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Thanks for the recommendation!

Thank you, and indeed it was!

This is Fabriano 220 gsm cold press watercolor paper. It’s a mix of 25%cotton, and the rest is wood pulp. It’s fantastic for watercolor, and okay for pen and ink. I have a video on this and other watercolor papers I sometimes use coming out soon!

@stepheninks oh I have never used any of that brand.

@ it’s hard to find in the US. I discovered it when I was living and working in South Korea. I found the pad I got this paper from at an art supply store in Santa Cruz, CA. I bought as much as I could carry!

I’m really good at forgoing accuracy in favor of emotional manipulation :)

I think that’s an idea I can get behind. The expensive pen on this video is one that I love and highly recommend for anyone who can afford it. Of course, some can’t, and they should know that there are a lot of good options for them as well :)

Thanks! I really want a brass Sport, actually. Both are definitely well made pens, and I’m sure they are fantastic for their respective audiences. I think the Liliput isn’t for me, but the Sport in brass sounds really cool.

Yeah, I wish Pilot would come out with something between the 40 and the 70… like a 55? I don’t know, surely they have the capacity to do more with their converters, I don’t know why they have not.

They do have some less expensive pens as well, but I really like my Lumos Duo. No regrets!

Good thing those two pens have swappable nibs. It’s funny, because I also have a Black Forest, and I love it. Never dries out for me. I’m guessing there must be a wide range of quality in that pen line. That’s a shame. I’ve hear a few others mention the nib drying out, and still other people saying it’s a nice wet writer (which has been my experience). I’m not sure what the difference is.

@stepheninks Yeah. I dunno. I suppose it doesn't take much of a flaw to introduce an airflow. It feels like it seats just fine though. But, I can't leave it inked for long or I have to fight it to use it again.

You know, I could never quite put my finger on it, but Diamine has always been towards the bottom of my list of preferred brands (unless you’re talking about cheap inks). Maybe they are too dry. Can’t argue with the price and selection though. That’s the main reason why I recommended them.

That’s one of the big reasons why I started using fountain pens! A refillable rollerball is a great entry point as well, if fountain pens aren’t your thing.

@@stepheninks I like drawing with fountain pens but some of mine dry up which I have to spray with water or purge air with the converter. Takes up time. I wanted to see if rollerballs aren't as annoying. What do you think, are you still using your Herbin rollerball? I just got a Monteverde and my Herbin is on the way.

@ to be completely honest, this pen hasn’t made my rotation nearly as often as the many fountain pens I own, but I think that might be a personal preference, and I don’t have any of the drying out issues you mentioned. One non-fountain pen that makes my rotation a lot more is the Tom’s Studio Lumos. Can’t put it down. It’s a lot more expensive than the J.Herbin pen, but deservedly so.

Someone mentioned to me that I should do a video on that subject, and I’ve been meaning to get to it. It is interesting though, because being a left handed artist actually makes fountain pens a fantastic tool. Ballpoints always smudge for me, even when I’m trying to be really careful. To summarize what I’ve learned, I find that Colorverse and De Atramentis inks dry pretty quickly, while for Noodlers, it depends on the color. “Walnut,” and “Nightshade,” two of my favorite colors by Noodlers, are consistently super slow, from my experience. As far as pens, Some people say that the Waverly nib grind is supposed to be really great for left-handed people. PenBBS uses Waverly nibs as standard on their pens, and and I absolutely adore their nibs, so that is interest possible. I’ve not really looked for products made for left-handed people too much. Always felt that stuff was kind of gimmicky. But those are some tools that, while not necessarily made exclusively for left handed people, work well for me.

Awesome. I also sometimes seek out reviews of pens I already have, just to see if other people like them too :)

That pen didn’t exist when I made this video, but I have one in the mail right now. Excited to make a video about it!

I kind of wish I had kept the first one, to be honest. Now that I know that Ebony wood just cracks a lot, I think I would really enjoy a dark wood pen. I’ll bet the nibs on the two I returned were just fine.

@@stepheninks One of mine is Ebony. The other is Tiger Wood. They both cracked. The Ebony crack is a hairline. The Tiger Wood one is wider, but I just filled it with super glue to stop any progression. It's unfortunate, but I just love those pens otherwise.

I do like the variety these days. The only thing I wish is that it was easier to find the perfect pen, paper, and ink. Nothing is standard anymore. Former giants cheapened their processes, and aren’t as repeatable (looking at you, Moleskine), and so many new players, it’s hard to keep in front of everything. I get paralyzed when a non-pen friend asks for a recommendation to get started in this hobby. There’s just. So. Much. I guess that’s a good problem, but it’s daunting sometimes.

@@stepheninks This is a perfectionist's issue - to have one and best item for both writing and drawing :) I don't think it's possible because every fountain pen has something different to offer and yet, a paper quality also validates a nib and ink opportunities to create. It's important to keep the balance, have only those pens which are in use at least once a week, other than that it's just wasting money a bit... When it comes to items quality - you're right here. The quality is down. It was noticed mostly about major producers during the last few years and observed by collectors of all things, like f.e. tarot cards (myself - Lo Scarabeo - paper quality got poorer, thinner) or statues, figurines (like those made by Veronese - poorer quality every year but prices remain the same). Should we agree with this? Depends on personal budgets and... impulses :)

Those words describe me very well.

