Manga G Zebra Classic Fountain Pen with Overfeed - uses and ink, even India ink - slip nibs and feeds in and out - large capacity, draw anywhere all day

I wish I had known about these pens sooner. I've used both dip pens and fountain pens, and both have serious drawbacks.Dip pens are cheap and require no maintenance, but don't regulate ink flow without an attached reservoir.Good fountain pens are expensive, require regular flushing and maintenance, and don't give you the ability to adjust ink flow and easily replace nibs if one becomes damaged.This pen fixed those issues. It's inexpensive, regulates ink flow, and gives you the ability to swap nibs. It gives you the best of both worlds and works brilliantly.One reviewer stated that the ink tends to gush out. This happened to me and it usually happens right after you re-fill the ink and put in a new nib. You just have to wait a few minutes and the issue goes away by itself. Not sure why exactly, but it could be due to the new nib not being fully cleaned and free of oil. That tends to make the ink slide off.I want to add a final note: this pen does not work well with Hunt 22B's and 101's. I've tried them both. They can slide in but are very difficult to adjust and then remove. I've had to use small pliers and grab the nib by the tines in order to pull it out. Luckily this was an old and worn nib, but a new one would have been ruined in the process. I guess you can also pop the feed out from the inside, but this makes the whole process more difficult than it should be.I'm sure there is a pen in Ackerman's catalog that works well with 22B's and 101's, but it's not this one. Perhaps I just need a different feed, I'm not sure.

The ink won't flow properly whenever I want to use it. It leaks into the cap if carried nib side down. There's a reason this is cheaper than most halfway decent fountain pens. It's not worth the time/money.

Not a good option for someone new to fountain pens. This pen took some fiddling to get running correctly. If you are used to tinkering with fountain pens, it's not a big deal. But if you need something reliable that works out of the box, get a Lamy Safari. Mine works now with Pelikan 4001 ink after some bending, shimming and playing with the feed, nib and overfeed. Out of the box ink spilled everywhere when I filled it up lol.... So, before you ink it up make sure to push the feed all the way in there. Now it works well as a flex nib fountain pen. The ink feed keeps up and there is no skipping or railroading. Just be prepared for inky fingers and some mild frustration lol if you get one that doesn't work out the box.

I enjoy the "process" of writing with fountain pens, there's something that makes whatever you're writing seem more intelligent than it actually is...Technically the pen handles well and I use the Fountain Pen Ink Cartridges (box ox 10) as my ink source. This model features the EF (extra fine tip), which seems to work very well on most writing/drawing paper surfaces. I've noticed that the ink bleeds a bit when used on my Leuchtturm Journal pages, sitting on top of the page before drying, but that's the ink not the pen.The construction of the pen is solid, turned aluminum I believe, with a knurled half for a tactile grip. It is a bit larger than I like (diameter), but if you like the Lamy type pen, you'll enjoy this. One very nice feature is the screw-off top that fits securely on the back of the pen when you are writing. Aesthetically a modest pen with some pseudo-engraving on the cap, all semi-matte metal. Changing cartridges is a snap, though I haven't tried to use the reservoir cartridge provided. Though it says "paint or Ink" can be used, I find this suspect. There is no way the tip provided will handle an "India Ink" let alone paint. Perhaps using the old Dr. Marten's Dyes may work, but it would be a trial and error scenario. But, for the price, one could experiment with it.Price - good, made in China - bad.

I'm not going to lie, at first I wrote this fountain pen off as a waste of money.... however... I recently spent a little more time with it.Putting a tiny bit of vaseline on the threads of the ink chamber prevents any spills/leaks. The nib is easily installed and easily replaced when it comes time. I originally tried to use a dip pen calligraphy ink, but it was a little too thick, when using a fountain pen ink there are no problems! It flows well and writes smoothly. It writes on the wetter side, so make sure you're using quality paper.This pen has worked perfectly for my calligraphy needs, and I'd definitely buy it again.

This is not what I'd expected. The barrel is a bit odd shaped, cap and barrel difficult to open and the pen leaks profusely. I was quite disappointed in this product. Do not recommend.

This is a very nice little pen, but it has some bad habits which cost it that fifth star.First, the good. It holds the Zebra G nib securely, but still allows you to easily pull it out for cleaning without having to disassemble the pen. Which is important if you like to use shimmering inks! The simple feed design will tolerate inks, and even paint, which would clog other pens. The pen is very easy to disassemble for cleaning. The shape of the grip section feels good in the hand. The cap posts securely, and the pen has a nice balance.Then the bad: Proprietary cartridge design, but they are refillable. Unfortunately, the cartridges are difficult to carry because the slip caps they come with tend to leak. The cap has a tiny vent hole in it, and if it's left inked for longer than a couple of days without use then the nib tends to dry out. When carried, the pen tends to leak into its cap, so when you uncap it if you aren't paying attention you get ink all over your hands.That said, I liked my first one so much that I bought a second one. Even with its issues I still like it better than pens twice its price. And there is no other pen on the market I'm aware of that deals with the G nib so well. If Ackerman would fix these little problems then this pen would get that fifth star.