Beginner: Pen And Ink Combo

[newuser16]

I'm new to FPs. Last time I used one was in my school days. It's been 15+ years since then.

 

After some research I've narrowed down on Pilot MR crocodile medium tip as my starter pen. I prefer 0.5mm gel pens. Anything narrower can be a bit too fine for me, but I don't want to go for anything too wide either. I've read that japanese pens are usually finer than their european counterparts. So is Pilot M the right nib size for me ? I've looked at some sample writing online and it doesn't seem too thick.

 

Next up is ink. I'm still getting my head around wet and dry pens/inks. I'm thinking of purchasing 30ml diamine woodland green and matador. Is this a good match for the pen ?

 

[welch]

Don't forget paper. As the esteemed Bo Bo often reminds us, writing is a combination of pen, ink, and paper.

[katm201]

I'd say that you should go with a Fine if you're using absorbent paper that will bleed/feather and a Medium if you're using something coated like Rhodia.

 

As far as the inks go, I have Diamine Matador and don't love it. Wild Strawberry and Red Dragon have more pop. I'm not familiar with Woodland Green, but I do have Delamere Green, which is lovely. I'm also fond of Mont Blanc Irish Green and KWZ Green #3--both of which are reasonably wet, but well behaved.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Thank you Welch.

Newuser.....

 

Hari is one of our most esteemed Indian posters. (No he's just esteemed, period.) He can help you out with the better Indian inks and papers................You can look him up in the member list.

 

One needs a few vivid (boring) saturated inks....and being biased, a number of two toned shading inks.

 

Outside of Rhoda's 80g paper ....and it is not "copy" paper...though it will do copies....for shading inks you want 90g or better laser paper.

Yes, 90g laser paper costs twice as much as normal 80g copy paper..........but you don't have to put it in the copier. I have over 30 papers, maybe 40 if I dig around to find out what's in them mystery packages. I still feel very much 'noobie'.

100%&50% cotton may be nice to write on....one does need a good top of the line 100% cotton paper just for how it feels, but for shading inks, I find 25% cotton better.

 

I think you should buy some good to better paper every three inks....soon you will have an assortment of nice papers.............after all New Deli was not built in a day.

 

No Ink Jet Paper...which feathers. It is designed to absorb Ink Jet ink fast....not fountain pen inks.

Good paper allows the ink to dance.

 

Do look at any of FPN's Ink Guru Sandy1's great reviews, in Ink Reviews where she uses 4-5 normal pens of this and that width, 4-5 good papers, you can lay your hands on if you put your mind to it.........and the same ink can look so different it is often hard to believe it is the same ink.

 

My I suggest you get four good to better papers.....and or the very best index cards or both, before you really start writing an ink file folder.........

It could be easier to get world class index cards than better papers.

 

You do need a box with very good index cards, so you know what ink you have in what pen...........sooner or later you will have a slew of inks. (I forgot to get them the last time I was in the States... ....making due with second class index cards....in I am oh, so, forgetful...I really got to look up who makes the best Euro index cards. )

 

I have sheets of paper that are covered with a short line and 20-30 inks.

I use Let it Be................Capitol handlebar mustache L e T i T B e.

The two T's are not quite so differently crossed as when I started. I got lazy.

The B is important in it has other moves (and faster at least for me) than the L.....and the last e allows you to see how the ink looks as it trails off when scribbling that letter. The last e has more room to roam.

Let it Be, allows space to write what pen, nib and ink on that same line.

 

The front side of the paper is better than the back. Good paper the back is not all that bad.

Some papers are great with a certain ink...and or with a certain width & flex. A different ink....a different flex, or width and it is not great. A good reason to have a paper and ink file.

 

I cheat in I use a Honking Big Magnifying glass when I grade inks......... No do not use your 10X loupe, or no paper will be perfect.

 

Great paper can cost E36 for 100 sheets.....something to worry about much, much later. It took me a good two years to check 10 Gmund samples, with a slew of inks and pens and decide which paper was best.........then I ordered second best in I liked the feel of the heavy 170 g paper, over a perfect 120g paper.

