To Dip... Or Not To Dip....

[ForeverStained]

So for the last few weeks... i have been using my regular fountain pens by dipping them rather than filling them.

 

It all kind of started by accident. i was in a hurry to dash off a letter so instead of filling a pen... i just decided to write the letter...

by dipping it. to my astonishment.... i got thru nearly the whole letter dipping only 2 times. i kept waiting for the pen to run dry..

but it just kept going. lol of course it did eventually run dry ..but i thought to myself.

if i am gonna sit down at my desk and write....maybe i will try dipping instead of filling my pens for a while.

 

the writing quality was the same and in the end.... i think by dipping.... i use less ink. PLUS.... if i am writing a long letter....

there is no reason to get up to refill the pen since i have the ink right in front of me and all i have to do... is dip in when i need it.

 

of course.... if i am going out and want to write outside.... the pen would have to be filled.

but here at home... where i write most of my letters anyway..... this certainly has been interesting.

 

am i being silly and lazy about this? or has anyone else tried this sort of thing too?

 

i feel like i am cheating on my converter. lol

[silverlifter]

The only issue that I have with dipping is that it can saturate the feed.

 

Having said that, If I was going to dip regularly, I'd buy a dip pen...

[TheDutchGuy]

Dipping a pen will saturate the feed and many pens have feeds that are large enough to last half a page or even a full page. Depending on the ink you use, the type of pen and how you store it between use, it might be wise to clean the pen periodically even if you only dip it. The ink tends to ‘creep up’ into the pen, especially if you store the pen vertically with the nib pointing upwards, or even if you store the pen horizontally.

[A Smug Dill]

The apparent 'wetness' of the particular pen-ink combination can be slightly different when the nib is only dipped, even after allowing time for the ink to settle how it will on/up the feed, and when it is fed from the pen's internal ink reservoir. Sometimes there is even a minor difference between dipped with no converter attached, and dipped with a converter attached. Someone who is keen on consistency, and chooses his (or her) pens and inks to match exactly the effects — including what may be categorised as expressiveness in how he sees his handwriting — on the page may want to at least experiment enough first to ascertain what dipped-only writing looks (and/or feels) like with the particular pen-ink combination, to know what he'll be "getting".

[Mech-for-i]

I do that all the time, I had on my desk a pen tray that sits there a couple of pen that I use dip only , but my reason is simple, there are colours that some time need to be applied but actually not that frequent , it's just a pain to keep a pen inked with them , dip and write / draw solve the problem and in any case it made some of my pen that's either lost the cap or having their cap destroyed out of my carelessness a 2nd life , and further that could be very useful as experiment especially with new nibs

[ForeverStained]

i have been cleaning my pens after EVERY use. if i am dipping a pen... when i am done with the letter.... it gets a through cleaning

and put aside to dry. i take out the converter of the pen i am using.

 

i NEVER store ANY pens with ink unless its a pen thats got its converter with ink in it.

storing a pen that you dipped ... with ink on it... would be allowing crud to form. its gotta be cleaned out and dried after EVERY use.

 

as far as saturation.... i have not had a problem with that. after i dip the pen... i draw a line or 2 on another piece of paper i have set

aside for just that. if there is any saturation on paper to happen .... it has a chance to do that on the spare piece of paper i have

set aside. I have to say.... so far there have been no problems with this.

 

and the quality of my writing has not changed a bit.

i know i could buy a dip pen.... but i HATE the way they look and feel. i like my regular pens.

 

i guess i am just having fun for the moment with dipping. but it DOES allow me to clean the nib and then

use it again right away as soon as its dried... with another color.

 

so far....its been a fun little experiment.

some pens work better than others when dipped.... and some dont work at all.

 

its been interesting.

