Jump to content

Your Favourite Eye Dropper?


MuddyWaters

Recommended Posts

Bo Bo , I'm totally with you. Indian climate might be suiting ED pens, the much talked about ebonites of Ranga, ASA, Guider and others ( not mentioned in merit order ) . But then again, they have got an endearing effect only on a few ostensibly from pen forums and commonly not seen with fountain pen users.

 

Asked for an Ebonite pen, shops barely show any familiarity; distribution cost or lack of popularity might be coming in the way for the manufacturers' to reach out a larger market net work . I can't just meander into a pen lane and pick up a hard rubber, no chance. OTH I can easily run into dozens of Sheaffers ,Parkers, Watermans. Comparative price point also works against the Ebonite pens.

 

I think the FPN coupled with a greater degree of skewed love for these ebonite pens from overseas has jacked up the price of these pens in recent times.

 

Its messy it burps, it smells, its crude and elementary. Still I think one can play with one or two if only if the manufacturers out here make it more reachable and comparable.

 

Messy, smelly, and burps? Crude and elementary? You sound as if you are speaking about young children rather than a fountain pen.

Endearing? Absolutely. There is something not only endearing, but also quite humbling about writing with my Ranga 3C. This is a pen that was hand-crafted for me by a master at his trade who has been making pens almost as long as I've been alive. It's more than a pen. It's a legacy. It's a piece of history and of preserving the past. It's a piece of functional art made with passion and care.

I have pen-pals who boast of their "flock" of pens that cost well into the hundreds of dollars but write inconsistently, need extensive, expensive, and proprietary work, and are mass-produced. These are soulless mockeries of a fine writing instrument.

Admittedly some do not care for the smell of ebonite, but there is no other material that comes to life in the hand quite like an ebonite pen.

Yes, eyedroppers have a tendency to "burp" ink when the level gets low. I've a gorgeous, Jazz-era lever filler that "burps" as soon as my hand warms the plastic body, so this certainly isn't something restricted to eyedroppers. So far as I know, there's nothing I can do to prevent my lever filler from "burping." With my eyedroppers, I just need to check the ink level every so often and top it off. Because they are eyedroppers, they have an admirable ink capacity. The ASA Genuis and the Ranga 3C hold 3 and 4ml respectively. Why on God's green earth anyone would intentionally restrict themselves to the mere .5ml typical of C/C pens is beyond me. With that little ink capacity, I'd spend more time refilling the pen than I would writing with it

I'm not sure how filling an eyedropper could possibly be messy, unless the user is just completely careless. I've knocked over ink bottles with piston-fillers and pump-fillers, but never once while using a pipette or syringe for my eyedropper pens. If the pen is in a stable container and good lighting is available, filling it to an exact level is quite simple.

What you consider "crude and elementary" I consider elegant in its simplicity and remarkably efficient in its design. Is this a "skewed love" I have for these pens? Maybe. But this affinity is not without its reasons.

Edited by Maccabeus

Lux in Obscuro Sumus

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 79
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • sansenri

    9

  • MuddyWaters

    8

  • GastroNerd

    8

  • hari317

    6

Hi Pankaj, nice to hear from you. Actually it depends on which pen market pen lane you walk into... What you say is perhaps true of the Nagindas Master lane in Mumbai. But I discovered my first ebonites by doing just that, chance upon them in a pen shop in a pen lane. The lane was RP road in Secunderabad and I saw there a pen shop called the Deccan pen stores. and they had a nice variety of pens which I learned were made of ebonite. Later I discovered plenty of inexpensive ebonite fps being sold on another pen lane called the Narayana Mudali Street in Madras, I documented my finds at the Krishna pen mart here:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/70913-madras-pen-shops/

Thanks Hari.

Whats wrong with Mumbai or Delhi ? I wish I were there !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Messy, smelly, and burps? Crude and elementary? You sound as if you are speaking about young children rather than a fountain pen.

Endearing? Absolutely. There is something not only endearing, but also quite humbling about writing with my Ranga 3C. This is a pen that was hand-crafted for me by a master at his trade who has been making pens almost as long as I've been alive. It's more than a pen. It's a legacy. It's a piece of history and of preserving the past. It's a piece of functional art made with passion and care.

I have pen-pals who boast of their "flock" of pens that cost well into the hundreds of dollars but write inconsistently, need extensive, expensive, and proprietary work, and are mass-produced. These are soulless mockeries of a fine writing instrument.

Admittedly some do not care for the smell of ebonite, but there is no other material that comes to life in the hand quite like an ebonite pen.

Yes, eyedroppers have a tendency to "burp" ink when the level gets low. I've a gorgeous, Jazz-era lever filler that "burps" as soon as my hand warms the plastic body, so this certainly isn't something restricted to eyedroppers. So far as I know, there's nothing I can do to prevent my lever filler from "burping." With my eyedroppers, I just need to check the ink level every so often and top it off. Because they are eyedroppers, they have an admirable ink capacity. The ASA Genuis and the Ranga 3C hold 3 and 4ml respectively. Why on God's green earth anyone would intentionally restrict themselves to the mere .5ml typical of C/C pens is beyond me. With that little ink capacity, I'd spend more time refilling the pen than I would writing with it

I'm not sure how filling an eyedropper could possibly be messy, unless the user is just completely careless. I've knocked over ink bottles with piston-fillers and pump-fillers, but never once while using a pipette or syringe for my eyedropper pens. If the pen is in a stable container and good lighting is available, filling it to an exact level is quite simple.

