Fountain pen - recommendations
- Thread starter HackneyE9
- Start date
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Sensible chap.
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wobbly
the thought was that if he can proove he has any expereince of practical as well as theory he will stand out above the crowd. cue repeat of every story you've ever heard of a just out of uni grad doing something silly. i don't think it matters wuat that practical is, just that he can show an interest and aptitude for tinkering with things as well as nose in the books.
Athos
Well-Known Member
I'm having real fun with my Nakaya order; I've added a few extras - the goldfish converter, a 'pen pillow' in the same finish as the pen, and one of their beautiful embroidered cases. Also, I've asked whether it would be possible to paint my initials (as small as possible, and in an unobtrusive colour) on the tip of the cap. Very excited!
ETA: Apparently, they struggle to write in alphabet (rather than kanji), so I'm going to leave the initialing.
ETA: Apparently, they struggle to write in alphabet (rather than kanji), so I'm going to leave the initialing.
Athos
Well-Known Member
I was. But my name has no meaning, as such - it's based on a place name.
And that place name has no meaning?
Even Guildford apparently comes from 'golden ford,' lol.
I guess that'd be getting a bit abstract, but if you were keen I reckon there'd be a workaround.
Athos
Well-Known Member
Well I guess it has some meaning, but, by the time that's teased out and rendered into kanji it's so remote from my name as to have no significance to me. I really wanted alphabet, but seems as though they don't think they can deliver it properly. Not too bothered though. Should be beautiful, nonetheless.
Athos
Well-Known Member
nibs.com had a second-hand Nakaya thingy tamenuri owl for a while.
Stunning.
But $1k.
Which went a bit above what's possible
I toyed with a maki-e, but, on balance, I think their understated elegance makes the plainer ones are even more beautiful.
Plus it's a lot of money. Although I did force the bookies to open their safe last week, as there wasn't enough cash in the tills to pay me, so maybe could have afforded to splurge!
Vintage Paw
dead stare and computer glare
My Lamy 2K has started having hiccups. I've given it a good soak and flush, but it keeps drying up. Got that Lamy blue-black in it, which is most likely the culprit. Going to give it a better soak at some point. It's annoying. Lovely pen, otherwise.
Vintage Paw
dead stare and computer glare
My first choice would be Rotring Isograph pens, but the price ISN'T student-friendly at anything from £15-25 per pen (depending on fineness of point). 2nd choice would be Rotring Artpens - classic old-fashioned nibbed drawing pens in different nib widths, but still £10-14 each.
Usual issues with changing ink colours - have to flush pen - but that isn't a bad thing in and of itself. It means you have to let your lines dry before you colour.
There are several decent disposable art/technical pens on the market, too. Edding's Profipen range comes in 4 nib-widths and 4 colours and are about £3 each. Could be best to start with disposables, then buy Isographs (or Artpens) as or when he gets used to using the disposables. That'd also allow you to spread the cost of the expensive stuff!
I've got a couple of Rotring artpens, and I think they are a decent investment. I've got 2, one for use only with the Rotring black ink (which is a nice dark, thick lovely good illustration ink) and another for various colours.
You can get cheapish small bottles of inks direct from here http://www.diamineinks.co.uk/ to try the various colours, or packs of assorted cartridges, if your pen supports that size of them. I've ordered twice from them, and both times they chucked in a free box of assorted cartridges.
Otherwise, lots of different inks and pens here http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/
Athos
Well-Known Member
I think my pen obsession is out of hand. My wife was rushed into surgery yesterday. After making a few notes, the anaesthetist asked if we have any questions. Mine was 'is that a vintage Sheaffer Targa you're writing with.' Cue him telling me about his pens, and the mrs rolling her eyes.
tbf, if anyone needs to even wonder if their pen obsession is out of hand after buying a Nakaya...
I'll accept that there are justifications for owning a >£600 / >£1k pen.
