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I have to admit to having bought a variety of inks, pen converters and a lamy joy calligraphy pen on the back of this thread. There is something about writing with a fountain pen that is lovely and now I can get away with using them for work then why not
I love pens but can't do caligraphy (not tried in >30yrs though)
Can anyone <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">recommend</span><span style="font-size: 0.8rem;"> any good online tutorials ??</span>
Until a month ago, I hadn’t used one since primary school. The “Platignum School Cartridge Pen”.
Now I have a couple of Parker Jotters and Lamy’s for daily scribbling, and a few Moonmans, which write so nicely:
https://www.writershelf.com/article/moonman-c1-simplicity-finely-wrought?locale=en
I like a fountain pen, although I don’t write as much in my current job as I did and I haven’t really used mine for 6+ months now.
I prefer Japanese/Chinese pens over euro pens, the nibs on euro ones don’t tend to be fine enough for me.
I really want a Pilot Vanishing Point I could probably do without a ball point all together then, but the last time I looked they were £135 and I can get a lot of Jalapeño and cheese crisps for that.
I need help.
Pretty sure there are 5 or 6 others kicking around that I couldn't find...
Really sad thing is that if we have a mechanical pencil or ballpoint/rollerball thread I could post similar images for those too.
I do try to use them in rotation, but my most used/favourites are these.
Ah, the mini Moonman / Wancai, a fantastic pocket pen!
GTDave
Ah, the mini Moonman / Wancai, a fantastic pocket pen!
Totally. Surprisingly good for what they cost.
The TWSBI GO is looking particularly enticing, it’s got a lanyard loop on the cap, which makes it practical for work instead of using a ballpoint, I have two lanyards, one has my work radio on it, the other has my security dongle, a small Spyderco knife for zip ties, and a hacked Sharpie with a split-ring bodged into the clip and the clip taped closed - I’ve lost so many Sharpies out of various pockets, it’s the only way to keep hold of the damn things, so a fountain pen I can carry easily like that is very appealing.
The price is good, too. The transparent one for the win, I can see how much ink’s in it.
https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/TW67727/twsbi-go-spring-loaded-fountain-pen-clear
Had some money refunded from a concert that’s sadly been cancelled, so I’ve just bought one of those TWSBI GO pens. Not much consolation, I was looking forward to the concert, it was an artist I haven’t seen for some years.
Fountains of Wayne?
Fontaines DC?
Sorry, I'll get my coat....
Anyone try a Noodler's flex nib? I've been hankering after a flex nib but I keep reading that the pens themselves actually stink due to the production process.
A very nice ink, how heavy is the Kaweco ?
VERY 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
This is my grail:

https://www.iguanasell.co.uk/products/nakaya-cigar-portable-fountain-pen-decapod-tw-toki-tamenuri
Off the back of this I've bought some ink for my fountain pens. Lock down seems a good time to start writing a diary again!
Any chance of some help?
I inherited my granddads gold parker pen 20 years ago but have never been able to use it.
The nib was bent by my cousin- thanks cuz- when we were kids. Last time I had a look at it the reservoir has perished and is now cracking up.
So I guess what I really need is a donor pen?
Cheers for any help 🙂



Parker 65 Consort Insignia?
https://www.penworkshop.co.uk/parker-65-consort-insignia-r/gold-1975.html
Awesome Thanks!
Is there any modern guts I can put in? Or should i jut buy an old one off ebay and replace the whole interior?
I'm lusting after Charlie Luxton's Pilot pencil..
@tall_martin - a new converter for a Parker pen should be no problem:
EDIT: actually, given that the penworkshop in the link above service pens, I'd get in touch and see what they can suggest.
Pencils?
Worther Shorty Lead Holder does it for me:

@ElShalamo - 🤣
Sorry, none of those. It was Cara Dillon, Irish singer/songwriter, lives in Frome, it’s been nine, ten years I guess since I last saw her play, and she was going to play in my home town. Sadly now cancelled, hope she might get rebooked some time in the future.
Maybe I can write her a letter with my new pen! 😁
Used to ride with a girl called Cara Dillon in London's many years ago. After work spins around Richmond Park.
Trying to remember if she was the same one!
it might take a bit of hunting as its an old pen, but looks like there is no reason why you can't change the nib, fit a new converter and be good to go.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/123845993403
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/127387-parker-65-nib-replacement/
These are my two daily pens, a Mont Blanc slimline and a Sheafer Targa.

