Looking For A Pen For Accounting/bookkeeping Work

[PaganArcher]

For what it's worth, the Preppy is a fine pen. However, they do not seem to play well with cartridges. And Platinum blue black is a horrendous ink in my opinion.

[minddance]

Run Diamine Midnight through it and all is well

[AAAndrew]

I still think an Esterbrook 444 with a red document ink will do the trick. You make a note, stick the pen back in the holder, read some more, pull it out and make a note. Sticking the pen back in a hole in the glass disk is so much easier than putting a cap on. There was a reason desk pens were so popular for so long. It’s very convenient to just reach up, grab the pen, write and stick it back in. The only reason I don’t use one more is that I do most of my writing in conference rooms.

[Honeybadgers]

yeah, I am kind of on AAAndrew's line of thinking for a work situation where you write a lot in short intermittent bursts, any good desk pen (my vote is for the platinum EF one) will do a way better job.

 

You could drop a grand on a mont blanc 149 and a desk holder for that. I kinda wish I could find a desk holder for my 149 that wasn't super expensive.

 

My offer still stands for trying out a bunch of my stuff on one of these weekends.

[XYZZY]

I still think an Esterbrook 444 with a red document ink will do the trick. You make a note, stick the pen back in the holder, read some more, pull it out and make a note. Sticking the pen back in a hole in the glass disk is so much easier than putting a cap on. There was a reason desk pens were so popular for so long. It’s very convenient to just reach up, grab the pen, write and stick it back in. The only reason I don’t use one more is that I do most of my writing in conference rooms.

 

 

yeah, I am kind of on AAAndrew's line of thinking for a work situation where you write a lot in short intermittent bursts, any good desk pen (my vote is for the platinum EF one) will do a way better job.

 

You could drop a grand on a mont blanc 149 and a desk holder for that. I kinda wish I could find a desk holder for my 149 that wasn't super expensive.

 

My offer still stands for trying out a bunch of my stuff on one of these weekends.

 

I must admit that when y'all first suggested desk pens (way back on page 1) I thought it was goofy. But after spending a day at work I've discovered other things. I'm used to writing a couple things and then plopping the pen down. But now I've got ink spots all over my desk After cleaning those spots a few times I thought that a desk pen might be exactly the right thing. I'm sure those ink spots are something I could train myself out of eventually. But yeah, the idea of a 444 isn't as goofy any more.

 

Honeybadger: I'll take you up on that awesome offer. I'm not sure about this weekend, but I'll figure something out.

[XYZZY]

For what it's worth, the Preppy is a fine pen. However, they do not seem to play well with cartridges. And Platinum blue black is a horrendous ink in my opinion.

 

 

Run Diamine Midnight through it and all is well

 

I don't give up that easily, and I figure with so many people that know more than I do having suggested the Preppy, that I'm just missing something. Before I had read these most recent posts I had already ordered a Platinum converter and a bottle of Midnight. I haven't sampled the Midnight, but it seems well regarded and it's so cheap. Goutlet's shipping predicts they'll be at the house when I get home on Friday.

[SoulSamurai]

It's worth mentioning that a nib can be adjusted to be wetter or dryer, and different inks behave differently. Since you have very specific requirements it kind of makes sense that a bit of adjustment might be needed. One advantage of the Preppy is of course that it's cheap enough that if you actually ruin the pen somehow it's not a big deal.

 

Anyway, some online retailers sell ink samples, so you can try different inks to try to find one that works for your needs. You can adjust a pen to be wetter by slightly spreading the tines; there's threads and videos about how to do this if you look.

 

It's good to flush a pen with water and a bit of dishsoap before using it; it can help avoid a lot of flow problems. A bulb syringe is great for this, and many fountain pen retailers carry them. A brass shim and loupe can also be useful for solving nib issues, such as for aligning and flossing the tines. Again, pen retailers will often carry these.

