Fountain Pens: Pilot Prera Review

This will read like an endorsement, because, I guess it is.  I have been a fan of the Pilot Metropolitan for a couple of years, and no other pen I have tried comes close.  A short list:

• Lami Safari: I'm a grownup who doesn't need my fingers to be told where to rest on the pen.  
• Platinum Toy Pen: Doesn't write well, never did.  Is it the ink?  What is it? I finally got one to work just barely, while another (both are fine) doesn't write at all.  I've tried to set them up as eyedroppers.
• A chinese pen: bulky, writes ok.  To thick of a point.   Jinhao. Has a standard #6 nib, which may be interesting in the future.
• I've used wings nibs for the PMP, and they are ok, but not up to the Pilot standard, IMHO.
• Some knockoff Parkers from the Philippines, they write.  
• An Eversharp Skyline from my Mother is a hopeful one, and I've used the nib on my Charlie, which works.  I don't trust myself to fix the bladder, even if I could afford to buy a bunch of tools.
• Noodler's Charlie: Interesting enough, but I didn't have the courage to set the nib, the supposedly amazing ebonite feed.  Maybe I should.  It's too broad of a point, but my eyedropper experiments have not yet been 100% there.  Interesting enough that one day I'll buy a different Noodler's pen.
•  

I finally broke down with my Father's Day gift card and purchased a Pilot Prera, which looked interesting because it (1) is a Pilot; (2) is reportedly convertible to an eyedropper pen; and (3) was not too expensive for this gift card.

I have found my main ink: Sailor Kiwa Guro black.  I love the color of  a Monteverde California Teal.  I have multiple pens inked with those, so I thought, what of the Noodler's Bay State Blue?  I love the color, it's permanent (or so), but the bladder of the one PMP I used it in was difficult to recover from BSB.

This time I could use it as an eyedropper, the only contraindication being a note on a web site that it damaged the prera feed, but this was disputed.  I'll try anything once, so let's try.

I am so incredibly impressed with this pen and ink combination that I cannot imagine any other pen in the future.  There are one or two things that   bother me about the comments on the WWW (which, in fact, have been mostly positive).  There are a few horrible comments among the almost unanimously raving ones.  The headscratcher for me is the claim that the nib is identical with that of the Pilot Metropolitan and is interchangeable. 

I have about 6 or 7 PMPs, including my wife's and son's.  None of their nibs have the same engraving (or stamping) on the nib.  This pen writes so much better than any PMP I have used that it's hard for me to imagine how I could have been so taken by them!

It's hard to describe the writing experience.  And when my wife---who loves the PMP that was a gift to her---tried it, she immediately said "I want one."  I am not going to go into detail about this at this point.

A second point makes this pen the best I have ever tried (and the Montblanc pens I used to use never got this sense of smoothness of writing): the useability as an eyedropper pen.  It's not a wrinkle free experience, but it works.  The only wrinkle, so far, however, was my experience trying to use an o-ring.

The smallest o-rings I have are from Ace Hardware, and are 1/16" in stock diameter, and approximately 0.9cm diameter or so.  The 1/16" diameter of stock is too thick.  The cap will not snap into place with this o-ring for me, no matter how tight I make the connection with the body.  So I have used Silicon Grease. 

I tried plumber's tape, which was described elsewhere as aesthetically unpleasing.  I have to agree.  It would work, but it's a bit of a mess.  I tried cutting the teflon tape, which is extremely thin and hard to work with, down to a narrower size, but it's tricky to get the pen to thread over it.  I'm not HAPPY with using only silcone grease, but it's the best option, for now.

Silicone grease is no silicone grease.  I had a dow corning brand of SG from a machine shop supply that was a completely different beast.  The one that comes from a pen supply company is regular, run of the mill silicone grease.  It's not a big deal, but it's something I might play with in the future.  I tried at first a light coating.  Well maybe not all too light, but somewhat light.  Then I saw a photo on a posting that showed how another person had applied grease, absolutely slathering the SG onto the threads, screwing the barrel onto the section, then wiping the excess away.

The light silicone application did not seem to be sufficient for this pen, with BSB.  But a somewhat heavier application has been working find.  The experience has been incredibly good.  Even BSB hardly stains my fingers. 

I found a web site with a description of how to unscrew the metal disk (holding the clip) n top of the cap, using pliers (protected with something) to allow to unscrew and remove the inner liner of the cap.  This will be necessary, since BSB has gotten past the liner and in to in between the liner and cap.  It's not serious. 

