Which Fps For Dry, Hot Extreme Desert Conditions?

[roygbiv54321]

Dear friends,

 

What is your experience or recommendations for extremely dry, hot weather conditions in both pen and ink? What is your "desert island pen"?

 

For a two year stint in the Sahara Desert, I took what I thought would be my "desert island pen": a Pilot Vanishing Point with three nibs. It was so dry that the Noodlers Bulletproof Black ink evaporated in the converter in just days, at most.

 

I am about to move to Kuwait, which is more or less one of the hottest places in the world. I have my eye on a Pilot Custom 823. I am quiet picky about the nib experience, so choosing a pen only by the quality of the barrel seal alone won't suffice.

 

For giggles, price is not an option but something well under $400 is most realistic.

 

Thanks for the years and years of reading and shifting through posts on the FPN. I rarely post, but quietly sit in the background and reap the benefits of the thriving community. Happy writing!

Edited February 25, 2015 by roygbiv54321

[Notgatherox]

You would want something that minimises exposure to the air (ie a hooded nib).

 

I would say the Lamy 2000 is something you can consider - it has a hooded nib and is a piston filler - so you can have more ink in it. Lamy nibs are smooth and the 2k is hand-checked by Lamy with Lamy Blue before it leaves the factory, so it should perform well.

 

On the other hand, one can go for an eyedropper pen for maximum ink capacity - these pens hold up to 6ml of ink! Check out the Indian eyedropper pens - maybe a Deccan Masterpiece?

 

You would want a very wet ink if you're going to somewhere hot - perhaps the Noodler's Eel Series would cut it for you.

 

 

 

~Epic

[cellmatrix]

The platinum #3776 century has a special sealed cap that can resist evaporation extremely well.

[spotted and speckled]

Something with a cap that seals well. A hooded nib would probably afford your ink some protection. Personally, I would take a Pelikan or two (or 40) and some nice ink that was not dry-ish to start with.

[Frank C]

Living in Las Vegas, Nevada, my pens and I are constantly exposed to desert conditions. I have found that Sailor pens, Pelikan pens, and the above-mentioned Platinum Century are all good at not drying out. I found a misplaced Sailor once, that had been missing for about five years, still able to write. Hooded nibs are not that essential, just cap your pen if you are not using it constantly.

 

While I like Vanishing Points, I found that they dry out very quickly. The shutter on the business end of the pen probably does not seal tightly.

[rwilsonedn]

+1 for the cap seals on the Platinum pens as far as drying out goes. They really work, even on the low-end Plaisir. But you may have another issue as well, moving between the massively hot outdoors and the massively air-conditioned indoors there. If you have to write on the hoof, as in on a clipboard while walking, I would consider an aerometric Parker 51, because it combines a decent cap seal, a deeply hooded nib, and a big enough ink collector to protect you from the effects of those temperature variations. If you will be writing only at desks, you might seriously consider a traveling dip pen and traveling inkwell. That would give you a elegant writing outfit, very compact to carry, with excellent nibs and none of the fountain-pen issues. In either case I would stick with well-behaved inks (as in, inks from fountain pen manufacturers) that are not going to leave all manner of weird deposits in your pen's feed if the ink does dry out. You don't want to find yourself in Kuwait trying to buy household ammonia, or a bottle of all-else-has-failed pen cleaner.

ron

[RudyR]

+1 for a Platinum #3776 with a slip and seal cap. While I was living in Santa Fe we had a similar problem as far as ink goes. It is High, cold and dry during the winter and these conditions will suck the water out of ink in no time, leaving you with nothing but ink dust (yes I am exaggerating, but its a good story).

 

And for fish sakes, don't buy a black pen. I know, its the coolest color for sophisticated people, be we are talking sunshine here, not the rain soaked Northwest, where everyone wears black clothes, black shoes, black socks, black underwear; and buys black cars, black bicycles and black dogs. Even black books and black glasses. You get a black pen and I guarantee your pen will be oozing ink at the first exposure of sun.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

In such conditions an open nib and good cap seal are two characteristics I'd look for. Also no metal parts inside the cap and a simple c/c filler for ease of maintenance.

 

I find the nuances of pen handling are important.

 

I always carry the pen upon my person, so it can enjoy a more stable micro climate.

 

Cap the pen when not actively writing.

 

Fill the pen at least once daily: rinse the open nib and feed of dried ink and other detritus, then fill-flush with ink by cycling the converter piston a few times, rinse the nib and feed but leave it slightly damp.

 

I tried rinsing the cap, flicking out the excess water, put it on the freshly charged damp nib+feed and leaving it damp overnight, which works OK. It may be the case that a morning dip of the nib into water up the length of the nib slit is enough for a wake-up [of the pen - I need my java jolt.]

 

I use a rotring 600 and Pelikan P99 Technixx in the field. As it seems you prefer a less austere writing experience, a Platinum model known to have a good cap seal would be a good pick, or a Sailor 1911 / 1911M with a Music nib that's been hand ground down to a 0.6 Fude-esque duopoint would leave a few fils for gahwa.

 

Conditions in Q8 vary a lot by season and locale. When there's AC its often maxed-out.

 

Enjoy!

 

Bye,

S1

 

P.S.

Some with traditional values may think it odd to see males with anything of gold, so a pen with Rhodium nib and furniture should be considered.