 

I hope I haven't made this all sound too complicated or daunting. Making minor adjustments to or troubleshooting common problems with nibs isn't as hard as it might sound (in fact I think it can be fun if you're a DIY kind of person), it just requires a bit of a willingness to experiment and to get your hands a bit inky, and a cheap pen or two to work with. This is also why I always try to steer people towards cheap pens to start with even though some pricey ones can be really tempting.

[minddance]

How does one dry a Preppy after washing?the fins can contain alot of water and not removable.

 

Do we allow time to do its job or are there other ways?

[XYZZY]

@SoulSamurai: no that doesn't sound daunting at all and I already have sufficient tools for the job. And to tell the truth I was already thinking "Maybe I should have cleaned this before inking it?". I've already picked up on that being common knowledge/wisdom, however, I figured that since this pen is mass produced and stocked on pegs in stores for non-hobbyists that it would actually be expected to work right out of the box. But it certainly seems flow related, so cleaning is the next step.

 

@minddance: I haven't taken it apart yet, but I'm expecting my solution to involve centrifugal force. And letting it sit overnight.

 

Edit: hearing aid wearers (I'm one) also frequently use a "dry jar", and I've probably got one somewhere. The jar isn't special, but they are filled with desiccant beads that absorb humidity: drop in your hearing aids and they absorb sweat (the water, not the salt), so they ought to work fine for this. Also, the beads can generally be "recharged" by tossing them in the oven or microwave. Note that this isn't something you can do with the cheap silica gel desiccant packets that come with all kinds of products!!!

Edited August 16, 2018 by XYZZY

[AAAndrew]

JFK used an Esterbrook Dipless 444 for signing important bills. Just sayin’.

 

http://www.capecodtimes.com/news/20180815/pens-fetch-most-among-kennedy-items-auctioned-off-in-dennis

[Honeybadgers]

 

 

 

I must admit that when y'all first suggested desk pens (way back on page 1) I thought it was goofy. But after spending a day at work I've discovered other things. I'm used to writing a couple things and then plopping the pen down. But now I've got ink spots all over my desk After cleaning those spots a few times I thought that a desk pen might be exactly the right thing. I'm sure those ink spots are something I could train myself out of eventually. But yeah, the idea of a 444 isn't as goofy any more.

 

Honeybadger: I'll take you up on that awesome offer. I'm not sure about this weekend, but I'll figure something out.

 

Just drop me a line. I've got a platinum carbon M nib desk pen (an EF is on the way soon) as well as a penBBS desk pen mounted into a chunk of wood I just drilled a hole in.

[Honeybadgers]

How does one dry a Preppy after washing?the fins can contain alot of water and not removable.

 

Do we allow time to do its job or are there other ways?

 

Set the pen nib down on a paper towel. it'll wick out everything through the nib over a couple days if you REALLY need it dry.

[ethernautrix]

How does one dry a Preppy after washing?the fins can contain alot of water and not removable.

 

Do we allow time to do its job or are there other ways?

The nib and feed pull out easily for a thorough wash. Then I use compressed air to blow the excess water out, covering the other end with a paper towel.

[ardene]

How does one dry a Preppy after washing?the fins can contain alot of water and not removable.

 

Do we allow time to do its job or are there other ways?

 

As already said, use kitchen paper. Hold softly the upper side of the nib against the paper. Capillary action should do the trick. Find a dry spot on the paper, then repeat. After there isn't much water coming from the slit touch the nib point on dry spots on the paper. It should do the trick in five minutes or so.

[XYZZY]

I've been sick for a few days and haven't been keeping up here. But here's where I'm at:


I thoroughly scrubbed the Preppy, installed a converter, and filled it with Diamine Midnight. Many thanks to those of you who recommended those three things, because that combination seems really good and might just be IT.

 

I also tried de Atramentis Document Dark Blue, and that flowed too well, leaves splatters everywhere, including inside the cap just from capping/uncapping. Diamine Midnight seems much more predictable in this pen. Although I do have to wonder how much of this is the pen being rather finicky. The only think that I have to compare it with is my Kakuno with EF nib, but the latter is always very predictable. I've tried about 12 different ink samples in the Kakuno so far, and I can tell that some are a bit dryer or wetter, but ink flow is always consistent and reliable regardless of what's in it.