But mostly / only for those with a vast, vast reliance on handwriting in their professional career; and those with a very large amount of accidentally disposable income
I am totes smitten by Gillott 303s, and've spent the last half working day (or something) beginning to learn Spencerian script
The 303s are... utterly incredible, though. Super, super, super EF building up to bad-ass phat BB or summat.
If I'd known I'd enjoy superflex nibs this much, I'd've gone for the elastic option on the Nakaya that's coming (have a feeling there might still be a chance to
)
I'm also v v tempted to get a standard / non-oblique pen / nib holder, because the Gillott's are just too damned good not to be used more often
e2a: yesterday aft's thesis work:
(Though more progress has been made today - just needed to ACTUALLY GET CRACKING with starting the first sentence of a chapter)
e2a2: NB: it is backwards, because that's what photobooth does. And I CBA to change it
The 303s are... utterly incredible, though. Super, super, super EF building up to bad-ass phat BB or summat.
If I'd known I'd enjoy superflex nibs this much, I'd've gone for the elastic option on the Nakaya that's coming (have a feeling there might still be a chance to
)I'm also v v tempted to get a standard / non-oblique pen / nib holder, because the Gillott's are just too damned good not to be used more often
e2a: yesterday aft's thesis work:
(Though more progress has been made today - just needed to ACTUALLY GET CRACKING with starting the first sentence of a chapter
)e2a2: NB: it is backwards, because that's what photobooth does. And I CBA to change it
Athos
Well-Known Member
mrs quoad said:I am totes smitten by Gillott 303s, and've spent the last half working day (or something) beginning to learn Spencerian script
The 303s are... utterly incredible, though. Super, super, super EF building up to bad-ass phat BB or summat.
If I'd known I'd enjoy superflex nibs this much, I'd've gone for the elastic option on the Nakaya that's coming (have a feeling there might still be a chance to
I'm also v v tempted to get a standard / non-oblique pen / nib holder, because the Gillott's are just too damned good not to be used more often
e2a: yesterday aft's thesis work:
(Though more progress has been made today - just needed to ACTUALLY GET CRACKING with starting the first sentence of a chapter
e2a2: NB: it is backwards, because that's what photobooth does. And I CBA to change it
I went for the elastic modification to a fine flex nib. But I don't think it will add any flex in the sense that I understand it to apply to nibs.
I understand flex to refer to the ease with which one can open and close the space between the times with minimal pressure.
Rather the shoulder cut outs on the elastic nib provide more springiness i.e. give and feedback.
Whereas flex provides variation in line thickness, elasticity makes for smoother, less scratchy writing.
I don't think the Nakayas have much flex. Nor do any modern pens. I guess the Noodler's Ahab comes the closest. If you want serious flex in a fountain pen it has to be vintage. But that needn't mean expensive, especially if you're willing to do a bit of work on it. A reasonable Waterman W2 won't set you back much.
This, to me, looks as if it's got a fair bit of flex in the sense that you're using it:
Mrs Magpie
On a bit of break...
Photograph the pen, please, Quoady.
Which one? The one I used for my efforts at calligraphy / Spencerian script? It's tremendously dull, black plastic
^^^ something like £0.65 for the nib (a Gillott 303), something like £2.60 for the holder.
I don't have a picture of the pen that was used for the picture I linked to above - it's someone else's elastic-nibbed EF Nakaya; but going by the looks of it, it's got a fair bit of give in it!
Mrs Magpie
On a bit of break...
Ooh very similar nib to mine. I will be using it for drawing though.
Mrs Magpie
On a bit of break...
I can't draw like that though. Yet.
Athos
Well-Known Member
Whilst it's beautiful, it's not got a great deal of variation of line width, which bears out what I was saying. plus you have to remember that this is Leigh Reyes, probably the best flex writer ever!This, to me, looks as if it's got a fair bit of flex in the sense that you're using it:
That's looking like about as much flex as I'd get off moderate pressure on a Gillott 303
Athos
Well-Known Member
This is flex:That's looking like about as much flex as I'd get off moderate pressure on a Gillott 303
