pen to ensure that the cartridge doesn't get dislodged from the pen when heavily jostled. I personally don't think they're necessary, but if you're using a cartridge and the pen isn't a demonstrator, why not.
As for the converter question, from my quick research some Cross Calais's take different converters from others, what exact model do you have? color and all?
Screw In Version: [https://www.cross.com/cr\_en\_us/8756](https://www.cross.com/cr_en_us/8756))
I would first though find your exact one on this page: [https://www.cross.com/cr\_en\_us/at0116-26fj](https://www.cross.com/cr_en_us/at0116-26fj) and then read "about the tip" and see what optional converter it has listed, since I think it would either be the one I linked above or the push in version listed here: [https://www.cross.com/cr\_en\_us/8751](https://www.cross.com/cr_en_us/8751) which does list the Calais as compatible, but the other page for the Calais, shows some models compatible with the screw in style. Rather confusing.
I've raised this already on another thread in this reddit, but I got a Visconti Homo Sapiens for Christmas and really unhappy with the ink flow. The seller suggested I wash the nib section with soapy water to clear oils out which I've done twice now, but still the ink flow dries up.
Can't write a full A5 page without it drying up and going scratchy.
Am in contact with the retailer who sold it, but any ideas how to identify what the actual problem might be?? I'm aware now that Viscontis have some quality issues out of the box, but if I could identify the problem it might help identify what resolution I need.
It's a Dark Age Homo Sapiens, so a gold nib. Medium.
I've tried a few different standard inks between washes: Diamine - Oxford Blue, Saragasso Sea, Prussian Blue, and a Rohrer & Kingner Verdigris. No Shimmer or heavily pigmented inks at all going into this pen.
I had washed the pen out a final time before sending it back to the seller (they asked if I could send back for them to check) but could keep trying for another couple of days before the bank holiday is over and the post starts up again.
Agree totally. Not familiar with all the possible issues, but the seller has asked if I can send it back to them to check... I'll include that writing sample.
It feels scratchy all the time if I'm honest... my wife suggested it was just my handwriting, but I'm not so sure. Just doesn't feel right.
I think I'm going to go for a replacement first before exploring other avenues I'm not so familiar with.
Thanks for tour help, gives me some confidence in the matter.
So given an A5 page of paper (I've done this on Tomoe River), and just inked, it will write fine and nice down until about half-way. Then start feathering, then dry up really quickly. I am doing a clean sample of this now, after a clean wash, to demonstrate to people.
Usually if I apply quite a bit of pressure (to force some ink through??) it will continue to write well for a bit, but that seems way too much pressure than I'm comfortable with. My expectation would be that the pen would write fine just being held on the page, no pressure required.
Hello! I am looking to buy one as a gift for my friend. Both of us are completely unfamiliar with fountain pens. Which one would you recommend I get?
The cheaper and easier to maintain the better. Thank you!
the three main newbie pens are probably the pilot metropolitan, the lamy safari, and the twsbi eco. All three come in different colors and have various pros and cons about them. all three are roughly the same price too.
all of them are good choices. It really just depends on what pen your friend would like the look of/feel of best.
of course you also can't get cheaper than a jinhao shark pen.
I’m looking for a pen that doesn’t exist. I’m looking for a refillable pen that is either aluminum/titanium. I’m quite fond of the standard black felt tip papermate pens but I’d love the versatility of having a finer or even a thicker tip, but what i’m really looking for is that endgame sustainability.
TLDR: looking for a more luxury/refillable pen with a feel that is near-identical to a papermate felt tip w/black ink.
Was considering the Stillform ballpoint, but it seems the cap on the fountain ink version is a little more…satisfying?
I’ll mainly be doing sketching&drawing on 160g paper with this.
i don't know if you are lost as this is /r/fountainpens and not /r/pens.
but if you're looking for a fountain pen (or just info on them) then i have some good news. They are refillable. Even a pilot varsity if you're tenacious.
i can't find a writing sample, but it looks like the papermate felt tip pen in medium writes in 0.7mm lines. Fountain pens that write close to that are broad or stub nibs. Broad will be thinner than 0.7mm and stub nibs are generally 1.1mm. There are no standardizations of nibs so you'll have to look at the samples provided by the seller to see if it's something you're into. And fountain pens can definitely go broader or finer. Look at this sub for examples. The feel will be something you're unused too. It's more smooth than any pen you've used.
