Hello From Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

[nottmbantam]

Hello all,

 

Stumbled across this forum last night when i was researching a query around Mont Blanc inks! I'm a Brit expat living and working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, been out here for about four years now. I've always had a fondness for writing with a fountain pen, have had several Parkers, a Pelikan, Lamy and Marksman. Have always hankered after a Mont Blanc though, and a couple of weeks ago, plucked up the courage ( and the cash ) to treat myself as a reward for a recent promotion. Went for a MB LeGrande ( Platinum ) , along with leather case and a bottle of MB Royal Blue.

 

Have decided though that I don't like Royal Blue, I'm a dark ink kinda guy, so have resorted to using some Parker Quink Blue Black for now

 

Anyway, nice forum, and so far, have had really helpful and useful replies to my question regarding inks - thank you for being so welcoming.

 

Cheers.

[PAKMAN]

Hello and Welcome to FPN!! Glad to have you along for the ride!

[Freddy]

Welcome Aboard.... .Enjoy your time here.

 

Fred

[Lalique]

Hello all,

 

Stumbled across this forum last night when i was researching a query around Mont Blanc inks! I'm a Brit expat living and working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, been out here for about four years now. I've always had a fondness for writing with a fountain pen, have had several Parkers, a Pelikan, Lamy and Marksman. Have always hankered after a Mont Blanc though, and a couple of weeks ago, plucked up the courage ( and the cash ) to treat myself as a reward for a recent promotion. Went for a MB LeGrande ( Platinum ) , along with leather case and a bottle of MB Royal Blue.

 

Have decided though that I don't like Royal Blue, I'm a dark ink kinda guy, so have resorted to using some Parker Quink Blue Black for now

 

Anyway, nice forum, and so far, have had really helpful and useful replies to my question regarding inks - thank you for being so welcoming.

 

Cheers.

 

Aloha, nottmbantum:

 

Welcome to FPN!

 

Do you still have the Parkers, Pelikan, Lamy and Marksman? If not, what did you decide to do with them? You bought a fine Montblanc when you went for the LeGrand Platinum. Did you buy it new or used and did you get it a good price, or was that a consideration for you in your decision to buy it? I too like darker ink. My favorite Montblanc ink color is Midnight Blue. What is your favorite paper to write on with a fountain pen?

 

I'm happy you joined us.

 

Happy pen trails to you, nottmbantum : ).

Edited January 18, 2012 by Lalique

[Sasha Royale]

Welcome !

 

Congratulations on your promotion and new MB.

I like Parkers and I like royal blue inks. (Don't hate me.)

 

Do you encounter any problems of nibs drying out while writing

in an arid climate ?

 

Glad you joined us.

[nottmbantam]

Aloha, nottmbantum:

 

Welcome to FPN!

 

Do you still have the Parkers, Pelikan, Lamy and Marksman? If not, what did you decide to do with them? You bought a fine Montblanc when you went for the LeGrand Platinum. Did you buy it new or used and did you get it a good price, or was that a consideration for you in your decision to buy it? I too like darker ink. My favorite Montblanc ink color is Midnight Blue. What is your favorite paper to write on with a fountain pen?

 

I'm happy you joined us.

 

Happy pen trails to you, nottmbantum : ).

 

Yes, I've never thrown away or even given away any of my fountain pens, still have the Parkers though they are home in the UK ( Nottingham ) and the Lamy Safari and Lamy Accent I have with me here in Riyadh. The Pelikan was given given to me many years ago, but sadly the clip on the barrel has broken, so it's confined to its draw now. Still intend on keeping them all. The Marksman pen has a slightly damaged nib and the barrel tends to come apart when opening, but still 'works' and it's a beautiful looking pen, so again, will just hang onto it. I think its about time I brought them all together and housed them in nice little box somewhere!

 

The MB is intended as my main weapon of choice, so using it daily now at work and home.

