Looking For A Pen For Accounting/bookkeeping Work

[XYZZY]

if you find the Pilot Kakuno EF is broader than your HiTech 0.4mm, then it could possibly be that you are inadvertently holding it wrong or pressing too hard on the paper. That EF nib should be 0.4mm equivalent.

 

I had similar issue when I switched to a EF gold nib (very soft) on my pen from an EF steel nib (nail). I kept putting thick medium lines because I didn't adjust my pressure. It took me several weeks to adjust accordingly.

 

Thank you! I decided to write with the Kakuno and the HTC, scan them, blow it up, and look at how much different they are (and post it here). And... very little difference. The pen is currently filled with Sailor Sei Boku, it lays a similar line as the gel pen.

I'm pretty sure though that I did try the Kakuno on some cheap office paper and the problem was really due to feathering more than the size of the nib. I don't recall which ink I tried that with. I've been careful to record different inks and papers, but I haven't been using the cheap copy paper for ink samples

So this is actually a relief for me, since it means stock Japanese EF nibs ought to be fine enough.

I do believe I'll need to work on pressure. I've only been using an FP for a month, so I've only just begun to retrain my writing. But posting and having too much pressure will at least give immediate visual feedback.

Edited August 12, 2018 by XYZZY

[XYZZY]

Japanese EF nibs, as with all fountain pens actually, have a designated sweet spot. Time is required for the hand to form acquaintance with the pen as a whole and the nib. Once the hand understands the pen (weight, turning angles, pressure, writing speed), there will be countless years of joy.

Thanks for mentioning that. It makes perfect sense, but not sure I would have thought of it before-hand. I had been thinking of buying three or so pens suggested from this list to try them all out, but I wouldn't have thought to give myself sufficient time with each. Sounds like I need to let the pens break me in at the same time I'm breaking them in.

[XYZZY]

Several of you mentioned Esterbrooks. I had assumed nothing vintage due to availability, but yeah, there seems be a ton of NOS around. At least three bookkeeping nibs (1550, 2450, 2550), and at least two posting nibs (9450, 9550). And one of you mentioned the 1555 (Gregg?). I've found and bookmarked an Esterbrook nib reference--yeah, there's tons of nibs, and it doesn't seem hard to find the NOS. I'll do some reading on Esterbrooks real soon now.

[SoulSamurai]

me that my hobby is collecting other people's hobbies

I have the same problem. It's a curse.

[Honeybadgers]

An esterbrook with a PO nib will do the trick.

[XYZZY]

Here's a summary of the suggestions that people made. Thanks so much.

 

Pens:

• Platinum Preppy: SoulSamurai, sciumbasci, Armory, displacermoose, Mech-for-i, minddance
• Platinum Carbon Desk Pen: SoulSamurai, gryphon1911, ridiculopathy, Honeybadgers
• Esterbrook: jar, JakobS
• Esterbrook 444 Dipless: AAAndrew

Miscellaneous:

• Pilot Penmanship: [i can't find this, discontinued?]
• Hero 610: [hard to find this, too]
• More expensive Pilots with Pilot PO nib
• Platinum 3776 with UEF nib, but also comments about this being dry and scratchy
• Hero 601: not a lot of result when I search or this

Inks:

• Platinum Carbon Black Ink: multiple recomendations, but I don't want black, though, sorry for leaving that out.
• Pelikan Blue Black 4001
• Sailor Kira-Guro: see about about black
• Sailor Sei-boku: actually I have a sample of this and like it so far
• Diamine Midnight

Thanks for all the suggestions. There's more here than I can follow up on quickly, but once I settle on something I'll report back.

[jar]

Gotta have more PRON:

 

http://www.fototime.com/224C9773BA8C5F4/large.jpg

[putteringpenman]

I use a Platinum PTL-5000a with a fine nib to write in my accounting ledger. It works pretty well on the cheap paper. It's more expensive than a Platinum Preppy but I think it's a good value for a gold nib pen. Platinum doesn't make the pen anymore, but I know you can get them on Amazon and at Goulet Pens still.

[SoulSamurai]

What colour ink do you want? Do you need your ink to be waterproof?

[minddance]

Is Platinum 5000a feedbacky like 3776?

[inkstainedruth]

Late to the party, but I would also say to look at a vintage pen with an EF nib. If the OP has to do a lot of writing, I'd say splurge on a Parker 51 (still likely to not be too horribly expensive, unless you're getting one of the rarer colors). I have a 51 Vac with an EF nib (with repairs and a bit of opening the tines to make it not scratchy the total cost was about $80 US) and I was using it a lot last year for taking copious notes when I was doing research for a project. And I normally do NOT like EF nibs at all -- but once the nib work was done it's a sweet writer.

