Thread: Fountain Pens

thank you gentleman you are stars


edited :
well I have been doing a little hunting from links on Richards site and found that the Esterbrook pen company and Perry & co. who made Osmiroid were at one the two top selling Pen companies in the world, in direct competition with each other, interestingly their nib units of the 50's and 60's are interchangeable between their pen bodies.

the Esterbrook pen company was bought by the Venus comapny in 1967 which in turn was bought by the Berol corporation in 1984, which was bought out in 1987 by the Empire pencil Corporation of Shelbyville Tennessee, they then were bought out by Sandford itnernational in 1995, who in 2001 purchased Osmiroid International

So all those wonderful pen companies are now owned by one multinational American company!

definately going to have to send my Osmiroid to Richard

Do you guys have links to ink recipes? I mean from scratch, not mixing various commercial inks. Especially if it's in black and waterproof.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

Do you guys have links to ink recipes? I mean from scratch, not mixing various commercial inks. Especially if it's in black and waterproof.

I enjoy writing with a dip pen and inks ,


a simple ink recipe is

You will need :

• 4 empty walnut shells
• 1 cup of water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of vinegar
• A paper bag
• A hammer
• A small saucepan
• A measuring cup
• A cheesecloth
• An empty jar with a cover (needs to be clean)

1. Put the walnut shells into the paper bag, then crush them with a hammer (on the ground).
2. Next, put the walnut shells into the saucepan, then add a cup of water to it and bring the mixture to boil then add salt and vinegar.
3. take off heat and allow to cool.
4. After that, you strain the ink through the cheesecloth into the jar, then put the cover on the jar and it's ready to use when needed.
this will make brown or 'sienna' ink, to make it black, add 1 teaspoon fine soot whilst on the boil


As well as the recipe, here's a few links from my bookmarks with recipes for ink:

a technical website with details on how to make ink
http://www.knaw.nl/ECPA/ink/make_ink.html#ingredients


3 or 4 recipes one with shaggy ink cap toadstools.
http://www.regia.org/quill3.htm

a dozen or so recipes
http://www.clt.astate.edu/elind/oldink.htm

Hope this helps

Muchas gracias Wayne. I am looking forward to trying these out.

Does anyone know were I can buy replacement inks sacs and nibs for Esterbrook pens?

Gentlemen,

I have not used this pen so I make no endorsement. I provide only for your pen loving entertainment and edification

http://www.hisnibs.com/mega_m3.htm

For those who may be interested, we have a contest for posters on razorandbrush.com that assigns a beautiful fountain pen every week to the author of the best post.
The pen is a Tryphon "Liù", a wonderful, well made, smooth writing fountain pen.
(see pic).

Very attractive pens, Giovanni. And a very generous contest.

Originally Posted by steve

Very attractive pens, Giovanni. And a very generous contest.

Definitely - why don't *we* do that?? 'Cause, like, you know, I'd win everytime with my insightful and always pertinent postings...

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Definitely - why don't *we* do that?? 'Cause, like, you know, I'd win everytime with my insightful and always pertinent postings...

James.

Oh yeah?? Well, I don't see a "In the Deep End" blog from Mr. James now, do I??

JK, my friend