Geekhack Handwriting Thread and Fountain Pen Thread

[VinnyCordeiro]

Does anyone here use ink rollerballs?

Or high end gel refills?

I was recently told that high end gel refills can compete with fountain pens. Is this true?

I have the rollerball version of the Lamy Safari, use it mostly for post-it notes. I like it.

[SL89]

Does anyone here use ink rollerballs?

Or high end gel refills?

I was recently told that high end gel refills can compete with fountain pens. Is this true?

Some of the gel ones are probably close.

I use piston fill rollerball pens. I quite like it. The only thing is that it is very wet writing to start sometimes. But that is usually avoidable.

[iri]

I have the rollerball version of the Lamy Safari, use it mostly for post-it notes. I like it.

i mean, rollerballs refillable with fountain pen ink.

Some of the gel ones are probably close.

cool, which ones?

I use piston fill rollerball pens

cool, which ones?

[SL89]

Lol sorry. Im on mobile.

For the rollerball pens I have 2 of the Noodlers Ink Creaper Piston Fill rollerball pens and one Platinum Preppy eyedropper.

Im in the process of figuring out which inks work best. It seems like thicker inks do as the thinner ones leak behind the piston and out of the rollerball mechanism.

Regarding gel pens, consider me +1 for the Hi Tec, and I have a slew of Pilot and Zebra gel pens. But I'm not sure which models. Tho I can look it up when I am in at the office tomorrow.

[Syribo]

You guys are killing me with your nice pens haha. My most recent pen is just a Lamy Vista with a 1.1 stub nib. Can't wait for the day I can justify splurging on a nice pen

I wanna know... when you guys write letters to friends and stuff, what do you write about? Just anything? For sending letters to others on here, that's easy, we all have a bunch of things in common already. But other people.. I don't even know lol. I guess just talk about life? Where you live, what you like to do, where you'd like to go, etc?

I also registered with an organization that assigns you soldiers to write letters to who are deployed. It makes me sad when I think about being deployed over there.. and not getting any mail from anyone. I asked my Dad if he would have liked that (He was in the Marines in Vietnam), and he actually received some letters over there from people like me, and he enjoyed it. So definitely going to do it Maybe even eventually send out care packages too with random things and baked goods and stuff.

I have a whole bunch of letters to send out.. and some ink samples, as soon as USPS drops off the padded envelopes I ordered.

[FrostyToast]

I just snagged a bid for a Visconti Opera Club Cherry Juice.
130 euros. Sure it's a cartridge converter pen but God damn I would take that deal any day of the week 

[CPTBadAss]

I wanna know... when you guys write letters to friends and stuff, what do you write about? Just anything? For sending letters to others on here, that's easy, we all have a bunch of things in common already. But other people.. I don't even know lol. I guess just talk about life? Where you live, what you like to do, where you'd like to go, etc?

The usual bull**** I spout: Music, food, fashion, nerd stuff like keyboards.

You guys are killing me with your nice pens haha.

I'm pretty sure there's an active LI and NYC fountain pen community. I'm fortunate enough to have the means to buy some nice pens but where I've done most of my pen testing is at my local fountain pen club and fountain pen shows. LI has a show. I forget when during the year it is or where it is but that's something to look into.

[rowdy]

There's a Massdrop for 2 packs of 7 fountain pens of different colours.  Disposable pens, but I'm ok with that.  The price is also within my budget (sort of), and a cheap way of getting a few different colour inks.

I'm still using my first two fountain pens, also disposable Pilots, although the one I use at work is getting low on ink.

Question 1: How long does a new unused fountain pen remain perfectly servicable?  Like if I buy these ones, I might not use some of them for 6 months or more.  Will they still be good at that time?

Question 2: Some of the colours I would not use often.  After use, assuming they were stored horizontally with the cap on, how long would they remain servicable?

Edit: The drop ended and I missed it, but the questions still stand in case it comes back again.

