It was fun. I had the pleasure of hanging out with several people whom I rarely see at all (unless you count reading their online ramblings) and some who I talk to but don't see much of in person and some more I generally touch base with once a year.
The annual AXSigma post-bonfire gathering had fewer familiar faces this year, but it was still good.
John was kind enough to let me have a fountain pen (Hero 329) to try out, and Herb generously donated some black Mont Blanc ink to go in it. I very much like the way it writes, but I need to get some Noodler's waterproof ink to be able to use it for work, what with keeping permanent records and all.
Saturday night -- after having some brownies baked in Blumberg -- I ended up in the Honey Creek cineplex, with a screen showing Serenity in front of me. Corpse Bride had ranked a little higher in my plans, and remains in there somewhere, but a group of people to watch Serenity with called, and I'm glad to have gone along, because the movie was well worth the price of admission. It really shouldn't be so odd that a film can have characters who have rational conversations about things while incorporating space travel and explosions and fights, but it is. Go see it, or go again if you haven't yet. (need to do the latter)
Comments (4)
The Hero 329 (that's the pen) borrows its feed and collector from the Parker 51 and 61. Probably because the Noodler's is relatively thick (compared to either Parker's own ink, or the Mont Blanc ink), it does not seem to agree with my Parker 51 (a larger pen, but pretty much the same design).
If you find that the Noodler's does not get along well with the Hero, give me a shout. I have a fair number of spare pens laying about, and can certainly send something along that will write with the stuff just fine.
Posted by Pederson | October 4, 2005 12:09 PM
Posted on October 4, 2005 12:09
Oh. You mentioned this at my blog, but I didn't offer any advice. If you're searching for a sub-$30 fountain pen, you may find your options are pretty limited. His Nibs has a few, from various manufacturers. I bought the Hero through him, but haven't had occasion to buy from him since (Norman Haase does have a good rep, and my one transaction was quite painless). Pen City has theirs grouped by price, but I've never purchased from them and I'm not sure how accurate their listed inventory is. On at least one occasion, they had listed an item they no longer had in stock. Fountain Pen Hospital is neat to poke around in, but you can probably get most of what they offer more cheaply somewhere else. Like Pam Braun, actually. Pam's great. At the very least, it'd be worth emailing her to see if she's got whatever you decide upon in stock. If it's something she carries or can order, she can probably cut you a very good deal on the item. Pendemonium is another place to check, but I'm not at all familiar with their stock of pens.
I really like Swisher, and they've got an excellent rep. They don't carry everything, though (who does?), and their prices aren't always the best (they're usually pretty good, though). Swisher does carry the Lamy Safari (20-30 dollars or so, if I recall correctly), the Kaweco Sport (15-20 dollars), and the Waterman Phileas (25-30 dollars, I think). The Safari (and its immediate relatives, the Vista and the AL-Star) and the Phileas are very, very good pens for the money. The Kaweco isn't bad at all, but (1) writes like a nail, which not everyone likes and (2) is terribly informal-looking. I carry a couple Kawecos most of the time as beaters. Very reliable. They also have a $20 Duke pen that I'm not at all familiar with, and the Pelikan Epoch, which I've heard good things about, but never seen myself. (The Future I have heard nothing about either way, but would assume it's a reliable if informal and cheap pen.) Ah! FWIW, the Lamy Safari can be had with a left-hand nib, but you'd have to order the nib from Lamy's US distributor (check under repair and parts). They're a bit frustrating to deal with, frankly, but they're also the only game in town if it's Lamy parts you're after (AFAIK, anyway).
Alright, I'm going to stop monopolising your comments for the evening. I need to get some sleep.
Posted by Pederson | October 6, 2005 12:49 AM
Posted on October 6, 2005 00:49
Are left-handed nibs broader than right-handed ones, or are they just cut at a different angle?
The thing I like about the Hero is that it feels as if I'm using a felt-tip to write, but I get a much cleaner and more easily controlled line. I'm trying to avoid the feeling of scratching something across the page to write.
Posted by charles | October 7, 2005 10:56 PM
Posted on October 7, 2005 22:56
The Hero nib is an exceptionally smooth nib for a (extra)fine.
As I understand, the left-handed nib is an oblique cut so that it slopes like so \ if the nib is pointed up (the exact angle I'm not sure about). This may be more comfortable for you to use. I'd guess that it's broader than the Hero's nib, but I couldn't say how much; I don't have one.
Writing performance is likely to vary with the ink used. Mont Blanc's ink (IME, and I haven't used the MB black to know) tends to flow very well, even in pens (like the Hero 329 or the Parker 51) that have some problems with thicker inks. (FWIW: I was wrong about the Noodler's Polar Black. It does not flow well in my 51. Interesting stuff, though. Smells like a Sharpie.)
Posted by Pederson | October 8, 2005 10:42 PM
Posted on October 8, 2005 22:42