[milkpowder]

Jussei, the Chopin is a delightful pen. It doesn't look that flashy if you discount the almost unwarranted (based on aesthetics alone) admiration the MB star attracts but it is a beautiful pen to look at. The size and weight is perfect for 'medium-sized' hands. The medium nib is probably one of the bolder mediums I've come across.

I personally prefer the look of the platinum trimmed version. The price difference is insignificant considering the price of the pen so I went for the platinum version instead. I do regret to say that I no longer have it anymore. It was sold along with a few of my other pens a long time ago when I had other commitments to attend to.

The Chopin would be a pen I would like to re-purchase but at $460 (in the UK), I'm in no hurry

The Boheme Bleu and Karajan donation pen are two other MBs which I also fancy. That said, I personally think the Van Gogh beats the three MBs in the looks department.


Oh, and re: what I said about Parker 51 values. Only pay $100+ for a Parker 51 if it is in terrific-near-mint condition. That would mean plenty of iridium on the nib, completely dentless cap, no brassing on the metal extremities, minimal scratching on the body, little evidence of use, extraordinary features (eg double jeweled, flawless sterling silver cap, unusual pattern on cap), etc... Your typical eBay '51' will not meet a lot of these criteria so bid responsibly!


mrarroyo, that's really cool! Have you ever considered using ultrasonic cleaners? Are they '51-friendly'?

 

[Wmcmanus]

Thread moved here per request. This is its rightful place, not that it matters a whole lot, but we do like to keep things tidy.

 

[mrarroyo]

25 or so years ago when members of my staff did a lot of engineering drawings by hand (we were transitioning to early CAD using Tektronix equipment and HP plotters) we used ultrasonic cleaners to clean the pen tips. They worked fantastic, at this time I do not have one available so soaking for 12+ hours in cool water will have to do.

 

[Aevum]

i´ve always been told to add a couple of drops of bleach to dissolve the ink crystals,

now that i think about it, if the ink contained some iodine, that could be problematic,

 

[kodreaming]

My hand writing is really crappy...
How should I improve it ?

 

[appophylite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kodreaming /img/forum/go_quote.gif My hand writing is really crappy... How should I improve it ?

Practice? I'm not trying to start an argument or insult anyone, but when I moved to India, my school required that I use a fountain pen for daily writing. My handwriting with a pencil was pretty good, but I was horrible with a fountain pen, so I practiced for about an hour a day, until I got better. Oddly enough, I write better now with a fountain pen than I do with a pencil.

On the subject of pens themselves, I have a rather modest collection which consists of:
Sheaffer Agio: (I actually left this fountain pen in India and haven't had a chance to go back and get it so I may be wrong about the model)
2 Parker Vectors: (Both fountain pens: one with a plastic barrel in red and black, and the other in stainless steel)
2 Hero 001: (I actually picked these up on my last trip to India; they're kinda cool in that they have two nibs facing back to back so the tip resembles a roller ball in appearance. More a novelty than anything else, but they still write rather well)
Millenium Edition Fisher Space Pen: (Dad got if for me, and it continues to remain my favorite ball point pen)

 

[Jussei]

So, I finally decided to pick up a couple of pens and some ink.
Since it was my first venture into fountain pens, I wanted to get a feel for what's out there so I picked up a few different models.
I bought a few 'lower end' fountain pens and for my high-end purchase I chose a Montblanc Mozart Platinum with medium nib.
I've tried some different inks in the MB, starting with the regular MB royal blue cartridges, which I didn't like. I emptied a cartridge and used a syringe to fill it with Noodler's Polar Black. Huge difference! I much prefer this ink to the MB royal blue.

I've got a couple of questions for those in the know:
First, with the MB I get some light skipping when I write from time to time. I purchased the pen new, does it go away with time?
Second, if the skipping doesn't go away with time, is there a way to increase flow or at least make it consistent?

Thanks

 

[meat01]

The pen should not skip and I do not believe it will go away with time. You may want to return it. The nib probably needs to be adjusted, but since it is a new pen, you should just replace it for one that doesn't skip. Some vendors test pens themselves to ensure that the nib is perfect and writes correctly.

 

[appophylite]

I've had fountain pens skip before but never my more expensive ones: more often, it was the cheaper Chinese Hero pens that I used for every day writing. Most of that was due to a slightly rough nib, which, as school-kids, we fixed by running the pen 4-5 times across fine grit sandpaper. The result was a much smoother nib with less skipping. I still recommend this for cheaper pens, but if this pen is something more expensive like a Mont Blanc, I'd be apprehensive trying this unless I knew that someone else had done it with positive results.

 

[mrarroyo]

On the skipping issue, first remove the ink currently in and rinse very well. Using a cup/glass fill the reservoir w/ clean cool water and allow the pen to soak in a glass full of water up the ring in the barrel (about an inch above the nib). After 10-12 hours fill and empty the reservoir w/ clean cool water until it comes out clear.

Repeas as above. The described cleaning will remove any ink that could have dried up inside your pen and which would be contributing to your problem.

If that does not fix it contact a repair center, it could be something as simple as a loose nib. Good luck.

 

[gshan]

My current everyday-carry rotation:

Zebra F-701
Zebra F-301 compact
Inka Stainless Steel

The Zebras are made in Japan and have pretty smooth writing inks compared to say, your average disposable ballpoint. They even write better than the pressurized Fisher Space Pen cartridge that comes with the Inka, though the Fisher has the advantage of being able to write well even when sideways/upside-down.