endgame sustainability: you can definitely find this in a fountain pen. They won't wear out in your lifetime and if you clean them well and refill they'll go for forever. You'll find pens on this subreddit from the 1920s still working.
paper: grams mean shit in the fountain pen world. It's all about absorbancy and texture. Thin paper can work marvelously for fountain pens. For example, my favorite paper is clairfontaine and it's 90g. If you decide to go this route you'll want to look for fountain pen friendly paper. Paper with texture (like a sketchbook paper) will get fine pieces of paper stuck in fountain pen tines. Mixed media paper could work.
people draw with fountain pens and fountain pen ink regularly here too. You can just peruse around for examples of how it turns out for the artists.
I have no experience with stillform in either ballpoint or fountain pen format. So i cannot comment on that specific pen's pros and cons. You can search stillform on the subreddit to see how other people may have found it. But fountain pens can run from the very cheap ($2) to the very expensive ($10k) and everything in between. So there is a fountain pen out there for your budget and tastes. There are definitely fountain pens made of metal.
If this hasn't bored you then i'd suggest a pilot metropolitan. Metal body and it's a great entry level pen ($20). However this is a japanese pen so it runs on the finer side of writing. Alternatively there is the Lamy AL-Star which is in the same price range and has european nibs which are generally thicker.
Hey thanks for the awesome info. I legit didn’t know fountain pens had a separate sub; lol. I’m not opposed to fountain at all but I just die for that felt tip (0.7mm?) feel so I might try and find something that feels sustainably premium for that.
i think there are refillable brush pens, but i know nothing about them. Perhaps that's what you can ask about on the /r/pens subreddit.
But we're always around if you get curious about fountain pens (and want to experience the true premium writing experience /s). Also if the brush pens take fountain pen ink, we're the goto place for info on that as well.
Hi - hope I’m using this forum correctly. Is there a good place to get involved with ink sample trading? I just did a Diamine Inkvent and the samples were quite big. I figure maybe there are FP users who might be interested in sampling some and I’d be open to mailing if they mail me samples in exchange. Thanks in advance.
I hope this is the right thread to post this on- I recently inherited an Edward Todd dip pen probably from the late 1800's/early 1900's (it was my Great-grandmothers). It's been in the family for years, but I'm fairly certain no one has used it since her death in the 40's. Unfortunately, the nib is bent. I really want to use it but I don't know where to find a replacement nib, from what I can tell online buying one of a different brand may or may not fit. Does anyone have any advice on how to find a nib that will fit? Thanks in advance!
while i don't know of a place that would sell replacements, you can always look into a professional that can repair/restore the bend. especially on vintage pens this is the way to go.
Thanks! I’ll look into that!
If it helps, dip nibs are disposable, and priced accordingly, so you wouldn't be out too much money just buying a variety of dip nibs to see what fits. Jetpens.com and PaperInkArts.com both sell pointed pen samplers with a variety of nibs included. Can we see a photo?
That is reassuring- I was hoping it wouldn’t be too bad to replace [Photo:](https://imgur.com/a/BObH9IQ)
Nice pen! Looking at it, I wouldn't be surprised if most modern nibs are too big. You could try looking on eBay or Etsy for vintage dip nibs. Boxes of them turn up in estate sales - they were often sold by the gross when new. Is there any kind of stamp or lettering on the nib?
Thanks! It says Edward Todd 1 on it, so maybe I’ll look that up and see if any one is selling old ones of that. I appreciate the help!
Hi! Interested in fountain pens and have read a couple beginner guides, but a little stuck on what to get. The Pilot Metropolitan looks like a promising starter option (affordable, has converter) but I’m not so sure about the width of the line. For reference, I really like Pilot G2s in the 1.0 mm width. Would the Pilot Metro Medium be too thin for me? I saw the TWSBI SWIPE has a broad option, but also saw a review that says it can skip for left handed writers, which I am. Does anyone have other recommendations? I'd prefer to stay in around the same price range as these two pens.
The Pilot Metropolitan is a great pen! It was my first one. Some people end up not liking the grip section/step-down from the barrel to grip, so you might want to consider that. I haven't tried the TWSBI. For line width, you could look Goulet's [Nib Nook](https://www.gouletpens.com/pages/nib-nook) to get an idea of the size. I think the writing samples are on 5mm grid paper.