Should work just like a ballpoint in terms of storage. I leave one of those sitting at my desk and don't use it for months. Works like a charm every time. Doesn't matter what the orientation is. I've stored them both ways.

I was hoping to hear something like that, although I've had ballpoint pens that have leaked in storage, ink completely dried up, ball fallen out when I've been scribbling to try to get them to work (and they almost always need a lot of scribbling to work).

I guess my main concern was ink drying in the nib, especially for disposables, where the nibs are generally not removable (without extra effort).

[CPTBadAss]

I haven't had any issue with the ink drying out. Even if it did (which I doubt), you can run the nib under the faucet to get it started again.

[SL89]

Are those the Varsity pens? Those are pretty nice and won't dry out. I have a 4 pack on my desk at work and the people in IT with me love them. Idk why but esp the purple inked one.

[Syribo]

I wanna know... when you guys write letters to friends and stuff, what do you write about? Just anything? For sending letters to others on here, that's easy, we all have a bunch of things in common already. But other people.. I don't even know lol. I guess just talk about life? Where you live, what you like to do, where you'd like to go, etc?

The usual bull**** I spout: Music, food, fashion, nerd stuff like keyboards.

You guys are killing me with your nice pens haha.

I'm pretty sure there's an active LI and NYC fountain pen community. I'm fortunate enough to have the means to buy some nice pens but where I've done most of my pen testing is at my local fountain pen club and fountain pen shows. LI has a show. I forget when during the year it is or where it is but that's something to look into.

I remember you mentioning the show here before Definitely gonna look into that. I still have the Emerald of Chivor sample for ya, waiting on the padded envelopes to get here already so I can send it and the letter too

[Syribo]

Welp, found yet another pen I'm in love with...
http://www.penboutique.com/showproduct.aspx?ProductID=13650&SEName=sailor-millecolor-pinkgold-ip-fountain-pen&gclid=CKykktiOscgCFcMXHwodjB8EYw

This.. is.. so.. nice. Okay. I REALLY need to stop looking at pens now lol

Edit: Crap, and then I find THIS http://www.sanrio.com/product/hello-kitty-40th-anniversary-fountain-pen/


...Hello Kitty Anniversary fountain pen by Sailor.. Japan, y u do dis?

[CPTBadAss]

Are those the Varsity pens? Those are pretty nice and won't dry out. I have a 4 pack on my desk at work and the people in IT with me love them. Idk why but esp the purple inked one.

Yes

...Hello Kitty Anniversary fountain pen by Sailor.. Japan, y u do dis?

I've been eyeing that for ages ugh.

I remember you mentioning the show here before Definitely gonna look into that. I still have the Emerald of Chivor sample for ya, waiting on the padded envelopes to get here already so I can send it and the letter too

Thanks!

[SL89]

Do it Syribo, your uber pink collection seems very unique.

[Syribo]

Are those the Varsity pens? Those are pretty nice and won't dry out. I have a 4 pack on my desk at work and the people in IT with me love them. Idk why but esp the purple inked one.

Yes

...Hello Kitty Anniversary fountain pen by Sailor.. Japan, y u do dis?

I've been eyeing that for ages ugh.

I remember you mentioning the show here before Definitely gonna look into that. I still have the Emerald of Chivor sample for ya, waiting on the padded envelopes to get here already so I can send it and the letter too

Thanks!

Hey it looks like it's on sale at least haha.. but still almost $400 ugh... Damn it Japan.

Do it Syribo, your uber pink collection seems very unique.

Bahaha I wish! It will be a while before I can justify spending hundreds on a pen But you can bet that my first mid/high tier pen will be pink I'm laying here with my pink Hello Kitty throw blanket with a set of Hello Kitty pajamas lol


My cat likes it too, don't mind her ***** face, that's just her normal face. She's a little ****.

[Binge]

Kitteh!

[VinnyCordeiro]

Syribo, another pink pen for you: Pilot Vanishing Point 2011 Limited Edition.

[rowdy]

I haven't had any issue with the ink drying out. Even if it did (which I doubt), you can run the nib under the faucet to get it started again.