 

I'm intending on going out later to see if I can source some MB Midnight Blue, I find the Parker Quink a little too free flowing - maybe is that what people mean when refer to 'wet' ? I have quite small hand writing, so prefer fine and extra nibs. THe Parker ink seems to flow too freely and this makes my writing thicker and ( even ) harder to read! day to day, I tend to use a Moleskine diary ( Pocket Weekly Planner ) and also have a ruled Personal Notebook for note taking, the paper so paper seems ok so far, but I also have a Moleskine Plain paper notebook, and that paper seems a little thinner so the inks bleeds a little more. A bit more research required I think !

 

Thank for the welcome, and look forward to more inky discussions.

 

Welcome !

 

Congratulations on your promotion and new MB.

I like Parkers and I like royal blue inks. (Don't hate me.)

 

Do you encounter any problems of nibs drying out while writing

in an arid climate ?

 

Glad you joined us.

 

Thanks for the welcome Sasha. I've never really found a problem with the aridness of Riyadh, you have described it well it well, it's a very arid climate! today has been beautiful in the daytime, been sitting outside most of the day in a 'just right' temperature of approx 22c. The night time and early mornings can be quite cool at this time of year though.

 

So far, all the FPs i've used have been fine, a combination of Lamy Accent and Marksmen, so the climate hasn't really made a difference. I do think though when writing with a FP, the darker inks just look a bit more 'classical'. THe other colours just don't interest me I'm afraid e.g greens, browns, purples.

 

Cheers.

[Clancy]

Greetings and welcome to FPFN. Good to have you here with us

[ehemem]

 

A few suggestions:

The pocket clip on your Pelikan can be replaced pretty easily, depending on the model.

 

I agree with you on ink color. Perhaps you should attempt to find out if Noodler's is available in SA or if it can be shipped there for you. While Noodler's has a very wide palette, Bulletproof Black and the darker blues work for me. I also like Pilot inks in bottles, especially the Blue black - more of a dark blue.

 

If you like fine nibs, you should look at Japanese pens from Sailor, Pilot/Namiki and Platinum. I find that even their less expensive lines have very good nibs.

 

Just some quick thoughts... And again, WELCOME!

[Lalique]

Aloha, nottmbantum:

 

Welcome to FPN!

 

Do you still have the Parkers, Pelikan, Lamy and Marksman? If not, what did you decide to do with them? You bought a fine Montblanc when you went for the LeGrand Platinum. Did you buy it new or used and did you get it a good price, or was that a consideration for you in your decision to buy it? I too like darker ink. My favorite Montblanc ink color is Midnight Blue. What is your favorite paper to write on with a fountain pen?

 

I'm happy you joined us.

 

Happy pen trails to you, nottmbantum : ).

 

Yes, I've never thrown away or even given away any of my fountain pens, still have the Parkers though they are home in the UK ( Nottingham ) and the Lamy Safari and Lamy Accent I have with me here in Riyadh. The Pelikan was given given to me many years ago, but sadly the clip on the barrel has broken, so it's confined to its draw now. Still intend on keeping them all. The Marksman pen has a slightly damaged nib and the barrel tends to come apart when opening, but still 'works' and it's a beautiful looking pen, so again, will just hang onto it. I think its about time I brought them all together and housed them in nice little box somewhere!

 

The MB is intended as my main weapon of choice, so using it daily now at work and home.

 

I'm intending on going out later to see if I can source some MB Midnight Blue, I find the Parker Quink a little too free flowing - maybe is that what people mean when refer to 'wet' ? I have quite small hand writing, so prefer fine and extra nibs. THe Parker ink seems to flow too freely and this makes my writing thicker and ( even ) harder to read! day to day, I tend to use a Moleskine diary ( Pocket Weekly Planner ) and also have a ruled Personal Notebook for note taking, the paper so paper seems ok so far, but I also have a Moleskine Plain paper notebook, and that paper seems a little thinner so the inks bleeds a little more. A bit more research required I think !

 

Thank for the welcome, and look forward to more inky discussions.

 

Welcome !

 

Congratulations on your promotion and new MB.

I like Parkers and I like royal blue inks. (Don't hate me.)

 

Do you encounter any problems of nibs drying out while writing

in an arid climate ?