The Inka is a $20 keychain pen. It's really durable, and also has a yellow plastic stylus inside that can be used for PDAs and such. There's a titanium version for about three times the price.

The 301 is combination plastic/steel and a great value for 2-pk @ $6 compared to the Inka. It has a hole in the cap so it can be used for keychains as well.

Zebra's F-701 is a little pricier at around $7 for one, but it has a super-thick stainless steel body (eyeballing it at 1.5-2mm). It looks really nice with the knurled grip and all as well. The clicky doesn't give off cheap snapping sounds either, the feedback is little bit softer than the average cheap clicky pen.


And just for fun, here's my ultimate budget carry pen:

It's a standard Bic, but any free clicky or capped pen can be substituted. I removed the body tube and cut/disposed of a large segment between the rubber grip and the tail. To cut down the ink tube I just used a pair of scissors. I added the hole at the top by twisting a drill bit through with my fingers. The tip of a blade can be used as an awl to start things off.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by appophylite /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've had fountain pens skip before but never my more expensive ones: more often, it was the cheaper Chinese Hero pens that I used for every day writing. Most of that was due to a slightly rough nib, which, as school-kids, we fixed by running the pen 4-5 times across fine grit sandpaper. The result was a much smoother nib with less skipping. I still recommend this for cheaper pens, but if this pen is something more expensive like a Mont Blanc, I'd be apprehensive trying this unless I knew that someone else had done it with positive results.

You can sand a gold/iridium nib without too much concern - I do it with every pen, and I've got about 50 now.

Do not use regular fine grit sandpaper from the hardware store. You should buy at least 2000 grit wet/dry from an auto paint place. It'll be a few dollars, but worth it, and a single sheet can last a very long time.

Once you're ready, wet the sandpaper by putting it on a flat surface like a kitchen counter and pouring water on it. There's no amount or trick to this, but you absolutely must have water on the sandpaper.

Now write or print about 6-7 words on the sandpaper using the amount of pressure and style you usually write in. Do not just swipe the nib around, you have to write like you always do. Don't worry about getting your hand wet.

Next, wipe the nib and write on paper. If it doesn't feel glassy smooth, write a few more words on the sandpaper and repeat until you get the nib where you want it.

This just speeds up the natural break-in of a nib to your hand. The same thing happens over several months as you write on paper. Wet sanding with fine grit makes that go faster with minimal risk to the nib. Try it!

A 51 should not be $100 unless it is rare or exceptional. I'm carrying a blue/lustraloy 1947 Vac I picked up at the LA Pen Show a couple weeks ago. Nice shape and it was $35. Got several other 51s and averaged about $60-$70 each.

 

[plainsong]

Well you guys have gotten me browsing FP sites, so thanks for that.

It's all so confusing, but one thing that isn't is the wide variety of inks, and the decent paper to put it on.

I guess I'll start out with ye old Lamy Safari. Lamy's been so and so to me. The Lamy Accent multi-pen was great until it was stolen. The Lamy 4 Color I replaced it with has worst QC than a disposable. The action is scratchy, the material feels cheap, and the feeling of writing with it, although it's just a ballpoint "refill holder" is crap. The Accent was so smooth. It was supposed to come with a stylus replacement, and Lamy sorta forgot to include it. It's not a pen I'd care so much about had it not been so expensive. Live and learn.

I kind of migrate to the Pelikans though, but I want to test it with some less expensive pen first. After all the only FP experience I have is with a calligraphy set I got as a kid, and I specifically remember not liking how it felt like I was writing with a fingernail.

So to keep the thread going, what do we think are decently priced FPs that are good at note taking and smooth, a joy to use?

 

[meat01]

Lamy Safaris have been hit or miss for me. I have heard great things about Lamy 2000s, but I have not had any experience with one.

I have had great luck with Pelikans. The Pelikan Go! which is discontinued is a great pen for the money as are Pelikanos. I really like the M200s also.

 

[appophylite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif You can sand a gold/iridium nib without too much concern - I do it with every pen, and I've got about 50 now. Do not use regular fine grit sandpaper from the hardware store. You should buy at least 2000 grit wet/dry from an auto paint place. It'll be a few dollars, but worth it, and a single sheet can last a very long time. Once you're ready, wet the sandpaper by putting it on a flat surface like a kitchen counter and pouring water on it. There's no amount or trick to this, but you absolutely must have water on the sandpaper. Now write or print about 6-7 words on the sandpaper using the amount of pressure and style you usually write in. Do not just swipe the nib around, you have to write like you always do. Don't worry about getting your hand wet. Next, wipe the nib and write on paper. If it doesn't feel glassy smooth, write a few more words on the sandpaper and repeat until you get the nib where you want it. This just speeds up the natural break-in of a nib to your hand. The same thing happens over several months as you write on paper. Wet sanding with fine grit makes that go faster with minimal risk to the nib. Try it! A 51 should not be $100 unless it is rare or exceptional. I'm carrying a blue/lustraloy 1947 Vac I picked up at the LA Pen Show a couple weeks ago. Nice shape and it was $35. Got several other 51s and averaged about $60-$70 each.

Thanks for the info Uncle Erik! This will probably help when I start breaking in some of my Father's older pens that he bought but never used.