(When ordering paper samples make sure you do Not get Art samples. I wrote Gmund asking which were their better fountain pen papers.)

 

I will eventually get that 120g best paper......as soon as my wallet gets out of intensive care and can get around with crutches.

There are papers even more expensive than that.......

And many very good papers for lots less.

 

We are living in the Golden Age of Inks.........never before has there been so many, in so many hues.

IMO the Golden Age of Fountain pens died about 1970.

Sigh cubed....could well be the Golden Age of Papers ended @ 1980....

 

 

Could be there is great paper still in India, a major land of fountain pens. If so do let us know.

Edited June 16, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson

[MsRedpen]

Pilot MR in M is similar in width as 0.5 gel pen, and judging by my MR, it seems nib width is close to "western" sizes.

It is a good pen to restart your FP journey!

 

Same as previous posts outlined - line width does depend on the paper - and ink.

 

I have Woodland, and it's my least favourite - too bright, spring grass green for which I couldn't find use, especially with narrower than 1.1 nib.

Edited June 17, 2017 by MsRedpen

[Driften]

Pilot MR in M is similar in width as 0.5 gel pen, and judging by my MR, it seems nib width is close to "western" sizes.

It is a good pen to restart your FP journey!

 

Same as previous posts outlined - line width does depend on the paper - and ink.

 

I have Woodland, and it's my least favourite - too bright, spring grass green for which I couldn't find use, especially with narrower than 1.1 nib.

 

 

For me my Pilot MR M nib is a western fine, but my Pilot gold nibs (74/91/92/Vanishing Point) M's are more like a western M nib.

 

One thing to remember is even in one company's nibs the size listed is not always the same between two different pens of the same model. In a way you just have to buy and see what you get.

 

In any case the Pilot MR with a M nib is a great starter pen if it fits your hand. I find the section a little too thin, but others love it.

[sakamichi]

I made a shoddy comparison of a few Pilots for you, since I had my V5 handy. This is on Bloc Rhodia 80gsm white paper. I hope it helps.

 

(The M is in Diamine Pumpkin, the F is a black Pilot cartridge.)

 

I think M is probably a good choice. There's not a massive difference between the line the M lays down and a 0.5mm. I find the F to be a little too fine and dry myself, and I usually prefer a 0.3 in a normal pen.

 

http://i.imgur.com/TqEhvBB.png

Edited June 17, 2017 by sakamichi

[WirsPlm]

 

I'm new to FPs. Last time I used one was in my school days. It's been 15+ years since then.

 

After some research I've narrowed down on Pilot MR crocodile medium tip as my starter pen. I prefer 0.5mm gel pens. Anything narrower can be a bit too fine for me, but I don't want to go for anything too wide either. I've read that japanese pens are usually finer than their european counterparts. So is Pilot M the right nib size for me ? I've looked at some sample writing online and it doesn't seem too thick.

 

Next up is ink. I'm still getting my head around wet and dry pens/inks. I'm thinking of purchasing 30ml diamine woodland green and matador. Is this a good match for the pen ?

 

 

 

People talk a lot about getting the 'right' ink or paper for a pen, and while there are some differences it's really a matter of small distinctions, any ink is going to be fine with a Metropolitan.

[ColdDeadHand]

...any ink is going to be fine with a Metropolitan.

 

Too true. I call Pilot "the Toyota of Pens." They just kind of run and run, without too much fuss. Yes, there are some nice ones out there, but for the most part, they are just middle class workhorses. The only thing to complain about? Sometimes it gets boring how reliable they are...there's nothing to fix or tinker with.

 

[senzen]

 

Too true. I call Pilot "the Toyota of Pens." They just kind of run and run, without too much fuss. Yes, there are some nice ones out there, but for the most part, they are just middle class workhorses. The only thing to complain about? Sometimes it gets boring how reliable they are...there's nothing to fix or tinker with.

 

 

By that measure my second Parker Sonnet is like an old british car: delightful when it works, which isn't often! Although I need to disassemble my one Toyota Pilot penmanship to see if it stops burping.