Thread: Dip Pens

Originally Posted by DwarvenChef

I have my grandfathers dip pen he used to write lables with, the nib is badly pitted and can no longer be removed from the shaft but it still writes. I have sence picked up a few different dip pens for the fun of it. I've been into fountain pens for a number of years and have accumulated a rather large ink supply. I use the dip pens to test different inks. For a few years I was a member of the Ink Drop at Goulet Pens so i could try inks I probably would not have bothered with before I left that due to financial issues as well as the huge amount of blue inks they send out... I have a rather strong dislike of blue ink...

Writing with a dip pen helps me with my writing because I have to slow down my thinking as well and moving my arm around. On long writing sessions I tend to bear down and tense up making it hard to read and making me cranky. A dip pen has a natural break in the rythum to reset the mind and body I now enjoy writing to friends and family with both fountain pens as well as dip pens.

That's really interesting stuff so I'm quoting it all. I love the statement about why you left the Ink Drop in regard to the blue inks which you rather dislike. I feel like replying "Oh well, yes, now you mention that it's obvious, blue ink no less..."

I used to love reading ink reviews...

I'm no fan of blue ink either. I'm running a black in the fountian pen at the moment (Sorry I know we're talking dip pens, but I don't have any just yet.)And I have two other pens ready for any other colour I might want to use. The downside of fountain pens...No quick change of inks ;0.


Mick

LOL thats where having many pens works for you My goto black is Sailors Nano Black, yes lots of controvery about the carbon particules clogging and all but I have had very little problems so far.

With a dip pen you no longer worry about ink content so much, and opens up all the really old school inks like Iron Gall inks that have a huge amount of charicter to them, not to mention making your own Something I want to try out

By the way I'd like to toss my hat in and join up with sending cards and such, keeps me going (and using up my ink surplus )

I see we're on a roll in regards to post cards. I guess the best way to do that is via PM. On another fountain pen based site I used to frequent we had a little icon thingy saying you were a post card participant or something...

Originally Posted by 32t

I recently bought a bottle of Noodlers Blue Ghost. I haven't inked a pen with it yet but would like to find a pen pal with a black light to try it out with. Any interest?

Wish I had a black light to take you up on that actually. It sounds interesting. I don't know enough about the subject of inks (or pens for that matter), but that ink sounds cool!


Mick

I have an older bottle of "Whiteness of Whale" maybe to old to see much or the tiny black light just dont cut it LOL I have not tried the others like it but I do have a few samples

Originally Posted by MickR

I'm no fan of blue ink either.
Mick

I, on the other hand, love blue inks. Over here anything written with blue ink is considered to be far more legitimate than anything in black. The reasoning is that a black and white photocopyer can't do blue. I guess forgers haven't figured out how to use a colour photocopyer, or it is just easier to hand over a hand full of money.

And another reason I love blue ink is that it is easier to see inconsistancies in the ink. What I mean is that black ink tends to look the same black all the way through the pen stroke. Where as blue ink can look darker when the stroke is heavier or when the pen is freshly dipped.

Maybe others like black for its consistancy, but I like blue for its character and inconsistancy.



But then again, I may just be crazy.

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

I see we're on a roll in regards to post cards. I guess the best way to do that is via PM. On another fountain pen based site I used to frequent we had a little icon thingy saying you were a post card participant or something...

I think it would be great if we could organise some sort of a post card or letter exchange. If others were interested I would definitely be interested. It could almost be an obligation to indulge in the obsession of letter writing.

I actually moved to dip pens some years ago over fountain pens. I got tired of having to replace cartridges and didn't want to shell out for a refillable one.

Well I picked up a dip pen and a small bottle of ink today. I chose a Cretacolor hand piece, a B-6 nib and the ink is just one that the bloke told me was a top seller Daler and Rowney black Indian ink.
That's my starters kit for what it's worth. I figured I can get other nibs and inks down the track, but this would be a place to get a feel for this style of pen.


Mick