this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2023
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.

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Ya'll jealous of my black 08 prismacolor fine line marker and pilot precise v7 rt.

Okay what the fuck is that last one? Why does it sound like a sports car marketed to males 14-26?

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[–] 404@lemmy.zip 28 points 11 months ago (4 children)

I don't see why you shouldn't use nice pens all the time. My daily driver is a Lamy Safari and I love it.

[–] asteriskeverything@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago

A good life motto that I live by in many ways. But I am poor so I have decided to use if toward those other ways instead of pens lol. (Now I'm jealous lol)

[–] johsny@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

Been using my Lamy Safari for at least five years. Good pens!

[–] OmegaMouse@feddit.uk 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

So dumb question - what exactly is it about that pen that sets it apart from your standard ballpoint?

[–] 404@lemmy.zip 14 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

It's not a stupid question!

First of all, it's a fountain pen, which means its nib construction and method of delivering ink is completely different from ballpoint pens: a fountain pen pushes liquid ink down the nib slit through capillary action. See close up here. The ink flows smoothly and you don't need to push against the paper when writing. Most fountain pens are refillable and you can choose any ink colour you like.

A regular ballpoint pen has a small ball, held in place inside the casing by a tiny spring, and typically uses thick, oily inks. See close up here. The ink is delivered through friction (ball vs paper), which means you have to push harder against the paper when writing. It can lead to fatigue during long writing/sketching sessions.

Now, there are "ballpoint-like" pens that take liquid ink, called rollerball pens. See close up here. They're usually a good option if you want a smoother writing experience and more ink options than your standard ballpoint offers. With roller balls though, I've had the issue where the ball casing wears down and the spring shoots out the ball like a projectile, spewing ink everywhere ... I find that the fountain pen nibs are more durable if you take good care of them.

As for the Lamy Safari, it comes in all three options but the most common one by far is the fountain pen version.

[–] OmegaMouse@feddit.uk 4 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Thanks for the info. I didn't realise fountain pens worked using capillary action. When I was younger we had to use fountain pens in school for a few years and I remember them being slightly frustrating. But nowadays I don't need to write nearly as much/whilst under pressure, so I could see a fountain pen being quite nice. Plus, I'm pretty sure the ones I used were cheap and scratchy; if the brand you mentioned is good quality I might give one a go.

[–] DrRatso@lemmy.ml 2 points 11 months ago

The safari is exceptional, cheap and common, however the standard nibs they come with are a bit hit and miss, but generally fine to try out, a good lamy replacement nib is just about 10 bucks iirc.

[–] 404@lemmy.zip 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, I'm very happy with it and it's usually recommended as a good starter pen, along with the Pilot Metropolitan for those who want a metal body and/or a more traditional look. Check that one out too if you're interested!

[–] OmegaMouse@feddit.uk 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I ended up getting a Safari fountain pen and wow! It's so smooth. Way better than any I've used in the past. I've been writing stuff for the hell of it just to try it out. I'm so used to pressing down with some force whilst using a ballpoint (especially the first time you use it each day) so this makes a nice change.

Thinking back to when we were made to use them at school, we were told that the nib would wear down to fit our writing style... which I think was nonsense. Pretty sure I used to use more pressure than was necessary back then, to try and get the pen to 'mould' faster. If I'd been taught to use them correctly maybe I'd have enjoyed it more back then.

[–] 404@lemmy.zip 2 points 11 months ago

That's really nice to hear, I'm glad you liked it!

[–] PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks 1 points 11 months ago

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[–] CADmonkey@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

I'm back and forth between my Lamy Safari and my Pilot Metropolitan.