What you consider "crude and elementary" I consider elegant in its simplicity and remarkably efficient in its design. Is this a "skewed love" I have for these pens? Maybe. But this affinity is not without its reasons.

Appreciate your passion.

Special thanks to you for applauding my country's products from overseas.

May not be in my heart-throb list, but I often use those tubes and have a collection of mmm... can't count .. may be a few dozens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone mentioned the Pilot Tank? It is (or was) very like the 78G, but designed to be an eyedropper-filler. Excellent nib, absolutely bullet-proof, no burping problem if you know how to use an ED pen, and very inexpensive. For a little more money, there is the French Recife Crystal ED-filler. I find it a faultless, beautiful pen with a very nice nib. I believe Peyton Street Pens currently has one in box for $60.

Okay, you just mentioned a couple I’d never heard of. Especially interested in learning about a Pilot Tank.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Hari.

Whats wrong with Mumbai or Delhi ? I wish I were there !

With Mumbai at least, there are lesser number of "Shaukeen" people. Where there are Shaukeen people, shops automatically stock what the Shaukeen want.

Edited by hari317

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Messy, smelly, and burps? Crude and elementary? You sound as if you are speaking about young children rather than a fountain pen.

Endearing? Absolutely. There is something not only endearing, but also quite humbling about writing with my Ranga 3C. This is a pen that was hand-crafted for me by a master at his trade who has been making pens almost as long as I've been alive. It's more than a pen. It's a legacy. It's a piece of history and of preserving the past. It's a piece of functional art made with passion and care.

I have pen-pals who boast of their "flock" of pens that cost well into the hundreds of dollars but write inconsistently, need extensive, expensive, and proprietary work, and are mass-produced. These are soulless mockeries of a fine writing instrument.

Admittedly some do not care for the smell of ebonite, but there is no other material that comes to life in the hand quite like an ebonite pen.

Yes, eyedroppers have a tendency to "burp" ink when the level gets low. I've a gorgeous, Jazz-era lever filler that "burps" as soon as my hand warms the plastic body, so this certainly isn't something restricted to eyedroppers. So far as I know, there's nothing I can do to prevent my lever filler from "burping." With my eyedroppers, I just need to check the ink level every so often and top it off. Because they are eyedroppers, they have an admirable ink capacity. The ASA Genuis and the Ranga 3C hold 3 and 4ml respectively. Why on God's green earth anyone would intentionally restrict themselves to the mere .5ml typical of C/C pens is beyond me. With that little ink capacity, I'd spend more time refilling the pen than I would writing with it

I'm not sure how filling an eyedropper could possibly be messy, unless the user is just completely careless. I've knocked over ink bottles with piston-fillers and pump-fillers, but never once while using a pipette or syringe for my eyedropper pens. If the pen is in a stable container and good lighting is available, filling it to an exact level is quite simple.

What you consider "crude and elementary" I consider elegant in its simplicity and remarkably efficient in its design. Is this a "skewed love" I have for these pens? Maybe. But this affinity is not without its reasons.

 

I share your point of view entirely.

but curious about the ebonite feed: do you feel a difference vs nib, feed, collar ready made groups?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I share your point of view entirely.

but curious about the ebonite feed: do you feel a difference vs nib, feed, collar ready made groups?

 

I'm afraid I cannot speak to that. I've never used anything but an ebonite feed in any of my pens, and all of the nib/feed assemblies are friction fit.

Lux in Obscuro Sumus

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Messy, smelly, and burps? Crude and elementary? You sound as if you are speaking about young children rather than a fountain pen.

Endearing? Absolutely. There is something not only endearing, but also quite humbling about writing with my Ranga 3C. This is a pen that was hand-crafted for me by a master at his trade who has been making pens almost as long as I've been alive. It's more than a pen. It's a legacy. It's a piece of history and of preserving the past. It's a piece of functional art made with passion and care.

I have pen-pals who boast of their "flock" of pens that cost well into the hundreds of dollars but write inconsistently, need extensive, expensive, and proprietary work, and are mass-produced. These are soulless mockeries of a fine writing instrument.

Admittedly some do not care for the smell of ebonite, but there is no other material that comes to life in the hand quite like an ebonite pen.

Yes, eyedroppers have a tendency to "burp" ink when the level gets low. I've a gorgeous, Jazz-era lever filler that "burps" as soon as my hand warms the plastic body, so this certainly isn't something restricted to eyedroppers. So far as I know, there's nothing I can do to prevent my lever filler from "burping." With my eyedroppers, I just need to check the ink level every so often and top it off. Because they are eyedroppers, they have an admirable ink capacity. The ASA Genuis and the Ranga 3C hold 3 and 4ml respectively. Why on God's green earth anyone would intentionally restrict themselves to the mere .5ml typical of C/C pens is beyond me. With that little ink capacity, I'd spend more time refilling the pen than I would writing with it

I'm not sure how filling an eyedropper could possibly be messy, unless the user is just completely careless. I've knocked over ink bottles with piston-fillers and pump-fillers, but never once while using a pipette or syringe for my eyedropper pens. If the pen is in a stable container and good lighting is available, filling it to an exact level is quite simple.

