Fountain Pens.

[kshitij]

@brihaji, nice selection of cross pens you got there. The Lezing looks like the pens we used in school. I guess the ones available locally to us back then, were of inferior quality as they used to be clumsy to refill and leaked drops of ink out of the blue often ruining an otherwise perfect paragraph of answer written in school exams.

Submissions with self compositions? You always seem to up the bar

[Mack The Knife]

The making of an Indian ebonite fountain pen body. The video can be seen at http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum ... r-chennai/

[kshitij]

Sub# 3.
Since brihaji started it, here is my composition

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Same old no name black pen, unknown nib and luxor pilot black ink.

Here is an image of the first samples with two of the newer pens,

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From the top,
Black pen
Platinum Preppy with a 0.5 medium nib and platinums blue ink
Lamy Safari with a medium nib and lamys blue ink.

Initial experience:
Both these pens are much better than the regular cheap pens. The nibs are really smooth to write with, almost glass smooth. No inky fingers what so ever

The platinum preppy has a visible line width variation in the different strokes. This does add a good effect to the handwriting. The blue ink it came with however is really light and i dont like it one bit. Got a converter for it and look forward to filling it up once the cartridge runs out. This pen could replace the Uniball roller pens and be my daily use pen. Plus they are affordable so losing one wont leave a dent on the wallet.

Cheers.

[brihacharan]

Awesome composition 'Kshitij'!!!!
It's often surprising that 'Non Branded' pens write the best!
Briha

Added in 13 minutes 4 seconds:

The making of an Indian ebonite fountain pen body. The video can be seen at http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum ... r-chennai/

Hi Mack,
Thanks for sharing this exquisite link - The making of an Indian Ebonite Pen
Briha
PS: Must remember to pick one during my next visit to Chennai!

[brihacharan]

During one of the forays into a stationary shop to buy refills, I chanced upon what looked like a CROSS Ball Point Pen - which on a closer look turned out to be a "CELLO".....
The finish & hold seemed good - it had a fine point and I bought it....
Though not that expensive - it seemed worth the price!




So here's another compositions of mine....
ENTRY 6

Briha

[mundaire]

Great thread gents, brought back many childhood memories!

Here's my scrawl, written with an el cheapo "Flair Inky GenX" fountain pen, cost me all of ₹40/- And no, the limerick is not my composition!

It's a really smooth writer, right out of the box.

abhijeet_cursive.jpg

[Mack The Knife]

Bloody hell! What are you doing here? Raus, raus!
Love the limerick! LOL And your 'scrawl' just got entered in the comp. Good sport!
Brihacharan and Kshitij are just warming up, when ready, we will all be treated to a jugalbandi.
P.S.: Is that Flair a disposable fountain pen?

[mundaire]

@ Raus, raus

Not disposable, but doubt it will last very long. The plastic seems fairly weak & brittle. It takes a type of ink cartridge, no option for a converter, but I like its writing better than the Lamy.

I guess one could always do away with the cartridge and just fill up the body with ink (like in the pens we had in school) - at the risk of inky leaks all over ones clothes.

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[Mack The Knife]

Which Lamy is giving you a problem and what exactly is the problem?

If you want to fill that Flair with an eye dropper or syringe, apply pure silicone grease to the threads - an evenly applied smear. Better still if you think you can put an o-ring on the section threads, then use one as well in addition to the silicone grease.

P.S.: I should have mentioned this earlier....on true eye dropper filling pens, the section to barrel thread pitch is finer and sufficient in number to prevent leakage. However, it's always a good practice to apply silicone grease to these threads.

To fill with an eyedropper on a freshly cleaned or new pen, fill the barrel just shy of the barrel threads. Screw in the section with the nib pointing up until only a few threads remain to be screwed. Now invert the pen, with the nib over your ink pot / rag, and completely screw in the section. You will notice a few drops fall back into the ink pot. Now your feed is primed.

Next time we will discuss 'burping' of eye dropper filling pens. Class is dismissed. Got to take the dog for his walk.

[kshitij]

Another good one brihaji
Have you written these now or in the past?

Brihacharan and Kshitij are just warming up, when ready, we will all be treated to a jugalbandi.

I am afraid that may not happen Mack. Brihaji suddenly seems to be hitting home runs in the competition and i have a feeling in the end he will have the cake and eat it too

[brihacharan]

Another good one brihaji
Have you written these now or in the past?

Brihacharan and Kshitij are just warming up, when ready, we will all be treated to a jugalbandi.

I am afraid that may not happen Mack. Brihaji suddenly seems to be hitting home runs in the competition and i have a feeling in the end he will have the cake and eat it too

Kshitij,
I've been writing poetry off & on (only when the mood strikes)
After 'Mack' threw the 'Gauntlet' - The temptation was too high, not to have picked it up
"Hitting Home Runs"......Good One
Briha

[kshitij]

Cheers to your enthusiasm and spirit brihaji

I had written quite a few poems while i was still in school. Unfortunately most of them were for my female classmates so they seem too boyish now

Anyways, here is one i had written in the 9th grade.

Sub # 4

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Written with a Lamy safari with a 1.5 nib and Lamy blue-black ink.

Today was the first time i wrote with this pen/nib/ink combo and the above was the first few lines i wrote. I am totally blown away with the possibilities using this nib. It gives a lot of dramatic effect to the handwriting. Almost felt like i am learning to write again and there is so much to learn and improve. Wonder how i am gonna get back to using regular pens

[Mack The Knife]

Wonder how i am gonna get back to using regular pens

You aren't the first to feel this way.

What you will most probably end up using, often, is a compromise nib - a stub nib. It's something like a Calligraphy nib but instead of sharp corners, it has slightly rounded corners that lends itself to easier writing but one that stil exhibits line variation.

Once the novelty wears away, you may also transition to calligraphy or stub nibs with narrower line widths for everyday writing. Then the day will come when you get to write with a stub nib with a bit of give/flex to it and you may then be truly hooked for life.

Herewith, endeth the predictions.

[brihacharan]

Way back in the mid 80's while in Germany to attend a Trade Fair, I acquired a few pens in Frankfurt....
1. A set of 'Staedtler' (ball point & pencil)
2. Rudi Kellner (ball point)
3. Submarine (ball point)

As far as the Staedtler was concerned what caught my fancy was the immaculate embossed original leather carry case which I felt accounted for 60% of the cost I paid for it.


ENTRY 8
Written with Staedtler Ball Point

Briha

[kshitij]

Where is everyone else. Many members showed their pen collections, how about some writing samples too guys.