Faber-Castell With Pelikan Ink

[Kanrethad]

Good evening.

 

I've ordered the Faber Castell E-Motion with the Pelikan Brilliant Black ink.

When I contacted FC with some questions they mentioned it's very important to use their ink exclusively to prevent damage.

Well... can anyone confirm this? Did someone try to use a Pelikan ink in a FC pen?

[sandy101]

All the pen manufacturers say that. I have an Faber Castell Loom and I've never fed it Faber Castell ink and it is still working after three years. Pelikan ink should be fine, and Pelikan's brilliant black is a lovely colour. I would not worry about it.

[s_t_e_v_e]

This is mainly because they want to sell their own ink. I don't know a whole lot about Pelikan inks. From what I have read on forums, they are quite safe inks. FC inks are quite expensive, which could be prohibitive for some. I don't think Pelikan Brilliant Black would damage the pen. Feel free to use it in the E-Motion.

 

The E-Motion certainly does not have a built-in sensor device that detects a non-FC ink and self-destructs

Also there is no way for FC to determine if you used a FC ink or not if you clean the pen well before sending it to them for warranty repairs should you need to do so. I think it is unreasonable of FC to have such a clause about exclusive use of their inks because there certainly are pen and ink makers that make better pens and inks than FC.

 

Most other pen manufacturers ask that you use their inks for best results but don't scare customers that using other inks would cause damage like FC does. Ironically so, in my experience, Aurora blue ink works better in my FC E-Motion than GvFC Cobalt ink.

Edited January 27, 2017 by s_t_e_v_e

[Kanrethad]

Thanks, they really got me scared for a moment. Saying they know for fact that using non-FC ink damages the pen. I'd perfectly understand if some inks work better or worse on certain pens due to structural differences, but not to the level of causing actual damage, as long as the ink is from a reputable brand and I know for fact that Pelikan is a strong name.

Edited January 27, 2017 by Kanrethad

[s_t_e_v_e]

Thanks, they really got me scared for a moment. Saying they know for fact that using non-FC ink damages the pen. I'd perfectly understand if some inks work better or worse on certain pens due to structural differences, but not to the level of causing actual damage, as long as the ink is from a reputable brand and I know for fact that Pelikan is a strong name.

Indeed! Most modern inks from reputable pen manufacturers are safe. I usually look for ink reviews before buying a bottle to make sure it would be good. If you look around this forum you'll find threads that report on inks that could cause harm. I try to stay away from such inks.

[Kanrethad]

Yeah, I also did check the reviews, which indicated that spesific Pelikan ink to be excellent prior to my purchase.

So with that aside, this is my first fountain pen and I'd like to hear some thoughts if I made the perfect purchase, here are the details:

I have gigantic hands. I knew I wanted a thick, heavy pen.

I'm a reliability fanatic, and few things are more reassuring than seeing "Made in Germany" on a product, not to mention over 250 years in the business.

I don't care for brand recognition. I want the name to be just strong enough to ensure the reliability but don't mind at all if people won't recognize it, quite the contrary - I love underrated brands.

I wanted something of good quality that wouldn't cost over 75$, and found a nice deal at a site called "Cult Pens", about 70$ (they work with GBP).

I have a rather large hand writing, so I went for the M nib.

I love the use of wood in this pen.

I prefer quality well over quantity, so as far as I'm concerned if the pen is good I'd have no problem using it exclusively forever.

Edited January 27, 2017 by Kanrethad

[Gudi]

I'd like to point that Faber-Castell royal blue bottle looks suspiciously alike Pelikan 4001 ink bottles, shape wise speaking. That's not the case of Graf von Faber-Castell inks.

 

Despite this curious similarity, just beware of inks notorious for damaging pens. The rest is ok and Pelikan does great inks (I personally have filled my E-motion with a few of them and the pen is fine).

[Bo Bo Olson]

Every pen company that makes it's own ink, has designed his nib/feed for that ink. Pelikan is a dry ink, Waterman a wetter ink.

On of the Engineers who once worked for Lamy that shows up every once in a while, and talked how the ink and the nib/feed were matched.

 

Could well be you can get a 'better' match using the company's ink.