I’m going to check out a few shaving kits. That’s a really great idea!

Inorite?! Happy hunting!

I don’t really use alcohol-based markers, but I would guess pretty badly, since these are water-based inks, and the cartridge that comes with the pen isn’t even waterproof. That’s just a guess though. Like I said, I don’t own any alcohol-based markers.

I can’t deny that this video did not go as planned, and I wasn’t sure how to document what I found out. I won’t defend myself if people feel I showed that struggle off the wrong way. Like I said, I wasn’t sure how to present this one, and RUclips is a hobby for me. I work a full time job to pay my bills, so sometimes I don’t have enough time to think about my edits. If viewing my videos causes you pain, remember that you don’t have to watch them. In my defense, there were a lot of instruction papers (at least 3?), and tue instructions that told me how to add the larger nibs was a single sentence. No other video or marketing that I saw mentioned it (and I did a lot of reaearch before buying this one). I would have appreciated an illustration, video, or SOMEthing to push me in the right direction. Surely I’m not the only person that missed this.

Definitely looks like a color I would like. Thanks!

I realized that this pen existed after publishing this video. They definitely look the same. Thank you for being nice about it. You would be surprised how many people take a little bit of knowledge and use it to make angry judgements comments. Knowledge is for sharing, and I thank you for sharing yours.

@stepheninks it was never my intention to be impolite! I really enjoy your videos and your sketching!

@ yeah. I can see that. Thank you for sharing. Just recognizing that it’s rare to have a friendly correction/ addendum to my videos. Keep doing what you do!

Thanks!

Thank you!

I guess it depends where you’re located. The Goulet Pen Company carries them. Jet Pens would be my second go-to for all things Japanese pens (stationary too). I feel like if neither of these sites will ship to you, your best bet is to look around for a Japanese stationary store the next time you’re in a big city. You’re more likely to find something like that in a metropolitan area.

You are set for life.

You’re welcome! This is an unnecessarily expensive hobby.

Me too. But mine still works as well as the first day I inked it up!

Thanks! I think Jinhao holds the world record for most pens under $10 worth buying. I’d honestly pay more for them than they charge (but don’t tell them that).

I understand everything you’re saying about paper, and in theory, I agree with you, but my experience tells me that they’re are a lot of different papers that work well with this setup, even cheap ones.

I second the penmanship, I like how it never dries out because the screw on cap has no air around it so you can stuff a few in your pants pocket with different colors and only use it once in a while. The triangle grip is polarizing but I got used to it. I use diamine registrars and it writes on copy paper or tomoe river and doesn't care, and doesn't budge even with tombow alcohol markers which even will smudge speedball india ink a little.

It’s nothing special, and it’s kind of my point that your notebook can kind of be the thing you think about last. But in case you’re wondering, this is an “Artist Loft” sketchbook from Michaels. I’ll put a link in the video description by the end of the week if you want to look at it.

Thank you, I thought so. I’m not really looking for special either, or even a sketchbook, necessarily. I want something to write, sketch and mixed media in. I may just need 3 different substrates. Are the pages going to curl up and die if I use water, do you think?

@ If you’re wanting to use watercolor, I think what you are looking for is a mixed media or hot press watercolor sketchbook. The best one I have ever used is the Strathmore 500 series Mixed Media Sketchbook, which will definitely come up in a future setup video. They’re pricey, but the can take just about everything. You’re right about the sketchbook I used in this video, in that it can’t really take water or water-based paints. A hot press watercolor sketchbook covers both fountain pens (because hot press is smooth), and watercolors (because it’s meant for watercolor originally), and I think that would meet your needs best. Personally, I do have a notebook for journaling, one for sketching, and I use loose sheets of watercolor paper for drawing things I am going to also use watercolor or gouache with.

@@stepheninks Well you must have been lucky with notebooks. Regular paper almost always feather with fountain pen ink and sketchbooks might feather too if they are for pencils and not for wet media. Also the paper must be smooth so hot press so its really really not easy or simple

@@runedart5048 Canson 180sketchbook . Royal Talens sketchbooks. I personally like Ringbooks - filofax type, basically you just punch the holes yourself and you can use any paper, switch and replace paper sheets. In a long term is cheaper than buying notebooks. And you can customize rearrange paper sheets. You can buy them in many sizes A5-A6-Personal-Pocket-Mini, you can buy used ones cheaply. The leather filofax/binder will last you a lifetime.

Now you know where m trauma comes from. I’m one of the few pen RUclipsrs who can confirm that this pen tastes as bad as it smells!

Totally understood. I see they make two versions of the Konrad in an acrylic resin. Maybe they are less offensive to the senses.

Me too!

Aww, thanks! And I forgive you. Haha.

The Preppy was a close second for me. I use it just about as much as I use my Kakuno!

