First "big" Pen On The Way; Help Me Ink Up!

[NomadSteve]

Well my first "serious" pen is en route: a Visconti Homo Sapiens Steel oversize stub.

 

While I bounce around waiting for it to show up, help me ink up!

 

I'm used to writing with cheap C&C pens that are super easy to maintain, so I don't mind throwing some Rouge Hematite or other finicky inks in those. But I feel that I should probably be a bit more thoughtful about this one, given the investment and the fact that I can't break it down to every single piece to give it a thorough scrubbing.

 

I know Waterman Blue is the gold standard, but that's a bit...I don't want to say "boring," but...boring

 

I know a lot of reviewers seem to like Lie de The, but I haven't been able to track a bottle down here in Barcelona yet.

 

SO! Suggestions? Favorite inks in a stub? What's in YOUR Homo Sapien?

[casualmerlinconstant]

Shading inks like pelikan 4001

[ConnallMac]

I've got my Pelikan M205 with a 0.4mm stub loaded with Diamine Sargasso Sea. It actually has very interesting shading, going from blue to black.

[thesunshine]

Have you considered filling it with a Visconti ink? Their Blue is beautiful, or if you're looking for something a bit more unusual they also do a nice Turquoise.

[Sandy1]

Shading inks like pelikan 4001

 

+1 for Pelikan 4001

 

Their Blue-Black is so very fine - its been on my top shelf for years. Their Brown leans a bit too far to Yellow for yours truly, but if the VHS is wet, the ink can run dark enough to suppress that aspect without misbehaving.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited March 27, 2014 by Sandy1

[Blue_Moon]

 

I know Waterman Blue is the gold standard, but that's a bit...I don't want to say "boring," but...boring

 

 

"Boring" is in the eye of the beholder. I love Waterman Serenity Blue. What you think is gorgeous, I may think gaudy. Instead of making blanket statements, please add "to me."

[NomadSteve]

"Boring" is in the eye of the beholder. I love Waterman Serenity Blue. What you think is gorgeous, I may think gaudy. Instead of making blanket statements, please add "to me."

¡Mi culpa! Of course you are correct and I apologize if I gave anybody offense. I'm a long time FPN lurker, but only recent poster. I'm not used to navigating these potentially-turbulent waters.

 

That said, I thought pretty much everything posted on FPN was more or less subjective, as you noted (one user's bland is another user's stately). I was only referring to Waterman Blue as "boring" as a means of expanding some of my personal thinking on the topic. Since asking "what ink should I use?!" would be SO subjective as to be individually meaningless without some context on personal preference, that's what I was trying to provide. Sorry I didn't disclaim that intent specifically enough (I know that sounds sarcastic but I don't intend it as such; I genuinely regret not providing clearer meaning in the original post).

 

By the way, I have Waterman Blue and enjoy it in some settings, but I PERSONALLY AND IN MY OPINION tend to think of it as more of a "standard" ink for use in a "professional" setting than a pen-safe shader for a wet stub like the VHS, which is what I was looking for with this question.

 

In any case, thanks for reading and for the feedback, it's very helpful as I become more engaged in this community. And keep the suggestions coming please, I appreciate all of the expertise and experience on here!

[Montblanc owner and lover]

Waterman's South sea blue...or if you are ready for it go for luxury inks: Iroshizuku (the Tsuki Yo is wonderfull) or Graf Von Faber Castell (hazelnut Brown is nice)

[Sleepy]

"Boring" is in the eye of the beholder. I love Waterman Serenity Blue. What you think is gorgeous, I may think gaudy. Instead of making blanket statements, please add "to me."

Surely it's obvious that when someone provides a qualitative assessment such as 'boring' that is their opinion. Do we really need to qualify everything with "to me". That seems silly (to me).

[odd_soul]

I love De Atramentis inks. They do write rather wet already, though, so they may not be the best choice for a wet pen, but I've got some DA Steel Blue I my wet-writing Van Gogh and do not find it overkill. Their inks shade very well and are very smooth. And most importantly, they're easy to clean! Other than that, I also highly recommend J. Herbin inks for the same reasons. They are not quite as wet, so would maybe be a better fit for your fabulous new pen!

[PAKMAN]

My favorite HS Lava ink has become Iroshizuku (Pilot) fuyu-syogun Old Man Winter. The Silver Gray matches the pen and looks really great coming out of my Lava Visconti!

