I think fountain pens might not be for you if you think every ink should work in every pen. They aren't formulated for every pen, nor were many of them meant to
The TN pen loops are THEE WORST. I just slip the clip of the pen in mine. Also, I don't think the sticker situation is an age thing just a preference thing. I am 45 years old and run two businesses and I love the coffee monsterz co stickers for planning and more illustrated midori transfer stickers for journaling.
I would also agree about the CoffeeMonsterzCo stickers not being an age thing but preference. I'm college aged but have never felt the urge to buy. Just not my aesthetic 😅
Love this topic too - I have talked about it in my struggle too because oftentimes the boxes are a great deal but being surprised with items often doesn’t work for me. So then I realized I don’t like those kind of surprises and I really should not buy any sub boxes 😅
Fountain pen enthusiast giving some thoughts & potential tips if you'll have them 😊 If you want consistency I think you might be better off sticking to combinations that work for you, or switching to a different type of pen that isn't a fountain pen. Finding the right pen or ink for your taste can be some work, especially if you crave consistent use between different pens/ink. It's just not realistic to expect every different fountain pen or ink to give the exact same experience as another one, simply cuz every brand uses their own standard for size or inks not all having the same ingredients across different colours and thus have different properties per ingredient. This is why I use pen test pages in the back of every notebook I use to see how the pen+ink behaves on that particular paper in case I would like to adjust it or my expectations with it. I have a Lamy in EF (which is known to have some inconsistent size variation in EF) and it writes like a fine/medium fine when paired with the Diamine Inkvent Ash ink because of the ink being a lot more wet in pretty much any pen I put it in. Other Diamine inks I own seem to behave much differently in the same pen. I accepted that's just going to happen with that ink (also why I recommend anyone to always get ink samples, like you said you did for the Octopus Fluids, before committing to an entire bottle). On the nib issue you had with the Kaweco. While some nibs of the same size and brand have some slight variation in line width (this can be poor quality control or perhaps misuse of the nib when pressing too hard spreading the tines) this isn't usually that bad except with some western brands on their Extra Fine nibs (idk why but they can range from true EF to their counterpart F in width at times). More likely with the wet writing experience you describe here is that your inks are the issue not the pen (that is assuming you have a different ink in the White Kaweco than you do in the Peach for example). To see if the pen you're having issues with the nib on the peach, and they have the same nib size, you can do a paper test writing with both the white and peach pens using the same ink (so if the white writes well, swap out the ink you have in the peach for the one in the White) and see if there's a meaningful difference in line width there. If there is, it might be a poor quality control nib, or maybe the nib isn't seated in the feed properly (you can gently press it into the from the sides to see if it is or not). If there isn't any real difference, it's the ink being the issue. Luckily, all the kaweco sports (and some other kaweco's) can have their nibs replaced rather easily and without having to be very expensive! I even realized the nibs between my Kaweco Sports and Kaweco Liliput are interchangeable. Same goes for Lamy btw, those were designed to easily be swapped out with another and sit on the feed with a friction fit. So if you have a very wet writing ink, you could swap it to a smaller nib (if you aren't already using an EF) and potentially fix the issue that way in some cases. Japanese brands, like sailor, pilot etc, tend to have thinner EF/F nibs than western brands, so maybe a japanese EF is a better fit for your use on the small grid (you might want to do a lil research into EF nibs before getting any). My only regret this year was getting a TWSBI VacMini, cuz while it wrote absolutely amazingly for me, not being scratchy and having a nice size and weight, it cracked in two different parts of the pen on my third refill a few months into owning it. I got send replacement parts for which I had to pay a low shipping fee, but found out while replacing it that a second part had broken too and therefore still couldn't fix it and would need to request and additional part and pay shipping again. So I just gave up on that pen entirely and swapped out the nib with the one on my TWSBI Eco which was a bit scratchy at times. Also getting a small bottle of Diamine Violet, that ink is so vibrant on the page it was uncomfortable to look at and I hated using it. I've taken a sample amount from the bottle and mixed it with a different diamine ink to something I liked and given the rest away.
Excellent recommendations ! I agree that it is a process finding the right combo of pen and ink but to me that's half the fun so I'm not mad at it! I'm surprised to hear about the Twsbi. Mine broke unfortunately so I'm still grieving that loss. Thanks a bunch for watching !
I was at Stationery Fest and there was a big line for TheCoffeeMonsterzCo booth and they weren’t all teenage girls. People of all ages (including yours) buy her stickers so I respect that her stickers don’t fit your style but don’t judge if it suits everyone else’s.
