Pen/Ink/Paper Collecting Thread

Discussion in 'Random Thoughts' started by Dr. Higgs, Feb 22, 2016.

  1. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    Incidentally, gsm alone is not a good indicator of paper quality. That'd be like using megapixel count for cameras or frequency response for headphones. For example, one of my all-time favourite papers is Tomoe River, which is great for really wet nibs even at only 52-53 gsm; weight is a useful measure of quality, butsizing and finish matter too, so you really need to try before making any hard calls.

    And yeah, most people I see using Moleskine do seem to gravitate towards ballpens and pencils, more so the latter. Used to be a mech pencil guy myself, but inks are too much fun to play with.
     
  2. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    Bought a couple items from Galen Leather recently. Their notebook cover is freaking awesome and at a great price. Highly recommended. Their zippered pen case is what I really wanted and it also looks good but I have an issue with it. I saw a couple raised bumps on the leather. Is this normal? Including some pics

    leather1.jpg leather2.jpg
     
  3. Cryptowolf

    Cryptowolf Repping Chi Town - Friend

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    Looks like possible water damage or a problem introduced during leather tanning. I'm fairly hard on my leather goods and personally consider the unique pattern produced from use to be part of the charm. If it were mine, I'd reseal the leather with a light coat of mink oil.

    If it does bother you, most dealers would probably swap it out.
     
  4. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    The bumps themselves aren't an issue for me. Just worried about premature wear. Swapping it might be a little bit of an issue since I got it monogrammed.
     
  5. Cryptowolf

    Cryptowolf Repping Chi Town - Friend

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    A good leather conditioner, such as mink's oil or Pecard's Leather Dressing should help protect the leather. I've even restored antique leathers with Pecard's. So long as there isn't cracking, you should be good to go.
     
  6. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    Heard back from the manufacturer and they said the bumps are normal. However I can still return it or purchase another at a major discount. I suspect the generousity is because they took a really long time to answer my email. While buying another case is super tempting, I'll just stick with the one I have. I think I will try the mink oil like you said.

    Good guys. Once again, highly recommended.
     
  7. Dr. Higgs

    Dr. Higgs Boson - Member

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    I decided to give mechanical pencils a shot so I've got a Rotring 600 & 800 coming in soon.

    The Rotring 800 is the cheapest its ever been on Amazon right now if anyone is interested.
     
  8. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    Thanks for the heads-up! No experience with the 800 yet, but the 600 and Tikky pens were stalwart companions before I migrated to FPs. Still carry a Tikky around out of habit. haha.

    *hauls ass to Amazon*
     
  9. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    What do you look for in a mechanical pencil?

    The Pentel I have is pretty good and I don't know what spending more would do for me. The only real issue I have is that I can't really use the lead until the very end, but I find that acceptable for what I paid for it.
     
  10. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    I'm very picky about mech pencils. I need enough substance to know I'm actually holding something but not enough that there's any significant momentum (for lack of a more appropriate word) when putting pen to paper. I also need to know that erasers (if applicable) are easily available since, depending on what I'm penning, I may need a finer eraser and I don't want to have to buy another pen just to get an eraser; that defeats the purpose of having a non-disposable pen, in my opinion.

    Balance and grip girth are also really important; I've got smaller hands for a dude, which is why I tend not to care very much for designs such as the Montblanc 149 or the Pelikan M1000 (even though I actually find the latter really fun to write with, even if only because of the awesome nib).

    I had one propelling pencil (basically a mech pencil with refills as wide as as your typical Mongol pencil's lead), but it saw little use since the balance was off. Might get into them again if I can find a really nice keeper, such as a Yard-O-Led.


    Kevin
     
  11. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    What size nibs do you guys use?

    I buy all my pens with a Fine nib size because that's what works for me when taking notes. I feel like larger nib sizes are for artists, but I wonder what situations I might need a larger nib for in terms of writing. For now the only other nib I'm considering is a stub nib for calligraphy reasons.
     
  12. Cryptowolf

    Cryptowolf Repping Chi Town - Friend

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    I generally use a Japanese fine or extra fine, or a western extra fine. I prefer a really fine nib for quick note taking, especially when dealing with the awful copy paper at work.

    I have a 1.3 stub that I use for highlighting with a specialized Noodler's ink for this purpose.

    If I'm journaling or otherwise writing for pleasure, I enjoy a stub nib. Both Franklin Cristoph and Nibs.com have a great selection of #5 and #6 stub nibs. These stub nibs grant more line variation and force me to slow down my sloppy chicken scratch. I don't have the patience or drive to use a wide (1.0 or broader) stub nib for calligraphy. If you don want to explore true stub nibs, pentel makes a fun and affordable set.
     
  13. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    I'm more of a Western F/Japanese M nib guy for regular writing, but I also use Western B, Stubs, and EEF flex nibs when the mood strikes me.
     
  14. Dr. Higgs

    Dr. Higgs Boson - Member

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    Pretty much all of my pens are western EF, Japanese F, or medium stubs
     
  15. Daveheart

    Daveheart Friend

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    I'm all over the place with my nibs. I have several that are Western EF/Japanese F like @Dr. Higgs , but I've lately been using a Pelikan M that was ground to a cursive italic. I've also got various stubs from .7-1.2mm that rotate in from time to time. Oh, and I also use music nibs from time to time. I find I use my Platinum music way more often than the Sailor though.
     
  16. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    Do you carry a pen for each nib type? Or you have extra nibs and switch them out?
     
  17. Daveheart

    Daveheart Friend

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    I usually only ever carry one pen at a time, but I keep several at my desk at work and several scattered around the house. They're not all inked of course. I've got an original Stipula Passaporto with a 1.1mm stub that I usually have inked, along with the Pelikan and an Edison Pearl that are almost always inked.

    But no, I don't really swap nibs. I just have a decently large collection.
     
  18. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    Well, I'm having a bad time. I'll have to have this shipped of to Leipzig or somewhere for Pelikan to repair it. Someone else here had the exact same thing happen to the same model, so maybe the Tortoise Brown M101N needs a bit more babying than most.

    https://imghost.io/image/GG9n8
    [​IMG]
     
  19. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    Going for my first gold nib pen. Any recommendations?

    I don’t want a Lamy 2000. I am thinking of an Edison Nouveau at Goulet Pen. I tend to prefer green/blue colors. The Pelikans look nice but seem a bit overpriced.
     
  20. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    I'm looking for a Christmas gift for the GF, she really likes writing and pens. She mentioned something about a split nib?

    Last year she wanted and got a fine Pilot Metropolitan so this year I'd like to get her something nicer. Is it possible to get a nicer pen with a couple different nibs or is it all in one?
     

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