Hello from here

[Ordinal]

While browsing boards on Tapatalk, I came across this one and thought I would join, so hello! Apart from that, well, er, obviously I'm interested in fountain pens and ink, otherwise I wouldn't be here - mostly ink at the moment as I am trying not to spend too much money. I have a blog at http://daisychase.net/blog which is actually more about cameras these days, but does have a fair amount about pens and ink too. And, in an attempt to make this slightly more interesting, I tried to upload a picture of all of the pens I had in my bag just now, but I'm not sure if it worked, so will check afterwards and list them if it did. (Oh, I'm a Londoner incidentally.)

[Ordinal]

Ah, it did - so that's (from left to right) a Kaweco Sport M with some Diamine brown ink cartridge, an Airmail 69L ED with Noodlers Heart Of Darkness, a TWSBI 530 F with Waterman Blue Black, another Airmail with Noodlers Empire Red, a TWSBI 540 ROC EF with Diamine Graphite, a Pelikan Duo highlighter fp, and a Safari with 1.1mm italic nib and Lamy Blue Black. And all that was a pain to type in an iPhone keyboard let me tell you.

[Jon Szanto]

I feel your pain - I only type on Tapatalk when I have to. Welcome (I've only been a member here for a short time). I've picked up quite a few inks, but the vast majority have been through ink samples, and I'm not quite sure of online vendors in the UK/Euro zone that offer that service. I get mine through Goulet Pens, but that would incur shipping and whatnot from the US.

I once knew an Ordinal M., but that was in a very different world...

[Ordinal]

Ah - that would be sort of the same Ordinal. Though I can assure you that none of the above contain rivets or concealed blades or are likely to unexpectedly explode (except, possibly, the eyedroppers in hot weather).

[Ordinal]

I have ordered from Goulet Pens in the past, but - and this isn't at all their fault, they seem like lovely people - what with the import duty and "handling charge" (a fee to tell you that you have to pay a fee) doubling the total order cost, never again. Oh well.

[Jon Szanto]

Yes, that is what I had assumed (re: ordering from Goulet). It seems a shame, as other than a bit of labour to put some ink into some small vials, it is a service that, in the end, would tend to sell more ink.

I'll tell you what, I'll ask around in the much larger FPN and see if anyone knows of an ink sample service that would be more cost-effective for you (i.e. UK/Euro). I'll put my Envoy on it right away (wink, wink, nudge, nudge...)

[Ordinal]

Say no more!

I think there are some European ink exchange things around, though for various reasons I am not on FPN any more. A Diamine one would be pretty terrific, though their 30ml bottles are so cheap anyway....

[Freddy]

Welcome, Ordinal. I, too, am new here but enjoying the site. I have a couple of those Airmail 69's and think they are fine pens for the money (as in very inexpensive). I keep an orange capped one on my desk and it is filled with Noodler's Apache Sunset. For my shirt pocket pen, it's a Kaweco Sport demonstrator with an EF nib and a PR Copper Burst cartridge. Again, welcome to the site.

[dannzeman]

Ordinal, welcome! That's a good looking batch of pens you have there. I don't believe I'm familiar with the Airmail pens. Can you tell me a little more about them?

[Ordinal]

Ordinal, welcome! That's a good looking batch of pens you have there. I don't believe I'm familiar with the Airmail pens. Can you tell me a little more about them?

Certainly could - they are eyedroppers from an Indian company called Wality, though inside India, apparently, they are branded "Airmail". As you can see they have a transparent body and large capacity (about 4.5ml). The Wality F nibs are surprisingly good and the feed nice and regular, even given that it is an ED. I use the purple one as a general purpose writing/drawing pen - it has one of my favourite nibs of any pen - and the red for editing. I think they are an excellent buy - they have great balance and feel, they are very easy to clean and maintain of course, and they come very cheap as well. Indian pens are underrated in my opinion, one can get some very nice pieces for not much at all.

I wrote a review at http://daisychase.net/blog/2011/04/06/airmail-69l-eyedropper-fountain-pen/ which has some more pictures and size comparisons.

[Ordinal]

Welcome, Ordinal. I, too, am new here but enjoying the site. I have a couple of those Airmail 69's and think they are fine pens for the money (as in very inexpensive). I keep an orange capped one on my desk and it is filled with Noodler's Apache Sunset. For my shirt pocket pen, it's a Kaweco Sport demonstrator with an EF nib and a PR Copper Burst cartridge. Again, welcome to the site.

That reminds me that I had a demonstrator Sport too, in B, but I lost it. *frowns* I should really get another one, and I might try the EF if that is a decent nib. I have literally over a hundred assorted cartridges to use up after all.

[fountainpenkid]

Welcome!