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- #41
I absolutely love the looks and feel of my Phileas (green marble look), but I do wish they had an extra fine nib for them. I have to be careful of my writing for the fine that I got. Overall though, really pleased with it.
Educate me on fountain pens
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I have developed, of all the pens I have, a strong fondness for pelikans. You should definitely try one if you never have.
Yes Japanese pens tend to be one size finer than Western pens. Their mediums write like Western fines and their fines write like Western Extra Fine. The Japanese nibs in Fine and Extra fine write very smooth. Note that Sailor pens write a bit wetter than Pilot and Nakayas.
Of the Japanese pens Sailor has the widest range of nibs with all writing very smooth. Pilots are called Pilot in Japan but in the U.S. they are called Namiki which was the original name of the company. This is to distinguish their fountain pens from the ordinary ball points. While they may not have the wide range of pens that Sailor has, those they do have are iconic. The Vanishing Point and the M90 are unique as any fountain pen you will find in the world. If you think the Vanishing Point is smooth wait until you get a M90. Nakaya is a highly regarded pen. Each pen is made to order. Each and every one. When you go to the web page you have to fill out an entire page on your preferences when placing an order. The sublime beauty of these pens is stunning to the point of tears the first time you see one. If you have $500-$600 that you can spend on a pen, this is the pen you should get.
You guys are Killing me in a good way of course 
Nakaya Order Page
Here is a link to the Nakaya order page. Take a look. Here is a small part of it.
(Fountain pen() only)
How heavy is your writing pressure?
heavy (150g) medium (120g) light (90g)
What part of pen section do you hold when writing?
Do you post the cap (put the cap on) when writing?
Yes,I post the cap. No,I don't post the cap.
Remark:
Long types of Equilibrium, Writer and Cigar models are designed for not posting cap at the barrel when writing.
Your writing speed is;
fast moderate slow
Your writing is;
large medium small
About your letters;
cursive block letters
At what angle do you hold your pen ?
Since Nakaya fountain pen's nib itself is of the 22mm in size, the part where the pen is gripped shall divert at least 25mm from the surface of writting paper.Therefore, you are requested to answer below your writing angle based on this assumption.
(If the gripping part of the pen will be nearer to the surface of writing paper, the pen will stand more in vertical position while writing and vice versa).
high(70) average(60) low(45-50)
Here is a link to the Nakaya order page. Take a look. Here is a small part of it.
(Fountain pen() only)
How heavy is your writing pressure?
heavy (150g) medium (120g) light (90g)
What part of pen section do you hold when writing?
Do you post the cap (put the cap on) when writing?
Yes,I post the cap. No,I don't post the cap.
Remark:
Long types of Equilibrium, Writer and Cigar models are designed for not posting cap at the barrel when writing.
Your writing speed is;
fast moderate slow
Your writing is;
large medium small
About your letters;
cursive block letters
At what angle do you hold your pen ?
Since Nakaya fountain pen's nib itself is of the 22mm in size, the part where the pen is gripped shall divert at least 25mm from the surface of writting paper.Therefore, you are requested to answer below your writing angle based on this assumption.
(If the gripping part of the pen will be nearer to the surface of writing paper, the pen will stand more in vertical position while writing and vice versa).
high(70) average(60) low(45-50)
Very nice.
What's the difference between roller ball and ball point?
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- #48
So now that I have some pens, now on to inks....
And the slope gets steeper
And the slope gets steeper
The ink. Historically rollerballs has liquid ink so it was vulnerable to drying out, therefore the pens were capped. Ballpoint ink is... well, it's ballpoint ink, kind of syrupy, hence the point can retract and not have to be capped.
Curently there are gel rollerball inks that fit in ballpoint pens but give a rollerball experience (read: very smooth). This is my go-to non fountain set up.
Quite right. Ballpoint ink is oil-based, which is why it's more viscous and less prone to drying. Rollerball ink is water-based like FP ink. I also like the gel rollerball inks better than normal rollerball as well as ballpoint inks. It's like the best of both worlds.
A lot of these reasons can be applied to traditional shaving. And just like traditional shaving, with a fountain pen you do not throw away plastic. Even if you go with a cartridge, you can still refill it.
Hmm. This is very interesting. How much is a decent "entry level" roller ball or fountain pen? I'd like to try one out but hate to spend too much. Can you buy them in a store, or do you have to get them via the internet. If there is a store that carries them, that would give me a chance to handle one, try one?, before I buy.
I don't think you can go wrong with the Lamy Safari. It can be bought for 25-30 bucks new either online or most pen shops. There are some cheaper pens out there I would start by checking out www.isellpens.com and see if any catch your eye.
Thanks, Plano. Appreciate it.
I plan on buying a Safari pretty soon with either a Fine or Extra Fine nib (I'm leaning toward Extra Fine). My Hero 616 arrived today and a bottle of Noodler's Bulletproof Black should get here on Friday. 
I plan on buying a Safari pretty soon with either a Fine or Extra Fine nib (I'm leaning toward Extra Fine). My Hero 616 arrived today and a bottle of Noodler's Bulletproof Black should get here on Friday.
Bulletproof ink?
It's a term that Noodler's uses to name their inks that are waterproof, tamper proof, and permanent among other things. Someone more educated on it can chime in, but it basically means that it's nearly impossible for someone to mess with it once it's on paper. Not all of their inks are "bulletproof" but the ones that are will be labeled as such.
I've been using a fountain pen since I was at school. We ahd to use one form the age of six and I've never stopped. Curently use a Caran D'Ache - a wedding pressie from the missus.
Only advice I can give is use the same manufacturer's ink as made the pen. The ink flows by capillary action and the manufacturer's design the ink to flow based on the manufacture of the pen.
Try different types of nib as well. I love the rich thick flow that goes with a broad nib but YMMV.
Cheers
Only advice I can give is use the same manufacturer's ink as made the pen. The ink flows by capillary action and the manufacturer's design the ink to flow based on the manufacture of the pen.
Try different types of nib as well. I love the rich thick flow that goes with a broad nib but YMMV.
Cheers
That's what they call it, and that's the claim. It's what I use, too. I do notice that with Noodler's I get ink on top of my nibs, I think that's called "nib creep". No big deal, just strange looking.
BTW - for anybody that wants a super cheap way to try a fountain pen - head over to your local big box ofice supply store and look in the poen section for a 3-pack of the Pilot Varsity pens. I think there's a black, a blue and some other colr pen. I have a few of these, and they actually write pretty nice...if a bit thick (for my tastes). Pretty sure I have seen them at Staples and O-Max.
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- #60
I think I may be in trouble. I just discovered demonstrator models 