@cranberry and @mrmo.
Thanks for the links! I'm going to chance an old pen and transfer the guts into mine. They seem to be £40 for a whole pen on ebay.
The thought of trying to take 50 year old plastics to bits and put it back together with specific vintage tools is not a great one.
The converter looks ideal if the donor pen turns up with a broken one.
Cheers
Martin
I've found out what pencil Charlie Luxton uses... Pilot Dr Grip Full Black.
Check out the ergonomics.... ooh err!

maybe you could meet up and pen some new songs…
She’s a superb songwriter, her husband’s no slouch; I, on the other hand, don’t even have the songwriting skilz of a current Radio 1 playlister.
Some goes for playing an instrument - I’d rather let the professionals do a proper job of it.
Oh, my pen arrived this morning, it’s a lovely little thing, only had a quick scribble with it, but it seems smooth enough, and filling it’s so easy.
👍
Well couldn't decide between the TWSBI Eco and a Lamy Safari. Thought I'd order both. Problem is, mail services are screwed here atm and we've had no post for a week (but Aus Post say everything is fine).
I've got a few bits n bobs ordered that I'm waiting for and there's no local suppliers in Perth that have these pens so will just hang on until things have settled a bit, as for how long that will be, who knows?
Well I took the risk and it's being posted to work... Liked the colour. Medium nib.

Aphex, that should have the same nib as mine, and it’s really nice to write with, very smooth with no skipping, at least on the notepad paper I was making some reminders notes of new albums I want to get - certainly smoother than most ball pens, less pressure needed on the paper.
Those TWSBIs are cool, just watch the join between the main barrel and the feed section. Seems to be an interference fit and not happy with being interfered with, even accidentally...
Said the priest....
I'll keep any eye on it.
As far as ink goes, I've got a full bottle of Parker quink. Needs to be black and quick drying so my stupid left hand doesn't smudge it. Any rec's?
Moleskines, thats another thread, always one on the go and I had an exhibition where I photocopied each page and hung them up; link below
Those are brilliant - are they ordinary Moleskine books? (EDIT - I realise that sounds a bit like "those are nice photos; what camera do you use?" 🙂 )
I bought a bunch of Moleskine noteboks when I fancied myself as the next Bruce Chatwin but I never found anything profound enough to write in them.
Now I am using mostly Leuchtterm dotted books. Still nothing profound.
I’ve found out what pencil Charlie Luxton uses… Pilot Dr Grip Full Black.
Check out the ergonomics…. ooh err!
I have a few Dr Grip ballpoints and they are nice but the rubber bit goes sticky - seems to be a common problem with a certain type of rubber.
In the mid 90s I found something very similar to the Dr Grip pencil on the street outside Manchester Uni main building.
It was fantastic but the rubber did go a bit sticky. It fell apart years later but it was a great pencil. I've been looking for another since then.
@colournoise - that’s the big advantage of the GO model I’ve just bought, it’s a spring plunger, so all one piece, just stick the nib in the bottle and press down on the other end, a simple process for a simple soul... 😉
@CF - this is Cara the singer, she’s Irish, if that’s significant;
Yeah I've got a couple of the GOs kicking around too. Decent cheap and cheerful pens.
I'm just preparing a pencils picture. Here or a new thread (if anyone as remotely geeky as me about these things is bothered)?
As far as ink goes, I’ve got a full bottle of Parker quink. Needs to be black and quick drying so my stupid left hand doesn’t smudge it. Any rec’s?
I looked at Akkermans Ijzer Galnoten ( which I use ), very good and being iron gall it dries to be waterproof, the bottles are good value at €15 ( excellent 60ml bottle ), but it would be the same again for postage 🙁
https://www.vulpennen.nl/en/akkerman/p-1a/AkkInkt010.html
Diamine stuff tends to be cheap, easy to source, and well regarded, no experience of any of their stuff though. For full geekiness, and in deptth ink information, see here:
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/forum/35-ink-reviews/
Diamine ink is pretty good IMO. I also like Lamy's T52 ink but it's not available in as wide a range of colours.
Black is fine for me, we have to write our notes in black ink. Kinda sad how excited I am for a pen to arrive.
And ordered a green Lamy Safari and some black diamine. Must stop spending now. All this stuff is gonna arrive at the same time and the missus is wfh. What a mistaka to maka.
No, it's easier to have shi7 delivered to work ;/
Is the white one (bottom row 6th in from right) a Faber Castell Grip?