If you try one and it's not fine enough, you can probably also have it reground to and extra-extra fine.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Honeybadgers]

the 3776 EF will do the trick, the UEF is ludicrously fine. Think writing in the margins of a bible fine. I love it though.

 

 

Also consider the wing sung 698 with the extra fine nib. it's the same nib (literally, it's made on the same tooling and they're interchangable) as the pilot penmanship. very, very fine and very, very smooth. The pen itself is a very well made piston filler and comes in at under $15.

 

If you want a more "portable" pen that can handle the task, too, look at the pilot 395S in EF. it's about $100, very, very fine and smooth. And it's very compact when capped and quite long posted.

Edited August 13, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[Honeybadgers]

Is Platinum 5000a feedbacky like 3776?

 

yes, if not a little more so.

 

I also recommend pilot blue black for an ink. It's enormously well behaved, waterproof, professional, and a 350mL bottle is $20, which makes is a stupid good value for someone who writes a lot.

 

It also has some nice shading and lovely sheen on good paper.

Edited August 13, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[goodpens]

Summary of what I'm looking for:

• Nib & Ink experience comparable to an imported Pilot 0.4mm gel pen (Hi-Tec-C)
• On copy paper
• Easily replaceable (cost and availability) so that it's not game-over when it gets knocked off the desk and lands nib down

 

 

 

Hi XYZZY,

 

This is an interesting thread and you've received some great recommendations.

 

I have a number of the pens being discussed, so I put together a comparison for you. Most are in black inks, thanks to what was inked and for consistency sake, but a few are with other colors. If I had more time, I'd put together one with all nibs using the same ink to reduce variables. This was semi-rushed, so not great lighting and low res. All told, though, I think (hope) this may be useful.

 

Also, the Pen & Ink Sketch pen is actually only $9.50 on Amazon. I misremembered it as a slightly more expensive pen. It may be another great option for you--low price and the nib units are replaceable, too. With the right ink, it is a great writer; I really like this current combo. https://www.amazon.com/Pen-Ink-Sketch-Fountain-X-fine/dp/B0016BLM8G

 

The paper I used is a Staples notebook (made in Brazil). Cheap, but FP-friendly.

 

When you find a pen/ink combo that does the trick and suits your needs per the original post, please report back. It'll be interesting to hear what suits your needs.

Edited August 13, 2018 by goodpens

[minddance]

Pilot Custom 74 EF and F. Cheap and rather absorbent and relatively smooth paper.

 

Picture taken in a jiffy, please excuse the poor lighting.

 

My Pilot 74 EF arrived with tines too close, I had to spread them using the small plastic sheet supplied with Pilot Parallel pens + hot water at the tip of nib. Did this a few times and it writes perfect now.

 

Pilot 74 F did not require any attention or adjustment. Just wrote.

Edited August 14, 2018 by minddance

[XYZZY]

What colour ink do you want? Do you need your ink to be waterproof?

 

For this use (bookkeeping, posting, at work): not black. I need something that will stand apart from black print that came off the printer (laser toner). For cases where black would be ok, then blue or blue-black is also ok. In other words, there are times when I avoid black, and there are no times when I need it. I also need something reddish, but I'm flexible (and fortunate) enough that there's plenty of leeway. Orange, oxblood, and copper would all be "red enough". But I'll worry about this later.

 

Edit: I need the blue or blue-black to show up on black & white copies as black. Or greyscale copies as dark-grey to black.

 

It doesn't need to be bulletproof, but water resistance is a nice to have. Here's my very limited experience: Noodler's Q-Ternity is downright unacceptable as far as water-proofness goes, whereas De Atrementis Document and Sailor pigmented inks are perfection. Unfortunately I don't have any in-between experience that I can use for quantifying what might be "good enough".

 

Note that at home when I write in a journal, or letters, or whatnot, then I like a variety of colors (including black). Things are also calmer and more organized and I don't accidentally knock pens off the desk. Totally different scenario.

 

the 3776 EF will do the trick, the UEF is ludicrously fine. Think writing in the margins of a bible fine. I love it though.

 

 

Today I took a longish lunch break and drove to the Kinokuniya in Seattle where I picked up a Platinum Preppy 02. Not sure if that's the same size as the UEF on your 3776, but this is a needle! "Ludicrously fine" indeed, and I like fine pens. I didn't get a chance to experiment with it at work, and it's spending the night there. I'll report back tomorrow.

Edited August 14, 2018 by XYZZY

[Runnin_Ute]

I am an accountant too. Right now I have two or three pens with inks in the red family. But the one I use most frequently for what you are looking for is a Parker 45. I have one with an EF and one with an A (accountant) nib. I lucked into that. Right now the burgundy one with A has Diamine Classic Red in it.