I agree. Everyone has different styles and preferences. I respect her perspective but it went from practical to very snarky towards the end. I usually like these videos, and it didn’t feel good. :( Maybe just buy a few things first to test out if you actually like them instead of a lot. ❤
I came to say the same exact thing (except that sadly I wasn't at Stationery Fest) - I'm 51 yo, mom of 4 mostly grown kids, work at a serious company and I enjoy using TCMC Stickers very much. Helen is such a sweetie and has accomplished so much given her young age. I might be 50+, but I will never be too old for making my planner fun. I might sit in a company call and discuss budget questions while looking at funny cute faces staring at me from my planner. The stickers you loved so much wouldn't do it for me. I find them to be boring. So while the stickers might not be your style there is no reason to call them childish.
Thanks for watching. I think you've missed the point where I shared why it was a regret for me not a personal judgement on the product or the company itself. I'm glad you like Helen and her company but if we are sharing my personal regrets I'll likely share something that was something that did not work for me. It is completely up to you to interpret that information however you wish. Thanks for watching either way.
Stationary sub boxes video is such a great idea!! Especially cause we don’t get insights from Canadian creators about sub boxes - the value of them are much different to us in Canada because of the shipping! When you create the video could you pls share if you had to pay duties on any? Thanks so much!!
Much earlier this year I got a Jinhao knockoff of the Sailor PGS. Nothing is wrong with the pen - I just hate the huge drop-off from grip to nib. The color is super adorable, but I never write with it because it hurts my fingers. Halfway through the year my planner system wasn't quite working for me, so I added more things in to experiment. While the experimenting was very useful, I'm now kind of smooshed into a three-planner plus notebook system that I find mentally exhausting. So I'm impatiently waiting for 2025 so I can start my new system, which is based off all the things I learned from this year!
Same on the cloth and paper! It’s outside the box but do we really need all that stuff? What happened to simplicity? I stopped mine. I have tons of it🫣
I don’t understand the C&P sub boxes I’ve seen people open. TN wallet inserts do bulk up. I can’t use it in the Travelers company covers, but they’re great in Chic Sparrow passport covers. ❤
FYI it’s stationery with letter E, I know a lot of people don’t realize there is a difference. I probably have too many stationery regrets, so avoiding facing it 😂😂😂 thanks for sharing!
lol Thanks for catching the typo. Thank goodness it's an easy fix. 👍 I remember looking back in previous years of my regrets and I felt like the list was endless🫣. It's crazy how much you change in a year so don't be so hard on yourself.🤗 Thanks for watching as always🤎
It's this light green that came with our house. I'm glad you like it! At first I totally thought it was white until we saw that the entire house was white but this particular room is light green. I'm glad you like it !
@alignedplans it's apricot 😆 I have the same pen but couldn't remember the fruit it was named after. Regardless of the name, I use wet ink in mine without any leaking mess.
@ I love the colour so much it’s so different from all of my other ones! I’m glad it’s working for you . I think I’ll get a replacement for my converter and we will be in business 👩💼 💪🤎
Same 😆 Although I found off white, not really cream quite appealing. Something like Take a Note maybe. I am also quite happy with Moleskine pages so go figure 🙃
I think fountain pens might not be for you if you think every ink should work in every pen. They aren't formulated for every pen, nor were many of them meant to
What a concept right? If only every ink should work with every pen. Obviously inks and pens aren't exactly made that way but a girl can only dream
There are so many planners out there hoping that everyone will buy it just to try it when they already know what works.
The TN pen loops are THEE WORST. I just slip the clip of the pen in mine. Also, I don't think the sticker situation is an age thing just a preference thing. I am 45 years old and run two businesses and I love the coffee monsterz co stickers for planning and more illustrated midori transfer stickers for journaling.
I’m also so confused about the tn official pen loop - it’s an official product yet no one seems to like it and doesn’t clip securely for me 😭
I would also agree about the CoffeeMonsterzCo stickers not being an age thing but preference. I'm college aged but have never felt the urge to buy. Just not my aesthetic 😅
I'd love to hear your thoughts on subscription boxes
Love this topic too - I have talked about it in my struggle too because oftentimes the boxes are a great deal but being surprised with items often doesn’t work for me. So then I realized I don’t like those kind of surprises and I really should not buy any sub boxes 😅
Fountain pen enthusiast giving some thoughts & potential tips if you'll have them 😊
If you want consistency I think you might be better off sticking to combinations that work for you, or switching to a different type of pen that isn't a fountain pen. Finding the right pen or ink for your taste can be some work, especially if you crave consistent use between different pens/ink. It's just not realistic to expect every different fountain pen or ink to give the exact same experience as another one, simply cuz every brand uses their own standard for size or inks not all having the same ingredients across different colours and thus have different properties per ingredient.
