Being a scientist, and working in a lab, I have access to tons of the plastic pipettes. My bigger question was what kind of container is preferred for decanting ink into. Is plastic fine? Should it be glass? I have a Container Store nearby that has amber vials, with and without the droppers. Is that the best method? Or would a cheaper leakproof nalgene container work just as well? Those would pose less of a breaking risk in shipment. And there is a broader range of sizes to choose from (and they are cheaper), but would the clear plastic result in a rapid loss of pigmentation in the ink? Actually, never mind, I noticed that the two ink bottle I have are not in dark bottles!
Nice. I'm with Bong; that clear section (and clear feed too?) is very cool. I like seeing the ink in a pen. Congrats, Pam! Took me a long time to find a blue one too. Not sure why. They're not rare. You ever try that Osmiroid nib? Like it? Nalgene should be fine, Non-breakable is a plus, too. Ink is mostly water.
I've brought out the Osmiroid nib on a couple occasions. It's like writing with a paintbrush sometimes. I should find a copy of Calligraphy for Dummies to learn how to get the most use out of it.
Next trick is to figure out why an extra fine nib has a thicker line than a fine nib. The extra fine is a 9550, and it definitely looks like it's seen a bit of use over the years. The 9556 fine nib I got recently looks much newer. That's the best explaination I've got.
spread some newspaper out before you start playing and have some windex handy for when you ink your fingers.............inky fingers = tell tale sign of a FPner. Have fun.
mine arrived as well - loaded it up with the mont blanc ink and tried it out - it did write smoothly. I don't have a pen holder here at home, so it is still in my pocket. I think I might pick up a Pellikano Jr. from the Paradise Pen store in Columbus. Maybe I'll just order some more of these Reforms as well. On that same line - I look in the sale threads at FPN, but don't even know what to look for. What other decent pens in this price range should I be aware of. I can't bring myself to spend hundreds of dollars on a pen. But I like the idea of a fountain pen, and would like some different low-cost pens.
I usually just hit the 'bay in search of Esterbrooks. The state of the rest of the pen isn't a big deal if the nib is one I don't have yet. The Esterbrooks were made of sturdier materials than their more expensive counterparts, so have held up fairly well over the years. These were the back-to-school and office workday pens, not the graduation or retirement pens. Even if the insides are toast, a new sac is only ~$2-$3 to replace yourself. The going rate for having it done for you is ~$30-$35 depending on the shop. The professional service usually includes a cleaning and polishing of the entire pen. I've bought 2 Esterbrooks off the 'bay in the last month. The most I paid was $15.50.
Bump and an observation. Been playing around with the SJ now that it's back from the shop (thanks again, Tom!), and it's a little too slender for my liking. the Js are thicker around and just have a better feel in my hand. The Sheaffer is about the same size as the J, so it also feels quite nice to write with. The substitute nib (*ahem!*) is almost like a sideways italic. The horizontal strokes are noticeably thicker than the vertical.
Windex has ammonia in it which helps remove the ink. Depends on the ink you get on your clothes. If it's noodlers bulletproof, forget about it, the ink absorbs into the fibers and will never come out. Most other inks are pretty water soluble and will come out eventually.
Geeze, that's a fast turn around time, did you have to pay extra for that? Last time I sent some pens to Tom............................
Played around with my Reform a bit last night. I wrote up a few thank you cards. I could definitely notice a difference, 2 of the cards were the same, a bit of a glossy finish to them; the 3rd card was more of a matte type finish. A little bit of .... bleeding (?) or feathering(?). No big deal, just noticed a tiny bit of it. Very cool to write with, except I felt like I was holding something fragile in my hands. Also, and this could be user error, but the ink seemed a bit watery and certain spots seemed not quite as even as other spots. I think though that it was because the instructions that came with it said to practice using the plunger with plain water first. I'm sure I didn't get all the water out. But, now what do I do? I'm thinking this may not be a good tool for work....we'll see. Maybe in the office only....
If you don't like it, I'll buy yours off of you! I enjoy mine - I notice the writing is uneven, some parts darker than others, but I kind of expected a little of that. I had a cheap one several years back, and enjoyed it, but didn't know how to use it, as it leaked everywhere. Some cheap one I found at a Wal-mart.
:rolleyes005 Didn't say that.... But if I do decide it's not for me, I'll keep you in mind... OK, so it's not just me then. I wasn't sure if it was the nature of a fountain pen, or the residual water and it would go away. Do I need to flush the ink and refill with more ink? This is my first FP ever, so I'm not quite sure what to expect...
JJ mentioned in the letter that came with it that it might take a week or two before it gets into its groove. Possibly like a shave brush - needs a break-in period.
OK....I don't think I'm grown up enough for these pens.... :ashamed001 I somehow now have ink on 4 of my fingers, a big blotch on my right elbow, and it soaked through into a pad of paper.... Lesson 1) don't leave the cap off and the pen rolling around on the table/paper pad Lesson 2) don't use the pen repeatedly in the same spot - the paper will get really wet and mess up the tip of the nib.... I think I may have Lesson 2 fixed...I hope I didn't damage anything, though...