 

Glad you joined us.

 

Thanks for the welcome Sasha. I've never really found a problem with the aridness of Riyadh, you have described it well it well, it's a very arid climate! today has been beautiful in the daytime, been sitting outside most of the day in a 'just right' temperature of approx 22c. The night time and early mornings can be quite cool at this time of year though.

 

So far, all the FPs i've used have been fine, a combination of Lamy Accent and Marksmen, so the climate hasn't really made a difference. I do think though when writing with a FP, the darker inks just look a bit more 'classical'. THe other colours just don't interest me I'm afraid e.g greens, browns, purples.

 

Cheers.

 

I really enjoyed reading your inky discussion. I will be interested to know how well you like the Montblanc Midnight Blue ink and the flow of it in your Montblanc LeGrand Platimum pen. You are nostalgic as I am for keeping the pens you have loved. Thank you for your sharing. I look forward to hearing more of your inky stories: ).

Edited January 20, 2012 by Lalique

[nottmbantam]

I really enjoyed reading your inky discussion. I will interested to know how well you like the Montblanc Midnight Blue ink and the flow of it in your Montblanc LeGrand Platimum pen. You are nostalgic as I am for keeping the pens you have loved. Thank you for your sharing. I look forward to hearing more of your inky stories: ).

 

Went to downtown Riyadh last night, one of the flagship malls in the city has an MB boutique, so managed to source some Midnight Blue. By the time we got home - after stopping off at Applebees! - it was quite late, so only managed to fill the pen and have a quick scrawl with it, but first impressions were excellent. THe ink seems to flow much steadier and 'drier' hence giving the extra fine nib the required thinness of stroke and therefore - I think - making my writing somewhat bearable ! Really like the depth of colour too, it did bleed a little but I think thats the quality of the paper.

 

Thanks again.

[Lalique]

I really enjoyed reading your inky discussion. I will interested to know how well you like the Montblanc Midnight Blue ink and the flow of it in your Montblanc LeGrand Platimum pen. You are nostalgic as I am for keeping the pens you have loved. Thank you for your sharing. I look forward to hearing more of your inky stories: ).

 

Went to downtown Riyadh last night, one of the flagship malls in the city has an MB boutique, so managed to source some Midnight Blue. By the time we got home - after stopping off at Applebees! - it was quite late, so only managed to fill the pen and have a quick scrawl with it, but first impressions were excellent. THe ink seems to flow much steadier and 'drier' hence giving the extra fine nib the required thinness of stroke and therefore - I think - making my writing somewhat bearable ! Really like the depth of colour too, it did bleed a little but I think thats the quality of the paper.

 

Thanks again.

 

My first ink color suggestion on FPN, and you are happy with it. Wonderful! The depth of color is what I loved about Montblanc's Midnight Blue ink. I don't have any fountain pen yet, but I did see sample fountain pen writing where the Montblanc Midnight Blue was being used along with samples of the other Montblanc ink colors. January 3rd I bought a vintage 1991 Montblanc Creation Lalique limited edition desk set that was specially made for a Montblanc 149 fountain pen vintage 1991 - 1994 when the desk sets were being sold. To celebrate, I joined FPN on that date. I'm actively looking to purchase a 1991 - 1994 Montblanc 149 with a fine, or an extra fine nib, hopefully from an original owner. I asked you about the paper you use because that's an unknown to me at this point. I am going to try the G. Lalo "Verge" because it simulates handmade paper and has a texture that simulates lines, though it is unlined, to help keep handwriting flowing strait across the page. I'm not sure how the texturing of the of the G. Lalo "Verge" paper might affect the flow of the ink in a Montblanc 149 with a fine, or extra fine nib.Will it splotch, or skip, or bleed? I will find out : ). I'll keep the Moleskine Plain notebook paper in mind should the G. Lalo "Verge" paper not work out for me.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Lalique

[nottmbantam]

