Endurance (Another Name for the TWSBI Mini?)

Some of you have no doubt noticed that it's been nearly two months since my last blog post, and that I've been AWOL from the Facebook artists' groups lately. A family medical crisis has taken up much of my time with doctor visits, lab tests, and therapy sessions: leaving me with the occasional hour or two for personal studio work (more on that soon) but little else.

my two "daily carries" for the past four months -- a TWSBI Mini Demo and 

very fountain pen-friendly Clairefontaine "Life.unplugged" notebook

One of the items on my regular agenda that went by the wayside for awhile was my weekly ink change-out and "pen hygiene" routine. In fact, I last filled my TWSBI Mini on 18 April. Two months later I noticed that the Mini (which had become my daily carry) was still writing. In fact, it was writing flawlessly every time I uncapped it; and that leads us to the subject of this week's article.

In June, when I began thinking about how (and why) the pen was performing so well despite my thorough disregard, I took a closer look at its design. The first thing I made note of was the o-ring that seals the cap thoroughly in both the capped and posted positions. The second observation (thanks to the fact that my Mini is one of the clear demo models) was that the inner cap seemed to sit completely flush against the "swell" of the feed just above the metal ring of the section. This led me to wonder if the folks at TWSBI had designed the cap/inner cap/section to hermetically seal the pen's ink supply from outside air (and thus prevent ink evaporation and nib dry-out)?

I dashed off an email to Philip Wang with both my questions and speculations -- and he very generously wrote me back with answers. Philip said, "We've achieved this air seal in 3 steps. 1st step... the inner cap within the cap. That seals out the most. Then comes the threaded barrel. Most fountain pens don't thread the cap on. You clip the cap on. Clipping is convenient, however, it lets air through. Threads act like blocks... to keep air out. The last part is the rubber ring." He added, "That's more of a preventative measure.... It's not really necessary for it to be there, but we feel it gives a better feel to the capped pen, and it helps a little with the seal."

the only "special treatment" the Mini received before being slipped into my pocket 

each day was its home-made "pen kimono" (more about that soon)

Philip stated, "All our pens, the Mini, 540, 580, Vac700, and the new Micarta version 2 all have the inner sealing cap which we have purposely designed to seal out air. We've tested it, and the 580, Mini, [and] Vac700 last about 3 months or so before it actually starts to dry out." According to Philip, only one model showed signs of evaporation before the 3-month mark. "The Micarta version 2 doesn't last as long. This is due to the material being not as tightly fit as the plastic on the other pens."

Well, at the 3-month mark my pen was doing fine and I was still preoccupied with family matters. So, I let it go. At four months things are finally returning to normal and I can once again share a post with you (and report that the pen is still doing fine -- writing first time, every time I uncap it, without hesitation). I still have a little ink left in the reservoir, and things are still just hectic enough that I'm not prepared yet to return to a routine of weekly ink rotations. So, I think I'll let it go for another month (or until the ink runs out. Expect a final update then (perhaps followed by a similar test involving Platinum Carbon Black pigmented ink).

today's update (added just before sitting down to write this post)

In the meantime, if you're still looking for a compact, modestly priced, "daily carry" sketching & journaling pen that will function flawlessly month-in and month-out, it seems pretty safe to say that this little gem from Taiwan will be nearly impossible to beat.

And thanks again to Philip Wang and the folks at TWSBI for giving us yet another reason to love this very forgiving pen.

Cheers!

Tricks of the Trade -- Posting the Mini

what a delightful pairing!

As many TWSBI fans already know the Diamond Mini is the first pen from the popular Taiwanese manufacturing firm that was specifically designed to be posted. What you may not know, however, is that the Mini's threading system also allows for comfortable posting whether you use the pen in the upright position or the inverted position. Here's how it works.

First, while holding the pen, imagine a longitudinal line running from the nib to the filler knob.

When you intend to work with the pen in the upright position, begin the posting process with the clip placed to your LEFT of the imaginary longitudinal line. Thread the cap on till it is snuggly seated against the O-ring. (This will lock the clip up and away from the soft web of your hand.)

If you wish to achieve a finer line by working with the nib inverted, begin with the pen/nib in the upright position and the clip to your RIGHT of the imaginary longitudinal line. As described above, thread the cap on till it is snuggly seated against the O-ring. Now invert the pen and begin writing, drawing, or journaling.