 

MB pens work well with others inks even though of course they don't want you to use other's inks.

 

Pelikan and I think Lamy are wetter nibs....because of dryer inks.

One of the major problems is folks using fat super wet inks like Noodlers and then complaining that Pelikan writes so fat.

Fat inks need skinny nibs.....

[zaddick]

You'll be fine and the pen seems like a good fit for your desires. Hopefully you like it.

[Kanrethad]

Thanks for the information people, sounds like I'm good to go then.

The pen should arrive in the upcoming week... Looking forward to it!

 

P.S. I knew this spesific pen is difficult to post, but FC really told me that the pen isn't even designed to be posted and doing so could damage the inside plastic of the cap.

Edited January 28, 2017 by Kanrethad

[Bo Bo Olson]

From the few times I had a Graff von in my hand at my B&M, they were heavy pens....pretty but nails, so of no interest to me. I like the old fashioned 'true' regular flex and semi-flex nibs.

 

Being heavy pens, are not made to be posted....or they would be major top heavy.

Today most folks are only offered Large Bling pens. They have no balance...and posted even less.

Can't have balance...they are too wide, not long enough to balance and top heavy if posted.

Standard Sized/medium-large pens, are light and nimble, and are posted longer than an un-posted large pen....so have better balance.

Balance was what one bought in a top quality pen. Back in the day of One Man, One Pen. One bought the most up to date filling system every 7-10 years.

 

Then came the overly expensive cartridges. They were too expensive for a workers kid when they came in, and still make me flinch.

Get a converter, and a needle syringe to fill cartridges with. Even expensive inks are cheaper than cartridges.

I bought Pelikan 4001 Green ink on sale and liked it's shading. I went on a green/greenish ink binge, buying some 12 or 14 with in the next year....stopping my purple ink hunt completely.

Graf's Moss Green is a very pretty 75 ml bottle...and very very $$$$. Still cheaper than cartridges

 

 

 

The only Large pens I know of with balance is the Snorkel and the P-45 and they are thin pens from the '50's. (I really see no reason why they have to be that large....outside of Bling....look I'm using a fountain pen....even got a flashing light on top......) grumble....grumble cubed.

 

Standard sized pens, like an Esterbrook, Pelikan 400, P-75 or medium large pens like a P-51 or Pelikan 600 have great balance posted. Those would be pens for later.

I'd put off getting a vintage ''50-65 400, until until you are ready to pay 1/3 for a vintage pen with a grand semi-flex nib.....I'd think you need to have 5 or 6 pens first.

And don't waste your money buying a modern 'post '98 400.

 

.

 

Faber Castel was a pencil empire. They sold off much of it, in the last generation.

 

They made second tier pens in the '30's....in 1950/51, they bought up Osmia a first class pen...that didn't have an office supply company attached to it like Soennicken, MB, Pelikan or Geha.

Having the first class pen....the Ego of the Graf's von Faber-Castell started erasing Osmia from the pen ....eventually Faber Castell died as a fountain pen producer....having killed a first class pen company.

Guess who has Osmia pens?

 

The Graf von Faber Castell is a 'new' company....has nothing to do with the old Osmia nor the second tier Faber Castell.

Nibs I think are Bock.

[Chrissy]

Good evening.

 

I've ordered the Faber Castell E-Motion with the Pelikan Brilliant Black ink.

When I contacted FC with some questions they mentioned it's very important to use their ink exclusively to prevent damage.

Well... can anyone confirm this? Did someone try to use a Pelikan ink in a FC pen?

 

They are only saying that so that they can sell you ink. You can use any fountain pen ink in your Faber-Castell pen. In fact, I have two bottles of Royal Blue ink, one labelled as Pelikan and one labelled as Graf von Faber-Castell. They are identical in every way apart from the labels and boxes.

[Kanrethad]

Pelikan M1000 is one of those pens I'd buy if I had lots of spare money, along with the Graf Von Faber Castell Grenadilla and Visconti Homo Sapiens.

And trust me, I believe in the code of "One man, One everything" wholeheartedly. I think the FC E-Motion should last for a very long time, correct me if I'm wrong. I just know that I do like pens with heft and thickness because they feel nicer in my huge hands. I could live with less weight in say a Pelikan m1000 since I know it's a very good pen, but I certainly won't go for any pen that isn't quite thick.

