Watercolor Travel Sets for Sale

Are you interested in painting with watercolors? Now that it’s summer and vacation season in the U.S., one of my unused travel sets might be just the thing to get you painting on the road.

• W&N Cotman Compact Set – 14 half-pan set filled with student grade paint. Cardboard sleeve is a little warn at corners. $20
• Rembrandt Luxury Pocket Box – 12 half-pan set in a plastic case with five mixing areas and a sable brush. $50
• W&N Artists’ Water Colour – The Bijou Box – 8 half-pan set of artist grade paints that can hold up to 12 half-pans. Additional pans can be found at a variety of online sources. This kit includes a sable pocket brush. Cardboard sleeve is worn but intact. The tin is smaller than a large Altoids box and definitely pocket-sized. The Bijou is the most sought after kit in this group. It is rarely available in the U. S.although I did see one for around $90 two weeks ago. $65
• Schmincke Horadam Finest Artists’ Watercolours – 12 half-pan set with DaVinci #5 travel brush. Daniel Smith now has an exclusive on this set at $125 but not sure it includes the brush. Retail for the paint and brush would be at least $111 though I don’t know if the half-pans are available in the U.S. Pegasus has the empty box for $29 but that’s UK shipping. Not as keen to sell this one but will consider offers.
• Japanese Brush Set in a cardboard box – 6 colors with a black pen and a water brush. This is not a travel set but it is small. The pans are large and not glued to a backing though some of the paint has cracked. They could be attached to a suitable metal box like an old watercolor tin if you like this sort of paint and want it for travel. On hold.

U.S. buyers only. Add $5 shipping via USPS Priority Mail. If you want two sets and they will fit in the same box, there will be no extra charge. If a larger box is needed, then shipping will be at cost. Additional insurance will be at cost as well. Buyer assumes all risk for uninsured items.

If interested send email to inkophile*at*gmail.com or post a comment. I moderate those and will reply privately so your info will not be made public.

Update: Schmincke half-pans are available in the US at Wet Paint Art, NY Central Art Supply, and The Fine Art Store.

Confessions of a Color Addict

Time to ‘fess up. Color is my weakness especially when it comes to the liquid applied to paper variety. Fountain pen ink and watercolor paint not only grab my interest but keep it glued to their gorgeous hues. If only I could make a living working with them or creating them or anything that would keep us close, I would be thrilled.

Last weekend was the perfect example of what happens when I let my addiction run amok. Despite a number of interruptions, I spent nearly an entire day working with swatches, catalogs, samples, tubes and bottles as well as color theory and new palette combinations. Not such a big deal on a weekend but it is easy despite pressing matters to get lost for a weekday evening the same way. Addictions are like that.

A Summer Palette of Inks
Swabs of Diamine Sepia, Diamine Maroon, Caran d’Ache Caribbean Sea, Diamine Royal Blue, and Sailor Gray

Admittedly ink attracts me in a different way than watercolor for ink needs no alteration. Straight from the bottle and plied with a pen, its best qualities come to light. Not that watercolor doesn’t look beautiful directly from a pan or tube, but it is made for mixing. A simple palette of three colors, red, blue, and yellow, can produce a rainbow of hues. Bump that up to a dozen colors and the sky’s the limit.

Five tube colors produced these results and that from a rank novice to be sure.

Watercolor Palette Derived From Five Colors
Cheap Joe’s American Journey Cadmium Yellow Light, Indian Red, Ultramarine Blue, Raw Sienna, and Burnt Umber across the top with mixes below.

There is no help for this addiction but I should like to put it to better use. I’m open to suggestions…

Oh, have you an interest in watercolor? I have a few unused travel sets to sell now that I’ve moved on to creating my own kits with tube paints and old paint boxes. Contact me at inkophile*at*gmail.com for more info.

See also Glorious Color from Inkophile on Pinterest.

A Few Fountain Pens For Sale

Need a fountain pen? As my collection has become more focused, several have fallen on hard times with no use in over a year. Time to send them off to new homes.

Basic rules:

• Contact me at inkophile *at* gmail.com to ask a question or make a purchase.
• Payment via Paypal at price plus shipping costs.
• Shipment within 72 hours of cleared payment.
• Domestic shipping via USPS Priority One Rate will be $5.20 for a small box. At buyer’s expense for non-US shipment.
• Additional insurance and tracking fees are responsibility of buyer
• Combined purchases will increase shipping cost if larger box is needed
• If the pen is not as described, please return it within 7 days.
• For items new or New Old Stock (NOS): If you ink it, you keep it.
• Original pen box available for some but not others.
• Used pens will not be perfect. Idiosyncrasies are noted if known. There is a list of pen vendors in the sidebar, if new suits you best or you prefer a warranty. Hey, I tend to buy new as well.

