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Fountain pens and ink?
mcnicks | Apr 30 2006
Another pen question! I have been experimenting with rollerball type pens and I just cannot settle with them. I have a terrible tendancy to squeeze my pens and place too much pressure on the paper, and anything that encourages me to do that is out. So I have decided to experiment with fountain pens. The first major stumbling block I have is being left-handed. That means I am likely to encounter issues with writing angle and with smudging. However, at least I know that fountain pens require much less pressure to write with, so I am willing to give a few a go. So far, I have unearthed an old fountain pen of mine and some even older ink. After a bit of a clean, it is writing fairly well and, as long as I keep my wrist rotated, I can write legibly without smudging everything. The main problem is that the profile of the pen, where the cap fits, requires me to hold it a bit too close to the nib, which pulls my posture in and brings my hand round to smudging territory. Its still nice to write with, though. I am now on the lookout for fountain pens that write well at different angles, and that are not averse to being pushed across the page by left-handers. I am also hoping that fountain pen inks may have improved over the past 20 years (yes, the last time I dabbled with fountain pens was when I was a teenager). Do any of you have any suggestions? David 72 Comments
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 Inks, 51s, paper...Submitted by Flexiblefine on May 5, 2006 - 8:59am.
a11en wrote: I absolutely love Noodler's... for me, permanence is everything. How many Noodler's colors have you used? I've been using Waterman Florida Blue for years, and I'm considering switching to Noodler's so I can have some permanence. (Florida Blue is labeled "washable" -- which in my experience means it comes off paper easily, not shirts.) Quote: From what I understand, Parker's quink ink was meant to be a quick-dry ink, used in the Parker 51 pens... which had their nibs enclosed, in an attempt to slow down evaporation while the ink flowed to the tip. Parker actually introduced a separate, new "51" or "Superchrome" ink with the 51, which was supposed to dry by absorption into the paper rather than evaporation into the air. Other unfriendly chemical properties of the ink (it ate rubber) made that ink go away. I think the Quink name predates the 51 by a while, but I'm sure the formulation has been changed over the years too. Quote: Perhaps something like this setup would be good for you? I'm still on the look out for a good Parker 51, Aerometric is what you want, as they're pretty much bullet-proof. [the 51's are where it's at, BTW... of course there are other good modern day FP's as well...] Yes, many aerometric Parker 51s are ready to use right away, even after all these years. The 51 isn't a flashy pen, with its simple, sleek design and hooded nib, but it's a legend among pens. Quote: Buying paper expressly for FP useage is also possible... I've just tried the Triomphe pads from Clairfontaine (Pendemonium is where I purchased), and it's fantastic. Amazing paper. Now, this may not be realistic for every-day use... but it's fun to know what things *could* be like if people cared about paper and ink these days. ;) I actually have good luck with TOPS "Docket Gold" pads from my local Office Depot. They were among some recommendations from the Zoss list for FP-friendly paper at some point. If you want smooth European paper for fountain pens, you might also try Pendemonium for Rhodia pads. :) » POSTED IN:
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