Fountain Pen Nibs And Inks

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday!
Because I often get questions about fountain pen nibs and inks, today, I'd like to show you how I change the nib on my Lamy Safari fountain pen. Then I also show you my favorite waterproof fountain pen inks, and how I use a converter for my fountain pens.
Resources mentioned:
-Rohrer& Klingner SketchInk
-Deatramentis Document Ink
-Platinum Carbon Ink
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[@MsRealityrocks]

Thank you. I will keep these in mind to try out next time I buy pen inks!

[@Charlie_Duz]

I'm thinking about buying a Lamy. Thank goodness I saw this first as I probably would've filled it with Indian ink! 😱 Phew!

[@KoosjeKoene]

Whew!

[@SeanvanderM]

Oh, also: you can buy inserts like the Carbon Ink bottles have for the Röhrer & Klingner bottles as well. They are called Erka Rapid and I use them in all my R&K bottles.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Oh that is GREAT info, thanks Sean!

[@carolynmitchell729]

I look forward to Tuesdays Koosje! Thanks for this. I need to use my fountain pen more often and this has encouraged me to do it :)

[@marypanich9880]

Great tip for nib removal! I have never seen that one before! Thanks! Great video!

[@KoosjeKoene]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Blick_Art]

Love this video!!! Artists often think fountain pens are hard to maintain, but they really just require minimal maintenance. The one shown is a great starter pen for any sketch kit. The information about what ink to use is so valuable! And the advice about "lukewarm water" is really important- hot water should never be used to flush a fountain pen, or the result could be a leaky pen. Also, vintage pens aren't always made of the same materials as new ones (vulcanized rubber, for example), so people new to fountain pens shouldn't assume just any cleaning solution will work in an antique.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Thank you for the additional and professional advice!

[@peev180]

Good to see that you also love Lamy…

[@rebeccaschmidt7431]

Thanks for the helpful video.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bigblue6917]

Thanks, Koosje. Just getting back into fountain pens which I have not used since school and back then the choice of colour was blue or black. So I am learning and relearning about fountain pens and having fun doing so.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Enjoy!

[@hayduke]

Koosje, another great tuesday tip, thank you! I dislike getting my fingers inky and have had good success refilling my converters using a syringe to transfer ink from the bottle to the cartridge.

[@KoosjeKoene]

That's great!

[@SeanvanderM]

I love the Röhrer & Klingner Sketch Inks. They are, in fact, acrylic inks (I asked R&K what the binding agent is and they said it’s a proprietary acrylic polymer). I’m not sure how they work their magic, but they are magnificent. As for fountain pens, I don’t think I can go for anything but my Ackerman Pen anymore. Yes, it’s a leaky mess on occasion, but I just adore the feeling of the flexible Zebra G nib in it.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Sounds like a fantastic pen, and you certainly draw magic with it

[@kellyro77]

I like that tip of using the cap of the Lamy Safari to remove the nib. I think this would also work with a Lamy Al-Star. I know for sure the nibs on those two models are interchangeable. I'll have to check out Sketch Ink some day. I didn't know about them - only Platinum carbon and DeAtramentis Document for waterproof inks. I'd also mention that dip pen inks shouldn't be used in fountain pens, either. At least from what I've read. I'm too scared to try it myself! Thanks for the great videos every week! I'm about half-way through your book and loving it, too!

[@KoosjeKoene]

Thanks Kelly! I thought I was clear about it in my video - to use only ink suitable for fountain pens.

[@erina_aloe]

I'm stuck with Pelican Fount India for my Lamy AL EF. You should wait like five minutes before starting your watercolors after ink sketch, but they are so deep dark black 🖤 I love it. And also they are 1/3 of price of Platinum and it's make it easy to sketch without any fear of wasting precious supplies 😆

[@OkieSketcher1949]

(aka OkieSketcher1949) I submerge the nib and load the converter through it. I use Nibblers black ink. So far the two have done well together. I have noticed when using hot press 140# watercolor paper I need to wait at least three or four hours before erasing any pencil lines or applying any watercolors. Otherwise I find spots of ink buildup tend to smear. Love your work. Thanks.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Yes, the paper surface can make a big difference.