All of my Japanese pocket pens were made in the 1970s so they are not pristine. However, some are more perfect than others. Either an empty cartridge or used converter is included so you can put your pen to use without delay.

Some of these pens got a fill or two here while others were never inked. There isn’t much I can tell you about them beyond what is in the descriptions.

Lastly, take the color of the pens with a grain of salt. Black will of course be true but other colors may not be so accurate. It’s fine if that puts you off and you look for a pen elsewhere. I would much rather you be happy with your pen purchase from another source than to sell you one of my pens that is a disappointment.

Now for the goods…

Inkophile Pens for Sale - #1

Inkophile Pens for Sale - #2

Inkophile Pens for Sale - #3

1. Platinum Pocket Pen in frosted silver with gold trim. 18k fine nib with white plastic section. Made in the 1970s and still has its sticker. I have never inked this pen and cannot say whether anyone else ever has. It uses Platinum cartridges and an empty one is included to get you started. The cart is well-designed with a small metal ball that floats in the chamber to keep the ink flowing. There are no converters made for this model. Length is 4 3/4″ capped and 5 7/8″ posted. Let me know if you would like to purchase a box of carts along with your pen. Sold
2. Platinum Pocket Pen in black with a double-sided 14k nib, one side is fine while the other is medium. This is a dry-writing pen that works best with free-flowing inks. It uses cartridges only and there is an empty one included. Length is 4 7/8″ capped and 6″ posted. There are a few boxes of cartridges here if you are interested. $85 US
3. Waterman 52, ca. 1915-1929 in black chased hard rubber (BCHR) with nickel trim. The 14k Ideal nib is a semi-flex fine to medium. It has no clip and the lever-filler has no brassing. The nib has a slight hook and writes a bit scratchy. However, a lubricating ink, light touch, and smooth paper make it fun to use. This pen has been professionally serviced and is overall in good condition. Note that the nib is slightly discolored though you might be able to improve on that. Length is 5 5/16″ and 6 5/8″ posted. $100 US
4. Waterman Lady Patricia, ca. 1930-38, semi-flex fine 14k nib. This is a small but lovely pen that has been professionally serviced. It is onyx plastic with a red, hard rubber section and cap edge. All trim is gold-filled metal. The pen is in good condition with typical discoloration plus a few scratches on the clip but very little brassing. The nib is not bent though it may appear so in the close-up image. Length is 4 1/4″ and 5 3/8″ posted. $125 US
5. Parker Vacumatic, ca. 1943, in azure blue with a 14k fine to medium nib. Very good transparency but shows signs of wear and a few spots of brassing on the cap ring. This pen has been repaired and the cap replaced. The end cap narrows slightly but fits well. The plunger filler works as it should. Consider this a user pen with a very good nib. Sold

Inkophile Pens for Sale - #4

Inkophile Pens for Sale - #5

Inkophile Pens for Sale - #6

1. Levenger Verona fine nib in marbled gray plastic. The 14k nib is dual-toned and in perfect condition. The barrel has some scratches so it is user grade. The nib writes like a medium but I find Stipulas to write wider than the nib size states. The flow is good with some inks but not others. A new converter might help with the flow. The cheap one it came with is not impressive. Sold.
2. Pilot Prera in ivory with stainless medium nib. That original nib has been swapped for a medium italic from a Pilot Plumix but you can easily swap them back. Both pens are included in this item along with a squeeze converter for the Prera. Length is 4 3/4″ capped and 5 3/8″ posted. $45 US
3. Pilot 78g in black with a broad nib but it really is an italic. It comes with a squeeze filler and is in like new condition. In fact it may never have been inked. Length is 5 1/4″ capped and 5 7/8″ posted. Sold.
4. Pilot Elite Pocket Pen Script Nib with Silver Luster Cap. The nib is a double-vented, fine firm 18k script nib. The extra vent increases ink flow which really benefits this dry-writing pen. The cap can appear either silver or champagne colored depending on the light. Length is 4 1/2″ capped and 5 5/8″ posted. Sold.