Great advice, Mick! Thank you for sharing. I was just about to go to sleep and I got a notification for your video. It was a nice way to end the day! One other possible benefit to fountain pens besides the wonderful community that you point out, they are a motivation to journal. I think we all benefit from being more self aware. I know do, and journaling is great for that.
I could not agree more! Over the years when things have gotten rough... like this year... being able to extract thoughts and see things in black and white (or Oxford Blue and White in my case) has proven more useful than I can explain. So yes... 110% behind journalling!
Great video, Mick. You are so correct regarding the FOMO and I find this happens when one starts their travel on the fountain pen hobby journey! Watching UA-cam and following people on Instagram is the culprit. I have fallen victim to FOMO early in my journey but now I ask myself, “do I really need this?” And I don’t follow through with that purchase. Great content. Continue to remain safe.
Love the upside down in glass trick! Never tried that but i usually just fill them up again and dont worry if a bit wet. I'll definitely tty that next time im not just refilling afterwards. And definitely re fomo! I've bought some stuff i shouldnt have , now i know im an al-star girl and just buy all the special editions.
Great video! I’ve been using fountain pens since I was an 8 year old schoolgirl, but only started using bottled ink and different filling systems in the last few years. There is always something more to learn. Thanks!
Wow! Outstanding video, Michael. So much useful information and sensible comments. We need to go from the stress and controversy and trouble of the pandemic to a time in which people who love pens and writing and communicating can freely get together and have access to pens and related materials without delays and restrictions. We need to go from PANdemic to PENdemic!
Thank you for sharing this. Wonderful video and great advice for somebody like me who is starting out. I really like your advice about ink samples and I find the selection to be overwhelming, even within one brand like Diamine.
Happy Fountain Pen Day! I've found having an ultrasonic cleaner helpful. I start with the bulb syringe until the water runs clear. Then I throw it into the ultrasonic cleaner. More ink always comes out. Like the idea with the tissue and the glass. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the tip about using the glass to wick dry the pens. I’ve been doing this by trying to do a delicate balancing act - needless to say it’s a frustrating task.
I use a mug the handle of which I accidentally broke off.The handle bits are in the bottom and I just fold up some paper towel and stuff it into the mug. Nib, cap, body all fit nicely into my mug and paper towel to dry out. The key critical thing is that it is an absorbent paper to wick away the water or ink that comes out. Easy and safe way to dry a pen. 😄
What a great video Mick! Thank you so much for this awesome video!!! 📔🖋✒️ You’re absolutely right about the using the right kind of paper! Iv’e been struggling trying to find the right kind of paper! Thanks for your help!
Thanks for the tips! Been using fountain pens for five years and recently back on the hobby side. Some great reminders. Also, black and red is the most widely available brand in the US where I am. Pretty good paper! And I have...300? Samples.... I may have a problem. Though that is over a five year period, so maybe not.
For US folks a quick note: Oxford paper make by TOPS is not the same paper as described. Since OPTIK is hard to find or very expensive, I have found that the Mead composition books made in Vietnam (it says where it’s made on the back cover) is another great alternative. I read about it on a UA-cam comment,. I don’t remember where or from whom, but they saved me quite a bit of money. Jetpens.com has a good selection of paper types and comparison videos and lists. Goulet Pens has a sample set of 7 different notebook brands for $ 20 US. Another tip: all inks aren’t optimal with all pens on all paper,- so if you have a disappointing result with a new purchase (and you will) play around with the combinations before you give up on it.
If you cut the spout off a second bulb syringe so you can insert the nib and flush the section in the opposite direction, you'll be surprised at how much ink is still lurking in there. An ink syringe is great for flushing convertors.
Thank you for posting this excellent video. I found it very enjoyable and useful. I can recommend the J Burrows A4 pads of 70 gr paper from Office Works for fountain pens. For a 240 page pad, that costs about $4.00, they perform really well and can handle a broad Faber Castell Grip nib, or a medium Lamy 2000 nib. I'm no expert, but find that some of the premium papers like Rhodia way too slippery, but that could down to me!
Thanks Mick. Excellent advice! Would have definitely been useful to me when I discovered the joys of fountain pens a few years ago 😀 I’m hoping in the future retailers in NZ will consider selling ink samples. They are an awesome way to try an ink, but when I’ve bought them from retailers in the States the shipping cost is pretty brutal.