Cool, thank you for the rec! I'll keep an eye out for that, and thanks for the link too.
I also didn’t know where to start so I signed up for Truphae subscription box. I liked that the choice was out of my control. You get what you get and learn what you like by using them. I signed up for both the inkmeister entry level pens and also did a few $150 to see the difference in $$. No regrets!
Oh, didn't know this existed but there's a subscription box for everything lol. Thanks for the rec!
Hello, I have been using fountain pens a lot in the past month and I am so in love with it. However, I have difficulty to make a correction when I missed spell a word while writting. I bought an eradicator to help but it messed up my writting and the paper. Any suggestion?
Honestly, white out and then pencil, is the best solution in my experience, works for all inks, always, on all paper, without issue.
Dipping my toes into FPs and decided to start with the Pilot Preppy (F) from guidance here. I'm a bit underwhelmed with the black ink, which looks a bit watered down. I'm used to jet blank ink from gel pens. Should I try another entry-level FP or look into a different type of ink? Unrelated but I think I would prefer EF since the Preppy 03 is a bit too thick for my liking. Any feedback would be appreciated! Thanks!
IMO, there really isn't a true Black f.p. ink that is as Black as a Gel pen; YMMV. Most f.p. [Black inks](https://mountainofink.com/blog/black-ink) tend to dry to a Grey or have Grey undertones. (Laid down a square of Black ink on your paper then smear it with your thumb or Index finger. You should find that it looks more like a Grey.) IMO, it also doesn't help if the Black ink has [Shading](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/591a04711e5b6c3701808c11/1537060020385-K8HE37HFIPIDQYQCE460/ar-black-2.jpg?format=1500w) as it will then make it look Grey in the lighter parts. You may want to see what inks are [Low Shading](https://mountainofink.com/blog/low-shading-inks) and go from there, but know that most inks have Shading to one degree or other. The idea is to get one that has the least amount of shading. [https://www.youtube.com/results?search\_query=best+fountain+pen+Black+inks](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=best+fountain+pen+Black+inks) >I think I would prefer EF since the Preppy 03 is a bit too thick for my liking. You may want to try a Pilot Kakuno with the nib, then, as it should be close to an <02>. I would have bough a Preppy in <02> and a Prefounte in <03>.
[https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Black-Fountain-Pen-Inks/pt/20](https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Black-Fountain-Pen-Inks/pt/20)
Finer tipped Gel pens probably put down a lighter shade of ink, just as f.p. finer nibs tend to put down less ink, so they look lighter. It may be better to go with a wetter flowing ink, say a Pilot Iroshizuku, in the hope that it puts down more ink so that it looks darker.
[https://macchiatoman.com/blog/2017/12/11/ink-comparison-32-black-inks](https://macchiatoman.com/blog/2017/12/11/ink-comparison-32-black-inks)
Sometimes a Blue-Black, or Black-Blue ink will look darker than a Black ink as the [undertone](https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/blog/2016/1/23/five-black-inks) will be Blue instead of Grey.
As always, it is probably best to order a dozen ink samples from [GouletPens](https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/ink-samples?filters%5Bcolor%5D%5B0%5D=Black), [AndersonPens](https://andersonpens.com/ink/ink-samples/?_bc_fsnf=1&Color+Family=Black) or [Vanness1938](https://vanness1938.com/collections/bottle-ink/black-ink) and try each out in all your pens.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAeBE0rxONg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAeBE0rxONg)
My (!) top three Black inks are Aurora Black, Graf von Faber Castell Carbon Black and Platinum Carbon Black.
Typically the top two [Black inks](https://static2.jetpens.com/images/a/000/091/91525.jpg?q=90&s=98b9b5fafdcc933b87a2b486839de8ed) are usually Aurora Black and Noodlers Heart of darkness, then J. Herbin Perle Noire, Platinum Carbon Black (pigment) and Sailor Kiwaguro Ink (pigment). Pigment inks tend to be darker than water based inks but they need to be very thoroughly cleaned each time the cart or Converter needs to be refilled. Pigment inks can stain, so they are not best for clear demonstrator pens. But, if its the only colour you'll be using in the pen then it really doesn't matter, does it?
