The Pen Commandments

[writingrav]

If you're desperate you can empty a pen back into the bottle, no?

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[KrazyIvan]

When I use a piston filler it needs to be full. I syringe the ink into it.

I don't empty ink back into bottles for fear of contaminating pristine ink, but that's just me.

[tiffanyhenschel]

I have preferences for what I like in pens, but my only unbreakable rule is to never buy a pen that I do not love. I know that seems simple, but how many times in the past have we bought a pen just because it was the latest and greatest that everyone else was buying? My pen buying has slowed way down since I decided on this rule.

[ink mixer]

I would also never put ink back into a bottle because of the contamination fear. Still, I guess I should make clear that I like piston fillers. It's just that they are good at certain things and not good at other things. In my personal situation, I find that a balance between CC fillers and piston fillers is the most helpful for me. The CC fillers help with the desire for frequent ink changes and the piston fillers help with long writing sessions, especially with big nibs. Otherwise, I agree with Tiffany.

[peterpen53]

I have preferences for what I like in pens, but my only unbreakable rule is to never buy a pen that I do not love. I know that seems simple, but how many times in the past have we bought a pen just because it was the latest and greatest that everyone else was buying? My pen buying has slowed way down since I decided on this rule.

+1
I discovered this way too late. I recently added another rule: pen needs to have an interesting nib.

[snedwos]

I prefer not to use cartridges because they get thrown away. There's enough crap out there for us to add more. And if I change colours without cleaning throughly, well, I'm not sure I mind if I get a bit of mixage, I may end up with an exciting new colour that way. I do plan to keep at least one pen as a "never clean" unit, and let it surprise me.

Then again, if a CC pen comes with a cartridge but no converter, I think I'd rather just refill the cartridge with a syringe than buy the converter separately.

[Rich L]

I buy pens as well as make them and I'll usually buy one if it speaks to me. I'll make one if I can't find what I like or if there is a challenge. I'll buy machine made as well as hand made. If it's machine made it pretty much has to be perfect and if it's hand made I have to appreciate the handiwork. If the appearance is attractive and I don't immediately appreciate the handiwork I try to find a way to appreciate it and then make a judgement or decision. I have a distinct appreciation of some sort for all the pens I have and many I don't - yet. In a nutshell I have no hard rules and just about every pen I have happens to have a C/C.

By the way, sometimes when I'm making one I will speak to it!

Cheers,
Rich

[jor412]

After thinking about the original pen commandments, I find that the last 6 work for me. I would modify two of them this way:

"Do not buy a boring-nib pen." - Buy for the nib first, looks and build second, and filling mechanism last.
I had to put looks and build together. If it's well-built but ugly (to me), then what's the point? And vice versa.
I violated this rule when I bought the TWSBI Vac 700 which I purchased for the coolness of the vac filling mechanism. I do like the pen, but it doesn't do anything I need or want that my 530 can't.

"Rehome unused pens." - Don't keep any pen you don't use, unless it was a gift.

And I'd add (apart from a view of the ink):

- The 3 Noodler's rule: not too fat (Ahab), not too thin (regular piston fill flex), but just right (maybe the Konrad? I have yet to find out).
Ok, maybe the Ahab isn't that fat. A friend let me try his Delta Momo with a Titanium nib and that was a fat pen with a truly buttery nib.

- Don't buy eyedroppers.
I'm not fond of huge ink capacity since I like changing pens & inks a lot. I keep a lot of pens inked, so I never run out. And I don't like how the eyedropper burps.