Відео

I don’t have a Vanishing Point myself to test it on, but from what I can understand, and other UA-cam channels have shown (you can easily find a comparison video on here), the pens are identical and the parts are interchangeable. The only difference is that the VP has a gold nib. By that logic, I see no reason why this converter wouldn’t fit on a VP, as it also fits on all of my Pilot pens.

Work of caution on the Zebra G nib: make sure you clean the pen and feed often, because those nibs are prone to rusting, since they aren’t made to remain in a pen. I had to learn that lesson the hard way.

You’re the second person to mention this happening. I guess I need to be careful with my clip!

I appreciate the offer of help. I wouldn’t want to request the employ of someone without compensation, but if you want to look at my designs, I’ll gladly send you a PDF to play with. I do think though, that I really need to get a better printer (someday I hope), so that’s what I think the main culprit is.

1. Famous last words. Watch me set up another event and have another freakout of the exact same magnitude. 2. Same for me as well. Also, I’ve made plenty of things that no one wants. Haha. 3. What is that SO true? 4. Single color is fun. Don’t know how to do multiple colors. Maybe I’ll just stop here? Also, low expectations help. I have very low expectations. 6. I admire that. I’ll bet working at that level is the only way you can really get to that level. Like, you’re not making the work as much as the work is making you?

Yeah, I resonate with all of that. I think that having a UA-cam channel might seem like it comes with a deadline, but I find I can slack off a surprising amount when I’m just not “feeling it.” I feel like the deadline gets on my nerves so much more than forcing myself to be creative when I don’t want to. (even though, in reality, forcing myself to do a thing that I love is one of the weirdest things I have to do to be an artist)

@@stepheninks If it helps, know that the well known fantasy artist Frank Frazetta was notorious for goofing off, playing sports and just doing anything but painting until the last minute, when he'd have to stay up all night and knock out a painting. So it's not like it doesn't happen! 😂

Appreciate that! I think I actually found a local artists collective that I’m going to try and reach out to in my local area. I think they have monthly events as well! It’s funny, I didn’t hear about them until I mentioned this event to a co-worker who I have worked closely with for almost a decade now… I guess I already had the connections I needed to plug myself in. I suppose you just have to make yourself an available for the opportunities before you can take advantage of them.

@stepheninks yes, you never know what is right in your own back yard until you ask. Glad you've got those connections, and I look forward to seeing how it goes for you 😀

Thank you!

Thank you!

Appreciate the info. I might work with a professional printer in the near future if I find that I have regular opportunities to sell. I definitely feel that if I want to sell things through this channel, I really want it to be viable for international delivery, and I want to ensure high quality. My reputation is so much more important to me than any dollar amount. That’s why I’m an artist with a day job! I definitely wanted to do everything DIY this time because I had built so many designs that, as the artist, I have a sort of complicated relationship with. I have no idea what people are going to like. I could see myself getting professional printing services when I’m sure what designs and products I want to focus on.

@@stepheninks good plan!

Thanks for the kind words! I feel like I had to do this weather or not it was successful. This channel has helped me grow a lot, and this challenge pushed me even further. I’m glad I could share it!

@@stepheninks It's always good to push yourself and even better to talk about it to total strangers (UA-cam viewers).....it would have been perfectly ok to promote your showing on your channel and turn it into a 2 part video...before and getting ready and then the results and maybe some footage of the event. Invite your followers to come meet you then maybe think about offering a one day workshop.....I have a few more ideas if interested......

A children's book is a great idea. You are quite the idea man, so I am sure you could come up with something good. Though many such books are the product of two people, a writer and an artist.

Your pen reviews and sketches rock shout out from New Zealand

I’ve toyed with the idea of making something like this as a digital download on my website. It would be interesting to see if others are interested as well. I absolutely dream of doing nature sketching in New Zealand someday.

I wish it wasn’t. Haha.

@@stepheninks me tooooo!!!!

These were the most sped up timelapses I’ve ever used. It took me weeks to pull all this off.

Platinum Carbon Black. There’s a link in the video description if you want to pick some up. That’s what I usually use for blacks, though I sometimes use de atramentis document Brown and Urban Grey, which both have excellent waterproof properties.

Another vote for De Atramentis. I use their Artist Ink series, that come in about 15 colors or so. Also another vote for Carbon Black, completely reliable.