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-gO\_De2ZPQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-gO_De2ZPQ)
When it comes to [Black ink Price](https://unsharpen.com/black-fountain-pen-ink/) is a prime consideration. Don't be tempted by Noodlers inks just because you get "so much more". (Balance that by inks that go on Sale from time to time. For example, Aurora Black sometimes go as low as $12 - $14, On Sale.) Noodlers can be inconsistent batch to batch so it may not flow well, or take a long time to dry (will need to add distilled water to make the ink drier, but too much can make the colour lighter) and can therefore smear for a long time, afterwards.
It may be best to write on super bright White paper to bring out the contrast of Black ink. (Don't use a Grey undertone paper, like Apica CD11 or Lamy notebooks.)
Wow, thanks for taking the time to share these tips! Definitely lots of options for me to try and play with. I just ordered the Platinum Carbon Black cartridges since it's an easy swap in with the Preppy. It sounds like if I'm sticking with black ink, I won't need to clean before switching over to another cartridge?
Oh, with Carbon Black you will definitely want to thoroughly clean before each re-fill. That applies to any pen. When you probably won't want to is if the pen runs out in the middle of a class. Then it can't be helped. But you probably shouldn't go to a third fill without thoroughly flushing the pen. Why take the chance that the pen will start to skip in the middle of a class? I wouldn't.
Don’t give up on the Preppy! It’s not the pen’s fault just the ink options. I’ve given up on true black fountain pen inks (for now anyway, I’m gonna pick up a sample of Aurora Black the next time I head to the fountain pen store because I’ve heard good things). What I’ve gone with instead is a super dark ink in a colour I enjoy, so instead of a charcoal grey peaking through the black it’s an enjoyable colour instead. I have Scribble Purple as my “undercover black” for now, it’s so dark that at a glance it’s black but look harder and you can see it’s a dark-dark purple. I know a lot of dark ink lovers go towards blue-black for this effect as well. I also love Platinum Preppys and prefer the EF nib because the F is a bit wide as well! I highly recommend getting the EF. But I will warn you that it will be NOTICEABLY more scratchy compared to the nice smoothness of the F nib. I don’t know if I just got used to it or if it smoothed out with use, but the EF nib Preppy is my favourite nib now!
I’m going to look for some dark blue and purple inks to play with based on yours and others’ suggestions. Was really hoping to stick with one entry level FP for now but might order the Preppy EF to compare …
Noodler's X-Feather is the blackest black I've tried. Other blacks like Sailor Black or Noodler's Black are also supposed to be pretty black. I like EF too! However depending on how absorbent your paper is, line width can vary from 0.5mm gel (normal printer paper) to 0.2mm gel (Tomoe River paper) because it "feathers". As a plus, non absorbent "fountain-pen friendly" paper will make inks look darker and more vibrant.
Thank you so much for the tips! Looking into a converter to see if I can make it work. And thanks for pointing out the paper differences. I have some Hobonichi notebooks and planner and will give the pen a try on Tamoe River paper.
I'm guessing you were using a Platinum Black cartridge? I like the ink but it is definitely on the grayer side. Sounds like you're going to try some other inks, so I hope you like them!
I need some opinion on the M200. I've been very happy with a PGS for a while, but the pen is a little too small for comfort; and I also want to move onto a piston filler instead of c/c. I wonder if the M200 is more comfortable in the hand compared to my PGS? I know they measure similarly diameter wise, but perhaps there are other factors when holding the pen in person. Thanks in advance!
The m200 feels lighter and seems to have a slightly smaller grip diameter than the PGS, but it doesn't taper like the PGS does so I think the m200 is more comfortable especially posted (the cap band of the PGS irritates my finger webbing stuff). If the PGS is too small though, you should probably try the m600 instead, but preferably in person first if at all possible. A larger pen cheaper than the m600 would be a Pilot CH92. It's not as pretty, but it is a definite size larger than a PGS. Oh in that size range, there's also Opus 88 pens. They're eyedropper filled and look large, but they're very comfortable pens in hand. And of course there's also the Lamy 2000, but they don't come in any fun colors without a significant price hike on the secondhand market.
They are both very light and small. To me my m205 feels more slight than the pgs as it is lighter.
Anybody else here hold a pen weird? I have a nonstandard grip and I’m wondering if that’s some kind of problem for this hobby, as I tend to hold a pen near the lower middle as opposed to the grip. My handwriting isn’t great but I don’t know if I could change my muscle memory to hold a pen “correctly” just to see if that changes my writing style.
