Gregory's Serverok another tangent I have been thinking about: sustainable artist made and run art supplies. I have been drawing my whole life. I mostly use art supplies that I find in the trash or free boxes or people give me cause I am not too picky but I love a nice pen. I hate buying art supplies mainly because I know how many of then there are in the world going to waste. drying out in drawers and boxes in peoples attics etc. I want to make reusable permanent markers that are meant to be refilled
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the first example that comes to mind is Krink, a tagging marker company started by a famous tagger in NYC. The markers are nice but also over priced and not meant to be refilled. so this only checks off one of my boxes. I would also like them to be made of something sturdy that feels nice to hold. maybe used copper tubing like from hot water pipes in US bathrooms (they use the really skinny stuff in older houses there and it ends up getting ripped out and throw away alot) random internet image of the type of pipe I am thinking about. maybe the pipes are too thick tho. only good for realllly fat tip marker  The most difficult part is the tip. @GustavinoBevilacqua my ideal marker is openable from both ends and uses some standard screw dimensions so changing the tip is as simple as unscrewing them. maybe a nut on each end so as something to help unscrew them when they get all dried with sticky ink @liaizon Montana makes refillables, I think there are industrial companies that make other refillable markers - I know some of the graff ones are a little squishier so you can force a high volume of ink through the felt. Have you come across the enamel pens that you can pressurize by pushing on a little plastic bulb on the end?  @liaizon krink markers are refillable, and you can replace the nibs. not sure if they sell nibs directly but here's a third party https://artprimo.com/catalog/krink-nibs-cc-211.html @liaizon here's a classic instructable you might enjoy https://www.instructables.com/MOP-aka-homemade-tagging-marker/  @memexikon did you ever try to make dye from it? I don't remember anyone actually making any from indigo at dtv  @liaizon calligraphy pens are great for this... Metal nibs that don’t wear down + you can get a cartridge converter that can be refilled with most types of inks. downsides: + they dry out and need cleaning. + you cant tag buildings w a calligraphy pen. source: i have 2 lamy safaris and they are real nice @liaizon I have fine and extra fine nibs haha. but I think you can swap out the nibs to be diff sizes. @liaizon I have done a decent amt of experimenting trying to simply get dip pen nibs to work in calligraphy pens but it is quite difficult. tin can maybe too high difficulty level… @liaizon im having flashbacks to when I burned my fingers in early quarantine attempting my tiny metalsmithing operation  @liaizon i really like mops over any chisel tip type markers for tagging, and they all just have a screw top to dump in ink. but they guzzle it like crazy and are only really appropriate for that certain style @dantescanline I am unfamiliar with the term mops in reference to markers. This thread has made me realize I don't actually know much about marker tech yet even tho I have been a marker fan all my life @liaizon its because i changed it to be about tagging stuff and not just art supplies because i am a little drunk https://youtu.be/IMwcV0o2gxM |
I want them to use natural dyes and have the tips be made of something meant to last and maybe of natural materials or at least from a waste stream from something else.