a) I'm surprised you don't already have one... b) I'm also surprised to find that you don't want an actual quill... (or at least have failed to mention it, to my knowledge) :happy102 :happy102 :happy102 you know, I was in an antique store not too long ago and came across a box with 2 of those paper collars....I can't remember which store now, but they were asking $45 I think....of course, I immediately thought of you!
The pen itself is the spendy and hard to choose part of the dip pen. I have purchased entire lots of vintage nibs off evilbay for a couple of bucks(and less). Of course when you buy a dip pen you'll need a nice desk set for it, and tsome bottles of ink, oh and good pen cleaner, and ...... yeahhh there's some AD with the simple dip pen too.
Yes, that very thing happened. Not hard to do really. I still may have some suitable turkey feathers in my supply.
My current on-hand collection is an assortment 3-pack of Pilot Varsities, a Parker 21, and pair of Esties (thanks for the first one, Tom!). Only the first one of those is in working order. The second is still awaiting a sac repair. Maybe someday Tryphon will reply to my query about shipping. That doesn't count the Sheaffer and Estie sitting on Tom's workbench somewhere. I started with some Quink black and Skrip blue-black, mainly because they were available nearby. Although it was after I'd bought them, that I read the reviews on FPN that were only fair at best. Weldin's in Pittsburgh is decently close, but they were out of anything even resembling blue at last check. So I hit up FPN for their exclusive Noodler's (you'll find many forums and vendors have their own "exclusive" ink), the Van Gogh Starry Night blue-black. This is an almost black blue-black. Showed up Monday afternoon, and I've been using that ever since. That ink also exposed the shortcomings of my choice of paper. I'd been using a Mead composition book. It is *NOT* FP-friendly. Bleed-throughs and feathering abound. I posted a thread on FPN showing what happened when the flex nib and Noodler's met that paper. Fortunately, there's a local source foe Clairefontaine notebooks. Now that is some *slick* paper!
I thought it seemed a bit high....it may have been 3, I only gave it a cursory glance and a peek at the price tag... but they were in their original box, with lid I believe.... but yeah, I thought they were asking quite a bit for them....
The more I hang around FPN, the more I hear how the Esterbrook 9128 nib is the hot nib for Estie owners. That's the extra fine flex nib. I also realize more that my find of a couple weeks ago was pure dumb luck. a full pen with 9128 nib for less than half what the nib alone is worth. I've definitely got a case of EAD (Esterbrook AD). Not just for the different colors, but for the different nibs. Even if the insides of a pen are shot, if the nib is still good and is one I'm after... SOLD!
Dave, Photos are just fine. Love the Federal, especially because of the arrow on the cap. That dates this as "pretty early" relative to all pens with threaded caps. Prior to threads, caps were slip fit. The arrow reminded folks not to tug the cap off the barrel (stripping the threads). It's cool that a bit of the red paint remains in the arrow. I'd wager your Morrison is more like late 20's or early 30's, but I'm no expert. Is it plastic or hard rubber (if it smell like old tires when rubbed, it''s HR, otherwise plastic). The Eagle (EPENCO) is probably the oldest of the group and may have had a glass bulb inside at one point in time (or maybe it still does). It's made of sheet metal, yes? I've got one of these (in really crappy shape) but treasure it just because it's old. Thanks for sharing the photos. We all need friends like the one that passed these along to you!
The great thing about Esties is no matter the condition or the type of pen, if it's a renew-point nib, it's usable in most of the rest. Case in point, this XT dipless pen. It's meant to be used with a base that holds the ink supply. It's a bank/post office version, as the chain shows. I don't have a base for this pen, but check the nib. It's a 9668 that has apparently never seen a drop of ink. It's a little dusty, but otherwise pristine.
Mentioned it briefly in the HYD thread, but I was gifted a very nice Wality 77D by a friend at work. I brought in my cheapo Fuliwen pen to try out in the workplace and it caught a few eyes. I let my buddy give it a go and he was thrilled with it, ordering himself a 77D on his break and surprising me by ordering me one as well. Another friend at work is seriously considering picking one up as well, and perhaps grabbing a Lamy Safari.
I've used a Cross FP for years. I gather, since it hasn't been mentioned, it's not in the same leauge as the pens mentioned. Opinions? Doc.
Cross makes a nice fountain pen. They've been doing so for a very, very long time. Do you like yours?
I didn't at first, then someone told me it should be flushed with cold water every two refills or so. Haven't had any problems since. Doc.
Alright, I am intrigued. For the super cheap price of those Reform 1745's on FPN, I just might pick up one to try. What is the simplest place to get some ink just to try?
Probably FPN. Check their Ink For Sale section to see if there are any samples floating around, or place a WTB to see if anyone would be willing to part out some of their collections. There was an excellent listing of various Noodlers for cheap prices, but it looks like somebody bought the whole lot. (missed it by -><- much)
I don't even know what to ask for - any basic recommendations? I just joined there and sent a PM to JJ to buy a Reform pen. I don't know what kind of ink. I know people have said Noodlers, but are all Noodlers inks identical other than color? I like the idea of waterproof as well. Do FPs work good as everyday writers, or are they going to bleed through my normal paper (standard cheap notebooks)? I have always liked green ink, so maybe I would want to try that, or a good black ink. Any suggestions? Not that I really need to become obsessed with another thing - there is already the shaving thing, and my new obsession with classical music. I don't need to add something else.