This is why I use pen test pages in the back of every notebook I use to see how the pen+ink behaves on that particular paper in case I would like to adjust it or my expectations with it. I have a Lamy in EF (which is known to have some inconsistent size variation in EF) and it writes like a fine/medium fine when paired with the Diamine Inkvent Ash ink because of the ink being a lot more wet in pretty much any pen I put it in. Other Diamine inks I own seem to behave much differently in the same pen. I accepted that's just going to happen with that ink (also why I recommend anyone to always get ink samples, like you said you did for the Octopus Fluids, before committing to an entire bottle).
On the nib issue you had with the Kaweco.
While some nibs of the same size and brand have some slight variation in line width (this can be poor quality control or perhaps misuse of the nib when pressing too hard spreading the tines) this isn't usually that bad except with some western brands on their Extra Fine nibs (idk why but they can range from true EF to their counterpart F in width at times). More likely with the wet writing experience you describe here is that your inks are the issue not the pen (that is assuming you have a different ink in the White Kaweco than you do in the Peach for example). To see if the pen you're having issues with the nib on the peach, and they have the same nib size, you can do a paper test writing with both the white and peach pens using the same ink (so if the white writes well, swap out the ink you have in the peach for the one in the White) and see if there's a meaningful difference in line width there. If there is, it might be a poor quality control nib, or maybe the nib isn't seated in the feed properly (you can gently press it into the from the sides to see if it is or not). If there isn't any real difference, it's the ink being the issue.
Luckily, all the kaweco sports (and some other kaweco's) can have their nibs replaced rather easily and without having to be very expensive! I even realized the nibs between my Kaweco Sports and Kaweco Liliput are interchangeable. Same goes for Lamy btw, those were designed to easily be swapped out with another and sit on the feed with a friction fit. So if you have a very wet writing ink, you could swap it to a smaller nib (if you aren't already using an EF) and potentially fix the issue that way in some cases. Japanese brands, like sailor, pilot etc, tend to have thinner EF/F nibs than western brands, so maybe a japanese EF is a better fit for your use on the small grid (you might want to do a lil research into EF nibs before getting any).
My only regret this year was getting a TWSBI VacMini, cuz while it wrote absolutely amazingly for me, not being scratchy and having a nice size and weight, it cracked in two different parts of the pen on my third refill a few months into owning it. I got send replacement parts for which I had to pay a low shipping fee, but found out while replacing it that a second part had broken too and therefore still couldn't fix it and would need to request and additional part and pay shipping again. So I just gave up on that pen entirely and swapped out the nib with the one on my TWSBI Eco which was a bit scratchy at times. Also getting a small bottle of Diamine Violet, that ink is so vibrant on the page it was uncomfortable to look at and I hated using it. I've taken a sample amount from the bottle and mixed it with a different diamine ink to something I liked and given the rest away.
Excellent recommendations ! I agree that it is a process finding the right combo of pen and ink but to me that's half the fun so I'm not mad at it! I'm surprised to hear about the Twsbi. Mine broke unfortunately so I'm still grieving that loss. Thanks a bunch for watching !
I was at Stationery Fest and there was a big line for TheCoffeeMonsterzCo booth and they weren’t all teenage girls. People of all ages (including yours) buy her stickers so I respect that her stickers don’t fit your style but don’t judge if it suits everyone else’s.
I agree. Everyone has different styles and preferences. I respect her perspective but it went from practical to very snarky towards the end. I usually like these videos, and it didn’t feel good. :( Maybe just buy a few things first to test out if you actually like them instead of a lot. ❤
@@jennydelrose I agree with you on that exact thing. I was getting bad vibes watching her video as well.
I came to say the same exact thing (except that sadly I wasn't at Stationery Fest) - I'm 51 yo, mom of 4 mostly grown kids, work at a serious company and I enjoy using TCMC Stickers very much. Helen is such a sweetie and has accomplished so much given her young age. I might be 50+, but I will never be too old for making my planner fun. I might sit in a company call and discuss budget questions while looking at funny cute faces staring at me from my planner. The stickers you loved so much wouldn't do it for me. I find them to be boring. So while the stickers might not be your style there is no reason to call them childish.