Fingers are crossed.  So far, absolutely so good.   SOoooo.... Goooodddd....

I will clean this pen when the ink is near empty.  At that point I'll decide whether to purchase another PPrera for the Black Kiwa Guro, or clean and change inks.  I'll be searching for other o-ring options---hopefully an extremely thin o-ring. 

I did an experiment like this: Burlap-Crete.

Ken Kern's book inspired me.

My project didn't look like this.  The desing in this figure instpired me.


On the island of Moen (also known as Weno), i built a structure using burlap-reinforced plaster/concrete.  I think it was something of a success; however I haven't returned to the island except once since the 1990s.  Maybe someone knows the outcome of this experiment.

Our plywood home, with corrugated iron roof, was blown apart in Typhoon Nina, in 1997.  I had just been paid my first paycheck, covering 5 pay periods, so I had some cash in my pocket.  But no home.   My son Forrest's first birthday was a few days away.  It was essential to hold a massive celebration; in these islands, the first birthday is of special significance.  It may be the only one to be celebrated.  It marks the arrival of a new person, a significant landmark marking survival of a whole year. 

Luckily (in some ironic sense), Joe Ten "super" market had put a container full of frozen chicken on sale for 5.00 a case.  In this case, I had enough for the main course!   It was a fine celebration, held on Capitol Hill, one doesn't remember quite where, in a large room.  Possilby an office building.

One problem solved.  Another, bigger challenge remained: what about a house?  I had wanted to build a burlap reinforced concrete house, for years.  Ken Kern's _Owner Built Home_ presented some ideas.  Could this work?

I had enough cash to purchase tools and some materials.  I don't remember how the plan came together---maybe it wasn't a plan at all, but an unfolding.  What resulted was a small, 8' x 12' dwelling, with electrical wiring.  This is something worthwhile.  This time, it had a corrugated iron roof.  I did come up with a solution for rolling long rolls of plaster slurry saturated burlap up and over a frame work of joists.  I envisaged a 40' x 20' (or so) building, costing no more than $2,000.00.  On some isiands, this would be a practical idea: all one needed was some number of sacks of concrete, a very small number of rebars (to provide some strength where required), some burlap, and a number of tools.  Burlap was readily available as coconut sacks. 

Did it work?  I wouldn't be surprised if it still is standing.  But I don't know.  Maybe the roof would go first.  It was very comfortable, and it had a feature that would have been very difficult to built in any other way: a vent at one corner, drawing a draught of air from under the house.  With windows high on the opposite side, air would be drawn through, and it was drawn through, making it comfortable on a hot night.

I cannot go any farther for now. 

This is from Annesley’s Weblog 

Here is a web site on a
more ambitious use of this material.  I am told that buildings around the Bay Area were built in a similar fashion, including the Palace of the Legion of Honor, by a highly regarded architect from Berkeley.

This awesome website has gone far far further than I might ever have imagined:

https://annesley.wordpress.com/burlap-crete-explained/

Annesley's website gives instructions for the method.  It seems like he spent a lot of time on this, and experimented exhaustively with materials.  Ken Kern recommended incorporating "Asphalt Emulsion." 

Towards making a lab illuminator using CREE LEDs

I have a Fenix UC35 flashlight, rechargeable by USB, and extremely powerful and robust.   1000 Lumens max, adjustable.  I have been using it in place of a microscope illuminator for a Stereomicroscope.

One thing that troubles me is the limited amount of time to be able to use full power.  I think 25 minutes is the maximum.  Also, it does not run directly from USB when connected.  That is, it charges from a bulit-in USB-Micro port, but when USB is plugged in, the lamp does not operate.  Oh!  And by the way, the flashlight's micro usb port has been malfunctioning for a long time.

Fenix has not reseponded to my trouble report, even though the light has an ostensible lifetime warrantee.  I'll probably buy a charger.   And I'll file another trouble report if I don't hear from them---heck, it's been several months!

Meanwhile, I'm combing the internet searching fore ideas about making a lamp.  I plan to post some links here.

Something about Electronics, and some other bits:

• This idea for building a 1300 lumen bike lamp was panned, and a pointer was given to the following link:

• Here's something about Making a bike lamp
   Here
  

A supplier with DIY stuff

• LED-Supply
• Including optics and brackets, etc., dox.  Good!

 

More on Pocket Protectors

Very simply put: A pocket protector is my new pouch.  

Actually, a couple of pocket notebooks and a pocket protector.