 

P.S. a relative of mine might give me a pen he isn't using. He described it as a several decades old Parker, probably about 60 years old, with a sort of unique filling mechanism. I really, really hope he's talking about a very spesific model I've read a lot about...

Edited January 28, 2017 by Kanrethad

[Erik Dalton]

Welcome to the group and congratulations on your first pen.

 

You've got a lot of very good advice so far. There is not a lot i can add. You will find that pens are like people. They are all different. Even identical pens can have different preferences for inks and writing properties. If you stick with inks made by pen manufacturers you're pretty safe. Once you get comfortable and start feeling cocky you can experiment with some of the fancier inks.

As you've discovered, there is a wealthy of information on pens, nibs and inks here in our archives. If you make good use of this resource you'll have a good writing experience, and I'm sure you will have a few more pens before too long..lol..

[Bo Bo Olson]

Kanrethad, ....you should eventually get a MB 149 (used '50's-60's of course!!! Affordable and a much better nib...once you lighten your hand up for semi-flex.) which is lighter than a 1000. An Un-posted 149 is long enough. If your hands are really that large...you can post a 149 and get away with it.

In I disagree with 'heavy'.

Heavy....extra heavy is a typical 'noobie' reaction that changes rapidly over the first year. Typical...big thick heavy pen like my big thick heavy Chinese pen only better....heavier the better. That changes.

 

Eventually if you work at it you can lighten your Hand and get the real good '50-60's vintage German pen with semi-flex to maxi-semi-flex nibs. A 149 of that era will be semi or maxi-semi-flex.

Back then the 146 was a medium large nimble well balanced pen. I also have Large one from the from the '70's.

 

You should get a 'true' regular flex...semi-vintage...pre'mid 90's big pen first. I don't know if PFM came in the old regular flex or if it was always nail. Some Sheaffer fan would know.

That way you can work your Hand to being lighter with better and better nibs.

 

A fountain pen should be light and nimble...IMO....but then again I grew up in the time when all were....well, no one (outside of some Germans) used MB pens....I'd never heard of them before coming to Germany in '64...never heard of them ugly Pelikan 400's either. (Not a single ad, not even a Christmas TV Ad...)

 

I used the Pelikan ink all the time it was cheaper than Parker and Sheaffer in the German workers were so ill paid, they had to be paid two weeks vacation money in the summer to go on vacation....and a months Christmas bonus to have a Christmas....(only 2 weeks of money after taxes.) That was in the Dark Ages of B&W TV and Diners Card ... was only taken in better restaurants ....and no one in their right mind bought on credit....anywhere, outside the company store or the general store for farmers.

 

Do you realize....back when the Dollar was Almighty at 4-1, a gold plated trim MB cost more than a rolled gold trim Snorkel, the King of Pens?

Quite a shock for me too. After all if that piston stuff was any good we'd had it in the States.

Edited January 28, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson

[Kanrethad]

Funny that you actually suggested a MB... It's like getting a car lisence and immediately buying a Rolls Royce. I know they make some seriously large pens, though. But I couldn't help but read about some certain... Issues, regarding the possibility that MB are abusing their strong name, in the means of pens that don't justify the humungous price tag. When I buy something I pay for the quality of the product, rarely anything else. In the MB case, I suspect that a serious part of the money paid is going for the marketing alone. But what's done is done, and as it looks now I've bought the FC to be my only pen for who knows how long, hopefully forever. Theres a small chance it will develop into a serious hobby, though. I'm a serial collector. In that case... Boy, what pit will I enter, LOL.

 

Regarding my previous comment mentioning a certain Parker I might get, if it will really turn out to be a Parker 51 as I suspect, I think I will be without a doubt set for life.

 

Edit: Ignore the first part of this comment, double checked now and seen you said "eventually".

Edited January 28, 2017 by Kanrethad

[sandy101]

You are right to be wary about MB, but having bought a second ahnd one, I can kind of understand what the fuss is about.

