Fountain pens and dipping pens

[LBR]

I've been experimenting with making my own ink from liquid bluing and gum arabic for dipping pens. Today is my big experiment to rub candle wax over the writing on an envelope to see if the wax makes the ink waterproof.

I'm also experimenting with adding tincture of iodine and carbon black to that mixture.

I'd heard that strong black tea could be used as ink. Am waiting for some to evaporate a bit more, and then will add gum arabic and test.


I read somewhere that using a fountain pen rather than disposable ball point pens, and such, not only keeps all those pens out of the trash piles and landfills, but it actually saves money. Anyone have the statistics on that?


Have also noticed in using my fountain pens again, and taking up dipping pens, that my handwriting is improving.

[LBR]

Found where I'd read about the thriftiness of using a fountain pen:

http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/pens/

Why write with a fountain pen?

I use fountain pens for three reasons:
(1) Comfort. A fountain pen trains you to write with light pressure and is much less tiring than a ballpoint, rollerball, or pencil.

(2) Legibility. Except for my signature, I no longer use cursive (longhand); my ordinary handwriting is a simplified form of italic calligraphy. It is every bit as fast as cursive and much easier to read.

The pen, with an italic (stub) point, helps.

(3) Low cost. Fountain pens need not be expensive, compared to other usable pens. (I exclude disposable ballpoints that require super-hard pressure and produce ugly writing.)

A cheap but serviceable rollerball or ballpoint pen costs at least $2, and you're likely to lose it or have it wander away within a month or two. That means that in two years, you'll spend perhaps $25 on pens. That same $25 will buy you a quite usable fountain pen and enough ink for several years.

Even a high-end fountain pen, allowing $200 for pen, ink, and possible repairs, is cheaper over its useful life (20 to 40 years) than cheap ballpoints. After all, $200 spread over 20 years comes to 19 cents per week.

[Wombat]

Hey LBR,

I have saved some dipping pens from my school days (mumble) years ago and thought of making my own ink. Well done. I'll be interested to hear more about how you go!

It would have to be cheaper, but again the saving of transporting ball point pens from China would have to make it worthwhile.

Nev

[the.fee.fairy]

I love fountain pens. I tend to get the ones that take the general size cartridge.

I do think they definitely save me money. I think i bought about 50 cartridges from a stationers, in different colours and they were about £3. They'll probably last me six months or so at work.