25% off Selected Fountain Pen Inks (e.g. 30ml Ink from $11.95) + Shipping @ Van Dieman's Inks

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Van Dieman's Ink

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  Hugh G Rection on 07/10/2024 - 08:38

  -1

  great ink, but clogs my pens. i just dip instead of filling barrel as i only use at my desk.

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  brocky2006 on 07/10/2024 - 09:22

  are there any pens/inks that are good for being kept in a shirt pocket and used randomly (ie truck driver)

  • 

    Schrodinger on 07/10/2024 - 10:29

    +2

    Get a pen with a good seal. From the ones I've used, Sailor rarely dries up and has a good seal (screw cap though).

    Pilot Vanishing point is great for occasional random use.

    TWSBI pens are also supposed to have a good seal. Lamys are cheap but for me Safaris dry out sometimes. Their more expensive ones don't.

    Since you're keeping the pen upright in the shirt pocket, there's very low chance of it leaking.

    For the ink, get a washable one if staining is a concert. Waterman Mysterious Blue is great. Or some washable blue like Parker Washable Blue. But this also means if you get your paper wet, your writings will also get washed out. There are iron gall inks (R&K Scabiosa) and nanopigment inks (Sailor has great ones). But if they stain your cloths some of them are nearly impossible to remove.

  • 

    Chazzozz on 07/10/2024 - 10:35

    If you want a fountain pen then the Pilot Capless has a retractable nib that writes really well. It's capable of taking cartridge refills (easy & convenient to keep spares) plus it comes with a converter to use whatever bottled ink takes your fancy. If it's going to be sitting for a long time between uses then probably one of the less-saturated commercial inks is best to avoid potential clogging due to the inevitable moisture evaporation - Waterman is often considered one of the safer inks on the market, it comes in a reasonable range of colours, and is often sold at an affordable price.

    However, it will also depend on what you're going to be writing on, too - if it's for journaling or letter writing then this will be great, especially if you get yourself something nice with quality paper. Will you be filling in a lot of paperwork that includes multipart forms? If so, then a good 'ol fashioned ballpoint will be the best. If that's the case then you can't go wrong with a Parker Jotter as the refills are ubiquitous and available in any newsagent, post office, or stationery supplier in the country. My recommendation would be one of the all-metal finishes for durability, and steer clear of the Gel Ink refills as I find they can get gunky.

    • 

      BuyoTheCat on 07/10/2024 - 10:58

      I like how the parker G2 ballpoint writes, so the pens I use take that refill (like the jotter)l. there are also rollerball refills for the G2.

      writing is very personalised. I have gotten pens that people rave about but I didnt like how it writes.

    • 

      brocky2006 on 08/10/2024 - 12:30

      I've tried the jotter and not much of a fan. Can the cap less fountain pens leak or are they fairly good?

      • 

        Chazzozz on 08/10/2024 - 14:27

        Any fountain pen will leak if not treated properly. The most common reasons for them leaking are:

        • Storing it with the nib pointing downward
        • Excessive shaking or vibration
        • Heat or pressure changes

        The last one is most evident in winter when you start using a cold pen and the warmth of your hand causes any air inside the ink reservoir to expand, pushing out more ink out than you intend. Another common situation is when you fly in an aircraft, changes in altitude can also create differences in the air pressure inside the pen and cause the same thing to happen. In both cases this can be easily avoided by ensuring the nib is pointing upwards and hold it in your hand, then waiting a couple of minutes for heat & pressure to equalise before you put the nib down and ink starts flowing.

        Since you already shop on Ali Express I'd suggest buying a less expensive fountain pen to try first, along with some cartridges. I bought one like this as part of a deal and paid less than $10 for it, and I find it's surprisingly good. See if you like using one, and if you do then you can start looking around for something a bit better quality. If you don't, then you haven't splashed out a lot of money on it.

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  brocky2006 on 08/10/2024 - 10:18

  Thanks for the detailed reply. I currently use a Rollerball from ali. Hong dian. Tried to link before.

  I tried the jotter but feel that it is a bit scratchy/rough.

  • 

    SonneryCean on 08/10/2024 - 10:35

    Try the Majohn A1 or the new Jinhao 10. They are like the Pilot Capless retractable fountain pens.
    You can use pretty much any inks with them, just gotta use a syringe to get them into their cartridges. If lazy, the Majohn takes Pilot cartridges, so you can just buy the standard ones for them.