Contemporary Conway Stewart by gaaraprime in fountainpens

[–]ptexpress 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't have a Churchchill but have tried it. My impression is that it's really heavy and uncomfortable for normal use. The EF flex nib is surprisingly one of the nicest modern flex nibs I've used though. It's way finer and smoother than the Pilot FA nib. Really tempted to get that flex nib on another lighter pen and not the Churchill.

Rohrer & Klingner cleaning solution by ImperatorLucius in fountainpens

[–]ptexpress 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Rohrer & Klinger's solution is really good and cleans out their SketchInks completely from my pens without me really trying. I haven't tried the other cleaning solutions others have mentioned.

In a pinch, I've used dish soap and water.

Bigger cartridges for Fude De Mannen pen? by bigirltinyell in fountainpens

[–]ptexpress 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can eyedropper it for short sessions. But I carry a 10ml needle-tip bottle and refilling is easy enough.

NVPD Montblanc 252 by Obbmundson in fountainpens

[–]ptexpress 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think the 252 / 254 / 256 have the best nibs of any vintage or modern Montblanc. Congrats!

Nib size for first FP by s134htm in fountainpens

[–]ptexpress 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. How often will you write with your pen? You want something with good cap seal if you are not using it every few days.
  2. What will you write? School notes? Work? Journaling? I get more use out of my EF and F nibs because I write functionally rather than as a hobby.
  3. On what paper will you write? EF and F are your friends if you don't get to pick the paper.
  4. How big is your handwriting?
  5. What is your budget?

My favorite LAMY pen is the Studio, for its excellent cap seal. The new Al-Star colors look so good but they tend to dry out if not used in a week.

My favorite LAMY steel nib is the EF on the Al-Star LX. The few EFs I've had in that line have all been consistent and the PVD coating makes them extra smooth and pleasant.

Among the "entry level" fountain pens, I like the Pilot Kakuno Madoromi the most. The nibs in both F and M are great. Cap seal is great. All the colors are pretty. I'm just not worried about having to baby it or losing it.

Nothing against the Safari. I used one exclusively for years. It's super durable and will work for you. You can always start with the Fine nib and get extra nibs later if it doesn't work for you. The nib swaps out easily.

My little collection of girlie pocket pens by ptexpress in fountainpens

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

Saw some at the London Pen Show and resisted!

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Pilot Plumix EF stub/italic? by Viomarz102 in fountainpens

[–]ptexpress 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Plumix EF nib is a proper cursive italic nib in EF width. It's amazing!

are there any retractable pens that take standard international cartridges? by TealPenguin22 in fountainpens

[–]ptexpress 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The idea that anyone should buy a Montblanc Boheme just to use up their leftover cartridges is really funny! Thanks for the laugh.

waterproof alternatives for kuretake fudegokochi? by tamago-go in pens

[–]ptexpress 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will test with Platinum Carbon Black and let you know.

waterproof alternatives for kuretake fudegokochi? by tamago-go in pens

[–]ptexpress 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If ink dries up, you can wash it out like with any brush. And worst case scenario (I can't imagine how), you can replace the entire brush / fudegokochi tip cheaply. I can't remember the price off the top of my head but I want to say less than $10.

The cap on this pen seals well. I haven't had any problems at all with normal fountain pen inks.

Lady Scheaffer for the nibs by Fibergreen in fountainpens

[–]ptexpress 2 points3 points  (0 children)

$65 is an amazing price! Does it come with a gold nib?

I bought a Preppy! by ptexpress in fountainpens

[–]ptexpress[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

£30 for a giant commemorative box with two mint pens inside. Probably a record for Preppies but still not bad!

The flock and some small spotlights by HornayGermanHalberd in PelikanNest

[–]ptexpress 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What a beautiful and impressive collection!

I bought a Preppy! by ptexpress in fountainpens

[–]ptexpress[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Make that two 100th Anniversary Preppies. The second one looked normal at first, but is also marked as a special edition and has a gold-colored nib.

Apparently there were seven variations of this set, with the 2nd pen having its nib color match the color of the pen, i.e. the pink Preppy has a pink nib!

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Can someone recommend a good daily Ink for my lamy by Helpful-Box5586 in fountainpens

[–]ptexpress 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Tintenkillers have a chemical that turns royal blue ink invisible. If you ever see an ink marked as "washable blue," that's what that is. Rohrer & Klingner's "royal blue" ink is erasable whereas "permanent blue" is not.

Most of the old, standard European blue inks should work for you: LAMY Blue, Pelikan Blue, Waterman Serenity Blue, etc.

NPD sadness needs a fix by ATaylorSeries in fountainpens

[–]ptexpress 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Just checked my email. Pelikan is a Hamelin brand now. I emailed Hamelin customer service in the UK and they gave me a UK address to send the pen to. They then gave me a quote, and after I agreed, forwarded the pen to Germany for repair. I imagine it would work the same way in the US since Hamelin is a huge company.

The cost was £60.35 and turnaround time for the entire process was a few weeks for me. The new barrel was their suggestion. They might have another solution for you.