Hi! I jumped right in and started posting last week without introducing myself. How rude! Anyway, Hi! I'm a 4th year medical student, going into psychiatry, currently in Chapel Hill, NC. I'm in the middle of applying to residency programs, so in March, I'll know where I'm going to be for the next 5 years... We're looking towards Massachusetts or California, but won't know until the little white envelope arrives. Since 4th year is a little more relaxing than the rest of med school, I've returned to my beloved fountain pens, and since finding this board, I've realized that there are so many more to love and adore, and that I "need" to convert all my decent pens to cursive italic or stub nibs. I've already ordered a Pelikan M215 with a binderized cursive italic, as well as an M150 with stub - they're on their way...

I'm anxiously awaiting some Noodler's permanent inks... And looking at the hero pens, but I don't need any more pens! But they look like so much fun and such a bargain!

I love colorful inks! Pink, Purple, Turquoise, and Orange (if I could find the perfect BRIGHT Orange) would be my choice, but the hospital is weirdly adamant that we only use BLACK. HRMPH. I am but a lowly medical student (we're the lowest on the totem pole - being the only ones who pay to be yelled at... just kidding!), so despite my calling the legal department to protest that there exists no law regarding ink colors, I am still not permitted to use even dark blue... Alas.

I currently have in my rotation: a Namiki VP Blue Carbonesque from oscarbraunpens.com with 0.9 cursive italic nib from pendemonium.com,
a sheaffer javelin with 0.7 cursive italic from pendemonium.com (thinking about converting it to an eyedropper, but I am so flaky about ink changes, that I don't know if I can commit to that much of one ink color at a time),
various sheaffer no-nonsense fine calligraphy pens (i bet those could become eye droppers as well),
various pelikan script fine calligraphy pens,
and a cheapo daisy tiny pink calligraphy pen....

I have others, but those are the ones I'm using at the moment. It's fun to try and match inks to the outer pen colors, but I'm not a stickler about it.

Ok, that's way too much info, I bet. Hey, any other NC folks out there know of a local place I can go and look/hunt for pens and inks? I've only found the "Office Supplies and More" store up in North Chapel Hill - and the proprieter sold me a "turqoise" ink that turned out to be regular blue... He also claimed to have "the lowest price fountain pens in the country" but was significantly higher-priced than pam at oscarbraunpens... However, he DID have waterman purple...

Anyway, all the art supply stores around here have looked at me like I'm insane when I ask for bottled fountain pen inks... Even the ones that SELL fountain pens! Or, they try to sell me "waterproof Higgins" and refuse to believe me when I say it's not so great for fountain pens... Help!

Hi,

It looks like you like similar colors to what I like. I like purple, pink, and turquoise ink too.

I live right at the border or Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

What do you think about the size of the M200 or M150? The M200 is the largest Pelikan size I can use, so I will have to get a Pelikan M300 when I have the money.

Dillon

A psychiatrist "crazy" about fountain pens. Wonder what Dr. Freud would have said.

Welcome. A good psychiatrist around here would be welcome indeed!

Andy

Welcome heidi!

Those colors are beautiful colors (except I hate pink)

Diamine is a nice bright orange.

Penhero is in NC...

S

Welcome Heidi!! I have just inked with a new color for me of Naples Blue from Private Reserve. Also trying Tanzanite. The blue is delightful!!!!

Handlebar

Hi Heidi!

I'm happy you did the full intro. I enjoy your posts and really appreciated your 3 italic review...and your waterproof questions/answers. Best of luck with the education - that's one long haul

Btw, do you use the .7mm cursive italic as an everyday writing tool?

Well, my rekindled affair with fountain pens began during my vacation, so I do use the .7 cursive italic every day at home... However, I start my anesthesia rotation on Tuesday, and I think maybe the speeno will become the pen to carry around (I can use the little chain to attach it to my ID card, so I don't lose it in scrubs). I also can't bear to put black ink into my FUN cursive italics, but I better get over it so I can use them in the hospital! The speeno is fun, but not something I want to write long progress notes with - just some short notes or so....

Thanks for the welcome, everyone! I wonder if we could figure out people's "psyche" based on their preferred nibs/inks/pens. *grin*

Hi,

I too am addicted to italic and stub nibs and would love to hear details about which nibs are your favorites and why.

I picked up a bottle of diamine pink at the Ohio pen show and WOW is it ever bright! Brighter even than my day-glo pink highlighter marker! I tried writing a card with it and was practically blinded. But if you're into pink you might like it.

I also have Private reserve orange crush, but it is more like "light paprika" in my pens, not at all orange. I'm totally into turquoise and my favorite remains pelikan.

Petra /:)

Hi Heidi,

I make my own orange, and it is quite bright: mix Montblanc red and Sheaffer King Gold in, approximately, 2 to 1. It also has excellent flow.

Another stub fan here!

Hello from Eastern NC! Be glad you're towards the middle/western part of the state - you've got more FP choices! Out here it's net only .

Thanks for the great intro. Welcome aboard and see ya around!

Thanks for the welcome, everyone! I wonder if we could figure out people's "psyche" based on their preferred nibs/inks/pens. *grin*



:bunny1:

Well, just so you know, I am normal.
Hi Heidi! Welcome to here!


satrap

Hi Heidi and welcome to FPN!

Well, if you are looking for people with a mild form of OCD to study from afar, you've come to the right site...
(Just kidding folks; as an ex-pharmacist, I have some inkling--no pun intended--of how debilitating OCD can be)

Anyway, thank you for the intro, Heidi. It's nice to have you on board. Good luck with your residency applications; I hope you wind up somewhere where you want to be...or at least someplace with several good pen shops!