 

The MB146 has a bigger grip than most, but it writes rather well. The thing with MB is that buying them new is expensve, buying second hand is less so. I would recommend going to a Pen Show and trying the MB's there and the chances are you will find one that work well for you.

 

If collecting is your bent, rather than start at the bottom and work your way up - save your cash and look at the Caran D'Ache, ST Duponts, MBs and higher end Japanese pens. There are a lot of quality (expensive) pens out there that could be found, and many second hand which reduced the pain a bit. Better to spend on a few quality pens, than fill the drawer with cheaper ones that you will never use once you acquire your 1st top of the line pen.

[Kanrethad]

FC E-Motion is about as far as I can go right now. As I said, it might catch fire and develop into a hobby, but the chances are slim. For now, my goal is to get a good, reliable, serious pen that'll be a joy to use, last for a long time and feel good in my hands. Sadly in my school they weren't using fountain pens (although I've found a Waterman Phileas in my father's drawer that he wasn't using at all and liked it...), so most of the pens I tried were slim and uncomfortable and I developed a dislikeness for writing. So after all that I thought it may be changed with a pen that fits in my hands.

Edited January 29, 2017 by Kanrethad

[Bo Bo Olson]

For down the road.....and don't go to Richard Binder's Com....the bible of fountain pens....info on nibs and feeding systems....and good advice on inks. Don't go there.....there are too, too many pretty pens.

 

Second hand MB's are the way to go, my Woolf (2006) was on sale for 1/3rd off.....had I kept it un-inked in the box after the 5 or so years. I'd made 250E on the pen, in NOS it goes for the original 750E now. E then was higher because the dollar was low. Having part of my pension in $, am glad the $ is high again.

 

I of course ink my pens....so can't sell it as New Old Stock....not that I want to, it's a very pretty pen, my wife bought me for my birthday.

Even though my wife bought it for me.....Somehow, I couldn't afford paper, ink nor a pen for some 3/4's a year.

 

There are lots of limited Edition writer pens.....that used should mostly be more expensive than the run mill second hand 149.

I do though figure with your big hands an old 149 will do best. And can be had 'cheaper' than expected.

It is so with all old first class top of the line pens.....for 1/3 or less of what a modern top of the line pen costs....with a better nib.

 

Right now you use a nail....so are Ham Fisted. Most are when they start...I was after coming back to fountain pens with a 3 decade lay off.

 

Eventually you will need a 'true' regular flex nib pen...semi-vintage pre'mid 90's when many companies still made them as regular issue. I don't know if a PFM was made in regular flex...one could ask over in the Sheaffer sub com.

 

True Regular flex is a good nib for two tone shading inks. I prefer them to monotone boring vivid supersaturated inks that most noobies like. Of course for shading inks one needs better papers....90g laser is @ the lowest out side of some 70g Japan paper and 80g Rhoda.

You don't have to feed your printer that.

What ever you do, don't write on Ink Jet paper....because it's made to accept ink rapidly, it feathers to the max.

 

Most regular issue nibs now; outside of the Pelikan 200 a pen much too small for you, are semi-nail or nail, so the nibs won't be bent by Ball Point Barbarians.....tips are fatter too because the Barbarians refuse to learn how to write with a fountain pen...insisting in writing like a ball point; gouging little grand canyons in the paper.

 

One can blame the fountain pen companies for not putting directions of how to hold a fountain pen in the instructions in the box.

But they knew their customers best....most Ball Point Barbarians are unwilling to waste three whole minutes learning how to hold a fountain pen.

The companies probably sell more Ball Points and Roller Balls than fountain pens as is. So there was no reason to alienate the uncoordinated of how weird they have to hold a fountain pen.

 

\80's-now MB are springy wide nibs.

The '70-80's MB's are 'true' regular flex. Regular width too...even if not marked.

The '50-60's are semi or maxi....but your Hand has to be light enough that you don't make the nib do Olympic splits due to Ham Fistedness.

 

Do a search for Jar, and thick pens....he has a lot of pens....some of them on the thick and large size. You might find other Big pens.

[Kanrethad]

Anyways what's done it done - I've ordered the FC after doing some research and finding it was the best match to my needs. I really doubt I could get my hands on a MB for 70$... Besides, I like being against the grain. I do the same with watches