[Estycollector]

Having a bit of fun in all that matters. I've dipped a fountain pen occasionally to see how the nib works prior to taking it apart for restoration. However, like someone else suggested, get a dip pen. Many ancient Esterbrook nibs are available for very little one eBay. My favorite among the half dozen tested is the 048 Falcon which holds a good supply of ink. https://theesterbrookproject.com/NIB%20SHEETS/ESTERBROOK%20048%20FALCON%20PEN/ESTERBROOK%20048%20FALCON%20PEN.html

[Karmachanic]

And then there's Serendipity

[Mech-for-i]

well PenBBS 267 & Jinhao 51a Journalling variant come to say hi ...

 

[ForeverStained]

Thanks for the suggestions for dip pens. lol i'm sorry..... I just HATE the look of them.

but thanks anyway.

 

One of the pens i have been using with great success is the Jinhao 159 with the bent nib.

that nib is so weird but it does give a very broad line.... AND... it runs forever on one dip of ink... plus.... i dont see any

saturation when i first put the pen back on the paper. just just a smooth writer with a small bit of feedback.

 

I think the paper i am using has alot to do with it as well. I have a selection of Write Paper, Tome River (52g and 68g) and Midori paper.

none of these has become saturated from the dipping.

 

the 159 is a fat and fairly heavy pen. i have been impressed with its workhorse ways. I ordered it from China on Apr. 2.

it arrived yesterday......

along with a 159 with a medium broad nib. that one is not here yet.

 

usually i spend alot of money on pens but lately.... i have sort of been thinking differently. i want to see what all these Chinese

pens are about. besides.... i am still trying to decide on what Japanese pen i want at some point.

 

so.... why not investigate the other side of the spectrum in the mean time. its not like i spent alot of money.

this 159 with the bent nib cost me about $3.52 with FREE shipping and a LOOOOONG wait ! LOL

 

All i can say is WOW ! if you want time to slow to a crawl.... order a pen from China.... i will take FOREVER to get to you...

and it will seem like forever too.

 

Anyway.... i have a VERY old fountain pen i found in the desk drawer of a relative that passed away. it has a gold nib... and seems

to be VERY flexible. I dont what brand it is but i am going to give it a nice cleaning and try it next as a dip pen.

 

Thanks for all your suggestions.

[ForeverStained]

well PenBBS 267 & Jinhao 51a Journalling variant come to say hi ...

 

I like those pens. thanks

[sandy101]

 

Anyway.... i have a VERY old fountain pen i found in the desk drawer of a relative that passed away. it has a gold nib... and seems

to be VERY flexible. I dont what brand it is but i am going to give it a nice cleaning and try it next as a dip pen.

 

Thanks for all your suggestions.

 

I'm sure if you post a photo or two of it here, someone will be able to tell you what it is.

[inkstainedruth]

Honestly, I don't dip my fountain pens because the only reason to do that is to test an ink -- and I don't think you get a real feel for how the ink will behave coming out of the nib (the same way I don't do swabs) -- it doesn't give a true impression of the ink's color or behavior.

Of course, I don't tend to dip "dip pens" either -- when I took a calligraphy class in college, and were using Speedball pens, we were taught to use the eyedropper filler in the Higgins India ink cap to fill the pens. It was neater and we had more control about the amount of ink (or course I'm not sure how that would work for nibs that don't have the overfeed part like the Speedball nibs; and I probably dipped the bamboo pen.

As for dipping a fountain pen on a regular basis? Meh.... NOT having to dip/refill constantly is kinda the point of a fountain pen, isn't it? But there probably isn't anything really wrong except for all the extra (and IMO unnecessary) cleaning you're doing, ForeverStained. And I say that as someone who is more than a little OCD about flushing every scrap of ink out of a pen....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ForeverStained]

Honestly, I don't dip my fountain pens because the only reason to do that is to test an ink -- and I don't think you get a real feel for how the ink will behave coming out of the nib (the same way I don't do swabs) -- it doesn't give a true impression of the ink's color or behavior.

Of course, I don't tend to dip "dip pens" either -- when I took a calligraphy class in college, and were using Speedball pens, we were taught to use the eyedropper filler in the Higgins India ink cap to fill the pens. It was neater and we had more control about the amount of ink (or course I'm not sure how that would work for nibs that don't have the overfeed part like the Speedball nibs; and I probably dipped the bamboo pen.