[zaddick]

OP - what setting will you be using your pen? I ask becuase I tend to like dark reds, but at the office some people think I am giving "corrections" when I use a red ink so I sometimes use dark greens or browns. What you want to use the pen for might help with recommendations.

 

I do like the Visconti Turquoise and the bottles (though plastic) and quite nice looking too. J. Herbin inks are a safe option for some bolder colors.

[NomadSteve]

Good point, Zaddick. This will primarily be for personal correspondence, not office settings. So I am 100% ok with a bit of flair, and good shaders are a definite +1 for this notoriously wet stub.

 

Should probably also add that I've been an FP user for a few years now but mostly Safaris, one Kaweco Student and my current "most exotic," a Faber-Castell e-motion. But like I said, these are all easily-cleaned C&Cs, not a captured converter like the VHS steel. As for ink, in my current stable I have (among others):

 

-quite a few Noodlers (a company I adore). These include BSiAR and Apache Sunset, both of which I think might be nice in a supposedly wet, shading stub like the VHS, but...boy I hope I don't set off a firestorm here...this being my first big purchase on a pen, I'm hesitant to ink with Noodlers. Please be gentle with me for saying that

 

-J. Herbin rouge hematite. Like you, Zaddick, I love a potent red. But this ink is notoriously (and certainly in my own experience) pretty gunky and I'm a bit gun-shy about loading that into a spendy pen that I can't easily break down to scrub thoroughly. I've seen what this stuff can do to a Safari just overnight!;

 

-Iroshizuku kon-peki, which, as far as what I have on hand, is probably what'll go in the pen when it arrives.

 

But I'll definitely be swinging by my local store to check out some of the Pelikans, and I'm loving the suggestions I'm getting! Thanks for sharing all the great personal experiences with this pen and others, and your recommended inks. Better go refresh the tracking tab again...

[Cordovian]

Shading inks like pelikan 4001

+2 I'm using that right now

[zaddick]

Well, this may not be up your alley, but since you have a pen made from lava, what about the new MB Leonardo chalk red ink? It is probably more orange than you would typically use and a little dry, but it will give variation and maybe look a little like molten lava? I have some on order because I am a sucker for the bottle it comes in, but there are severl reviews here if you want to look at them.

[Blue_Moon]

Surely it's obvious that when someone provides a qualitative assessment such as 'boring' that is their opinion. Do we really need to qualify everything with "to me". That seems silly (to me).

 

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I'd like to respond. IMO and IMHO are used frequently in this forum and other boards - why? Because people want to distinguish between expressing their opinion and stating something they perceive to be fact. If I make a critical statement as fact, it takes on an entirely different meaning than if I were to indicate that the statement was my opinion. No, I don't wear my feelings on my sleeve (American expression), but I would appreciate not hearing something that I particularly liked, disparaged - as fact, or vice-versa. However, I believe in full freedom to state one's opinion - and I don't get offended when someone's opinion differs from mine.

 

Having said that, although I don't believe I was being overly-sensitive, if I was, then I apologize.

 

To the OP - you took my constructive criticism in the spirit in which it was intended, I believe. I asked you to not use blanket statements (I even said "please"), and you certainly replied in a most cordial and friendly manner. Thank you.

[Ron_L]

I'm using Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black in my Pelikan m150. Smooth writing!

[Sleepy]

 

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I'd like to respond. IMO and IMHO are used frequently in this forum and other boards - why? Because people want to distinguish between expressing their opinion and stating something they perceive to be fact. If I make a critical statement as fact, it takes on an entirely different meaning than if I were to indicate that the statement was my opinion. No, I don't wear my feelings on my sleeve (American expression), but I would appreciate not hearing something that I particularly liked, disparaged - as fact, or vice-versa. However, I believe in full freedom to state one's opinion - and I don't get offended when someone's opinion differs from mine.

 

Having said that, although I don't believe I was being overly-sensitive, if I was, then I apologize.

 

To the OP - you took my constructive criticism in the spirit in which it was intended, I believe. I asked you to not use blanket statements (I even said "please"), and you certainly replied in a most cordial and friendly manner. Thank you.

 

'Boring' can never be a fact.

[Blue_Moon]

 

'Boring' can never be a fact.

But it can be stated as fact.

[Sleepy]

But it can be stated as fact.

 

That doesn't make it a fact. The end. We've derailed this thread far enough. Sorry OP.