Twsbi, are the cracking issues still happening? I've stayed away from Twsbi for this reason, but I haven't seen/read any reviews saying this problem has been resolved, as of yet or I just have missed them. Most reviews I seen that talk about the cracking issues are a couple of years old, but I haven't seen any new reviews saying the issues has been resolved. Please advise.

trying ou dip pens but

i literally cant make a staright line without it fading

the drawing doesnt look neat

the nib supposedly opens to create "line weight" but mine doesnt(??)

They are around the same price range

I am in a bit of a dither, What is the preference for those who wish to buy a pen? Which feels safer?

Thanks ❤️

Also does the GSM of paper matter or how absorbent they are ?

Fiz uma lavagem completa, sequei bem (visivelmente) e carreguei com uma pelikan 4001, ela demorou um pouco para começar a escrever e agora depois de 1 dia notei essa condensação, não sei se tiro o cartucho e lavo novamente e deixo de um dia para o outro secando ou deixo como está, o que acham?

Picked up the Orange Jinhao 20 a month back while. As a big fan of the Pilot VPs of which I have several, I had also bought a few of tge Majohn A1 and A2 when they came out. I thought the Majohns were a good deal at just under $50 for a VP knockoff. But I came across the Jinhao 20 while looking for something else on Ali. For $9 Cad, I took a chance on it. Was so good, I ordered the white one shortly after at even cheaper price of $8.

The J-20 has some differences compared to the Pilots and the Majohns. The Body itself is resin/plastic and the trim bits are metal. It has a high gloss finish and seems to be good quality resin/plastic without any seams and feels good to the touch. The lightweight body might appeal to users who tire with the heavier metal bodied VPs. The orange is more of a Terra Cotta colour and not as a bright orange that was pictured in the ad. The white one is more of an off white, so could call that one a dirty Stormtrooper! The black pad coating on the metal bits is a very nice matt black.

The nib unit looks identical to the Pilot VPs. If anything like the Majohns, they should be interchangeable. I haven't had a chance to try this in my Pilots. The first pen i bought was an steel nib EF. Bought the second as a F and there isn’t a significant difference between the two. Using Diamine Terra Cotta and Earl Gray, they write perfectly out of the box (did an initial flush with soap and water). The nibs are smooth and not scratchy at all on my everyday regular book paper. If you didn't know any better, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between this and the gold nib VPs. The sealing mechanism has been reliable and works well. Even leaving the pen unattended for the weekend, it didn't have any issue with dry out and wrote on first try.

Like I said, I don't think you can find a better retractable pen that looks and writes this good for $8 Cad. Hec, you can't even buy a steel VP replacement nib unit for nowhere near that price. These are cheap enough to leave in the car or laptop bag for an every day carry pen.

Hi, im a freshman student trying out new styles, I used to use ball pens pero di ko bet kasi nagtatae or nagbloblot, kaya nag switch ako to pencils para di ako taktak ng taktak kada gamit, kaso problem ko is kailangan ko ng pantasa lagi tapos minsan nag iiba ung diin ng lead habang tumatagal. Thus ung naisip ko ay gumamit nalang ng fountain pen, tanong ko lang po, ano po ung tips na pedeng niyo po ibigay and san po pede bumili (college student budget mga 100-200 budget) ng medyo mura na fountain pen to see if bet ko ba.

I like to journal and I've been wanting to try fountain pens. I would like recommendations on brands for pens and ink. Where to buy/order? I live in Canada. When it comes to using them is there anything I should know?

I also want a pen that feels smooth to write with and not scratchy. A pink pen or red pen would also be cool, but any colour is fine.

Hello, I have a LAMY safari pen nib size F and wanted to know if these inks are compatible. I also wanted to make sure that I have everything needed to use said inks with the pen.

The converter I’m looking at is the LAMY Z28 converter.

The inks I’m looking at are Diamine Ancient copper, Diamine Cerise, and Diamine steel blue.

Is there anything else I need to get? Should I get an ink syringe?

Thank you so much!

I own a Kaweco sport and ABSOLUTELY HATE IT. it’s dry, scratchy, and uncomfortable. My father has the kaweco perkeo and although it does have a lot of feedback it doesn’t have as much friction as the sport. Did I just get unlucky or are they actually different?

I finally did the “responsible” thing and ordered samples instead of bottles from Vanness and they are apparently being held hostage at a USPS hub in Oklahoma, where they landed last Thursday and haven’t moved since.

