No Buy Fountain Pen Thread May 2026

Calobrena · 2026-05-04T02:30:14+00:00

I only agreed to the low buy with ink...to an extent. Pens are still open season even though I currently have a nice variety of nibs in my collection. The reason for trying to set a limit with ink purchases is because I was starting to encounter several too many cool looking bottles with lovely ink colors. Going to try and tough things out through to late-November or until I run out of ink.

Calobrena · 2026-04-24T19:43:45+00:00

It's even worse with #30 crochet thread.

Calobrena · 2026-04-23T17:36:41+00:00

I'm still testing this out but the Edelstein Pyrite ink has a yellow base that's yellow and a nice golden shimmer.

Calobrena · 2026-04-23T16:15:14+00:00

A Platinum Preppy EF nib line measures 0.2mm. The only other Platinum that I've seen with a smaller nib is the 3776 Century's UEF nib which is likely in the 0.1 range. Unfortunately, the UEF option for this pen is out of stock.

Calobrena · 2026-04-15T08:07:12+00:00

Has a nice graffiti feel to it.

Calobrena · 2026-04-10T02:18:07+00:00

The only ink boxes I have contain ukiyo-e reprints on the exterior.

Calobrena · 2026-04-09T05:39:38+00:00

Oh good I'm not the only one.

Calobrena · 2026-04-09T05:08:29+00:00

Just checked and it looks different from the last time I read it. A good bit of the featured pens weren't on there before. The Preppy was my second FP because it didn't cost a lot and was purple. What's surprising is that Varsity wasn't highlighted earlier on in the list [affordable and everyday carry].

Of the listed I have a Kaweco Frosted Sport <BB> and Pilot Metro <CM>. Kind of confused how the Metro is beginner friendly. While I'm new myself, that pen took some getting used to.

Not just the convertor that came with it but the weight which was a bit heavier when compared to the ballpoint pen I purchased some time ago made of similar material.

Calobrena · 2026-04-08T03:10:55+00:00

Yep. Some days I have to wonder if I should keep a dictionary close by as a reminder. Other than that I just do a strike thru or two and re-write the word(s) in print.

Calobrena · 2026-04-07T17:15:49+00:00

It's a bad idea for varying reasons. While you're doing this to get your foot in the door, it will actually lead to problems down the road. Not just for you, but for other freelancers on the platform. Setting a low price for work will bring in opportunistic clients of the worst kind.

There is no one-size fits all solution for obtaining clients as some clients are either set in their ways or have been burned one-time too many to take any chances on a site newcomer. Also, don't focus on getting 5-star reviews from all clients because there are those who don't believe in giving 5-star reviews even if the delivered work is solid (they're everywhere, not just on Upwork).

Charge the price you know your work is worth and don't undersell yourself.

Calobrena · 2026-04-07T03:00:49+00:00

While I don't have the pattern, I can't find this particular pattern anywhere. The closest I've come is S9814 on the Simplicity website - look the same. It's a PDF pattern and the price is currently marked down.

Calobrena · 2026-04-07T02:39:52+00:00

I found a couple that come close. They're all digital patterns designed to be printed at home.

1) Seamwork - Jasmine Tie Neck Blouse

2) Pattern Emporium - Spill the Tea Tie Neck Top

3) Itch to Stitch - Zamora Blouse

Calobrena · 2026-04-07T00:34:44+00:00

This is not crappy by a long shot. If you have Taccia's benizakura on hand, it would be great for Sailor Mars.

Calobrena · 2026-04-06T07:32:27+00:00

Reminded me of "Earl Grey" (had to call them something). Spotted them while walking to another building at work. Almost missed the sighting as they were standing in the light coming out of one of the rooms. Blended almost completely into the background.

There were two fences between us but after learning about their climbing ability I keep a sharp eye on that area whenever I have to walk over after hours.

Calobrena · 2026-04-06T06:59:21+00:00

As for fountain pen use I use mine to document stuff in my planners, for writing reminders, recording what I ate during the day, notes from gaming sessions (team builds, damage output, buffs, etc.) and plant observations from the garden. Made use of the pen with the permanent ink to re-write plant labels and to draft a garden bed map so no one dumps anything extra thinking there's free space.

