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Hello From Cape Town

shivaji_singh

By shivaji_singh
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shivaji_singh Dipped Only

shivaji_singh

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Greetings from Cape Town, South Africa, everyone!

 

I am new to the world of fountain pens even though I have used a Manuscript fountain pen in high school for calligraphy class. I recently started using a Lamy Safari and a Vista, which are a bit scratchy and skip often. I will flush them out once the original blue ink cartridges finish.

 

I am a grad student and I write much less now that in undergrad. Since I write much less, I thought I could as well write with style. I use my Safari and Vista daily for note taking in my lab notebook.

 

Also, I started experiencing writer's cramp as I was finishing my undergrad degree. I have read somewhere that writing with a fountain pen may help avoid this pain. I wonder if anyone here has something to say about this.

 

Anyway, I am looking forward to learn more about fountain pens and inks on this forum.

 

Cheers!

 

Shiva

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jar Ancient Artifact

jar

Posted
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Welcome home. Pull up a stump and set a spell. When I was a child I wrote as a child but now have put childish things away and write with a fountain pen.

 

 

 

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Abbyw2 Dipped Only

Abbyw2

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Lamy pens are among the smoothest in my arsenal, outside of some vintage Parker and Montblanc. I use Lamy Al-star (an aluminum-body Safari), a Studio and a 2000. The Al-star and Studio use the same nibs as the Safari and Vista.

 

But a Lamy EF nib can be scratchy. F and M are very smooth. A "wet" ink also makes a difference. I mostly use Kaweco bottled ink and they are really smooth.

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Sasha Royale Museum Piece

Sasha Royale

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Welcome !

 

Which nibs do you have installed on your LAMY pens ? Often, writing with the pen at a lower angle might reduce scratch. T'here is no reason that you cannot remove the cartridge, flush thoroughly with detergent, rinse, dry , and reinstall the cartridge. Your choice, of course.

 

Write with joy.

Auf freiem Grund mit freiem Volke stehn.
Zum Augenblicke dürft ich sagen:
Verweile doch, du bist so schön !

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PAKMAN Ancient Artifact

PAKMAN

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Hello and Welcome to FPN!! Glad to have you as a member!!

PAKMAN

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northstar Donor Pen

northstar

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Hello and welcome to FPN.

Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous  Who taught by the pen

Taught man that which he knew not (96/3-5)

Snailmail3.png Snail Mail 

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estie1948 Collectors Item

estie1948

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Hello, Shiva, and welcome to the Fountain Pen Network. Glad you have joined us. This is now your place as much as it is ours. Please don't be shy. Ask all the questions you have and don't hesitate to state your opinions. I hope you enjoy your time here.



-David (Estie).


No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be stationery. -Anon.

A backward poet writes inverse. -Anon.

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shivaji_singh Dipped Only

shivaji_singh

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Thanks for all the welcome messages, guys!

 

I have the original medium nib in my Safari and Vista. Indeed, I have flushed the Safari and now it is much smoother and almost never skips. Yes, through experimentation, I have found that the writing angle has a significant effect on the scratchiness. Nevertheless, my Vista is still somewhat scratchy. It is suggested on some other FPN thread that the tines might be a tad misaligned, so I might look into fixing that if flushing the Vista does not fix the problem.

 

I also purchased a bottle of Parker Quink Washable Blue. Now after reading its review here, I am thinking that I might have made a mistake. Unfortunately, stationery stores only stock the Parker Quink Washable Blue here in Cape Town. (By the way, if other South Africans or visitors are looking at this thread, CNA, Exclusive Books and Waltons sell cartridges and ink bottles here in Cape Town).

 

For now, I am enjoying my time here and I am taking my lab notes exclusively in fountain pen.

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Henricum_Tropen Collectors Item

Henricum_Tropen

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Hello Shiva and welcome to FPN from a fellow Capetonian (from Hout Bay).

 

I have 3 Lamy's (Safari, Al-star and 2000) - all of them write as smooth as butter.

 

Regarding the cartridges/ink - it's much better to get a converter for your Lamy. Incidentally, I recently visited the Lamy Boutique in Heidelberg, Germany, where I bought my Al-star, converter and a spare nib.

 

I've got some inks in my collection that I'd like to take out of rotation. Perhaps you, me and Ryan (the other FPN member in CT) can meet at the V&A Waterfront to discuss the way forward. As far as I know there's no fountain pen group/club in CT (or anywhere else in SA?).

To sit at one's table on a sunny morning, with four clear hours of uninterruptible security, plenty of nice white paper, and a [fountain] pen - that is true happiness!


- Winston Churchill



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