Hi all,

I'm new to the whole fountain pen scene, and I was wondering about something. I have an Esterbrook LJ with a 1550 nib that I need ink for. I also have a set of Koh-i-noor Rapidograph technical pens that I've had for years that I have LOTS of ink for. The inks that I have are various colors of Rotring Artist Acrylic Ink. I know that for the technical pens, especially the very fine points, are picky about the ink that is used in them. From the reading I've been doing on this site for the past day or two, I see that fountain pens are also very picky. So, I'm sure that the question I have is fairly evident by now.

Why can the ink that is designed for the technical pens and very fine technical pen parts not be used in a fountain pen? Are technical pens really that much more "coarse" than a fountain pen?

Thanks ahead of time for any help on this subject.

Jeremy

As an experienced technical pen user, you know that they require regular attention to keep working, and if you ever let one dry out, you will probably lose the point. There lies one major difference between the two pen types. A TP has a replaceable point, which includes the feed system. Fountain pens do not. Another major difference is the nib itself. A TP nib contains a small weighted wire that runs the entire length of the tube. Motion of the pen, and putting the point to paper continually move the wire in the tube, and help keep the ink flowing freely. FP's have no such built in cleaning mechanism. They rely on inks that remain free flowing, and that have no, (or very little) suspended or dissolved solids. When FP ink dries out it usually leaves a very thin film, if anything. TP inks have a lot of solid content that is obvious if you let some dry out in the open. TP inks are also intended for applicaitons that require durability and high resistance to water. That means if they dry out in your pen, they are difficult or impossible to dissolve. FP inks, even highly water resistant ones, are much more soluble in water than TP inks. That is a requirement, since you can't easily replaec the point and feed system in a FP. It hsould be filled with ink that can be washed out (with water), even if it is allowed to dry in the pen.

Hi Jeremy,

Inks used in technical pens are generally water resistant or waterproof when dry, and could well be acrylic, as you indicate. Fountain pen inks are water based, water soluble inks, otherwise you would end up having to clean your fountain pen every time before you put it away for the night, like you ought to do with technical pens. As you probably know, leaving a technical pen uncleaned for too long essentially renders it useless, and often not even an ultrasound cleaner will get the pen cleaned up again.

With a fountain pen it gets a lot trickier, because a fountain pen has a completely different feed and nib than a technical pen has. While ruining a technical pen may set you back 10 to 25 $, a fountain pen nib may set you back between 10 and 400 $ or even more. Furthermore, the filling system may get clogged up permanently as well, which essentially means in case of a piston filler that you may have to buy a completely new pen.

Finally, technical drawing is often a binary matter: either there is ink (a line), or there isn't. A fountain pen allows you to do flourishes, in thick and thin, etc. That requires different ink properties from fountain pen inks than from technical drawing ink. Drawing ink is opaque most of the time, fountain pen ink varies in colour ("shading") with the amount of ink laid down, or with the thickness of the line.

Well, so far my ramblings for now .

HTH, warm regards, Wim

Technical pens are stylographic pens. They can tolerate inks that won't work well in a fountain pen, most specifically India ink, which contains shellac. Part of the difference in tolerance is due to the pens' design, but part of it is also in the fact that technical pens are cleaned far more frequently -- at least they are if their users like to avoid having to resort to Koh-I-Noor Pen Cleaner. Do not use anything except fountain pens inks in fountain pens! This prohibition includes "specialty" inks like the Winsor & Newton calligraphy inks that are claimed to be suitable for both. They're not. Similarly, do not use paint, white-out, or inkjet ink in fountain pens. You will without fail suffer the unpleasant consequences.

Thank you everyone for your responses! It makes a world of sense, and I see how I could have really ruined things had I decided to use one of those inks!