while I'm at it, another fountain pen question

[swan_tower]

How the hell do you use a shimmer ink in a fountain pen without it clogging up the moment you look away?

I have tried this precisely once, and the results were so bad that for the first time in my life, I purged the ink out of a pen rather than using it up. I don't know if the answer is "the pen you used is clog-prone" (Pilot Vanishing Point; I haven't had issues with non-shimmer inks) or "only ink with shimmer if you're intending to write a bunch immediately, because six hours later it will be causing problems" or "use a dip pen" or what, but it seems like other people are able to use shimmer inks more successfully. Is there something I'm missing?

Comments

[whimsyful]

I only use shimmer inks in pens 1) with wet flow, 2) that I can easily disassemble and flush every part to get the shimmer out of afterwards (using a bulb syringe), and 3) a good seal on the cap like Pelikans and Opus 88s. I wouldn't use it in a Pilot Vanishing Point because those run dry in my experience, but something like a wider-nibbed Kakuno should be fine?

[foxmoth]

This. This is the way.

[mrissa]

I'm with whimsyful, Vanishing Points run dry in my experience also, I'd use it in a wetter pen.

[swan_tower]

. . . well there's my core problem right there: I gravitate heavily toward the finest nibs possible, because I tend to write quite small, and a wider nib leaves me with giant blobs of ink on the page. I'm not sure I own a fountain pen with a nib wider than fine.

[foxmoth]

The answer is, sadly, that some pens (and possibly certain filling systems) are more clog-prone, especially if they have fine tips (or finer). Unfortunately, unless you're using a medium or broad nib, this is likely to be an issue; it also depends on the amount of shimmer in the ink. Pilot VPs (Capless, Decimo) are particularly prone to drying out anyway because the click mechanism means that the nib is exposed to air in a way that a "regular" capped pen isn't, but this means they're also more prone to clogging with shimmer inks. :] Dip pens are fine as long as you remember to wash/wipe them off after use, which I have definitely failed at.

[swan_tower]

Given the capless mechanism, I didn't expect the Vanishing Point to be good for, say, a week. But it shocked me to not make it through an afternoon before I had issues. Per above, I think my core issue is that basically everything I own is a fine or extra-fine nib -- I legit need a different pen if I want to use these inks.

[foxmoth]

Yes - I'd categorically anti-recommend shimmer inks for the Vanishing Points, sadly. If you get a sufficiently wet sheening ink, those can be okay, but a lot of the sheening inks (not all) also have weird behavior issues, so your best bet is likely reviews or recs.

[ducened]

All of the above, and also, I find if you put the pen down for any length of time, give it a good shake (cap it first, please!!!) before writing again.

[swan_tower]

Very useful, thank you!

[foxmoth]

Certain fountain pens do better than others when left alone for a long period of time, yes! I've had a Pelikan M1000 with a fairly wet nib and Platinum Preppies (weirdly) write fine after six months capped. OTOH my Pilot Capless/Decimo/Vanishing Points get cranky if I leave them unused for more than a day or two.

[swan_tower]

Platinum Preppies are my go-to rec to friends who want an inexpensive pen that'll just work. It takes serious neglect to make them dry out -- and even then, I can usually dribble a couple of drops of water over the nib and we're good to go.

[cgbookcat1]

The particulate size matters along with the nib. I grade in multiple colors of shimmer ink and rarely have an issue with clogging even in fine nibs. A sample of a De Atraminis shimmer did give me a terrible clog, so I stay away from that brand. Most of my shimmer inks are Diamine or Colorverse. The Jacques Herbin 1798 Cornaline d'Egypte is a personal favorite.

TWSBI Vac 700R is fairly wet even with a fine nib and I've had good results with it -- I have more than 1. Plus, it's a demonstrator so you can see the shimmering ink through the side. I've used the same shimmer fill in the TWSBI for a couple of weeks, as long as it's capped properly for storage and I roll the pen around before use.

[swan_tower]

It was a Diamine ink. Maybe I'll try it in a different pen, like the Platinum Preppy, and see what happens.

[cgbookcat1]

Good luck! Switching pens does make a difference.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

In addition to the above, the amount of shimmer ingredient matters as these particulates contribute to clogging. With some inks, you may be able to thin them with a compatible non-shimmer ink, solvent, or water depending on the composition of the ink. Some people like to use fountain pen ink as a wash for art.