I used to use a bulb syringe but I couldn't help feeling that the pressure could be damaging to the feed. Now I just hold the front section under running water - it takes time but works.
Almost zero risk of damaging the feed unless you're using inappropriate force. You're not trying to launch a potato into orbit; a controlled squeeze is more than enough to flush out the pen and it can better get into parts that would otherwise not be cleaned by flowing water or soaking.
@@theoffstageme I was not aware of that. I find myself gravitating towards medium to broad nibs. I just purchased a few TWSBI EF and 1.1 for sketching so I will see how that goes.
Hi Mick, happy Fountain Pen Day to you. For me, once they have a vax for covid I am going to try and come over from NSW to a Melbourne pen meet. I would love to come to meet all the lovely Melbourne pen people. :) Chelsea
Most books that contain Tomoe River will say it is, as it is very popular paper. Apica, as far as I know, is all the same in the standard run on books. I am not sure about the premium books.
Thanks Mick, I’m just getting into this and I didn’t know about ink samplers- I’m excited! Here’s a question: I work in an office environment and my Safari M nib bleeds and spreads on standard paper. Without converting my whole office to fountain pen friendly paper, what do you suggest? I’m thinking of getting a FC Loom with a F or EF nib. Everyone always raves about the Loom’s nib. What do you think? Are there any ink issues I should consider for this scenario? Love the vids 👍🏻
Hi Andrew, thanks for watching the videos. Yeah... the standard paper in a work situation can be a hard one. My two big suggestions would be to look at a finer nib and a dryer ink. I love the Loom pens, and have both fine and extra-fine nibs for it and think they are lovely, but they are not the finest of fines. The finer the nib, the less ink you put on the page obviously. So that is your first port of call. On that one I would also suggest you look at the F or EF Lamy nibs. You could easily replace that on your Safari you have now. Other good options in an affordable price range like the looms and Safaris are things like the Pilot Metropolitan Fine (which is pretty similar to the width of the FC Loom EF) or even look at some of the offerings from Platinum and Twsbi (although Twsbi will line up closer to Lamy and FC in terms of the nib sizes). The other big consideration is ink. I don't know what you use now, but there are a number of inks designed to bleed and feather less (such as Noodler's X-feather - a dark black), but also there are a few things like the Pelikan 4001 series inks which are a little less 'wet'... so they might be worth looking into. Grab samples of a few inks from you local retailer and see what works best for you. The Goulet Pens website has a number of resources to help you find inks with particular properties too. I hope this helps and good luck! Let me know what you settle on.
Andrew, you might have some success if you try writing on the other side of the paper - some office paper is smoother on one side than the other - it’s part of the paper making process. You can also try different ink - and your nib may be too “wet” - this may be adjusted, but be very careful - consult a fountain pen tech 🖊 to be safe.
If your office provides “copier paper” ask if they can try “inkjet printer paper” this will work better with your fountain pen 🖋 than other office papers.
@@theoffstageme I’m currently using what was available (and cheap) at officeworks - Online black cartridges - they fit both international standard and Lamy! I thought that was cool. We’ve only really got 1 pen shop in Canberra, but they guy I spoke to admitted he wasn’t really into pens 🤔. I asked if stocked any demonstrators and he said no they had to remove them because of COVID... He thought I was talking about testers or samples or something... I’ll hit up some of the websites you mentioned. I could get a fine or extra fine nib for the Lamy, but that would be passing up the option to get a new pen. I’ll let you know!
Great advice, Mick! Thank you for sharing. I was just about to go to sleep and I got a notification for your video. It was a nice way to end the day! One other possible benefit to fountain pens besides the wonderful community that you point out, they are a motivation to journal. I think we all benefit from being more self aware. I know do, and journaling is great for that.
I could not agree more! Over the years when things have gotten rough... like this year... being able to extract thoughts and see things in black and white (or Oxford Blue and White in my case) has proven more useful than I can explain. So yes... 110% behind journalling!
Great video, Mick. You are so correct regarding the FOMO and I find this happens when one starts their travel on the fountain pen hobby journey! Watching UA-cam and following people on Instagram is the culprit. I have fallen victim to FOMO early in my journey but now I ask myself, “do I really need this?” And I don’t follow through with that purchase. Great content. Continue to remain safe.