My first ink color suggestion on FPN, and you are happy with it. Wonderful! The depth of color is what I loved about Montblanc's Midnight Blue ink. I don't have any fountain pen yet, but I did see sample fountain pen writing where the Montblanc Midnight Blue was being used along with samples of the other Montblanc ink colors. January 3rd I bought a vintage 1991 Montblanc Creation Lalique limited edition desk set that was specially made for a Montblanc 149 fountain pen vintage 1991 - 1994 when the desk sets were being sold. To celebrate, I joined FPN on that date. I'm actively looking to purchase a 1991 - 1994 Montblanc 149 with a fine, or an extra fine nib, hopefully from an original owner. I asked you about the paper you use because that's an unknown to me at this point. I am going to try the G. Lalo "Verge" because it simulates handmade paper and has a texture that simulates lines, though it is unlined, to help keep handwriting flowing strait across the page. I'm not sure how the texturing of the of the G. Lalo "Verge" paper might affect the flow of the ink in a Montblanc 149 with a fine, or extra fine nib.Will it splotch, or skip, or bleed? I will find out : ). I'll keep the Moleskine Plain notebook paper in mind should the G. Lalo "Verge" paper not work out for me.

 

Yes, thanks for the suggestion, to be fair, I had posted on the MB section re inks and had also been advised there to try the Midnight Blue so had a few suggestions over that.

 

Interesting that the paper in the Moleskine seems to differ between ruled and plain paper, definitely noticed a difference. Good luck with the search for the vintage MB 149! Cheers.

[Ghost Plane]

I think you may find the texture of the G Lalo has a tendency to "catch" on your nibs, especially the finer ones. It certainly annoys me with my italics and stubs. Look at Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Quo Vadis, and Triomphe for smoother paper and see if you like the difference.

[Fabienne]

Hello and welcome! Places like Saudi Arabia are known for calligraphy, is that still the case or is that now a myth?

[Lalique]

I think you may find the texture of the G Lalo has a tendency to "catch" on your nibs, especially the finer ones. It certainly annoys me with my italics and stubs. Look at Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Quo Vadis, and Triomphe for smoother paper and see if you like the difference.

 

Aloha, Ghost Plane:

 

I see what you mean about the nibs catching on the G. Lalo paper and especially the finer nibs, one of which I will have on the pen I buy. I have written down the names of those papers you suggested. I will definitely check them out.Thank you for your help in avoiding writing failure and paper disappointment That's good advice for this newbie : ).

 

You said the nib catching annoys you with your italics and stubs.. What are stubs?

 

Happy pen trails to you, Ghost Plane : ).

Edited January 20, 2012 by Lalique

[Lalique]

My first ink color suggestion on FPN, and you are happy with it. Wonderful! The depth of color is what I loved about Montblanc's Midnight Blue ink. I don't have any fountain pen yet, but I did see sample fountain pen writing where the Montblanc Midnight Blue was being used along with samples of the other Montblanc ink colors. January 3rd I bought a vintage 1991 Montblanc Creation Lalique limited edition desk set that was specially made for a Montblanc 149 fountain pen vintage 1991 - 1994 when the desk sets were being sold. To celebrate, I joined FPN on that date. I'm actively looking to purchase a 1991 - 1994 Montblanc 149 with a fine, or an extra fine nib, hopefully from an original owner. I asked you about the paper you use because that's an unknown to me at this point. I am going to try the G. Lalo "Verge" because it simulates handmade paper and has a texture that simulates lines, though it is unlined, to help keep handwriting flowing strait across the page. I'm not sure how the texturing of the of the G. Lalo "Verge" paper might affect the flow of the ink in a Montblanc 149 with a fine, or extra fine nib.Will it splotch, or skip, or bleed? I will find out : ). I'll keep the Moleskine Plain notebook paper in mind should the G. Lalo "Verge" paper not work out for me.

 

Yes, thanks for the suggestion, to be fair, I had posted on the MB section re inks and had also been advised there to try the Midnight Blue so had a few suggestions over that.

 

Interesting that the paper in the Moleskine seems to differ between ruled and plain paper, definitely noticed a difference. Good luck with the search for the vintage MB 149! Cheers.

 

You are welcome : ). I'm glad you are happy with the Midnight Blue.

