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Post by allanorn on Sept 25, 2020 14:42:45 GMT
Hi! Lefty underwriter here. Based on your picture, you’re holding the pen too high relative to the paper. Ballpoints, rollerballs, and gel pens are intended to have a higher angle of writing than fountain pens. Most fountain pens don’t have much nib material at the tip of the pen, or the nib slit doesn’t go down far enough to get the ink to contact the paper. The nib could be scratchy, but first try holding the pen overhanded at a 30-degree angle to the paper and drag it across the paper slowly, without any pressure. if it looks like your pen broke and is leaking ink across the page, that’s probably a good thing. If that’s the case, adjust your grip so that the pen angle is lower. I have a slightlly different grip with fountain pens versus gel/rollerball pens. Left-handed nib solutions exist, but they’re either vintage (Pelikan K-series nibs, Sheaffer Triumph nibs) or expensive (Pilot Custom Heritage 912 Waverly nib, which I love). I started with a Pilot Metropolitan in Fine niib and worked my way through different nibs before settling on the Waverly and a couple of other pens. Next question: how much ink are you wearing on your left hand?
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Post by InsomniaQueen on Sept 25, 2020 17:41:23 GMT
Next question: how much ink are you wearing on your left hand? I always have a little on the side of my pinkie knuckle, but it really depends on the ink. Slower drying ink like gel pens - I have a whole lot and I smear the page badly.
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Post by allanorn on Sept 25, 2020 18:20:34 GMT
Next question: how much ink are you wearing on your left hand? I always have a little on the side of my pinkie knuckle, but it really depends on the ink. Slower drying ink like gel pens - I have a whole lot and I smear the page badly. I completely understand. After you get the angle of the pen dialed in, you may need to adjust your paper orientation. I write with my paper tilted a few degrees clockwise to avoid dragging my hand through the writing; my handwriting looks as if it has a slight back tilt.
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peterpenog
Crayons
I'm in London UK and have quite a few pens. Would like to correspond with someone in the UK rather t
Posts: 17
Looking for Penpals?: Yes. Non-international penpals only
Country I live in is: uk
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Post by peterpenog on Nov 4, 2020 10:33:07 GMT
I've been thinking about getting an eyedropper because they hold a lot more ink. There is a make called Opus 88 with a No 6 steel nib, which is reasonably priced. I really do not need another pen - but I'm tempted, but will probably mull over it for weeks or months.
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Post by ole on Nov 4, 2020 16:31:50 GMT
I've been thinking about getting an eyedropper because they hold a lot more ink. There is a make called Opus 88 with a No 6 steel nib, which is reasonably priced. I really do not need another pen - but I'm tempted, but will probably mull over it for weeks or months. I just bought a couple of Platinum Prefounte pens because they work well as eyedroppers. For ten bucks I'm happy. They write as well as my expensive pens, although differently. The downside is they look a bit modern.
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peterpenog
Crayons
I'm in London UK and have quite a few pens. Would like to correspond with someone in the UK rather t
Posts: 17
Looking for Penpals?: Yes. Non-international penpals only
Country I live in is: uk
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Post by peterpenog on Nov 4, 2020 17:54:11 GMT
I understand a lot of eyedroppers spurt ink when almost empty, and the Opus 88 has a device to stop this. But then the Opus 88 is a lot more expensive at about £95. They do - I'm told have good steel nibs.
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Post by distractedmom on Nov 4, 2020 19:08:31 GMT
I've been thinking about getting an eyedropper because they hold a lot more ink. There is a make called Opus 88 with a No 6 steel nib, which is reasonably priced. I really do not need another pen - but I'm tempted, but will probably mull over it for weeks or months. Weeks or months? I am impressed by your patience!