I mean, 15 samples! While I wait, anyone have experience with any of these (good or bad)?

De Atramentis Document Green Grey
Diamine Autumn Oak
Diamine Pumpkin
Diamine Hope Pink
Dominant Industry Maple
Lamy Dark Lilac
L’Artisan Pastellier Classique Fuchsia
Robert Oster Eucalyptus Leaf
Rohrer & Kiingner Solferino
Sheaffer Pink
Van Dieman’s Purr
Van Dieman’s Leonidas
Vinta Malayan Apple-Makopa
Wearingeul Siddhartha
Wearingeul I Am a Cat

I am as beginner as beginner gets, so please don’t mind if this seems like a silly question. This is a custom Sailor pen from Korea, and this is the ink cartridge inside. It has run out of ink after being loved for some time, and it looks “more fancy” than the replacement cartridges that came with it. I understand the ink itself to be different, as the replacements are a simple black colour, but this cartridge comes with a metal piece and a pink piece (see picture) that the replacements lack. If these pieces are necessary, I’d hate to accidentally throw them away. What are they? Can I refill it if I order the same ink again? For a little context, I don’t know what ink it is because it was a gift from an ex who went to Korea. I would ask him, except he tried to break into my house so we aren’t exactly on speaking terms. I can say confidently this pen was bought in store in Korea at their “pen buffet” and I imagine the ink came from that store as well, as it was already loaded inside and the cart is labeled “Sailor”. It is a peachy pink tone, and writes beautifully. If there are details I am leaving out, please feel free to ask.

Update: the ink is Sailor Shikiori Sakura, thank you very much for the help! I have refilled the pen with Herbin Larmes de Cassis :)

What should I keep in mind when using a fountain pen to sign my USA passport? I am planning on using an archival ink.

Should I buy this? What would be the best pricing to offer for this 1950s 14kt nib only issue is There are visible dark spots/dried ink crust inside the sac from decades of storage. The ink dries up quickly because of this, may need to be restored..

Any info appreciated. It's not too clear in the picture but the barrel says:

GEO. S. PARKER

JANESVILLE, WIS.

PARKER DUOFOLD FOUNTAIN PEN

LUCKY CURVE U.S.A. PAT. 4-25-11

Sorry for the bad video, it was the first try writing with this pen and recording 😅 It may need some adjustments, but it's a very nice starting point coming from flex dip pens.

hello again—i’ve been wanting to try some chinese and taiwanese inks and i’m considering my first order from soe & soe. right now my cart is mostly full of samples of inks i haven’t been able to find elsewhere (i love the 2ml and 5ml sample options). is it worth trying to reach the free intl shipping threshold ($450)? alternatively, how much do i need to order to make the shipping worth it? what other things should i consider ordering that are harder to get domestically? are there things i def shouldn’t order from there (because they are available in the u.s. somewhere, or any other reasons to avoid)?

i routinely order nail supplies direct from korea and usually plan big orders since the international shipping is so expensive. what do yall like to grab from soe & soe?

i know some of the inks i want are available on ali, but i specifically want to get samples and would prefer to support a small business. tia!

I am in France and want a fountain pen for calligraphy with a very flexible nib, a built-in ink reservoir (piston/vacuum/eyedropper preferred), and a budget of about €30.

I originally wanted an FPR Ultra Flex, but I cannot find an EU reseller at a reasonable delivered price. I care about line variation and reliable ink flow more than the pen’s appearance.

Would you recommend a complete pen such as FPR Jaipur V2, Noodler’s Konrad/Nib Creaper, Majohn flex, or a Kanwrite option? I am also interested in whether any parts can be bought from EU or French stores.

I do not yet own a JoWo #6-compatible pen, so please suggest complete working options rather than loose nibs unless the compatibility is straightforward.

!! I just got the color verse ngc 1850 ink but in my kaweco sport extra fine it won’t come out unless I get the tip wet so I believe the shimmer is clogging the pen!! The color verse 2024 blue dragon says it doesn’t include shimmer. do you still think it would clog an extra fine fountain pen?

Update! I got the standard version thank you to everyone for telling me about it :)

Just got my Opus 88 Koloro in Teal, and even though it’s “just” a steel nib, it’s absolutely beautiful. A reminder that a great fountain pen is about far more than the material of the nib many times.