For a while, I noticed many people have questions about inks, pens, and what is best for them. I have a few lines that show some of the variables that go into handwriting. Inks can be great in one pen and poor in another. Pens, even the same model from one manufacturer, may have entirely different performance. Papers can be bad for one use, good for another. Here is a sample of what you may see when you are trying a new ink or pen or paper.

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I love my Lamy Safaris. They are beautiful pens. However, often I want a couple of pens, ones that I don't have to worry about losing, gumming up, etc. Since I can buy four Sheaffer Viewpoint pens for the price of one Lamy ...

The same holds true of inks. Private Reserve and Noodler's are great inks. So are Diamine, Waterman, etc. But I might want an ink that I can write with without the fussiness of wiping the nib so often, without worrying so much about the ink drying out. Then the Mont Blanc, the SKRIP, the Lamy cartridges get used.

Moleskin Journals are convenient. No doubt about it. And they take ink well with a smooth, easy writing that is lovely to behold. Often they feather and my nice, crisp Italic hand comes out soft and mushy. In addition, the Moleskins run two to three times what Mead composition books do. Many of the loveliest journals I've ever seen come with paper that absorbs ink to an extent that they cannot be written in.

I want to see members new to this forum and to fountain pens in general made aware of what problems they may find with the tools of the trade and made aware that it is easy to find an alternative, a work-around solution to most of the problems they encounter. I hope my few ramblings help.

Yours,
Randal

Very nice review, and extremely useful. Is fabulous to see the comparisons one next to the other. Thanks so much for taking the time. I also I agree with the conclusions. Very nice penmanship!

Nice review! I'd love to see those pictures larger....

Working on getting pictures larger, better lighting, etc. Just starting out with digital manipulation and putting work up on the FPN. Thanks, Stephanie, for the kind words.

Luck,
Randal

The penmanship is from twenty-five years of working with Italic. Hope to post more as time goes by. Have to solve several problems with getting images up to the board but I am working on it. Just love the new inks out. IMHO, far superior to what was available years back.

Best of luck,
Randal

Thanks - thats great information to have all in one place.

I have a great journal - but the paper is not FP friendly, some of the wetter writers cope ok but the others just dry up and stop which is a shame but just as it is.

Isn't that the pits? To have an excellent journal, neat cover and lovely looks. Then to find that writing in it is a horror story. And all too often it happens. I've acquired a few good ones but the quality changes so much that I can't recommend any and be sure of having great quality. The only way I have found to identify a dry journal is to rub my thumb over the corner of a page. If it feels dry and chalky, I don't buy the journal.

Yours,
Randal

ooh thanks for that tip !