5 more cheerful things

[truepenny]

1. Happy birthday, papersky!

2. I have discovered a delightful series of flash games, from Eyezmaze, called Grow. (The first link takes you to Eyezmaze's site, the second to the jayisgames review of Grow Valley, which is the most recent of the games. The jayisgames page also has (a.) the walkthrough for Grow Valley and (b.) links to the jayisgames reviews (and walkthroughs) of the other Grow games.) Grow Valley charmed my socks off.

3. My package from Fountain Pen Hospital arrived (complete with pen pr0n--thank you, FPH). Once I'd let both the Pelikan and the Squeteague warm up (it's kind of, you know, chilly today in the Upper Midwest), I tried it out, and I have to tell you, I think I'm in love.

The Pelikan Technixx has a kind of retro-pulp sfnal aesthetic that I adore (it's the matte chrome finish and the super smooth lines). It's extremely light-weight, and it writes like a dream. The Pelikan nib has a different feel from any of my other fountain pens; more than the others, it feels to me like what rollerball pens are trying to feel like--only this is like the difference between "peach ice-cream" and peach ice-cream made with real peaches and real cream. It's awesome.

Noodler's Squeteague is an extremely dark blue-green color, emphasis on the green. It's almost black when wet, but becomes more visibly green as it dries, leaning just far enough into blue to not be a straight dark green. I may, after further use, consider adulterating it with Couleur Royale to get it just a little bluer, but it's awfully nice as is.

I'm washing out the nib of the JMFMP so I can try the Old Dutch Sepia in it tomorrow. I will, of course, report back.

4. Let me mention Whedonistas again (link to the Facebook page).

5. maryrobinette made it home safely on Sunday, after a comedy of errors and malfunctions that was starting to reach Odyssean levels. Mary, out of curiosity, have you ever tried to go to Ithaca?

Comments

[maryrobinette.livejournal.com]

I have actually gone to Ithaca with no problems.

These days, however, I suspect that going to Ithaca would be a very, very bad plan.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity -- as a fountain-pen novice to one much more experienced -- is it a problem with the pens I have, or with fountain pens in general, that if I don't write with one for a little while the nib becomes clogged with dried ink and has to be coaxed into working again? (Sometimes not very well.) If the latter, what if anything can I do to mitigate the problem?

[pixel39.livejournal.com]

I myself never had problems going TO Ithaca, but I have had many problems getting anywhere FROM Ithaca. Actually, I think the entireity of western NYS has it in for me.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

In general, if one of my pens isn't writing well, I soak the nib overnight in plain water. Thus far, the only problem that hasn't solved for me is actual damage to the nib. (I have dropped both my Sheaffer and my Waterman point down, the Sheaffer more than once. This is contraindicated. The Waterman nib I just got replaced; the Sheaffer was repaired by the very nice people in Fort Madison, Iowa, but you can see where they had to straighten it.)

To the best of my not terribly extensive knowledge, it is simply a fact of fountain pens that the ink will dry out if left sitting too long. I've never had any particular problem with dried ink clogging the nib--what kind of ink are you using?

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

I have found the Pelikan P58 Style ('http://www.montgomerypens.com/product_detail.asp?product_id=5207) to be an outstanding pen for its price, as is the P55 Future (http://www.montgomerypens.com/product_detail.asp?product_id=4689). (I am all about the school pens, AKA student pens, since pens tend to be all too fungible.) Pelikan just makes good stuff.

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

I do this with pens that have been sitting too long, as well as pens that are just having poor ink flow, as even pens in regular use will develop dried ink problems over time. After soaking (and sometimes I've had to change water a time or two for a really clogged pen) I'll pour water through--just holding the pen under a slowly-running tap will help wash the last of the clog away. You're good when the water is clear.

If you know you aren't going to be using a pen for a while, washing the nib and storing the pen with no ink is never a bad plan. When I am doing well at cycling my pens, I remember to do this when I run out of ink-clean the pen, and then go on to the next one, and clean and store it when the ink runs out of that one.

[elmocho.livejournal.com]

The best part about buying stuff from FPH is they will send you pen p20n forever! I bought two bottles of Bank Note Green and they've sent me catalogs for years!

I wish they had pictures of some of their exclusive inks, though. Sometimes half the fun with Noodler's is the labels.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday.

And As for Ithaca... (http://users.hol.gr/~barbanis/cavafy/ithaca.html)

[bondgwendabond.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tip on the Pelikan deal (and the rave review of the pen)--I have now completed Mr. Rowe's X-mas present! :)

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

I am delighted to discover I have used my powers for good.