 

Since the Moleskine differs between the ruled and plain paper, do you have a preference between them? Thank you for your good wishes for me to find the right vintage 1991 - 1994 Montblanc 149. I'm certainly looking forward to that : ).

Edited January 20, 2012 by Lalique

[nottmbantam]

 

You are welcome : ). I'm glad you are happy with the Midnight Blue.

 

Since the Moleskine differs between the ruled and plain paper, do you have a preference between them? Thank you for your good wishes for me to find the right vintage 1991 - 1994 Montblanc 149. I'm certainly looking forward to that : ).

 

So far, am preferring the ruled paper over the plain, but on second thoughts, I think the ink I'd been using also makes a difference. AS mentioned earlier, the Parker ink seems to flow too freely, but since getting the MB Midnight Blue and trying on the Moleskine plain paper, the paper seems to be holding up well.

 

Having read some of the other threads on paper and on journals, I'm tempted to go for a Leuterttram 1917 notebook and give that a try. Although the Moleskines are generally pretty good, the LTs are twice the price to I'm curious to see if they are twice as good !!

[Lalique]

You are welcome : ). I'm glad you are happy with the Midnight Blue.

 

Since the Moleskine differs between the ruled and plain paper, do you have a preference between them? Thank you for your good wishes for me to find the right vintage 1991 - 1994 Montblanc 149. I'm certainly looking forward to that : ).

 

So far, am preferring the ruled paper over the plain, but on second thoughts, I think the ink I'd been using also makes a difference. AS mentioned earlier, the Parker ink seems to flow too freely, but since getting the MB Midnight Blue and trying on the Moleskine plain paper, the paper seems to be holding up well.

 

Having read some of the other threads on paper and on journals, I'm tempted to go for a Leuterttram 1917 notebook and give that a try. Although the Moleskines are generally pretty good, the LTs are twice the price to I'm curious to see if they are twice as good !!

 

I spent some time looking at journals after seeing Stephen Brown's review video, "Notebooks and fountain pens" http://www.youtube.c...brown/featured. If I was going to buy a journal, I would definitely consider "Paperblanks famous people" for the artfulness of them http://www.europeanp.../famous-people/ . I found a good video review of the G. Lalo "Verge" paper I like so well for its' quality, artful, old world reminiscence values.

The reviewer does warn about the toothiness of the paper, especially with the use of a fine nib. I've considered the Moleskine, Clairfontaine Triomphe and the Rhoda line, but love the G. Lalo "Verge" paper in ivory beyond reason :bonk: I would rather compromise on the nib, purchasing a vintage 1991 - 1994 Montblanc 149 with a medium rather than a fine or extra fine nib than not to be able to write on that G. Lalo "Verge" ivory paper for my regular personal stationary. That G. Lalo "Verge" stationary could lead me to acquiring a pen collection after all.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Lalique

[Ghost Plane]

A stub is a form of cursive italic with nicely rounded corners for speed and smoothness. How rounded those corners become depends very much on the brand. Google Binder's website and read his discourse on stubs.

[Lalique]

A stub is a form of cursive italic with nicely rounded corners for speed and smoothness. How rounded those corners become depends very much on the brand. Google Binder's website and read his discourse on stubs.

 

Aloha, Ghost Plane (When I see your nic-name, Ghost Plane, it reminds of Eastern Airlines L1011, Flight 401 and the ghost that appeared on other aircraft that had been refitted with parts from the flight that crashed. Were you aware of that story when you chose your nic-name, Ghost Plane? http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/359592/ )

 

I read Richard Binder's discourse on nibs that included discussion on stub italic nibs. I had no idea nibs were so technically varied and involved. I will definitely be paying much more attention to the nib condition and size on the vintage 1991 - 1994 Montblanc 149 I'm looking to purchase to go with the vintage 1991 Montblanc Creation Lalique desk set I purchased earlier this month. Thank you, Ghost Plane, for heading me in the right direction toward becoming more knowledgeable about fountain pen nibs in particular this time.

Edited January 21, 2012 by Lalique