Conclusion: the folks at TWSBI are engineering geniuses for producing such a marvelously versatile writing instrument, and financial wizards for offering it at such an affordable price.

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Some parting thoughts --

1. "Flexing Your Muscle"

TWSBI's Diamond Mini is a delightful writing and sketching tool and the JoWo nib is smooth as silk -- in both the upright and inverted positions. So, what else could one ask for?

Well, some have said that a variable, more expressive line might be a nice option. And nib meister, Pendleton Brown, has been nice enough to develop his "Pendleton Point Bad Boy with Angel Wings Hot-Tip Butter-line Stub" and several other mod options.

I recently has the opportunity to "test drive" a 1.5mm stub that he had added both smoothness and flex to. The new nib units for the Mini weren't out yet and the 580 hadn't started shipping yet, so Pendleton was kind enough to loan me a 540 unit (which threads onto the Mini's barrel perfectly but is too large to fit under the cap) and the test results were quite enjoyable.

So, if you think you'd like to add even more smoothness and/or semi-flex to your 530, 540, Mini, 580, Vac700, or Micarta, check out Pendleton's site, drop him a line, or pop by his table at just about any upcoming pen show. You'll find that he's full of all sorts of fascinating information (that he freely shares with others) and a pleasure to visit with.

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2. "When Is Red Not?"

the Mini's facets can make sunlight sparkle

Recently Larry Marshall and I have been discussing Saffron ink (from Caran d'Ache) on Cathy Johnson's AJW FB page. During the discussion Larry suggested that Saffron is a red ink and that it might be problematic as a drawing ink for architectural studies and urban sketchers. Well, as can be seen in the photos (and videos) above, Larry was right -- sort of.

It turns out that Saffron ink is very much like its floral namesake; in concentrated form it has a decidedly red appearance (and a beautiful translucent red appearance, I would add, when loaded aboard a TWSBI clear Mini). But, in its original state as a flower petal or when applied as a written or drawn line on paper, it takes on an equally beautiful but more distinctly orange hue.

As for its usefulness as a color for architectural renderings? Well, I recall that my alma matter (California College of Arts & Crafts) used a rendering of the school's Queen Anne-style administration building and towering redwood tree (in red ink) on their stationary for years. So I did a little test of my own to see how the Saffron would do. The results might not be for everyone. (Then, what is?) But for some it could certainly offer a warm and interesting alternative to the standard black.

(the pocket-sized Rhodia is great for jotting down notes and capturing a spontaneous "visual") 

What alternate colors work for you?

Tools of the Trade #5 -- Ink Spots (The Series)

no, not those Inkspots (but if you don't know their music you owe it to yourself to go here) 

Over the weekend I received a delightful package from the folks at The Goulet Pen Company. The packages contained an assortment of 14 fountain pen ink samples (to add to my collection of 18 other fountain pen inks I already had), a business card and book marker -- a really nice book marker (one is included free with every order, and that's quite appreciated by those of us who are also bibliophiles), 2 ink syringes... and a grape-flavored tootsie pop miniature (in a blue that appears identical to that on the company's logo).

yummy!

I am beginning a new series of articles reviewing some of the inks that have been made specifically for use in fountain pens -- mostly modern day inks, but occasionally a bottle or two of vintage ink that I've come across during my travels and adventure. Each article will focus on inks of a specific color from several different manufacturers, will evaluate the selected inks' specific color/hue, intensity, shading, flow, drying time, water resistance, propensity for staining and creeping, and light fastness*.

FYI, I'm told that's Diamine Presidential Blue in the Goulet logo "blotch"

This week (in the way of a salute to the crew at Goulet) I will start with blue, eight blues to be precise: Waterman Florida Blue (vintage), Parker Quink (vintage), Sheaffer Blue (vintage), Campo Marzio Roma Azul Marino, Pelikan 4001 Blue, Pelikan 4001 Turquoise, J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche, De Atramentis Steel Blue, Levenger Cobalt Blue, and Sheaffer Peacock Blue (vintage).

lightfastness chart (updated Dec. 7)

For the light fastness test I have created a panel on Arches 140 lb./300 g/m2. The panel has been cut down the center and the right section will be place in a north-facing window for the next six weeks (* that's intense, mostly cloud-free north Texas sunlight). I'll also post a weekly update here to document what, if any, effect the UV exposure is having.

