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Learning The Subtleties Of Pens, Inks, And Paper


LizEF

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You're welcome! I consider this thread a success. :) Is this stiff cardboard like on the back of a legal pad, or something similar? (Seems like corrugated cardboard, like from a shipping box, wouldn't work - the ridges would get in the way.)

 

I don't get the bit about marking your place without a bookmark. Ooooh - you're inserting the cardboard into a pad / book, so the cardboard is your bookmark? (I was envisioning loose sheets.) Interesting.

Actually it is corrugated cardboard from a shipping box - the back side of which shows the product inside and provides extra stiffness. The back of a writing pad would also work, but I tend to save these corrugated boxes for lots of projects, and it works nicely in that it is not too stiff... And yes, the cardboard does double duty in my notebook as a bookmark.

a fountain pen is physics in action... Proud member of the SuperPinks

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Actually it is corrugated cardboard from a shipping box - the back side of which shows the product inside and provides extra stiffness. The back of a writing pad would also work, but I tend to save these corrugated boxes for lots of projects, and it works nicely in that it is not too stiff... And yes, the cardboard does double duty in my notebook as a bookmark.

 

Fascinating! I never met corrugated cardboard less than ~1/8" (2-3mm) thick (though I suppose it could be thinner if someone wanted to make it that way). It doesn't seem probable, but if it works for you, then it's perfect! :)

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I'm sure those with lots of experience realized these things long ago, but I thought it would be interesting to explore.

 

When I re-started my pen hobby just over a year ago, I was so caught up in all the fun, the variety, and shiny toys, and how much better they were than regular pens, that I didn't notice the subtleties. But over time, as the initial excitement has calmed down, I find myself noticing more...

 

I recently purchased my grail pen - a Visconti Homo Sapiens London Fog (EF). Initially, I wasn't sure the Dreamtouch nib was all it was hyped to be, until, in the middle of my testing, something happened (I wasn't sure what), and it suddenly was a dream. Of course, I proceeded to play with it and have determined that I enjoy the feel best when printing (rather than cursing, er, uh, writing cursive) and when there's only one (maybe two) sheets of paper on a hard writing surface - preferably wood. Other pens I have feel best when writing on a pad of paper (or several sheets).

 

I've been paying more attention since then, and find it intriguing how some pens don't seem to care how you hold them (most of my pens), while others really prefer a particular angle. Some (the softer nibs) actually feel better when writing on a hard surface (I suppose because that really lets you feel the springiness), while others feel best with a softer surface underneath.

 

Then there are the joys of inks - some have very subtle shading and color, others just gush boldly with promises of sheen any next minute, while still others promise to dry quick so you can get on with things. With some, it's easy to see the pool of ink following the nib along, and watch as the line dries, others not so much.

 

And, of course, papers - they also have their subtle feels and sounds, and bring out different ink or nib features.

 

In short, I imagine it's like learning to distinguish smells and tastes of specific ingredients in food.

 

So, I thought maybe we might share the subtler pleasures of FP writing, and perhaps some of the newbies will learn what to watch for as the initial excitement fades, and day-to-day pleasures take over. :)

 

Well said. For me it has been about learning to have the patience to enjoy the pen, the ink, the paper, and make my writing intelligible; a bit like slow cooking. It has been interesting to notice how specific inks and pens make me want to write more.

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt."

 

B. Russell

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I have never used any special paper for writing. I just write ordinary things. These days, grocery lists and a medication log. I like to use a nice pen, though, and an ink I like. Parker 51, Montblanc 144 and Pelikan M200/400 mainly. I tried a lot of pens to see if some other pen would be better. No luck at that. Plodding on with the pens I started out with.

 

I use them to draw on watercolor paper. Cold press paper can be annoying. and hot press is smoother, but doesn't take the washes as readily. The ink usually disappears.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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