fountain pens, part 3: the ink (cont'd), the paper, the accessories, and the resources

Let's pretend you read my previous two posts about fountain pens, first about the pens themselves, then about ink. This is my last fountain pen-related post. Rejoice!

Please note that the advice below derives from my own experience and observations; I'm by no means an expert, so results may vary!

In speaking about ink, I avoided making recommendations, but now I think it might have been a helpful starting point, given the thousands of possibilities... so here are my favourites:

- Noodler's Bulletproof Black (a true black that won't feather even on cheap paper; long drying time that can be improved by adding a few drops of distilled water; essential for signing and endorsing cheques)
- Private Reserve Midnight Blues (a blue-black with just a touch of purple)
- Private Reserve Avacado (sic) (a dark green that offers all the shades of a ripe avocado)
- Diamine Damson (a delicious dark purple)
- Noodler's Nikita (a super bright red)

I've already touched on the subject of paper, and mentioned that ink will react differently depending on the quality of the paper on which you're writing – in the worst cases by feathering and even bleeding through.

Fortunately, "good" paper for fountain pen users isn't too difficult to find. I personally use and can recommend these brands:

- Rhodia (inexpensive; available in a wide variety of sizes and ruling)

- EcoQua (fairly inexpensive; offered in various sizes and colours)

- Clairefontaine (drool-worthily smooth paper; tons of different sizes, colours and patterns)

- Quo Vadis Habana (elastic closure; available in beautiful colours)

- G. Lalo ("fancy" stationery)

I've also read very positive reviews of Apica, Field Notes, Leuchtturm 1917 and Semikolon notebooks, but have never tried them.

"What about Moleskine?", you may ask. This is a bit of a touchy subject. Some people seem very attached to this brand and/or its look. What I can tell you that the quality of the paper in Moleskines is inconsistent from one notebook to another, or even within the same notebook; one page may cause no feathering or bleedthrough, while another further along might absorb ink like a sheet of toilet paper... Moleskines are simply not made with fountain pen users in mind. Given the price, I'd rather purchase an identical-looking Quo Vadis Habana or Leuchtturm notebook and be certain that I won't encounter any problems at all.

Fountain pen, ink, paper: now, you're all set!

Ah, but there are a few accessories that might prove useful as you sink deeper into the madness...

Whether it's a discarded hand towel, a piece from an old t-shirt or a microfibre cloth, a dedicated ink cloth is more eco-friendly than a stack of paper towels when you're cleaning out or refilling your fountain pen. It's very important that you never wash your ink cloth! Over time, it will develop a unique colour pattern that is a fountain pen user's badge of honour.

Speaking of cleaning, a bulb syringe, also called ear syringe (but colloquially known as "snot sucker") will allow you to flush water forcefully yet gently through the nib section. Yes, it's that pear-shaped thing that's used to aspirate mucus out of a baby's nose. Who knew it was so versatile? You'll find it in the baby department of any pharmacy or department store.

To transfer ink from a small ink sample vial to an empty cartridge or a converter, or to clean the inside of a converter that can't be disassembled, you'll need a syringe with large-gauge (14 or 20ga) needle. Ask your pharmacist, if you dare, or order one from an online fountain pen shop.

If you're the impatient type, use slow-drying ink, or need to flip pages over quickly, blotting paper will be your best friend. It's not essential, of course; you can simply place a sheet of ordinary paper over your writing, but it does work much better and faster at absorbing extra ink... and there's something delightfully old-fashioned about blotting paper.

As promised, here are my favourite resources for all things fountain pen:

Wonder Pens

(shop / blog / Twitter / Facebook)

- also a brick-and-mortar store in Toronto

- product reviews, tips and news on the blog

- ink samples
- calligraphy classes

Boutique du Stylo

(shop)

- also brick-and-mortar stores in Montreal and Quebec City

Goulet Pen Company

(shop / blog / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube)
- tons of informative blog posts and videos about fountain pens, inks and paper

- ink samples and ink sample club

Not shops, but filled with useful information:

S.B.R.E. Brown

(Twitter / YouTube)

- very detailed fountain pen and ink reviews with a quirky twist

Fountain Pen Geeks

(blog / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube / forum)

- reviews, news and occasional giveaways

Fountain Pen Network

(forum)

- a safe place for the fountain pen mad

I hope this series of very basic posts has helped to make fountain pens a little less intimidating for you. If you love writing and are a bit of a stationery geek, you'll find they're a wonderful way to increase your enjoyment of both!

Please feel free to share your favourite fountain pens, inks, paper and resources in the comments!