Also, Madeline has kindly PIF’d me an Esterbook SJ. I just need to put a new nib in that and ink it up and I'll be exploring Esterbrook nibs.

[Torrilin]

Since nobody told you... the Pilot Penmanship/Plumix is Pilot’s absolute cheapest school pen, and runs about $8 US. Most online shops that stock Pilot fountain pens have it. Penmanship is the same xf nib as your Kanuko, and Plumix is an italic calligraphy nib. So if you ruin your Kanuko nib, you can swap in a Penmanship nib and be good to go. Saves you a few dollars since Pilot doesn’t sell nibs separate.

 

The Inky Thoughts forum has a set of threads devoted to particular ink colors. Definitely check them out. It’s a great way to get an overview of inks to make digging through reviews and samples easier. Jetpens is a mostly Japanese pen/art supply online store and they do a lot of thorough reporting on their stock. They’ve also had a LOT of left handed staff over the years so they’re very good at highlighting stuff from that perspective. I mean no two of us lefties agree on anything but it gets you a starting point.

[XYZZY]

Since nobody told you... the Pilot Penmanship/Plumix is Pilot’s absolute cheapest school pen, and runs about $8 US. Most online shops that stock Pilot fountain pens have it. Penmanship is the same xf nib as your Kanuko, and Plumix is an italic calligraphy nib. So if you ruin your Kanuko nib, you can swap in a Penmanship nib and be good to go. Saves you a few dollars since Pilot doesn’t sell nibs separate.

 

The Inky Thoughts forum has a set of threads devoted to particular ink colors. Definitely check them out. It’s a great way to get an overview of inks to make digging through reviews and samples easier. Jetpens is a mostly Japanese pen/art supply online store and they do a lot of thorough reporting on their stock. They’ve also had a LOT of left handed staff over the years so they’re very good at highlighting stuff from that perspective. I mean no two of us lefties agree on anything but it gets you a starting point.

 

Wow, good to know. So... Metropolitan, Kakuno, Penmanship, Plumix all have interchangeable nibs. That's good know.

 

JetPens I knew about, I've been buying Pilot gel pens from them since, hmmmm, 2011 I think. But I didn't realize they had left-friendly staff, although now that you mention it I do think they probably "Oh by the way" mention lefty things more commonly than others I have noticed. Thanks for pointing that out, as I probably wouldn't have picked up on it. As I've said, they've been my gel pen store for for seven years, and as far gel pens go I haven't ever cared about left v right handedness.

[JulieParadise]

[...] So... Metropolitan, Kakuno, Penmanship, Plumix all have interchangeable nibs. That's good know. [...]

 

The Prera uses the same nib + feed design and is interchangeable, too.

[Torrilin]

78g and 78g+ are that nib too. I haven’t found anything on the Cavalier but it’s a steel nib so maybe? There might be a couple others, Pilot has a lot of “budget” pen bodies.

 

But the regular steel nibs don’t work for the vanishing points/capless. There’s a steel nib version and it uses the special clicky pen nib assembly. And if the gold nibs do fun interchangeable stuff it’s not well documented that I’ve found.

 

And yes Jetpens makes it all very casual . But they’ve got tons of fountain pen stuff not just gel pens. And between the lefty friendly and the solid art reviews I like to recommend them for fountain pens. (And mechanical pencils and erasers and paper and... if you want a particular Japanese art thing they probably have it)

[XYZZY]

Honeybadgers invited me over to his house to go through his collection yesterday (Thank You!). He also showed me some Wing Sungs and pointed out that they, too, have nibs interchangeable with many of the lower end Pilots.

 

But after playing with a desk pen yesterday I think I'm going to look that route, probably some Esterbrooks. Like AAndrew et.al. mentioned way back on page 1 of this thread.