Thanks for watching. I think you've missed the point where I shared why it was a regret for me not a personal judgement on the product or the company itself. I'm glad you like Helen and her company but if we are sharing my personal regrets I'll likely share something that was something that did not work for me. It is completely up to you to interpret that information however you wish. Thanks for watching either way.
It sounds like this video was just not for you. Glad you stayed until the end.
Stationary sub boxes video is such a great idea!! Especially cause we don’t get insights from Canadian creators about sub boxes - the value of them are much different to us in Canada because of the shipping!
When you create the video could you pls share if you had to pay duties on any?
Thanks so much!!
Appreciate you! Thanks a bunch for watching
Much earlier this year I got a Jinhao knockoff of the Sailor PGS. Nothing is wrong with the pen - I just hate the huge drop-off from grip to nib. The color is super adorable, but I never write with it because it hurts my fingers.
Halfway through the year my planner system wasn't quite working for me, so I added more things in to experiment. While the experimenting was very useful, I'm now kind of smooshed into a three-planner plus notebook system that I find mentally exhausting. So I'm impatiently waiting for 2025 so I can start my new system, which is based off all the things I learned from this year!
I love your energy - it's so lovely to see your honest reflections. Thank you for sharing them, very helpful!
Thank you so much! Love having you here! Appreciate you watching
I really want to see you compare sub boxes please!!!
Thank you for introducing me to The Modern Journaler!
Your comments about stickers and age groups - completely agree! Im an adult, give me the appropriate aesthetic 😂😂
Yes!!! Someone understands me !
ink that work on every pen? pen that work on every ink? Every fountain pen user dreams
Is that too much to ask? I guess so !😝
I love the Pilot Prera, too. I use that same one as my EDC work pen.
Same on the cloth and paper! It’s outside the box but do we really need all that stuff? What happened to simplicity? I stopped mine. I have tons of it🫣
I don’t understand the C&P sub boxes I’ve seen people open.
TN wallet inserts do bulk up. I can’t use it in the Travelers company covers, but they’re great in Chic Sparrow passport covers. ❤
C and P are so wasteful. Then they say you can give it to someone else. But if I don’t like it, I’m not burdening my Friend by giving it to them.
The HON is my favorite. It doesn’t have the red stuff to deal with. I hate red on my planners.
FYI it’s stationery with letter E, I know a lot of people don’t realize there is a difference.
I probably have too many stationery regrets, so avoiding facing it 😂😂😂 thanks for sharing!
lol Thanks for catching the typo. Thank goodness it's an easy fix. 👍
I remember looking back in previous years of my regrets and I felt like the list was endless🫣. It's crazy how much you change in a year so don't be so hard on yourself.🤗
Thanks for watching as always🤎
😂
Thank you for this! I always get confused between the two!
Weird question but what is the paint color of your walls ? I’m looking to repaint and I’m really liking your color.
It's this light green that came with our house. I'm glad you like it! At first I totally thought it was white until we saw that the entire house was white but this particular room is light green. I'm glad you like it !
I love the Hon! Where is your accent from? I love it!
I also regret Coffeemonsterzco I just end up never using her stickers!
@@Lexibellington ah thank you so much I’m originally from Hungary but live in Canada 🇨🇦
That's definitely a falty inverter in your mango kaweco. 🥭 ❤
It looks like the apricot to me but I’m not sure
Omg 😝 I've been calling it peach this entire time and it's the apricot pearl HAHA. To be fair to me it does look more like a peach lol.😂
@alignedplans it's apricot 😆 I have the same pen but couldn't remember the fruit it was named after. Regardless of the name, I use wet ink in mine without any leaking mess.
@ I love the colour so much it’s so different from all of my other ones! I’m glad it’s working for you . I think I’ll get a replacement for my converter and we will be in business 👩💼 💪🤎
I am so glad you said that about some of these sub boxes.
I've seen a lot of content creators in the planner community turning away from cloth and paper.
I think it's a wave of change where the planner community is looking for something different. I'm personally here for that shift🤎
Weirdo😂 I don’t like the cream paper😊
@@libbym4178 I mean it happens to the best of us 🤷♀️
Same 😆 Although I found off white, not really cream quite appealing. Something like Take a Note maybe. I am also quite happy with Moleskine pages so go figure 🙃
All you are talking about is pens and ink. Those are so private. Each pen is different and nothing will change that. Quit gripping. Use a gel pen.
What a fantastic recommendation. Thanks a bunch for watching.