The C1 is on my list for hopefully a future video. Diamine inks are super affordable. If you’re looking for a way to get into pens for cheap, I don’t know of another brand to recommend at this price point (although I have to admit, I don’t really love their bottles).

Welcome, fellow junkie! Revel in the wonder that my retail therapy hath wrought!

That’s a good one too!

I got one of these and it's a dud. The nib is terrible.

I have all of these things too, and I approve.

I use a pencil for my preliminary lines (a lot of artists do), but the pen is inked with a grey ink, which sort of looks like graphite pencil, I might guess. As for the rest of your comment…cool. Thanks?

That’s a great idea for a setup video! I have a few pens I might recommend for expressive drawing, and the first two you mentioned are great! You might also like the Pilot Parallel. Thanks for watching!

I know that the Con-70 has its fans (and that’s also a big reason why the Kakuno is so popular). I didn’t know that trick about filling it. I’ll have to try it the next time I put a Con-70 on my Kakuno. Thanks!

Honestly its better just to use syringe. Buy 1ml syringe and add the thickest needle on it and just refill a cartridge. Just use the same syringe for the same ink so you dont even need to clean it. Zero waste and you dont have to wipe the nib or the section etc.

I use one in my c74 sf and while it has that filler hole in the feed, I find I have to submerge it all the way to the section or I get froth and very little ink in the con70. Am I doing some wrong? I'm filling from sample vials mostly so it is nice to get that last bit without breaking out the syringe.

@@frymawe​​⁠to be honest, that’s exactly what happens when I use a Con-70, and the reason why I prefer the Con-40.

@@frymawe Well, sample vials can work when they are pretty full, but I think it's best to use an Ink Miser instead. If you are getting foam/air bubbles than air is ingressing when it should only be ink thus having to submerge up to the section. The alternative is to syringe fill the converter than place it back in the pen. Just remember with this method that the ink has to displace whatever little amount of air got into the feed/collector between fills through capillary action. Just filling it in the usual way the feed/collector gets filled along with the converter. Either way it's not something critical.

That’s another great idea for a video. I’ll have to put some thought into that. Thanks!

Fude is best for line variation. Flex nibs only give wide line on downward stroke and as the tines spread they give out lots of ink (ponds). Fude is best for lane variation but its a very very broad range, and you kinda have to know the specific pen you are using so it might be hard to use it or not practical. You can actually make it yourself from a regular nib if you have the patience and basic tools. Easiest choice is to have a nib with a natural geometry in it, cheap pens tend to have just an iridium ball as a tipping but expensive ones might have more variety and at different angles they might provide different line widths. Something like Sailor medium nib , on reverse it has a fine line and itself is not a round but more triangular nib. But it depends on specific pen I am not sure which pens have such geometry and which doesnt. Different pens have different personalities so you have to know them individually. If you dont need much variety and just a little its best to take soft nibs , pilot falcon, pilot justus 95 , platinum3776SF , from cheap pens faber castel loom or even Grip, or Pelikan M200.

The pilot steel ef in the kakuno or penmanship (my preference) will go up about 3x or 4x with a bit of pressure. Kind of hard to do calligraphy with that sort of paper, but drawing a line is a bit easier. For small drawings with thin lines I find it is plenty. Need a drier ink though, I use iron galls.

Hopefully they will come around again after being gone a while. I haven’t heard of those series. My Kakuno is still kicking after almost 5 years, so I won’t need to replace it anytime soon!

Precision was actually one that I was thinking of too. Sometimes that’s what I want, and sometimes I want it to be a bit sloppy (“expressive” is the “growth-mindset” term for it, I believe). Agreed about bottles. Most of the big pen retailers sell samples for cheap. I didn’t really enjoy their pen service, but the retailer Truphae sells a sample subscription service that sounds kind of cool. I think it was like, $12 a month? Didn’t love their pen service, but they had solid ink curation.

By the way, I couldn’t draw a straight line if my life depended on it.

@@stepheninks I'm a hardliner, both in style and mindset: there are two places to put a line, the right place and the wrong place.

@@stepheninks I'd be happy if I could follow a rulered pencil line reliably, with a pen.

I had a 3008, which I ended up giving away. Mostly because I wanted someone else to experience how lovely it was. I think the 3008 is better than the Twsbi Eco, which costs about 6x as much. I should get a pack of those and give them to some more friends.

The best setup for gifting? A great idea. I’ll start thinking about it.

The dryer lines are kind of my thing too. Platinum does it best, from my experience. I should buy more Platinum pens.

@ I just ordered a platinum 3776 ef 🤣 now thinking I should’ve made it an uef.. it’s a thing 😉☺️

@ yeah, I’ve seen those. I have a soft fine, and I love it.

A preppy is a fine choice as well. My first Fountain Pen was a preppy. I would actually recommend the Preppy over the Kakuno if you prefer a more “dry” writing experience. I actually do prefer dry writers myself, but I think I might be just weird like that.

I’m fairly convinced that everyone has their ideal Lamy type. Mine is the Safari, and everything else is pretty good, but always second to the Safari. Just for me.