@@ichirofakename Thank you sir! I will try to see if I can grab samples of both from the interweb sellers and try them. Have a great weekend and will see you Tuesday for HJ"s live stream.

Glad to be your enabler! Anything for a fellow lefty!

So, I looked into this, and the only thing I could find was a rose gold plated steel nib for HongDian N8. Is that what you meant? Is it really very different from the stock nib?

@@stepheninks hi, yes! Well. Maybe I was very lucky. But my rose gold steel plated nibs (f and ef) write as well as my gold nibs (lamy, MB, pilot, sheaffer…). And, they match the pen and look quite awesome.

You can just buy nibs and screw them in. Hongdian is an amazing brand in my honest opinion.

@@nccastro653 thanks for the tip! I’ll check them out!

Actually, this year, I am planning to do a tier list by price. So, several videos at the three different price points that I own pens at. I’ve almost completely filmed the under $20 list, so that will probably come out first. I’m also going to do a series on recommended fountain pen art setups for different types of artists (budget, perfectionist, big spender, aesthetic, etc) where I recommend ink and paper to go with a pen. So, in effect, yes… but I’m doing more with it, so it’s taking me some time.

@@stepheninks looking forward to it

Thank you!

Yeah you can see physical differences between the architect and the long knife up close as well. I think I prefer this to the architect.

I think I will have to alter my art style a little bit to get more out of this nib. I’m not quite sure how to do it yet. I do think it will be worth it though. I love the weird little wedge shaped lines it makes. Fun do shade and hatch with.

Pablo pretty much runs this place now.

​@@stepheninks in all seriousness, I do really enjoy your videos, thank you for taking the time to make them.

Thanks for the info! I don’t have very many HongDian pens but I assumed there would be at least 1-2 models that fit this nib.

I haven’t bought a lot from them, but I plan to do a deeper dive in the coming months!

I think you’re right. I also think that some of my favorite art involves the artist using something in a way it’s not supposed to be used to make their art. So… I may come back to this. I’ve got a rebellious streak in me. A tiny one, but it’s there nonetheless.

That’s a good idea. I feel like I have pretty good instinct for what is going to last and what isn’t, and it seems like this one is going to be a solid performer. I have been thinking about doing a series going back to pens I have reviewed and see if my original opinion still holds up. Having reviewed 50+ pens I would certainly have a lot to do.

This is likely true, but I like reviewing things from the lens of making art, even if that’s not their explicit purpose. Otherwise I would always wonder if I was missing out on something great.

I’ve been thinking about doing that, as I have some G nibs and a pen that fits them from Jinhao. The reason I hesitate is because it would be a somewhat negative review for me. There are some glaring issues with longevity for that pen setup and how that particular nib messes with the flow of ink… which I feel that other reviewers ignore. I always feel like when I make negative reviews it attracts people looking for a fight, and my comment section gets really negative. I love pens, but I don’t like arguing about them. I still might do that video though when I’m feeling brave.

@stepheninks that are very fair. I've personally been looking for an honest video on the pen because I have been debating getting one. I know the nib would need to be replaced often. But I am curious about the flex, ink flow, and overall build. I do art on top of my bed with a small lap desk. I dont want to use dip pens and open ink and have it spill everywhere. So, I've been hoping to find a review of these pens. But I understand not wanting the negativity it brings. But if you do choose to, if you have the dip pens, I'd like to see a comparison section. Keep up the great work!

It’s a really great pen!

Yeah, this one turned out strange. I think my microphone wasn’t plugged in all the way or something. I did boost the gain, but it didn’t help much. Since I’m really happy with how this video came out besides the sound issue, I decided to keep it up. Other videos before and since don’t have this issue as much. Of course, there are some levels that aren’t that great when I first started this channel and was filming on my phone… but we’ve all got to start somewhere, right?

Glad you enjoyed it. Hope you love your pens!

It’s not really that it’s bad. They just changed the quality of the paper about 10 or so years ago. Tomoe River and Rhodia are more similar to what they used to be like. Many people in the fountain pen community prefer those brands to what Moleskine puts out now. There’s nothing wrong with what they use now, but it seems overpriced to me for what you get.

Thanks for the reply! I didn't think I would get one from a 3 year old video. I guess it's one of those "whatever works for you" things? I'm hesitant to buy a notebook online that I've never used before because I've been using moleskine for about 15 years, but only just started using fountain pens. Really appreciate your perspective!