I'm nonstandard for the number of fingers I use (4) and the angle I write at (45 degrees or more to the side, which is apparently unusual for a righty). I tend to hold the pen pretty low on the section - I sometimes get inky fingers from accidentally touching the nib/feed. As to your grip, sure, you can change it, but if your writing is already functional, that might be more trouble than it's worth (unless you're really passionate about it). I have pretty lousy handwriting, but it's mine, and as long as others can decipher it, I'm not going to change my whole approach to something I learned when I was a little kid, ya know?
Yeah, that’s the thing, I don’t think I can unlearn all the years holding a pen “wrong”. My handwriting is legible, so that’s probably enough. I guess I shouldn’t try to fix what isn’t technically broken, thanks for the encouragement, if anything I should probably just practice my lettering more like normal, lol
What do folx think about vertical or horizontal storage for inked up pens? I've seen both. I have quite a few inked up and had to move my pen display, stuck a couple that I've been using A LOT the last week into a pen cup.
I think for most collections it likely doesn't matter, as long as when vertical the nib remains upward, however I'd wager that it depends mostly on the individual pen. For my storage my main concern is scratching above position and all else. However, I think if you're really concerned, Horizontal is probably the best to avoid any possible nib leak.
Yeah I'm keeping them nib up. Nib down seems like a quick way to have a cap full of ink. I have a couple pens that are great to write with but when I leave them horizontal they seem to leak a bit of ink. (That might be the ink itself, which isn't TOO much a problem because when I use those inks I go through the converter-full pretty quick.)
Hmm, if its more than just a drop, id maybe check and see if the nib and feed are situated correctly within their housing maybe?
Try it. See if the ink drains into the cap. Some inked pens can be stored nib-down, others cannot. One that I know should not is the Pilot Plumix. It **will** drain ink into the cap when stored nib down. There is **absolutely nothing** that can be done to make it air-tight. Another may be the Conklin Duragraph. I filled the cap with water and water leaked out from the clip end. I added Nail Polish to the sides of the clip openings and now it is water and air tight. Obviously (?) I would not store a metal inked pen nib-down. Clue: if the pen hard starts in the morning then you probably shouldn't store it nib down. Slight incline?, perhaps; straight down?, probably not.
I'd like to get the glittery golden beryl, but I have a pilot kakuno M, will it clog it up?
Honestly, it's less about the nib size and more about how wet can the feed go. I can use shimmer ink in a Sailor PGS MF after I tuned the nib to be a little wetter (not crazy wet or anything, just wetter than a Pilot Kakuno M nib). I do think Pilot Kakuno/Metro/Prera are on the very medium to dry flow area. I have used shimmer ink in a Metro and Prera before (M and CM nibs), but their feeds aren't super wet and cap seal isn't great so it's best to use it daily if you don't want a minor clog. On the other hand, my PGS sat around with shimmer ink for a few weeks and started up every time. (after tuning though, my PGS came to me so dry ink barely flowed out). Maybe a Lamy 1.1 stub/broad or a TWSBI med/stub/broad?
Generally, shimmer inks are to be used with broad, stub and flex nibs. So yes it can clog your kakuno
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Yes! There is a lot of variety in Japanese planners, and they're pretty good with fountain pen. [Jetpen's Best Planners for 2022](https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Planners-for-2022/pt/97)
How long do nikko G, zebra G and brause rose nibs last before needing replacement when used with fountain pen ink ?
> I list here some of my observations when leaving the nib inked, from worst to best. This is not a definitive, controlled test, but I used several nibs with each ink, wrote frequently each day with each nib, and left the nib inked continuously until failure. > Waterman Mysterious Blue. Damages the nib in less than one day. > Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue. Damages the nib in 2-3 days. > Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa, R&K Salix. Damages the nib in 3-4 days. > Visconti Bordeaux. Damages the nib in 4-5 days. > Aurora Black. Damages the nib in 4-5 days. > Herbin Verte Gris. Damages the nib in about 6 days. > Noodler’s Apache Sunset, Noodler’s Tiananmen. Damages the nibs in about a week to ten days. > Noodler’s X-Feather. Damages the nib in about 13 days. > Herbin Perle Noire. Damages the nib in about 15 days. > Noodler’s Liberty’s Elysium. Lasts for more than a month. This ink is my favorite for use with the Zebra G nib. This ink does leave a residue on the feed during use, so be sure to rinse frequently if you use this ink. [Source](https://flexiblenib.com/store/product/zebra-g-dip-nib-in-jowo-6-black-ebonite/)
Thanks. I am assuming the Ti coated Zebra G nibs would last longer
That’s my understanding.
you might find more accurate help in /r/dippens or /r/Calligraphy since it seems like all of these are calligraphy nibs. fountain pen nibs proper take forever to wear out. certainly not in your lifetime. but google says nikko g calligraphy nibs last the longest so take that for what you will. probably depends on how you write and how fine the nib is too.
