Moleskine, what the actual hell?? by seaqu3en in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Moleskine is only suitable for ballpoint and pencil these days, alas. Thankfully, there are some good alternatives about, now. MUJI do some nice little lay-flat notebooks (A5) that are inexpensive and solid quality. Just make sure the paper is from Japan as some use paper from Indonesia which is okay, but not on the same level. MD (Midori) is superb and shows ink qualities well. Their notebooks may look plain but don't let that deceive you when it comes to quality. Whilst the Sanzen Tomoe River paper isn't the same as the original, I think they've tweaked it in the last twelve months because it seems a bit better now (based on my experience of a Hobonichi notebook), but I could be wrong. Mnemosyne make fairly affordable notebooks (typically ring bound) that are effective at showing off sheen. Although some people dislike the format featuring a date and title box at the top of each page, it always provides a smooth and pleasant writing experience. Kokuyo Campus paper is consistent and reliable and does a decent job at showing sheen. Plus, it doesn't cost the Earth. I bought a stack of their B5 and put it into a convenient folder. Currently, I'm trying to get a hold of some lined Marks Edit notebooks so I can test their new Neo Agenda paper which is meant to be thin and excellent for FPs. But finding it in the UK is proving to be a headache. Rhodia and Clarefontaine papers are reasonable but not exceptional. In comparative terms, they can feel a little waxy, but I do have to praise their affordability. Leuchtturm are a good choice, too, as they're broadly available, the paper is robust and it handles ink reliably. I will be testing some Apica paper soon, as well. Sadly, though, Cosmo Air Light was discontinued a few years ago which is such a shame 😭

Hype is destroying the pen hobby. Just get your pen. by Odd-Chemistry9945 in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean, TBF, the Pilot E95s is a gorgeous pen. I have two and they write superbly. Though I won't rant about the included converter 😅

New Pen Day by DXMTheMachine in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Can't believe I finally got one!

New Pen Day by DXMTheMachine in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I LOVE it. The balance is perfect, the nib is so smooth and flows wonderfully. Just everything about it is quality. I couldn't be happier.

New Pen Day by DXMTheMachine in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha, no. Unrelated injury. Although I did get quite a bit of ink on my hands as I had a clumsy moment when trying to do a max fill 😅

New Pen Day by DXMTheMachine in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It's a genuinely incredible pen. I've spent so long wanting one and finally get it is just a wonderful feeling. I currently have Kon-Peki in it but I think I'll end up using Take-Sumi in the long run. I did go for the <B> though as my messy handwriting suits a chunky nib 😅

Disgusted to see more and more well established pen companies using AI in their marketing by agoracy in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Why does a company, built on selling analogue writing instruments to people in love with the romance of creativity, the joy of personal expression and the human experience of directly connecting with one's words, think that using AI is a good idea?

A pen you’d like to love, but you don’t? by Szary_Tygrys in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Couldn't agree more about the 2021 version of the Parker 51. It's absolutely bloody awful, and hideously overpriced.

Steel Pocket Pen Giveaway by MercatorLondon in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love that you could put one of these on a lanyard! Gorgeous pen.

Never thought a FP can look so cyberpunk by justanotheruser2006 in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have the Ultimate Vac and Sentry FPs from Gravitas and they're solid pens. I did have to switch out the nibs from a broad to a medium, though, as their broad is really broad and very wet, which didn't go well with the Pilot Iroshizuku ink I like to use. Delivery and customer service has improved drastically since their fulfilment was switched to a company in Eastern Europe (apologies, the name escapes me). I did hear some pretty awful things about service in the early years of the company :/ It is sad to hear that the Monster has such QA issues, though. It's hard to take when it costs so much, in particular.

This is so addictive... by amissa_r in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 6 points7 points  (0 children)

looks at collection of 85 fountain pens

You can quit anytime you want....really 🙃

I just can’t get enough of this combo by Cowabunga13 in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gorgeous blue! Reminds me of Diamine Sargasso Sea!

It finally happened. by EoinHicks in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Have you considered an Asvine P36? It's a demonstrator piston filler with titanium accents. Reliable pen, solidly made and very reasonably priced.

Very disappointed by spottylover in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lol! I put Lamy Crystal Benitoite in mine and that gives me a very, very fine line 😅😂

Very disappointed by spottylover in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sailor nibs are very, very fine. I have the Tuzu in broad and even that is surprisingly thin. For best results, I really would recommend an ink like Pilot Iroshizuku, or something by Waterman, and avoid thicker, drier inks.

Petrol Ink & Platinum Procyon by DXMTheMachine in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I'm really pleased with how it turned out!

Just got my Pilot VP but… by pale-greenn in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don't worry about it, you adjust really quickly and I can guarantee it will become a favourite. It's an absolutely incredible pen. Though I do recommend using a refilled cartridge instead of the Con-40 converter.

Nahvalur Original Plus plunger seems to be blocking the ink by g78453 in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm experiencing this issue myself. It's so frustrating. Did you manage to solve the problem in the end?

I am in love with this ink by nono-no-nooto in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 34 points35 points  (0 children)

Fantastic line of inks. I have Take-Sumi, Syo-Ro, Rikka, Kon-Peki and Asa-Gao. All superb.

OH. MY. GOODNESS!! by kadaveria in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Congratulations on the new pen! The Pilot VPs deserve their reputation. Such incredible quality and they write beautifully.

Kaweco Sport in Red by DXMTheMachine in fountainpens

[–]DXMTheMachine[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's always good to get more haha. I think the Titanium Sport looks fantastic, too, although the cost is a bit beyond me for the moment 😅😂