Love the upside down in glass trick! Never tried that but i usually just fill them up again and dont worry if a bit wet. I'll definitely tty that next time im not just refilling afterwards.
And definitely re fomo! I've bought some stuff i shouldnt have , now i know im an al-star girl and just buy all the special editions.
Fountain Pen 🖋 Day!
First time I have heard about this... but I have been using FPs for more than 60 years...
Very interesting videos - thanks Mick!
Great video! I’ve been using fountain pens since I was an 8 year old schoolgirl, but only started using bottled ink and different filling systems in the last few years. There is always something more to learn. Thanks!
Wow! Outstanding video, Michael. So much useful information and sensible comments.
We need to go from the stress and controversy and trouble of the pandemic to a time in which people who love pens and writing and communicating can freely get together and have access to pens and related materials without delays and restrictions. We need to go from PANdemic to PENdemic!
Thank you for sharing this. Wonderful video and great advice for somebody like me who is starting out. I really like your advice about ink samples and I find the selection to be overwhelming, even within one brand like Diamine.
Happy Fountain Pen Day! I've found having an ultrasonic cleaner helpful. I start with the bulb syringe until the water runs clear. Then I throw it into the ultrasonic cleaner. More ink always comes out. Like the idea with the tissue and the glass. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the tip about using the glass to wick dry the pens. I’ve been doing this by trying to do a delicate balancing act - needless to say it’s a frustrating task.
I use a mug the handle of which I accidentally broke off.The handle bits are in the bottom and I just fold up some paper towel and stuff it into the mug. Nib, cap, body all fit nicely into my mug and paper towel to dry out. The key critical thing is that it is an absorbent paper to wick away the water or ink that comes out. Easy and safe way to dry a pen. 😄
What a great video Mick! Thank you so much for this awesome video!!! 📔🖋✒️ You’re absolutely right about the using the right kind of paper! Iv’e been struggling trying to find the right kind of paper! Thanks for your help!
Thanks for the tips! Been using fountain pens for five years and recently back on the hobby side. Some great reminders.
Also, black and red is the most widely available brand in the US where I am. Pretty good paper!
And I have...300? Samples.... I may have a problem. Though that is over a five year period, so maybe not.
For US folks a quick note: Oxford paper make by TOPS is not the same paper as described. Since OPTIK is hard to find or very expensive, I have found that the Mead composition books made in Vietnam (it says where it’s made on the back cover) is another great alternative. I read about it on a UA-cam comment,. I don’t remember where or from whom, but they saved me quite a bit of money. Jetpens.com has a good selection of paper types and comparison videos and lists. Goulet Pens has a sample set of 7 different notebook brands for $ 20 US. Another tip: all inks aren’t optimal with all pens on all paper,- so if you have a disappointing result with a new purchase (and you will) play around with the combinations before you give up on it.
If you cut the spout off a second bulb syringe so you can insert the nib and flush the section in the opposite direction, you'll be surprised at how much ink is still lurking in there. An ink syringe is great for flushing convertors.
Great advice Mick, even for non-newbies!!
Thank you for posting this excellent video. I found it very enjoyable and useful. I can recommend the J Burrows A4 pads of 70 gr paper from Office Works for fountain pens. For a 240 page pad, that costs about $4.00, they perform really well and can handle a broad Faber Castell Grip nib, or a medium Lamy 2000 nib. I'm no expert, but find that some of the premium papers like Rhodia way too slippery, but that could down to me!
Thanks Mick. Excellent advice! Would have definitely been useful to me when I discovered the joys of fountain pens a few years ago 😀 I’m hoping in the future retailers in NZ will consider selling ink samples. They are an awesome way to try an ink, but when I’ve bought them from retailers in the States the shipping cost is pretty brutal.
Thank you for the video, I agree with all your hacks. Happy Fountain Pen Day 2020 to Australia from Italy!
Great video Great chanel Great message Thanks
Limited selection of Oxford Notebooks using the OPTIK paper is available at officeworks.
Thx for vid. I’m looking for paper for writing letters and want the to show off the ink to the person recieving it. Any suggestions?
Tqvm for such a cool video!
I used to use a bulb syringe but I couldn't help feeling that the pressure could be damaging to the feed. Now I just hold the front section under running water - it takes time but works.