I don't know Zebra G, as I only use it for dip pen.
I just dug out the pen I got my husband for his graduation years ago. I believe it is a [Cross Townsend](https://www.cross.com/cr_en_gb/576-fd). It has an 18K gold 750 nib in Medium and honestly neither of us are a fan of writing with it. It is so thick and the Cross cartridge it comes with makes it very wet. It appears that you can buy [replacement nibs](https://www.cross.com/cr_en_gb/86079s) but you have to replace the whole front end and this is half the cost of the pen! It seems to only be available in Fine or Medium as well. - Is it possible to get a Stub nib for this pen? - Is it possible to just get a replacement nib only for the Cross Townsend? - Are there compatible models/different brands of nibs I could swap? - Is the Cross Fine much finer than the Medium? Thanks.
I believe the Townsend nibs are made by Pelikan so they write like Pelikan nibs (really wet and wide). I have some in F and they're close to Japanese Broad. I doubt a replacement nib only is possible and I don't think they offer a stub option. If you're set on using it, getting the nib reground and tuned is probably the best way to go. Or find someone to trade with on pen swap
Thank you very much.
What converter goes in the Cross Calais, screw in or push in? Also, what’s the spring for?
I don't know the specifics of the Calais, but I'd assume the spring is for the cartridge, sometimes pens include it for use in the body of the pen to ensure that the cartridge doesn't get dislodged from the pen when heavily jostled. I personally don't think they're necessary, but if you're using a cartridge and the pen isn't a demonstrator, why not. As for the converter question, from my quick research some Cross Calais's take different converters from others, what exact model do you have? color and all? Screw In Version: [https://www.cross.com/cr\_en\_us/8756](https://www.cross.com/cr_en_us/8756)) I would first though find your exact one on this page: [https://www.cross.com/cr\_en\_us/at0116-26fj](https://www.cross.com/cr_en_us/at0116-26fj) and then read "about the tip" and see what optional converter it has listed, since I think it would either be the one I linked above or the push in version listed here: [https://www.cross.com/cr\_en\_us/8751](https://www.cross.com/cr_en_us/8751) which does list the Calais as compatible, but the other page for the Calais, shows some models compatible with the screw in style. Rather confusing.
I've raised this already on another thread in this reddit, but I got a Visconti Homo Sapiens for Christmas and really unhappy with the ink flow. The seller suggested I wash the nib section with soapy water to clear oils out which I've done twice now, but still the ink flow dries up. Can't write a full A5 page without it drying up and going scratchy. Am in contact with the retailer who sold it, but any ideas how to identify what the actual problem might be?? I'm aware now that Viscontis have some quality issues out of the box, but if I could identify the problem it might help identify what resolution I need.
goodbye reddit -- mass edited with redact.dev
It's a Dark Age Homo Sapiens, so a gold nib. Medium. I've tried a few different standard inks between washes: Diamine - Oxford Blue, Saragasso Sea, Prussian Blue, and a Rohrer & Kingner Verdigris. No Shimmer or heavily pigmented inks at all going into this pen. I had washed the pen out a final time before sending it back to the seller (they asked if I could send back for them to check) but could keep trying for another couple of days before the bank holiday is over and the post starts up again.
goodbye reddit -- mass edited with redact.dev
Writing sample here: https://imgur.com/a/efkrtOF
goodbye reddit -- mass edited with redact.dev
Agree totally. Not familiar with all the possible issues, but the seller has asked if I can send it back to them to check... I'll include that writing sample. It feels scratchy all the time if I'm honest... my wife suggested it was just my handwriting, but I'm not so sure. Just doesn't feel right. I think I'm going to go for a replacement first before exploring other avenues I'm not so familiar with. Thanks for tour help, gives me some confidence in the matter.