As for dipping a fountain pen on a regular basis? Meh.... NOT having to dip/refill constantly is kinda the point of a fountain pen, isn't it? But there probably isn't anything really wrong except for all the extra (and IMO unnecessary) cleaning you're doing, ForeverStained. And I say that as someone who is more than a little OCD about flushing every scrap of ink out of a pen....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

You do make a good point about filling a fountain pen as opposed to dipping it. lol thats the reason they were developed.

thats certainly true.

 

but not sure i understand you about the extra cleaning? thats the point ! HA ! there is NO REAL cleaning involved when i am

using a fountain pen to dip. the ONLY cleaning involved is flushing the nib with a bulb syringe ! maybe 2 minutes tops.

all i was saying about the cleaning stuff was that i am careful to make sure the water runs clear.

and THATS IT ! then its put up to dry.

 

i dont know.... maybe i am getting too lazy in my old age... and thats where this comes from. lol

 

i got curious and did alot of testing with the inks and various pens..... and various papers

i write on. somehow ... for some reason.... the pens i have been using have laid down a very nice line and the color

is beautiful. I really dont notice any real difference. I am SURE there is a difference.... but i dont see it.

 

i know what you mean about wanting to get every bit of ink out of your pen when its empty. I too have a problem that i feel

i MUST get every bit of it out... especially behind the converter where it sometimes likes to hide. and for me... it can take some REAL

time to do it right too !

 

i understand everything you are saying.... but for the moment..... this has been a fun thing to play with.

i'll eventually get tired of it and go back to filling my pens.... nothing is ever cast in stone with me.... thats for sure. lol

 

thanks for your comments.

Edited May 24, 2020 by ForeverStained

[AAAndrew]

Dip pens with a fountain pen feed were quite common from the 30's on. There are whole sets of them. Morriset was one of the main manufacturers. You can still get the pens, replacable nibs and inkholders. here are some interesting ones with custom imprints on top.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/346872-a-few-imprinted-morriset-model-b-pen-ink-unit-inkwells/?hl=morriset

 

And, of course, the whole Esterbrook Dipless line. These are excellent inkwells with the top-notch Esterbrook Renew Point nibs.

[aalmcc4]

Foreverstained,

 

The dip pens with feeds popularized in the 20's on into the 50's fill the exact need you express in your original post. As AAAndrew mentioned the Morriset's and of course Easterbrook were very popular and most of their various models (all vintage) are available for very reasonable prices.

 

Don't forget the various Sengbusch sets. Look for the sengbusch HandiPen and well (common on the bay) and the Dip a Day pen sets (much less common).

 

They all keep a freshly inked pen at the ready on your desk, for writing notes, letters, phones messages etc. I have one on all my desks.

[ForeverStained]

Dip pens with a fountain pen feed were quite common from the 30's on. There are whole sets of them. Morriset was one of the main manufacturers. You can still get the pens, replacable nibs and inkholders. here are some interesting ones with custom imprints on top.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/346872-a-few-imprinted-morriset-model-b-pen-ink-unit-inkwells/?hl=morriset

 

And, of course, the whole Esterbrook Dipless line. These are excellent inkwells with the top-notch Esterbrook Renew Point nibs.

 

thanks for your post. I dont like dip pens and i dont like inkwells .... thats not what all this was about.

its fun to use my own pens and choose from my vast collection

of colors and brands of ink.

 

sorry.... i was just having fun with what i already own.

[rgr]

Not long ago, I also wrote a letter, occasionally dipping a fountain pen into a bottle of ink. However, most of my writing, by far, is done with the three Esterbrook inkwell pens on my desk.

 

Though I bought a glass dip pen some years ago,  I've just ordered my first metal dip-pen nibs, also Esterbrook.

 

KARMACHANIC: Thank you for the link to the hybrid pens.