What inks do people find work well in their VPs? Mine has a medium nib and is filled with Diamine Prussian Blue, but I'm finding that it's a bit of a dry writer and so I was wondering what ink might be better suited.

Mine is fine nib and it is fine with any ink I put in it. Right now it has Richard's faux Tanzinite in it. 50:50 mix Waterman Blue:Waterman Violet.

Haven't tried Diamine in mine, but I have used Waterman inks with great results. My VP usually stays inked with a Noodlers waterproof blue, either Gulfstream Blue or Aquamarine Blue. Both work very well.

Have Noodler's Squeteague in a medium. PR Black Magic Blue* in the fine.

I think someone at PR said - Hey, let's mix Tanzanite and Midnight Blues 1:1 and see what we get.

My experience with Prussian blue is that it has pretty generous flow - but perhaps slightly less lubrication than the Noodler's and PR inks.

My Vanishing Point with a medium nib does very well on Noodler's Gulfstream Blue. After some trial and error, Gulfstream Blue and Namiki/Pilot Blue-Black cartridges are about all I use in my VP.

Bill

edited for spelling

Have the nib looked at. These shoudln't be dry writers.

I wouldn't call my VP (medium) a "dry" writer, but it's definitely drier than my Namiki Falcon (also medium). I thought they might do that on purpose because it's more likely an office-carry writer where one might have to deal with feathery paper. Maybe not. Anyway, it writes great and to answer the original post, I have it loaded with either Private Reserve Midnight Blues or Private Reserve American Blue.

Namiki/Pilot converters don't hold much ink but I use the "syringe" technique -- I turn the nib upward and tap the converter to get the air bubble at the top, then counter-clockwise the converter piston (I have the piston not the squeezer) to push the air bubble out until the nib starts oozing a little bubble of ink. Then I dip the pen and clockwise the ink into the converter. It loads the whole converter with ink so you then have to squeeze a couple of drops out, then return clockwise the converter back in place to pull a "starter" bubble of air back in so the pen won't ink-bomb in your pocket.

Many thanks to the folks on this forum for the syringe tip. I can get a page more out of the converter this way.

Doug

My VP always has WM Florida Blue, never misses a beat.

Gary

Carrie, this is a common "problem" with the VP. I am using one that I had to go through this routine.

The tines are too close at the tip. They are practically touching each other. My guess is that when you press hard you get a good line but if you try to write under near zero pressure it does not produce a line at all. The solution to this is the following. Empty it out (or wait till the ink runs out) and take a piece of vellum and pass it through the slit (start from the breather hole and pushing along the slit. Do this 2-3 times and you will see that the slit opens just a tad. The flow should improve. If this does not do try a slightly thicker piece of vellum (or a transparency or any piece of hard plastic film). Let us know how you did.

AZ