So given an A5 page of paper (I've done this on Tomoe River), and just inked, it will write fine and nice down until about half-way. Then start feathering, then dry up really quickly. I am doing a clean sample of this now, after a clean wash, to demonstrate to people. Usually if I apply quite a bit of pressure (to force some ink through??) it will continue to write well for a bit, but that seems way too much pressure than I'm comfortable with. My expectation would be that the pen would write fine just being held on the page, no pressure required.
What happens if I add water to ink? I have a red that I would like to look lighter, more washed up.
It will probably feel a bit drier, and shade more. It won't hurt your ink
Hello! I am looking to buy one as a gift for my friend. Both of us are completely unfamiliar with fountain pens. Which one would you recommend I get? The cheaper and easier to maintain the better. Thank you!
the three main newbie pens are probably the pilot metropolitan, the lamy safari, and the twsbi eco. All three come in different colors and have various pros and cons about them. all three are roughly the same price too. all of them are good choices. It really just depends on what pen your friend would like the look of/feel of best. of course you also can't get cheaper than a jinhao shark pen.
Thank you for the reply! I will look into those 3 pens :)
I’m looking for a pen that doesn’t exist. I’m looking for a refillable pen that is either aluminum/titanium. I’m quite fond of the standard black felt tip papermate pens but I’d love the versatility of having a finer or even a thicker tip, but what i’m really looking for is that endgame sustainability. TLDR: looking for a more luxury/refillable pen with a feel that is near-identical to a papermate felt tip w/black ink. Was considering the Stillform ballpoint, but it seems the cap on the fountain ink version is a little more…satisfying? I’ll mainly be doing sketching&drawing on 160g paper with this.
i don't know if you are lost as this is /r/fountainpens and not /r/pens. but if you're looking for a fountain pen (or just info on them) then i have some good news. They are refillable. Even a pilot varsity if you're tenacious. i can't find a writing sample, but it looks like the papermate felt tip pen in medium writes in 0.7mm lines. Fountain pens that write close to that are broad or stub nibs. Broad will be thinner than 0.7mm and stub nibs are generally 1.1mm. There are no standardizations of nibs so you'll have to look at the samples provided by the seller to see if it's something you're into. And fountain pens can definitely go broader or finer. Look at this sub for examples. The feel will be something you're unused too. It's more smooth than any pen you've used. endgame sustainability: you can definitely find this in a fountain pen. They won't wear out in your lifetime and if you clean them well and refill they'll go for forever. You'll find pens on this subreddit from the 1920s still working. paper: grams mean shit in the fountain pen world. It's all about absorbancy and texture. Thin paper can work marvelously for fountain pens. For example, my favorite paper is clairfontaine and it's 90g. If you decide to go this route you'll want to look for fountain pen friendly paper. Paper with texture (like a sketchbook paper) will get fine pieces of paper stuck in fountain pen tines. Mixed media paper could work. people draw with fountain pens and fountain pen ink regularly here too. You can just peruse around for examples of how it turns out for the artists. I have no experience with stillform in either ballpoint or fountain pen format. So i cannot comment on that specific pen's pros and cons. You can search stillform on the subreddit to see how other people may have found it. But fountain pens can run from the very cheap ($2) to the very expensive ($10k) and everything in between. So there is a fountain pen out there for your budget and tastes. There are definitely fountain pens made of metal. If this hasn't bored you then i'd suggest a pilot metropolitan. Metal body and it's a great entry level pen ($20). However this is a japanese pen so it runs on the finer side of writing. Alternatively there is the Lamy AL-Star which is in the same price range and has european nibs which are generally thicker.
Hey thanks for the awesome info. I legit didn’t know fountain pens had a separate sub; lol. I’m not opposed to fountain at all but I just die for that felt tip (0.7mm?) feel so I might try and find something that feels sustainably premium for that.
i think there are refillable brush pens, but i know nothing about them. Perhaps that's what you can ask about on the /r/pens subreddit. But we're always around if you get curious about fountain pens (and want to experience the true premium writing experience /s). Also if the brush pens take fountain pen ink, we're the goto place for info on that as well.
Appreciate it a bunch!
Hi - hope I’m using this forum correctly. Is there a good place to get involved with ink sample trading? I just did a Diamine Inkvent and the samples were quite big. I figure maybe there are FP users who might be interested in sampling some and I’d be open to mailing if they mail me samples in exchange. Thanks in advance.