 

I have three Esterbrooks (a SJ and two J's I believe) one with a 9450 and two with the 9550. None are currently inked, but I just took an Estie out of rotation. (2464 I will sometimes just use F nibs as well.

[XYZZY]

 

 

Hi XYZZY,

 

This is an interesting thread and you've received some great recommendations.

 

I have a number of the pens being discussed, so I put together a comparison for you. Most are in black inks, thanks to what was inked and for consistency sake, but a few are with other colors. If I had more time, I'd put together one with all nibs using the same ink to reduce variables. This was semi-rushed, so not great lighting and low res. All told, though, I think (hope) this may be useful.

 

Also, the Pen & Ink Sketch pen is actually only $9.50 on Amazon. I misremembered it as a slightly more expensive pen. It may be another great option for you--low price and the nib units are replaceable, too. With the right ink, it is a great writer; I really like this current combo. https://www.amazon.com/Pen-Ink-Sketch-Fountain-X-fine/dp/B0016BLM8G

 

The paper I used is a Staples notebook (made in Brazil). Cheap, but FP-friendly.

 

When you find a pen/ink combo that does the trick and suits your needs per the original post, please report back. It'll be interesting to hear what suits your needs.

 

Whoa! Thanks so much for that page full of samples!

[XYZZY]

So, I tried out the new Platinum Preppy 02 today. I am not impressed. And chagrinned that I didn't think through my needs...

 

I'm currently unhappy with the Preppy.

 

In my Leuchtturm journal it writes consistently, but is dry (I expected this from coments people made about Platinums). But it's consistent and predictable. I clearly need to learn my way around it, there are angles it writes well it, and many angles it writes...less well. Ok, fine, I'm an FP noob. But it's a nice tool worth more than I paid for it.

 

But on crappy paper it is very inconsistent. Unacceptably inconsistent. Sometimes it writes well, but it frequently writes well and then quickly runs dry, as if something is restricting the flow of ink to the nib. If I let the pen sit for a mere minute (even uncapped) then I pick it up and it's fine...and then runs dry again.

 

I'm not sure if the pen is inconsistent, or if I have a fluke, or if the needle-like nib is so sharp that it keeps picking up paper fibers that block it until they get knocked out, or if I need to be shamed for having not cleaned the whole thing out before using it for the first time.

 

For whatever it's worth, I'm using the Platinum Blue Black cartridge that it came with. I haven't given up--I have a converter on the way and when that arrives I'll probably fill it with De Atramentis Documemt Dark Blue.

 

Any tips from those wiser than than I would be appreciated.

Also... when the pen writes well it's awesome. It's a needle. No... it's a surgical tool.

 

As for my needs... I did say that I would be writing on cheap copy paper, and that's true. But I also need to scribble on the back of checks, or sign checks, or... it's really all over the place. I noticed today that while trying to sign a check that the Preppy 02 was very poor. I would say it's like writing on wax paper and the ink just wouldn't flow. Funny thing though, that during lunch I used the Preppy 02 to sign a credit card receipt on that cheap wax-like credit card paper, and it was great.

[Honeybadgers]

 

For this use (bookkeeping, posting, at work): not black. I need something that will stand apart from black print that came off the printer (laser toner). For cases where black would be ok, then blue or blue-black is also ok. In other words, there are times when I avoid black, and there are no times when I need it. I also need something reddish, but I'm flexible (and fortunate) enough that there's plenty of leeway. Orange, oxblood, and copper would all be "red enough". But I'll worry about this later.

 

Edit: I need the blue or blue-black to show up on black & white copies as black. Or greyscale copies as dark-grey to black.

 

It doesn't need to be bulletproof, but water resistance is a nice to have. Here's my very limited experience: Noodler's Q-Ternity is downright unacceptable as far as water-proofness goes, whereas De Atrementis Document and Sailor pigmented inks are perfection. Unfortunately I don't have any in-between experience that I can use for quantifying what might be "good enough".

 

Note that at home when I write in a journal, or letters, or whatnot, then I like a variety of colors (including black). Things are also calmer and more organized and I don't accidentally knock pens off the desk. Totally different scenario.

 

 

Today I took a longish lunch break and drove to the Kinokuniya in Seattle where I picked up a Platinum Preppy 02. Not sure if that's the same size as the UEF on your 3776, but this is a needle! "Ludicrously fine" indeed, and I like fine pens. I didn't get a chance to experiment with it at work, and it's spending the night there. I'll report back tomorrow.

 

If you want to try out a boatload of pens and have a free day on a weekend, I live over in the renton highlands and would be happy to let you rummage through my collection and test stuff out, including the UEF, a superfine sheaffer snorkel, and various other stuff at all price points. Most of my collection is fine or extra fine.

 

The UEF is finer than the 0.2. it's about a 0.1

Edited August 15, 2018 by Honeybadgers