Help A Rookie - Which Pen For Bad Paper?

[Laura N]

Do try an iron gall ink before giving up. But it's probably the paper.

 

Do you have this problem on other, better paper, like Clairefontaine or Rhodia?

 

If you get a chance, pm me where you live or work. I'm in the suburbs too, and if we're in the same general area I'd be happy to get you some Lamy Blue Black to try.

[XiaoMG]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. What a supportive community! I feel at home already :-) Anyone know how to slow down the feed and make my TWSBI drier?

 

eef - Do you have a recommendation on which sailor or pilot? Looking at XiaoMG's post, they seem to do really well.

 

XiaoMG - Thanks for your reply and that comparison. Very helpful! My TWSBI on paper towel is about the same as the Aurora Black sailor, one up from the bottom.

 

Flyfast - I'd REALLY like a Hero 850, but can't seem to find one anywhere!

 

kalali - While I'd like to agree with you in theory and say ink is most of it, I'm experiencing the (basically) the same results with all of my inks, which are all different brands. I have to think maybe my F TWSBI 540 is too wet for any ink to slow down.

 

ChelleW - I'd be interested to see how the Lamy Blue-Black iron gall variety held up (plus, Lamy's bottles are super functional!)

 

wallylynn - I am ordering online. I live about 2 hours outside of Chicago, and nearest pen store is in the Chicago suburbs, about an hour and a half away. I suppose it might be worth a trip, but I don't get out much :-P I suppose my experience with my paper at our school is basically the same as trying to write on newsprint. As much as I hate to admit it and it might be blasphemy around these parts (*hides*), perhaps something like a G2 or a flair is more practical. Maybe that's why I'm the only teacher in our building trying to grade with FP's.

If you're going with a gel pen, which are really sometimes a much more ideal tool, you can do better than a Pilot G-2.

 

I have given the same suggestion a few times but I'll offer it again because it's reasonable. Since your paper likely will not take broad pens, I'd recommend getting a cheap Japanese fine, such as the 78G or the Penmanship. The latter is an EF and may take some getting used to, but is a good cheap way to experiment. Actually, I transferred the EF nib into my Prera and tweaked it a little to give it a richer flow, but it still handles weak paper like a champ because it's so fine. The F-nibbed 78Gs ought to do the trick as well, and the pen itself is a great project piece.

 

As for making the TWSBI dry, I'd recommend a nib slit adjustment rather than playing with the feed. Narrowing the slit can be very effective, but might take a little practice to get right.

[JimB]

Try one more ink variation before the 'other pen solution'. Try an iron gall ink. The only ink I've ever tried that outperforms Noodler's Black on really lousy paper is ESSRI - Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies Registrars Ink. This stuff is (almost) magic and it is very inexpensive. 110 ml of ink for about US$15, postage included. You can order it here. If that doesn't fix the problem, you still have a generous supply of an excellent all-around ink. If it does fix the problem - here's the best part - buy another pen anyway!

 

Edited to add: Welcome to the madness!

+1 on ESSRI and +1 on the welcome.

 

I think an F nib is as fine as you should go using ESSRI, or you lose out on the magic of the ink's properties.

[MikeC]

> If you're going with a gel pen, which are really sometimes a

> much more ideal tool, you can do better than a Pilot G-2.

 

Seconded. My old brushed-stainless Parker Jotter (maybe a Flighter? not sure) loaded up with one of the many colors of Monteverde gel refills (available in standard Parker size) is a really nice everyday combination. Not quite in the same league as a half-decent FP, but way more forgiving of crappy paper, and vastly more enjoyable to write with than standard BPs or RBs, IMHO.

 

(edited to add) Since the OP is looking to buy online: I bought a fistful of the Monteverde ceramic-ball gel ink refills in several different colors from the Art Brown store the last time I was in NYC, and they sell online too.

Edited April 27, 2012 by MikeC

[paulturtle92]

I have a lot of experience with crappy writing paper (my paper even feathers with noodler's x-feather), and the pen/paper combo that works best is a dry writer with anti-feathering ink. In this context, you might consider the Lamy Safari, which normally have a flow of 4 or 5 out of a scale of 10.

 

My other pens that have no problems with bleeding/feathering/showthrough with a normal ink are my Sheaffer Targa, my Parker Vectors, and (somewhat) my Lamy 2000.

 

As for ink, try ordering Noodler's Black, or if it still feathers, X-feather. Black already has some anti-feathering properties. If you need a red that doesn't bleed badly, try Noodler's Red. AVOID WATERMAN AND SKRIP INKS AT ALL COST -- they bleed like a stuck pig, as your experience with Skrip Red can demonstrate.