Pen/Ink/Paper Collecting Thread

So I’m curious about something and wanted to ask people here.

After you newly ink a pen, how long does it last for you until the ink runs out? Try to include writing frequency and the kind of ink loading mechanism (cartridge, converter, reservoir…)

for myself I’ve had pens with a cartridge that I might not write with often that seem to run out faster than they should. I suspect it might dry out. But then I have a TWSBI that I filled up last year and write with the most and easily has another month of writing potential

 

My inexpensive cartridge pens (eg like my Pilot Metropolitans) tend to dry out quickly; if I don't use them for a week or so, they will dry out. Normally not a problem, as they usually get used daily. The nibs will sometimes dry out in my inexpensive converter Lamy pens if they sit for a while, but they are still inked and quickly come back to life. My best pens have cap designs that prevent that kind of dry-out, and I think that keeps the rest of the ink from drying out as well. My Lamy 2000 is always ready, as is my Pilot Falcon. Some pens like the higher end TWSBIs and others will have essentially two ink reservoirs -- the main one, and a small one connected to the nib, with a valve between them that you can open and close. You can write for a while from the small reservoir, or open the valve for long writing sessions. Closing it when done helps keep the ink from drying out (and also helps if you fly with the pen....)

It can also be ink dependent. I will use just about anything in my cheaper converter pens, and I have found that some inks will just dry up and go away... .

 

I remember when Lamy Dark Lilac was initially released, but I didn’t know it had this big following. Lamy recently rereleased it and the story is big enough to have a New York Times article

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/01/style/lamy-dark-lilac-ink.html

Speaking of Lamy, the big news seems to be that they have been acquired by a Japanese company

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mitsubishi-pencil-company-acquires-lamy-165400670.html

 

They really buried the lede on this one. On the last line of the article they mention that Lamy has been bought by the Mitsubishi Pencil Company of Japan!! That seems like far more momentous news than the re-release of a single ink.

It might be time for me to grab some middle of the line current production Lamy pens (I already have the 2000, some Safaris, and an Al-Star) before any changes are made by the new owners.

 

So going back to this, this seems partly related to whether your pen cap is vented or not. My Kaweco Perkeo totally dried out and it has vented cap, while my Kaweco Sport does not

 

I have a Safari but no Al-stars. I kinda doubt they would implement that big of a change to trigger stocking up, but I still want to pick up an Al-star

 

The cheaper models are likely the safest, Lamy has all the tooling already in place and they can move those units in great volume, especially the Safaris with their limited edition colors.

I’m more concerned they may alter or discontinue some of the mid range or higher end pens like the Aion, CP-1, or 2000.

 

I've had my LAMY 2000 for over a decade now and it remains a stellar daily writer. Have had to have it serviced twice in that time frame, and each time it was a remarkably low nominal shipping fee to get what I'm almost certain is a fully new pen each time (the cap nubs being oriented differently relative to "flat" on the nib were a dead giveaway to me). Pen of Theseus argument notwithstanding, that's customer service effectively on par with what Noctua does for air coolers IMO, a rare thing altogether.

Hopefully that doesn't change, and it's more a matter of their having improved logistics with Mitsubishi's backing.

 

If the issue is customer service then I have zero worries. The best customer service I’ve ever had usually came from Japanese companies

 

So I recently moved to a house and the old owner left some stuff behind. One of the items is a vintage fountain pen!




It is a JM Paillard with a lever filling mechanism that I’ve never seen in person but I remember seeing them in old movies.

I have no idea the last time this was used. What would be the maintenance procedure to get this working again?

 

Nice!

To get it working it will probably need a good cleaning using something strong like a pen cleaning solution in addition to flushing with lots of water. Ziller's is pretty good, or you could use some ammonia. Does the filling system work? If not the bladder probably needs to be replaced. It's not too hard but requires some tools.

 

Alternatively, if you're cheap, a low concentration solution of conventional dishwashing liquid in distilled water can help. I'd separate the nib and feed and dunk that into an ultrasonic cleaner if at all available just to dislodge any deep-seated debris.

Ink bladders are still readily available last I checked. I've been out of vintage pens for a long while now (too much nervosa for upkeep-- lovely nibs though!), but I don't imagine that's changed. Most of the shops I know are either in the USA or the Philippines for some reason, but I imagine there's no shortage of skilled pen techs in your area @Cspirou. Alternatively, could get ink sacs off Amazon. I'd check for rust and pitting around the lever, that could be a bother if left unaddressed.

 

Yeah, sacs are easy to obtain in the US, replacing them is another matter. I could do it for you (as well as a good cleaning) but the cost of shipping both ways probably isn't worth it.

 

For the cleaning solution I recently bought some J Herbin fountain pen cleaner so this seems like a good use

Not even tried. I’ve read stuff on Reddit about not just immediately disassembling old uncleaned pens because I might damage something. So I think I’m probably going to soak the entire pen first in water before messing with the mechanism.

Based on size and weight this probably qualifies for standard international shipping for small objects. Which is like 8€ each way. Seems worth it to me but I’ll see how far I get

 

Good idea to soak it first, definitely. Preferably only the nib and section, don’t want to rust the filling system (lever and/or pressure bar internally).

Ahh, I didn’t realize there were international shipping options that are so affordable. If you need the sac replaced I’d be happy to do it for you for free.

 

I soaked the nib end in cold tap water for a few hours and I kept changing the water until it was clear. I lifted the lever a little but it barely moved.

So the next step was taking out the nib, which wasn’t too hard. afterwards the bladder assembly came out



The bladder has a white coating and it’s very stiff. I put some slight pressure to see how pliable it is and it cracked



So it definitely needed to be replaced. But I’m glad it wasn’t crumpled to bits in the barrel. Now the lever moves freely



I’m looking for places to source a replacement. I can see why this mechanism isn’t produced anymore

In the meantime I did a bit of research on JM Paillard. The brand dates back to 1798 but they didn’t start making pens until the 20th century. By the 1960s they ceased all fountain pen production. That would mean this particular pen is at least 60 years old!

 

Nice! Glad it came apart cleanly. In addition to a bladder you’ll also need shellac to glue it on.