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$25 at Five Below nets perfect pens for learning nib tuning

amberleadavis

By amberleadavis
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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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This review is different from my usual reviews because I'm not using a scanner, a computer, or any tools.

 

On Monday, I found myself with an hour and a half of free time with no computer no pens and no paper. I was traumatized.

 

So I made a trip over to a local discount store, Five Below. I created a little kit that could remain in my vehicle for times such as these. You may not know that the temperature inside a vehicle even at this time of year is more than 100° F. Therefore, you do not leave any loved ones in the vehicle.

 

The photos for this review are also different because they are taken entirely with my phone and edited on my phone. I'm not sure that I'll be continuing this process, but for now I'm giving it a try. I am also using speech to text so that I can write this review.

 

In the pictures, you can see my musings and full notes about the package I created with a pen holder multiple sets of pens and a sketch pad. 

 

For now, let me start with the $4 calligraphy set.

 

The pens and nibs appear to be made by Jinhao, and when I make it to the office I will find out if my converters and the pen bodies match.

 

The set includes six nibs two pen bodies and 10 ink cartridges.

 

So far I have tried four of the six nibs. None have worked well straight out of the package.  One of them I was able to make a small adjustment, and now it writes nicely.

 

The nibs, if not the body, really look like the ones I bought on eBay for $2 each. Those pens each had a body and a converter. Also I didn't have to adjust any of those.

 

However, for $4, I'm thinking I'm a try to do some nib tuning of my own. I recommend this as a potential starter kit.

 

Special thanks to @essayfaire, for telling me about Five Below.PXL_20221020_201857930.thumb.jpg.27a01de483996d78282363f6b7b41ab8.jpg

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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More pictures will follow.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Smug Dill Museum Piece

A Smug Dill

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2 hours ago, amberleadavis said:

You may not know that the temperature inside a vehicle even at this time of year is more than 100° F. Therefore, you do not leave any loved ones in the vehicle.

 

Perhaps an Opus 88 eyedropper-filled model with a shutoff mechanism, to prevent burping when the temperature rises? I've recently discovered that even a converter-filled pen can burp when left to rest where it can get hot; so, yes, anything without on-off control to cut ink supply from the feed could get messy. As far as heat damage to the pen itself, I seriously doubt that prolonged exposure to 45°C (113°F) would warp the acrylic (and ebonite) in a Opus 88 Koloro or Picnic pen. Or even a Wing Sung 699 vacuum-filler, for that matter; but I don't trust the plug to seal off the ink reservoir perfectly in that model of pen (of which I have several), or that prolonged exposure to certain inks at warmer-than-warm temperatures wouldn't lead to corrosion of the metal rod inside.

 

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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@ASD - I was sort of making a reference to deaths of people left in cars.  https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/motor-vehicle-safety-issues/hotcars/

 

However, I have had toothbrushes, and Bic pens melt in my car.  I don't keep nice pens in the car.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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large.PXL_20221020_202013747.jpg.b57777ec277a1d215b504f484d5d46f0.jpg

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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large.PXL_20221020_202028789.jpg.9092170f1f7fb4f8c78f793dbc408749.jpg

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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large.original_92060731-a798-4d79-938f-6fde0a716e4f_PXL_20221020_202043545.jpg.2b96ee07c9f03a15a0a86d983a144e38.jpg

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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large.original_24d1f817-b4c6-4802-96a1-540d89313eca_PXL_20221020_202052779.jpg.c25520f09250ad4990a1fd083aea4b45.jpg

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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Huge bleed through.

large.original_12ee29e8-5e8d-45af-a603-0ebec7fa3a7e_PXL_20221020_202108227.jpg.5acbaba6e96c0fa3c84c79b3ef0e256b.jpg

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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large.original_1f93e5aa-dc9c-4be4-a968-00762d70949a_PXL_20221020_202126798.jpg.3ff2ccd9d3c71c8a76cd2b65d8d2b106.jpg

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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large.original_70d42f30-f877-443b-9828-34efdddb2331_PXL_20221020_202138546.jpg.bc37efa5c8eea5fd06a32db6c8295ed9.jpg

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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large.original_f1217942-d917-4213-bdad-a1b979f33878_PXL_20221020_202157277.jpg.23e07afae2b0b96bd446585f1c82ab9d.jpg

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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large.PXL_20221018_221517878.jpg.56af46e4a5fe88bec62266e447e2028c.jpg

 

Here was everything I purchased.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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essayfaire Antique

essayfaire

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Geez, @amberleadavis, went a bit overboard, didn't you?  I have found that the pens, like the few other items I have ever purchased at Five Below, are not making me happy in the longer run.  I have never purchased paper there. The outline markers look okay, though - are they?

Festina lente

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

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Misfit Museum Piece

Misfit

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Very nice and thorough review. I hope a set like this doesn’t turn a curious person away from fountain pens. Great idea for a car kit.

 

I have four of those FiveStar pen holders. My inked pens hang out in those with the top folded down. The Velcro pockets are good for small ink cartridges.  
 

That heat sounds like no fun. Here in middle America, the lows have been in the 20s°F range, but are more normal in the forecast. Today the high got close to 80°F. Gorgeous Fall color is out there. 
 

There is a Five Below not far from me.  @amberleadavis are you at the point where you would recommend for or against these for car pens?

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Anne-Sophie Antique

Anne-Sophie

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Very interesting haul, Amberlea!

 

 

 

Is it fair for an intelligent and family oriented mammal to be separated from his/her family and spend his/her life starved in a concrete jail?

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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@Misfit

 

I ended up buying two sets of these so I will see if the other one is better.

On a different visit, I bought a set of 8 with the fine nibs but 8 different colors.  Everyone of those worked straight out of the box.

 

I am thinking that the $2 ebay purchase may be a better buy since it comes with the converters.  See, I'm sort of thinking that those Jinhaos with the converters may be the perfect pen / price point combo for sampling the new InkVent calendar.  :)

 

Oh, so final answer, I don't know yet.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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6 hours ago, essayfaire said:

Geez, @amberleadavis, went a bit overboard, didn't you?  I have found that the pens, like the few other items I have ever purchased at Five Below, are not making me happy in the longer run.  I have never purchased paper there. The outline markers look okay, though - are they?

 

Well, yes I went a little crazy.

 

@A Smug Dill has suggested my Opus 88 as a car pen, but you currently have the Opus 88 and neither one of us has been able to get it to write.  (I think it is a problem with the nib, which I will try replacing).

 

The outline markers are paint markers and a great price for what they are, but not very useful in notebooks.

 

The set of colored FPs have written well out the box and while I don't like fine nibs, they have been fun for doodling. I will post up about those soon.

 

Back to @Misfit, I don't think I can recommend these to any newbie and anyone who already uses FPs isn't likely to be impressed with the nibs being so flaky.  I will try the other set just to confirm.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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1 hour ago, Anne-Sophie said:

 

Very interesting haul, Amberlea!

 

 

 

 

I didn't include candy because the kid is diabetic, but the store sure had a lot!  The pen holder is the best part.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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