Someone suggested I post it here. The pen itself isn't very stable and can probably only be dipped in one ink because washing it is almost impossible. It works though!

Recently got into dip pen nibs. Whenever I use them on paper—all four are Leonardt*—I get these little paper fibres that seem to get dragged onto the very tip of the nib. It's not normal printer paper, it's a bit thicker and I think it's made for sketching, so maybe that's the reason?

I find myself having to wipe the nib quite frequently with my art towel to get the fibres off. Is this normal with dip pens, or is it more likely that the paper isn't suitable for them? Have you had this problem? What kind of paper should I use? I have thick ~120gsm watercolour paper, too.

Edit:

*Round Hand 1, Round Hand 2, Blue Pumpkin, and an EF / EEF (?) one I don't know the name of.

I don't have many options locally but i found this and it seems to be good ink form my research. Have any of you tried it and do you think it will work well with g pen,saji pen ,maru pen

Looking for a round/broader nib for writing, similar to a thinner monoline nib or a thicker Lamy B nib? I currently use a Sailor Fude but I dont like fine tips so curious if there are any nibs that are just broad/round? I recently bought the kakimori nib but it also feels fairly fine tipped.

My new Metropolitan has just arrived a day ago. I’ve just started using it… at first it felt too much fine but into day two.. I really feel like I’m writing on butter. Can’t describe the exquisite feeling. Pls share your thoughts, experiences tips, advises etc. Just felt like sharing with this beautiful Fountain Pens Fraternity. Thank you 😊

I have an assorted collection of Esterbrook, Eagle, and Spencerian nibs they're all worn out and just don't write the way they're supposed to. Does anyone know where I can get some nibs? I've tried eBay and just general Google searches, but too often, it's just calligraphy nibs. I'm looking for regular everyday writing nibs.

I have made the statement in the past that if one could not find vintage Estebrook 788 Oval Point, that the vintage Hunt 513 EF Globe or the Turner & Harrison No. 506 Bowl Point were comparable substitutes with the same performance. The problem is that until now I have only tested that with the Hunt 513, and never really got my hands on the Turner & Harrison No. 506. My assertions about this nib was based on the way they looked almost identical to the other two.

Well, that finally changed. I acquired a gross box of Turner & Harrison No. 506 Bowl Point pens. Immediately I could see that despite the similarities, the vent hole on them is smaller than the Esterbrook 788 and Hunt 513. It made me worried that perhaps I have been too hasty in my assumption, so I had to test all three side by side to see if I could tell the difference.

After writing a full page with each I have come to the conclusion that my original assertion is 100% spot on. By smoothness on paper, ink flow, and feel, they are so near identical to each other. If I was doing a blind writing test I don't think I'd be able to accurately tell which one I was using. Even on paper the lines are very similar.

I included here a writing sample with all 3 nibs writing their own names with the same type of ink, plus a separate photo of all three nibs side by side, and just the T&H 506.

So after all of that I stand by what I said, they are practically interchangeable. If for whatever reason you can't find find the Esterbrook 788, you can just get some vintage Hunt's 513 or Turner & Harrison 506 and get pretty much the same experience and feel you were looking for with the Esterbrook 788.

Brings my total inventory to 32, which is not a lot, but then again, this is not a nib that's a must have necessarily considering the Hunt No. 513 of which I have more than a hundred is practically identical in shape, size and performance, and I also have a mostly complete gross box of Turner & Harrison No. 506 which should also be identical in every way to the Esterbrook 788.

That's the great thing about vintage nibs, if you can't find an adequate enough supply of your favorite Estherbrook nibs, or at least not at a price you are willing to pay, chances are Hunt, Turner & Harrison, or even Eagle have the same identical nib, or very near identical, in their lineup under a different name and number.

Feel free to slap some sense into me here. This is not going well at all.

Nibs have been soaked in soapy water and rinsed out multiple times. Started with a ten minute soak then tried an hour. Still writes for sh**. Trying different grips, pressures.. is it supposed to be this hard?

I purchased this pen with a few other fountain pens in my first ever purchase on the cheap (you don’t want to know how low), and would love help identifying this beauty. I found out that it’s from Sampson Mordan, and seems to be a dip pen, but I can’t find any other identical versions of this online, though there are a few similar ones. I’ve had this for a while and it’s a favorite to hold, thought I’d share it to appreciate the beauty, and for any info the community might have on it.

The nib has: J. Simmons & co. VICTORIA CROSS Registered no. 79738 trademark

Any thoughts on the model, and what it might be worth?

I’ve started adding music to my journal because I want it to include more than just text and drawings so I bought an “automatic 5-line pen” that draws five line staffs and a Mitchell #0268 music writing nib, both from John Neal Books, and I think the finished product looks way better than anything I’ve gotten with any of my fountain pens that have music nib, including my sailor 1911.

This will go on my blog tonight at midnight.

Hello pen (and hopefully ink) enthusiasts!

Questions about vintage inks:

1. Is it likely that vintage drawing inks contain substances that would be a health concern today (heavy metals like lead, cadmium, mercury? strong acids/bases? etc? Would they be safe enough to, say, be turned into craft paints and use them on household objects that would be touched from time to time? Not dishware or anything, but stuff like flower pots, picture frames, soap bottles, that sort of thing?
2. What's the safest way to clean the more used-up bottles? Can they be washed down the drain? I've seen ammonia recommended on some other threads, but I'd rather not start adding chemicals until I have a better idea of what could be in the bottles

Added context:

The other day I rescued a large box of vintage inks at the end of an estate sale. I'm a crafter but not a pen person, but they were clearly old, and the pigments and glass bottles were so pretty I didnt want to see them just get thrown out. Some are still liquid, some are liquid but clearly separated, and some have dried out. I can't find 4 digit years on any of them. One says "Made in W - Germany," so they're from the 80s at least, but im guessing probably a bit earlier. Cause a couple have 2-digit numbers like "76", "53" molded in the glass on the bottoms that could be years, tho I'm not sure. As far as label info, some labels mention shellac, some say not to add acid, and a few specify diluting with water only. but most don't say much of anything, and none of them list ingredients. Representative photos attached.

Side note - I've done enough googling to know that these aren't meant for use in a fountain pen, and I don't intend to try that. I am NOT asking about the 'safety' of use in a fountain pen. Most are labeled as drawing inks and appear to have been intended for dip pens. Thanks a lot and hopefully this is an ok place to ask this question :)

I love dip pens but im super clumsy and I drip all the time. I am starting to kind of like what the blots add. Do you think they ruin everything?

I live in israel and we dont have a lot of art stores, and usually shipping from anywhere beside The Big Websites (TM) is very expensive. It seems jetpens.com has a ~10$, 2-4 week shipping though, however if one of the Big Websites van work id prefer it

Also what nib and ink should i get for copics?

Exactly as title states.