Edited February 26, 2015 by Sandy1

[Buzz_130]

I'm familiar with the environment on the north end of the Arabian Gulf, and my go-to pen for working outside was the Fisher Space Pen. When the winds are out of the south, you'll have ridiculous humidity. When the winds are out of the north, you'll have extremely dry air, sand, and dust. As I would head out for a morning run, I could tell by the humidity which way the wind would be blowing and which runway we would be on. The pressurized ink capsule served me very well in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. You can even get different color and widths of lines with Fisher's line of ink.

 

Indoors, you will have more options. Yes, air conditioning will make the air dry, but the environment will be no different than most climate-controlled environments you'll face in modern buildings. The Platinum Century series pens are excellent, and I can vouch for the great cap system in dry and even humid environments. The Lamy 2k is a workhorse and is a pen I could probably take just about anywhere. But my favorite that accompanies me everywhere is the Parker "51". The big collector, reliable feed, and decades of world-wide experience makes this a great pen for any climate! I wouldn't anticipate any problems with your Pilot choice.

 

A word of caution: think twice before bringing an eyedropper. My son had the unpleasant experience of a burping eyedropper after getting warmed up and a half-full pen on the east coast of the US. When I was in Kuwait, temperatures hit 53C--imagine what that would do on an eyedropper!

 

Buzz

[Blade Runner]

Pelikan Sahara?

[Sandy1]

+1 for the Fisher Space Pen - to be found in any go bag / satchel; as is a narrow Sharpie.

 

A male colleague gifted the FSP Bullet model to those wearing traditional dress - the pens are well-suited to be carried in the voluminous hip-level pockets of the dishdasha.

Edited February 26, 2015 by Sandy1

[Renfield]

Would the pen being made out of metal or plastic or ebonite offer any advantages?

[Sandy1]

Pelikan Sahara?

 

LOL!!

 

I wondered why I was so taken with the Pelikan Sahara that I just had to have one - an immensely satisfying object of desire and an impressive writer.

 

Now if Pelikan would be so kind as to issue an M640 with a White Sands motif...

 

Bye,

S1

[roygbiv54321]

Thank you for these excellent replies. Am surprised by the overwhelming response and extra tidbits(Read: "Some with traditional values may think it odd to see males with anything of gold, so a pen with"). A few more questions have come to mind now, but I won't high-jack my own thread with spin-off topics.

 

Platinum Century is a clear choice. Thank you.

 

Still related to the original post, I would like to ask if anyone can speak to the Pilot Custom 823's blind twist cap. I understand it is specifically designed to prevent the pen from leaking. Thus, could it also be effective in preventing ink evaporation?

 

Peace and piston-fills,

 

(edited: 923 to 823)

Edited February 26, 2015 by roygbiv54321

[roygbiv54321]

I would stick with well-behaved inks (as in, inks from fountain pen manufacturers) that are not going to leave all manner of weird deposits in your pen's feed if the ink does dry out. You don't want to find yourself in Kuwait trying to buy household ammonia, or a bottle of all-else-has-failed pen cleaner.

ron

Very excellent tip here. After reading more ink-related post, I will very likely phase out of using Noodler's ink.

[Wahl]

I would try a Parker 51, and carry it in a pouch, with a matching mechanical pencil.

[rwilsonedn]

...

 

Still related to the original post, I would like to ask if anyone can speak to the Pilot Custom 923's blind twist cap. I understand it is specifically designed to prevent the pen from leaking. Thus, could it also be effective in preventing ink evaporation?

 

Peace and piston-fills,

 

The shut-off plungers in some of the Pilot pens should be very effective at preventing evaporation from the ink chamber itself. But they can't prevent ink from evaporating from the feed. That is still the responsibility of the cap.

ron

[roygbiv54321]

I'm at a toss-up between a Platinum 3776 and a Pilot Custom 823 (M). I question the 823's abilitly to compete with the 377's seal cap. Likewise, I wonder if the 3776's nib is any match to the 923. I've read good accounts of both, but the 823 seems to be a real swoon for a solid majority.

 

(edited: 923 to 823)

Edited February 26, 2015 by roygbiv54321

[roygbiv54321]

The shut-off plungers in some of the Pilot pens should be very effective at preventing evaporation from the ink chamber itself. But they can't prevent ink from evaporating from the feed. That is still the responsibility of the cap.

ron

Thanks, Ron.

[Frank C]

Thank you for these excellent replies. Am surprised by the overwhelming response and extra tidbits(Read: "Some with traditional values may think it odd to see males with anything of gold, so a pen with"). A few more questions have come to mind now, but I won't high-jack my own thread with spin-off topics.

 

Platinum Century is a clear choice. Thank you.

 

Still related to the original post, I would like to ask if anyone can speak to the Pilot Custom 923's blind twist cap. I understand it is specifically designed to prevent the pen from leaking. Thus, could it also be effective in preventing ink evaporation?

 

Peace and piston-fills,

 

I am not familiar with a Custom 923—and I couldn't find one with a google search—did you mean Custom 823? If so, I can speak to those. I have several and they are my everyday carry pens here in Las Vegas. I don't take any special precautions with them; I do cap them when not actively writing. I rarely flush them, I just fill them with ink every few days as needed. Overall, Pilot is one of my favorite pen companies and their service center in Florida is the best!

 

(Edit: Changed "there" to "their", I have no excuses.)

Edited February 27, 2015 by Frank C