That's fantastic, thanks!  Fountain pens are great

Are those the Varsity pens? Those are pretty nice and won't dry out. I have a 4 pack on my desk at work and the people in IT with me love them. Idk why but esp the purple inked one.

Yes, they are Varsity.  2 x 7 pack, lots of different colours that are nice to have but which I wouldn't use often.

[CPTBadAss]

[Sifo]

fuuuuu

[FrostyToast]

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Sweet. Is that a limited edition MB ink?

[CPTBadAss]

I'm not exactly sure. I thought I heard it was limited edition but they're in stock in a bunch of retailers online and they had plenty in stock at Fountain Pen Hospital in NYC.

Like every other MB ink I've tried, it's really well behaved and just a bit wet. I really like MB inks and I think they're not a bad price.

[iri]

I really like inks being just a bit wet.

[Syribo]

CPTBadAss I actually did try the Montblanc pink! I got a sample of it from Anderon, it's freaking beautiful.. and now I want a full bottle haha. The only pinks I have in a full bottle so far is Diamine Hope Pink, and my favorite.. the J. Herbin Rose Tendresse. I still have to do a writing sample of that one for this thread. I'm working on getting letters done tonight, and getting samples all ready to go, so I'll do that too! I think I have about 20 pink ink samples.... A little overboard on the pink lol.

[Syribo]

God I hate my Noodler's Ahab so much. I really like having a flex nib, they're so fun to write with but this thing just sucks so bad lol. It leaks, it railroads constantly, it randomly won't write at all. I've looked up tips on tuning it to help, but nothing helps.. bleah. I really want a flex nib but man this thing bites. I need to look into more options that also don't break the bank.

I REALLY love the 1.1mm stub nib I put on my Lamy Vista though, holy crap that thing is nice. I kinda wanna try even a 1.5mm because they really are fun to write with!

Anyone have a flex nib they like? Or anyone else have an Ahab?

[nubbinator]

So, finally decided to splurge and have the TWSBI Eco in the mail with a fine nib.  I'm looking forward to playing with it.

[Binge]

God I hate my Noodler's Ahab so much. I really like having a flex nib, they're so fun to write with but this thing just sucks so bad lol. It leaks, it railroads constantly, it randomly won't write at all. I've looked up tips on tuning it to help, but nothing helps.. bleah. I really want a flex nib but man this thing bites. I need to look into more options that also don't break the bank.

I REALLY love the 1.1mm stub nib I put on my Lamy Vista though, holy crap that thing is nice. I kinda wanna try even a 1.5mm because they really are fun to write with!

Anyone have a flex nib they like? Or anyone else have an Ahab?

I use an ahab often.  If you want I can send you it.   I can get pretty awesome flex out of it.

[Larken]

God I hate my Noodler's Ahab so much. I really like having a flex nib, they're so fun to write with but this thing just sucks so bad lol. It leaks, it railroads constantly, it randomly won't write at all. I've looked up tips on tuning it to help, but nothing helps.. bleah. I really want a flex nib but man this thing bites. I need to look into more options that also don't break the bank.

I REALLY love the 1.1mm stub nib I put on my Lamy Vista though, holy crap that thing is nice. I kinda wanna try even a 1.5mm because they really are fun to write with!

Anyone have a flex nib they like? Or anyone else have an Ahab?

Noodler's flex pens require an inordinate amount of modding and tweaking to make them work well; it can be done, but its not easy for someone new to them.

When it comes to flex, vintage is where its at. However, these are a huge pain to use due to their sac filling systems; they're alright if you're keeping one ink inside all the time, but a real chore to flush out. They're also usually about 80 - 100 usd minimum thereabouts for a user-grade pen.

Modern flex pens all have their own issues (and are semi-flex at best), and they're usually priced at a higher range. Most will not work well for the large, flowing western scripts without modification (even if it can be done). But if you're simply looking for some line variation in your normal handwriting, a pilot soft fine might be a possible choice.

