Fountain pen inks: the good, the bad, and the ugly (2011) • Hacker News Board

Re: Fountain pen inks: the good, the bad, and the ugly (2011)

#221

Post by Al-Khwarizmi » Mon, Mar 12, 2018, 6:38 PM UTC

balladeer wrote: post #82

Al-Khwarizmi wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can write faster, for longer periods and getting less tired with a fountain pen. When I was a student I always took notes with a fountain pen, and I was the only one in the class who could log pretty much everything that was said, and with relatively good handwriting for the speed. A lot of people photocopied my notes! Maintenance depends on the pen. Some require frequent cleaning, but for example, I have a Platinu…

Hey, I would be interested in knowing about pens that do not need regular service and caring especially when not used for longer periods. Could you please suggest some good resources on it (preferably not very costly, if at all) or suggest such fountain pens?

The best one I know in this regard is the Platinum #3776 Century, mentioned above. It has a special sealing mechanism so that it can go for months without drying as long as you close the cap. On Amazon you can find Japanese sellers that sell it for around €60/€70. That probably doesn't quite fit "not very costly" in absolute terms, although it's actually quite a bargain for a pen with a gold nib (and a good one, IMO!) that would cost twice as much at a shop, and can last for many years.

I have heard that some Sailor pens also have a similar sealing mechanism, but I don't really know which. I have tried maybe a dozen fountain pens a bunch of inks, but I'm far from being an expert. However, if you go to the forums at http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/ you will find real experts. You can ask for what you need and you will get answers for sure, it's an awesome community.

Re: Fountain pen inks: the good, the bad, and the ugly (2011)

#222

Post by grimjack00 » Mon, Mar 12, 2018, 10:27 PM UTC

rwmj wrote: post #14

Feniks wrote: post #9

As someone who writes with his left hand I hate them with a vengeance. Haven't looked at them since primary school.

Get a Lamy Vista "left hander", it's a great, and cheap starter pen. If you get into it, upgrade to a TWSBI, which is a little more expensive but a really lovely fountain pen.

I use a TWSBI ECO, extra-fine nib with Noodler's Lexington Gray, mostly with Rhodia notebooks. Almost no smudging with that combo.

Re: Fountain pen inks: the good, the bad, and the ugly (2011)

#223

Post by Digory » Tue, Mar 13, 2018, 4:15 AM UTC

olympus wrote: post #116

nimbius wrote: post #93

I went through a fountain pen phase for about a year and finally gave up on it after a few notable incidents. - going through the airport was hit or miss. Bristol? Stuttgart? things are perfect. interstate travel in the US? id lost two pens to the TSA. My flight to calgary started perfectly, and ended after a half full fountain pen quietly burst in my jacket pocket. not fun. - No one seems to know what these things a…

In the US most notaries will not allow you to sign official documents with a fountain pen- it seems to be part of the training, and many realtors and attorneys are notaries for convenience. As great as they are to write with, many FP inks cannot withstand tampering, so they don't allow any FP inks because it's hard to track which of the thousands of brand/color combos are safe. A cheapo ballpoint is better for offici…

Most? That’s a new one to me, and I regularly use notaries, though not in the context of real estate.

I suppose in real estate transactions, your bank might insist on you using their pen, as it doesn’t want you to sign a note in disappearing ink. But the “notary” shouldn’t care how you sign most documents, once you prove you are the person signing.

Re: Fountain pen inks: the good, the bad, and the ugly (2011)

#224

Post by rukuu001 » Tue, Mar 13, 2018, 7:06 AM UTC

zarex wrote: post #161

rukuu001 wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most modern pens are very low maintenance. And very forgiving. I dragged out a Pelikan I hadn't used in a couple years and found it was half-full of ink, dried ink all over the nib. Gave it a quick wipe, worked perfectly.

Amazing. I'd expect it to be clogged. Nothing a thorough rinse cannot fix, but just a quick wipe? What ink was in it?

Yeah, I couldn't believe it :) The ink's Waterman South Sea Blue.

Re: Fountain pen inks: the good, the bad, and the ugly (2011)

#225

Post by enriquto » Tue, Mar 13, 2018, 9:25 AM UTC

twblalock wrote: post #218

enriquto wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In many european countries all schoolkids use fountain pens at school, and then keep using them later in life. So it is very unlikely that they will die out any soon.

Actually I've heard that's being phased out in some countries in favor of... typing classes!

What do you mean? It is not like the kids have "fountain pen classes". They use fountain pens in all their classes. Yet, having typing classes is a great idea! Learning to touch-type is a very important ability in the modern world.

Re: Fountain pen inks: the good, the bad, and the ugly (2011)

#226

Post by liveoneggs » Tue, Mar 13, 2018, 12:02 PM UTC

analog31 wrote: post #121

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It feels better in my hand than a biro Ballpoints require one to constantly press down to keep the ink flowing. This makes writing tiring. (Fountain pens draw ink with capillary action.)

Maybe a fountain pen would help me with my painful cracked fingers during the winter. My only fear is that my handwriting is so bad that my notebooks would look like something by Ralph Steadman.