EDC: "Every Day Carry"

Pouches are better, but they are worse.  A wallet, a Pocket Protector, and a small pocket notebook can---to a large extent---replace a pouch.  This is especially so taken in combination with other items one may carry in his/her pockets.  Obviously, in colder climes, more pockets are available.  The one disadvantage is the need to always wear shirts with large pockets.

Some links 

• Do It Yourself Pocket Protector 

• Webseum of Pocket Protectors 

   

Retrospective Shopping List: Tools and Every Day Carry

Flashlight

Fenix UC35, rechargable.  Really fantastic, much to write about it.  But the USB charging port is not working well, so I will test the warrantee soon.

Pocket Protector and Pocket Notebook

For a number of years I wore a "Fanny Pack" as a pouch.  In the field, it was important to carry a notebook and a writing instrument, in particular, as well as other personal needs.  Spare ink, a picket knife, pencils, flashlight, perhaps a cellphone (after there WERE cellphones), some string, whatever.

Moving to the City, the Pouch became an anathema.  Family numbers were apalled.  That didn't matter, but before she passed away, when Mom wasn't doing well, I played down the pouch, and wore it only when important.

Then, when working as a substitute teacher or teacher, here in the Urban West Coast Northern Sprawl, a pouch didn't seem to enhance my personal appearance, so I started skipping it.  Three things led to dropping the pouch:

1. My pants have pockets in the city.  Amazing innovations.  (I should find a useful and cheap kind of cargo pants?)
2. A pocket Protector is a mini-pouch.  I carry a lens cleaning brush, two

Discovery (or perhaps RE-discovery) of the pocket protector is almost a fully functional replacement for the pouch. 

 Notebooks

A good small notebook, in the shirt pocket, is a reasonable option.  Since I carry a Messenger Bag, I also carry a larger notebook.  A good pocket notebook is hard to find.  And far too expensive.  They last pretty long if used just to take quick notes.

More later on this category, after I have researched more.  For now, the Rhodia pocket notebooks (at 2.50 a pop) are serviceable, but too small and a little clumsy.  I am not a fan of Moleskin, but the set of three or four plain pocket notebooks are ok, except the paper is not well suited for most fountain pen inks.  More in on that...

CHRISTMAS LIST: Stainless Steel Staples or one of those pressure based paper press-fusion devices. 

 

Pocket Notebook

See above

Ink for Fountain Pen 

I have lots of ideas about fountain pen inks. For field notebooks, I have used HIggens Waterproof Drawing ink in a Montblanc pen, in the past, when I could pick up a Montblanc Pen in a duty free shop for 30.00 (in the 80s).  I have written about that elsewhere.  Today, I am sold, as far as reasonable fountain pens, on Sailor Black, also known as Sailor Nano Kiwa-Guro Black. There was some confusion about this ink, because different names were used by different ink nerds for this ink.  I contacted Sailor, which was extremely helpful, and clarified that there is but one black pigment ink.  Found most places as Kiwa Guro Black, but if it's a pigment ink, and it's a Sailor Black, it is the same ink.  It is fine.  It writes ok on cheap paper, compared to other inks I have used.

I will write much more about this ink.

Fountain Pen

For now, the Pilot Metropolitan Fine is as good as I need.  I was also also able to find replacement nibs of chinese make, but while they are excellent, and write well, and they are advertized as fine, they are not as fine as the Pilot factory nibs, for which Pilot does not market a replacement.

Pencils and so on

The Kum long point sharpeners are fantastic.  I do not have the deluxe model, but the red one works really well for me on normal pencils (like the Ticonderoga No. 2 or a commodity drawing pencil). 

Messenger Bag

Timbuk2 is a "mixed bag."  The small messenger bag I have is so good I ordered a custom large model.  It is not nearly what I expected, was extremely costly, made of less robust materials (AFAICS).  The lifetime warrantee is good, so I will take the old one in for refurbishing, just hoping they don't try to foist a replacement (ie, a domestically manufactured) model off on me.  A medium is what I need. 

For Grins and giggles.

Shocking insane simple head slappers
 
I don't really know who thinks of these. 

Nuf sed.

DIY Microscopes

This is a page by Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR), a "feminist, anti-colonial lab specializing in monitoring plastic pollution." 

   Do-It Yourself Microscopes



William and I attended a workshop on the Foldascope.  I'm looking for something like the DIY USB scope but with high quality glass.  The Exploratorium has a truly great macroscope focused on a settling plate. I need to get notes on it, they are made in Hayward, CA.