Imo, try fitting together a frankenpen. Many have had success fitting a Zebra Titanium G nib into Jinhao x750s. A pack of 10 nibs with the x750 should run you for under 30 bucks; with the caveat that the nibs have to be replaced every few months if you're a frequent user.
see link  http://www.parkablogs.com/content/how-use-zebra-g-nib-fountain-pen

[Dihedral]

So, finally decided to splurge and have the TWSBI Eco in the mail with a fine nib.  I'm looking forward to playing with it.

Is the Eco nib the same as the 580 one?

[Rayoui]

Anyone have a flex nib they like? Or anyone else have an Ahab?

I have an Ahab but I have modded the nib by removing some material to make it easier to flex and it writes much better now. It requires significantly less pressure to flex than a stock Ahab nib. It occasionally has some hard starts and skips but priming the feed with the plunger usually gets it going again.

[VinnyCordeiro]

God I hate my Noodler's Ahab so much. I really like having a flex nib, they're so fun to write with but this thing just sucks so bad lol. It leaks, it railroads constantly, it randomly won't write at all. I've looked up tips on tuning it to help, but nothing helps.. bleah. I really want a flex nib but man this thing bites. I need to look into more options that also don't break the bank.

I REALLY love the 1.1mm stub nib I put on my Lamy Vista though, holy crap that thing is nice. I kinda wanna try even a 1.5mm because they really are fun to write with!

Anyone have a flex nib they like? Or anyone else have an Ahab?

I have an Ahab. And 3 ebonite Konrads. Love them, but as someone else said, you have to tune the pens before they perform well. And on all these pens I use stub nibs: 0.6mm and 0.8mm from Nemosine, 1.1mm and 1.9mm from Knox and 1.5mm from Goulet. (Yes, there are more nibs than pens here.)

For flex writing (which I suck), I use a Desiderata Daedalus pen. It is hand-made and crafted around Zebra G dip nibs. I have paid $50 on it, when the pre-order for the first batch was opened. Now they cost $65 and you have to sign Desiderata newsletter to know when a new batch is for sale, because they sell fast.

[CPTBadAss]

God I hate my Noodler's Ahab so much. I really like having a flex nib, they're so fun to write with but this thing just sucks so bad lol. It leaks, it railroads constantly, it randomly won't write at all. I've looked up tips on tuning it to help, but nothing helps.. bleah. I really want a flex nib but man this thing bites. I need to look into more options that also don't break the bank.

I REALLY love the 1.1mm stub nib I put on my Lamy Vista though, holy crap that thing is nice. I kinda wanna try even a 1.5mm because they really are fun to write with!

Anyone have a flex nib they like? Or anyone else have an Ahab?

I've not found a modern flex pen I like. All hail vintage flex. I've got a Warranted vintage flex that goes from Fine to Broad and a Warranted music flex nib.

[SL89]

Maybe because I hardly use script, but I'm not a fan of flex.

[Dihedral]

God I hate my Noodler's Ahab so much. I really like having a flex nib, they're so fun to write with but this thing just sucks so bad lol. It leaks, it railroads constantly, it randomly won't write at all. I've looked up tips on tuning it to help, but nothing helps.. bleah. I really want a flex nib but man this thing bites. I need to look into more options that also don't break the bank.

I REALLY love the 1.1mm stub nib I put on my Lamy Vista though, holy crap that thing is nice. I kinda wanna try even a 1.5mm because they really are fun to write with!

Anyone have a flex nib they like? Or anyone else have an Ahab?

I've not found a modern flex pen I like. All hail vintage flex. I've got a Warranted vintage flex that goes from Fine to Broad and a Warranted music flex nib.

German fine to German broad, or Japanese fine to Japanese broad?

[CPTBadAss]

Believe the warranted nibs I have were made in the USA.

[nubbinator]

So, finally decided to splurge and have the TWSBI Eco in the mail with a fine nib.  I'm looking forward to playing with it.

