0

Hacks

Know that a fountain pen introduces you variety of skills based on :

✓ silly
✓ scientific
✓ life changing

knowledges. DiY & HaCk, 🦉

It started while testing some nib units. We found that a 5mm feeder with G nib fits snugly in a plastic straw. This little hack made nib interchanges and an eyedroppers system super easy. Hacks are universal. 🐸

Now we picked new nibs because everybody (testers) loves Schmidt M a lot.

Oooh je suis totalement d'accord.

++++++++++++++++++++++

A really good loupe is camera lens

Some people recommend 10x, and Pilot company's craftmmen's used to test details through 25x. Try viewing a nib through a fine quality loupe. It may be a quite eye opening.
Or just use a camera lens! 50mm. It's probably better than high end loupes? Nibs appear clearer, more detailed and larger when viewed directly through a camera lens rather than a view finder.

Just manually open the lens up wide and look through from the opposite side... you'll find it a lot easier to examine the nib tipping. The Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm 1.5F works from both sides. This lens is the epitome of old fashion for me, incredibly lyrical. So far all my 50mms work, except for AFs. Even the 100mm Macro Planar 2F displays quite a large window📸

++++++++++++++++++++++

G nib corrosion

The nibs in this photo were badly damaged due to acidic iron gall inks. Omg. It's surprising, but I was still able to use them like crazy because the nib tip was aligned well. Lite grinding worked. It's done on everywhere by me, once on a back of porcelain which equals to  #1200 sand paper. Despite that, I recommend everybody to use alkaline inks with a G nib! Toss scratchy nibs. Go make our life easier.

++++++++++++++++++++++

The urban myth of titanium

Many users know the most important part of a nib is the tipping. Fountain pen nibs are fashioned with a tipping of iridium, notable for its hardness, resistance to corrosion, and rarity. It means they can withstand many different inks, including more acidic IG inks.

Personally...Titanium? The first choice as nib material? Why spend more money for titanium? Montblanc pens had a titanium edition, but the nib was not made of titanium.
Gold gives flexibility. Rhodium nibs are beautiful like jewelry. But compare the metal density numbers and you'll see stainless is actually better
🦄

  • titanium  4.43 g/cm³(Ti-6Al-4V)
  • stainless steel  8.0 g/cm³ (304)
  • rhodium 12.4 g/cm³
  • gold 19.3 g/cm³
  • iridium  22.56 g/cm


++ okay next 
Pilot "Ponzu" BB 350 ml recipe - Blue ink with the brightest red sheen.

  1. Blue#1, get a bottle (1pt/476ml) from supermarket or the dye powder from online
  2. Pilot BlueBlack (350ml) as lubrication
  3. Rubato's gum for bleed free, no feather, no mold*
  4. Oxgall for better mixing and surface tension*

Above are the ingredients needed.
*3 and 4 are optional, but inks may lack a sheen.

Blend 1 and 2 as you like..the ratio/color is up to you. Or start with 1:1.
Add distilled water if needed.
Add 3 if needed, allow a few hours/days for the ingredients to melt together.
Add 4 as necessary.

Sometime I'd love to show how strikingly the sheen appears...🦆

Pilot ink proliferation!

For green ink, blend Yellow#6 (FCF, liquid or powder...it's called foodcolor, rrreally bad one) and Pilot BB 350ml ink.  I suggest blending Iro's Hotarubi/ Chikurin instead of #6, and PearlEx gold to make a good behavior version of Emerald of Chivo-esque, Waterman Misterious Blue, or Parker Penman Sapphire. Sometimes yellow#6 behaves badly. Dyes each have their own characteristics

The colors combination makes greenish blue like denim, indigo, and many colors. You can extend the variation of your inks by blending them with distilled water.
Base: Pilot BB 350ml
Blends : Blue#1, Yellow#6 or Pilot Hotarubi.

= Ink names are Cerulean, Cobalt, Persian, Denim, Teal, Turquoise, Kelly, Forest.

Orange/red/pink/purple/other colors will also work.

Uhh, cost?  $27 Pilot, Blue#1 is $3 pt bottle or $6 per 1/2 gallon, $1 distill water. 3-5 cents per ml. (Total 1000ml or more). 30ml ink costs about $1, 50ml ink $1.5-2.5...sort of. Too cheap/stupid to calculate.

Save the sheen

Particular color pure dye makes sheen. Especially Blue #1 has amazingly red sheen and easy to purchase in the US. But when we concocted in kitchen / no lab setting, it often kills sheen. IF you LOVE SHEEN INK✨✨✨you must be a good scientist.

  • Rinse jars and bottles with distilled water.
  • Avoid glycol, other emulsifiers if possible. Some food colors contains glycol, some don't.
  • Use excellent graded dyes.


++++++++++++++++++++++

Tomoe River Paper

is PRINTING PAPER & WRAPPING PAPER not originally writing paper. Japanese mighty calendaring machine made it happen...doing a master job of like steam ironing paper. The expensive rolling machine turnes very hot and presses the thin paper more and more smoother and denser so that extremely detailed printing can be done.

When we stop writing on paper 2000s, many of pen nerds have started to look at TR paper as fully writing paper. 💥 90s, TR paper small planners like Hobonichi costed only $5. Prices jumped a little but deserve more for paper manufacturers.
Tomoe river VS Mohawk
   VS.  

++++++++++++++++++++++

If you'd love to see ink's sheen

Use printing (blank) paper, or Altoids's Uncle! paper inside shows sheen on the front side, color on back. And worth to try on black paper, yes it does. Ink colors dissapear and only sheen appears, ....due to a matter of light reflection and absorption with black paper.

++++++++++++++++++++++

Lots of O ring

We use a silicone tube. If you would like use an O ring on nib section, cut the tube into approx. 1 mm sections. Try 0.5mm. O ring or silicone tube nstallation is easy with pliers🛠💍 Oh did you know orthopedic rubber band is available everywhere online?

++++++++++++++++++++++

TASCA Flex G

For those who would like explore further and expand their skills, we'd like to introduce "TASCA flex G". Instead of a ridged housing, this version has a 'updated' silicone tube to facilitate nib customization. It is especially beneficial for FP + calligraphy fans with their own unique nib preferences and collections. And it will encourage a calligraphic approach. Nib sizes vary. However as the nibs' base width is narrower than 5mm feeders, many #5 nibs and calligraphy nibs fit in the grip ( nib section ). The popular Blue pumpkin nib is also compatible with our assembly.

++++++++++++++++++++++

Modern Silicone

Because the silicone stretches 3, 5, 10 times its size detailed adjustments to nib direction, length and air flow are possible. Cleaning also became easier, thanks to the stretchiness. Insert a toothpick into the unit, stretch it open, jostle in a bowl of water and flush under running water.

++++++++++++++++++++++

Putty & Blue pumpkin nib

We use putty to stick things together. I was able to use it to install the Blue pumpkin, steno nib together with a feeder. I stuck a tiny, 1/2 rice grain sized piece of putty behind the round pumpkin shaped part of the nib. Ink stays there and goes through the tines. It writes so wonderfully and flexibly. The only problem was that the material is soft and one tine became displaced. Trying to limit how much you push on the nib (perhaps up to 3/4 of its max width ) may be the key🎃

++++++++++++++++++++++

Climate changes pens

Capillary action. Surface tension. I wish my parets forced me using a fountain pen so that I could have been a lot smarter than...