I used to have bloody hands too but started using Lush's king of skin product about ten years ago. I buy one bar in the late fall and use it on my hands a few times a day. It's not lotion and will fix your hands.

https://www.lushusa.com/body/body-butters/king-of-skin/02176...

Re: Fountain pen inks: the good, the bad, and the ugly (2011)

#227

Post by Doxin » Tue, Mar 13, 2018, 12:17 PM UTC

zaarn wrote: post #187

TheRealPomax wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That... kind of sounds like you need to relearn how to write. Which sounds silly, but there are 100% good ways and bad ways to write (both right and left handed writers suffer from insane 'who taught you to write' hand positions). Learning how to properly hold your pen helps a lot with not smudging ink even when it's a long drying ink. And not unimportantly, a fountain pen requires writing _without_ any pressure on t…

I'm lefthanded and I really doubt this is easily fixable. From grade 1 to 7 I was exclusively using fountain pens (germany, this is a requirement, so there wasn't a choice) and there was no end of teachers trying to "fix" the lefthanded children in the class. Writing lefthanded with a ballpoint pen is simply easier than using a fountain pen where I have to either put my hand into a position that cramps after a minute…

Your teachers shouldn't have tried to "fix" your handedness. They should have taught you valid writing techniques for lefties. A common and fairly easy one is to rotate your paper counter-clockwise 45-90 degrees and write bottom-to-top.

If you're hovering or strongly bending your wrist you've been taught wrong.

Re: Fountain pen inks: the good, the bad, and the ugly (2011)

#228

Post by aries1980 » Tue, Mar 13, 2018, 1:16 PM UTC

Steve44 wrote: post #202

aries1980 wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the rules is to never offer your gold nib fountain pen to anyone. Gold nibs are soft and adapts to your writing style over the time that people who are not familiar with fountain pens but biros usually press too hard to the paper that alters the soft nib.

True, I use my nice pens in the office or at home. I've a Baoer 388 I carry around, apart from the lacquer that seems almost indestructible and writes very well. I think I read a while ago that fountain pens don't wear to your writing style, that's an old tale. Pressing too hard will usually damage one though.

Depends on the nib. A 18K nib is soft enough to develop flatter surfaces over the time, based on the owner's writing style. It is also mentioned on one of the premier fountain maker's (and OEM nib maker) page: https://www.pelikan.com/pulse/Pulsar/en_US.CMS.displayCMS.25...

Re: Fountain pen inks: the good, the bad, and the ugly (2011)

#229

Post by olympus » Tue, Mar 13, 2018, 2:21 PM UTC

Digory wrote: post #223

olympus wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the US most notaries will not allow you to sign official documents with a fountain pen- it seems to be part of the training, and many realtors and attorneys are notaries for convenience. As great as they are to write with, many FP inks cannot withstand tampering, so they don't allow any FP inks because it's hard to track which of the thousands of brand/color combos are safe. A cheapo ballpoint is better for offici…

Most? That’s a new one to me, and I regularly use notaries, though not in the context of real estate. I suppose in real estate transactions, your bank might insist on you using their pen, as it doesn’t want you to sign a note in disappearing ink. But the “notary” shouldn’t care how you sign most documents, once you prove you are the person signing.

They won't force you to use a particular pen, but they must take reasonable precautions that you are using permanent ink. Notaries must protect their seal, and don't want you to sign as Joe Blow, get the seal, then wash the signature off at home and re-sign as Donald Trump. Washing a signature is trivial with many FP inks, so most notaries don't want you to use them- it's too much trouble to verify which inks are safe, and much easier to ask you to use a ballpoint. Those that do allow it are risking losing their license (admittedly a small risk) if they get caught up in fraudulent signatures.

Notaries that allow FP inks are either just accepting the risk because they don't want to be a dick or they are not aware that by using FP ink you might as well be signing in pencil.

Re: Fountain pen inks: the good, the bad, and the ugly (2011)

#230

Post by Steve44 » Tue, Mar 13, 2018, 5:34 PM UTC

aries1980 wrote: post #228

Steve44 wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, I use my nice pens in the office or at home. I've a Baoer 388 I carry around, apart from the lacquer that seems almost indestructible and writes very well. I think I read a while ago that fountain pens don't wear to your writing style, that's an old tale. Pressing too hard will usually damage one though.

Depends on the nib. A 18K nib is soft enough to develop flatter surfaces over the time, based on the owner's writing style. It is also mentioned on one of the premier fountain maker's (and OEM nib maker) page: https://www.pelikan.com/pulse/Pulsar/en_US.CMS.displayCMS.25...

I can't see where on that link it talks about the nib developing flatter surfaces. The nib is flexible and with long term use and excessive pressure can alter the angle of the tines. That can affect the ink flow through the slit affecting how the ink is laid.

The tip, the only part which touches the paper, is made of iridium[1], or similar, which is very hard. As far as I can tell that doesn't wear. Some very old or specialise/custom nibs may use softer metals and perhaps wear would be a possibility on those but in any instance I can't see you wanting a flat spot to develop.

[1] It turns out that modern iridium nibs probably aren't made of iridium. I was looking into wear on them and found, amongst others, this https://www.nibs.com/blog/nibster-writes/wheres-iridium which does into detail analysing the composition of a fair number of nibs. Down the rabbit hole!