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Showing 1 of 24 conversations about:
ErickA
17
Feb 20, 2018
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So there is special paper for fountain pen writing?
Feb 20, 2018
choiceweb0pen0
276
Feb 20, 2018
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ErickAIt is more the case of on some paper, usually thinner part, fountain pen ink will feather and even bleed through the other side of the paper. Moleskin brand paper often does this, for example. Heavier paper like Rhoda absorbs fountain pen ink, making it better suited to fountain pens.
Feb 20, 2018
ErickA
17
Feb 20, 2018
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choiceweb0pen0Oh ok, are there any Rhoda pocket note books little the Field Note?
Feb 20, 2018
Theroc
2318
Keyboard Club Member
Feb 20, 2018
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ErickAThere certainly are pocket-sized Rhodia notebooks, though they are not the same format as Field Notes. Rhodia is not the only fountain pen-friendly brand, btw. Clairefontaine and Tomoe River are also excellent. So are Apica, Maruman and many others. Paper thickness is not the crucial factor, though thick stock helps. Tomoe River, for example is very thin, but still excellent fountain pen paper.
Feb 20, 2018
ErickA
17
Feb 20, 2018
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TherocI will definitely check those out, I have two fountains, Ohto Tasche . I really like them and they are small and compact but I often find myself going back to my gel pens, only because the ink doesn't flow out smoothly, am I holding the pen wrong or is it the pen itself?
Feb 20, 2018
itsmeagain1
9
Feb 20, 2018
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ErickANot necessarily special, but it should have a harder surface finish or the liquid ink will soak in and feather. High cotton content doesn't usually work that well, but it's the finish that matters. Tomoe River paper is very thin, but the finish makes it work extremely well with liquid ink (there are roller ball and felt tip pens that use liquid ink, too). You do need to give it more time to dry; I use a blotter.
Feb 20, 2018
RayF
22214
Feb 21, 2018
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ErickAYes in damn deedy, there is! And lots of papers that claim to be Fountain Pen Friendly aren't as palsy-walsy as they claim. Point in case, everyone's darling: Moleskine note books. Despite what you may have heard, they have a horrible show-through problem (I know, I've been making daily entrees in one for the last four months--terrible show-through)! Fountain pen paper requires a bit of "tooth" as well--just a tad of texture, not rough, but not slimy-smooth either (the ink has to absorb, but not bleed, into the paper). Best paper in my (not particularly humble) opinion is almost anything Clairefontaine makes.
Feb 21, 2018
choiceweb0pen0
276
Feb 21, 2018
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ErickAIt might be the pen. Maybe the pen needs cleaned (drain ink and flush with water) or the nibs are out oh adjustment.
Feb 21, 2018
ErickA
17
Feb 21, 2018
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choiceweb0pen0I can't say for sure but it's one of those disposable fountain pens, what I mean is that it's not a great pen here is the link so that you know what I'm talking about.
https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/OH10181/ohto-tasche-fountain-pen-ff-10t
Maybe I just need to spend a little more for a good fountain pen.
Feb 21, 2018
RayF
22214
Feb 21, 2018
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ErickAOhto Tasche is know to be pretty stingy when it comes to ink flow, and pretty sparse when it comes to ink capacity. It's intended to be a mini size pen and it suffers accordingly. Try a fountain pen with a larger nib (and a bigger tank) and put those gel pens away!
Feb 21, 2018
ErickA
17
Feb 21, 2018
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RayFWhat kind of Fountain Pen do you recommend? I would like one that will last me many many years and that won't cost too much. I am willing to spend around $100 for one.
Feb 21, 2018
RayF
22214
Feb 21, 2018
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ErickAYou don't really have to spend a lot of money for a properly functioning fountain pen--how does five bucks sound? Try this one; works as well as pens I've spent hundreds on: https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Fountain-Jinhao-159-Bright/dp/B00CBQD7YW/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1519254284&sr=8-7&keywords=jinhao
Feb 21, 2018
choiceweb0pen0
276
Feb 22, 2018
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ErickAI've had a few Ohto fountain pens and the two I have are a little scratchy, meaning they are not especially smooth writers. I would check out a Pilot Metropolitan pen. They run around just under $20 or so, but write as well as much more expensive pens and come in range of colors: https://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Metropolitan-Fountain-Pen-Black-Plain-Fine-Nib/pd/12075
Feb 22, 2018
choiceweb0pen0
276
Feb 22, 2018
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itsmeagain1Great point about paper‘s finish in regards to fountain pens. that’s been the issue I’ve had with Moleskin. I have a few of their folios and fountain pen ink seems to flow right off the paper like it‘s waterproof.
Feb 22, 2018
kg4giy
40
Feb 22, 2018
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ErickAI have used dozens of different types of paper. All of those below are good (and old Moleskines are actually very fountain pen friendly. The newer ones, well it seems to depend book-by-book). For inexpensive pens, there are several varieties - Knox (about $19, brass barrel, German nib), Lamy, even the Levenger True Writers are good, in general (I have a couple, including two L-Techs). Once you get used to them, you find good and bad, even within brands. And then you discover gold nibs. And that is when the price of a pen goes up.
From a paper perspective, I can say that Tomoe River has the best hand of any of the papers I have used, but it is more like onion skin in weight which turns off a lot of people who want a more substantial paper. The Clairefontaine and Rhodia papers have a nice hand, are very nice for use with a fountain pen and are a more substantial GSM (weight). At the end of the day, the paper you use is the paper that you like and works with your writing style, ink, and nib(s).
And as an aside, purchase from the small pen shops and stores. Amazon is nice for books, but the shops can tell you what is good from experience (and we want to keep them around).
Feb 22, 2018
kg4giy
40
Feb 22, 2018
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choiceweb0pen0I have a Metro - the fine seems almost too fine, even for a Pilot, and Pilots tend to run on the narrow side of fine in general. When I compare it with my Vanishing Point, for example, it seems to almost be an extra fine in size. My Graf is almost a medium when looked at side-by-side. Maybe my next experiment will be a nib show down. I haven't done one of those.
Feb 22, 2018
kitzmail
9
Feb 25, 2018
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kg4giyYour Graf is German (guessing from the name)? Your Pilots are all Japanese (Pilot’s parent company is Namiki). Japanese nibs run finer than western nibs. (Think about those Japanese characters the pens are used to create.) So all the Japanese manufacturers are going to have nibs that are finer than their western counterparts. Pilot, Platinum, Sailor, etc. are all Japanese. And Platinum tends to be the finest (thinnest) of the three, as far as I can tell.
Feb 25, 2018
Runnin_Ute
8
May 27, 2018
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ErickAI have no personal experience with Field Notes brand notebooks, but know people who do use them with fountain pens with little to no issues.
May 27, 2018
RayF
22214
May 27, 2018
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Runnin_UteI have used them and I concur. Only drawback is how slim they are.
May 27, 2018
Theroc
2318
Keyboard Club Member
May 27, 2018
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RayFI had stacks of Field Notes before I realized pocket size is just not for me. They don't use the same paper in all their editions. It's not a bad thing, its actually one of the things that makes them addictive. That said some paper types they use are absolutely unusable with FPs. Case in point: Field Notes Expedition.
May 27, 2018
RayF
22214
May 27, 2018
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TherocNever had a problem with mine, but I quit using them a few years back (not enough pages)—and as you say, each series is quite different.
May 27, 2018
MtnLvrLakeLvr
2
Jul 27, 2018
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kg4giyGood point about supporting local specialty pen stores. Thank you.
#ImInOutdoorSpecialtyRetail #ShopSmall #ShopLocalFirst
Jul 27, 2018
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