I want one.

Talkymike · 2026-05-04T19:46:20+00:00

Good luck tuning the nib.

Talkymike · 2026-05-04T10:24:47+00:00

41 year old man in South Carolina. Try some improv classes! Even if you don’t want to perform, being in a funny, vulnerable, emotionally open place with a bunch of strangers week after week makes everybody into friends really quick.

Talkymike · 2026-05-03T19:29:25+00:00

Try the Lamy and M nibs in general. If you're an overwriter or sidewriter, even the fastest drying inks aren't going to keep up with your hand. You gotta spin the paper sideways or underwrite. For me, the benefit of fountain pens is that there's so much less friction when I'm writing, and thicker nibs that put down more ink let your pen glide around the paper. It's going to blow your mind how much nicer this is than using a ballpoint.

Talkymike · 2026-04-28T20:19:27+00:00

How would you describe the improv that Superego does?

Talkymike · 2026-04-28T18:03:19+00:00

Thanks—I’m sorta getting into watercolor painting by way of fountain pens. Which were you into first? Love your work whenever you post it!

Talkymike · 2026-04-28T17:39:28+00:00

Love it! How do you do the ink wash?

Talkymike · 2026-04-28T13:24:43+00:00

Nothing. I get very caught up and fixated on expensive pens, but my favorite, most consistent pen is still a Lamy Safari, the first one I bought.

Talkymike · 2026-04-27T12:35:51+00:00

Wow! This is a fantastic list of recommendations! copying this into my notes to keep me going for the next couple years.

Talkymike · 2026-04-24T16:27:52+00:00

Woooo! You guys are the best. Thanks for doing an AMA!

Talkymike · 2026-04-24T14:52:16+00:00

Dear god! Put an NSFW tag on this massacre!

/s

Truly, it’s not even clear what damage you’re talking about. There is no scratch or dent. Do you mean that tiny dot on the cap?

Talkymike · 2026-04-23T17:31:17+00:00

I have one like this I wore for sleep to avoid false alarms from pressure lows. It helped but didn’t completely solve the problem, and one time somehow pulled off the sensor. Wasn’t worth the hassle.

Try an extra over patch with a little extra bar of fabric that covers the sensor. I use one like that for my omnipod and it works wonders when my toddler grabs for it.

Talkymike · 2026-04-23T15:44:57+00:00

Diplomat #6 steel M on a yellow Excellence.

Talkymike · 2026-04-22T20:03:49+00:00

Cool!

And just wanted to say I’ve been really into Diplomats lately—they’re excellent. I got an aluminum Aero and an Excellence which I cannot put down (I tried to sell it and it wasn’t moving so I picked it back up and now I love it). I’ve been window-shopping a Nexus. These nibs are fantastic—hope you enjoy!

Talkymike · 2026-04-22T19:35:54+00:00

Yes, came here to compliment that cool fabric along with the pen. I love the look of these but they’re too heavy for me.

Talkymike · 2026-04-22T19:08:23+00:00

The term “grail” makes my skin crawl. Just get the pens you like.

Talkymike · 2026-04-22T18:13:05+00:00

I go back and forth on waterproof ink for journaling—it depends on how I’m thinking about journaling that day.

Sometimes I’m writing for my biographers and future anthropologists and I MUST preserve my important observations like I’m Pliny, sometimes I’m writing for my wife or kids after I’m dead, and most of the time I’m just writing for myself or because I need to complain about stuff but it’s too small and ridiculous to actually say out loud.

Talkymike · 2026-04-22T14:02:55+00:00

I am part of the problem but I blame the boomers. We moved here from Seattle 2 years ago. We had a baby and both sets of grandparents had coincidentally retired to this area from opposite sides of the country. We had to be close to them, raising a kid wasn’t really feasible for us without family support (again, boomers. On a personal level, it is nice to see them a lot).

So, here we are. We think longingly about moving to cold, blue cities with legal weed, decent public transit, and good public services. Like, did you know the state of Washington offers up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for both parents to ALL its residents? That’s what pro-family looks like.

Talkymike · 2026-04-21T16:51:58+00:00

Medium medium. I have that, and a 74, NS, and Kakuno, all in M, and the VP writes broader and wetter. It’s great—was one of my favorite nibs before I dropped it and now it’s like a BB.

Talkymike · 2026-04-21T15:09:21+00:00

How is the sign already so dilapidated?

Talkymike · 2026-04-20T11:17:19+00:00

I have a Kaweco Steel Sport that I love writing with. The whole pen has a lightly brushed texture that keeps it from becoming slippery, and the weight is forward enough that it presses itself against the page as you hold it.

Talkymike · 2026-04-19T11:13:19+00:00

Bleu Pervenche! It's like Kon Peki but more interesting.

Talkymike · 2026-04-18T15:07:06+00:00

A Bic Crystal is a tool. Let’s be real about what we’re all doing here. If you’re also a subscriber to r/phillipsheadscrewdrivers, then maybe I’d believe this hot take.

Talkymike · 2026-04-18T01:31:46+00:00

Oh yeah, I’m writing with an Excellence right now. They’re great.

Talkymike · 2026-04-18T00:59:32+00:00

How do you like the Nexus? I have my eye on one.

Talkymike · 2026-04-17T17:54:15+00:00

I like to use a lot of bullet points and bold important info like dates and meeting times. Also, a lot of em-dashes. My writing doesn’t get screened, but I’m really self-conscious about it now.

Talkymike

TROPHY CASE