[@graham3377]

Love,love,love -Deatramentis Document Ink. Not so keen on the Lamy Safari since I fell in love with the TSWBI-ECO which has an in built pump and a way larger capacity. In fact I have five ECO,s two with EF & 1.1 nibs filled with Carbon Black and the others filled with Turquoise, Sienna & Dark Green-Deatramentis Document Ink The TWSBI-ECO pens is £35 here in the UK which to me is money well spent. I implore you to try the ECO and maybe do a review some time in the future.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Yes, I love TWSBI too - partly because of the large capacity. I only had the tip shifting off, not once but twice, and then ruining not one but two pairs of jeans because the ink spilled out... So even though it hasn't happened anymore after those couple times, the TWSBI pens never became my go-to.

[@mkbuike7895]

I also agree your method of removing the nib is one I’ve not seen and is very clever. Not all ink cartridges will fit all pens. Lamy has a proprietary cartridge and none of their inks are waterproof. Platinum cartridges will fit the inexpensive Platinum Preppy fountain pen, which is a good one to try as a first pen. Lamy nibs are available in sizes larger than broad. They can be had in “stub” sizes 1.1, 1.3, and 1.5.

[@KoosjeKoene]

Ah yes, I forgot about those! But they usually come with the Lamy Joy, not with the Lamy Safari.

[@mkbuike7895]

@@KoosjeKoene They can be bought individually and inserted in any pen.

[@bonniefriesen8648]

Thanks for this video! I just got a Lamy Safari with a fine nib and the carbon ink. Which is the best nib size for ink and wash?

[@KoosjeKoene]

That's really a personal choice. Why don't you try it with the nib you chose? If it's too fine, try a medium nib.

[@emhowl]

Very interesting video, thank you! B stands for broad, I think. I used to use the sellotape method to remove my nibs, but actually I just pull them with my fingers now. (I do have rather a lot of Lamy cheaper pens.)

[@KoosjeKoene]

"the sellotape method" - sounds intriguing - I never heard of it.

[@emhowl]

@@KoosjeKoene I found it on the internet. You stick a piece of sellotape on the nib and then pull that. It's maybe cleaner and you have more to pull. I found using that method led to me just being able to pull a nib off with my fingers.

[@Lethersee]

I use a syringe to load my converter. It's a bit less messy. A bit.

[@fabtext]

Hi Koosje! Is the nib on your Sailor the same as the DeMannen 55? It looks like it may be broader?. Thinking of getting one but not if the nibs are the same. Thank you!

[@KoosjeKoene]

Hi Maria, yes it's 55 degree like the DeMannen 55

[@JohnsArtLife]

Thanks @koosjekoene very helpful, I just treated myself to a Lamy Safari fountain pen. When using those inks, is it best to flush them out, if youre not using them for a couple of days? or are they OK left in?

[@KoosjeKoene]

No need to flush them out. Especially if it’s just for a couple of days.

[@JohnsArtLife]

@@KoosjeKoene thank you

[@mercuryquecksilber8797]

For the Rohrer + Klingner, did you notice their "erka rapid" inlays? I have a chinese fountain pen which doesnt fit to any other european cartridge system so I have to use their converter (I hate them, always better for me to fill the cartridge with a syringe). And the erka rapid helps me a lot, even my fingers stay clean :) Maybe it can be a solution also for your systems. Originally B stands for "breit", M for mittel, F for fein, EF for extra fein, but we are lucky that everything fits also the english words.

[@KoosjeKoene]

I just read Sean's comment who also mentioned those inlays. That's excellent, thank you so much - I didn't know about them. Thank you also for clarifying the German words for EF, M, and B, which luckily are very close to the English words!

[@JRCu25]

I have the green 55° Sailor Fude fountain pen and a bottle of the Sketch ink. I also bought a compatible converter for it and the ink just doesn't flow through the pen. I have used up the cartridges that came with the pen, so the pen does work. Do you have any advice? Or maybe this combination of ink and pen just doesn't work? Thanks.

[@KoosjeKoene]

I am not an expert. Maybe try a different converter?

[@jverhulst]

Waar kan je deze inkten kopen Koosje. Dank u

[@KoosjeKoene]

Ik koop ze online. Bijvoorbeeld bij penstore.nl en Gerstaecker

[@jverhulst]

@@KoosjeKoene dank u🙂

[@scalyscallion]

I know this is a longshot but could you consider having your online drawing sessions at an earlier time? I'm in South East Asia so it's on midnight at my time zone haha, would love to join one someday!

[@KoosjeKoene]

Hi there - it is SO tricky to make the sessions available at a time that is convenient for all time zones. Actually, it's impossible. But I'll consider planning one extra every so often at an earlier time. Thanks!

[@fuzzydragons]

i cant write or draw with fountain pens lol, just cant seem to get them to work for me😝

[@KoosjeKoene]

Luckily, there are many many other tools to draw and write with!