Vincent Van Gogh's sketch of fishing boats

While I was in grad school one very memorable conversation I had with one of my art history professors revolved around Vincent Van Gogh's gorgeous pen and ink drawings. I went on about how I loved the effects Vincent achieved with his homemade reed pens, and how beautiful his brown ink was... and I was absolutely floored when my instructor said, "Well, you know that ink was actually purple when he drew them don't you?" That was the day I learned that not only were some dyes subject to fading (fugitive) when exposed to UV light but that some dyes also change over time simply because of their chemical composition.

drying time/smudge chart (updated Dec. 7)

For the drying time test I drew a chart with a series of lines for each ink. The ink lines were then checked to see if they would smear at intervals of 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 45, and 60 seconds. Pelikan Turquoise and Sheaffer Peacock Blue had the shortest drying times at under 10 seconds (very useful for left-handed writers, like my wife and son, who want to reduce the likelihood of smudging) while the J. Herbin ink had the longest drying time at just over 30 seconds. Four of the inks (Parker, Sheaffer, De Atramentis, and Levenger) shared drying times of just over 20 seconds, while three (Waterman, Campo Marzio, and Pelikan Blue) were just over 10 seconds.   

dye separation in one re-wet and mopped ink

Most fountain pen inks are made up of water soluble dyes rather than pigments, and many of these inks are a complex mixture of several dyes -- some more soluble than others. The photo above shows a tissue that was used to blot an unknown brownish-purple ink that had dried up in a vintage rotting Art Pen. (Note that there appear to be at least four different dyes in this one ink!

separation chart (before)

separation test (after) (updated Dec. 7)

To do the dye separation test I first created a chart on Stratford 400 series calligraphy paper. Next I dripped water on the dried ink, being careful not to disturb the ink with the brush. I observed that the Waterford, Parker, Sheaffer, and Campo Marzio all lost considerable intensity after re-wetting as much of their dyestuff was absorbed into the paper's fibers. I also noticed that the Campo Marzio shifted toward lavender after re-wetting and, while the Levenger lost none of its intensity it did develop a decidedly purple ring after re-wetting. (I added Sheaffer Peacock Blue -- another Turquoise -- to the separation test on Dec. 6, with an undiluted drop on the left and a re-wet dot on the right. Like the other two turquoise, there was no noticeable color separation and intensity remained very strong.)

separation test (reverse)

On the reverse side of the separation test chart it could be readily observed that red dye had separated from the blue and soaked into the paper from the Parker and Campo Marzio Roma. And, while there had been no bleed-through during the initial inking, the Pelikan Turquoise, J. Herbin, De Atramentis, and Levenger all soaked through after the re-wetting.

In conclusion, Levenger's Cobalt Blue was the hands-down winner for sheer concentration of dye in their formula. (In fact, Levenger users could very likely increase the color intensity of this ink by expeditiously experimenting with the addition of small quantities of distilled water to increase the ink's transparency.) The J. Herbin, Pelikan Turquoise, and vintage Sheaffer Peacock Blue tied for color saturation and intensity straight out of the bottle. The De Atramentis offers fantastic shading -- from a brilliant try blue when applied thin to near-black when thick (a great candidate for wet nibs and signature pens). And the old classics (Waterman, Parker, Sheaffer Blue, and Pelikan Blue) offer flawless/skipless service and reliability for fountain pen lovers looking for a more traditional (maybe slightly "quieter") blue.

The J. Herbin appeared to be slightly more viscous in the sampler bottle/pen than the others. But none of the inks in this test batch gave any indication that they would be a staining or cleaning problem (think Baystate Blue maybe) for pen owners. 

At the end of next week's article, and each week for the next six, I will post a photo and progress report on the blue fade chart. Look for another ink review (on reds, oranges and browns) in 2-3 weeks. (I'll be alternating the ink reviews with other subjects and themes.) In the meantime please feel free to post any questions you have regarding this ink selection, or specific inks you might like to see in future reviews.

Cheers!

I thought I'd close with another piece of retro technology (watch closely and you can see the drive mechanism at work on the right)