Almost zero risk of damaging the feed unless you're using inappropriate force. You're not trying to launch a potato into orbit; a controlled squeeze is more than enough to flush out the pen and it can better get into parts that would otherwise not be cleaned by flowing water or soaking.
Paper: Pen+Gear at Wal-Mart! ❤
Great advice! Ink samples 1ml is 2 uses, never knew that. I am leaning towards a BENU and a Birmingham pen.
Benu is a brand I am so keen to try!!! Especially now they are making more pens with a No.6 size nib!
@@theoffstageme I was not aware of that. I find myself gravitating towards medium to broad nibs. I just purchased a few TWSBI EF and 1.1 for sketching so I will see how that goes.
@@maibritton2882 which model of Twsbi? I have a Twsbi Eco EF I love sketching with
@@theoffstageme oh. Sorry. I ment to say TWSBI eco. I work with watercolor and want to see how the ink and FP would all work together.
@@theoffstageme I bought a bottle of the Rhoner Klinger ink?
Happy Fountain Pen Day!
Hi Mick, happy Fountain Pen Day to you. For me, once they have a vax for covid I am going to try and come over from NSW to a Melbourne pen meet. I would love to come to meet all the lovely Melbourne pen people. :)
Chelsea
How wonderful will that be!!!!
Thanks Mick for the videos and happy Fountain Pen Day. My question is - how do I identify Tomoe paper? Is all Abita paper the same?
Most books that contain Tomoe River will say it is, as it is very popular paper. Apica, as far as I know, is all the same in the standard run on books. I am not sure about the premium books.
I just went through my notebooks in my house and it seems that Mead & Stuart Hall paper works ok for fountain pen use as well.
What is the green pen in your thumb nail picture?
Its a Narwhal Piston Fountain Pen in Merman Green
Thanks Mick,
I’m just getting into this and I didn’t know about ink samplers- I’m excited!
Here’s a question: I work in an office environment and my Safari M nib bleeds and spreads on standard paper. Without converting my whole office to fountain pen friendly paper, what do you suggest?
I’m thinking of getting a FC Loom with a F or EF nib. Everyone always raves about the Loom’s nib.
What do you think?
Are there any ink issues I should consider for this scenario?
Love the vids 👍🏻
Hi Andrew, thanks for watching the videos. Yeah... the standard paper in a work situation can be a hard one. My two big suggestions would be to look at a finer nib and a dryer ink. I love the Loom pens, and have both fine and extra-fine nibs for it and think they are lovely, but they are not the finest of fines. The finer the nib, the less ink you put on the page obviously. So that is your first port of call. On that one I would also suggest you look at the F or EF Lamy nibs. You could easily replace that on your Safari you have now. Other good options in an affordable price range like the looms and Safaris are things like the Pilot Metropolitan Fine (which is pretty similar to the width of the FC Loom EF) or even look at some of the offerings from Platinum and Twsbi (although Twsbi will line up closer to Lamy and FC in terms of the nib sizes). The other big consideration is ink. I don't know what you use now, but there are a number of inks designed to bleed and feather less (such as Noodler's X-feather - a dark black), but also there are a few things like the Pelikan 4001 series inks which are a little less 'wet'... so they might be worth looking into. Grab samples of a few inks from you local retailer and see what works best for you. The Goulet Pens website has a number of resources to help you find inks with particular properties too. I hope this helps and good luck! Let me know what you settle on.
Andrew, you might have some success if you try writing on the other side of the paper - some office paper is smoother on one side than the other - it’s part of the paper making process. You can also try different ink - and your nib may be too “wet” - this may be adjusted, but be very careful - consult a fountain pen tech 🖊 to be safe.
If your office provides “copier paper” ask if they can try “inkjet printer paper” this will work better with your fountain pen 🖋 than other office papers.
@@norm7257 That’s excellent advice, Norm. I didn’t know about the Inkjet paper. Very interesting
@@theoffstageme
I’m currently using what was available (and cheap) at officeworks - Online black cartridges - they fit both international standard and Lamy! I thought that was cool.
We’ve only really got 1 pen shop in Canberra, but they guy I spoke to admitted he wasn’t really into pens 🤔. I asked if stocked any demonstrators and he said no they had to remove them because of COVID... He thought I was talking about testers or samples or something...
I’ll hit up some of the websites you mentioned. I could get a fine or extra fine nib for the Lamy, but that would be passing up the option to get a new pen.
I’ll let you know!