ItsJason

I can type pretty fast on a full keyboard, so for me writing is slower. But because it is slower, I find it can be more thoughtful. About two years ago I started making an effort to hand write notes to help me think, learn, and remember things.

Pen and paper are also pretty great. You can take them anywhere. They don't require electricity or a battery. They are small and lightweight. You can use them on a hike. You can use them if the power goes out. The format will never become unsupported.

Those look neat. You can use glass and metal nibs in them!

That looks like a nice reliable blue.

I primarily use document inks for addressing envelopes, which can be infrequent. To avoid clogging a pen, I've been considering getting a dip pen like the Pilot Iro-Utsushi. It's still a metal nib, as opposed to a glass pen, and more for everyday writing than a calligraphy nib.

https://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Iro-Utsushi-Dip-Pen-Clear-Fine-Nib/pd/34522

I'll be using a burgundy Pilot e95s with Diplomat Burgundy ink for work notes.

Looks lovely! I enjoyed looking at the writing sample. Your ink really helps show off the line variation. I like how the loops in your b, h, and l letters look!

What are you quoting? That language does not appear in any parent comment or the linked Wikipedia article.

Sh.itposter

I agree that looks to be a Metropolitan. Great pens!

As @techwizrd@programming.dev said, you won't be able to see the ink level. When your line starts get get darker, thinner, and the pen starts to skip, it's time to refill. Or if the pen has been sitting for a while, maybe a quick cleaning.

The Kakuno is one of my favorite pens!

I believe the Metropolitan and the Kakuno use the same nib. So if you like the Kakuno nib and are just looking for a more substantial body, the Metro should be a great fit. Pilot is know for good quality control, but it does sound like maybe you got a dud.

My favorite notebook is the JetPens Kanso Noto. They have 160 sheets (320 pages) of Tomoe River paper with a 5mm dot grid. Tomoe River paper is a premium fountain pen friendly paper that should solve your feathering problems.

https://www.jetpens.com/JetPens-Tomoe-River-52-gsm-Kanso-Noto-Notebook-A5-Dot-Grid-Black/pd/29704

JetPens offers free shipping in the US for order of $35 or more. I don't know what options are available outside of the US.

The notebook is currently out of stock. I expect more to be back soon. Tomoe River paper was sold from one paper company to another. I think JetPens just cleared out their stock with paper from the original company and I anticipate they'll bring the notebook back soon with paper from the new company (Sanzen). In the past, the notebooks sold for $19.50, which is a great price for a premium paper notebook (seriously, I think only the Nanami Seven Seas notebooks have a better price per page for premium paper) . However, to keep the price low, the notebook doesn't have bells and whistles like an elastic closure or page marker ribbons.

They are quite different! My Pilot pens have fairly narrow bodies, while the Pelikan M400 is more stout. As a western fine, the M400's nib is a little broader than the Pilot fine nibs. I can feel this as a write, a little more contact with the page. Perhaps the nib is also a little firmer. Nothing I don't like, just a different feel.

My biggest complaint about my Pilots is they seem to dry out quickly. (But I still really like them!) I haven't had the M400 long enough to know how it holds up. I expect it to last longer, by virtue of having a screw cap.

Overall I've been enjoying the M400. The nib, being slightly broader, can produce more shading than my Pilots. It is a newer M400, and in the last few years, Pelikan stopped making the barrels translucent, which is a bit disappointing.

Funny, I didn't notice the imgur tag! I went back and edited the post. I used the browse feature to upload an image, but perhaps that isn't enabled on this server?