@@adamcompton4031 Part of the thing that I enjoy about this channel is the conversations I have, so I like to try and monitor even older videos. If you happen to have an art supply or stationary store near you (or ever travel to an area that has one), you might be able to find something you can check out there before buying. Rhodia books are a bit easier to find than Tomoe River in the US where I’m located, but it varies from region to region. I have also given away sketchbooks that I have be made myself on this channel, and I might do that again sometime, so stay tuned! But I definitely understand when you get a sketchbook filled with paper you don’t like. Those ones take forever to get filled up. I had the same experience with a brand called Rendr, which a ton of people recommended. Just didn’t work for me.

Glad you enjoyed it!

Someday maybe I’ll own one of those… in the meantime, I’ll have to be satisfied with the 50+ lowly serf pens that I own.

@@stepheninks OTOH, you could buy my pen but I cannot buy your skill.

@@ichirofakename I’ll trade you. I’ll get one of those basketballs from Space Jam.

Does it matter if I say that a German product, writtten in Latin but pronounced as French makes perfect sense to me as an English speaker? The real secret is that every pronunciation is a stab in the dark for me. Haha.

It almost seems like it would be more fun as a dip pen nib? Haha. As versatile as these nibs are, I almost feel like the limitations of a traditional nib help me make better art, if that makes sense.

I find it interesting the wide range of peoples experience with this pen. I think that a commenter on this video is correct in saying that this pen was probably good at one time, and then the quality fell off. I most definitely got my pen after, if that’s the case. The shape is fine, but the quality of the materials are so poor that I feel like I could crush this pen with my bare hands. I’ve held pens that cost 1/10 of what this one cost me, and I didn’t feel that way. I don’t know. Maybe it’s a good thing that they put this model to rest.

You would think if you have the more expensive one, you wouldn’t use the cheap one at all. But I too use the preppy all the time. Both are a valuable part of my collection.

Yeah, I suspected the angle was at play here, which is why I compared them. To be fair, the Jinhao nib isn’t unusable, just a tad wet for my taste. I don’t feel super qualified to tighten the tines of nibs. Loosening is way easier. I wonder if that’s why a few of my recent Jinhao acquisitions have been a bit tight, so that it’s easier to hone the nib how you like it? Maybe that giving them too much credit, but honestly, among budget fountain pen brands, I feel like Jinhao doesn’t get enough credit a lot of the time.

@@stepheninks I love Jinhao fountain pens - one of the best budget friendly fountain pens that are actually a joy to use. They cut some corners, but at the prices they are selling for is really hard to complain from my point of view. And they have the best nibs for beginners to learn how to modify. If you break it is really cheap to replace. Happy 4th of July Stephen! :)

@@eugenborcan agreed, and thank you! 🇺🇸

If I had a Supra to test it on, I would, but sadly I cannot say. If anyone out there knows, feel free to add a comment below!

Oh and I'll add that I've used larger Jinhao, Majohn/Moonman, and Hongdian fude nibs, and the Jinhao #5 are my least favorite -- Moonman/Majohn pens from a lot of sellers are extra frustrating, because while I quite like the Moonman fude nib (not too wet, and can consistently get lines at widths in between maximum and minimum), a lot of the Moonman/Majohn listings with fude are actually seller swapped in Jinhao nibs that are wet to the point of splotchiness when you get them.

Yeah, I have a video on the Jinhao Shark on this channel, from way back when I was still filming on my phone. I also found it to be impressive for the price, but the nib needed a lot of work. After really going to town on it with brass sheets and micro mesh, I got something that works really well, but I still don’t find myself picking it up all that often. Didn’t know they made a fude nib version.

Glad to know it’s not just me with the Jinhao nibs. That’s why I like putting videos out. Sometimes I genuinely want to know if anyone else is seeing what I see.

Glad it’s not just me (or my inability to properly seat a nib)! To be fair, it is usable, and some people will probably prefer the wet nib. I’m just too much of a control freak to give up my dry feeds!

Yeah, mine do work okay, but it is wetter than the others I own, so I prefer them. I’m always on the dry side with both feeds and comments. But I also prefer to just use a regular nib. I swear if I switch to Fude full time, I’ll have arthritis before I turn 50 with all the angles you’ve got to hold it at. You can also get really nice lines with a brush… but it still think I like nibs.