Fountain Pens

My vintage pens (mostly old Waterman) tend to get left in a drawer, as I have had problems with leaks when they're carried around. So I usually use modern pens for my daily drivers - the Pilot/Namiki Vanishing Point/Capless limited edition 2007 orange, and a Sailor 1911S with music nib (equivalent to a Western BB stub). I've simplified my ink collection by giving it away, so now I'm just operating with Robert Oster Blue Denim, which I love.
Very nice, yes I also have a few Pilot Limited Editions the Black Ice, possibly being my favourite to date!!
 
Serenity Blue remains the gold standard. All of the pen restorers and nib specialists I have dealt with use it as their test ink. I love it, but I don't use it all that much as I tend to prefer iron galls and permanent inks. If there is one thing I can't abide, it is smudging. :p
Yes, Serenity Blue is in my daily/s but Noodlers Ink, Burgundy is in my MontBlanc 146R :) Got to colour match!! :unsure:
 
My Mont Blanc and Waterman fountain pens have medium nibs. All these recommendations for the Sailor and music nib make me want to try one. Just pulled the trigger on a Sailor 1911 with the music nib. Looking forward to giving it a try.
Hope you like it - it took me a little while to get used to the fact that the barrel and cap are made of plastic, but I learnt not to mind that. Its only real failing is that the converter capacity is a bit small for such a generous feed. I get around that by filling up a series of cartridges with my favourite ink and sealing them with a plug of low-temp hot melt glue, which you can just pull off with a thumbnail when you're ready.
 
My Mont Blanc and Waterman fountain pens have medium nibs. All these recommendations for the Sailor and music nib make me want to try one. Just pulled the trigger on a Sailor 1911 with the music nib. Looking forward to giving it a try.
Nice move, @Errol 👍.
As @Gargravarr wisely notes, it takes a little perseverance to get used to the sharp contrast between thick and thin strokes depending on your angle of attack.
I also found that minor smoothing of the square points helped with my writing style.
 
Nice move, @Errol 👍.
As @Gargravarr wisely notes, it takes a little perseverance to get used to the sharp contrast between thick and thin strokes depending on your angle of attack.
I also found that minor smoothing of the square points helped with my writing style.
I’m hoping I can get a copperplate style from this nib. Love copperplate, but flexible nibs seem to be a thing of the past. If anyone’s knows of a pen with a flexible nib suitable for copperplate, I’d be very interested.
 
I’m hoping I can get a copperplate style from this nib. Love copperplate, but flexible nibs seem to be a thing of the past. If anyone’s knows of a pen with a flexible nib suitable for copperplate, I’d be very interested.
There are a few people around whose job it is to "meister" nibs to whatever specifications you like, so you can have your wet noodle nib easily, just check on some of the fountain pen forums. You don't necessarily need an expensive pen to do this, lots of people start with a cheap Lamy.

The Sailor music nib isn't super-hard, but it isn't a real flex by any means. But you can achieve a lot of the same effect with an appropriate writing angle.
 
I’m hoping I can get a copperplate style from this nib. Love copperplate, but flexible nibs seem to be a thing of the past. If anyone’s knows of a pen with a flexible nib suitable for copperplate, I’d be very interested.
The best nibs I have used with this characteristic are vintage Pelikans from the early 1930’s. They have amazing flex, and are great fun to write with.
They are a product of the Bauhaus movement, so also have great aesthetics. I love mine.
 
If you want modern flex, a friend of mine has a stunning Nakaya pen like this:

l1w5cxp0.f4i.jpg


If you ask for it (and pay extra) they'll cut the nib for what they call "Elastic" properties. I've admired their beautiful lacquer finishes for many years, but the price is more than the Chancellor of the Exchequer will stomach. This particular one is only US$775, but many of their pens cost three times that.
 
If you want modern flex, a friend of mine has a stunning Nakaya pen like this:

l1w5cxp0.f4i.jpg


If you ask for it (and pay extra) they'll cut the nib for what they call "Elastic" properties. I've admired their beautiful lacquer finishes for many years, but the price is more than the Chancellor of the Exchequer will stomach. This particular one is only US$775, but many of their pens cost three times that.
That is class. It looks like the January earth quake has affected production. I’ll hold back for a while until they get back up and running. Have a Sailor in the post to try first anyhow.
 
That is class. It looks like the January earth quake has affected production. I’ll hold back for a while until they get back up and running. Have a Sailor in the post to try first anyhow.
When did they start allowing you to get people delivered by post? ;)
 
My Mont Blanc and Waterman fountain pens have medium nibs. All these recommendations for the Sailor and music nib make me want to try one. Just pulled the trigger on a Sailor 1911 with the music nib. Looking forward to giving it a try.


Sailor 1911 – Standard Series Fountain Pen – Music nib

I’ve always thought black with gold trimmings to be my ideal of what a fountain pen should look like. The Sailor 1911 came in black resin with 24K gold plating and after seeing it, I’m not so sure now. After using my Waterman and Montblanc fountain pens for a while, the Sailor feels positive light at just 20g. It came with a couple of cartridges, but I chose to use the convertor option. My problem with the convertor is that it does not hold much ink, I’m always filling it. I was expecting there to be some flex in the nib but it has very little, no problem: I’ll just use it as a broad nib.
 


Sailor 1911 – Standard Series Fountain Pen – Music nib

I’ve always thought black with gold trimmings to be my ideal of what a fountain pen should look like. The Sailor 1911 came in black resin with 24K gold plating and after seeing it, I’m not so sure now. After using my Waterman and Montblanc fountain pens for a while, the Sailor feels positive light at just 20g. It came with a couple of cartridges, but I chose to use the convertor option. My problem with the convertor is that it does not hold much ink, I’m always filling it. I was expecting there to be some flex in the nib but it has very little, no problem: I’ll just use it as a broad nib.
Great post - your writing is very nice indeed. (y)
 


Sailor 1911 – Standard Series Fountain Pen – Music nib

I’ve always thought black with gold trimmings to be my ideal of what a fountain pen should look like. The Sailor 1911 came in black resin with 24K gold plating and after seeing it, I’m not so sure now. After using my Waterman and Montblanc fountain pens for a while, the Sailor feels positive light at just 20g. It came with a couple of cartridges, but I chose to use the convertor option. My problem with the convertor is that it does not hold much ink, I’m always filling it. I was expecting there to be some flex in the nib but it has very little, no problem: I’ll just use it as a broad nib.
Once you've experience MB pens, it is hard to like Japanese pens. It is not they are not good, Japenese pens are fantastic writers. I guess its the piston mechanism which gives MB a heft. I had Sailor King of Pens but nothing appealed to me more than MB 149.
 
Once you've experience MB pens, it is hard to like Japanese pens. It is not they are not good, Japenese pens are fantastic writers. I guess its the piston mechanism which gives MB a heft. I had Sailor King of Pens but nothing appealed to me more than MB 149.
Yes, I don't like to admit it (re perceived Snob value!!) but I prefer my MB 146R over all my Japanese FP's or my Parker Big Red (modern), yet find myself using my Pilot VP/Capless most days due to ease of access?
 
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