What you consider "crude and elementary" I consider elegant in its simplicity and remarkably efficient in its design. Is this a "skewed love" I have for these pens? Maybe. But this affinity is not without its reasons.

I also feel the same way about these eyedropper pens. I have maybe 25-30 and I appreciate each one for its individuality and craftsmanship. And there really isn't anything like ebonite. There is the argument that Japanese ebonite is better and the skill is greater etc..... But for me it is the Indian makers that capture what a real ebonite pen is, they are crafted tools by highly skilled and underrated craftsmen.. They truly are their own category of pen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So this conversation has me continuing to wonder: what makes my Moonman M2 so special? Acrylic. No burping, and I used it a lot last night, and the ink is almost gone. I’ve had burping issues with others before, but never this one. Why?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Burping at low ink levels can be prevented by using a highly buffered feed design. I dont own a moon man since it has no clip. But maybe it has a very nicely buffered feeder. Lots of fins.

 

Most Indian ed s use a simple ebonite feeder which is optimised to support excellent flow but not buffering. Indian Ed s using modern JOWO bock Schmidt nib units will perform well under low ink levels. Due to very nicely buffered feeders.

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Burping at low ink levels can be prevented by using a highly buffered feed design. I dont own a moon man since it has no clip. But maybe it has a very nicely buffered feeder. Lots of fins.

 

Most Indian ed s use a simple ebonite feeder which is optimised to support excellent flow but not buffering. Indian Ed s using modern JOWO bock Schmidt nib units will perform well under low ink levels. Due to very nicely buffered feeders.

I've heard that plastic feeds can be as "good" as ebonite ones, but I've started to suspect that there is a difference between them that is rooted in a difference of intent. That is I think modern plastic feeds are designed to support reliable and trouble free use of "everyday" fountain pens, i.e. minimal burping or splattering with a stiff bold/medium/fine nib. This seems to require limiting ink flow to an extent, to keep the ink under control.

 

I have an FPR Himalaya with a flex nib and ebonite feed that never railroads, but it splatters ink if I give it a mild shake. Meanwhile my pens with plastic feeds generally don't keep up as well with demanding nibs like stubs and flex nibs, but I feel are less likely to toss ink around when shaken etc.

Edited by SoulSamurai
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I'm afraid I cannot speak to that. I've never used anything but an ebonite feed in any of my pens, and all of the nib/feed assemblies are friction fit.

 

Well, it's admirable!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've heard that plastic feeds can be as "good" as ebonite ones, but I've started to suspect that there is a difference between them that is rooted in a difference of intent. That is I think modern plastic feeds are designed to support reliable and trouble free use of "everyday" fountain pens, i.e. minimal burping or splattering with a stiff bold/medium/fine nib. This seems to require limiting ink flow to an extent, to keep the ink under control.

 

I have an FPR Himalaya with a flex nib and ebonite feed that never railroads, but it splatters ink if I give it a mild shake. Meanwhile my pens with plastic feeds generally don't keep up as well with demanding nibs like stubs and flex nibs, but I feel are less likely to toss ink around when shaken etc.

 

I share your experience.

I'm often suffering from what I recognize as insufficient ink flow, and most of the times it happens with CC pens, with nib/feed/collar groups ready made.

Piston pens suffer less, even when they mount nib groups, and ED pens with ebonite feeds are usually the most generous.

I like the experience of writing with more ink in my nib, without hardly touching the paper, and ED pens do that better (IMHO).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moonman m2

with the variety of number 5 nibs you can try on this one.

Which nibs are people using in the M2? Here in the UK it is near on impossible to get a stock nib shipped that isn't an extra fine on the M2, so I'm planning on swapping the nib to something wider. Edited by GastroNerd
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Which nibs are people using in the M2? Here in the UK it is near on impossible to get a stock nib shipped that isn't an extra fine on the M2, so I'm planning on swapping the nib to something wider.

I was just wondering something similar. I have not tried swapping out what came with my M2 in an F. Then again, it is an excellent nib. If anything, I was wondering what it was so I could put it on other pens. It is a better performer than some of the others I’ve got, and at a much better price point.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Which nibs are people using in the M2? Here in the UK it is near on impossible to get a stock nib shipped that isn't an extra fine on the M2, so I'm planning on swapping the nib to something wider.

 

I put in a Kaweco sport nib. The Kaweco nib was dry and I had to spread the tines a bit, but now it is too wet and wide.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I put in a Kaweco sport nib. The Kaweco nib was dry and I had to spread the tines a bit, but now it is too wet and wide.

Does it fit easily? I have quite a few sports that I would be willing to donate the nibs from.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does it fit easily? I have quite a few sports that I would be willing to donate the nibs from.

I'm not much of a pen technician so if I was able to do it must have been pretty straight forward, like plug and play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...