Is the Eco nib the same as the 580 one?

No clue.

[Larken]

So, finally decided to splurge and have the TWSBI Eco in the mail with a fine nib.  I'm looking forward to playing with it.

Is the Eco nib the same as the 580 one?

Same Jowo nib.

[iri]

A while ago I bought a Russia-made pen holder and a bunch of nibs. Didn't like them so handed them over to a colleague (who can draw) together with Diamine Chocolate Brown.

This is the result.

[rowdy]

^ Fantastic pics!

[byker]

Wow! So cool! Thanks for sharing

[Binge]

A while ago I bought a Russia-made pen holder and a bunch of nibs. Didn't like them so handed them over to a colleague (who can draw) together with Diamine Chocolate Brown.

This is the result.

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Very very nice!  <3

[CPTBadAss]

That ladybug and the little birdy at the end are great

[terrpn]

hey guys...............long time no hear.

binge don't give up on me as your pen is still in the box.

howz the music pelikan these days anson?

iri............loving that turtle

being a University of Maryland guy................."hail the turtle" (hence my name terrpn )



my low visibility these days is due to my disability  I got while on Active Duty, fairly low key these days

do miss hanging and chatting with you guys (including binge and cptBadAss)

[Binge]

hey guys...............long time no hear.

binge don't give up on me as your pen is still in the box.

howz the music pelikan these days anson?

iri............loving that turtle

being a University of Maryland guy................."hail the turtle" (hence my name terrpn )

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my low visibility these days is due to my disability  I got while on Active Duty, fairly low key these days :-\

do miss hanging and chatting with you guys (including binge and cptBadAss)

Much love terrpn.  Keep on kickin ass!

[iri]

ok, i bought six different gel refills for test. ceramic and not, pressurized and not.

[Syribo]

A while ago I bought a Russia-made pen holder and a bunch of nibs. Didn't like them so handed them over to a colleague (who can draw) together with Diamine Chocolate Brown.

This is the result.

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Whoa, they are insanely talented!! I would totally even frame some of those on my wall.. especially that bird one (I have a slight bird obsession.. anything bird related). Wow I wish I could do stuff like that.. beautiful.

[do_Og@n]

hey guys...............long time no hear.

binge don't give up on me as your pen is still in the box.

howz the music pelikan these days anson?

iri............loving that turtle

being a University of Maryland guy................."hail the turtle" (hence my name terrpn )

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my low visibility these days is due to my disability  I got while on Active Duty, fairly low key these days :-\

do miss hanging and chatting with you guys (including binge and cptBadAss)

TERRPN IS BACK!!! Welcome back good sir!

[terrpn]

hey guys...............long time no hear.

binge don't give up on me as your pen is still in the box.

howz the music pelikan these days anson?

iri............loving that turtle

being a University of Maryland guy................."hail the turtle" (hence my name terrpn )

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my low visibility these days is due to my disability  I got while on Active Duty, fairly low key these days :-\

do miss hanging and chatting with you guys (including binge and cptBadAss)

TERRPN IS BACK!!! Welcome back good sir!

hey my brother................ :-\

i don't know if i am back, but am doing better these dayz :thumb:

still luv'n yer caps!!

[CPTBadAss]

howz the music pelikan these days anson?

Glad you're around again terrpn . The Pelikan is well loved.

[do_Og@n]

hey guys...............long time no hear.

binge don't give up on me as your pen is still in the box.

howz the music pelikan these days anson?

iri............loving that turtle

being a University of Maryland guy................."hail the turtle" (hence my name terrpn )

Show Image

my low visibility these days is due to my disability  I got while on Active Duty, fairly low key these days :-\

do miss hanging and chatting with you guys (including binge and cptBadAss)

TERRPN IS BACK!!! Welcome back good sir!

hey my brother................ :-\

i don't know if i am back, but am doing better these dayz :thumb:

still luv'n yer caps!!

Well no matter what it's good to hear from you. Hope everything is on the up and up these days.