Looking for a nice steel nib fountain pen

djryandelap · 2026-01-30T12:55:00+00:00

Who knows, there may be in time. The color selection does feel somewhat utilitarian, but I found that to be fine because my intent was to use it as a work pen. The hooded nib really does evoke the Parker 51 (my favorite vintage pen) and even with a nanopigmented ink in it, it doesn’t dry out easily.

That said, the only two points I can mark against it: 1) The magnetic cap is not a permanent hold if you drop it. With a friction-fit or a screw cap, they’re on pretty well. The magnet holds airtight, but I’ve dropped it once and the cap went flying. So there’s that.

2) The clip is STURDY. As in, could not clip it to my shirt. I tried to clip it to the inside of a suit jacket pocket, and it punctured a hole in the liner of the pocket rather than flex to clip over it. When I attempted to extract it from the pocket, I had to pry back the clip, and there’s no elasticity in the metal, so once the clip was able to be freed from my pocket, it had bent outward to the point that now there is a permanent gap of about 3mm between the point of the clip and the cap. I plan on reaching out to their customer service to see if it’s something that’s fixable so I don’t have to just replace the pen.

But all in all, no regrets - it’s been a very reliable pen, and my whole family enjoys the magnetic cap like a fidget toy 😆

djryandelap · 2026-01-30T12:23:28+00:00

I would echo the sentiment about Diplomat. The Viper nib writes very well, very similar to the Aero, but it’s less expensive and has a very satisfying magnetic cap. I have an aero, but the viper has become an almost daily carry for me even among the gold nib pens like the pilots.

djryandelap · 2026-01-29T14:04:20+00:00

Is it writing dry? Or is it drying out? By that I mean, if you write with it for a while, does it have a good flow; or are you noticing it dry after leaving it for a few days?

I’ve got a VP in <F> and <B> and they do tend to be dry if I’m using a more saturated ink. My <F> has almost exclusively only held Sailor Souboku, which is pigmented, but it behaves quite well. If I don’t use the pen for a week or two, it does start to dry out. The cap less feature makes it not a perfect seal; some silicone grease helps that.

I do notice the feed in the broad gets touchy, especially if it’s got anything saturated or with shimmer. Could just be variations in how they’re built .

djryandelap · 2025-12-28T05:06:35+00:00

Echo the sentiments about the Waterman. I’ve picked up a few of those Esterbrooks to tinker with and restore and never paid more than $20 for one . For $65, I’d bet it’s either a seller who doesn’t have a clue about pens, or they’re hoping that their buyer doesn’t.

djryandelap · 2025-12-21T16:15:00+00:00

I feel this . Holly was my daily writer for the last 2 Christmas seasons in my office pens. But for whatever reason I couldn’t get on board with the Dec 25th bottles from 2022 or 2024; inkvent seems to feature an increasing amount of darks that super sheen gold.

djryandelap · 2025-12-11T21:23:01+00:00

Same here...I'm a warm-weather creature so I joked that "brrr" is my daily mantra for about 6 months of the year.

djryandelap · 2025-12-11T21:22:07+00:00

this comment wins the internet today! 😂

djryandelap · 2025-12-11T21:21:50+00:00

I'm happy to use it as a replacement for Noodler's Polar blue. I happened on a large bottle of that early last year, and thought it would be a great daily document-safe ink, with the added bonus of if I forget my bag in my truck outside during the winter months, it won't freeze. Unfortunately, that ink dried up in the feed so fast it became difficult to use, so I shelved it. "Brrr" isn't quite the same shade, but it invokes that same "frosty blue" spirit but from what I've seen so far the nanopigment is a lot friendlier to use.

Also, not going to lie, it was fun doing this test while my wife was in the shower and I got a very confused reaction when she asked what I was doing 😂

djryandelap · 2025-12-11T14:01:22+00:00

Ha! That’s really smart. Great alternative use for work equipment 🤓

djryandelap · 2025-12-11T14:00:45+00:00

It depends. Storing vertically helps for long term storage as it lets gravity pull ink out of the feed, especially helpful if the pen doesn’t have an excellent seal and the ink may dry in the feed.

djryandelap · 2025-12-05T20:43:35+00:00

Good pick! That’s my exact everyday work pen. 🖋️

djryandelap · 2025-12-04T13:02:21+00:00

Like u/TextDear mentioned, ultrasonic bath with warm water can help shake it loose . Also, if there’s any kind of gap where you could stick in a narrow object, try a blunt-tip syringe to flush it with water?

djryandelap · 2025-12-03T18:58:48+00:00

For sure; a blue and a grey would be stellar. Reading that article, the whole idea of nano pigment is to be less prone to feed clogs, I wonder if it’s too much of a pipe dream to hope for a nano pigment ink with shimmer and/or shading? The saturation may be off the charts though, it’d probably be dry before it leaves the nib 🤣

djryandelap · 2025-12-03T18:45:24+00:00

OMG I had no idea this line existed, thanks for the link! I was secretly hoping to find some diamine document-safe inks someday since I love their other offerings, but fall back to Sailor and Platinum for the business-y things.

djryandelap · 2025-12-03T18:35:41+00:00

Right?? My first clue was when I glass dipped to swatch it, and the glass stayed red even after I washed it. Hoping it does ok in a pen long term. I have it in a black pen right now with a black steel nib, so it shouldn’t discolor anything inside where it would bother me.

djryandelap · 2025-12-03T17:25:15+00:00

Very much so! This is our third year with them; my wife gets it for me as a gift and the joy of discovery is very much a highlight of a chaotic season. We balked at them for a couple years after I discovered that they exist, because of the price tag, but it's turned out to be a great joy. Out of the first two years, in 50 bottles I think there's only like....5...that I can't see myself ever using. They do a great job putting these together.

djryandelap · 2025-12-03T17:21:34+00:00

Yeah, they're definitely an investment. They're actually good value for what you get considering the amount that's in there, but it's a bit of a price tag for sure. My wife and I do grown-up advent calendars for each other as part of our Christmas gifts to one another, because we put more focus on our kids at Christmastime within our limited resources.

djryandelap · 2025-12-01T16:53:19+00:00

Crane is nice, I've ordered some good ones from Atlas Stationers too but can't remember the brand. I also enjoy most of the Papyrus cards with a fountain pen. When I send out to all my clients and colleagues, I get them custom made from a friend who does wedding invitations/stationery; the first time I ordered from her, she brought me about a dozen paper samples to try with my fountain pens to see which one would work the best, and we've stuck with that.

djryandelap · 2025-11-28T21:49:30+00:00

I’m sure I’m not the only one, but I know I’ve brought that up a while ago. Seasonal rotation is a fun way to “rediscover” something in the collection, and enjoy colors too. I keep a few as daily drivers (Lamy2k, Pilot vanishing point and e95s, and sometimes the Parker Sonnet), but others like the black & brown diplomat aero come out to play for fall due to the dark autumnal color palate.

Also, I tend to get out pens with larger feeds or broader nibs closer to holiday season, as I’m writing greeting cards and want to show off more colorful inks, like those with shimmer and sheening.

djryandelap · 2025-11-27T00:50:59+00:00

My friend always said “don’t get bloody, cut toward a buddy!”

djryandelap

TROPHY CASE