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peterpenog
Crayons
I'm in London UK and have quite a few pens. Would like to correspond with someone in the UK rather t
Posts: 17
Looking for Penpals?: Yes. Non-international penpals only
Country I live in is: uk
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Post by peterpenog on Nov 10, 2020 11:36:42 GMT
I've been thinking about getting an eyedropper because they hold a lot more ink. There is a make called Opus 88 with a No 6 steel nib, which is reasonably priced. I really do not need another pen - but I'm tempted, but will probably mull over it for weeks or months. Weeks or months? I am impressed by your patience! I've actually found it impossible to find out all the information on the nib with these pens at the one place in the UK that sells them, and it seems that a lot of dealers are really just box movers. The one dealer who I think has a lot of expertise and I like best, does not sell them. That may be a sign, and a good reason to hold off.
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Post by InsomniaQueen on Nov 14, 2020 5:24:06 GMT
So, the Pelikan Jr pen that I bought to try out was a bust. I originally blamed it on my grip, on the paper I was using (which really was kind of a problem since even a ballpoint is a little scratchy on that paper), and had almost convinced myself that I'm just not a fountain pen person. I decided to give it one last shot and Googled for the best affordable pen. I read several blog articles and reviews, and I finally decided to try a Pilot Metropolitan. I got it yesterday and wrote a couple of letters with it today. Love it! It feels like the pen is floating just above the paper. Now I see why you guys are such enthusiasts!
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Post by Catida on Nov 14, 2020 8:07:48 GMT
That's great news, InsomniaQueen ! So good that you didn't give up after that first bad pen I'm thankful for all the pen enthusiasts who take the time to write reviews and make Youtube videos about different pen and nib options. That's really helpful especially for a person like me living in a country where there are no penshows or shops where one could see/try fountain pens.
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Post by eefa on Nov 14, 2020 19:02:35 GMT
That's great news, InsomniaQueen ! So good that you didn't give up after that first bad pen I'm thankful for all the pen enthusiasts who take the time to write reviews and make Youtube videos about different pen and nib options. That's really helpful especially for a person like me living in a country where there are no penshows or shops where one could see/try fountain pens. Yes, I'm hugely dependent on reviews to help me choose pens. It's a bit ridiculous really when I consider some of the expensive pens that I've purchased without ever having held one in real life.
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Post by eefa on Nov 15, 2020 12:40:02 GMT
@dignum unfortunately we only have one brick & mortar shop in Dublin which stock Montblanc, Lamy, Parker and some Montegrappa. No Asian brands, no Pelikan or Aurora. And of all the ink brands out there they have a tiny selection and none of the newer ones which is such a pity. And unbelievably in this day and age they have no website!
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Post by Lupine on Dec 10, 2020 16:46:08 GMT
I also rely a lot (okay exclusively) on online reviews and now that I've seen many, many hours of these I have some observations that make me laugh. In general, they spend 20% of the time UNBOXING the thing. Who told them that was going to be interesting? Then they spend the next 80% of the time pointing out what you can see. "This is the clip. This is the finial. This is the nib . . ." which I realize is the point of the video, but their commentary is so THIN. I can see the pen on the store website. I want the review to be what they think about what they see. They ALWAYS love every part. "The clip is sturdy. The finial is nice. The nib is pretty . . ." The "Pen Gansta"(?) actually "described" the color of the pen she was reviewing as "pink" and then got speechless and said, "figure out a way to get one." I mean, are you laughing with me on this? I swear to goodness I'm going to produce a review and post it here somewhere to show what I wish those videos were like. I'm not as arrogant as I sound, but gosh. Oh dear, I've forgotten what topic this thread is. I hear you @dignum when you say the current reviews are far better than snap shots. But still . . . it finally started to crack me up.
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Post by sails on Dec 10, 2020 16:58:57 GMT
Yup. Pretty much!
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Post by vertolive on Dec 11, 2020 1:02:13 GMT
I’ve never been to a pen show or a pen shop. Initially I relied on the Goulet site to guide me through online purchases but even their customer reviews can be a crapshoot.
I came to simply choose a pen that caught my eye and buy it (online) new or used and decide for myself. If I didn’t like it, I never lost money selling it again. Over enough time and purchases, I’ve come to know what I like. I know Visconti doesn’t work for me, that Brian Edison does great custom work, and that I love Sailor and vintage Schaeffers. Live and learn.
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