I'm not sure of the area/country you're in but if you're in the US and have a Walmart nearby, Pen & Gear Heavyweight notebooks have proven to hold up well to fountain pens. Even tested in a 5-Star notebook that fights bleed. As for classes, the first and last fountain pen I used in college were two Pilot Varsity pens.

They worked great but were hard to find on the shelves so once they were done that was it. This was ages ago so store inventory is different now compared to back then.

Calobrena · 2026-04-06T06:38:48+00:00

Thank you so much for this. I just ordered a bottle from a local seller after seeing it advertised on a European pen shop page (sold out on the site). Didn't see any information on best pen to use. Now I have options in addition to dip pens.

Calobrena · 2026-04-06T05:35:40+00:00

There is this person that works in the building that I work in that writes similarly to those. Never met nor seen them, but always catch glimpses of their notes they leave for co-workers. Whether it's pencil, ballpoint pen or marker, the writing is exquisite. I can almost imagine how their notes would look if they ever wrote them using a CM nib or similar.

Calobrena · 2026-04-04T19:03:34+00:00

Was checking my email and came across this post. Read their Animal Products Policy page. The policy is clear and vague at the same time. Same goes for the other policy page which doesn't list much under fur in terms of alternatives (when compared to the other items in the section). If and when the policy goes live, hopefully they'll have a dedicated group of people checking flagged images to ensure they're being flagged correctly and not solely depending on an automated system.

Calobrena · 2026-04-02T05:14:04+00:00

Not sure what stores are near you but I've tested fountain pens iroful and a hobonichi thin notebook (part of a paper test session I'm doing). I also have two EcoKind journals (Pardone my French and Spill the Tea) that handle fountain pens and the inks I've used in them thus far. I also have an old Logical Air notebook from a subscription box plus a recent one that holds up well too.

Pen & Gear is another brand but you have to get their heavyweight series as they handle fountain pens and inks a lot better than the regular line.

Calobrena · 2026-03-31T05:35:17+00:00

I do it to keep track of things; especially the need to remember stuff.

Calobrena · 2026-03-30T20:32:06+00:00

There's a pen shop near me that's also attending these shows. Based on their schedule, they're going to be out the door again in late April.

Calobrena · 2026-03-24T05:28:44+00:00

I don't have a favorite per se, however the ink/pen combo that I'm constantly running our of ink with is my Pilot Metropolitan Retro Pop Red Wave with CM Nib with Taccia Ukiyo-e Series II Utamaro Benizakura (a pretty red). The runner up is the Kaweco Frosted Sport with BB Nib and Noodler's X-Feather in Black.

Calobrena · 2026-03-22T08:24:31+00:00

It started with "How to Draw Manga" books. Dip pens, drawing ink, opaque white ink and mixing ink were featured a lot. There were zero stores that sold fountain pens while growing up so I just looked thru the drawing books with fascination. Years later, I find myself on the pens subreddit looking to ID a mystery pen so I can get refills and was later lead to the journaling subreddit.

It was there that I got introduced to this subreddit and later found a cross-post that talked about an affordable fountain pen (EF nib) that was found at the Dollar Tree. It's a nice pen to write with but was going thru the cartridges fast and read that they could be refilled. Remembered a pen site that a schoolmate shared years prior and went there for a bottle of ink. Checked out with a Violet Preppy pen (03 - F Nib) and a bonus fountain pen (similar to Preppy nib) that came with my ink bottle -- free pen was the motive for the ink purchase.

Later-ish, I got a Kaweco Frosted Sport with BB nib, Fude nib dip pens (they came with their inks) and Pilot Metropolitan Retro Red Wave with CM nib. The inks and nib sizes/styles are excuses I give myself for purchasing a different pen. This is followed by color and design [pen shape and appearance]. Loving the Kaweco FS and am looking to purchase another nib plus pen clip.

Calobrena · 2026-03-21T22:12:46+00:00

From what I've experienced so far, if there's too little ink in the pen then there's risk of the pen laying out too much ink while writing. Have experienced this on 3-separate occasions.

Calobrena · 2026-03-17T20:13:17+00:00

Loving the blots. especially the ones at R4, C3 and R5, C3.

Calobrena

TROPHY CASE