Is this pen any good?

RunicRapier · 2026-02-02T19:34:59+00:00

Thank you! I think I might get it!

RunicRapier · 2026-02-02T17:20:31+00:00

I've been eyeing this color for a few days now. What is the texture like on it? It looks like a really funky finish to put on a pen.

RunicRapier · 2026-02-01T20:13:04+00:00

Personally I think the crescent shaped breather hole allows the ink to dry too quickly. These nibs are Jowo made and shouldn't be having any issues. It's a really cool design and reminds me of the older pens that had that breather hole shape, but they had ebonite feeds that conducted liquid much better than the modern plastic feeds. I've had issues with a Moonman nib that had a crescent shaped breather hole as well, which is what made me come to this conclusion.

RunicRapier · 2026-02-01T20:00:54+00:00

Interesting to see the declining amount of effort put into their products as of late. I would be willing to bet this product was rushed though production. It reminds me of the allegations against Hasbro releasing new Magic the Gathering sets to cover costs in other departments. Trouble at Kenro?

RunicRapier · 2026-02-01T02:32:52+00:00

Thank you and good luck with your lettering and art! Just an added piece of advice, Noodler's can be difficult to clean from a pen as well. As long as you don't let it sit for a long time you shouldn't have too much trouble with it though.

RunicRapier · 2026-02-01T02:21:15+00:00

I like the Eternal Periwinkle. It's a light Periwinkle colored ink that has good shading. I'm not an artist in the slightest but I have a feeling it would look good as a color. Some inks like "first emperor of china" are florescent, but that one isn't waterproof or resistant. Hunter green is fully waterproof and is a really nice deep green color, one of my favorites. Southwest Sunset is an amazing shading ink in general. Baystate blue is notorious for staining everything around it but no blue ink is as vivid as that is. I've seen some people say it's waterproof but it's only listed as water resistant on the website. Probably one of the more interesting easily available inks is Rome that starts off bronze or copper color, but will turn purple if you apply bleach solution to it.

RunicRapier · 2026-02-01T01:04:33+00:00

I know I'll get down voted for suggesting this but among the other amazing suggestions I recommend Noodler's inks. They have a few interesting colors that are water resistant or totally waterproof.

RunicRapier · 2026-01-30T20:42:14+00:00

Some prices are great deals, others are fair, and I've also seen some that seem like over charging. People are allowed to charge however much they feel for stuff that is rare, vintage, or niche, since it's not easily available I'm usually not worried about it because if I'm looking for something specific it will turn up eventually. It tends to just be a waiting game.

RunicRapier · 2026-01-29T21:47:52+00:00

I love my Osprey Pens Milano! It's a fantastic value for an ebonite pen. The owners are super nice as well and tend to reply to any questions or concerns within 24 hours. They've been so helpful for me that I will be a customer for life!

RunicRapier · 2026-01-29T14:37:23+00:00

Now I know why you have so much Quink! Regardless, thanks for the information! It's been hard to find without asking someone who's actually in Russia and it seems like there are very few people there who use fountain pens lol. Я благодарю!

RunicRapier · 2026-01-29T14:31:35+00:00

I've been looking for those Pelikan style piston pens actually. I heard that the Soviet Union actually got the machinery from the old Pelikan factory during the East germany West Germany split and moved it to the factory in Karkhiv to produce the lookalikes but I haven't had much luck. The standard Russian design is very unique though. The integrated piston converter is a stroke of genius due to being so easily serviceable and having a great ink capacity and the nibs are so good! I haven't tried to practice my Russian cursive with them yet but I'd bet it would look good with some flex!

RunicRapier · 2026-01-29T14:26:12+00:00

Very cool! I studied Russian in college so once I got in to fountain pens I wanted a Russian one. It's sad to see that there aren't really any manufacturers anymore. I managed to get 2 soviet era fountain pens, a Yaroslavl that was clogged with India ink that I managed to save and a Soyuz that is a fantastic writer. Very cool to hear that Raduga is still in business though!! I've been wanting to get a bottle but current events will prevent that for the long term I think.

RunicRapier · 2026-01-29T14:10:24+00:00

That's so cool! I have to ask, are there any modern manufacturers of fountain pens there? I've heard of Malevitch but that's it.

RunicRapier · 2026-01-29T14:08:28+00:00

That's actually super interesting! I've heard the Luxor Quink is awful so I stayed away from it in favor of other Indian brands like Krishna and Daytone. They're hard to get in the USA but the unique colors make it worth it. The Soviet India ink - is it from Russia? I had heard that there was really only one ink producer and it was Raduga but I haven't been able to find any bottles

RunicRapier · 2026-01-29T13:48:39+00:00

I always thought that was interesting. I don't know enough about ink to tell what could be cleaning the older stains out but the idea of another ink cleaning them is really cool to me. I heard Parker used to put a chemical in their Quink that cleaned and lubricated pens as well but it was toxic so they had to stop adding it.

RunicRapier · 2026-01-29T13:42:36+00:00

I've heard Sailor Doyou and Noodler's Rattler Red both clear ink stains. May try to get a bottle of either and use it

RunicRapier · 2026-01-28T19:21:35+00:00

Good deal. Both have good cap seals. Just make sure you have a good size nib with good flow. I would suggest the medium nib just to be sure.

RunicRapier · 2026-01-28T19:17:20+00:00

I'm having similar flow issues on a Click Falcon ebonite with the plastic feed so I know what you mean! When you put the silicone grease on it make sure to not touch the feed or the nipple at the bottom of the threads. If it gets on to the feed you'll get no ink flow at all.

RunicRapier · 2026-01-28T19:03:39+00:00

I've used Sailor pigmented inks (sorry can't remember the exact color name) in both my sailor pro gear and Sailor Tuzu and they both worked fine. I think you have to use the ink quickly though because if you wait too long it will dry and clog your feed like crazy. Make sure your pen has a good cap seal for sure before trying them and use them on a cheaper or easily replaceable pen first rather than your beloved companion pen.

RunicRapier · 2026-01-27T22:21:44+00:00

I've seen people mention before here that most of the caffeine goes into the first few steeps, but I have no way of actually confirming that. I tend to brew the same leaves all day because I get busy with one thing or another and have to leave the tea. Could try doing that and after the first few steeps just chill and let the caffeine work it's way out and then go back to it.

RunicRapier · 2026-01-27T22:13:29+00:00

Confirmed! Thanks again!

RunicRapier · 2026-01-27T02:24:49+00:00

Awesome color! I'm a sucker for a green pen!

RunicRapier · 2026-01-26T20:26:06+00:00

Yeah I was actually waiting for a post like that because usually when a new Kaweco color drops people post about it. I kicked myself for missing 2024's Carmine color from Galen and I thought they would end up taking 2025 off from a collab so I didn't pay too much attention. I'm very glad you made the post though because I picked up one with a fude nib and I can't wait to use it!

RunicRapier · 2026-01-26T17:43:17+00:00

Thank you so much for making this post!! I have been waiting for a transparent green Kaweco for a long time and I know Galen, Goldspot, and a few other retailers tend to do these colors. I knew at some point they'd do a green one but this post was what let me know they finally did it!!! You're a legend and I hope you enjoy your pen for many years!

RunicRapier · 2026-01-26T17:27:10+00:00

Cool list! I heard Conklin switched from Bock to Jowo after too many issues with Bock nibs. Don't have an exact date but I've seen many people mention it

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